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    OpenTTD is an open source simulation game based upon Transport Tycoon Deluxe

    (www.openttd.org)
    302 points doener | 30 comments | 04 Dec 24 05:29 UTC | HN request time: 1.464s | source | bottom
    1. haunter ◴[04 Dec 24 06:57 UTC] No.42315057[source]▶
    What made OpenTTD a great success that it's playable out of the box. Most open source game remakes [0] are engine-only and you still need the graphics, arts, sound, and music assets to make it a 100%, and actual playable experience. OpenTTD started like that too but from the very beginning it was a goal to "detach" the game from the original as quickly as possible. It was released in 2004, the actual graphics replacement project started in 2007 and by 2009 100% of the sprites were finished so the original game files were not needed anymore [1]

    And actually there are now 5 different basesets on top of the original TTD one [2]

    It also made possible things like releasing the game on Steam and GOG.

    0, https://github.com/radek-sprta/awesome-game-remakes

    1, https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Archive/Community/Graphics%20Rep...

    2, https://bananas.openttd.org/package/base-graphics

    replies(4): >>42315560 #>>42315642 #>>42316090 #>>42318242 #
    2. DanielHB ◴[04 Dec 24 08:30 UTC] No.42315560[source]▶
    But the original soundtrack is still a banger.
    replies(4): >>42315674 #>>42315797 #>>42315833 #>>42316025 #
    3. Cthulhu_ ◴[04 Dec 24 08:44 UTC] No.42315642[source]▶
    I was about to ask if the proceeds of the Steam version go to the OS project, but I see it's free-to-play. I should get it that way, it's convenient and auto-updates and the like, and they will get good statistics from Steam that way.

    But also I have a backlog of games I still need to finish, including ones that scratch a similar itch like Satisfactory and Factorio.

    replies(1): >>42316580 #
    4. Slartie ◴[04 Dec 24 08:52 UTC] No.42315674[source]▶
    Dab-dab-daaadab-dab-dadadab-dadab-dab-dab-dadab-dadadadaaaab....
    replies(1): >>42315902 #
    5. Rygian ◴[04 Dec 24 09:16 UTC] No.42315797[source]▶
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFsrmLhC00

    Original soundtrack recorded with live instruments. Grooviest thing I've heard in years.

    replies(2): >>42316578 #>>42317006 #
    6. AnthonBerg ◴[04 Dec 24 09:21 UTC] No.42315833[source]▶
    I grew up on AdLibs and Soundblasters and I love FM synthesis. For a while I thought that I had just imprinted on the sound signature of the OPL3 chip. Now after crises and tragedies I see the core truth at the inside of reality: FM synthesis is just so good.

    The OPL3 modulates frequencies really well!

    Here’s the Transport Tycoon soundtrack as performed by an OPL3 chip. This is objectively the original-original soundtrack. Because this is what I grew up on.

    https://www.tt-forums.net/viewtopic.php?t=56778

    (It’s cool how it was captured through the S/PDIF port of a SoundBlaster AWE32. It’s a nice little turn of commodity entertainment device market events that gave us that possibility, isn’t it?)

    replies(1): >>42316921 #
    7. corobo ◴[04 Dec 24 09:34 UTC] No.42315902{3}[source]▶
    I don't remember this being on the transport tycoon soundtrack

    https://youtu.be/l_bTTUihfx0?t=20

    replies(1): >>42317787 #
    8. RUnconcerned ◴[04 Dec 24 10:01 UTC] No.42316025[source]▶
    It is! Whenever I play OpenTTD, I make sure to fetch the original soundtrack instead of the new one.
    9. Maakuth ◴[04 Dec 24 10:13 UTC] No.42316090[source]▶
    OpenRA – which is open source reimplementation of Red Alert, Dune 2000 and C&C Tiberian Dawn - has solved this by offering to fetch the shareware game and extracting the assets from there. Fully libre distributable assets would offer even better experience, but this is one pretty neat way to handle the seamless start.
    replies(4): >>42316365 #>>42316585 #>>42316600 #>>42316637 #
    10. Kerbiter ◴[04 Dec 24 11:04 UTC] No.42316365[source]▶
    (It's not a reimplementation, it's a different thing that is asset-compatible with the originals. The gameplay, the balance, the engine are different, and the name of OpenRA is not fairly claimed IMO.)
    replies(2): >>42316540 #>>42316779 #
    11. ◴[04 Dec 24 11:41 UTC] No.42316540{3}[source]▶
    12. hnlmorg ◴[04 Dec 24 11:48 UTC] No.42316578{3}[source]▶
    That’s genuinely the first time I’ve heard it. Unfortunately I could never get TT midi working with my sound card. Sound effects played just fine, but I just couldn’t get midi audio working on TT.

    I really don’t miss those days of trying dozens of different autoexec.bat / config.sys configurations for each and every game just to get the basics working.

