Transport Tycoon
Encyclopedia
Transport Tycoon and Transport Tycoon Deluxe (TTD) are computer games developed by Chris Sawyer
and published by MicroProse
in 1994 (TT), and 1995 (TTD). They are business simulation games, presented in an isometric
view in 2D with graphics by Simon Foster, in which the player is in control of a transport company, and can compete against rival companies to make as much profit
as possible by transporting passengers and various goods by road, rail, sea and air. The Deluxe version is an expanded and improved version of the original game.
The game begins in 1930 (1950 in TTD), and ends in 2050. The player starts out by borrowing money to finance construction of transport facilities, and is charged interest until the loan is repaid. As the user plays the game and earns revenues, they have the choice of expanding service along existing routes, or expanding their transportation network. The game features a progression of technology: in any particular year of the game generally only contemporary types of technology are available. For example, railroad signals which allow more than one train to use a section of track are initially semaphores. Later they are replaced by red and green traffic-light signals. Similarly, in the beginning there are only steam engines, but later diesel
and electric engines are introduced. In the game year 1999, monorails become available. These require a separate track system from railroads. If the player remains in business until 2050, the game announces that they have won, allows them to post their name on the "hall of fame" and then continues. At this point, the year stays 2050 and never goes any higher, although the game can continue indefinitely. Playing the entire 120-year campaign takes about 40 hours. The game allows the player to save at any time, and multiple saves of a particular game at any point are possible.
Vehicles in the game must be constructed at corresponding depots, which must be connected to the road or rail networks. Towns and cities have their own road networks, but extra roads may be needed to connect them to other towns, or to various resources.
The player earns revenue by picking up resources or passengers at a certain station, and delivering them to another station where there is a demand for them. Demand is determined by the area which surrounds the station; for example stations close to towns will demand passengers. The revenues will depend on the delivery time, distance, and quantity delivered. The influence of these factors on revenue varies according to the type of goods being delivered. For example, mail will rapidly fall in value, meaning that it can only be delivered profitably over short distances, or over long distances very fast. On the other hand coal loses value very slowly, so it can be transported in bulk over long distances whilst remaining profitable.
At times, subsidies are offered to the first company to move a particular resource from one place to another. This encourages the player to create a larger more complex transport network, rather than focusing on previously profitable routes.
The game features a system of Local Authority. Each city has a rating for every transport company based on the impact of their transport network. When the rating falls too low, the player will no longer be able to demolish buildings or construct new stations. The rating depends on, among others, the level of service and the deforestation
caused by the company.
In the course of a game cities develop and expand according to various economic factors, and new industries (demand) or other resource sites (supply) may appear. Some natural resources may also eventually be exhausted and industries without adequate transport service may shut down. Also, new models of vehicles are introduced and eventually come to replace older models. At introduction such a new model will likely have improved characteristics, but may suffer from reliability issues.
The game was initially published by MicroProse
. It can still be found for purchase as a budget title, but may not be compatible with modern operating systems. Transport Tycoon works with Windows 95 and can be played on other operating systems (Through the use of DOSBox
). A fan-made game engine recreation OpenTTD
is also available.
The primary difference between the games is how signals
operate. The original Transport Tycoon allows only bi-directional signals, which allow trains to pass in either direction. The deluxe version introduced uni-directional signals, that only allow a train to pass in a single direction.
The change in gameplay from this relatively minor alteration to signals is significant, as the old bi-directional signals would allow a train to travel in both directions. This is similar in concept to having a single lane street that would allow traffic from either end. Unsurprisingly, it was possible for two trains to try to travel in opposing directions towards each other on the same run of track. While this would not result in crashes on a properly signaled route, it required either the building of extra track to allow the trains to pass each other, or the building of a great many tracks in parallel to avoid the problem in the first place.
The new uni-directional signals allowed one-way tracks to be built, which gives the player much greater control over how the railway network could be run. This allowed for efficient routes to be built, and prevented trains from trying to travel the "wrong way" down a section of track. By incorporating both uni-directional and bi-directional signals, effective switching yards, junctions
, and other useful designs could be built. It also unlocked the ability to build continental-length railroad systems by incorporating one-way rails in both directions and the ability to merge other rails with the main one. This is a highly used strategy because it allows for intercontinental transport of goods which results in high return rates for the user.
