Rolling Line News

[p]I hope everyone's enjoying the multiplayer map jam event! There's already some great entries there. [/p][p][/p][p]I'm doing a quick survey to see what people think of multiplayer so far, what kinds of bugs they are experiencing, and what kind of updates they want to see focused on in the future.[/p][p]Please fill out this form if you have the time, it's extremely helpful![/p][p]Fill out the form here[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]With multiplayer officially released, it's time to really make the most of it! [/p][p]When you experience a map with multiple people it really changes how you view it, and lots of different design ideas suddenly become more important. So a map designed from the beginning to be played in multiplayer is quite different from one that isn't. [/p][p]So the goal of this map jam is simply to make maps themed around being played in multiplayer![/p][p][/p][h3]Here's the details:[/h3]

• [p]This map making event runs from now until December 15th! (26 days)[/p]
• [p]There are no restrictions on theme. It just needs to be in the spirit of being played in multiplayer [/p]
• [p]You can work with other people, or solo[/p]
• [p]You can make as many entries as you like[/p]
• [p]You can upgrade old maps to design them for multiplayer. It doesn't need to be a brand new save file[/p]
• [p]You can use as many mods (trains/props/terrain/etc) as you like [/p]
• [p]You can host your maps in multiplayer servers at any time, including during the event, in fact I encourage you to test your work-in-progress maps out in multiplayer! [/p]

[p][/p][h3]How to submit your maps:[/h3]

• [p]When uploading a map/mod to the Steam Workshop in-game, check the "Multiplayer map jam entry" toggle, that's all you need to do!
  (This is in the "Pause menu -> Workshop -> Upload current map" menu)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]
• [p]You can also view all entries on the Steam Workshop by choosing the "Multiplayer map jam" tag under the "Competitions" category:[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][h3]Some ideas for inspiration: [/h3]

• [p]"Operations" are amazing in multiplayer! This means players taking on roles and driving trains around the map in an organized way, like communicating with each other about when a train is leaving one station and arriving at the next[/p]
• [p]Maps designed to be played in miniature scale, like adventure maps[/p]
• [p]Using circuitry and automation tools to make maps interactive[/p]
• [p]Puzzles/mini games, something like a maze for players to complete in miniature scale [/p]
• [p]Underground subway tunnels where players need to read signals to know if trains are coming down the tunnel ahead of them [/p]
• [p]Stormy weather/natural disaster themed maps, where players can role-play a disaster response situation[/p]
• [p]Shunting puzzles[/p]
• [p]Platforming maps, with jumping and climbing challenges to be played in miniature [/p]
• [p]Abandoned mine exploring/urban exploring with torches in miniature scale [/p]
• [p]Freight train hopping (hiding on freight wagons, staying out of sight of other players)[/p]
• [p]Or something completely different! [/p]

[p]Playing a map with other people adds a whole new world of design possibilities, and I'm quite excited to see what people will be able to come up with! [/p][p][/p][h3]"Ops of the south" - My own map entry[/h3][p][/p][p]As with a lot of these map making events, I've made my own example map too!
After seeing how other players were running such amazing operation sessions in multiplayer, I've had my own go at making a map designed for simple operations. [/p][p]It's a minimalist version of the "top of the south" route from the official map (you'll recognize some features like the Picton ferry terminal and Kaikoura station). But I've included some of the other towns along the way to make for a more interesting operations setup.[/p][p]This map is designed to have a "yard master" at each location. This person gives clearance to trains arriving and departing, and keeps track of turnouts to make sure trains pass through correctly. [/p][p]Along with the yard masters, there are several other roles you can take on, like driving various trains (passenger trains and freight trains heading between destinations) and even some shunting jobs, like moving freight wagons and cars on to the ferry. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]When you join the map you will see some instructions on how to play, and even some pre-designed roles you can choose for yourself (they are ranked by difficulty). This map is designed for around 6-10 people to play at once, but you can keep adding more trains to involve more people. [/p][p]There are also varying levels of complexity, depending on how detailed you want the operations to be.[/p][p][/p][p]There's even some circuitry involved if you want to make things even more organized! [/p][p]At each station you can press buttons to communicate between different destinations to let them know a train is waiting, They can then communicate back to you and give you the green light to proceed:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]This map is deliberately very minimalist in terms of scenery, so it can easily be run on low-end PCs and laptops. It can also transfer over the network very quickly for people joining the server. [/p][p]You can find this map here on the workshop, and anyone is welcome to run an operations session with it!
If you want you can try hosting it on a public server and see what happens, but a better way would be to run it with a small group of friends and give the operations a go in a smaller setting where you can all communicate with each other with voice chat. [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h3]Other fixes and features [/h3][p][/p][p]As well as the map jam event, this update also includes some fixes and features. Since the last update I've released a few patches which included:[/p]

