Rolling Line News

Hello everybody!
There's already been a ton of amazing entries for the International Layout Jam and I highly recommend going and having a look on the Steam Workshop at the entries to try them out yourself.

Here's a few incredible ones to get you started:

[h2]Jamaica Rail[/h2]
By Microcosmologist

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2609973329

[h2]Kita-Kaigan[/h2]
By Detroit

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2603887980

[h2]Helvetia-Viadukt, Switzerland[/h2]
By Ze Trackmeister

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2601229629

Anyway, the purpose of this news post is to announce that:
[h2]the International Layout Jam is being extended till October 4th![/h2]

So this means you have an extra weekend to work on an entry.
Or if you've already made one, why not have a go at a quick bonus entry!

The reason I'm extending the jam is because I'm going to be away on a tramping (hiking) trip this week, so I wont be here to close off the jam until the weekend, so why not extend the closing date!

I'll be spending 4-5 days solo in the Tararua Ranges, likely in rather wild weather, so it's going to be a hell of a trip!




But in the meantime, I hope you're all enjoying the International Layout Jam so far!
Thank you to everyone who has made submissions already, and best of luck to everyone who's still working on theirs!

I hope everyone is enjoying the International Layout Jam! There's tons of maps already submitted to the workshop (130+) and there's still just over a week till the Jam ends!




In the meantime, here's a mid-jam update ːsteamthumbsupː

[h2]The GeTA Sulfur Railway[/h2]

Back in the "Railroad History Jam" I created a map called the "GeTA Sulfur Railway"
well that map has been touched-up and added into the game officially!
You can access it from the main menu, just like any other official map, and it even has all its unique liveries and mods.



It even has an official map poster now too:



[h2]Historic vs Modern version[/h2]

As you might remember, the GeTA Sulfur Railway had two versions, one set in the 1900s (Steam era) and the other was set in the current day.

Both of these versions are included in this update, and you can switch between them in-game by clicking this button on the wall!



Clicking the button will load the historic version of the map.
When playing the old version, you can also switch back to the modern version the same way.



[h2]Other upgrades[/h2]

The map has also been updated to include all the new features like custom audio, tunnel regions and even dynamic wires:



You can also now find some text and images around the map which explain the history:



But now for part 2 of this update:



You can now easily use your own .Mp3 files as custom background music in the game.
Simply put your custom music files in the new folder "Rolling Line -> Modding -> Custom Music" and you will hear them in-game!



By default your custom music will be mixed in with the normal default music already in the game.
You can change this in the "Audio" menu:



You can choose between mixing custom and default tracks together, or either default only or custom only.

You can also press the "Refresh music" button to skip to a new song.
Pressing this button will also check for any new files you've added to the "Custom music" folder.

There are more options in the "Music options" menu too:



From here you can set the gap between music tracks, shuffle, fade in,
and whether music should fade out when you are near loud audio sources (this includes moving trains and heavy weather).
This little feature is what makes the music fade away when you start driving trains, and come back again when you away from trains looking at the scenery.

[h2]Moving files around [/h2]

Something else this update does is move a few more of Rolling Line's data files & assets into the "Core" folder. This means that you can access and edit these files easily, since they are not packaged inside the game itself.

These files are found in:
"Steam -> SteamApps -> Common -> Rolling Line -> Core"

Please don't edit these files unless you have backups, and are willing to potentially mess up your game. But if you want to have some fun modifying the core files the game uses then you certainly can!

For example, you can easily edit:
- the .txt save files used for the menu, official maps and tutorials
- the .Mp3 files of the default music
- the .jpg files used for the pages in the magazines





[h2]Other fixes and features [/h2]

This update also includes a bunch of other little things:

• There is now an "open livery folder" button in the menu when creating a livery. This simply opens the folder in file explorer to make adding liveries easier:
  
  
  
  
• Fixed major bug with custom drawers, where they would fail to save when left in "edit" mode when exiting the map.
  
• Custom drawers now have a few other visual queues to help show when they are editable vs when they are not:
  
  
  
  
• Fixed bug with copy-pasting dynamic track data sometimes causing issues with the dynamic track UI.
  
• the "refresh" button for posters and flags is now hidden when the flag choice popup is open.
  
• The camera now automatically snaps away from the button when using any of the "open X folder" buttons in the menus. This is so that when you tab back into the game you don't accidentally click the "open folder" button again.
  
• The default icon which maps use when no thumbnail is set has been fixed.
  
• The switchboard in the "Ghetto Sulfur" quickMod now has a better position in the cab.
  
• Thanks to some file optimizations, this update actually reduces the file size of Rolling Line by about 100mb!
  

And that's everything for this update,
Have fun with the remaining week of the International Layout jam!

[h2]It's time for a layout jam!! [/h2]

In the previous update I mentioned that there was going to be an event coming that was going to involve the new flags feature, well here it is!

