Rolling Line News

[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]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Hello everyone! Updates have slowed down recently and you can probably guess why, I'm heavily at work with multiplayer! [/p][p]There is currently a private beta for multiplayer with over 50+ people in it, and I'm even getting ready to release a public beta. There will be heaps more news about this in the coming weeks. The multiplayer private beta has been going great, and I'm so excited to get this ready for a full release! [/p][p][/p][p]If you're curious about the current state of multiplayer, 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][p]But here's a few examples of the kind of chaos going on in the private multiplayer beta:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]2D main menus[/h2][p][/p][p]While 99% of my time is being spent on multiplayer, there are a few smaller features that I've needed to add along the way as part of the process. One of those is 2D main menus.
Basically since multiplayer requires the 2D menu mode for a lot of its features (like text chat, player list, gesture menu, etc) I've been improving 2D menu support across the board so it can hopefully be the default and 3D menus can be limited to a few specific situations.[/p][p]Remember you can always toggle between 2D and 3D menus, but 2D is now the default.[/p][p]But now the main menu also has 2D menu support!
Meaning that instead of spinning the camera around in first-person mode to click on things, you instead use your mouse like a normal PC game.[/p][p]3D main menus:[/p][p][/p][p]2D main menus:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]By default if you are playing on PC you will see these new 2D main menus!
You can return to the old 3D menus if you want, there is a setting for this in the "Pause menu -> gameplay -> main menu options" menu.[/p][p][/p][p]There is also a full guide here which explains how to make your own custom 2D menu scenes and customize things like panning animations! [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Remember you can also share your own custom menu scenes on the Steam Workshop and download other players menus! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Halloween! [/h2][p][/p][p]This update also brings back all the classic Halloween features, like temporary Halloween themed menus:[/p][p][/p][p]And other things like the pumpkins and Halloween themed props which you can find in the "Misc" drawer category:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Halloween main menus are just temporary and will go back to normal in about a week, but you can turn them off manually and bring back the normal main menus using this setting in the "Pause menu -> gameplay -> main menu options" menu.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Other fixes and features[/h2][p]Since there is a ton of work going on with multiplayer, this update also includes a bunch of fixes and changes which I've made over the last month while working on multiplayer, these are:[/p]

• [p]Fixed bug with track loading incorrectly when held in your hand hand on large maps[/p]
• [p]Fixed bug where the height change feature (using the scroll wheel) would get stuck on loading a map[/p]
• [p]Moved engine start/stop to the wagon popup menu (you can still use a shortcut key, but it is un-bound by default) So pressing G no longer toggles the engine[/p]
• [p]Improved resolution scaling for large displays like 1440p and above[/p]
• [p]Added missing mod placeholder model (which you can enable/disable in the "misc -> loading" menu)[/p]
• [p]fixes various issues relating to pressing escape when keyboard input is open[/p]
• [p]fixed a ton of stuff relating to audio, like the pickup "click" effects have been cleaned up a lot and no longer overlap.[/p]
• [p]click sounds are disabled when spawning into maps or entering and exiting the menu[/p]
• [p]added click sounds to various other UI elements (like drawers)[/p]
• [p]the setting search menu now shows instructions for pressing ~ to open/close the menu[/p]
• [p]The setting search menu can no longer be opened when photo mode is open[/p]
• [p]Fixed bug where duplicating a menu scene mod would not copy the menu save file [/p][p][/p]

