pak128.german InGame Help Online

This toolbar is used for constructing roads, bridges, tunnels, traffic signs, depots, and stops. When a tool is selected, the cursor changes to the corresponding icon. If playing with timeline, then as time passes in Simutrans more tool-options may appear, or some vanish. Hover mouse-cursor over tool-option (after opening or clicking on toolbar) to see name & where appropriate: construction cost, maintenance cost in brackets, maximum speed limit & maximum length.

Depots Here, vehicles can be purchased and unused vehicles stored. Depots can only be built at the ends of level roads. If you do not see a depot here at the start, the Public Authority is active. The Public Authority can neither build depots nor purchase vehicles. Depots and vehicles are always assigned to a specific player. Clicking on a depot with the magnifying glass opens the depot window, where you can buy buses, mail trucks, and lorries, as well as assign them schedules and routes.

Paths and roads have different maximum speed limits. If the timeline is enabled, roads with higher speed limits become available gradually over time. Maximum speed and construction costs are displayed in the blue tooltips. Demolishing any road costs the same as building it.

Simutrans only uses empty tiles or existing roads. Bridges, tunnels, railway lines, etc., are not included in the construction process. However, level crossings are built automatically. On slopes, construction is only possible in the direction of the incline. Roads are only permitted on gentle slopes; steep slopes must be flattened first. Corners and irregular terrain edges must be straightened.

When using the road construction tool on the map, the first click sets the start of the route, and the second sets the end point. The game constructs the shortest possible route between the two points. Existing road sections are incorporated into the new construction. It is also possible to drag the road using the mouse. If, however, you want to build a road parallel to an existing one, you must hold down the Ctrl key while building.
Tips: Different types of roads may connect even when built by different players. All players can use all roads. However, there is a "Private Road" sign that can be used to exclude other players from using a road. Use bridges & tunnels to connect roads across rough terrain, or to avoid obstructions. Use terraform tools to change terrain, to enable paths for road. Use Destroy/Remove to remove individual pieces of road & some obstructions. The last construction action can be undone for free by pressing z (without a refund of construction costs), provided nothing else has been built since. Press s to select the last used roadway tool.

Elevated roads A road is constructed on pillars one level above the ground. Connections to standard roads must be made via separately built ramps. Unlike bridges, elevated roads can run diagonally, but they cannot span over valleys, and their construction and maintenance are very expensive. Furthermore, bridges often allow higher speeds. In principle, elevated roads can be built over small buildings, though this is not recommended. Elevated roads do not prevent larger buildings from appearing beneath them when the buildings are renovated or rebuilt, which results in a visual mess.

Road bridges can be built in a similar way to roads: either by clicking the start and end points or by dragging the mouse. Depending on their design, bridges have a maximum span. If the bridge is started on a slope, the road continues at a level elevation. This works even on steep slopes or vertical cliffs, provided the bridge ends at the same elevation level. If the bridge starts or ends on flat terrain, a ramp is built to ascend one elevation level. Steep ramps or ramps spanning multiple elevation levels cannot be built.
The connecting road must be dragged onto the bridge, or the bridge must be built directly against the road; otherwise, the connection may fail to register. Individual sections of a bridge cannot be demolished; demolishing one end removes the entire bridge, including any structures built upon it.

Road tunnels always begin and end on a slope with a change in elevation. Tunnels cannot start on steep slopes or vertical cliffs; logically, this also applies to flat terrain. Tunnels can be built with a single mouse click, but be careful: if you misjudge the elevation of the planned exit, the tunnel might end up longer than expected, potentially tunneling halfway across the map. Therefore, check the tooltip before clicking. It displays the tunnel's length and the estimated costs. The program's developers decided against implementing a maximum tunnel length. The terrain at the tunnel exit may be adjusted automatically. Single-click tunnels are always built straight and at a constant elevation level. If a portal is demolished, the entire tunnel is demolished.
Helpful tip for tunnel construction: The grid toggled on and off using the # key, makes it easier to locate the point where the tunnel breaks through the surface. Use Roadway tools to connect tunnel-exits to roads. Missing tunnel connection are oft reason for not running vehicle.