    13. robertlagrant ◴[04 Dec 24 11:48 UTC] No.42316580[source]▶
    If you like Factorio, it's worth trying Dyson Sphere Program as well.
    replies(1): >>42318614 #
    14. BlueTemplar ◴[04 Dec 24 11:50 UTC] No.42316585[source]▶
    That's just the typical solution, I would be surprised if OpenTTD didn't used to do this too ?
    replies(1): >>42317100 #
    15. m000 ◴[04 Dec 24 11:53 UTC] No.42316600[source]▶
    This is similar with how Debian handles Microsoft "core fonts" installation [1]. I.e. they don't redistribute, but automate the download from a publicly available source.

    [1] https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/msttcorefonts

    replies(1): >>42316888 #
    16. KeplerBoy ◴[04 Dec 24 11:58 UTC] No.42316637[source]▶
    Doesn't the shareware come with some license agreement which probably say not to do this?
    replies(2): >>42316743 #>>42316933 #
    17. teo_zero ◴[04 Dec 24 12:23 UTC] No.42316743{3}[source]▶
    Shareware software come with restrictions on redistribution, not use.
    replies(1): >>42317106 #
    18. Maakuth ◴[04 Dec 24 12:29 UTC] No.42316779{3}[source]▶
    I would imagine OpenTTD also has a number of similar "rule tweaks". The OpenTTD engine AFAIK started as a direct reimplementation, but I think that too has evolved quite a bit.
    19. Gormo ◴[04 Dec 24 12:44 UTC] No.42316888{3}[source]▶
    Most Linux distros do that. The AUR, for example, has packages for MS fonts, Apple fonts, and many others, all of which extract the fonts from public redistributable packages.
    20. Gormo ◴[04 Dec 24 12:48 UTC] No.42316921{3}[source]▶
    There are open-source libraries like AdPlug (https://adplug.github.io/) that offer really good OPL3 emulation. If you have the MIDI assets from the original game, it might be possible to get the original AdLib soundtrack working with OpenTTD!
    21. itscrush ◴[04 Dec 24 12:49 UTC] No.42316933{3}[source]▶
    It was released as freeware back when by EA originally, which is what openRA relies on. Later the source was released under GPL[1] during the CNC remastered collection from EA.

    [1]https://github.com/electronicarts/CnC_Remastered_Collection/...

    22. DanielHB ◴[04 Dec 24 12:59 UTC] No.42317006{3}[source]▶
    Man, TTD music was the only management game that made me HYPE to get down to managing.

    Like I vividly remember Sim City 3000 music as well, but that game was more chill, like a sunny winter day.

    TTD was like a spring day where you plan you call the pinkertons to bust some unions while smoking a cigar.

    replies(1): >>42319138 #
    23. dfox ◴[04 Dec 24 13:13 UTC] No.42317100{3}[source]▶
    IIRC there never was any kind of shareware version of TTD much less at any kind of stable URL that OpenTTD could automaticaly download. Also OpenTTD needed assets from particular version of TTD (different one than what I have as a boxed copy).
    replies(1): >>42317444 #
    24. notpushkin ◴[04 Dec 24 13:13 UTC] No.42317106{4}[source]▶
    Does it? I thought it was vice versa.
    replies(1): >>42317432 #
    25. abofh ◴[04 Dec 24 13:54 UTC] No.42317432{5}[source]▶
    I think you're right - it encouraged sharing, but usually limited functionality (use) unless you knew the secret code "TIASP1814" - sorry scorched earth 1.2, you didn't give me a free upgrade 20 years ago, and I've been holding that grudge forever.
    26. BlueTemplar ◴[04 Dec 24 13:56 UTC] No.42317444{4}[source]▶
    Ah, I actually meant in the more vague sense of «to use the open source version with the original graphics/sounds, you have to get those media files from the disk of the game you bought».
    27. corobo ◴[04 Dec 24 14:34 UTC] No.42317787{4}[source]▶
    Downvotes are fair, in my defence I was tired haha

    Dumbass comment lmao

    28. mtlynch ◴[04 Dec 24 15:15 UTC] No.42318242[source]▶
    I was curious how this worked without violating the copyright of the originals. I was imagining something akin to tracing over the original game assets and calling it a libre replacement, but it seems like they actually did it in a reasonable way:

    >New art is being drawn in the style of the original game, using the original 8bpp palette. The graphics should be a similar but distinct version of the object in question - no graphics may be copied at all from the original. The new sprites do not have to be the same size as the original, but need to be similar so as to fit into the game as expected.

    https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Archive/Community/Graphics%20Rep...

    29. grey_earthling ◴[04 Dec 24 15:48 UTC] No.42318614{3}[source]▶
    And Mindustry (which is free on Flathub).
    30. schlauerfox ◴[04 Dec 24 16:35 UTC] No.42319138{4}[source]▶
    My mother's favorite game was Sim City 3000, and that soundtrack is still one of the best and my favorites. Such a groovy Jazz with variety. I'd love to find other artists like Jerry Martin did that soundtrack, most smooth jazz is too cheesy for me.