The deluxe version also expanded the game to provide tropical, Arctic, and toy-town environments, as well as the classic temperate environment. The new environments came with different industries and challenges. For example, towns in the Arctic environment would not grow without regular deliveries of food, and those in the tropical environment also need access to fresh water.
Due to trademark
issues with using names of real vehicles in the original Transport Tycoon, the default names were replaced with fictional ones in Transport Tycoon Deluxe. Players however are allowed to rename their vehicles and stations as they please, which can be useful for identifying individual services in a network. Players are also able to rename towns, which provides for a more personalized game play.
turned his attention towards a sequel, but during development he changed his mind and produced RollerCoaster Tycoon
, which turned out to be a runaway hit. After RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
was done, work on the third version was left to another development team, and Sawyer returned to work on his Transport Tycoon sequel, Chris Sawyer's Locomotion
. It was released in September 2004 and was described by Sawyer as the "spiritual successor to Transport Tycoon", but received poor reviews and was not a commercial success. Despite this there is an active Chris Sawyer's Locomotion community who continue to produce modifications.
Cantaloupe Island
. The music is presented in MIDI
, and stored with the file extension
".gm".
is an open source complete recreation of Transport Tycoon Deluxe, achieved by reverse engineering
the original game, and delivers many bug fixes and general enhancements to the game, like making it possible to run TTD on multiple platforms, including Mac, Linux and PSP. While both games allow new graphic sets for vehicles and terrain to be used, at present, TTDPatch still requires the original TTD graphics, sounds, binary and music files to run. OpenTTD does not need any of the TTD files to run as it has free graphics and sounds, however it can still use the original TTD graphics and sounds.
Chris Sawyer
Chris Sawyer is a Scottish computer game developer who is best known for designing and programming Transport Tycoon and the RollerCoaster Tycoon series.-Career:...
and published by MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
in 1994 (TT), and 1995 (TTD). They are business simulation games, presented in an isometric
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
view in 2D with graphics by Simon Foster, in which the player is in control of a transport company, and can compete against rival companies to make as much profit
Profit (accounting)
In accounting, profit can be considered to be the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market whatever it is that is accounted as an enterprise in terms of the component costs of delivered goods and/or services and any operating or other expenses.-Definition:There are...
as possible by transporting passengers and various goods by road, rail, sea and air. The Deluxe version is an expanded and improved version of the original game.
Gameplay
To start building a transport empire, the player must construct transport routes, consisting of stations near industries or towns, and in the case of trains or road vehicles, near physical routes. One transport route can utilize several different forms of transport, e.g. truck→ship→train. The player's company and the individual stations each have ratings that depend largely on their efficiency at moving goods from one stations to the other. A station with high ratings may attract more goods.The game begins in 1930 (1950 in TTD), and ends in 2050. The player starts out by borrowing money to finance construction of transport facilities, and is charged interest until the loan is repaid. As the user plays the game and earns revenues, they have the choice of expanding service along existing routes, or expanding their transportation network. The game features a progression of technology: in any particular year of the game generally only contemporary types of technology are available. For example, railroad signals which allow more than one train to use a section of track are initially semaphores. Later they are replaced by red and green traffic-light signals. Similarly, in the beginning there are only steam engines, but later diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
and electric engines are introduced. In the game year 1999, monorails become available. These require a separate track system from railroads. If the player remains in business until 2050, the game announces that they have won, allows them to post their name on the "hall of fame" and then continues. At this point, the year stays 2050 and never goes any higher, although the game can continue indefinitely. Playing the entire 120-year campaign takes about 40 hours. The game allows the player to save at any time, and multiple saves of a particular game at any point are possible.
Vehicles in the game must be constructed at corresponding depots, which must be connected to the road or rail networks. Towns and cities have their own road networks, but extra roads may be needed to connect them to other towns, or to various resources.
The player earns revenue by picking up resources or passengers at a certain station, and delivering them to another station where there is a demand for them. Demand is determined by the area which surrounds the station; for example stations close to towns will demand passengers. The revenues will depend on the delivery time, distance, and quantity delivered. The influence of these factors on revenue varies according to the type of goods being delivered. For example, mail will rapidly fall in value, meaning that it can only be delivered profitably over short distances, or over long distances very fast. On the other hand coal loses value very slowly, so it can be transported in bulk over long distances whilst remaining profitable.
