CoS "November" Devlog - Modular Roundhouses, Easy Turntables, and Q&A!
Added 2024-12-11 23:52:34 +0000 UTCHowdy Patrons! Welcome to the "November" Devlog - some of the challenges pushed us back a little bit, but we're excited to share how some neat features are going to work within Century of Steam, alongside a few community requests, bugfixes, and some Q&A!
Comments
3 hours ago it says on my end
Carter Kissinger
2025-02-01 01:19:22 +0000 UTCYes
Carter Kissinger
2025-02-01 01:18:15 +0000 UTCstill dont see it, did studio 346 said tomorrow?
Cheetalo
2025-02-01 01:18:01 +0000 UTCScroll 14 comments down
Carter Kissinger
2025-02-01 01:01:07 +0000 UTCwhere did you see them say it comes out tomorrow?
Cheetalo
2025-02-01 00:59:58 +0000 UTCSorry but usually it comes out at 6 a clock and I’m on my phone which for some reason has broken auto correct. This was before I saw there comment about it being tomorrow
Carter Kissinger
2025-02-01 00:40:46 +0000 UTCI might be illiterate what do you mean by this?
Spencer
2025-02-01 00:39:29 +0000 UTCTonight update about game?
Carter Kissinger
2025-01-31 23:16:25 +0000 UTCWill there be paint styles for roundhouse
Hunter Wynan
2025-01-31 22:14:33 +0000 UTCYeah it has been a busy month for most people which is understandable and it will take time to start up again sorry for any miscommunication wasn’t not trying to come off angry just wondering
Carter Kissinger
2025-01-26 04:09:42 +0000 UTCUpdates come at the end of the month and there is a week to go. Just settle...
G In Oz
2025-01-25 23:16:05 +0000 UTCJanuary and yeah I’m wondering too
Carter Kissinger
2025-01-24 14:06:21 +0000 UTCOf course it ain't dead they wouldn't be releasing dev vlogs if it was. The dev vlogs come out at the end of the month. Still have more than a week to get there. Remember they didn't do a December dev vlog since the November one got pushed back into midway through December.
The California Poppy
2025-01-18 00:34:28 +0000 UTCSooo is this thing dead or what? Cause we halfway to February and we don’t even have an update about the video yet? Really starting to regret giving them any money.
Dmitri
2025-01-17 23:59:36 +0000 UTCIt has been repeatedly said there will be no demo nor beta release or early access. We will just have to wait..
G In Oz
2025-01-16 07:50:51 +0000 UTCWill Their Be A Demo For The Paterons
Hunter Wynan
2025-01-16 06:10:35 +0000 UTCWhen I put a train into a Loading zone that exceeds it's boundary length, will I have to move the cars so the ones that were outside will also unload? Or will the facility detect the other cars and unload them too? Also, can I drive slowly past it and unload (like in RRO) of do I need to stop? In the video, the unloading area looked pretty short compared to the length of the siding.
elblorenz32
2025-01-13 15:03:18 +0000 UTCHello! are the signal boxes that you can place a point you can teleport too?
Totti Von Lotti
2025-01-10 07:26:09 +0000 UTCAnother question I've been mulling over. We have seen the loading zones a couple of times, most predominantly in the shay video, and they all seem to be connected to a structure, spar poles at the timber camp, the camp kitchen, etc. How much influence will the players have on their placement? The spar poles seemed to be rather big circles but the station in this video and the kitchen in the other seem to be pretty small. Will the player be beholden to where a company (or the devs) place those structures, will players need to place them (or move them if inconvenient)? Looking forward to seeing how this plays out!
Wild Bison
2025-01-08 18:28:44 +0000 UTCJust like to say that this game is the only reason I have a pc
Carter Kissinger
2025-01-08 15:35:50 +0000 UTCAgain I ask this will passenger trains have NPCs in the cars along with profit
Carter Kissinger
2025-01-08 15:29:07 +0000 UTCA VT-1 would be a very fun whistle! If your looking for a European whistle recording, I should have an alright recording or two. Cheers!
Totti Von Lotti
2025-01-08 11:59:50 +0000 UTCWill century of steam have the ability to rebind keys? im left handed so whenever I buy a new game I have to rebind keys to make it work for me
Accelerator
2025-01-05 11:32:21 +0000 UTCIn the Q&A section of the August 2024 Devlog the team answered a similar question (@ time 44:24). The short summary is the intention at that time (subject to change and/or official clarification) was for the loading and unloading to be "immediate" (my term - i.e. near instant with short animation etc. as shown in July gameplay with the Shay). If players want to roleplay longer loading times they can do but the game wont enforce it (which implies not having a setting to enforce it).
Paul Simnel
2025-01-04 12:54:22 +0000 UTCI originally posted this brain fart on YT after the last devlog was released to the general public in response to a "request" for a glove and leather store for the routes, but it has been simmering for the past few days. It would be good to see some wooden long drop outhouses, surrounded by weeds etc. Most of the "reminiscent locations" would not have had indoor plumbing during the games time frame (there are places that still dont) Would fulfil no actual purpose other than to add to the overall aesthetic. Thoughts? Cheers...
G In Oz
2025-01-04 02:06:28 +0000 UTCI’m EXTREMELY interested in this as well, and I hope the Devs will have a January DevVlog about track laying and track maintenance, and hopefully have some video showing us how the track laying works (hopefully similar to RRO). Hopefully we can see some updates on track laying and see some videos / video footage of track laying progress / work being done.
Mark Malewski
2025-01-02 09:31:11 +0000 UTCHave a Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year! Looking forward to some newer / great content and I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and got some much needed rest. Have a Happy New Year!
Mark Malewski
2025-01-02 09:19:35 +0000 UTCThis question kind of rolls back to the shay video a few months ago. Car unloading: Will this be done instantly by the player like RR online or will it take time to unload a car like in Railroader? Will there be a way to toggle it?
Shane Mason
2024-12-31 14:36:53 +0000 UTCI imagine if they do LCL freight, they'll just run freight from the interchange to a freight depot in each town.
Justin Weinberg
2024-12-31 08:03:39 +0000 UTCThan you!!! With every vlog I get more and more excited to play.
Aaron Pedrick
2024-12-31 06:39:43 +0000 UTCWill cars be waybilled to specific customers on your route? What about LCL freight?
