Hello! With launch just over three weeks away on July 28th, I've been working hard on addressing further feedback in the recent days and adding even more features into the game in order to make the launch the best it can possibly be. It is time for one more week worth of changes. This week was more focused on smaller features and tweaks except for one big addition which took the biggest chunk of time. We can start with that!
Blueprints
This was on the to-do list, but later down the line. Now you will be able to copy existing rails, rail signals, rail bridges and stations. This allows you to solve logistic problems once and re-use your solutions in multiple locations.
For now, blueprint sharing is only done in two ways. The first way is just to copy paste it using Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V as you would with text. You will get a Base64 string once you copy which is easy to share. The next option is through modding by adding custom blueprints in the logistics build tab which then can be shared through Steam Workshop.
This feature will be worked on more in the future once there is more time to do so.
Save UI
Before, saves were sorted based on their names. Now they can be sorted by data too, which will be the new default. Save UI can see folders in the save directory which is quite useful for grouping files together. Someday it will be possible to create and edit folders in the game, but for now you can only do that through windows.
Navigation
I have added two new ways that you can navigate using your mouse. Using Shift + Left Mouse Button and the Right Mouse Button.
Straight Rails
Building long stretches of straight rails was harder and more cumbersome than it should have been. Now, it is barely an inconvenience, just hold Alt and rails will attempt to be built in a straight line.
Selection Keys
Most of you did not know, but you can bind keys 0-9 to specific structures, trains and more importantly, to build items. I always bind 1 to rails, 2 to rail signals and 3 to rail chain signals which streamlines rail building. Having key X as the delete mode toggle means that I do not need to lose my focus when solving logistic problems. Now these keys are bound like that by default. Later down the line I am thinking about a radial menu to compliment this system.
Upgrades UI
Upgrading trains was not possible during Beta. I quickly added it due to the feedback and this resulted in a less than ideal UI design. For now, I tried to only improve readability with some help from Izuna Neko in the Discord community.
Same Name Stations
Same name stations worked by allowing a train to use any station that has the same name as the destination station. However, a train would always look for a path in the direction of its specific station. This meant that other stations were simply optional if the train could not get where it wanted. Now, all same name stations will be treated equally allowing for better distribution of trains.
Build List Tooltips
Just wanted to add here that tooltips will be less annoying whilst selecting what you want to build.
Goods Locking
You could lock specific people to specific wagons during the Beta. It is very useful when you want only craftsmen to board the first wagon and laborers in the second for example. Now you will be able to lock wagon goods, allowing trains with the same wagons to transfer multiple cargo.
Signal Blocks
Lastly, I wanted to clarify how the new signal segment features work. In general it will work the same as before, having a single block between signals. All rail networks created in the past will provide the same results. The difference now is that a signal block can be divided into smaller pieces if conditions match. The goal of this feature was to address the lacking parts (compact rail systems) without changing anything else.
After some Beta analysis and prototyping I came to a conclusion that the solution is to split signal blocks between two rail pieces that cannot have any signals. A rail cannot have signals if there are multiple rail pieces in a single tile. This covers all of the situations where you would want to place signals.
Originally I thought of making a new kind of signal that can be placed in such places, but this creates problems. The biggest one is that players will have an even harder time learning the game. Then there is the problem of having to make signal placement manual in places where you always want to have one. Splitting signal blocks solves all of these. Newer players do not need to know about this feature, but more advanced players can optimize their intersections with more tools under their belt.
Now for the limitations. Trains will respect signal block rules, which means that a train will never stop in the middle of a signal block unless it is at its destination. Under the hood, it works similarly to how chain signals work. The train will reserve all parts until the next signal no matter how far away it is. It is very efficient in small places, not so much in larger ones. These blocks are limited in the size to 64 rail connections (~32 rail pieces) and up to 6 sections. Like everything else, this is open for modding.
After several weeks of playing I am more sure that this was the correct choice. It adds another level of depth that is fun to solve and optimize. It is like a fresh coat of paint after so much playtesting.
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And this is it for now, all of these features need to be properly tested and translated in time for the Early Access launch. You will be able to view the full changelog during this time period in the game covering ~80+ changes. There are many features I still want to add, but for now my focus will be mostly on bug fixing and balancing making to ensure that you get a quality product!
As always, please join us on Discord and I hope you're looking forward to July 28th!