So I've made quite a few changes to how things are run. With that said, I felt it was time for a new topic on the matter of iPortlaing. Yes this is, for the time being, a single player mode. But we must coordinate and move freight the same way as a MP route and session might. Also, if some one wanted to make a MP compatible route with iPortals on it, they could very easily integrate it with this system.
The problem with the old modular was, what to do if player B and D where off line and you happen to be player C. To fix this I decided on a grid type system. We each will have 4 iPortals, North, South, East, and West. This way each player will be connected to at 4 other players. This means if a player is missing during a session, we can still route a train around him with out changing portal ID's.
The basic idea is that where your route ends at the iPortal some one else's route begins. Much like a modular layout, but with more modules.
Rules:
-iPortal IDs are your railroads reporting marks, followed by an N, S, E, or W. This means that if your iPortal is on the West end of your railroad and you are BNSF your portal ID would be BNSFW, and BNSFE for your East portal. (You can have an In and out portal. Just point your out portal at the next player, but give it no ID. And set your in portal to have an ID but don't point it at any one.)
-Railroads. Each player may represent one and only one railroad. And each railroad my only be represented by one player. Meaning that if player A claims BNSF, no one else can be BNSF. But Burlington Northern and Santa Fe are still up for grabs. Any railroad from any period may be used, so long as its standard gauge.
-Equipment. Every player is allowed 6 locomotives, and 15 cars of their choosing. All this must be on the DLS. I might allow 3rd party locomotives, but ask first.
-Taking or adding cars to through trains. You may add as many cars as you want to a train. And you may remove as many cars as you want from a train. But if you do remove all cars for a train, you must add cars back to that train and send it on its way.
-Sending trains. Trains should have a minimum of 20 cars. There is no limit to how long a train can be. But please note that not every one can handle a 200 car train. So try to keep the car counts between 20 and 50.
-iPortaling times. Of course doing it this way means that we will have to be online to send trains to each other. Session's are Saturdays starting when ever and lasting until we call it quits. (Sessions should last between 2 and 4 hours. But each player should save their session and pick up where they left off the next meeting.) But you can run your route any time before this time.
-Very important! Do not skip players. If a player miss's to many sessions, they will be removed form the loop. and you can start to skip them.
-The Route. Is a grid spanning out words from a central hub layout.
-Production Industries. This is one thing that has bugged me for a little bit so I'm going to make a rule for it. But it seams some products are produced by more people then they are consumed by. For example, Coal is produced by 3 people, and consumed by one. Also, of those 3 people Producing coal, 2 of them consume it. This means that from on operations stand point, I need to ship out coal from them, right back to them. So here is how this rule shale work. If you produce some thing, and consume it, only list what is higher priority. Example, If you produce coal in a coal mine, and burn it it your power plant. But you coal mine is unable to keep up with the power plant, request more coal. If your coal mine produces more coal then your power plant, then list that you Produce it and ship off the excess coal.
-More on Production Industries, only one of each per 4 players in the grid. This means that if there are 4 people in the grid, only one of them can produce coal. If there are 5 people in the grid, then there may be 2 people producing coal. If there are 7 people in the grid, then only 2 should produce coal.
-Absences/Dropping out. If you are no longer active, or miss too many sessions (4), you will be dropped at the end of a season. Also, if you wish to no longer participate, please say so and you will be dropped at the end of the season.
Links
These are some of the important links you'll need. First up is the route "map." This shows you where each player is locate in relation to each other. This also lists portal ID's. Note that the route dose not wrap. Meaning that if you are in a grid and do not have some one to the north of you, you do not send trains north. That portal, and grid are open for another player to join. Find that HERE.
The next link is to the Consume/Produce document. This lists how many cars of what load you need. So if you need 10 car loads of coal, put in the grid "10" for coal. If you dont need a product, put an "X" in its grid. Or if you produce a produce, put a "P" in its grid. Only put a P or a car request number if you produce and consume a product. As of right now, we have over 95 commodities that we are shipping back and fourth. I highly recommend not adding any more to that list. If your building a route for this, please only use commodities that are on this list. That list, can be found HERE.
Thi slink is for train orders. These are spaciffic trains with sets of rules and instructions. HERE
Last link is to the location of the consist files for content. (Big thanks to Ken for taking this over for me!) You'll need to download and install these files, then make sure to download all the content that goes with them. Ken will also make one for you when you send him your locomotives and rolling stock. Find it HERE.
iPortaling With a MP Route!
If you make an MP (multiplayer) and what to iPortal with us you can. (Last I tested iPortals do work in MP routs/sessions.) To do this you must have all of the content from all players in the main iPortal group. You must also share the content that you wish to use with every one else.
An MP route would still be bound by some of the same rules that other players have to follow. With the exception of content. You can us up too 10 locomotives and 25 cars.
Joining
To join is easy. Just look to the route map to see what railroads are available. Then pick a railroad you'd like to use as well as a route. Though route dose not matter. Add some iPortals. Send your content to Ken. Download all the required content. Fill out the Consume/Produce document. And your in. Once all of that is done and your ready, I'll assign you a location on the map. Once that's done your in. If a grid says "Grid 3" or any other number, its an open grid and you can pick it rather then me giving you a random one.
Sessions and Season's
As said above, session's will be officially held every Sunday from when ever to when ever. (Prime time, when every one should be on, is between 6pm est and 10pm est) But at any time you may send a train to any other player that you are connected to if you both are out. Even out side of normal sessions. Seasons on the other hand are a new concept. Seasons last 2 months. At the end of the season is when you may change your content or railroad that you represent. Also at the end of the season the map my be rearranged. Moving players about to make things more interesting.
