TresCom Forums

This thread is for discussion and progress reports on Train Station, part of the expanded level set.
Currently, most of the zone for this level is covered in InGen Town Reloaded. However, if the IT retail files don't "like" this much being added, a separate transitional level for the Train Station will come in handy. Train Station may be entered from either Burroughs or the East Basin. A hillside path (or possibly road?) may lead Anne from here into the far southern edge of the Plains, or she may follow the railroad tracks into the Swamplands, making this level a crossroads of Site B (quite befitting a real train station). The rail system of Site B is intended mainly for transporting materials and cargo, brought to the island at the main harbor, to the interior where the worker village lies, making use of the less rugged terrain around the island's northern and eastern coasts. Transport trucks are then loaded at the station to bring the containers back and forth for the rest of the short distance to the town. A small harbor and control tower can be found at the rocky shore nearby for basic boat traffic, but is not used for cargo shipping of any kind. Whoever takes leadership of this level will have to keep all these things in mind - not a whole lot of room for developing themes on your own, but lots of groundwork and basic ideas in place to get the level's progress on track and with a real goal in mind.

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->Tres2020 Starter Kit

"Well, as long as you're under there, you can check the breakers," Thorne said. ... "There's a box right behind the front bumper. Over on the left."
"I see it." [said Sarah]
...
"The box is in backward. Flip all the switches the other way. Are you dry?"
"No, Doc. I'm soaking wet, lying in the damn mud."
~Michael Crichton

Intended pun? XD

Honestly I think some sort of ... god I've forgotten the name of it... the place where trains are left when unused... like a shed or something, anyways I've imagined traversing a yard with rusting trains that are falling apart (well... train) boxes, oil drums and piles of coal or wood (depending on the train, it wouldn't be electric would it?) and then to find three raptors (t'would be more than enough honestly) prowling the area.

Such a yard would not be all that far from the station itself, or may even be part of the station, it also offers a place for exploration, detail and for anything extra we may wish.
Either that or finding cars (train cars) derailed, or still on the rails while the train is missing further ahead would be fun to find, adding to the sense that everything is slowly returning back to it's primitive state.

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Anthropology ~ A beautiful tale.
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Totally unintended XD

And those are all sweet ideas. You've also just made me think about trying to make a puzzle for progression from this level.. For the train track, idk maybe some kind of lock has to be figured to allow passage? Maybe Anne has to find some boards to lay across the broken track (which lock into place for ease of physics)? And something else would need to be figured for the transition between TS and PL..

Who is going to be the project leader for this? I'd love to put Slug in charge, since he's a huge train fanatic, but I'm afraid he wouldn't be around for much leading.. Maybe a train level would get him to come 'round more often.

_________________
->Tres2020 Starter Kit

"Well, as long as you're under there, you can check the breakers," Thorne said. ... "There's a box right behind the front bumper. Over on the left."
"I see it." [said Sarah]
...
"The box is in backward. Flip all the switches the other way. Are you dry?"
"No, Doc. I'm soaking wet, lying in the damn mud."
~Michael Crichton

I agree with Draco, sweet ideas Rex . I can easily imagine that.
Btw. How about setting a raptor inside a train? If there's a puzzle, where you need to find something in the train, then the raptor would make it a bit more difficult *devil-smiley*

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Yes, my avatar is indeed a dino cookie.

I'd imagine a diesel train would be a suitable train, steam could still git in, whatever up to the level designer.

In fact I just happened to come across these:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/317775521PRDdyi
A google search turns up more: http://www.google.co.uk/search?rlz=1C1G ... imon+train
Check out some links and images.
Best of all its in Costa Rica, so very similar environment.

VERY nice.. We might just go with that.

ooooo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18623248@N00/19075421/
Dude. Perfect.

This is officially what our train yard should look like.

