RAILROADS Online News

Dear Community,

Hello, and welcome to another Railroads Online update. In the patch notes below you will find an in-game wiki, tutorial, new industry, and a few other changes we have made!

For a quick overview, we also created a video for you:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Of course, we have also been hard at work in testing some backend stuff to improve the game and we will share more about those changes at a later time when we feel that the changes are in a good place and ready for release to the public.

[h2]A Free Weekend is approaching![/h2]


To celebrate the update, Railroads Online will be completely free-to-play from November 16, 10 AM Pacific to November 20, 10 AM Pacific. In addition, the game will be discounted for everyone who wants to join us on board!

Create your very own world or meet up with other railroaders in a multiplayer session for up to 16 players!

(Yes, multiplayer is also free.)

Do you have some friends who are ready to serve the valley? You should definitely make sure they're aware of the Free Weekend and ready for a fun time! 👀

[h2]Patch notes for build: 0.6.0.0.3[/h2]

New Content & Adjustments

• Added an in-game Wiki
  
• Press 'H' to bring up the wiki guide
  
• The wiki has information on everything Railroads has to offer.
  
• The wiki will be updated whenever we add new things to the game
  

Added an in-game Tutorial

• Can be accessed from the main menu
  
• Guides players on how to play the game
  
• Intended for new and returning players
  

Added a new industry: Wheat Farm

• This is a placeable industry
  
• You can get started by picking up seed bags at the freight depot
  
• Farm outputs straw bales and grain
  
• Rest of the chain will be added in December
  

Added an in-game clock and date

• Can be seen by pressing 'P'
  
• Clock speed is bound to the players day cycles
  

Increased speeds for Montezuma and Eureka

• Montezuma now reaches up to 22 mph
  
• Eureka now reaches up to 30 mph
  
• More loco speed increases will come later along with fuel type changes
  

Adjusted the gameplay menu

• Made it a bit better to understand
  
• Added dynamic weather
  
• Note: Weather settings are now saved after a game load and after closing the gameplay menu
  

Added a requested setting mouse sensitivity

• Can be found under the controls menu under camera sensitivity
  

Improved game load times

• On your first save load after the update it will be slow
  
• Once you save the game the new changes will be applied so when you load again you will load much faster
  
• Saves load in about 8 seconds
  

Added better lighting

• If you stare at the sun (we do not recommend this) you will now see lens flare
  

Starter locomotive Montezuma now has a headlight

• Note: This is only applied to new lake valley saves
  

Added the ability to delete saves while in a game

• Note: This can’t be done from the game menu, only while you are in a save
  

Bug Fixes

• Fixed the items duplication issue
  
• Spawn area Water towers and telegraph offices can now be deleted, they do not come back after save load
  
• Tenmile sander control is now the correct way
  
• In multiplayer, locomotives will not lose their bells or whistle cords
  
• Stub switch is now symmetrical, rails now line up properly on both branches of the switch
  
• The client draw distance setting is now fixed, still does not save after menu is closed and reopened
  

Pretty short list this time around, however the next update in December is just around the corner. Keep an eye out for that! We hope that you have a wonderful week and we can’t wait to see what kinds of builds you guys make with the wheat farm.

Your Railroads Online Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1696810/Railroads_Online/

Dear Community,

with so much new content launching and so many new players joining us, our next step will be to make the game more approachable. That's why we're incredibly excited to share that The Tutorial & Wiki Update will officially launch on November 13, 2023! 🎉

Initially, these two updates were meant to be separate releases, but as we made some nice progress, we were ultimately able to merge and combine them. In the end, we think that's for the better, as they go hand-in-hand so very well! :)

[h3]The new tutorial[/h3]



Getting to know the rules of a huge sandbox experience like Railroads Online can always turn out to be a challenge. For a while now, we heard from newer players that they wish for more beginner's guidance – while experienced players expressed the need for a quick way to look up important information.

A set of fully interactive tutorials will welcome you in the main menu, each teaching you one important aspect of the game – no matter if it's about driving a locomotive, laying tracks or operating facilities.

[h3]The new wiki[/h3]

Don't need a full-blown tutorial but still have a question? The brand-new in-game wiki will provide you with everything you need to know!

Definitions, statistics, historical details, what goes where, handy tips, and more are all available here. No need to search the web anymore!

[h3]A secret new industry [/h3]



You heard it correctly! But as we're still two weeks away from the update, we want to keep it... somewhat of a secret. Still, we'll just keep this little teaser inside this article and let you guess. Hehe.