Zach Liollio
2024-12-31 06:05:40 +0000 UTCHow has the track laying and maintenance side of things been going? I've been eager to see how it compares to something like RRO. It'd be cool if the track maintenance was a optional difficulty setting but if it's too much to add that's totally fine.
Joshua Brown
2024-12-31 03:07:30 +0000 UTCHere we are again at the last day of another year, and not a particularly good one at that. Would like to take the opportunity to wish every member of the Studio346 development team and the growing numbers of the Century of Steam fan club a healthy, safe and prosperous 2025 and deep down I hope that this will be the year (wink...wink). Enjoy however you celebrate. Cheers from Down Under
G In Oz
2024-12-31 01:55:58 +0000 UTCThansk for clearing up any confusion
Carter Kissinger
2024-12-30 21:20:11 +0000 UTCNot till the end of January. As they said in this video December dev blog is being skipped to allow the team to rest over the holidays since the November dev blog was pushed back to the middle of December.
The California Poppy
2024-12-30 20:49:03 +0000 UTCNew video soon?
Carter Kissinger
2024-12-30 19:24:38 +0000 UTCi have arrived to give two ideas 1: if theres a lack of content.. maybe just do a compliation video of Scenic running. to show off maps. and 2: i saw a video recently in which a certain 488 was included, and it made mention of an Indiana film where 488 had a red * black paint livery. i'd think it'd be funny to add that scheme and call it Circus lol
TomOuterwarp
2024-12-29 09:26:19 +0000 UTCI Think it would be cool to see some more gameplay even if there's nothin new to show, everyone likes watching hyce play with trains. haha
Trevor Oudman
2024-12-27 01:49:31 +0000 UTCQuestion for the next Q&A video. Seeing how in depth shops are going to be, along with derailments and boiler explosions throwing parts everywhere. Can we expect wrecker trains, or will you just rerail everything and drag it to the shop?
David Bice
2024-12-25 03:23:07 +0000 UTClooks good I love your studio a lot hyce and wish you a Merry Christmas
dana
2024-12-24 22:59:30 +0000 UTCAmen
K Kid
2024-12-23 08:36:11 +0000 UTCso glad to see a turntable done right, "no more stupid" has never sounded more appealing! I was wondering if the whistle suggestion form is still open, I haven't been able to find the link anywhere and i have an interesting whistle to suggest.
Jon
2024-12-20 04:02:53 +0000 UTCId have to dig around, but I recall in one of the early devlogs (maybe the NG convention demo video from over a year ago), one of the devs mentioned something like pre-made routes being an option to expand.
Wild Bison
2024-12-20 03:27:42 +0000 UTCI would love to see a option to have pre laid track like railroads online does so for new players who don’t know how to lay track they can use a option for all tracks and places to be linked on the whole map
K Kid
2024-12-20 02:36:54 +0000 UTCFrom the game announcement trailer we saw the 10-26D with a steel cab so I believe that will be an option. Not sure about the whaleback tender, but we shall see. Out of curiosity do you have a picture of the number 14 and 17 in question with the whaleback tenders? South Pacific Coast 4-6-0s number 18 and 21 were sold to the Carson and Colorado and became numbers 14 and 17 respectively but I can't find any pictures of them on the Carson and Colorado.
The California Poppy
2024-12-19 22:57:53 +0000 UTCI know this is a little early to ask, but in regards to track building mechanics, can you pull up the track off of a grade if you are abandoning the line, and if so will there be a mechanic where the grade will begin to be reclaimed by vegetation and slowly erode over time? If that is a possibility, It would be great to for adding that depth and lore to our worlds to connect us with the real world of many of these narrow gauge lines having been abandoned and forgotten. Love the work you guys have been doing so far!
Storm
2024-12-19 22:13:22 +0000 UTCA request on industries, it would be nice to have to spot cars for at least a day or two so you get the feel of switching out a customer versus just loading the car and immediately unloading
Justin Weinberg
2024-12-19 21:58:10 +0000 UTCQuestion on the 10-26D as no specific video has been made on it's customizations and what not, will the model have an option for the steel cabs and whaleback tenders the 14 and 17 got later in life? Additionally, will the option of the replacement boilers the class received later in life be included?
Justin Weinberg
2024-12-19 17:28:21 +0000 UTCLots of good progress on show. Some feedback or initial thoughts on the "Alt Mode UI". In general it looks good and it will no doubt be useful for players to have a feature like this. In terms of the information displayed I understand that this is a first pass, but perhaps with play testing experience some further feeling might be gained as to what information is useful on a regular basis. My initial impression is that the top line of text with the loco type and wheel arrangement, or the car type and manufacturer might not be that useful in regular gameplay. It might be information the player wants, but maybe only once per play session, or not at all once they're familiar with the stock in use. That type of info might be more suitable on an info card for each item of stock that can be called up individually (possibly listing alternate freight types and capacities for cars, stats for the locos, or other more detailed/specific info) if the player wants to find out - similar to the info that might appear in a catalogue. In regular gameplay the info that might be most useful to access quickly are ways to identify the vehicle quickly, and the operational info that is likely to vary during a session, or change between sessions. Such as, the Railroad Company/Reporting Mark, vehicle number, cargo capacity and quantity on board (e.g. 9564/12000lbs Coal, or 6000/8000Gals Crude), if empty the category of cargo it is currently configured for (if it can carry more than one specific type) such as "general" "liquid" or "bulk", handbrake status, Airbake status, retainer status, maintenance status. The latter "status" items of info might be represented by symbols. That something is a loco, a box car, or a tank car should be fairly obvious, and if someone is still learning they should be able to pick it up if the information is provided at a lower level and probably wont need it after the first few times, except for an occasional refresher, or when wanting to order another one. I agree with what some others have said in that solid white is perhaps not the best colour for the text, perhaps a dark yellow or text/font with a contrasting boarder. Although it'll be difficult to find a solution that works well in all conditions (i.e. against sky, snow, buildings, foliage, etc.). Similarly, whilst showing the bounding box for the limits of loading/unloading areas, or other interactable areas is a good feature, neon white for the bounding box might not show up well against snow, and the bars at high level, over the cars seams a little bit too obtrusive - although that impression might change with familiarity. I prefer the method used in Railroader of highlighting the track area, however that game doesn't have snow over the tracks, which might make that method unsuitable for CoS. Thanks for all the hard work you've been putting into development. Hope you all get some time to relax and recharge over the festive season.