It is certainly possible to build tunnels with curves and gradients inside a mountain. To do this, you must first construct the tunnel portal. Click on the hillside while holding down the Ctrl key; this creates only the tunnel portal. Next, switch to the underground construction tools and select the underground view (or the specific tunnel level using the level tools), then choose your desired tunnel type and continue building just as you would with standard roads.
Note: Tunnels look like standard roads, but if you accidentally select a standard road instead of a tunnel, you cannot build with it underground. You can switch to the underground view by pressing the U key (Shift+U) or via the Display Settings.
The underground construction tools feature red up and down arrows. These allow you to raise or lower tunnel ends inside the mountain by one level, enabling you to continue building the tunnel on a different level. Confusingly, this function is labeled "Embankments," as it mirrors the function found in the terrain construction tools.

Remove road section: This tool removes a road between two points in the game view, provided there are no player vehicles present. Stops, traffic signs, tunnels, bridges, and city cars on this section of the route are also removed. Demolishing costs the same as for building all of them and count as construction costs.
To remove a road: Click on the tool (the mouse cursor turns into a red cross). Then click on the start of the road section (the starting point is marked with a bulldozer). Finally, click on the end point of the section to be demolished. The shortest connection between the two points is removed. Intersecting roads remain intact.
Caution with one-way streets: The tool removes the shortest road connection in the direction of travel. If the tool is used against the direction of travel, it does not remove the intended road segment; instead, it removes the roads a vehicle would have to take to bypass the one-way street, which could be a very long distance! If you are lucky, a player vehicle might be somewhere, blocking the demolition.

Delineator posts, guardrails, and cable-stayed bridge pylons are purely decorative and do not affect gameplay. The tool icon for the cable-stayed bridge features a small "1," while the icon for the corresponding pylons features a small "2."

Traffic Light Traffic lights can only be placed at road intersections. They regulate road traffic. Clicking on a traffic light with the magnifying glass tool allows you to adjust the signal phases, for example, to create a "green wave" (synchronized green lights).

One-way signs, motorway signs All one-way signs and motorway signs function in the same way: they allow traffic to pass in only one direction at that specific point. Consequently, the one-way rule does not apply to the entire length of the road as it would in reality. Therefore, Simutrans requires two signs: one that permits traffic to enter the road and another that permits only exiting the road or motorway. Driving against the flow of traffic between these signs is still permitted. Motorway signs are intended to simulate a motorway on a two-lane road, placed at the beginning and end of a motorway section.

Private road Only vehicles permitted by the private road settings may pass this sign or location. However, residents of a private road will still park their vehicles on the road. If they meaning public transport vehicles are not permitted to drive on this private road, they will simply stop and block traffic. Therefore, this traffic sign does not help to keep a road clear of city vehicles.

Selection sign This sign operates similarly to a railway selection signal; it directs trucks or buses to available bays at the next scheduled stop if the designated stop is occupied. Like its railway counterpart, this sign has a potential pitfall: it refers not to the physically nearest stop, but to the next stop in the specific truck or bus's schedule. It is advisable to use this sign only within a bus station located away from through-traffic roads. Placing it on roads with through-traffic leads to blockages and strange behavior.

Stops are described in detail in the help section for the stop window. There are different types of stops: bus stops facilitate passenger traffic; freight depots handle goods traffic; and post stops handle mail traffic. Ultimately, it makes no difference which vehicle stops where.

Road cleanup is a script-driven tool that removes superfluous cross-streets from the dual-lane roads that Pak128.german builds in cities, allowing them to be converted into true motorways.
The construction of dual-lane roads can be disabled; please consult the tips in the pak's readme file for details.