Two-way end of line

Two-way end of line is a setting in OpenTTD that can be altered to create interesting train behaviour. By default it is off. But on every openttdcoop server it is on.

This setting will overwrite train pathfinding if certain conditions are met. As the name suggests, if a normal two-way block signal is red on both sides the train will think that line is a dead end. If the train sees a dead end it will try to go to another direction and thus we are capable of sending a train to a certain route or make a train ignore shortcuts.

• • Pictures of some sort**

Pathfinder trap

The most use of this setting is found in our SRNW games, we control trains to either take an exit to the sideline or stay on the mainline. We also combine this signal with a certain station or shortcut to create pathfinder traps. Pathfinder traps give us options to trick trains, we can decrease the pathfinder penalties to an actual station and so create more balanced traffic or we can balance mainline mergers. There are occasions where the inner lane is preferred so much we will create a shortcut from each lane to the inner lane after a merger. We disable an exit with the pathfinder trap so the trains will not actually take this path and a merger gives us a balanced output.

• • A pathfinder trap picture of shortcut to station8*
  • A pathfinder trap picture of shortcut after merger. PZ game has/had one after V’s hub to West**

Station with overflow

In our games we often use overflows and this setting can help us create easy to implement overflows for our primaries. One example of this is found in the picture below.

• • Picture of overflow for primary with reverser + depot. The one abused on stable.**

In the picture you can see the “ arrow” in the reverser. It is not eye-candy it actually has a use. The pathfinder sees that the other tracks are blocked and considers the reverser only a viable line if it has at least 2 options. This means we create a split in the reverser so the pathfinder thinks it has two options.

Similarly we advise you to also use this arrow on every reverser, and in every terminus station with pre-signals at the final X as seen in picture below. In theory only the track that has a straight line to the exit track should have one, but we still prefer using them on all platforms for a terminus station.

• • Picture of terminus with arrows**

Setting up two-way end of line

To setup this behaviour in your own game you can do this in two ways: We at openttdcoop prefer you use the second way because it is permanent, stable and easier.

• Either in game trough the console command accessible with the “~” key. Follow this by sending the following command: “set yapf.rail_firstred_twoway_eol 1” • The second way of changing this setting is by editing your openttd config file. And please do this when the game is closed. The location of this file is a question Google has an answer to. In here you find the line “yapf.rail_firstred_twoway_eol = false” and change it to “yapf.rail_firstred_twoway_eol = true” Follow this by saving and closing the config file.