An older thread over at TT-forums,
Version 2.0 - Look to the Future, originated by Wasila in early 2010 has been revived, yet again raising questions about feature requests for OTTD.
It's newcomer "Captain Rand" placing a reply about
counterproductivity, and calls the entire TTDLX-community to aim for the same goal. This has of course been discussed and debated over and over again with arguments from "both sides", and most OTTD devs have simultaneously been arguing back stating that TTDP and OTTD are two different games written in two different languages. While true it's at the same time amazing that the bigger picture is refused to be acknowledged - every single time!
This isn't really a question about merging two different games into one, which we already know is impossible, but to gather resources and develop the original classic game Transport Tycoon Deluxe into one fantastic modification, giving players the ultimate in terms of personal game-play experiences. One of the most infected subjects on the matter is the TTDP-feature, Custom Bridgeheads, (CBH), and at this point not on the higher level of the OTTD "ToDo-list", this feature along with a number of others have found their way into OTTD thanks to enthusiasts developing their own custom patches. Problem is, not having the status as official patches for OTTD, they are likely to brake any game using any of these custom patches whenever OTTD is updated from an official OTTD developers point of view.
It is of course also true that TTDP has lost a vast majority of its users, moving on to OTTD as being the alternative currently under further developments. This however doesn't mean that the TTDP-community has gone dead or diminished into only a handful users, unwilling to embrace the OTTD-culture. On the contrary! There are still lots of TTDP-players out there, holding on to the original feel of Transport Tycoon Deluxe. And while OTTD on the other hand more and more seems to stretch in all possible directions, it's also becoming more clear than ever that anticipated directions are ruled by OTTD devs personal interests, rather than the ideas and visions of the greater community.
Or as TT-forums member "Level Crossing" puts it in his reply to the OTTD devs, (quote from TT-forums);
Quote:
While the devs state that there are good reasons that TTDP features (like custom bridgeheads) are not in OTTD, only one dev (Michi-cc) has actually bothered to actually comment in a thread that has working patches for custom bridgeheads (and multiple railtypes, etc.). (http://www.tt-forums.net/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=58420) And even he only 'took some very tiny peeks'.
Are the devs really that eager to include new features, especially since they (except one) have ignored someone who has done the work for them? And as usual, members having an opinion regardless of subject, the response is as friendly and welcoming as ever; You're an idiot! Interestingly, but no longer surprisingly, also "Captain Rands" revival of the thread rendered in the same manner, and he's after all a newcomer, not fully updated with all the discussions generated during the years on the matter!
Worse is however the backstabbing of people when leaving the room for the hallway. What can't be said directly can at least be said and ventured elsewhere, as this, as of yesterday shared, transcript shows;
Quote:
09:23 <andythenorth> in that silly v2.0 thread. You upset him I think
09:23 <andythenorth> hmm. statements like this: "If we would like TT to last another 20 years and bring in new players and contributors, the two halves need to become whole"
09:24 <@planetmaker> oh. Well, who cares
09:24 <andythenorth> always this fricking obsession with new players.
09:24 <@planetmaker> well, new players are important. But you won't gain them by his proposed convergence.
09:24 <andythenorth> yeah, because the reason people are playing WoW is because they checked out TTDP and OTTD and are cross that there are features different between them
09:24 * andythenorth should have some tea
09:24 <andythenorth> some days are grump days
09:24 <@planetmaker> Rather by deviating more and embracing better (G)UI and ease of use
09:25 -!- Pikka [~chatzilla@d58-111-65-161.rdl800.qld.optusnet.com.au] has joined #openttd
09:25 <@planetmaker> not by adding custom bridge heads and programmable or restrictive signals
09:25 <Pikka> boo, planetmaker, boo
09:25 <@planetmaker>
09:25 <andythenorth> oh it's pikka-bobble
09:26 <@planetmaker> Pikka, it's not like I'm against those features. But... I doubt they are crucial for a person to like the game
09:26 <andythenorth> he always cheers me up
09:26 <@planetmaker> or any significant amount of people
09:26 <Pikka> true!
09:26 <@planetmaker> indeed I think at least custom bridgeheads will be quite nice.
09:26 <@planetmaker> Pikka, reference was this funny openttd v2.0 thread
09:26 <andythenorth> silly thread
09:27 <andythenorth> it should be in the suggestions forum, where I mostly don't go
09:27 <andythenorth> suggestions forum is just /dev/null right?
09:27 -!- zxbiohazardzx [~IceChat77@5ED05D6D.cm-7-1b.dynamic.ziggo.nl] has joined #openttd
09:27 <zxbiohazardzx> y hello thar
09:27 <@planetmaker> nah, not exactly, andythenorth . But you can go wild there w/o penalty
09:27 <Pikka> well the lack of custom bridgeheads is keeping SAC out of OpenTTD, so that's one argument against implementing it I suppose.
It always amazes me that not only honesty but also friendlyness towards community members is a rare thing these days - as tiny as this community is compared to game communities online - , and it's even worse when official developers maintain attitudes and behaviors that doesn't serve any other purpose than to enhance themselves and their own perfection. And it always amazes me that it's an impression amongst some that my own personal decision to stick with TTDP is dependent a decision to implement the CBH-feature into OTTD.
While being one of the valid reasons there are of course several others. Interestingly enough it seems that the consensus is that if avoiding an implementation of, for instance, custom bridgeheads into OTTD, it would keep me from taking the step to leave TTDP for OTTD! Ridiculous to say the least!
And more importantly, I have said in the past that I see no reasons what-so-ever to release whole or parts of INFRA to the OTTD-community for as long as I feel it lacks important features I find necessary and essential for my own personal game-play experience. And why not really? In my opinion it's a basic matter that I'm able to test and try out my projects also in OTTD before handing out a final release supporting a different version of Transport Tycoon Deluxe developed enhancements - and this is absolutely nothing against the common OTTD-player or anyone else.
Unfortunately though, statements like the one revealed in the transcript doesn't affect me as I can chose to move on to OTTD and use the INFRA graphics I'm the holder of, without any actual limitations as far as visual aspects regards. The ones really suffering from the statement, (and God knows how many of them are scattered everywhere), are the users of OTTD. Not me! Not ever! And I obviously need to take the opportunity to send my sincere apologies to OTTD-users for not being offered certain anticipated features, simply because OTTD devs seems to have persuaded themselves to embrace some sort of SAC-Agenda! One can only wonder why?
Unfortunately Captain Rand, your vision is most likely to stay - a vision!
And I seem to be forced, and not in a gently manner, to limit my own personal goals...