[p]And that's everything for this update![/p][p]Things are really heating up with multiplayer and It won't be too long before a full public beta, so keep an eye out for news on that. These are exciting times for Rolling Line! [/p][p][/p][h3]And thank you to all my Patreon supporters![/h3][p]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]For anyone who doesn't already know, I'm a kiwi! (a proud resident of Aotearoa New Zealand).[/p][p]Back when I first released Rolling Line it was pretty much entirely NZ trains and locations, with the one exception of the Big Boy locomotive. The rest of the original locomotive roster of the DX, DSJ and Flyer are all trains from NZ. And of course the game's one and only map, the Top of the South (or the "main layout" as it used to be called) is set in New Zealand's south island! [/p][p]My entire vision of Rolling Line from the start of its development came from the simple childhood experience of trainspotting at the Kaikoura railway station while staying at the holiday park next to the tracks. This scene of the holiday park and railway station was the very first piece of scenery I ever made for the game:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]But that was just the start!
After I initially released the game with its single "Main layout" map, so many more maps and trains have been added since then. And while I've focused on a few overseas locations (like Brazil & America) the vast majority of new maps have been set right here back in NZ. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]See if you can recognize these real-world places from the Rolling Line maps! [/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Here they are! [/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Funny thing is, despite all these NZ maps being added to the game, I still haven't even done some of my favorite rail locations in the country (like the South Island's west coast coal mines, and the incredible Arthurs Pass crossing the southern alps). There's certainly more to do! [/p][p][/p][p]So this event centered around games made in NZ seemed like the perfect time to celebrate the amazing railways of NZ and Rolling Line's strong link to this modest little country at the bottom of the world! [/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]While I continue to work on multiplayer behind the scenes, there's still a bunch of features that I'm planning to add before multiplayer is done! [/p][p]One of those was a very highly requested feature: the option to control speed by exact amounts (instead of the speed steps currently in the game). You can now switch to an optional "smooth speed control" mode where you can set the exact speed value you want!
Simply hold and release the speed up/down buttons to change the speed gradually, instead of clicking them to change the speed step:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]You can toggle between the two control modes inside the cab, or you can change the settings for whether the control mode is "step" or "smooth" by default. These settings can be found in the "Pause menu -> Gameplay -> Train speed control options" menu.
There are also different settings for both then in-train cab controls and the hand-held controllers. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Smooth acceleration/deceleration adjustment [/h2][p][/p][p]You can also now adjust how fast trains will slow down and speed up using the "Train acceleration rate" and "Train deceleration rate" settings.[/p][p]These settings only affect when smooth acceleration is enabled, which by default is when you are in miniature mode.[/p][p]This means that when you are in large scale trains will speed up and slow down in a faster snappy movement (like a real model railway) but when you are in miniature mode, they will accelerate and brake much slower, like a real world locomotive. [/p][p][/p][h2]Steam workshop improvements [/h2][p][/p][p]A big behind-the-scenes part of this update is that I've completely changed the Steamworks framework that Rolling Line uses! (this means all of the features relating to connecting to Steam).
This is mostly invisible to players, but it means a lot under the hood.[/p][p]The main difference you will notice is that the workshop uploading and updating process has changed a bit. The uploading process now has a completely different system for error reporting and will show you much more detailed error messages when your item fails to upload (hopefully putting an end to the dreaded "Generic failure" upload message!). [/p][p]The files for your current upload are now temporarily stored in a new folder:[/p][p]...\\Steam\\steamapps\\common\\Rolling Line\\Modding\\workshop upload temp[/p][p]So if you want to use a custom thumbnail you can modify the files in this folder before clicking upload.[/p][p]Previously you needed to find the upload folder in appadata, so it's much easier now having it in the main Rolling Line directory[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Updating workshop items[/h2][p][/p][p]The workshop item update process now works quite differently, instead of needing to have a local copy of all the workshop items you had uploaded in the past, you can now access every single item your account has ever uploaded!
Having the original mod files on your PC is no longer required. [/p][p]When you choose the option to update a workshop item you will see a list of all your previously uploaded items (you need to be connected to Steam for these to load!). Simply choose the item you want to update and the rest of the process is the same as it was before.[/p][p]Another bonus of this system is that the title and description that you have set on Steam will be used, so if you have edited your description manually through Steam then this new description will be kept when updating. [/p][h2]
Steam status display[/h2][p][/p][p]Something else that this new Steamworks integration includes is the Steam "rich presence" feature, which means Rolling Line can set a custom status to display to your friends while you are playing. [/p][p]Currently, these statuses are:[/p]

• [p]Making mods[/p]
• [p]Building maps[/p]
• [p]Driving trains [/p]

[p]And once multiplayer is released:[/p]

• [p]Hosting multiplayer[/p]
• [p]Playing multiplayer [/p]

[p]This feature is really just a bonus for fun, and if you would prefer for it not to be displayed you can turn it off using the setting in "Pause menu -> Misc -> Enable Steam public status"[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2][/h2][p][/p][h2]Other fixes and features:[/h2]

• [p]Fixed bug where opening the custom tag setting menu for a workshop item upload would not appear correctly when using the 2D menus.[/p]
• [p]Text box menu settings (e.g. the description for workshop items) now clip their text display correctly so the text wont overflow. [/p]
• [p]The "max speed" setting for mods now scales in a much more logical way. Instead of being exponential, it is now linear. [/p]
• [p]Fixed shadow casting on the Weka Pass map's road models. [/p]
• [p]Fixed bug where toggling fullscreen when using 2D menus would lock the cursor. [/p]

[p][/p][h2]Multiplayer progress [/h2][p][/p][p]While I'm still working on other features (like this update) most of my time is going towards developing multiplayer! Progress is going great, and the main features I've been working on recently are things relating to Steam.[/p][p]You can now easily host a game and invite your friends to join you, all entirely within Steam! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Of course you can still host and join servers using a traditional IP & port connection, which means a connection to Steam is not required to play multiplayer. And you can easily host a LAN game on your local network. [/p][p]I've also been working heaps on multiplayer synchronization for controls and gameplay features, like controlling pantographs/lights/loading/unloading/cab controls/etc.[/p][p]It's all working really well![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Multiplayer development is well underway, and it might not even be that long before I start running private beta testing.
These are really exciting times for Rolling Line, and I can't wait for multiplayer to be complete![/p][p][/p][h3]And thank you to all my Patreon supporters![/h3][p]Ábris Pataki, Ben Burch, Blake Prevett, CAMOGUY54321, Detroit_, Douglas Niven, Don Willis, Garst, Gustavo Sanchez, Helga Nordgren, HuskyDynamics, ItzAerozic, Jack Fruh, Jayton Hawkins, Joblogh, JohnR, Jonathan Ginsburg, KathalLasagna, Leto Gloas, Lutz, Lynk_Wyland, Matt, Matthew Johnson, Michelle chan, Microcosmologist, Nathan Perez, NESecretWeapon, Outertoaster, Railraider, Richard Prior, Rivet, Rowan Mackenzie, SmokeStream, TheAmazingRyry, Thomas Merolla, Trackmeister, TrainMann, TrainTiny[/p][p]You can join the Patreon to help support me to keep making free updates![/p][p][/p][p][/p]