At times, subsidies are offered to the first company to move a particular resource from one place to another. This encourages the player to create a larger more complex transport network, rather than focusing on previously profitable routes.
The game features a system of Local Authority. Each city has a rating for every transport company based on the impact of their transport network. When the rating falls too low, the player will no longer be able to demolish buildings or construct new stations. The rating depends on, among others, the level of service and the deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
caused by the company.
In the course of a game cities develop and expand according to various economic factors, and new industries (demand) or other resource sites (supply) may appear. Some natural resources may also eventually be exhausted and industries without adequate transport service may shut down. Also, new models of vehicles are introduced and eventually come to replace older models. At introduction such a new model will likely have improved characteristics, but may suffer from reliability issues.
The game was initially published by MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
. It can still be found for purchase as a budget title, but may not be compatible with modern operating systems. Transport Tycoon works with Windows 95 and can be played on other operating systems (Through the use of DOSBox
DOSBox
DOSBox is emulator software that emulates an IBM PC compatible computer running MS-DOS. It is intended especially for use with old PC games. DOSBox is free software....
). A fan-made game engine recreation OpenTTD
OpenTTD
OpenTTD is an open source remake and expansion of the 1995 Chris Sawyer video game Transport Tycoon Deluxe. It is an "urban planning and simulation game" in which the player aims to earn money through transportation of passengers and freight by land, water and air.OpenTTD duplicates most of...
is also available.
Transport Tycoon Deluxe
Two Transport Tycoon games were released, dubbed Transport Tycoon and Transport Tycoon Deluxe. The deluxe version, as its name implies, is an expanded and improved version of the original game. (A "World Editor" expansion pack was also released for the original Transport Tycoon, but was overshadowed by the Deluxe version released shortly afterward; interestingly, it featured an alternate, Martian set of graphics, which did not appear in TTD).The primary difference between the games is how signals
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
operate. The original Transport Tycoon allows only bi-directional signals, which allow trains to pass in either direction. The deluxe version introduced uni-directional signals, that only allow a train to pass in a single direction.
The change in gameplay from this relatively minor alteration to signals is significant, as the old bi-directional signals would allow a train to travel in both directions. This is similar in concept to having a single lane street that would allow traffic from either end. Unsurprisingly, it was possible for two trains to try to travel in opposing directions towards each other on the same run of track. While this would not result in crashes on a properly signaled route, it required either the building of extra track to allow the trains to pass each other, or the building of a great many tracks in parallel to avoid the problem in the first place.
The new uni-directional signals allowed one-way tracks to be built, which gives the player much greater control over how the railway network could be run. This allowed for efficient routes to be built, and prevented trains from trying to travel the "wrong way" down a section of track. By incorporating both uni-directional and bi-directional signals, effective switching yards, junctions
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
, and other useful designs could be built. It also unlocked the ability to build continental-length railroad systems by incorporating one-way rails in both directions and the ability to merge other rails with the main one. This is a highly used strategy because it allows for intercontinental transport of goods which results in high return rates for the user.
The deluxe version also expanded the game to provide tropical, Arctic, and toy-town environments, as well as the classic temperate environment. The new environments came with different industries and challenges. For example, towns in the Arctic environment would not grow without regular deliveries of food, and those in the tropical environment also need access to fresh water.
Due to trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
issues with using names of real vehicles in the original Transport Tycoon, the default names were replaced with fictional ones in Transport Tycoon Deluxe. Players however are allowed to rename their vehicles and stations as they please, which can be useful for identifying individual services in a network. Players are also able to rename towns, which provides for a more personalized game play.
Locomotion
After the success of Transport Tycoon Deluxe, Chris SawyerChris Sawyer
Chris Sawyer is a Scottish computer game developer who is best known for designing and programming Transport Tycoon and the RollerCoaster Tycoon series.-Career:...
turned his attention towards a sequel, but during development he changed his mind and produced RollerCoaster Tycoon
RollerCoaster Tycoon
RollerCoaster Tycoon may refer to:*RollerCoaster Tycoon - a series of video games in which a player must manage an amusement park**RollerCoaster Tycoon - the first game, which came out in 1999...
