Opar Peninsula - BETA (Again)

[Wolverine@MSU]

(10) I cannot open & save the newly named 64-bit .gmp with the RT3 editor or else I'm back to square one with a blocky color pattern.

It's been a long time since I did this, but if memory serves me correctly (and at my age it sometimes doesn't ) you are correct. Because the 64-bit editor will always save the blocky version, this should be the very last step before "publishing" the scenario. I'm pretty sure that once this "fix" has been applied, it will show up correctly when the scenario is played, but any further editing will result in the blocky pattern coming back.

[OilCan]

I know we are off topic from beta testing.

Wolverine's tutorial worked like magic. The 32-bit color targa image mapped wonderfully into the 64-bit map - like a fresh coat of paint.

The only drawback was that the gmp2bmp utility did not pull off a crystal blue ocean color, but instead a marshy mix of greens and blues. It was easily rectified in the RT3 editor by using the ocean tool and 'recoloring' all the ocean to the reflective blue.

I discovered a marvelous bonus: the freshly colored map allowed me to use the RT3 paint tool and achieve 32-bit color pattern. Not believing it, I saved and painted, saved and painted several times - each time opening the map to see that the 32-bit color resolution had stayed unchanged. The 64-bit blocky pattern did not return.

I even removed all the colors - a black map- and repainted it all again to see if the 64-bit blockiness returned.
It didn't.

The problem remains that if a map was originally created and painted in 64-bit then there is not a 32-bit color bmp to use to refresh the map. I was fortunate that Opar Peninsula was created several years ago in 32-bit.

[Gumboots]

That's fascinating. If that's repeatable on all boxes it opens up some possibilities. Generating a suitable bmp shouldn't be that hard to arrange. All you'd need is any old bmp at all, since you can overlay it with sat shots or anything if you want to, and they're all 1024x1024 anyway. This is worth some more testing. IF I could actually use the RT3 editor to touch up maps without them going ugly on me, I'd be much more inclined to make some maps.

[RulerofRails]

I recently bought a second-hand computer with 64-bit Windows 8.1. It's Nvidia graphics, so I am using the alternative to the Vista Fix. Anyway, looks nicer and of course faster than my old 32-bit Windows 7 which runs RT3 without Vista Fix. But for now, the newer computer is still in "spare" status.

Even the original version (from the old thread) of this map has a BAD coast-line with the 32-bit Windows 7 machine. I had opened both thinking that I could fix the colors for you in a few minutes, using almost the same method that you now know (I have been just copying the hex code from one file to the other without using gmp2bmp, but you can't do touch-up).

Just now, I decided, hey, I'll try this with the 64-bit Windows 8.1 machine. Guess what? The coast-line looks perfect on the original version and only slightly degraded on your new version. Much better than with the 32-bit machine. This flys in the face of some of the 32-bit vs 64-bit stuff that has been said by others. Guess there's nothing for it, but to tinker and find out what works for your own system.

PS. I didn't try playing the map yet.

[RulerofRails]

This is a nice map. I like the starting setup which makes it impossible to get a big jump out of the gate. I also like the close proximity likely with the AI in the main inland area. There aren't heaps of extra resources making industrial planning enjoyable. Nice terrain variation too.


Are the AI supposed to receive access to the Mosquito Swamps later in the game? In my game, they never did.

There is a problem with the effects on the event for CBV=$150M. The needed effect (Game Variable 4 +100) is attached to a HOLD event for CBV=$175M.

For curiousity's sake, the name of the mainland territory is Opal Peninsula.

One of the bugs in the game is that the events for changing acceleration and fuel consumption do not work. I noticed you used a fuel consumption improvement once on this map. I think I mentioned this before. Maybe it's a purely psychological benefit?

Engine selection:
I noticed that you allowed virtually all engines here, that's good. Should keep everyone happy, except nobody likes the Orca. I would recommend disabling it. But it's your call.

You may have noticed long threads where Gumboots and I were testing to see how the game determines engine fuel cost. One of the main focuses for me on our efforts to make a sort of patch is to balance out fuel costs for better game play. I am curious as to what engines you used on this map while testing and playing. This time period of late steam is of particular interest and importance for our patch.

Here's some info I pulled up out of one of the spreadsheets we made. This illustrates the fuel cost imbalances among the respective locos in this period. Please note that performance doesn't matter. A faster, more powerful train will still use the exact same amount of fuel as a slow one to cover a fixed distance. However, the fast train will cover more distance in a fixed period of time, giving the appearance of higher fuel costs when this isn't really so.

We are looking at the cost of a train with a full mixed consist and caboose covering one mile in the game. The lower the number the better.

[OilCan]

Are the AI supposed to receive access to the Mosquito Swamps later in the game? In my game, they never did.

Yes, they receive access at the start of the next year. See MosV AI event. In all my test games, they did not expand into the mosquito area after receiving access.

There is a problem with the effects on the event for CBV=$150M. The needed effect (Game Variable 4 +100) is attached to a HOLD event for CBV=$175M.

Good catch! I revised the gold medal threshold and mistakenly did not correct the $150M CBV event to match the threshold.

For curiousity's sake, the name of the mainland territory is Opal Peninsula.

I kept Brunom's label of 'Opar'. Do you know of an actual, real Opal Peninsula? My google searches came up empty for an Opal Peninsula (or a Opar peninsula).

One of the bugs in the game is that the events for changing acceleration and fuel consumption do not work. I noticed you used a fuel consumption improvement once on this map. I think I mentioned this before. Maybe it's a purely psychological benefit?