First season starts JULY 6TH!
The problem with the old modular was, what to do if player B and D where off line and you happen to be player C. To fix this I decided on a grid type system. We each will have 4 iPortals, North, South, East, and West. This way each player will be connected to at 4 other players. This means if a player is missing during a session, we can still route a train around him with out changing portal ID's.
The basic idea is that where your route ends at the iPortal some one else's route begins. Much like a modular layout, but with more modules.
Rules:
-iPortal IDs are your railroads reporting marks, followed by an N, S, E, or W. This means that if your iPortal is on the West end of your railroad and you are BNSF your portal ID would be BNSFW, and BNSFE for your East portal. (You can have an In and out portal. Just point your out portal at the next player, but give it no ID. And set your in portal to have an ID but don't point it at any one.)
-Railroads. Each player may represent one and only one railroad. And each railroad my only be represented by one player. Meaning that if player A claims BNSF, no one else can be BNSF. But Burlington Northern and Santa Fe are still up for grabs. Any railroad from any period may be used, so long as its standard gauge.
-Equipment. Every player is allowed 6 locomotives, and 15 cars of their choosing. All this must be on the DLS. I might allow 3rd party locomotives, but ask first.
-Taking or adding cars to through trains. You may add as many cars as you want to a train. And you may remove as many cars as you want from a train. But if you do remove all cars for a train, you must add cars back to that train and send it on its way.
-Sending trains. Trains should have a minimum of 20 cars. There is no limit to how long a train can be. But please note that not every one can handle a 200 car train. So try to keep the car counts between 20 and 50.
-iPortaling times. Of course doing it this way means that we will have to be online to send trains to each other. Session's are Saturdays starting when ever and lasting until we call it quits. (Sessions should last between 2 and 4 hours. But each player should save their session and pick up where they left off the next meeting.) But you can run your route any time before this time.
-Very important! Do not skip players. If a player miss's to many sessions, they will be removed form the loop. and you can start to skip them.
-The Route. Is a grid spanning out words from a central hub layout.
-Production Industries. This is one thing that has bugged me for a little bit so I'm going to make a rule for it. But it seams some products are produced by more people then they are consumed by. For example, Coal is produced by 3 people, and consumed by one. Also, of those 3 people Producing coal, 2 of them consume it. This means that from on operations stand point, I need to ship out coal from them, right back to them. So here is how this rule shale work. If you produce some thing, and consume it, only list what is higher priority. Example, If you produce coal in a coal mine, and burn it it your power plant. But you coal mine is unable to keep up with the power plant, request more coal. If your coal mine produces more coal then your power plant, then list that you Produce it and ship off the excess coal.
-More on Production Industries, only one of each per 4 players in the grid. This means that if there are 4 people in the grid, only one of them can produce coal. If there are 5 people in the grid, then there may be 2 people producing coal. If there are 7 people in the grid, then only 2 should produce coal.
-Absences/Dropping out. If you are no longer active, or miss too many sessions (4), you will be dropped at the end of a season. Also, if you wish to no longer participate, please say so and you will be dropped at the end of the season.
Links
These are some of the important links you'll need. First up is the route "map." This shows you where each player is locate in relation to each other. This also lists portal ID's. Note that the route dose not wrap. Meaning that if you are in a grid and do not have some one to the north of you, you do not send trains north. That portal, and grid are open for another player to join. Find that HERE.
The next link is to the Consume/Produce document. This lists how many cars of what load you need. So if you need 10 car loads of coal, put in the grid "10" for coal. If you dont need a product, put an "X" in its grid. Or if you produce a produce, put a "P" in its grid. Only put a P or a car request number if you produce and consume a product. As of right now, we have over 95 commodities that we are shipping back and fourth. I highly recommend not adding any more to that list. If your building a route for this, please only use commodities that are on this list. That list, can be found HERE.
Thi slink is for train orders. These are spaciffic trains with sets of rules and instructions. HERE
Last link is to the location of the consist files for content. (Big thanks to Ken for taking this over for me!) You'll need to download and install these files, then make sure to download all the content that goes with them. Ken will also make one for you when you send him your locomotives and rolling stock. Find it HERE.
iPortaling With a MP Route!
If you make an MP (multiplayer) and what to iPortal with us you can. (Last I tested iPortals do work in MP routs/sessions.) To do this you must have all of the content from all players in the main iPortal group. You must also share the content that you wish to use with every one else.
An MP route would still be bound by some of the same rules that other players have to follow. With the exception of content. You can us up too 10 locomotives and 25 cars.
Joining
To join is easy. Just look to the route map to see what railroads are available. Then pick a railroad you'd like to use as well as a route. Though route dose not matter. Add some iPortals. Send your content to Ken. Download all the required content. Fill out the Consume/Produce document. And your in. Once all of that is done and your ready, I'll assign you a location on the map. Once that's done your in. If a grid says "Grid 3" or any other number, its an open grid and you can pick it rather then me giving you a random one.
Sessions and Season's
As said above, session's will be officially held every Sunday from when ever to when ever. (Prime time, when every one should be on, is between 6pm est and 10pm est) But at any time you may send a train to any other player that you are connected to if you both are out. Even out side of normal sessions. Seasons on the other hand are a new concept. Seasons last 2 months. At the end of the season is when you may change your content or railroad that you represent. Also at the end of the season the map my be rearranged. Moving players about to make things more interesting.
First season starts JULY 6TH!
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