Paul Simnel
2024-12-17 22:56:29 +0000 UTCThere's some info on multiple loco control in the video titled: "The 8-18C, Advanced Couplers, 3rd Person Controls, and Deep Snow!" A "consist" button in the 3rd person controls is shown, that makes the inputs for one loco be mapped to the others, still work in progress - not sure if it works for distributed power.
Paul Simnel
2024-12-17 17:36:32 +0000 UTCGreat! Regarding the final Q&A inquiry regarding the Hyasynth whistles: I've noticed that the strange whistle "stepping" effect is not present at all in older media, and it is much smoother/nicer sounding (original whistle demonstration video on the YouTube channel). Could it be a consequence of some back-end change to how input is received?
Carlos Olivera
2024-12-16 22:36:24 +0000 UTCThere will be blade switches as well in addition to the stub switches
The California Poppy
2024-12-16 19:35:18 +0000 UTCLittle question over here, will there be point switches? I only saw stub switches yet
Columbus92
2024-12-16 17:04:40 +0000 UTCI’m glad the team chose to have the turntable just click to the spot it’s immensely frustrating trying to Aline it perfectly in other games the game is looking great
SpagelSmegal
2024-12-16 13:06:53 +0000 UTCCan you share what the economy/game side of play is intended to look like? I find in sandbox games that the lack of an external I put into how I play the game can make late-stage game play pretty dry. Will there be a mix of existing industries and opportunities to supply new ones that are either baked into a map/scenario, or a player could choose to incubate in an area?
Ashley Honeywell
2024-12-16 03:18:37 +0000 UTCHey team! I'm still as excited as ever for this game! I'm not sure if this is the best place to post an idea, but I was thinking about time progression. I had the idea of making an option for: A. 1 season = 1 game day, B. 1 season = 3 game days, or C. 1 year = 1 game day with a random season.
Forrest
2024-12-15 20:27:16 +0000 UTCYes to both! The roundhouses are not limited to a specific turntable as shown in the two-stall version using a stub switch, and this roundhouse is designed to be fully expandable with additional stalls added after initial construction, just like the prototype!
Studio346
2024-12-15 12:52:50 +0000 UTCWe recommend watching the Shay logging run vlog again; at several points in the video, the caboose is used not only as a means of monitoring the brake pipe pressure and performing brake tests, but also allows an end-of-train crew member to apply or release the brakes from the rear with the conductor's valve! It's very handy for protecting a shove on switchbacks or preventing a downhill disaster if your head-end crew goes AFK!
Studio346
2024-12-15 12:39:00 +0000 UTCI am thrilled to see how the roundhouse and turntable have developed! But I do have a question or two. Firstly, will there just be a wooden roundhouse in the game? Or will there be other construction mediums, like brick and stone options as well? I have to admit I'm a sucker for masonry structures.
Kegg Works
2024-12-14 20:15:34 +0000 UTCI really hope so it’s been to long since him and Hyce I mean mark did a video together
Carter Kissinger
2024-12-14 17:42:13 +0000 UTCgot a feeling with 36 stalls and 36 locomotives in one place it will crash the game
Ann Hinchcliff
2024-12-14 17:41:18 +0000 UTCHey I have a question will we be able to get a custom town naming option for creative purposes I know that comes with censoring but would still love to have it so I could name towns after a map I drew of a model layout when I was a kid
Carter Kissinger
2024-12-14 17:41:15 +0000 UTCInteresting take, but I prefer the standard "it'll be done when it's done" approach to a game like this. Do I have infinite time to wait, only if I'm immortal which I'm not, but I've waited years for a game to release before, I don't think waiting for another such as this one is going to be any different, but we all have our own opinions on what kind of information we would like to get. I'd prefer if players stopped looking for information on release dates and just enjoy the fact that some people are taking the time to do a thing the right way(as they see it).
Gerald McFarlane
2024-12-14 15:37:55 +0000 UTCWill we be able to add stalls to an existing roundhouse? Will there be an option to build different turntable sizes? Great work guys, keep going
Columbus92
2024-12-14 13:59:33 +0000 UTCMy excitement for this game cannot be expressed in words. I do have one question though: Do the different spark arrestors and stack types have any functional differences such as draft, or are they just for the looks and pretty smoke effects? I wish you all the best of luck in this absolute masterpiece of a game, and enjoy your well deserved break!
Quinn Sparks
2024-12-14 06:02:41 +0000 UTCNot sure if this has been asked and answered yet. Is there going to be an in-game benefit of running a caboose or comboose? I thoroughly enjoy railroader, but don't run a caboose since there is no benefit to it, and selling them early game for quick change tends to be a decision i make. That being said, I am waiting rather impatiently for this game to launch. I've been waiting years for a historically accurate train sim, and this game excites me greatly!
Logan Lowe
2024-12-13 21:29:33 +0000 UTCAs a question will you give early access to content creators for example kan or someone?
Spencer
2024-12-13 20:34:39 +0000 UTCJoking aside, shaping up well, looking forwards to seeing blacksmith and machine shops portrayed with much more respect and fidelity than most games do.
The Real Hoopties of Genesee County
2024-12-13 18:55:31 +0000 UTCMaintenance? Looking forwards to tramming and boiler washout minigames among others ;)
The Real Hoopties of Genesee County
2024-12-13 18:54:17 +0000 UTCi'd be interesting if we had to actually construct the line, kind of like Railroader. where you bring in the Material on a car and a set amount of time for it to be constructed before you
TomOuterwarp
2024-12-13 15:27:50 +0000 UTCWhile I agree, it would be extremely helpful, I, personally, prefer building mostly in first-person. I hope we get the option for both.
Samgineer
2024-12-13 10:07:37 +0000 UTCI have a several questions about CoS: How about tracklaying? Will you snap the track out of nowhere or order the construction? Will you have to deliver materials or just have a giant backpack? How will you buy new engines and rolling stock? Will you snap them out of nowhere or order it and wait or build it yourself? Will there be mechanical wear & tear and oiling? How will you recieve cars? Will you have interchanges to standard gauge, ships or other railroads or will you be isolated? How will the character be? Will you be the invincible, teleporting beast that runs 40mph like in Railroader or like a normal human? How long will it take to fire up an engine? I guess it's not going to take 4 hours like the real stuff, but maybe like 10 minutes? Or will engines always be under steam? Will you be able to hire a watchman? Will there be a tutorial? Will you be thrown into the world or have a written tutorial like in Railroader or will you have a 3d character that guides you around? How will multiplayer games work? Will you host a server that every member can join at any time or will the save be stuck to one player? As anyway great work, I can't wait to play it, keep going!
