Editing Simutrans

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{short description|Cross-platform transport simulation game}}
{{Infobox software
| name                       = Simutrans
| logo size = 200px
| logo                       = Simutrans-full.svg
| screenshot                 = [[File:Simutrans pak64.png|250px]]
| caption                    = Simutrans pak64
| author                     = Hansjörg Malthaner (initial, left in Spring 2005)
| developer                  = Markus Pristovsek "Prissi" (current head of development)<br />Simutrans Development Team
| released                   = {{Start date and age|1999|03|06}}
| latest release version     = 124.3
| latest release date        = {{Start date and age|2025|01|11}}
| programming language       = [[C++]], [[Squirrel (programming language)|Squirrel]], [[C (programming language)|C]]<ref name = "github">{{cite web|url = https://github.com/simutrans/simutrans|title = simutrans/simutrans on GitHub |website = [[GitHub]] |access-date = 2025-01-11}}</ref>
| operating system           = [[Multi-platform]]
| platform                   = [[Cross-platform]]
| size                       = 10~400 MB
| language                   = [[Multilingual]]
| genre                      = [[Construction and management simulation|Construction and management]]
| license                    = [[Artistic License 1.0]]<ref name="github" />
}}

'''''Simutrans''''' is a [[cross-platform]] [[simulation game]] in which the player strives to run a successful transport system by constructing and managing transportation systems for passengers, mail and goods by land ([[Rail transport|rail]], [[Road transport|road]], [[tram]], [[monorail]], [[maglev]]), air ([[airplanes]]) and water ([[ship transport|ship]]) between places. Like ''[[OpenTTD]]'', ''Simutrans'' is an [[open-source software|open-source]] transportation game based on the ''[[Transport Tycoon]]'' idea.<ref name="ff">{{cite web|title=Freeware Friday: Simutrans|url=http://news.bigdownload.com/2008/11/21/freeware-friday-simutrans|work=Big Download|publisher=GameDaily|author=James Murff|date=November 21, 2008|access-date=11 October 2009|archive-date=5 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005005027/http://news.bigdownload.com/2008/11/21/freeware-friday-simutrans|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Development history ==
''Simutrans'' was originally written by Hansjörg Malthaner in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|title=A short History of Simutrans Development |url=http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/index.php/projects/simutrans/years-1997-2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101031184339/http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/index.php/projects/simutrans/years-1997-2001 |archive-date=October 31, 2010 }}</ref> Around 2004 he retired from development,<ref>[http://www.simutrans.com/en/about/ about - History] on simutrans.com</ref> and an international community of volunteers took over the development.<ref>{{cite web|title=Simutrans Tikiwiki : Thanks|url=http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Thanks|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227123033/http://www.simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Thanks|archive-date=2011-12-27}}</ref> ''Simutrans'' was developed internally as a [[closed source]] game until 2007,<ref name="license">{{cite web|title=Simutrans's Artistic License, SourceForge|url=http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/?&fq&#91;&#93;=trove:17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706053607/http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/#91;&|archive-date=2010-07-06}}</ref> when the software was [[Software relicensing|relicensed]] under the [[Artistic License 1.0]].<ref name="license"/>

''Simutrans'' has been [[Source port|ported]] to [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Linux]], [[BeOS]]/[[Haiku (operating system)|Haiku]], [[Mac OS X]], and [[AmigaOS 4|AmigaOS 4.x]], which make use of several graphics libraries such as [[Graphics Device Interface|GDI]] ([[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] only), [[Simple DirectMedia Layer|SDL]] (all versions) or [[Allegro library|Allegro]] (BeOS only). It is portable to any architecture using [[GNU Compiler Collection|GCC]] and one of the aforementioned libraries. ''Simutrans'' has [[multilingual]] support.

The current stable release of ''Simutrans'' is version 124.3 as of January 11, 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forum.simutrans.com/index.php/topic,23369|title=Simutrans 124.3|last=|first=|date=|website=forum.simutrans.com|access-date=2025-01-11}}</ref> There is a popular branch of the code called ''Simutrans-Extended'', which aims to extend the basic game.<ref name="experimental">[http://blog.simutrans.com/?tag=simutrans-experimental Simutrans Experimental]</ref> ''Simutrans-Extended'' was formerly called ''Simutrans-Experimental'', but changed its name in 2017 to make clear that it is a distinct [[Fork (software)|fork]] of ''Simutrans'' and not a testing branch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://forum.simutrans.com/index.php?topic=16685|title=Simutrans-Extended is the new name for Simutrans-Experimental|website=forum.simutrans.com|access-date=2017-02-13}}</ref> [[Daily build|Nightly builds]] for ''Simutrans'' and the main PakSets are also released for both standard<ref>{{cite web|title=Simutrans Nightly|url=http://simutrans-germany.com/~nightly/simutrans/index.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081106124757/http://simutrans-germany.com/~nightly/simutrans/index.php|archive-date=2008-11-06}}</ref> and Extended<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bridgewater-brunel.me.uk/downloads/nightly/|title=Index of /downloads/nightly|website=bridgewater-brunel.me.uk|access-date=2017-02-13}}</ref> versions.

==Overview and features==
[[File:Simutrans_101_map.png|thumb|Map of a Simutrans game world, showing cities and factories]]
The main goal in ''Simutrans'' is to provide an efficient transport system for passengers, mail and goods to be transported to their desired destinations fast and with minimal transfers and at the same time making the company grow avoiding [[bankruptcy]] or excess [[administration (law)|administration]].

