Re: Blue Mountains revamp
Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 12:40 am
Yep, I know about that page in the editor and was thinking of using it as one of the checks. Good point about the terrain though.
Just ran some numbers through a spreadsheet, taking straight line distances in map pixels between Sydney and a range of cities, Newcastle and a range of cities, and the same for Bathurst and for Wollongong. Distances are averaging 22% greater than the old map, with numbers varying from 0.971 (Sydney => Lithgow) to 1.764 (Bathurst => Lithgow). Some relevant ones are:
Sydney => Bathurst: 1.136
Sydney => Campbelltown: 1.266
Sydney => Liverpool: 1.120
Sydney => Newcastle: 1.333
Sydney => Orange: 1.123
Sydney => Wellington: 1.181
Sydney => Wollongong: 1.245
Sydney => Yass: 1.121 (vs Sydney => Queanbeyan, with Yass substituting for Queanbeyan on the new map)
Wollongong => Goulburn: 1.166
Wollongong => Nowra: 1.302
Newcastle => Cessnock: 1.570
Newcastle => Maitland: 1.295
Newcastle => Muswellbrook: 1.267
So it's looking like a 20% increase to track allowances will be about right. If set like that a Newcastle start will still be penalised a bit compared to the original. This is good as it tends to favour a Sydney start (historical and all that) which will offset the common advantage of Newcastle for early haulage and provide a bit more challenge. The new map has Singleton as an intermediate city between Maitland and Muswellbrook, which makes early haulage in that area easier, but I always play with a halfway station because haulage down the river is good and I know there are stations there.
With track allowances increased 20% a Sydney start might be a little too easy, given the numbers above, but that can be tweaked by not providing any track at all extending from the placed Sydney station. TBH I find it a nuisance anyway, because it's always a bit off for alignment when you want to get past the end of the Parramatta River. Better if you just get the station and can run your own track.
And definitely remove the 10% overall track cost increase. Will see how it goes with default track cost, pending testing. The 20% range increase I was thinking about earlier also seems like a definite now.
Just ran some numbers through a spreadsheet, taking straight line distances in map pixels between Sydney and a range of cities, Newcastle and a range of cities, and the same for Bathurst and for Wollongong. Distances are averaging 22% greater than the old map, with numbers varying from 0.971 (Sydney => Lithgow) to 1.764 (Bathurst => Lithgow). Some relevant ones are:
Sydney => Bathurst: 1.136
Sydney => Campbelltown: 1.266
Sydney => Liverpool: 1.120
Sydney => Newcastle: 1.333
Sydney => Orange: 1.123
Sydney => Wellington: 1.181
Sydney => Wollongong: 1.245
Sydney => Yass: 1.121 (vs Sydney => Queanbeyan, with Yass substituting for Queanbeyan on the new map)
Wollongong => Goulburn: 1.166
Wollongong => Nowra: 1.302
Newcastle => Cessnock: 1.570
Newcastle => Maitland: 1.295
Newcastle => Muswellbrook: 1.267
So it's looking like a 20% increase to track allowances will be about right. If set like that a Newcastle start will still be penalised a bit compared to the original. This is good as it tends to favour a Sydney start (historical and all that) which will offset the common advantage of Newcastle for early haulage and provide a bit more challenge. The new map has Singleton as an intermediate city between Maitland and Muswellbrook, which makes early haulage in that area easier, but I always play with a halfway station because haulage down the river is good and I know there are stations there.
With track allowances increased 20% a Sydney start might be a little too easy, given the numbers above, but that can be tweaked by not providing any track at all extending from the placed Sydney station. TBH I find it a nuisance anyway, because it's always a bit off for alignment when you want to get past the end of the Parramatta River. Better if you just get the station and can run your own track.
And definitely remove the 10% overall track cost increase. Will see how it goes with default track cost, pending testing. The 20% range increase I was thinking about earlier also seems like a definite now.