Temporary placeholder for now, will be working on a draft below
This is just to get started, I'll be back later on to add and explain more --KenjiE20 04:42, 15 March 2009 (UTC)

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Quickstart for #openttdcoop Public Server

The Essentials

• Public_Server
• IRC

In addition to just connecting to the IRC channel, it would be wise to pay attention to the 'topic', as it is often updated with FAQ info about the current game on the Public Server.
The topic is usually shown in the man chat window upon channel joining, and at the top of the chat window in most GUI clients.

• Cooperation
• Ruleset

Getting In Game

Now that the basics are out of the way, you'll want to get in game;

• First off jump into IRC and make yourself known.
• The topic will tell you which nightly we are currently using e.g. "PSG #*** (r*****)"

You can get this yourself from OpenTTD, or you can use the Bot Commands to give you a link:

!dl lin|lin64|osx|win32|win64|win9x

(Pick one as appropriate)

You can also use AutoUpdater under win32 to help manage and update multiple installs of OpenTTD

• You'll also want the GRF Pack (Be sure to follow the readme)

If there are addition GRF's to be got, then most often the topic will contain: "Get your missing newgrfs from BaNaNaS" or a link to the file.

• Once you've got all that together you can boot up OpenTTD and either find our server on the advertised servers list, or jump directly to "ps.openttdcoop.org" and use

  !password

  in IRC to get in.

Game Progression

Once in, you'll need to know how thing progress in a coop game.
First of all, be sure to read the signs as soon as you join the server, those will list and specific tasks, goals and quirks for that game.
Games progress in 'Stages', you can see the current stage from the IRC topic; e.g. "Stage: Planning"

• Stage: Looking

This usually doesn't last long, and the point where first joiners are taking a look at a new game and working out where stuff is.

• Stage: Moneymaker

Quick and dirty set-ups for making lots of money to fund plans and main construction. Usually coal trains or long distance PAX aircraft. See Game_Start and Moneymaker

• Stage: Planning

This stage happens after the main MM is settled and running. An isolated spot on the map is picked and signposted and plans. Each player that wants to set up a plan cordons off a space and signs it with "!plan {name}"
See Planning

• Stage: (Planning &) Voting

After a few plans have been dropped, voting commences. A Voting board is signposted, and people sign their name according to the vote style.
Normally voting is for the plan you like the most, but occasionally New_Votesystem is used.
New plans can still be added during this stage.

• Stage: Building

Once voting is done, coop really goes into action. Everyone pitches in and start dropping the required backbone sections to make up the core of the network. Placement signs and purchased land help mark complex sections.
See Guides, Junctionary and most of the rest of the wiki for everything else. Or when in doubt, ask.

• Stage: Finalising

Finally, once everything is connected, and jams have removed (for the most part) and everyone starts to get mildly bored, the game gets finalised. Any major problems are fixed, nothing new is added in. (Think 'feature-freeze' in software dev.)

See Also

• a-newbie-guide-to-openttdcoop