This build brings lots of updates and changes to LOGistICAL: Earth as well as news about other projects coming soon.
I will give a brief update on the projects in development and coming soon and then onto the L:Earth updates.
Coming Soon
Players have been requesting that I do a few different modules as well as some smaller ones for those getting burnt out on L:Earth.
I have a few projects in the pipeline.
Note: These are the projects as they are planned at the moment and may change prior to release.
LOGistICAL 3
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637970/LOGistICAL_3/
... but isn't L3 already out? It is and the current modules for it are L:Earth and L:Vaccine.
For those who would like something smaller to play with, I bring you LOGistICAL 3 (which is LOGistICAL 3: Modules).
The first module included is LOGistICAL: Kansas.
This game is already complete and available in the Steam Store in June 2021.
L:Kansas has been competed within 2 weeks by some testers and has since been nerfed considerably, so could be completed quicker.
I will be adding more modules over time as DLCs or free additions.
A World of Model Railways (working title)
WMR brings you all the railways of the world as your own monster model railway set. This includes every currently known working track within our planet. All railways are immediately visible (ie no discovery).
You can play within a single city setting up all the trains required to meet all the timetables, or work with the cargoes spread throughout the landscape. Do both at the same time.
The timetables are the actual ones the city has including all the stops and frequencies.
Spawn an engine in the shunting yards and put together engine and carriage combinations required for the city network. Get your train and carriages to a main line to have them automatically take on the timetable for that train. That train will continue to run its timetable until you bring it back into the shunting yards.
Get hundreds (or even thousands) of trains running simultaneously over your world map.
Play scenarios that require some thinking to get the carriages all joined to the train within the shunting yards.
Use the shunting engine(s) to move the carriages and eventually join to the main engine(s) waiting on the main line.
Play scenarios that will require you to build train systems delivering cargoes to industries and also other stations (kind of like LOGistICAL).
Play scenarios that require you to build the actual engines and carriages, requiring many different inputs (including food for the diners).
Future builds may include the ability to create, play and share your own closed (or integrated) model railway systems.
WMR would be built on the L3 framework but would be a very different game.
LOGistICAL: Universe
LOGistICAL to the next level.
Though this may sound daunting, the detail of the Earth is much more complex than our knowledge of the rest of the universe.
You would start on Earth and then venture out to moons, planets, asteroids, other solar systems and eventually other galaxies.
Create Space Stations as well as orbital Space Stations which can be capable of orbiting around multiple entities (ie small ones orbiting between Earth and Mars. Large ones between our solar system and distant ones). This may require multiple hops to get the cargo from one planet to another within another solar system.
Mine the asteroids and other planets to get the resources you need.
Discover a huge amount of space with existing known planets and larger stars.
LOGistICAL: Utopia
This has been sitting in my back pocket for quite a while.
Basically it is L:Earth with more freedom to build what you want, where you want.
Start anywhere on Earth and build industries suitable for those towns and businesses near by. Deliver and complete towns and spread out as per the general game play.
Build within another part of the planet and join the two together. Continue and complete the entire planet.
Current Updates: Build #863k
As many players are getting many towns and businesses done in Earth, the game takes on a different play style. Once you have discovered all the industries you then have the task of systematically completing each region (country). This brings new logistical challenges in the most efficient way you can do this. I have introduced a few tools over time to help you do this and bring a couple more.
Not to forget the new players, I have also been adding new contracts to help assist those players up the learning curve.
Vehicle Save Slots
The "Vehicle Save Slots" (originally termed "Multi-Vehicle Slots"), which are on the title bar of the Vehicle List has been updated.
They have been increased from 4 slots to 12 slots, and you can now put single vehicles into each slot.
Here is a full list up updates for the "Vehicle Save Slots":
- Ability to add a single vehicle to a Vehicle Save Slot
- Increase to 12 Vehicles save slots per module.
- Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl 1-6 to save. 1-6 to retrieve. Add the Shift key for slots 7-12
- Vehicle Save Slot colours indicate the type of the first vehicle in the group:
-- orange: truck <= 20t
-- pink: truck > 20t
-- maroon: train
-- blue: ship
-- yellow: plane
-- red: all vehicles have been sold
-- white: default if unidentified
- The numbers on the Vehicle Save Slots are a count of all the vehicles within the save slot (including sold vehicles)
- The currently selected Vehicle Save Slot highlights until truck list or truck on map is clicked.
