Train Time by Pietdagamer

[raw]
made by Pietdagamer for LD31 (JAM)
Welcome to Train Time!

In Train Time, you can build, manage and expand your own rail network and train. Build a small rail and 2 stations with the starter money and get your railroad started. Use the switches to make sure your train doesn't derail and stays on the right path. The further away stations are form eachother, the more profit you will get. Upgrade your train to unlock faster trains with more room.

The game is written in C# and uses XNA.

Installation instructions:
- Unzip this package
- Run 'XNA4.0_Redistributable.msi' to install the XNA framework on your computer.
- Run setup.exe

Controls:

Click the hammer to start building
Click on any tile to place a building
Use the scroll wheel to scroll through buildings
Use A/D or Left/Right to rotate buildings
Click the explosion to start destroying
Click on any tile to destroy a building
Hover over the other buttons to find out what they do
Hold H to bring up the help menu
Click on a switch to set it to a different direction

I am definitly going to polish this game and add more features once the jam is over. Please put all your suggestions in the comments!

Gamejolt page: http://gamejolt.com/games/strategy-sim/train-time/41058/

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall(Jam) 2.98 709
Fun(Jam) 2.91 607
Graphics(Jam) 2.38 873
Humor(Jam) 2.20 702
Innovation(Jam) 3.15 426
Mood(Jam) 2.57 817
Theme(Jam) 3.50 552

Feedback

hwinwuzhere
08. Dec 2014 · 17:28 UTC
I like it. It starts out a bit hard, but it's a fun game to play. I can see myself playing this hours upon hours if it were to be developed further.
jellyislovely
08. Dec 2014 · 18:19 UTC
Any chance of a Mac version? I tried running it on under Wine but with no luck. Is it even possible to port C# and XNA to OSX? No worries if not, it looks great in the screenshots and I'm impressed you managed to make a rail network game in this amount of time.
Andrea
08. Dec 2014 · 18:30 UTC
Very cool game! Same thing with a little more to do, like more upgrades for the train stations and such and I'd definitely buy it :D
Gemberkoekje
08. Dec 2014 · 18:41 UTC
Unfortunately, I found it not quite fun, and somewhat buggy. I have one of them switches, but for some reason, the train just goes straight.
Also, I personally dislike the fact that you added a setup, I don't think it was necessary and it ends up taking longer before I can play.
I do see potential, so I hope you keep trying, but it just isn't it yet for me.
Finally, as a quick little hint: keep the 'press h to show help' on screen so I don't forget what button to press if I need help.
AlSweigart
08. Dec 2014 · 18:44 UTC
Menus were hard to navigate, and I wasn't sure if the tracks were actually matching up. It'd be nice if they automatically connected to each other. With development, I could see this becoming a pretty cool game though.
Wevel
08. Dec 2014 · 19:01 UTC
Nice idea but needs a bit more work.
rabbit
08. Dec 2014 · 19:08 UTC
Really good starting point for a game, but its not quite there yet. Keep it up.
LuthienCeleste
08. Dec 2014 · 19:33 UTC
It gets a bit repetitive after a while but with some more elements it could get interesting.
Catwheel
08. Dec 2014 · 19:41 UTC
I thought this was pretty cool, but I ultimately felt there wasn't a goal. I think it could benefit from some goals or achievements, something similar to incremental games, where the next goal seems to close that you keep going. keep it up!
🎤 Pietdagamer
08. Dec 2014 · 19:50 UTC
@jellyislovely: I *think* it might be possible to port it using Monogame, but I don't know much about it. (and making the train stick to the rails took more time than I'd like to admit)

@Gemberkoekje: I added the setup screen because a lot of people don't read the description before they play the game. The switch problem is probably that you have to set it to a different mode by clicking on it (you'll see the rails on the switch change direction). Keeping the help key on screen is a great suggestion, thanks!

@AlSweigart: I might continue this project after the jam, automatically connecting rails are a great idea! I can't believe I couldn't think of that when developing.

@Catwheel: I guess the goal is to upgrade your train to the max, and create an awesome railway. I would like to add some more stuff like buildings, mountains, lakes and forests to the game in the future if I keep developing this.
nuiguy
08. Dec 2014 · 22:21 UTC
Wow!! This is a truly amazing game, that I really think that you should expand on some more!!! Maybe just improve that graphics a little, add some sounds and slight bit more story, and submit to Steam Greenlight!!!!
Geti
09. Dec 2014 · 09:19 UTC
Please make your package extract to its own folder, not dump files into the ether :)

On the game: loved it! As others have said, with a bit more love this would be one hell of a game - multiple trains, more parts (bumpers!), programmable (ie timed or triggered) switches...

One request in the shorter term, passenger exchange having a limited amount of time would be great :P I've watched it count up and down from 58 probably too many times now!

There seem to be some issues with it counting up and then down and then up again, which makes that last point all the more annoying - still, very nice for the time!
MaddeStudios
09. Dec 2014 · 10:37 UTC
I REALLY like trains. A bit more work and this could be really good!
Jaenis
09. Dec 2014 · 18:12 UTC
A bit slow start but develops to a quite fun game. Would love to see more polished version!
sweenist
09. Dec 2014 · 18:20 UTC
A restart button would make this more awesome, or an undo button. I could get addicted to this with a few tweaks
SpartanIceCream
09. Dec 2014 · 19:52 UTC
Nice
ENDESGA
09. Dec 2014 · 23:14 UTC
Awesome game :) love it
angela
11. Dec 2014 · 02:43 UTC
I like the idea, and didn't have any of the problems some of the others had - my rails snapped right into place, switches worked just fine. +1 for well programmed. The only problem is that, if I wanted, I could make a loop, let it run, and come back in an hour to lots of money. I think you need some mechanics that give it some risk and challenge. For instance, maybe you could do something like make the player balance passenger "missions" with freight "missions" in order to optimize profit. Maybe stations would have to close if the train didn't make it on time. That type of thing.
hbocao
18. Dec 2014 · 23:13 UTC
Cool concept! It felt like more a casual game to me, so I can see working on mobile. Nice job!
I really disliked the need to install the game :(