_________________
->Tres2020 Starter Kit

"Well, as long as you're under there, you can check the breakers," Thorne said. ... "There's a box right behind the front bumper. Over on the left."
"I see it." [said Sarah]
...
"The box is in backward. Flip all the switches the other way. Are you dry?"
"No, Doc. I'm soaking wet, lying in the damn mud."
~Michael Crichton

Dude, that's a perfect image! (last one on Draco's post btw) will we have grass growing over the tracks? *can totally imagine Tres trees in there*

_________________
~ They told me humans weren't real... I proved them wrong.
Anthropology ~ A beautiful tale.
EpicZen
Carnivores Hub ~ Need the full games without all the hassle of torrents or viruses? Run on over to EpicZen's Carnivores Hub!

Yeah dude. *totally imagines it also*

_________________
->Tres2020 Starter Kit

"Well, as long as you're under there, you can check the breakers," Thorne said. ... "There's a box right behind the front bumper. Over on the left."
"I see it." [said Sarah]
...
"The box is in backward. Flip all the switches the other way. Are you dry?"
"No, Doc. I'm soaking wet, lying in the damn mud."
~Michael Crichton

Being a number of years after abandonment I'd imagine it would appear just like that with the tracks covered, but maybe some desolate spots as well with just weeds poking through, sort gravel/stoney dirt area, perhaps where chemicals were stored.

There are actually loads of good pictures
http://www.loupiote.com/photos_m/190755 ... a-rica.jpg

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... jAeq4oW-Cw More in that guys album

Those these are of course taken where people are around so maybe the train looks more torn apart than if it were left alone. Though there wouldn't be too much difference at all.

There are all kinds of puzzles that could go on, maybe to reach high up places would require moving a train car or other things. I can actually think of Left 4 dead right now, Blood Harvest where you have to get onto a bridge...

Before you go picking images willy-nilly, you need to consider a few things:

- What type of engines would InGen have operated? Diesel? Electric?
- How are they transporting? Freight? Passengers? both? How much service does this rail line see?
- How long is rail line?

You'll also need to consider block/control systems, signal towers...

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0066521C: 'Cannot create local swap file - Is Trespasser installed??',0Ah,0
"Cold lino was the driving force behind world power!"

Sorry, double-post, but, this is an excellent site for railroad related images: http://www.railpictures.net/
And if you're going to include a yard, then read the 10 Commandments of Yard Design: http://www.housatonicrr.com/yard_des.html

Definition: A "station" is a very loose term; "passenger stations" deal with permitting customers to board/de-board railroad coaches while a "freight station" is one that strictly handles the loading/unloading of freight. Typically freight houses were separate from passenger stations, but combination stations were utilized on low-traffic lines.

The structure in the image that Draco posted is more along the lines of an engine shed. Engine servicing facilities were seperate from passenger operations, off on a spur or at the end of the line. Usually adjacent to the rail yard. There are other buildings associated with it, such as fabrication buildings to produce parts (I'd imagine that InGen wouldn't want to wait around for a part to arrive from the mainland).

Different locomotives fulfilled different operational roles. Smaller engines were restricted to yard work and not for hauling freight along the mainline.

I have books and blueprints. Typically, at least for the Pennsylvania Railroad these structures were built from bricks.

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0066521C: 'Cannot create local swap file - Is Trespasser installed??',0Ah,0
"Cold lino was the driving force behind world power!"

As a note, I've actually long since decided to rename this level "Train Yard", or TY. First person to guess the real reason for changing the name (other than Anna) gets a candy corn.

_________________
->Tres2020 Starter Kit

"Well, as long as you're under there, you can check the breakers," Thorne said. ... "There's a box right behind the front bumper. Over on the left."
"I see it." [said Sarah]
...
"The box is in backward. Flip all the switches the other way. Are you dry?"
"No, Doc. I'm soaking wet, lying in the damn mud."
~Michael Crichton

. Can I get the candy corn, if no one guesses it? :3

_________________
Yes, my avatar is indeed a dino cookie.

Erm, Anna, you get candy corns regardless

_________________
->Tres2020 Starter Kit

"Well, as long as you're under there, you can check the breakers," Thorne said. ... "There's a box right behind the front bumper. Over on the left."
"I see it." [said Sarah]
...
"The box is in backward. Flip all the switches the other way. Are you dry?"
"No, Doc. I'm soaking wet, lying in the damn mud."
~Michael Crichton

I do? YAY!

_________________
Yes, my avatar is indeed a dino cookie.