[h3]It's Halloween![/h3]

We hope you have some sweets and carved pumpkins prepared! 👻🎃 We're hosting a little Screenshot Contest over on our Socials, so if you took a ~spooooky~ screenshot in the past or are about to take one... send them to us or upload them here on Steam into the Community Hub. We'll highlight our favorites next week! 🎉

[h3]FREE WEEKEND FOR EVERYONE![/h3]

A new tutorial, a new wiki, a new industry... there's never been a better time to try out Railroads Online! And to make sure everyone can do just that, Railroads Online will be completely free-to-play from November 16, 10 AM Pacific to November 20, 10 AM Pacific.

Create your very own world or meet up with other railroaders in a multiplayer session for up to 16 players! Have some friends who are interested? Make sure they're aware of the Free Weekend and ready for a fun time! 👀

Psht: Someone even told me of a little discount...

Until then, see you all on November 13 when The Tutorial & Wiki Update finally launches!
Your Railroads Online Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1696810/Railroads_Online/

Railroads Online - Early Access - Build 0.5.9.9.7

Hello everyone,

below the patch notes for the hotfix build verison 0.5.9.9.7 for the main and beta branch.

Added: Pre-placed industries to the map LakeValley when starting a new game
Added: Objects and props can be rotated in step sizes from 1, 10, 50 or 100 degrees
Added: Montezuma and Betsy spawn with headlights when starting a new game on LakeValley
Fixed bug: Industries / depot does not pay out players in some cases
Fixed bug: Telegraph office door is blocking the players
Fixed bug: Cactus glowing at sunrise / sunset
Fixed bug: 2d map is blurry when texture quality setting is lowered
Fixed bug: Clients lose locomotive parts
Fixed bug: Client vehicle view distance is set to default upon opening the gameplay UI
Fixed bug: Engine sheds and telegraph officees are sunken in the ground when loading a game

Have a nice day!

Your Railroads Online Team

Dear Community,

Happy Anniversary! 🎉

It is time to officially celebrate the 2nd year anniversary of Railroads Online. This game would not be possible without our playerbase. So let’s all take the time to celebrate this moment!

For this occasion, we’ve prepared a special for you guys!

First we will go over all of the additions to the game and then we will round out the additions with some bug fixes. We hope you enjoy it! Happy Railroading!

[h3]Welcome to Lake Valley! [/h3]



There’s a whole new world map waiting to be explored! A beautiful lake, a relentless desert, and mysterious swamps… Get exploring! We’re looking forward to seeing your wonderful creations!

[h3]Place all industries to your liking! [/h3]



Something that many of you have been asking for. You can now place all industries freely on the map. This opens the opportunity for more interesting routes – get creative! Open the construction menu, click on “Industries”, select an industry building and the choice is yours!

[h3]New props [/h3]



A brand-new church and a waiting shed have been added to decorate your map.

[h3]A new locomotive and a passenger car [/h3]



We’ve added a coal fired Lima Locomotive Works 2-8-0 and a Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroads Passenger Coach.

Experience Lake Valley in our official map trailer:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The complete changelog can be found here:

Patch notes for build: 0.5.9.9.5

Added a new map Lake Valley!

• This map is the same size as Pine Valley, keep in mind that this map has more playable space than Pine Valley thus making it feel way bigger!
  
• An easter egg has been added to the map. Good hunting!
  
• The saw tool also works on the rocks around the new map.
  
• Features a pre-placed telegraph office at the start.
  

Added placeable industries

• The host has the ability to now place industries
  
• When placing industries the player is now in fly mode to fine tune where to place industries.
  
• Limit has been set to 3 of each industry.
  
• This also applies to Pine Valley (We have provided a blank map save for PineValley) Will be given out on Discord on launch of the update.
  

Added delete tool for industries

• This is will be useable under the facilities delete filter
  
• Note: Be careful, you could accidentally delete an industry
  

Added the Lima 2-8-0 Consolidation Locomotive

• Has 2 paint schemes
  

Added D&RG Water Tower

Added Guston Depot

Added Waiting Shed

• Has 7 paint schemes
  
• Can be found in the props menu
  

Added Port Gamble Church

Added starter locomotive selection menu for Lake Valley. The host can pick one of three engines.