Columbus92
2024-12-13 06:07:57 +0000 UTCTwo Part to this comment; 1) Will there be restricting factors that might limit a type of engine (or rolling stock but that would probably be a very rare case) from running on a track? Such as the K-28's being the largest engine you could take up to Silverton, or rail # restrictions. 2) This is a comment rather than a question, but the industry track highlight thingy (the white box around the unload zone) Is *very* bright, at least to me. My suggestion to this would be to do what Railroader did and highlight the track where the loading zone is. Great job S346 and Happy Holidays!
Drake theRailfan
2024-12-13 04:05:27 +0000 UTCFor me, having a playable train-running demo in 2025 would be a great source of engagement ;) otherwise I'm pleased with what you've been doing so far and love the passion, attention to detail, and great progress you've made! Keep up the good work yall, and happy holidays! Also, I think a few other people have mentioned, but I'd happily give my money in December haha, I'm looking to fund the team, not the videos :)
Saurischian
2024-12-13 03:03:26 +0000 UTCI think what I want to see most is some indication of progress toward release. I'll use the Mason Bogie devlog as an example -- new engines are great, but because we don't know how many will be in the final game, a new engine doesn't tell us anything about how close we are. For all we know you guys are 99% done with engines. Or you could be 1% done. We just don't know, and no matter how many engines you show off, we still won't know. I, personally, would really appreciate having some way to measure how close we are to release. Based on reading some of the other comments, I suspect I'm not the only one. It doesn't have to be precise, it doesn't have to be accurate, but I'd really appreciate something. Announcing a release date is the canonical way of doing this. I know those are nearly impossible to estimate, I'm a software dev myself, but even something vague like "probably releasing in 1 to 3 years" or "we're about half done" would be helpful. Alternatively, maybe you can estimate your progress toward key milestones? The author Brandon Sanderson does something like this, posting progress bars on his website. Maybe you could say something like "rolling stock modelling is 30% done, other modelling 60%, physics 90% done, QA 0%?" That would give us a lot more information, without making any actual promises you might not be able to keep. There's other ways of doing this, I'm sure. IMO the important thing is that somehow, there's some sense of "when this hits 0, I get to play the game." This is turning into a very rambley comment, sorry about that. But I hope that makes some amount of sense?
Ridgeeway Spark Arrestor
2024-12-13 02:16:07 +0000 UTC14:11 precisely. Whistles make almost no steam when it's hot out - and that's the case on the high desert, at least when we filmed. :)
Studio346
2024-12-13 00:19:35 +0000 UTCI've still got many more that I want to add... more for the list never hurts. ;)
Studio346
2024-12-13 00:18:45 +0000 UTCA modular buildings mechanic? oh that does open opportunities, but i think id like to see the internal combustion locomotives see some action next? and for those of us on single player is there a feature in the works to control "distributed power" or helpers on a train? hope you all enjoy the holidays and make some time to look how far you've come
Mich Geeson
2024-12-12 23:15:15 +0000 UTCThanks for the update the Game looks absolutely beautiful, you guys clearly but care I to it
Jim Yeetast
2024-12-12 19:36:23 +0000 UTCWell done, and a nice overview of shop facilities to come! One question for you guys: although there is already a plethora of whistles, is there still a way to suggest a new one to add?
Drew Barker
2024-12-12 18:56:27 +0000 UTCGreat video as always happy to see this game really start to come together. Quick question, is the blacksmith area in shop complex have any relation to repairing or maintaining engines and rolling stock?
Sean Schabeg
2024-12-12 18:05:14 +0000 UTCCan't wait to get my hands on this
Typhoonator
2024-12-12 15:46:08 +0000 UTCWe've elaborated on this on a prior YouTube Q&A and can relay it here: "Regarding on/off state of locomotives, to better explain it: engines being hot-and-ready is in reference to them not having a lengthy fire-up process to get them out of the roundhouse. The roundhouse itself is still their home base when not in use like a physical save point, where you can store them with a banked fire without needing additional water or fuel while it's kept there as those resources are readily available to real hostlers. Essentially they're held in a form of stasis like a phone on its charger to simulate hostlers taking care of it for you, but they're still ready to be taken out whenever the player, like an engineer starting their day, heads to the roundhouse to begin another trip on the line. " A lot of folks forget that even small short line railroads require a lot of personnel to keep them running, so in order to make the game viable for single player or small multiplayer groups, we want to extrapolate some of that workforce into support systems that make the player's life a bit easier.
Studio346
2024-12-12 15:15:35 +0000 UTC3:36 that’s neat and helpful 14:11 is there less apparent steam coming out of the whistle because It’s hot outside?
Umoado’s Gaming & Trains
2024-12-12 14:39:42 +0000 UTCGreat video as always, love the smoke interaction with the roundhouse, those kind of small details really nail the feeling. My question is only slightly related to this video, is in terms of resource consumption. Kind of a long question; In an earlier Q&A you guys stated that it will not be possible to turn off engines (although I'm still hoping for a way to do so at least cosmetically), my question would be though how this works in terms of fuel & water consumption, do all locomotives not currently in use slowly consume their resources or will the resource consumption be stopped for a stationary locomotive?
Bram Gerrits
2024-12-12 14:04:47 +0000 UTC(Long comment alert.) I'm happy to see how things are shaping up! The roundhouses look fantastic, and I love the continued appearance of the 8-18C. Feel free to take your time regrouping and resting in December! It is the holidays after all. The one thing which I would like to see in the future, maybe more at a single feature level rather than a series, would be something akin to a feature on doubleheading and helper service, or maybe just choosing the right locomotives for the job, be it going over a pass or galloping along the plains. A lot of players, me included, can get into the mindset of always picking the locomotive with the highest tractive effort and not considering any possibilities where smaller and more underpowered locomotives such as the 8-18C can shine. I'd just love to see a feature on the actively choosing your roster side of things. The final thing I'll end this comment off with is that, if the idea is popular enough, during the final stages of game production and finishing touches, and just after release (arguably when game development is at its most fiddly and least interesting), I'd be interested in seeing a series of videos as like beginner's tips and tricks. This can be anything from bottling and kicking cars, to doubleheading, or even yard and track layout. Keep your heads on your shoulders and let's hope to hit 2025 stronger than ever!
