#openttdcoop wiki - User contributions [en]

Basic Networking

2012-04-10T11:41:26Z

Nivlac: swithced two paragraphs for better chronology

During the course of this article you will be introduced to #openttdcoop-style networks on a general level, with possible side trips to more advanced techniques and concepts. It is important to understand that everything stated on this page is true in general, but not necessarily for all games. In fact, an exception could probably be found to every single rule stated here.

== Line Hierarchy ==

In our games we [[Gametype:Chaos_Theory|usually]] don't just start building something- this may work in single player games but we found that in order to build large networks in a cooperatively way we needed some sort of relative track importance scheme; a Line Hierarchy. Below you can see an image of this line hierarchy in a schematic way.
[[File:line_hierarchy.PNG|400px|thumb|none|The line hierarchy]]

In this article we'll follow a train starting at a sideline station all the way to its respective drop and introduce all the funky constructions we pass on the way.

== Sideline station ==
Sideline stations are the lowest level of the network, here primary cargoes are picked up in small amounts before they are sent to secondary industries. These are usually stations consisting of only two or three platforms per station. However, every cargo type should have its own pickup station; if, for example, a coal mine and a forest are close enough to each other to be covered by a single station there should still be two separate stations with sufficient waiting space in front of them. This rule is also true for farms in the temperate and sub-arctic climate, so you'll have to build two stations to serve a single farm. Below is an example of a cluster of properly built sideline stations, note the split stations for the farm.

[[File:sideline_stations.PNG|400px|thumb|none|Primary pickup stations]]

After a train is fully loaded and leaving the sideline station it will move a step up in the hierarchy, onto the sideline.

== Sideline (SL) ==
A sideline is a piece of track that connects multiple sideline stations to a sideline hub. The sideline usually has pretty low traffic and suffices with a simple LR track. Also bridges and tunnels on a sideline do not have to be doubled and it is also not needed to receive priority from sideline stations, even though the sideline is in fact higher on the line hierarchy. When our train leaves the sideline it will join the mainline, where it will probably spend the longer part of its journey.

== Mainline (ML) ==
Mainlines are the backbones of our networks, they link everything together. Usually they are multiple tracks, ranging from two tracks wide in our relatively small games to eight or more in our bigger ones. The mainline width can be specified in symbols. An L stands for left track, an R stands for right track, an _ stands for an empty space and a number stands for multiple empty spaces. Have a look at the images below, the first image shows a standard LL5RR mainline, the second shows a large capacity L_L_L_L10R_R_R_R mainline.
[[File:ML1.PNG|400px|thumb|none|LL5RR]][[File:ML2.PNG|400px|thumb|none|L_L_L_L10R_R_R_R]]

Traffic on these can be very dense, with as little as 3 tiles spacing between trains for hundreds of consecutive trains. It is easy to see that they have to be free of any obstacles or delays. Bridges and tunnels on mainlines should always be doubled, curves should allow trains to pass at full speed and slopes should be avoided or reduced to such a grade that trains don't slow down while climbing them. Mainlines recieve priority from any other track wanting to join it, the only thing that is more important than a mainline is another, higher density mainline. Now that you know what a ML is, let's get back to our sideline and have a look at the point where it merges with the mainline.

== Sideline Hub (SLH) ==
A sideline hub is a hub where the sideline joins the mainline. Sidelines should ''always'' be connected to the mainline using a SLH, never connect a sideline, or even worse; a single station, directly to the mainline without using a proper sideline hub. It is important to make all connections that are relevant at the moment or have the potential of becoming relevant in the future. Obviously, when the only drop that is north up the mainline is a goods drop, it is not needed to provide a northbound connection from the sideline, as only primary trains join the mainline at a SLH. On the other side, when you're building a SLH that's only going to connect some coal mines, you do have to provide connections to other primary drops, as a forest might spawn later and someone wants to connect it.
The actual join should be [[Balancing|balanced]]; the joining sideline should be able to pick from every outgoing mainline track. Needless to say the mainline receives [[Priority|priority]] during the merge, right?