• Betsy, Montezuma and Shay
  
• Additionally two Gregg Logging Flats appear
  

Added DSP&P Coach

• Coach has 5 paint schemes
  
• Please note these coaches currently do not have any function attached to them; they are purely for RolePlay settings…. For Now.
  

Added a Mine Cart Prop

• Found under the decorations menu
  

Added a new paint scheme for the Tenmile

Added a default name to auto saves

• Default autosave name is now the date. This increases the amount of saves but prevents save overrides when there is no save name present
  

Added a brake sound for server and client when a player nearby is using a hand brake.

Added gameplay setting: Vehicle view distance for clients

• Can be set to 100m (Default), 250m and 500m
  
• In testing we did not see a performance loss. Your mileage may vary.
  
• If you experience performance issues turn down the view distance.
  
• We would recommend 250m as this gives the client an optimal view distance for engines and stock.
  
• This only applies to engines and rolling stock, everything else still pops in for now.
  
• This function must be set on the start of a server load as the settings are currently not saved.
  

Bug Fixes:

Fixed an issue where having no air in air compressors allowed you to brake engines

• Engines that have air compressors now require you to have air in the compressor to gain brake function
  Note: compressors are set to off on start of a game load. This is a one time thing, be sure to turn the compressors back on then you are good to go.
  

Fixed 3 way switch gap

Fixed crude oil color

Adjusted wheel base of the Glenbrook

• This has helped the tender become more stable on the rails
  

Fixed the white lights on tenders and locomotives

• No longer has 1890’s standard LED installed
  

Fixed telegraph pole performance

• Set draw distance for telegraph lines
  
• Telegraph lines are now static objects to help save performance
  
• Note Since we made the change from physics lines to static objects you may have to re-lay your telegraph poles as it caused issues with the change from physics to static.
  

Fixed telegraph office

• Fixed bug where a additional telegraph pole was spawned when loading a game
  

Adjusted the way oil barrels spawn

• Barrels now spawn over the cars as opposed to using the ramp
  
• The ramp sometimes made the barrels not go into the cars. This has fixed the need to have the tracks be placed lower than the loading dock.
  

Optimized tree removal effect

• Trees on the new map should be less prone to fly away
  
• Added fall direction to vegetation
  
• This only applies to the new map. If trees are stuck inside of buildings or ground work you still will see them fly away.
  

Made the new double password system more understandable for clients and hosts

• Players should now have a better idea of where passwords go. Client Login login password and server password are optional. However we do recommend to set a server password.
  

Phew! Another patch down another round of content added and bugs fixed. We really hope you enjoy this update as there has been a lot of work put into this update to make sure we deliver a better product for you. If you run into any issues please reach out and we will make sure we get them reported and fixed as soon as we are able.

Have a great time with the new map and content, post some awesome screenshots and share them with us! We look forward to seeing what you all create!

Also don’t forget to check out our Early Access Roadmap on Trello to see what’s to come.
Thank you for being a part of our journey!

Happy Anniversary and have a wonderful weekend!

Your Railroads Online Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1696810/Railroads_Online/

Dear Community,

It has come to our attention that some of our user sessions were compromised in the last few days. We understand the seriousness of this matter, and we want to assure you that we take the security and privacy of our community members very seriously. We want to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern this issue may have caused you.

We've taken measures to identify and address this issue to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. See the patch notes below for our security patch.

We're sorry for any distress this incident has caused on your end and hope this security patch fixes this issue once and for all. We absolutely do not want you to feel unsafe in the world of Railroads Online! 🙏

Patch notes for build: 0.5.9.8.4

• Added server password encryption
  
• Added login password when hosting a server
    
  1. The Server can set a login password when hosting a server
     
  2. The Client must set this password in the server search menu before joining the server if the server has set a login password
     
  3. When the Client tries to join and the login password is incorrect the connection is rejected and the Client is instantly kicked from the server
     

Explanation of the Login Password setting:

1. The Host sets a SERVER PASSWORD as usual (ABC).

2. The Host can also set a LOGIN PASSWORD (123).

3. The Host lets the client know those 2 passwords.

4. The Client will enter the LOGIN PASSWORD (123) in the Server Search menu in the field on top where is written: "Enter Server Join Password".

5. The Client clicks on "Join Server". If a SERVER PASSWORD is set, the client has to enter the SERVER PASSWORD (e.g. ABC) as usual.

The LOGIN PASSWORD is optional.


We hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you. Happy Railroading! 🚂

Your Railroads Online Team