The.Soviet.Tankist
2024-12-12 13:57:51 +0000 UTCI’d recommend watching their gameplay dev log featuring the Shay as they have a freight run in that video featuring gameplay loops. They’ve done a pretty good job in that video showing an example on how commodities are handled throughout whatever region you’ll be playing as. Edit: something to note as well, this game isn’t really super focused on world logistics akin to other games such as railroader, as this game has heavy emphasis on running the locomotives and trains themselves. As they’ve said themselves it’s much more inclined to be more of a “boots on the ground hand on the throttle” experience rather than a really intricate railroad logistics game.
RF3985
2024-12-12 12:54:54 +0000 UTCAs a colorblind person, thank you! Its always great seeing actually useful options in games. And being able to freely choose the colors is one of the better ways to do it.
NimmerNeko
2024-12-12 09:12:00 +0000 UTCHi, thanks a lot for this update. I love what I see here and the way you talk about this project. I have two points to address. You showed the tooltips. That is great and really useful, but I thing white as a text color is a bad choice. Make it yellow or orange, so even in snow and with white clouds you still can read the texts. For railroads online I had to change the color of the mouse cursor, because it became almost invisible. Also the line marking loading zones should be thin and not with these strange what is areas blurring them. It's not functional and information overload. Second point. It's nice that you stop collecting money, but I am not paying for the videos, I pay you because I want to support this game. I see you guys put a lot of love in it and I am really looking forward to be able to play this. You also may keep in mind that you not need to have every feature you like or want. It is great to have a roundhouse, but I think it is not essential for game release. Somehow your perfectionism may prevent you from releasing at all. Can you give us an indication on when you consider the game to be releasable? For doing a project, there are three essential parameters: budget (money but also people), time and features. You can set goals for two out of three. The third one is the result of the other ones. I guess features is high on the list, money and people may be constraints, but how od you balance between features and the other ones?
Rudolf Heijink
2024-12-12 08:46:14 +0000 UTCLong comment alert: Will we ever see gameplay of the actual gameplay loop of COS? Its really cool to see the pretty things, and you guys are doing a good job, but how do you actually play? How do you start off in the game vs. the endpoint? What *is* the game? Is it like Railroader where you get cars at an interchange, or is it entirely captive like RO or Derail Valley? So far the game looks amazing, and all the customization is cool, but I still dont understand what the game is about, or what you do besides "drive narrow gauge trains." Of course, that is the draw, and why I'm interested. In 2025, can we get more insight as to what the actual gameplay of COS is going to look like (beyond visual beauty)? It's all looking good, this isn't a negative comment. I, personally, just want more of the meat and potatoes rather than the dessert, if you catch my drift.
Spam Email
2024-12-12 07:07:08 +0000 UTCThank you for the feedback! Our new Alt mode UI is definitely a work in progress (like all of the things we get to share here) and we will be taking consideration of the suggestions we get moving forward :)
Studio346
2024-12-12 05:54:49 +0000 UTCGreets from a german steam engineer and fireman. I would really love to see how you build the maps for the videos
Columbus92
2024-12-12 05:44:07 +0000 UTCI do think a statement of project goals would be great. Again, not like a roadmap, wouldn't even have to have new content in it, just like a video where the team talks about the game and what they want in it, like the Railroad Tycoon 3 anniversary video. Might be a good one to do when they have multiplayer implemented : ) Have everyone working as a train crew in game, talking about it and just chilling.
WasatchWind
2024-12-12 05:37:52 +0000 UTCi really hope the building will be in eagle perspective since it would make building a lot less tedious
Kashira
2024-12-12 05:09:14 +0000 UTCI think the Alt UI text needs outline for readability or at lest a drop shadow. The loading and unloading zone effect seams bit strong, I would recommend maybe keeping it closer to the ground level, at most having transparent gradient going up from the ground. To further reduce visual clutter maybe just mark the beginning and ending of the unloading zone with Start and End Bracket ( ) or [ ] Finally for the color blind accessibility there is very tiny portion of population who are completely color blind (black and white only) As I don't suffer with it i not sure if just changing colors will be enough for those players, It may be better if possible to have extra setting to set the lens shapes to something like Circle Triangle Square.
AnadiaShark
2024-12-12 04:55:32 +0000 UTCI noticed that the locomotive and cars were all super smooth gliding on the rails. I don't know if that's because the thrusting of the pistons is turned off or down, or if the track laid for development is perfectly smooth, or what. Either way I'd like to see variations in track (maybe as a function of cost to lay or maintain the track) cause dips and jinks and stuff, because I really like seeing engines and cars bob and weave a little along the track.
Dan Silbaugh
2024-12-12 04:40:43 +0000 UTCD&RGW drools. Alpine Tunnel and Boreas Pass turntables inside stone buildings rule. :). That said, the snowshed ability is really cool to consider. The modular roundhouse coding probably lends itself pretty well to snowshoes.
Dan Silbaugh
2024-12-12 04:28:58 +0000 UTCOn the topic of whistles: from personal experience, there is a short moment where the steam doesn't catch and form a note, instead just hissing. I haven't heard that with Hya-synth, and want to know if that A: even exists in the first place, and B: if it does, and I don't need to get my ears checked, if that will be implemented into the system.
Forest J. H. Jr.
2024-12-12 04:17:16 +0000 UTCThe quality of life additions are absolutely fantastic. It's that kind of "fine, I'll do it myself" mentality that eventually results in stuff that not only looks and sounds really good, but plays well too. My only suggestion is to make the text UI when using the turntable slight more visible, but other than that, fantastic change. I also get the impression that having the turntable work in this way also might make it more stable code wise, but that may be an incorrect assumption.
