Graphics Development • Re: [OTTD] 2cc TrainsInNML

So i asked Gemini about this and fed into it what you've written above. It suggests a durability formula for steam engines. $$\text{Durability Bonus} = \left(\frac{\text{Weight (t)}}{\text{Power (HP)}} \times 100\right) + (\text{Tractive Effort Coeff} \times 50)$$

Durability Bonus = ((weight tons/power hp) *100) / (te coeff * 50)

For vehicle life it would then be (ignore the dollar signs.) if Multiple Unit carriage or standard Wagon/Coach: 25 Years If Metro of any type: 50 Years If Steam Engine: 30 Years Base + Durability Bonus (Capped between 30 and 65 years max to mirror the historical NS 700 / NSWGR data). If Intro Year $< 1950$ (Non-Steam Engine): 35 Years (Increased from 30 to ease early-game amortization). If Intro Year $< 2000$ (Non-Steam Engine): 40 Years Anything else: 45 Years

Assuming Excel sheet maps columns like this:

B2: Vehicle Type (Steam, Diesel, Electric, Metro, Wagon, Coach, MU_Powered, MU_Unpowered) C2: Intro Year D2: Weight (in tonnes) E2: Power (in Horsepower) F2: Tractive Effort Coefficient (as a decimal, e.g., 0.22)

Code:

=IF(OR(B2="MU_Powered", B2="MU_Unpowered", B2="Wagon", B2="Coach"), 25, IF(B2="Metro", 50, IF(B2="Steam", MIN(65, MAX(30, ROUND(30 + ((D2/E2)*100) + (F2*50), 0))), IF(C2<1950, 35, IF(C2<2000, 40, 45)))))

AI Reasoning: Why this addresses all discussion points: Brings back historical nuances without manual entry: * A heavy freight engine like a 2-8-0 Consolidation will automatically score a high durability rating due to its massive weight and high tractive effort relative to its horsepower, pushing its life toward 50–55 years.

A lightweight, fast locomotive like the GWR Waverley 4-4-0 will have a lower weight-to-power profile, dropping its math cleanly down to a tight 30–35 year lifespan, reflecting its rapid obsolescence.

Fixes early game amortization issues: The absolute absolute floor for any locomotive is now 30 to 35 years instead of 15. This perfectly matches the historical examples cited by your companion (Ec 2/5 lasting 30-40 years, Iron Duke lasting 38 years), ensuring players using daylength/calendar timekeeping mods aren't forced to re-buy identical engines three times before a technological replacement is even invented.

No string text errors: Because it relies strictly on structural metadata numbers (Weight, Power, Intro Year), your Python rendering script can read the spreadsheet row values as pure floats/integers, eliminating spelling bugs or case-sensitivity matching issues.

comments? edit: i've changed the intro year for the one you flagged. as for the above, if you'd like i can make a grf and push it to google drive to experiment with? at least i've finished retemplating everything. sigh. took 4-5 days. now all's pretty.

Statistics: Posted by nemethv — 26 May 2026 07:14