, which turned out to be a runaway hit. After RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 is a construction and management simulation computer game that simulates theme park management. Developed by Chris Sawyer and published by Infogrames, the game was released on October 15, 2002. It is the sequel to RollerCoaster Tycoon and is the second game in the...
was done, work on the third version was left to another development team, and Sawyer returned to work on his Transport Tycoon sequel, Chris Sawyer's Locomotion
Chris Sawyer's Locomotion
Chris Sawyer's Locomotion is a computer game by independent game developer Chris Sawyer. In his words, it is "the spiritual successor to Transport Tycoon"....
. It was released in September 2004 and was described by Sawyer as the "spiritual successor to Transport Tycoon", but received poor reviews and was not a commercial success. Despite this there is an active Chris Sawyer's Locomotion community who continue to produce modifications.
Music
The music in Transport Tycoon was originally composed by John Broomhall, from 1994 to 1995. It features old-style blues and jazz tunes including parts of Herbie Hancock'sHerbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
Cantaloupe Island
Cantaloupe Island
Cantaloupe Island is a jazz standard composed by Herbie Hancock and recorded on his 1964 album Empyrean Isles. during his early years as one of the members of Miles Davis '60s quintet. It is one of the very first examples of a modal jazz composition set to a funky beat...
. The music is presented in MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...
, and stored with the file extension
Filename extension
A filename extension is a suffix to the name of a computer file applied to indicate the encoding of its contents or usage....
".gm".
Third party updates
Several development teams are currently working to improve Transport Tycoon. TTDPatch provides gameplay enhancements and numerous bugfixes to TTD by patching the original binary. OpenTTDOpenTTD
OpenTTD is an open source remake and expansion of the 1995 Chris Sawyer video game Transport Tycoon Deluxe. It is an "urban planning and simulation game" in which the player aims to earn money through transportation of passengers and freight by land, water and air.OpenTTD duplicates most of...
is an open source complete recreation of Transport Tycoon Deluxe, achieved by reverse engineering
Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation...
the original game, and delivers many bug fixes and general enhancements to the game, like making it possible to run TTD on multiple platforms, including Mac, Linux and PSP. While both games allow new graphic sets for vehicles and terrain to be used, at present, TTDPatch still requires the original TTD graphics, sounds, binary and music files to run. OpenTTD does not need any of the TTD files to run as it has free graphics and sounds, however it can still use the original TTD graphics and sounds.
See also
- OpenTTDOpenTTDOpenTTD is an open source remake and expansion of the 1995 Chris Sawyer video game Transport Tycoon Deluxe. It is an "urban planning and simulation game" in which the player aims to earn money through transportation of passengers and freight by land, water and air.OpenTTD duplicates most of...
, an open source remake of Transport Tycoon Deluxe - Chris Sawyer's LocomotionChris Sawyer's LocomotionChris Sawyer's Locomotion is a computer game by independent game developer Chris Sawyer. In his words, it is "the spiritual successor to Transport Tycoon"....
- Railroad TycoonRailroad TycoonSid Meier's Railroad Tycoon is a business simulation game. There are five versions; the original Railroad Tycoon , Railroad Tycoon Deluxe , Railroad Tycoon II , Railroad Tycoon 3 , and Sid Meier's Railroads! .Railroad Tycoon was written by game designer Sid Meier and published by MicroProse and...
- RollerCoaster TycoonRollerCoaster TycoonRollerCoaster Tycoon may refer to:*RollerCoaster Tycoon - a series of video games in which a player must manage an amusement park**RollerCoaster Tycoon - the first game, which came out in 1999...
- SimCity 4: Rush HourSimCity 4: Rush HourSimCity 4: Rush Hour is the expansion pack for SimCity 4 created by EA Games and Maxis, where the player builds a city from scratch.-U-Drive-It:...
- SimutransSimutransSimutrans is a cross-platform simulation game in which the player strives to run a successful transport system by transporting goods, passengers, and mail between places. Along with OpenTTD, Simutrans is an open source remake of Transport Tycoon...