KIND buildable, was it ever really used?

Without specially named mesh table entries, KIND buildable is simply Scenery with track.

But with the "potential" and" building-#" entries, it becomes a scenery object that can gradually transform over time. The WIKI says it was for "RTS style gameplay" (real time strategy I assume) and I guess it could be for a scenery asset like for example a dam construction site.

Scripted to "want" cement, it could then be made to appear as tho the dam were slowly transforming from construction site to fully finished dam as cement was delivered by trains.

Is anyone aware of ANY assets that do this? It seems like such an oddly specific KIND to have made for trainz which the wiki even admits has not be widely (ever?) used.

Interesting question. I didn’t know about the time-based capability of Kind buildable until I read your post. I hope someone can nominate a working example for people to study.

It was in the TRS2004 beta build, but it never worked and was just left in.

Seems by (or in) 2006 CCG (https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/CCG/Example:_Buildable) there's no mention of the "potential" or "building-#" containers or functionality, but elsewhere in the wiki (https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/KIND_Buildable) it is detailed.

I would have thought the CCG page, being a wiki-ed version of the old PDF, would be depreciated by the 2nd page. Time to experiment I suppose...

Sometime later....

Seems "bypassed". Putting the required mesh table entries does have an effect. Potential mesh shows at first, not building-# nor default. "Build" option appears when ctrl-right clicking the asset. But, choosing "build" does nothing, and "cancel" never appears.

I'm guessing wherever "build" jumps to in the game code just has a RETURN; statement and that's the end of it.

I'll play with it a bit more, then amend the wiki with my findings.

I think i remember talk in the early days of Trainz, that they wanted to have a spinoff type tycoon game. Would have been interesting seeing trains supply industries and towns and see them grow.

hert said:

I think i remember talk in the early days of Trainz, that they wanted to have a spinoff type tycoon game....<snip>

Click to expand...

That would go a long way to explaining why it was conceived of in the first place, and why it has been disabled now.

Seems to me that absent of a gameplay framework like a tycoon game or, as I thought of, some kind of "who can build it first" multiplayer competition, it's seems interesting but probably wouldn't really be given how most play the game.