''Simutrans'' has a number of factory chains that are interconnected with other chains, for example, a coal mine produces coal for a coal power plant, and an oil rig produces oil for an oil power plant. The goods produced by these factories may be distributed to smaller factories or shops, such as gasoline to a gas station, coming from a gas storage facility, which retrieves the gas from an oil refinery, and so on.

Supplying a factory with electric power will increase the production and allows for fine-tuning the economy. Passengers and mail are transported between different cities and tourist attractions, and may use several methods of transportation to reach their destinations.

The ''Simutrans'' executable can run many different paksets, which is a package containing files called paks. Paks are files with graphic and data files that Simutrans uses to determine the objects in the game, their resolution, appearance, and behavior. Gaming experience is therefore very dependent on the pakset used.

''Simutrans'' currently features 12 [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] players, and has an online capability similar to ''OpenTTD'' since version 110.0. The terrain in ''Simutrans'' is freely-modifiable, and different layers like tunnels and bridges can be stacked, allowing for subways or highways to be constructed. It has a day and night cycle, different [[climate]]s and [[season]]s. Nearly all modes of transportation exist in ''Simutrans''. At least [[bus]]es/[[truck]]s, [[train]]s, and [[ship]]s are always provided. If defined in the pakset, [[aircraft]], [[monorail]]s and [[maglev]]s can also be used.

''Simutrans'' features an online multiplayer mode.<ref>{{Cite web |title=servers.simutrans.org - Server listing |url=http://servers.simutrans.org/list |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=servers.simutrans.org}}</ref> Players can join an online game using the in-game server browser. ''Simutrans-Extended'' also features an online mode,<ref>{{cite web |title=Server listing |url=http://list.extended.simutrans.org:8080/list |website=list.extended.simutrans.org |access-date=26 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405175408/http://list.extended.simutrans.org:8080/list |archive-date=Apr 5, 2023 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref> including a long-term semi-persistent online server<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bridgewater-Brunel Simutrans-Extended server |url=http://bridgewater-brunel.me.uk/ |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=bridgewater-brunel.me.uk}}</ref> in which the game world typically lasts over a year before being reset.

==Customization==
[[File:Fuzzy bigundergroundhub.jpg|thumb|250px|Underground mode (pak128)]]
The ''Simutrans'' executable must load a pakset which contains the game's objects. Over the years several paksets have been created. An overview is given on the official page.<ref>{{cite web|title=PakSets|url=http://www.simutrans.com/paksets}}</ref>

''Simutrans'' can easily be expanded or modified. Simple modification can be done via editing the personal config file. Since the objects in the game just consist of a simple image and a short description file, it is very easy to create a house or add a train. Thus many contributed objects for all graphic sizes exist. The user can also add height maps and citylists which add city names into the game. Even deep modifications of the game mechanics are possible via the config file, like a setting to prevent stockpiling at factories or changing the economic model simulation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Release of Simutrans 120.1.1|url=http://forum.simutrans.com/index.php?topic=14942.0|website=forum.simutrans.com|date=2015-11-20|access-date=2017-02-18}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
[[GameDaily]]'s Big Download considered ''Simutrans'' to be one of the best [[freeware]] games, highlighting the logical system of routing passengers and freight to their destinations, decent AI opponents and the support for custom aesthetics or rules-sets. However, the sometimes unreliable vehicle pathfinding was criticized, particularly with respect to alternate routes and switches for train lines. The sound effects were deemed to be unengaging, and new players may be baffled by the range of transportation possibilities.<ref name="ff" />

Another review from Amiga Future came to very similar conclusions (apart from the lack of sound support on [[Amiga OS]]). In particular the depth of simulation and the stability were highlighted.<ref name="AF">{{cite journal|title=Amiga Future review|journal=Amiga Future|date=December 21, 2009|issue=82|pages=20–21|url=http://www.amigafuture.de/album_page.php?pic_id=14785}}</ref>

Between 2007 and June 2017 Simutrans was downloaded from [[SourceForge]] over 5.6 million times.<ref>[https://sourceforge.net/projects/simutrans/files/stats/timeline?dates=2001-07-10+to+2017-07-16 Simutrans - stats] on [[sourceforge.net]] (June 2017)</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of open source games]]
* ''[[OpenTTD]]''
* ''[[Transport Tycoon]]''
* ''[[RollerCoaster Tycoon]]''
* ''[[SimCity]]''
* ''[[SimCity 4: Rush Hour]]''
* ''[[Lincity]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Simutrans}}
* [http://www.simutrans.com Simutrans Homepage]
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/simutrans Simutrans] on [[SourceForge]]
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/ Simutrans Iron Bite] on [[SourceForge]]
* [https://github.com/jamespetts/simutrans-extended Simutrans-Extended] on [[GitHub]]

[[Category:Transport business simulation games]]
[[Category:Video games with isometric graphics]]
[[Category:Open-source video games]]
[[Category:Fan games]]
[[Category:1999 video games]]
[[Category:MorphOS games]]
[[Category:AmigaOS 4 games]]
[[Category:Linux games]]
[[Category:MacOS games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Cross-platform software]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Germany]]
[[Category:Transport Tycoon]]
[[Category:Software using the Artistic license]]