• [p]servers now have a custom max player count, which you will see in the server browser[/p]

• [p]the host can now control whether players are able to change the time/weather/skybox on a server, or if only the host can[/p]

• [p]the host can set a max speed for trains, so even if joining players have faster mods/speed settings, the speed can't go above the server max[/p]
• [p]blocked the "remove all trains" buttons from being used when the edit tool is force enabled, except for the server host[/p]
• [p]You are now prompted when starting a server as to whether your want it to be private or public (which will automatically setup some basic server settings).[/p]
• [p]Server hosts can set whether people joining are required to have the map already downloaded or not[/p]
• [p]Add a horn spam filter (so you can't honk the horn non stop) this is an optional setting when creating a server [/p]
• [p]Fixed bug where some official built-in maps would require save data transfer over the network when they shouldn't [/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where loading screens could get stuck when loading missing mods[/p]
• [p]Fixed the context help text position being wrong alongside multiplayer chat[/p]
• [p]Added a setting for the server host to force block ALL use of the edit tool, regardless of the person joining and their own settings. But of course you can still disable this, and allow the edit tool on a per-server basis. [/p]
• [p]Fixes the audio layering bug, the audio should no longer cut out on busy servers [/p]
• [p]Fixes the "engine can't stop when train is moving" message being visible to everyone on the server [/p]
• [p]Fixes the magazine reading UI from getting stuck if using while joining a server or entering the chat menu [/p]
• [p]Fixed some shimmering effect on the message box popup in miniature mode [/p]
• [p]The floor now no longer moves higher when in multiplayer (this was originally a fix to make the players not look like they are floating, since the actual floor location is lower than zero. But several maps rely on the original incorrect floor position, so ill keep it the way it was)[/p]
• [p]Waybills are now hidden in miniature mode[/p]
• [p]Extended the view distance for waybills[/p]

[p][/p][h3]And thank you to all my Patreon supporters![/h3][p]Taerom, Trainiac 21, Codebag Playz, Joey Drysdale, Clae, The_President, Teapop311, Chloe Surett, Rowan Mackenzie, Matt, Ábris Pataki, NESecretWeapon, JohnR, ItzAerozic, Matthew Johnson, Microcosmologist, Blake Prevett, TrainTiny, Thomas Merolla, Don Willis, Jayton Hawkins, Helga Nordgren, Leto Gloas, TheAmazingRyry, Outertoaster, Nathan Perez, TrainMann, Railraider, Garst, Richard Prior, Joblogh, Detroit_, CAMOGUY54321, Ben Burch, Michelle chan, Jack Fruh, Jonathan Ginsburg, Lynk_Wyland, SmokeStream, KathalLasagna, Rivet, HuskyDynamics, Trackmeister, Lutz[/p][p][/p][p]You can join the Patreon to help support me to keep making free updates![/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]The release of multiplayer has been amazing! I'm loving seeing all the stuff that people are up to (like this screenshot above by Trainmann!), it really is a dream come true to finally see Rolling Line multiplayer in action.[/p][p][/p][p]One of the top requested features right away was some form of public server browser, so people can easily make their multiplayer sessions joinable by anyone. So I made this an immediate priority! (alongside various bug fixes and such). [/p][p][/p][h2]Server browser [/h2][p][/p][p]The core feature of this update is the new server browser! [/p][p]When you host a multiplayer server you now have the option of adding it to the public server list. To do this simply open the "Hosting options" when creating a new server:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Then enable the "Show on public server browser" toggle.
From here you can set the server name, and also supply an optional download link for any Steam Workshop content your map requires.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]For example, say you wanted to host the Bog Pit Railroad map, you could include the link to the Steam Workshop collection for all of it's required mods (plus the map itself included):[/p][p]https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=2119554155[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]So when your game appears on the server browser, players will see a "Workshop" download button. When they click this button it will redirect them to the Steam Workshop download page for your collection![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Make sure to click the "Refresh workshop downloads" button after the workshop items have finished downloading. This will load them into the game. [/p][p][/p][h2]Joining servers [/h2][p][/p][p]Using the server browser to find a public server is easy!
Just open the "Pause menu -> Multiplayer -> Server browser" menu:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And then you can view a list of all publicly listed servers being hosted by people!
You can click the "join" button to enter the server. If there's a key icon on the join button then that means the server requires a password. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Other fixes and features[/h2][p][/p][p]This update also includes a bunch of stuff that I've been working on since releasing multiplayer:[/p]

