After 6 hrs;
My first impressions are as follows, and I never played OTTD. Just SimCity 3000 and newer, and CiM, and the very old RailRoad Tycoon 2 and 3. I even had their metal collectors edition tins!
- The way things are set up is a nice clean streamlined touch once you figure where everything is. Find it quite easy to remember how to do stuff after few short hours and some of it is already second nature. So the way the game “flows” as the player plays and remembers things is decent.
- Tutorial is just gonna get you the basic up, Community guides are gonna save your ass. Follow them and you be rocking and making profit in no time.
- Graphics are a great touch for the game, they are not too annoying, not too flashy, nor too dull. Performance wise, it runs decent on my rig (2500k 4.5Ghz, GTX 570, 8GB RAM). But it does stutter at times. Esp when zoomed in close, or many UI windows opening. Even more so with the PiP windows. Spam 10 horses to build? Enjoy 10 PiP windows and lag fest for a min til you give them a line.
- Sounds are good for when clicking on a object or industry. The music, is uh, no thanks haha.
- Not a huge fan how industries work currently or how transport Cargo is. For example, trying to get goods to go from one town to another, is not possible for me. The city goods go to, it just makes the city grow bigger. Only one time have I had a cargo go from a town to town via Train. Only once did someone walk, so Twice.
- Upgrading stations are a pain, do it right first time and spend the cash til a upgrade option comes in like Roads.
- Laying track can be a tad iffy, you really just gotta find the sweet spot. Sometimes the terrain goes wacky, sometimes the track just doesn’t wanna connect when it should easy.
- Full Load/Any is too confusing / dont work.
- UI could use a little more polish all over
- No ablity to remap controls yet.
- Gameplay so far keeps me hooked, things maybe progress a little slow though. I am only in 1870, but I’ve only gotten 1 new engine and 1 wagon, and 1 steam coach for the road. I’m upgrading Wagon Horses, with Wagon Horse… Soon to be twice. Feel some balance still needs tweaking. Some little things make me go errr. But when I google them or have an idea for a good suggestion, I found its already posted. Either here, or on Steam group, or their forums. Devs are also listening and reading and are a nice group.
Oh and one other thing maybe I was spoiled by this in Railroad Tycoon or something, but putting a station DOWN on EXISTING TRACK. Would solve many nightmares. Having to lay stations first and then track someimes backfires due to the terrain, so you waste money…
Great game though, sure it be updated frequently, and the Germans love it and already making mods like crazy. I have tons of faith.
One thing I’d love to see or maybe I just don’t know how, but having to use Roads to get goods to go from say the Oil Well to Refinery is kinda blah. It’s kinda impossible to make a line for industry soley for train I have found. Either the industries are too far in the hills and the track is not gonna lay, or its just not possible. EXAMPLE:
Basicially have it like so.
Town A (Start) > Train goes to Forester to get Wood > Train goes to Sawmill to make Goods > Goods to Town B (Delivery)
Problem with this is, most places these are out its impossible to lay track due to hills / contour lines. OR the stations are so big trying to get it too fit and lay track so its not at odd angles, is impossible for me. What be better is Frieght Stations and little Depots. Say Depot the size of Truck Stop. Train just stops picks up the wood, takes it too sawmill, drop it off, and then you need a Frieght Station at Town B for the goods to be complete.
In order to accomplish the above, you need roads… I have yet to get a train industry chain working..