WasatchWind
2024-12-12 04:17:15 +0000 UTCTwo questions: 1. Will the shimmering of the tracks and sleepers be fixed? it's very apparent starting at 6:23. 2. Any updates on plans on release to allow one to use flightsim throttles or other similar hardware to control the throttle, brakes, firebox door, injector, damper and other levers in the cab? This is one of the things that makes a huge difference in immersion when playing a train game. There is a mod that allows me to use my 2 throttle quadrants in Derail Valley to drive trains and the realism and immersion is night and day. I could not go back to using a mouse or keyboard to control the trains. This will really set your game apart from others as no other train sims at the moment that I know of has this functionality out of the box. I really hope that this feature won't be pushed down the line as a maybe for the future like other developers, but that this function will be available when this game is released. It looks totally fantastic and beautiful and will no doubt be the best train game ever. I absolutely can't wait to play this game.
TK
2024-12-12 04:07:53 +0000 UTCTo add on to the ui part. I think pressing alt and a number key to toggle different highlight options would be great. for example alt + 1 would only highlight the unloading zones and alt + 2 could highlight the cars
RoaringLegend 456
2024-12-12 03:49:36 +0000 UTCRadial spacing of tracks is dictated by each prototype in order to make the best use of the historical reference and framing diagrams we have. In the case of the SLO roundhouse, it is built on 10 degree centers.
Studio346
2024-12-12 03:44:35 +0000 UTCThank you. Why has it taken so long for a teain game to do this with turntables
Sean D.
2024-12-12 03:32:09 +0000 UTCThis makes me wonder.. Since you're making modular versions of prototype roundhouses, does that mean we'll be able to recreate the Rio Grande's snow tunnel roundhouse?
Samgineer
2024-12-12 03:25:06 +0000 UTCI have to thank you guys again for the implementation of the colorblindness accessibility settings on the semaphores. Gives me the confidence to highball at track speed instead of proceeding with caution until I can see the semaphore arm!
Pauwer!
2024-12-12 03:21:32 +0000 UTCAs a kind of suggestion for literal world building, when building a roundhouse, will there be an option to change the degree of the roundhouse? Will I as a player be able to make the circle that the roundhouse makes wider or sharper?
Andy Sapp
2024-12-12 03:11:03 +0000 UTCRegarding new content: I personally would enjoy a Reddit-style AMA post on Patreon. There's a lot of questions that maybe don't warrant time in a video, but would be easy to answer in a text-based format.
Ridgeeway Spark Arrestor
2024-12-12 02:49:32 +0000 UTCOn the roundhouse, will you have choices on the turntables for example length, power, and control shack like the Stander gauge ones
James Kuehn
2024-12-12 02:46:41 +0000 UTCI appreciate noting in the video that more props for the enginehouse are in development. That was my biggest concern with the screenshot from earlier and I am glad it's already being worked on. As for ideas for future content, two ideas. A "rolling stock deep dive" (maybe better when the game is in later development and all the modeling is done) just explaining the real prototypes and research into the various passenger and freight cars. Secondly, I just want to see more of the signs and hidden puns in the game. I remember a nod towards the "one flavor" Ice Cream shop from Blazing Saddles in the NCNG demo, and I spotted a grave for a W.E. Coyote in the cemetery, so an exploration of the signage would make a fun post topic for the socials.
ThatCrazyAssSkunkGuy
2024-12-12 02:44:31 +0000 UTCI agree. IDK if that's because I'm a software dev myself, but I'd love to see the nuts and bolts of the game, not just the shiny finished stuff.
Ridgeeway Spark Arrestor
2024-12-12 02:43:41 +0000 UTCNow I just want the ability to push doors open with the choo-choo :(
Ridgeeway Spark Arrestor
2024-12-12 02:42:31 +0000 UTCMark mentioned something about competing railroads in this video, so maybe?
ThatCrazyAssSkunkGuy
2024-12-12 02:40:47 +0000 UTCFor what it is worth, you can keep my $, just wish I was in a position to provide more, but being unemployed and on fixed income for 6 years, things are a little difficult. Have a good break and hoping it is not too long till we can get hands on, don't know if I could do many more months 🙃
G In Oz
2024-12-12 02:32:21 +0000 UTCwas the new feature wood firing??? lol no but seriously I know its been a pain in the ass converting this all to UE5 but the way it looks now is really nice! small question, First of all I noticed when the engine works it no longer "does the dance" as it hunts down the road, was this something that got messed up with how UE5 handles animation? or was that effect really dialed down or removed entirely? As far as more things you could possibly show, I know it is somewhat derivative at this point but personally, I'd like to see more gameplay with firing turned on for more smaller Q&A update videos, because seeing all of those systems in tandem together is pretty damn cool. Also, someone mentioned that you guys edit together a whistle supercut video once, as tedious as that would be to edit that would be a good idea for perhaps a smaller video, As always great work everyone, being on the ass end of some of these things I know that the holidays especially can get really hectic with workloads so kudos to you all!
RF3985
2024-12-12 02:28:05 +0000 UTCI'm really looking forward to all the documentation, tutorials and so on. As Mark knows, I am a train driver and have been for close to 12 years now, more than 14 years on the railway. Yet the way the train in the intro is handled makes little sense to me, it's so different! And what it makes of sense is purely based on what I know from his videos. So: Really thrilled <3 That's going to be exciting! I do have a bunch of ideas for the "Alt UI". If I understood correctly, you're asking for those: - highlight fitting unload zones in viewing range when pointing at a specific car - highlight fitting cars within viewing range when pointing at an unload zone - add an icon for load(s) on top of the labels for cars that are loaded - add an icon on cars with set hand brake - for the legibility problem when looking along a train: When several labels would overlap by more than let's say 15 %, only display the load icon (or a gray icon for empty cars) and possibly hand brake icon - for the same problem, maybe if more than a certain amount of labels (probably should be a player setting - people have very diverse thresholds of what they consider an overcrowded UI) overlap, just show a limited amount and then an "…" icon or similar to denote there is more train. Not sure though if that's really a good idea. If this is done, the "…" icon should definitely be paired with a hand brake icon if there is a car with a set handbrake among those further out Great news about the z-fighting transparencies issue! Lovely <3 I hope the surprisingly quick fix means it cost all of you a lot less hair and sleep than anticipated! Love the attention for colour vision impairment. I was just wondering if I should mention this, but here you are. Another thing about the semaphores. Over here in Germany they have a very nasty issue where when the sun is low and roughly behind the signal, you'll see the wrong colour! So if the signal is in a proceed or slow proceed aspect, you see red. Way more precarious: When the signal is at danger, you see green! That's because there are no blinds behind the lenses that aren't lit, while the sun obviously is way brighter than the weak lights mounted on semaphores (even today, not to mention historic petroleum or gas lamps). So under backlighting conditions you have to be very conscious when you're approaching semaphores and look out for the day sign (the semaphore's arm). If I see correctly, those American semaphores don't cover the other lenses either, so they should have the same issue. Is this assumption correct? If it is: Does CoS model this? I think it'd be a very interesting addition to the game and keep them virtual drivers (or rather, engineers in this setting) at their toes. No idea how prototypical/historical it would be, but it'd certainly be a QOL addition for many playstyles: Can you add smoke jacks on both sides of the stall? Are walls between stalls an option, e.g. to separate a doorless stall from the rest? Q&A part: Thanks for answering my signalling questions! I absolutely do understand the simplification choice taken here for gameplay (and probably also programming and runtime efficiency?) reasons. I was just surprised by the video, so I had to ask. OT, but I'll add I've had a bit of a mistake there. While I've often heard "warning", the correct European term (based on UK signalling) is "caution". So proceed > caution > danger (or stop). Thank you for your season whishes and I hope all of the team will have a great time, no matter how they spend it. Me, I'll be running trains on all of those days xD Hopefully my questions and comments weren't to unnerving, I'm really glad we can watch you so well doing the thing. The December break is well deserved and, if you ask me, it absolutely didn't need funding pausing. Paid time off should be a given, also for creators, so payment should be continuing also in December. An alternative argument would be that we're paying for the game's development, not for the production of vlogs. I don't think I have any feedback for changing the interaction between devs and patrons in 2025. Just do what suits you best. If the current rhythm suits you well, carry on. If you'd prefer to go away from the fixed format and rather drop written posts (which certainly make less work) about progresses and short videos when there's a new feature you want to show, do that. Whatever works best for you and takes the least from your time and energy while still ensuring a good information flow to us.
