Design Document:General Transporting

Cargo Types

Cargo type sets which kind of a vehicle can carry given cargo. The Game may include such cargo types.

   * Hopper – used for cargoes that provide a shader for representation (for example coal or ore)
   * Platform – used for cargoes that that need a model on a carrier – like steel or machinery.
   * Generic – used for cargoes that are invisible in their carrier – like goods.

And also probably 10000000 other types would have to be included if higher discrepancy of cargo needs to be achieved. Passengers for instance would need separate type.

Vehicle definitions use this as a common denominator.

Each vehicle that has capacity must be assigned to one of these types (or to a new type that can ofc be introduced).

Each cargo must provide data needed for the chosen type vehicle to work:

   * Open Hopper needs texture of how the cargo looks like.
   * Platform needs a model that is carried.
   * External vehicle types might need other things.

Cargo types for instance set fares for certain cargoes.

Mental note – provide an example of a spreadsheet of data of vehicle type

Type Definition

   * Name – name of the cargo type
   * Visuals – What kind of visuals are used for the cargo on the carrier vehicle (values are: model, shader, none)

Also here preferences of service type should be included – like – hopper cargoes like to go slow, but steady etc.

Cargo Definition

   * Name – name of the cargo
   * Type – name of a cargo type it belongs to
   * startyear – from which year cargoes of this type may start to appear (industries will start to pop up)
   * endyear – from which year cargoes of this type will start to cease to appear (industries will close down)
   * Unit – what is the unit of measurement (volume, weight, quantity, load)
   * UnitWeight – weight of the one unit of this cargo
   * Manifest – the name of the list (with data) of vehicles this cargo will provide (relevant only for trains) to transport itsself. Empty for non-manifest cargo

It works this way – the shipper gives you the car to deliver to the destination

   * Destined – yes/no – does this cargo choose its own destination, or is it decided on industry level (used for passengers)
   * Returnee – Does this cargo create a returnee? If so – name of the returnee definition, also the origin will not produce another unit until it consumes a returnee.
   * InterCity – is this cargo required to travel to different city to be accepted (other city = consumer must be in another town’s city limits)
   * Group – cargoes of the same group may be transported simultaneously in the same carrier (so you can carry returnees, inter city passengers, commuters etc in the same car – on a multi-stop train)

Loading Rules

Refitting is generally impossible – each vehicle can carry all cargoes that are of its base type (eg – all cargoes that are carried in ‘hopper’ types can be carried in all vehicles of ‘hopper’ type).

Although – interface must provide an easy way of loading certain amount of cargo ‘per vehicle’

Eg – if a station produces ore + coal + sand. All hopper type of cargo.

The interface must provide of ordering:

load 3 cars of coal, 5 cars of sand and 2 cars of ore

idea: three modes should be available:

   * load all cargoes fitting transport
   * load certain cargoes with auto balanced amount
   * load given amount

idea: leave when all/one cargo is loaded to capacity