Pineapple Graphics is a suite of high-resolution base graphics and extra content for OpenTTD, a free and open-source transport game.
About this project
What is Pineapple Graphics?
Pineapple Graphics is a suite of high-resolution base graphics and extra content for OpenTTD (openttd.org), a free and open-source transport game. I'm using a combination of 3d modelling and rendering, procedural drawing, and old-fashioned pixel pushing to generate thousands of highly-detailed trains, planes, automobiles, houses and industries, and posting updates on my progress at http://www.pikkarail.com.
What is OpenTTD?
OpenTTD is an open-source remake of the 1995 game Transport Tycoon Deluxe. It's a non-violent, educational strategy game, with a depth and enjoyment factor that no other transport simulation has managed to replicate.
OpenTTD is free, available on multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux etc), has cross-platform LAN and Internet multiplayer and is still being actively improved by a keen team of developers. There's just one thing holding it back... The graphics.
Most people play OpenTTD using either the original Transport Tycoon graphics, or a replacement set created by the community (OpenGFX). These graphics looked fine on a 256 colour SVGA display in the late 1990s, but they're woefully out-of-date and unappealing to a modern audience.
What will this project produce?
- A new set of high-resolution base graphics ("Pineapple Base").
Base graphics are the graphics required to play OpenTTD - the interface, the landscape, and the basic vehicles, industries and houses. A player using Pineapple Base will have the same gameplay experience as one using the older base sets; just with much nicer graphics!
This base set will be released under a CC-BY-SA licence, to allow it to be freely distributed and updated to maintain compatibility with future versions of OpenTTD.
- A suite of extra content vehicles, industries, houses...
OpenTTD can load extra content files called "NewGRFs" which modify the game and add features not found in the original Transport Tycoon Deluxe. These new features include things like animated steam locomotive wheels, wagons which can refit to different cargos, and more complex industry behaviour.
As part of Pineapple Graphics, I will create fully-featured NewGRFs for each of the four transport types (Trains, Road Vehicles, Aircraft and Ships), for rail stations, for town buildings, and for industries. The first of these NewGRFs, Pineapple Trains, is already available - you can download it and try it out in OpenTTD now!
The target date for completing the base set is April 1st, 2016. This is the expected release date of the next major version of OpenTTD (1.6.0).
- ...and more?
The initial funding target will buy me enough time to produce the base and newgrfs by April next year. With more funding, I can spend more time and explore more ideas!
I'd love to do more for the OpenTTD community; 2d and 3d templates for other content creators to use, tutorials, perhaps even a small GUI trainset creation program. And, of course, the 3d assets created for Pineapple could be useful in other, newer, games...
I'll formalise some of my ideas as stretch goals once we get near the intial funding target. Stay tuned!
Risks and challenges
Or: about me, and why Kickstarter?
Most people in the OpenTTD community will already know me: I am "Pikka", and have been creating newgrfs for OpenTTD for nearly a decade now. I am the author or co-author of some of the most popular NewGRFs available; the UK Railway Set, North American Railway Set, and Av8 aircraft. I also helped create many of the new features in OpenTTD, such as trams and secondary company colours.
Undertaking such a large suite of projects is certainly a challenge, but that's why I'm running this Kickstarter. Your funding will allow me to treat Pineapple development as a job and dedicate serious time to it, rather than as a hobby which has to give way to other commitments.
I'd love to bring my vision for OpenTTD to life, and create something which expands and enriches our gaming community for years to come.
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Rewards
Funding period
- (20 days)