tlakh/openttd-srnw.org

#+TITLE: OpenTTD Self Regulating Networks
#+DATE: 2024-01-12
[[file:openttd-srnw/srnw_head.png]]
* Prologue
Every other year or so I decide to play a game or ten of
[[https://openttd.org/][OpenTTD]]. Unfortunately I don't remember most of the things I figured
out in the past so I have to start from first principles.
In this case, first principles means reading the [[https://wiki.openttdcoop.org/Main_Page][openttdcoop Wiki]]
[fn::which is quite dense] and watching a bunch of [[https://www.youtube.com/@LugnutsK][LugnutsK]] videos.

* Self Regulating Passenger Network
The idea of a self regulating passenger network is to grow a city and
transport as many passengers out of the city as possible with the
least amount of train orders.

openttdcoop calls it [[http://wiki.openttdcoop.org/Gametype:ICE_SBahn][Gametype:ICE SBahn]] / [[http://wiki.openttdcoop.org/Self-regulating_SBahn][Self-regulating SBahn]].

The idea is to have (SBahn) stations spread throughout the city that
collect passengers. Once a train is fully loaded with passengers, it
drives outside of the city to a transfer (ICE) station and transfers
passengers to a waiting train that then transports the passengers to a
far away city to make money.

We do not want to deal with each station individually but run the
pick-up trains in a loop that automatically visits a station with
a full load of passengers available.

To make all of this work we have:
1. Inner-city SBahn stations
2. Outside-city waiting loop for the pick-up trains
3. Outside-city exit track to the transfer / ICE station
4. Outside-city transfer / ICE station
5. Injection mechanism from the ICE station to the waiting loop.

[[file:openttd-srnw/overview.png][file:openttd-srnw/overview_small.png]]

The pick-up trains have two orders:
1. Go to transfer / ICE station and transfer passengers.
2. Go to inject way-point.

The inject way-point leads to the waiting loop. From there the only
way to reach the transfer station is through any of the SBahn
stations. We have to arrange the SBahn stations in a way that they are
only accessible when there is a full load of passengers available.

* City Layout
For maximum growth and ease of putting train stations into the city we
are using a 3x3 road grid. A spiral would be even better for city
growth but it is annoying to put train stations into a spiral without
disrupting the roads too much and creating dead-ends. Dead-ends are
very bad for town growth.

We need to find a balance between station size[fn::One constraint here
is how much the station takes away from the city to build houses.],
city coverage, and needed capacity at the transfer station. Using spread
stations covering a 5x5 block[fn::A block is a 3x3 road grid.] and
having six of those works fairly well. To be able to fit tunnels in we
put two in a line and have three lines. Three in a line would also
leave enough space for tunnels. This results in a city grid of 13x8
blocks.

[[file:openttd-srnw/city-layout.png][file:openttd-srnw/city-layout_small.png]]

* Station construction
We are building a spread station in a 3x3 block by putting a city
station in each of the corners of the block. Holding =ctrl= while
placing the building opens the "Join station" menu and we select an
existing station.

[[file:openttd-srnw/spread-station.png][file:openttd-srnw/spread-station_small.png]]

The coverage of the station is not perfect but some of these parts
will later be filled by the tracks of the train station. Note that the
station also covers a block outside of the road grid, so each spread
station covers a 5x5 block. This is important when putting in adjacent
stations to not have them overlap.

[[file:openttd-srnw/station-coverage.png][file:openttd-srnw/station-coverage_small.png]]

For the rail network we dig two trenches outside of the city. Tunnels
to those will connect the station to the waiting loop on one side of
the city and the exit to the transfer station on the other side of the
city.

We then remove some roads and the crossings[fn::This ensures that we
can dig a complete hole, we will put the roads back in later.] on one
side of the block and dig a 7x2 hole for the train tracks.

[[file:openttd-srnw/station-digging.png][file:openttd-srnw/station-digging_small.png]]

Next: Tunnels, tracks, signal, a way-point, and a train depot.

[[file:openttd-srnw/station-tunnels-and-tracks.png][file:openttd-srnw/station-tunnels-and-tracks_small.png]]

We then place a two platform, length five station, making sure we join
it with the existing spread station.

[[file:openttd-srnw/station-placing-tracks.png][file:openttd-srnw/station-placing-tracks_small.png]]

The finished station looks like this:

[[file:openttd-srnw/station-anotation.png][file:openttd-srnw/station-anotation_small.png]]

We are going to put a dummy train onto the dummy track to pick up
passengers and making sure a full load is available when a pick-up
train arrives. We do not place exit signals at the station. When a
dummy train is inside the station it blocks the whole station due to
the crossing tracks at the end of the station. The way-point is going
to be used to open the station for the pick-up trains.