This update also adds a brand new official map to kick off the jam.
And for this event, I've decided to make a map based on Tibet!
(more info on this later in the news post)

But first off, here is the info for the Jam:



There are basically no rules, the idea is just to choose a country (real or fictional) and use that as the inspiration for your map.

You can use mods, liveries, custom props, custom flags, etc. Anything.
In fact your map doesn't even need to include trains! By all means just make some scenery inspired by a country, no railway necessary.
You can also choose any time period you like.

When you upload your map to the workshop, just make sure to tick the "International layout jam entry" option so it gets tagged as part of the event:



You can make as many entries as you like.

Also since this is a "jam" not a competition, there won't be any specific winners (or prizes) so don't be too competitive. These events are just meant to be a good opportunity to get inspired and make a layout with a theme.

Though as usual, I'll still give shout-outs at the end of the event towards some of my favorites!

This jam runs from the 10th to the 30th of September.
Please remember to use the International layout jam tag option when uploading your map (mentioned above) so your map is included in the list of entries!



[h2]New official map: Tibet[/h2]

To kick off this jam ive made my own entry!
Just like with the previous layout building events, I love to personally make my own layout at the beginning to give people inspiration for making their entries.

It's based on the beautiful landscapes of Tibet, and features the Qinghai–Tibet railway.

You can find lots of real-world locations like Lhasa, Larung gar, Golmud and Lake Namtso.
This map makes full use of the new custom posters feature, and has lots of photos of the real-world locations.

Here is a bunch of HD screenshots:
https://imgur.com/gallery/Jryqj2t



You can easily access this map from the "new game" list, just like any other official map:



And you can also download it from the Steam workshop:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2597864547

Alongside this map ive added some new props to use as "prayer flags" (the strings of colored cloth flags you often see in India/Nepal/Tibet):



There is also now a couple of dedicated flag pole props:



[h2]Other features and fixes[/h2]

This update also includes a bunch of other stuff:

• There is a new props drawer "props 5" which has the new prayer flags as wall as other decoration themed props like umbrellas and flag poles.
  
• There is an "extreme speed" setting in the "pause menu -> gameplay" menu which you can enable to make trains go stupidly fast. This used to be hidden behind a cheat but it's now easily usable in-game!
  
• The maximum distance you can extend the shadows in photo mode has been increased.
  
• The main menu will now show a little "new" flare on the next arrow to indicate that a map in the list ahead is new.
  
• Posters with the "unlit alpha" material option will now glow brighter at night.
  
• The "train movement mode" setting (either simple/dynamic) has been removed. It is no longer needed and often causes confusion.
  
• The "freeze time" and "freeze weather" settings are now enabled by default. So you need to disable these if you want dynamically changing time of day and weather.
  
• Fixed bug where holding a poster in your hand on PC would show up as invisible.
  
• Fixed bug where the photo mode camera would pan slightly when holding down the mouse but not moving it.
  
• Fixed bug where the ambient audio would not reset to default correctly when leaving a custom audio region.
  
• Fixed bug where the default ambient audio would not be saved when reloading a save.
  

And that's everything!

I hope you enjoy the new Tibet map, it was loads of fun to make!
And I can't wait to see what everyone makes for the International Layout Jam!

If you have any questions about the Jam feel free to ask in the comments.
Enjoy!

Flags! flags of every country (252 total), and you can easily drop your own image files into the game to use your own!
These flags even have cloth physics and blow in the wind:



As well as flags (with physics) this update also adds "posters" which are literally just a 2D image you can place anywhere on your layout.
Just like with flags, you can easily supply your own custom images to use as well!

Posters can be used for all sorts of things, like backdrops, signage, advertisements, neon signs, or even just decoration for your layout room:









Here's an example of using a custom photo in a poster as a backdrop:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2591412484

[h2]Importing custom images[/h2]

Adding your own custom images is incredibly easy!
All you need to do is paste any PNG or JPG images into this folder:
"Rolling Line -> Modding -> Custom Images"



You can even include custom images inside your workshop uploads!
Simply choose the "Package custom images" option when uploading your save and any images you've used will automatically be uploaded with the layout.



[h2]Customizing flags[/h2]

You can find the new flag and poster props in the "Room -> tools 2" drawer.
Once you have spawned in a flag you can customize it using the popup menu (press Q).

From here you can choose the image from a list of options (custom images will be shown at the end of the list).
Plus you can set whether the flag physics are pinned to the top or the side, or simply "static" (not moving).



You can do the same with posters.
When the options menu for posters is open you can also change the material type:

• "normal" - standard solid material
  
• "alpha" - smooth transparency (see-through)
  
• "alphaCutout" - hard-edge transparency
  
• "unlit" - appears fully bright (unaffected by lights) at all times, like it is emitting light.
  
• "alphaUnlit" - a combination of Alpha and Unlit, which is both transparent but emits light.
  

[h2]Other features[/h2]

This update also fixes a couple of bugs:

• The Glowbells minigame now works properly, after being broken since the last update. You can now load and play the game as normal.
  