Quork Q'Tar
2024-12-12 02:26:03 +0000 UTCWe absolutely will. I know for me, what I'm implementing requires a lot more work to show and we're planning to show it in January - and the same for Jake, if I had to guess. ;) Taking the month for no video means I can go visit family for Christmas guilt free though, so there will be time off. :) - Mark
Studio346
2024-12-12 01:45:13 +0000 UTCWe very much appreciate you!
Studio346
2024-12-12 01:41:55 +0000 UTCI’d love to see more screenshots, dosnt matter if it’s new stuff or tot I just like seeing more of what we have
Railraider
2024-12-12 01:41:34 +0000 UTCAwsome stuff guys. Customized roundhouses are something I have always wanted in a game like this and yours look great. The turntable interaction is a god send. I'm super excited for January and beyond with all you have to show us. I feel way you're putting out content is great as is, and I am greatful for one dev vlog a month, so please don't ever sweat not getting one out. I am sure we all know yall are slaving away getting what you can done between your busy schedules and railroad lives. Enjoy your holidays. Go on a bender, have fun, you all deserve it.
Potatonotosaurus
2024-12-12 01:39:26 +0000 UTCNothing is official until it is official, but there is a long shed with 2 parallel tracks that appears in the background of the videos. You can see it behind the car on the opposite side of the turntable in this video at 9:14. Also appears in the Coal firing Devlog and the videos of the NNGC Demo gameplay. Not sure if its the same one each time, if it is for locos or cars, or what functionality it will have in game (if it gets included in the final game).
Paul Simnel
2024-12-12 01:25:08 +0000 UTCI'd love to see more 'under the hood' stuff in vlogs. I know the features for actually laying down roundhouses and tracks and everything are super unfinished, but it would be great to see them even in their proto stage. A bit more between the cuts, if you will.
whonow
2024-12-12 01:20:51 +0000 UTCQuestion, you have already mentioned a interchange with a standard gauge railroad but will there be an option to have an interchange with another narrow gauge railroad to simulate running a branch or section of a larger narrow gauge network?
TheNewIKB4472
2024-12-12 01:14:49 +0000 UTCA fantastic update. Roundhouses look great. I've seen a tiny bit of grumbling about turntable interaction being so heavily automated; no more physically pushing on the Armstrong bars like in Derail Valley or RRO. But I absolutely understand the desire to save sanity and personally I like this system. A few questions about the roundhouse that I hope won't make your modeling team scream into their pillows: 1. Is this the only roundhouse model planned for initial release, or can we expect alternatives that offer perhaps brick or stone walls? 2. Will we have a choice of door/doorway types as part of customization, i.e. if we want straight-top rectangular doors or even arch-top doors? Related, can we have doors with windows in them? 3. While obviously for gameplay programming sanity the back walls will likely be solid immovable objects, will there be a possibility of locos pushing partially open doors out of the way, or worse smashing through doors that are fully closed causing damage to the structure that the player will need to pay to repair? 4. I'm almost surprised you resisted the temptation to drive one of the locos into the turntable pit. Obviously being derailed at such an awkward angle wouldn't be good for the loco, but would it also do damage to the turntable? I.e. jamming the table so it can't spin until the offending vehicle is removed, and possibly after requiring some expensive repairs similar to roundhouse doors that've been torn off? As far as other bits of Patreon support rewards, there's a couple that have been teased in the past that I'm sure we'd still be down for, in particular the Big Whistle Showcase; could make an easy Christmas mini-update in lieu of a full devlog.
Sir Reginald Lee IV
2024-12-12 01:04:26 +0000 UTCThanks for persevering and producing a Devlog for us, appreciate the effort at this busy time. If you're going to be decent about it and pause Patreon funding for a month to allow you to catch up with the Devlog schedule (appreciate the integrity you're showing by the way), then I suppose I "have" to increase my tier of subscription for a month, and put it back down again the next month to keep supporting development at the same level.
Paul Simnel
2024-12-12 00:58:53 +0000 UTCI am over the moon at the roundhouse, especially since its a Pacific Coast railway prototype. You all deserve some rest and relaxation over the holidays and I am glad you all will be taking some. As has been said slow and steady wins the race. Enjoy your holidays and I look forward to the game development as we get into the new year, cheers everyone and give yourselves a big pat on the back! (also thank you for pronouncing San Luis Obispo correctly, lost track of the amount of times people call it San "Louie" Obispo.)