[[File:SLH3.PNG|400px|thumb|none|Balanced and properly built SLH for TL5 trains]]

== Backbone hub (BBH) ==
Backbone hubs are hubs where two or more mainlines meet. These should be fully [[Balancing|balanced]], meaning every incoming track should be able to chose from every outgoing track. Backbone hubs should be connected to all relevant directions, this usually comes down to all directions. The image below shows a properly balanced 3-way with LL_RR mainlines.
[[File:BBH2.PNG|400px|thumb|none|Balanced and properly built 3-way LL_RR BBH for TL3 trains]]

More information about backbone hubs and example can be found in the [[BBH|BBH section]].

After our train passed through zero or more backbone hubs it will eventually reach a point where it has to leave the mainline to cover the final leg of its route on a main station line.

== Main station hub (MSH) ==
Main station hubs are hubs where trains leave/enter the mainline and enter/leave the main station line. Not all games have MSHs, sometimes a ML terminates at a station, bypassing the MSH. Like any other hub, main station hubs only have to connect to relevant directions, unlike for BBHs it happens quite often that you don't have to connect to all directions, which may save you quite some time and reduce complexness.

== Main station line (MSL) ==
A main station line is a piece of track that connects the mainline via a main station hub to a main station. These tracks should be treated as mainlines; there should be no obstacles or potential slowdowns. Generally speaking, MSLs should be just as wide as the mainline they are connected too. Sometimes the traffic on the main station line is just as high as on the mainline, making it a bad idea to narrow down the tracks using complex balancing techniques for the relatively short main tracks. It is not allowed to connect sidelines to main station lines as it is very likely this will cause missing directions. There is a [http://openttdcoop.org/2009/06/14/re-introducing-main-station-hubs/ blog article] which goes deeper into potential issues with main station lines and main station hubs.

== Main station ==
It's finally unloading time. Main station lines are connected to main stations. These are high capacity stations capable of handling a large section of all trains, this sometimes means hundreds or even thousands of trains. Secondary industries often accept one or more input cargo and convert this into one output cargo. At such industries we will always have a separated drop and pickup station. This is to prevent the situation where trains picking up goods keep all platforms occupied and allow no more primaries to come in. You can see this is a very bad situation which may cause a network-wide jam taking years to resolve. Believe me, we know all about these. More information about different types of main station hubs and tips on building them can be found at the [[Main_station|main station section]].

==See Also==
*[[Self-regulating Network]]
*[[Multipoint Self-regulating Network]]
*[[Balancing]]
*[[Road Vehicle Networking]]

[[Category:Guides]]

Mainline

2012-04-10T11:27:20Z

Nivlac: fixed missing link to image

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{{reqscreenshot}}
Mainlines (ML) are the most important tracks in our cooperative games, they form the 'core' of the network, and allow timely movement of cargo. Mainlines can range in size from two tracks up to five or more, they usually run in both directions, but depending on the plan these may run in one.
[[Image:Mainline.png|thumb|none|500px|A LL_RR bi-directional ML]][[Image:BigML.png|thumb|500px|none|A LLLL single direction ML]]

Flow on a mainline is paramount, nothing should interrupt clean flow of traffic. As per the [[Basic Networking#Line Hierarchy|Line Hierarchy]] MLs have the highest priority of any track, and anything joining (say a [[Sideline]]), must yield track space, to ML traffic. ([[SML]]'s work slightly differently, by ML trains making space if possible, but this principle still holds true on those).

Since, we try to pack as many trains as possible onto the MLs, [[Signalling]] distance is every other tile, any interruptions to signalling must be compensated for. For this reason, it common to see sections of ML split into two or more tracks briefly and later merge. This type of construct is called a [[Line sync]], a basic example of which is shown here;

[[Image:Tunnel_Flow.png|thumb|none|500px|A simple line sync]]

The '''LL_RR''' terminology denotes the default layout for all MLs on a map.<br />
* In '''LL__RR''': ''LL'' shows that there are two left direction tracks, ''__'' shows there is a two tile gap, ''RR'' shows two right direction tracks
* In '''L_L_L10R_R_R''': ''L_L_L'' shows three left direction tracks, with a one tile separator, ''10'' shows a ten tile gap, ''R_R_R'' shows three right direction tracks, with a one tile separator.