Trade Stores
Trade stores are a new type of store that allow you to input one type of resource but output any of the other types that are available for that trade store type.
For example, input apples to a Fruit Store and output oranges. It is a ton-to-ton trade.
Trade stores are very useful for doing small regions, like islands. Check the different products on the region and build just a few Trade Stores instead of many Single Stores.
Details:
- Trade Stores are like Single Stores, except they take multiple inputs but then you can output any type of Traded cargo.
- For example you can input "Apples" to a "Fruit Store" and then deliver "Oranges", or "Bananas" or any other fruit.
- There are numerous Trade Stores that open up game play for advanced players.
- Contracts show when each Trade Store will be available.
- Get the "Fruit Store" at 5,000 businesses complete.
- Each is 5,000 business after (for a while) that gives a new Trade Store.
- Once the contract is complete Trade Stores will be instantly available to build.
- Once you build one, Trade Stores can take multiple types of inputs (see each contract).
- Output is a generic type of cargo that you can deliver to any place that requires any of the inputs.
- Inputs and Outputs require that you have fully upgraded at least 5 industries of that type. eg. Upgrade 5 "Apple Orchards" to enable apple delivery.
- Input one type of cargo and output another. Just like apples and oranges.
- Multi-Routes lock in to a single resource once the first destination has been selected.
Previous/Next Business
On the town popup title bar when you select a business, you get a previous/next business so you can quickly find the next business of that type.
This can now be locked to the current region, so it only cycles through those that are local.
A black outline on the business icon represents that the previous/next is locked to the current region.
Details:
- You can now lock the next/previous business, on the town popup, to the current region by clicking on the business icon.
High Score Format
A player has manged to get a total combined score of over 1 quadrillion and has thrown the format of the high score table out. This has been corrected.
Scores over 1 quadrillion are now displayed in the trillions with a "T" at the end.
Fun Facts
There are lots of player submitted "Fun Facts" within the game now.
For these to display, they need votes. To vote on a Fun Fact, click the Fun Fact window in the town popup and give it a vote.
Create your own when you have completed enough towns/businesses.
I have added ranks to your Fun Fact status for both voting and getting your submitted ones voted on.
Details:
- Fun Fact statuses for Votes and Submitted
- Player Fun Fact Status displayed on bootup
- Fun Facts filtered to module
High Score Server
There has been some unexpected down time with the high score server over the last few months.
There are millions of records to query and the server has been taking a large load.
I have created some periodic queries to summarise the L:Earth data as well as other query crunching processes. This takes a load off the constant server access but does create a new issue with that periodic processing. I will be putting some more time into this to optimise it even further.
Map, Road, Rail and Shipping Updates
- Fixed ports around the US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands, as well as added a ferry to the South Island
- Fixed Dock of Guadeloupe
- Fixed Dock of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- Fixed rails in Russia, Italy, Belarus and South Africa
- Fixed rail connection in Alexandria, Egypt
- Fixed business in Sint Maartin that was in wrong region
- Fixed link to Marshall Islands
- Fixed road that couldn't be selected as it was perfectly vertical
- Fixed mislabled road in Columbia that was for Australia
- Fixed trigger for Switzerland/Germany rail link contract
- Cuba Rail link to a road
- Fixed road to Eastern Russia which crosses the International Date Line
- Fixed rail system in Southern Brazil
- Fix for Rio Grande, Brazil railway. Pelotas now has a rail station.
- Bunch of road and rail fixes. (Hammer fixes)
LOGistICAL help
For those struggling to know what to do next, pop into the Discord server and ask other players.
https://discord.gg/xdQ2Gws
LOGistICAL: Earth has a wiki. Lots of useful information. You can update it, too.
https://logistical-earth.fandom.com/wiki/LOGistICAL_Earth_Wiki
Hints and Tips
A spreadsheet of helpful information by Rayanth: https://bit.ly/34w8JC7
Also a map of some of the different regions...
Enjoy,
Sacada.