• Fixed the UI position of the workshop requirements panel
  
• Widened the collision on the walls so that props aren't hidden behind the sky material if enabled.
  

Also the "many lights" lighting mode has been removed.
This is because it was causing lots of issues with certain materials and really wasn't providing much benefit. the "many lights" render mode uses a technique called deferred rendering to display lights, which is supposed to be more efficient for large numbers of lights, but the performance increase is so small it wasn't worth the trouble it's been causing.

Let me know if you run into anything unusual when viewing maps with lights! as these changes might have unforeseen effects.

[h2]Layout competition just around the corner![/h2]

As mentioned in the previous update, there's a layout jam event on the way!

I decided to release this flag update on its own (instead of it being combined with the competition announcement) since It's ready for release now, while I'm still going to spend a few more days getting things ready for the layout jam.

As you can probably guess, the layout jam has something to do with flags!
And just like with the Railroad History Jam, I'm making my own example map to kick off the event.

I've still got more work to do to finish this map, but here's a preview:



More news on that within the week... ːsteamthumbsupː

But in the meantime, have fun with the new flags!

A common problem indie games run into is that they get more and more bloated and unoptimized as updates get added. Seeing developers get roasted for not spending time on optimization and "Cleaning up the game code" is a tale as old as time.

Well that's exactly what this update is all about!
Rolling Line is over 3 years old now, and has had 126 total updates so far, so It's fair to say that the core structure of the game has gotten pretty messy over time.

So over the last few months I've been putting time towards finally re-organising and cleaning up the code of the game!

This pretty much sums it up:



The end result is a much, much more stable game and significantly faster loading times.

Specifically, the startup time between launching the game and getting to the main menu is up to 4x-5x faster!
In fact the game can launch in about 3 seconds with a fresh install (no mods) on a decent PC.



The process of loading mods is now much faster too, and the game now stays responsive while loading! (instead of freezing).
Before this update the game would just freeze and hang unresponsive till the loading was all done, but now it will remain responsive during the load process, and show progress.

This means the load screen will actually tell you exactly what it's loading.
e.g.
"loading save files 1/20"
"finding mods 6/542"
"loading skybox 89%"



[h3]Please keep in mind that this ONLY AFFECTS STARTUP! [/h3]
The process of loading save files has not changed and will not be much different than it was before.
Although it will still be a little bit faster thanks to the improved loading times for mods.

I am planning to do an update in the near future which entirely focuses on the way the game loads maps, which will involve some similar optimizations for that too!

[h2]This update also vastly improves RAM usage[/h2]

Launching to the main menu has gone from using around 3.5GB of ram down to 1.5GB in some tests, and the amount of RAM used by having lots of mods and save files is greatly reduced.



[h2]Organising the games structure [/h2]

This update is focused on more than just speeding up load times.
I've actually made massive changes to the core structure of how the games programming is organized and structured. While this isn't something you'll see on the surface, it's something that makes a MASSIVE difference to how hard it is to track down bugs and issues. It also helps immensely for future updates.

And knowing that the game's code isn't a jungle of chaos anymore helps me sleep at night.
ːwinter2019happyyulː

As an example of what I mean by "Cleaning up the game's structure", here is what the Unity scene hierarchy looks like both before and after this update.
In fact RL actually now launches from an empty scene, and all of this data shown is set up through code!



Overall this update has far too many background changes to list, but here are a few things that you will actually see as the player:

• Easter egg scenes are now loaded differently, and exiting a scene and returning to the game is much faster (the game is no longer reset).
  
• The "resume" option for loading a save now works much better at selecting the right save. e.g. loading workshop saves or backups will not mess it up.
  
• The wheels in photo mode will no longer show up in low detail.
  
• Backups over a month old are now automatically deleted when the backup folder gets too large.
  
• The mountain props now no longer snap to the surface angle (so they face upright by default).
  
• Trains that were placed on the old legacy "Top of the south" layout are no longer loaded in save files.
  
• The "Dark mode" setting is removed, and dark mode is now the only loading screen style.
  
• The debug option to show "paint colors in file" has been removed, as this has long since been unused and broken.
  
• Fixed a glitch where the tutorial menu would bounce around if the train was derailed during the tutorial.
  
• Added a launch tag "-iwanttobelieve" which makes the UFO easter egg show up 100% of the time, just for fun.
  

And that's the bulk of it!
This update has been a massive undertaking, and It's something I've been worried about and putting off for years.
But it feels so good to finally take the time and clean up this behemoth of a game.

I recently figured out that September 10th, 2017 is the closest thing to Rolling Lines birthday as there is, since that was the day I first started officially working on developing it. And that means that some of the code in the game is almost 4 years old!

After 4 years of development and updates, it's no wonder it got so messy.
Rolling Line has grown into a larger game than I ever could have imagined!

This has been a pretty exhausting last couple of months, so now that this is all wrapped up, I think it's time for a nice and relaxing layout competition for the next update!
So keep an eye out for that ːsteamhappyː