ORCT2 Exclusive track elements

[imlegos]

Allo again, I was replying to a post on the forums when I spotted this while getting a link;

http://www.nedesigns.com/screenshot/3294/tilted-coaster/

This gave me the idea of maybe eventually incorporating new track elements; like a elevator shaft for the Heartline (Ultra Twister), as well as demake some pieces from RCT3; like the Thrill Lift and Tilt Track for Corkscrew.

[imlegos]

Obviously, this will not be happenin any time soon. Just throwing this out there.

[X7123M3-256]

In terms of adding existing track pieces to rides that don't currently have them, it's already happening - there are steep pieces on the Junior coaster. I hope there will be more additions like that as the remaining drawing is implemented.

But to add any track elements that aren't in the game at all, you need a new file format, and for those that would require sprites not already provided, a new object format as well. I think that is still some way off, and it certainly won't happen until all the vanilla code is fully implemented.

[imlegos]

I know of the Junior parts, which currently use the drawing from the Water Coaster.

[X7123M3-256]

The junior coaster no longer uses the water coaster track for drawing, the junior coaster track paint is fully implemented now. Also, the steep-to-flat piece was never available on the water coaster, so that's actually a new sprite (it was taken from RCT1 I believe). Support for inversions on dive coasters was also recently added, but that is still done using the twister coaster track paint (more or less the same way I did it, but it wasn't my PR that was merged). Recurious recently created some diagonal and steep slope track sprites for the log flume track, and I'm hoping those will be added to the game at some point

[Duncans_pumpkin]

Actually it doesn't use water coaster anymore it uses our own code. And I think from today water coaster also uses our own code

[X7123M3-256]

I have a question: how easy is it to implement track paint for a new coaster now that one has been done? Do they share code, or do you have to start from scratch with each ride? I looked at the assembly before any of the track paint was done, and it looked like a formidable task just to get a single coaster implemented.

Edited September 24, 2016 by X7123M3-256

[60trainhunter]

Need to seriously bring back booster track pieces from the RCT 1 for both Looping and Corkscrew Roller Coasters!

[YoloSweggLord]

30 minutes ago, 60trainhunter said:

Need to seriously bring back booster track pieces from the RCT 1 for both Looping and Corkscrew Roller Coasters!

You can emulate its effects with fast chainlifts by unlocking operating limits in the cheats menu.

[X7123M3-256]

27 minutes ago, 60trainhunter said:

Need to seriously bring back booster track pieces from the RCT 1 for both Looping and Corkscrew Roller Coasters!

This can't be added without a new file format. At the moment, we can only add track pieces that already exist elsewhere in the game. Once there is a new file format, I'd really like to see a cable launch implemented as well (in a similar manner to the existing cable lift), though I know that'd likely be harder to implement. The issue with booster pieces on a ride like the Schwarzkopf is that with a cable launch, the train must stop to engage the catch car before the launch. A booster piece that can be placed mid-ride without a preceding block section only makes sense on rides that have LIMs or LSMs.

[Duncans_pumpkin]

On 24/09/2016 at 16:51, X7123M3-256 said:

I have a question: how easy is it to implement track paint for a new coaster now that one has been done? Do they share code, or do you have to start from scratch with each ride? I looked at the assembly before any of the track paint was done, and it looked like a formidable task just to get a single coaster implemented.

Its a bit easier but sadly junior rc doesn't have every track element type so its still a start from scratch for other types. marijnvdwerf created a very useful tool that tells you exactly what each track element needs to output which makes it much easier to make and check the other rides though. Recently IntelOrca has started doing a couple coasters so I think we will be ramping up over the next few months. 

As for adding new elements in theory we could repurpose some of the existing elements that are not used for certain rides. It would be a bodge though that there would not be much reason in doing at this point in development. Wait for our own save format.

[X7123M3-256]

So, it's a case of dealing with each track piece, rather than each coaster? Is the code to draw a given track piece more or less identical for each coaster type that uses it (barring the wooden and bobsled, of course)? Is it a case of replacing the game's draw functions track piece by track piece, or do you need to have them all replaced before you can switch to using the new code? What's the general process for working on this - I'm interested in taking a look at it.  There are some relatively simple rides that could benefit from new pieces - the Air Powered Vertical coaster would be so much more useful if only it had gentle slopes.

[Duncans_pumpkin]

Some what. Most rides need different offsets and boundary sizes. And then the supports are obviously different for each track. There is a pattern to most of it so it's not hard to work out. You have to implement the whole of a rides functions before switching due to the way it gets called.

[X7123M3-256]

How do you go about testing each function if you can't switch until you've done them all?

[imlegos]

20 minutes ago, X7123M3-256 said:

How do you go about testing each function if you can't switch until you've done them all?

Simple, do them all, get destroyed by a mess up, fix the mess, rinse and repeat.

[IntelOrca]

On 9/25/2016 at 22:11, X7123M3-256 said:

How do you go about testing each function if you can't switch until you've done them all?

There is a toggle in the game to switch between using RCT2 to draw all the rides and OpenRCT2 to draw all implemented rides. This makes it very noticeable if OpenRCT2 is not drawing identically the same thing - even if its a few pixels out. The test program we now use also highlights any differences in the calls we make to the paint functions.

[X7123M3-256]

I was more asking, if you've just implemented straight track and you just want to test that before moving on, is there a way? Can you just fill in the others with no-ops for testing? Or do you have to implement every one fully before you can test any of them?

[Duncans_pumpkin]

Yes it's no op by default. That's why if you look at my junior RC progress pics the coaster slowly formed as I finished it

[cascadia]

Question related to this: Is there a plan to gradually replace all the copyrighted RCT2 object files with open source versions so we can make the game not dependent on RCT2 like OTTD did?

[imlegos]

Eventually, there is a plan, I've heard it mention before.

But a problem I see with this is the custom content part of the community, it's grown too much based on the original assets, some parts even using bits of the original assets as part of them. It'd probably be easier to get Simon Foster to allow us to use the graphical assets then get the entire RCT2CC community to revise their inventory.

Also, if this means changing the music, R.I.P. Modern Style Techno Torture.

[YoloSweggLord]

1 hour ago, imlegos said:

if this means changing the music

Searchlight Rag will always be in our hearts, even if it's not in the game.

[imlegos]

@YoloSweggLord In all likliness, we'd only have to do remakes of all the traditional/well known works, (Ragtime, Pirate, Oregon, and all the fairground songs fall into these)

 

All the other songs are original Allister Brimbles tho (A.B. is the freelance music artist C.S. had work on RCT)

Edited October 5, 2016 by imlegos

[TheJay]

Why did so many features get removed from RCT2 when they were in RCT1? It might come across as off-topic, but I only ask because of how many references there are to track elements/features being reintroduced that were removed from RCT2.

[Gymnasiast]

On 07/10/2022 at 02:11, TheJay said:

Why did so many features get removed from RCT2 when they were in RCT1? It might come across as off-topic, but I only ask because of how many references there are to track elements/features being reintroduced that were removed from RCT2.

This is necroposting, please don’t post tangentially related questions in a six year old topic.

Anyway, most of the changes were probably for realism. The Junior Coaster is a kiddie model from Zierer, the Mini Roller Coaster a compact roller coaster type from Schwarzkopf. RCT1 simply put them together to form a weird hybrid. Same for ride modes: the Inverted RC does not have powered launch in real life, while it had that mode in RCT1.