Fuel consumption! I recalled that acceleration was a bug and thought reliability was the second bug. I'll change that.

Engine selection:
I noticed that you allowed virtually all engines here, that's good. Should keep everyone happy, except nobody likes the Orca. I would recommend disabling it. But it's your call.

The Orca has proven to be irremovable in this game, which is frustrating. There is an event in the game to remove the Orca - and it works but doesn't work. The Orca appeared in some of my test games and in some it did not. It's a puzzle. I tried different events with no success. I'll try to eradicate it again. (It just occurred to me to add yet another event to remove it after it becomes available.)

I am curious as to what engines you used on this map while testing and playing.

I'm a creature of habit with train engines: I tend to use the same engine for almost every route until a better engine(*) comes along. I started this game with the Class 500 (mostly), then about 1945 I switched to the U1 - updating my older 500s to U1s as well. Early 1950s I switched to the Class A1 as engine of choice.

(*) I'll quickly confess that my way of selecting an engine is not very sophisticated. I choose based on speed and price. I look for engines which will run on 2-4% grades with reasonable speeds and then I look at price.

[RulerofRails]

The Opal Peninsula was probably a misspelling. It's visible in the company section where we normally buy access rights. I didn't recognize this area either. Perhaps the scale is smaller than we would suspect.

Suprisingly, I did a fairly similar engine strategy, buying the Class 500 extensively until the Class 01. All new engines I bought were then Class 01. Once the U1 arrived, I started buying that. Thanks for sharing your engine choices while playing.

[Hawk]

This map is now available in the Archives.

http://hawkdawg.com/rrt/rrt3/map_arch/r ... rPeninsula

[Hawk]

Just wanted to let folks know that I sent Brunom an email and got a reply. He's doing good but is a bit to busy with real life to spend time with RT3.
He wanted to pass along his blessing and thanks to OilCan for the continued work on his map.

[Hawk]

I just got an email telling me that the version of Opar Peninsula in the archives may not be the finished version. Here's the part of that email pertaining to this map.

Well, I just played Opar this morning and it didn't seem to have much to it, and the ledger report page was always blank. After several somewhat dull years I checked it out in the editor.

Turns out there are only 13 events, no medals, and the last of which says LEDGER and the box at right says "Still to decide." This doesn't look like the Opar forum pages which mention events, medals and so forth. It must be an earlier version?

I checked the map in my game and he's right.

There's been 30 downloads of this map so far.

[OilCan]

I just got an email telling me that the version of Opar Peninsula in the archives may not be the finished version. Here's the part of that email pertaining to this map.

I checked the map in my game and he's right.

I double checked, and yes, Brunom's original version is in the archives - not my revised version. I'm not sure how this happened. I double checked the zip file that I sent in and it contained my revised version. Somehow, someway I sent in Brunom's original instead of my revised version. Regardless, I'll resubmit it, except I will rename it Opar Peninsula II so you (Hawk) know that it is my revised version. You are welcome to keep or remove the 'II' from the title before you post it in the archives.

This is my second major slip up in a row. RoR pointed out a glaring error in England's War Effort beta. I must be getting old.

I'm saddened that so many forum users downloaded the original thinking it was the revised version. I hope most, if not all, see this posting and download the revised version.

[Hawk]

I'll make note it's the revised version.

[Hawk]

The correct version is now in the archives.

[OilCan]

The correct version is now in the archives.

Thanks Hawk for making me aware of the problem - albeit somewhat embarrassing. And thanks for posting the revised version.

[Hawk]

My pleasure OC.

[jcarlyle]

Loved this scenario. First time I played the game in several years, and it was worth it. Glad to see new scenarios being made so many years after the game's initial release.

[low_grade]

This was a good challenge, and a very nice map to build on! My first attempt was rail-only, partly because resources looked a bit scarce, mostly because my attention was focused on not losing any of the allotted track. Well, after 8 or 10 years and profits still under $1M per year, I tried again.

This time I built an aluminum mill ASAP in Port Opp, I was able to do that in the 2nd year. Then buying the bauxite mines and with the first connection to Tazook providing steady revenue on top of the $400k/year from the mill I was able to expand continuously around the map. Steel was a particularly interesting challenge given the distances between coal and iron. I eventually got most of the industries going, here and there. Resources are clustered tightly enough that it didn't take too long to generate enough demand to pull nearby logs into town, eg.

Since track was limited I decided I may as well go electric with the 2-D-2, and I think this is the rare map where electric from the start is the best strategy. Some E428's eventually, and then pretty much all to E18's. Though non-electric track would get a lot more profitable once the Zephyr arrives in 1934...

One oddity with the medal coding, not sure if intended, but after I'd triggered both CBV and Haulage gold medal requirements, I pushed myself up from $42M PNW to over $80M by first buying myself $9M into personal debt, then doing a couple massive stock buybacks with the $38M in cash my company was sitting on. This dropped CBV below gold medal requirement while getting me over $80M in PNW for that gold trigger, and I got the gold. So, gold requirements don't need to be met simultaneously, just at some point in the game.

Gold November 1950 on Expert, 10 years to spare.

I'll say another thing, I was engaged for all but the last couple years. Several times a year as track and cash built up I would pause and look at the map and lay track or build/buy industry, add routes. This map kept me constantly tweaking and reconsidering, where with other maps I usually just pause and build in January after the first few years. The limited track was a bit frustrating early on, but once I got up to 65 and 75 per month it felt like a good pace for keeping expansion gradual.