• [p]Fixed bug where lead locomotives pulling long trains would start to merge into each other[/p]
• [p]Fixed various server joining structure bugs to prevent being stuck "waiting in queue"[/p]
• [p]Fixed bug with modded track styles which was causing issues in maps (scenery failing to load)[/p]
• [p]Blocked various props from being used as wagon loads (things like drawers, switchboards, etc. Props that would cause errors when loaded) [/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrectly scaling collision hitbox on turntables [/p]
• [p]There is now a difference between the "Game version number" and "Server version number" which means that different game versions can still join servers as long as the server version stays the same. I will only change the server version number when changes are made to multiplayer code that would make older versions break. [/p]
• [p]Fixed bug where the item slots for loaders/unloaders would break when switching between 2D and 3D menus[/p]
• [p]Switchboard turnout levers are now interactable in miniature mode [/p]
• [p]In-game multiplayer chat now has a profanity filter. This filter is also used for server names and map names when adding them to the public server browser. [/p]
• [p]There is now a "hide player models in large scale" setting where you can disable large scale player models entirely, or just hide them when you yourself are in miniature. [/p]

[p][/p][p]And that's everything! [/p][p]The multiplayer launch has been amazing, and surprisingly stable. Remember if you run into any bugs please let me know in the Multiplayer bug reporting thread here on Steam:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]I'm looking forward to seeing what kinds of servers start popping up on the server browser!
Especially over the weekend, which is when most people jump on to multiplayer.[/p][p][/p][p]Enjoy! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Multiplayer devlog & Patreon[/h2][p][/p][p]As I've mentioned in previous update posts, I've recently started a Patreon! This Patreon page allows you to donate directly towards me developing the game. I want to always keep update like this complete free, and if multiplayer is something you really enjoy then please consider showing your support through a Patreon donation! [/p][p]I've also recently made a new devlog video which goes into a bit more detail about the specific features of multiplayer and how they work (like train driving, player chat, circuitry, etc). You can find that video here, along with lots of other devlog videos:[/p][p]Devlog - Multiplayer features preview[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]And thank you to all my Patreon supporters![/h3][p]Taerom, Trainiac 21, Codebag Playz, Joey Drysdale, Clae, The_President, Teapop311, Chloe Surett, Rowan Mackenzie, Matt, Ábris Pataki, NESecretWeapon, JohnR, ItzAerozic, Matthew Johnson, Microcosmologist, Blake Prevett, TrainTiny, Thomas Merolla, Don Willis, Jayton Hawkins, Helga Nordgren, Leto Gloas, TheAmazingRyry, Outertoaster, Nathan Perez, TrainMann, Railraider, Garst, Richard Prior, Joblogh, Detroit_, CAMOGUY54321, Ben Burch, Michelle chan, Jack Fruh, Jonathan Ginsburg, Lynk_Wyland, SmokeStream, KathalLasagna, Rivet, HuskyDynamics, Trackmeister, Lutz[/p][p]You can join the Patreon to help support me to keep making free updates![/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]The day has finally come! Rolling Line now has multiplayer. It's been the most highly requested feature since day one, and I've always dreamed of adding it. Working on multiplayer was always going to be a massive undertaking, but I'm so glad with how it's turned out! [/p][p]Multiplayer has been in private beta testing for a while now, and I'm hoping that all the major bugs have been spotted. But launching any kind of multiplayer feature always has unforeseen problems, so please make sure to report any bugs you find! (I've added a new "Multiplayer bug reporting" thread here in the Steam community discussions). [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]What can you do in multiplayer?[/h2][p][/p][p]Rolling Line multiplayer is a sandbox for driving trains and messing around on maps with other players. You can do realistic operations or just have silly fun. [/p][p]The main limitation is that map editing is not possible in multiplayer! [/p][p]I've spoken about this before, but I decided to make the decision that doing multiplayer map editing was going to be FAR too big of a job to take on all in one go, so my plan was to focus on train driving only to start off with. In the future though, I do plan to have a go at multiplayer map editing, since building a layout together with your friends would be a truly amazing experience. [/p][p]There is also currently no server browser, as the game is very much designed around small groups of friends rather than large public servers. I do have plans to potentially add a public server browser in the future though, and add more moderation tools for running larger servers.[/p][p]But what you can do right now includes:[/p]