== See Also ==
[[Ruleset]]<br />
[[Tutorial Savegame Mainline]]

User:Nivlac

2012-04-10T11:25:24Z

Nivlac:

== Sausages, eggs, bacon and beans. ==

Born: 1995

Home: Baldock, Hertfordshire, {{flag|uk}}

Me: steamcommunity dot com /id/npbsmurf, message if you want to email/add/whatever (you never know :D)

Started playing OTTD: sometime in 2010, played RCT and Locomotion when I was little

User:Nivlac

2012-01-12T17:30:09Z

Nivlac:

User:Nivlac

2012-01-12T17:29:53Z

Nivlac:

== Sausages, eggs, bacon and beans. ==

{{flag|uk}}

Born: 1995

Home: Baldock, Hertfordshire, {{flag|uk}}

Me: steamcommunity dot com /id/npbsmurf, message if you want to email/add/whatever (you never know :D)

Started playing OTTD: sometime, played RCT and Locomotion when I was little

User:Nivlac

2012-01-12T17:29:39Z

Nivlac:

User:Nivlac

2011-12-22T12:24:27Z

Nivlac:

== Sausages, eggs, bacon and beans. ==

{{flag|uk}}

Computer is back up and running, hope to be returning soon :)

User:Nivlac

2011-12-22T12:19:38Z

Nivlac:

== Sausages, eggs, bacon and beans. ==

/Nivlac
[[File:flags/uk.gif]] [[uk.gif]]
Computer is back up and running, hope to be returning soon :)

Oneway or Twoway Presignals

2011-12-21T18:24:12Z

Nivlac: /* Oneway or Twoway Presignals? */

[[Presignal_Basics|<< Presignal Basics]] | [[Guides:Presignals|^^ Back to Presignals Guides Index]] | [[Priority|Priority >>]]
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=<center>Oneway or Twoway Presignals?</center>=
Signals have two sides, in the basics part, the other side wasn't important, since trains can't turn back, etc. etc... But in more complex things, a badly placed twoway combo presignal can make errors in your network.

==Part 1: The Station entrance problem with two entries==

[[Image:Twoentry2.PNG|thumb|center|404px|The error]]
In this station the combo presignal can make errors, but can you notice why? If presignals F-H are green then upper-right side of combo presignal C is green too. Even if presignals D and E are red, presignal A remains green. The problem is simple: Presignals calculate signal blocks, not the choosable tracks: trains cannot reach platforms F-H from A through C, but presignals CANNOT see this!
[[Image:Twoentry.PNG|thumb|center|404px|Fix this error by making the combo a oneway signal]]
How to fix this? Just change the combo presignal C to oneway (shown above) or add an oneway combo presignal just after it, like below:
[[Image:Twoentry3.PNG|thumb|center|404px|Or add a oneway combo presignal is added after it]]
With this layout, entry presignal A won't be affected by the signals for platforms F-H.

----
[[Presignal_Basics|<< Presignal Basics]] | [[Guides:Presignals|^^ Back to Presignals Guides Index]] | [[Priority|Priority >>]]
[[Category:Guides]]

User:Nivlac

2011-12-21T14:31:43Z

Nivlac:

== Sausages, eggs, bacon and beans. ==

/Nivlac

Computer is back up and running, hope to be returning soon :)

User:Nivlac

2011-12-21T14:31:06Z

Nivlac:

== Sausages, eggs, bacon and beans. ==

/Nivlac

User:Nivlac

2011-08-05T00:17:04Z

Nivlac: Created page with "Sausages, eggs bacon and beans. /Nivlac"

Sausages, eggs bacon and beans.

/Nivlac