Idea for a new minor feature

[Beancounter]

It would be neat to have the option to bulldoze/flatten/level terrain. (like in SimCity)

No more worries about elevation...as long as you have enough cash.

Thoughts? Is this possible to program into the game?

It would be a great start to version 1.06.1

BC

[Hawk]

You can already do that. While in a scenario, put the game in pause and hit 'Shift+E'. That will take you into the editor where you can use the terrain tools.

[Beancounter]

Thanks Hawk,

But doesn't the editor operate "outside" the game. That is, changing landscape in edit mode doesn't cost you anything in time or money.

Is that correct?

I was thinking of it as an option within the game. ...Having to weigh the cost of flattening terrain vs building over, making a tunnel, or some other trade-off.

[Hawk]

You are correct. Editing terrain in the editor costs nothing.
As for making tunnels, you can do that with rail in the scenario and it will cost you.

[Sugus]

Very interresting to see a desire for an RT3-magician being able to shrink mountains and create lakes - hmmmm ... really lurking around in the right thread (forum)?

[WPandP]

Folks have long used the buildings like the Post Office for terrain-modification purposes. It will flatten out an area big enough for its footprint wherever you place it, and if there are other buildings nearby it will try to come level with those, otherwise it will just terrace where it is. To flatten a larger area, one needs a bigger building, like a Steel Mill. Just build it, then demolish the building; a trade-off of cash resources for terrain control.

However, I've long hated this implementation, because it can screw up your carefully-graded rail lines. It happens during gameplay, as a city grows and spawns new buildings; if I've had to climb a grade to get into or through town when starting out, I'll come back later on and see a bunch of 12% grades or worse leading into broad flat areas, simply because a few more buildings have sprouted up. Use this technique with care, with practice you'll see that you can carve out hillsides at whim.

[Beancounter]

Folks have long used the buildings like the Post Office for terrain-modification purposes. It will flatten out an area big enough for its footprint wherever you place it, and if there are other buildings nearby it will try to come level with those, otherwise it will just terrace where it is. To flatten a larger area, one needs a bigger building, like a Steel Mill. Just build it, then demolish the building; a trade-off of cash resources for terrain control.

However, I've long hated this implementation, because it can screw up your carefully-graded rail lines. It happens during gameplay, as a city grows and spawns new buildings; if I've had to climb a grade to get into or through town when starting out, I'll come back later on and see a bunch of 12% grades or worse leading into broad flat areas, simply because a few more buildings have sprouted up. Use this technique with care, with practice you'll see that you can carve out hillsides at whim.

Thanks! That's a great tip!

BC

[Beancounter]

Very interresting to see a desire for an RT3-magician being able to shrink mountains and create lakes - hmmmm ... really lurking around in the right thread (forum)?

Well, The game already has a bulldozer that can level buildings, why not level land as well, just like in the real world...

I thought this would be the best forum to build a consensus.

Then we can take it to the magicians if everyone likes the idea...

[Thunder Mnt RR]

hey thats a great idea im all for it and mabe instead of just buildings and land how about something like dinamite fuction that would alow you to create valleys in the mountains instead of using a tunnel or going over the mountain

[Grandma Ruth]

It is an excellent idea! To be a bit more scientific, why don't you do a poll about it?

[Gwizz]

We could have a dynamite car (a box car centered between four high sided gondolas with a shaped load of gravel)

[Sugus]

Ok - really good ideas! And now, I'm waiting for this great "RT3 - Might and Magic Edition" ...

Possibly, Ned will all these goodies integrate in Trainmaster?

[nedfumpkin]

I can't think of a way to bring the ground flattener into the game from the editor, I am sure it could be done but would involve a considerable amount of work. On the other hand, making a building like the post office for some minor flattening is possible and I am thinking about how it could work.

[Wolverine@MSU]

How about having a "building" that would do the leveling that a regular building does, but not have any "structure" associated with it (transparent graphic). You could have several different ones, based on different "building" footprints, from small (Post Office) to large (Steel Mill). The only drawback is that if the terrain is too steep to place a regular building you probably wouldn't be able to use the fake building to flatten the terrain.

[nedfumpkin]

I was actually thinking of having two structures for flattening, and I would modify the skin for it so only the base outline would show. I would make them cost a small amount of money, and factor in the cost to bulldoze so that it's more in line with a track building cost than a building cost. I'm figuring on the post office and then another building about twice the size. Or maybe a bit bigger.

I'm open to suggestions and if anyone wants to play around making plateaux then let me know which buildings offer the best. Unfortunately, right now and for a few weeks my time is going to be distracted by real life crap so I can putter whe I get the chance...

[Hawk]

I think a visible base would be better than a transparent object. With a transparent object it would be too easy to forget to delete it when you're done terraining.
I guess you would need to figure in the cost of bulldozing the bulldozer building too.