• [p]Driving trains (in the cab and in large scale with controllers).[/p]
• [p]Controlling signals, turnouts, turntables, etc.[/p]
• [p]All other intractable map elements, like doors, levers, light switches, etc.[/p]
• [p]Circuitry and automation.[/p]
• [p]Spawning in and driving modded trains.[/p]
• [p]Voice chat and text chat.[/p]
• [p]Customizable player character and gesture animations.[/p]
• [p]Server control options like muting, kicking and banning players.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h2]How do you play multiplayer?[/h2][p][/p][p]It's easy as!
If you want to host a map, simply load the save file you want to play on and then go to the pause menu and choose "Pause menu -> Multiplayer -> Host a server".
This is all done through Steam, so you can easily invite people from your friends list to join your game, or share a join code to anyone you want! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]To join a game, you can either receive a Steam invite from someone directly (and just simply click "Join game" on the invite) or you can join them using the "join code" from their server. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Here's a full guide to answer all your questions!
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]The main new key bindings to remember are:[/p]

• [p]Press T to open the text chat/player list/options menu[/p]
• [p]Press G to open the gesture animations menu [/p]
• [p]Hold V for push-to-talk voice chat [/p]
• [p]Press Z to ping a location for other players to see [/p]

[p]All of these are re-bindable in the controls menu of course.[/p][p][/p][p]You can also customize your character in the "Pause menu -> Multiplayer -> Customize character" menu:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]What kind of maps can you play?[/h2][p][/p][p]Everything!
You can play any maps you like, whether they are on the Steam Workshop or in your own local save files. Prop mods and track mods will also work perfectly fine as long as all joining players also have those mods downloaded. [/p][p][/p][p]It is also highly recommended that you share your map on the Steam Workshop and get all joining players to download it. This will make the joining process much faster since players won't need to download the map file directly from you! [/p][p][/p][p]If your map contains train mods then all players joining your server also should have those mods downloaded (otherwise they will only see a placeholder train model).
Making a "collection" on the Steam Workshop is the best way to do this, then ask all joining players to first download the map's mod collection:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]What's coming next for multiplayer?[/h2][p][/p][p]This initial release of multiplayer is just the beginning! I have lots of plans for future features coming to multiplayer. Some of these are:[/p]

• [p]Expanding the character customization (more clothing, more detailed color customization, etc).[/p]
• [p]Character model modding support (3D models and custom gesture animations). [/p]
• [p]Server roles (things like locking players to miniature only, only allowing some players to drive trains, etc). And other features to make operations more interesting. [/p]
• [p]VR specific animations (like hand tracking).[/p]
• [p]And of course, hopefully one day adding multiplayer map editing! [/p]

[p]I decided to focus on the core basic features of multiplayer first and get this all polished and functional for release. Then after making all of this public, I can focus more directly on expanding features (like character customization) and release these features in future updates. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And that's everything for now! [/p][p]Developing multiplayer has been a dream of mine for a long time, and seeing it actually become a reality has been a really enjoyable process. It's been a ton of work, and this is only just the beginning. There's still so much more to be done to make multiplayer as good as it can be! So keep an eye out for more. [/p][p][/p][p]I hope you all have fun experiencing Rolling Line maps with other people for the first time! [/p][p][/p][p]Also here's some new promotional screenshots:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Multiplayer devlog & Patreon[/h2][p][/p][p]As I've mentioned in previous update posts, I've recently started a Patreon!
This Patreon page allows you to donate directly towards me developing the game. I want to always keep update like this complete free, and if multiplayer is something you really enjoy then please consider showing your support through a Patreon donation! [/p][p]I've also recently made a new devlog video which goes into a bit more detail about the specific features of multiplayer and how they work (like train driving, player chat, circuitry, etc). You can find that video here, along with lots of other devlog videos:[/p][p]Devlog - Multiplayer features preview[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]And thank you to all my Patreon supporters![/h3][p]Trainiac 21, Codebag Playz, Joey Drysdale, Clae, The_President, Teapop311, Chloe Surett, Rowan Mackenzie, Matt, Ábris Pataki, NESecretWeapon, JohnR, ItzAerozic, Matthew Johnson, Microcosmologist, Blake Prevett, TrainTiny, Thomas Merolla, Don Willis, Jayton Hawkins, Helga Nordgren, Leto Gloas, TheAmazingRyry, Outertoaster, Nathan Perez, TrainMann, Railraider, Garst, Richard Prior, Joblogh, Detroit_, CAMOGUY54321, Ben Burch, Michelle chan, Jack Fruh, Jonathan Ginsburg, Lynk_Wyland, SmokeStream, KathalLasagna, Rivet, HuskyDynamics, Trackmeister, Lutz[/p][p]You can join the Patreon to help support me to keep making free updates![/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]As multiplayer moves closer and closer to a full release, here's another feature which I've made as part of multiplayer that is already ready for release now! [/p][p][/p][p]During multiplayer beta testing, it quickly became obvious that players needed a way to put basic labels on freight wagons to show things like cargo and where they are being transported to. Since I've always wanted to add a basic "waybill" system to the game, this was a great opportunity to finally do this before multiplayer gets released. [/p][p]"Waybills" are a very common tool used in real model railways, it's basically just a piece of paper where people write the origin, destination and cargo of a freight wagon (along with it's roadnumber and other details, and anything else of interest). [/p][p]These pieces of paper are stored in shelves next to industry sidings and rail yards on the model railway to represent the freight wagons currently parked there. When you drive a train from one yard to another, you would move the waybill along with it and display it in the new spot. [/p][p][/p][p]Think of them as a custom digital piece of paper to display information on a freight wagon! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p](Image credit to: Ted Pamperin - February 2012 issue of Model Railroader)[/p][p][/p][h2]How to use waybills[/h2][p][/p][p]To enable a waybill on a freight wagon, simply point at it and press "K" (this key toggles whether waybills are visible, and is re-bindable in the controls menu).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And to edit a waybill, open the wagon options menu (point at a wagon and press "O") then choose the "Waybill" menu:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]You can also open this menu by pressing the cog icon in the top right corner of the waybill.[/p][p][/p][p]From here you can set a bunch of options, like:[/p]