The California Poppy
2024-12-12 00:52:20 +0000 UTCThe alt mode does look very useful, but I could immediately see how it could get overwhelming. Perhaps an ability to toggle specific data sets, like if I don't need to see all the individual car info, just the spotting points, I can customize for that. Or perhaps a thing that toggles between all info always on or info for something only if you hover over it. As for things to help supplement time between videos, I only suggest more of the same in terms of stills from the game, like you've done in the past when the July vlog was delayed or teasers for the Mason Bogie, but honestly you don't need to keep it to teasing new content. Every image from this game is like a painting, and is exciting in its own. I understand that setting up these shots isn't effortless, so if it's effort better put in vlogs and development, that is completely understandable. This is a wonderful vlog as always, that turntable looks to be a lifesaver You all have a lovely holiday season, and I'm excited to see what you all have planned in the new year
Chessie Gunn
2024-12-12 00:48:05 +0000 UTCWill we be able to configure the roundhouse doors to open inwards (ala WW&F's Wiscasset enginehouse?). On regular human houses in New England we tend to have our doors swing inwards, so we can let ourselves out even in heavy snow, and being able to replicate that little touchstone in game would be fantastic, even if not necessarily prototypical to the 3ft gauge
Dante
2024-12-12 00:43:05 +0000 UTCNice Video and quite some interesting Stuff that you showed us today ! :) Considering Patreon funding for me personally its not really about the Videos, its more of a Way to support you guys financially regardless of either getting a Dev Blog or a Vlog. But i appreciate the Pause and hope for more cool Stuff in 2025. Happy Holidays :)
PlaceholderGER
2024-12-12 00:35:22 +0000 UTCAbsolutely beautiful, from the wear and tear on the cars, the little greebles around the shop and roundhouse to the SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ROUNDHOUSE, fantastic! Quick question, you mentioned a cost to building certain options for the roundhouse (and presumably other company owned structures). How are these costs balanced? Is it totally focused on playability and user challenge, sourced from historical documentation, or a mix of both? Great work, I am going crazy waiting to get my hands on this game.
Wild Bison
2024-12-12 00:34:53 +0000 UTCThis project has come so far and I love it! As for a suggestion with the UI I think a dark transparent grey or something sounding the words above the cars and engine would be loved. As someone with a visual imparnent it's easy for letters to get lost in the clouds or other bright backgrounds. It's something j love with Railroader. And for more immanent I feel like just a simple screenshot here and or there would be good enough but if things didn't change I would not be upset! I am just happy to be here and watch as this game grows!! Happy holidays!
KingDavyIII
2024-12-12 00:33:17 +0000 UTCNear the end I'm just thinking "shut up and take my money" I do appreciate that consideration as for no video equals no take money, as for 2025 it would be interesting to see how much progress you make hopefully and this is the most non real expecting hopefully that it could come out for an early beta sometime around December but again wishful thinking. (This for mark in particular but you have ruined whistles in other games in a great way it's sounds so Foreign to what iv grown a custom to.. anyway happy holidays and may the season be kind to you all especially one thats dealing with grueling runs to the pole 🤣❤️
Faine
2024-12-12 00:33:03 +0000 UTCconsidering that it is UE5 you most likely want to have a gpu that can use RTX and a pc that is at least good enough to run games like satisfactory.
Dovos
2024-12-12 00:32:13 +0000 UTCThey’ve said in the past that their won’t be any early access, or tier to play pre release. I forgot what videos they said it in but they have. But I just really want to get my hands on the game.
TheUndeadHooligan
2024-12-12 00:31:39 +0000 UTCEast Salida & Denver Railroad Company Train Order No. 420 Dec 11 1924 To: C&E Eng 69 at Patreon Devlog 21 due to leave Patreon Dec 31 is annulled Patreon to YouTube - MH Made complete 5:00pm Lol all joking aside totally support your decision here, happy a wonderful holiday season and I can't wait to see what you guys have in store for 2025!
Derek
2024-12-12 00:30:26 +0000 UTCWE GOT ROUNDHOUSES IMPLEMENTED! Glad to see what you talked about set in motion. Idk if it was already there but I liked seeing the valve gear under the engine do the dance, and I liked seeing the implementation of the turntable as well. It genuinely makes me smile getting to see the progress this game is making and I’m excited for the new feature in January. Keep up the great work, and I wish all of Studio 346 happy holidays.
TheUndeadHooligan
2024-12-12 00:24:15 +0000 UTCYou guys do a wonderful job. Thanks for the update, please enjoy the holiday. One thing I would like to see is, if not a road map of your plans but something related to the goals of this project. I'm not asking for a release date. It would be great to see how far along the development has come and what your goals are coming up. I can't wait for the release, so keep up the good work. Your passion for this project speaks through your work.
Jeremiah Price
2024-12-12 00:23:08 +0000 UTCGreat as always. One thing I would say, I'd like to see a shift in the way interactions in devlogs work. Although the logs are great, we understand that those are quite time consuming to make. It may be best to use ingame screenshots with paragraphs to show off the new stuff, rather than the videos. That way, there would be greater focus on the content and less requirements on the team.
Violet S.
2024-12-12 00:21:50 +0000 UTCTwo questions. One, will we be able to operate the turntable remotely without having to click on it in 1st person? (which is infinitely better than operating it manually as in Railroader anyway) Two, will there be shed types besides a roundhouse to store and maintain engines in?
WildEyedJagoff
2024-12-12 00:19:12 +0000 UTCGreat video yall, I love the 2 door round house ;)
Luke Murphy
2024-12-12 00:18:42 +0000 UTCalso i think a bit more commutication and more nerdy details about programming and things would be very nice
minegameman05
2024-12-12 00:18:30 +0000 UTCby taking decmber off would you continue to work on the game or not?
minegameman05
2024-12-12 00:17:36 +0000 UTCI would love to see some sort of Alpha testing program. I know the game has a bit to go, but I think it would be fun for folks. Maybe as a higher support tier?
Michael Chapman
2024-12-12 00:16:23 +0000 UTCI love the nice long intro!
Umoado’s Gaming & Trains
2024-12-11 23:58:12 +0000 UTCWhat type of PC would you recommend to run the game?
6lefty6
2024-12-11 23:57:46 +0000 UTCThis made my day
Random person
2024-12-11 23:56:37 +0000 UTCAlright!!
Casey O. Jones
2024-12-11 23:54:00 +0000 UTCYes best part of my day
Carter Kissinger
2024-12-11 23:53:04 +0000 UTC