• [p]Setting the text displays (origin, destination and cargo)[/p]
• [p]Changing the text display size[/p]
• [p]Changing how the roadname and roadnumber are displayed[/p]
• [p]Set the waybill color, and provide an alternative color which can be switched to when you swap the origin and destination[/p]
• [p]Copy/Paste all waybill data between wagons [/p]

[p][/p][p]Please keep in mind that these waybills are just visual. Think of them as a piece of paper you can write your own information on. They do not actually represent what is loaded on to the freight wagon.[/p][p]This means you can use them for whatever you like, it doesn't need to follow the "origin/destination/cargo" format.[/p][p]Like for example you might just want to put a chemical warning or information label:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Swapping origin/destination [/h2][p][/p][p]There are a couple of buttons on the waybill to make operations a bit easier.[/p][p]You can press the "Swap destination" button to toggle the origin and destination test labels, as well as switch between the color and alternative color.[/p][p]And you can press the "Toggle cargo" button to swap between the cargo display showing the custom name you've set, or just "empty"[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]For example, when a freight wagon arrives at its destination, you can press the "swap destination" button, then the "Toggle cargo" button, and it will now display as being empty (unloaded) and heading back to it's original destination. [/p][p][/p][p]You can also press the two buttons in the top-right corner to copy and paste waybill data between wagons.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And you can paint the waybill color directly:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Other options [/h2][p][/p][p]You can edit some other options in the "Pause menu -> Gameplay -> Waybills" menu:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]You can use the "Show/Hide all waybills" buttons to force enable/disable waybills on every wagon/loco on the save file.[/p][p]You can also use the "Waybills visible state" option to toggle how they are displayed just visually. This will only visually affect whether they waybills are visible or not and will not change the save file. This is useful if you want to temporarily hide them all to take screenshots, but you still want to keep them visible afterwards. [/p][p]You can also press F9 to cycle through these visibility options. [/p][p][/p][p]Also you can change whether they waybills are displayed as blocks on top of each wagon, or floating UI windows that always face the player:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Multiplayer progress[/h2][p][/p][p]The multiplayer beta is expanding a lot! Everything is getting really close to the full release. I wrote a lot of info about the current state of multiplayer in the previous news post, and I've recently made a new devlog video over on Patreon which goes into a bit more detail about the specific features and how they work (like train driving, player chat, circuitry, etc). You can find that video here:[/p][p]Devlog - Multiplayer features preview[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]And thank you to all my Patreon supporters![/h3][p]Trainiac 21, Codebag Playz, Joey Drysdale, Clae, The_President, Teapop311, Chloe Surett, Rowan Mackenzie, Matt, Ábris Pataki, NESecretWeapon, JohnR, ItzAerozic, Matthew Johnson, Microcosmologist, Blake Prevett, TrainTiny, Thomas Merolla, Don Willis, Jayton Hawkins, Helga Nordgren, Leto Gloas, TheAmazingRyry, Outertoaster, Nathan Perez, TrainMann, Railraider, Garst, Richard Prior, Joblogh, Detroit_, CAMOGUY54321, Ben Burch, Michelle chan, Jack Fruh, Jonathan Ginsburg, Lynk_Wyland, SmokeStream, KathalLasagna, Rivet, HuskyDynamics, Trackmeister, Lutz[/p][p]You can join the Patreon to help support me to keep making free updates![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]