2. Requirements

3. Interoperability

4. Demo

5. Installation

6. Updates

7. Display

8. Sound

9. Networking

10. Gameplay

11. Miscellaneous

12. Contact

1. Introduction

• 1.1 How to use this FAQ
  
  
  This FAQ allows you to navigate through the answers by category, or individually, or to view the entire FAQ at once. The full view is also suitable for printing.

  This FAQ is modelled on the Linux HOWTO documents for consistency and ease of navigation.

  
  
• 1.2 Authors
  
  
  The maintainers of the FAQ can be reached by e-mailing faqs@lokigames.com. Please send all correspondance directly related to the FAQlist tool to that address.
  
  

2. Requirements

• 2.1 What are the system requirements for the game? How do they compare to the Windows version?
  
  
  The listed system requirements are the same. That said, we think Linux users will enjoy all the benefits of Linux while running the game. It's not emulated at all, but a fully native Linux application running under X11.

  Minimum system requirements:
  Linux kernel 2.2.x GNU C Libraries (glibc) 2.x Pentium class processor 4-speed CD-ROM drive 16 MB RAM 200 MB free disk space XFree86 3.2.x or newer		8-bit or 16-bit color Video card capable of 1024x768 resolution SVGA monitor /dev/dsp compatible sound device (Enlightenment Sound Daemon also supported)

  
  
• 2.2 Does the game use 3D acceleration?
  
  
  No.
  
  
• 2.3 In what environment does the game run? Does it run in X or from the console with SVGALIB?
  
  
  The Linux version ships with support for X11R6.

  The 1.54b patch does include a dynamic version, which allows you to use a different version of SDL (the Simple DirectMedia Layer), including one you compile yourself. As of this writing, SDL includes support for SVGAlib, the frame buffer, and AAlib.

  Use of the dynamic version is not a supported configuration.

  
  
• 2.4 Can the game be played on all distributions of Linux?
  
  
  We spent a significant amount of development time ensuring that Railroad Tycoon 2: Gold Edition works properly with the major distributions.

  Because the game is designed for glibc, libc5 users may need to upgrade.

  
  
• 2.5 Which hardware platforms are supported by RT2?
  
  
  Railroad Tycoon 2 works on X86 Linux and PPC Linux. For PPC Linux, you will need to download a special installer (see Where can I get the update patches? for details).
  
  
• 2.6 Can I play RT2 on FreeBSD with Linux emulation?
  
  
  This is not an officially supported platform. However, some have made the game work on FreeBSD 3.1, by recompiling the kernel to support Posix extensions. We appreciate any feedback users can give us on this configuration, and will post tips and tricks to the FAQ as you supply them.
  
  
• 2.7 Will you be offering support for the PowerPC?
  
  
  The release CD contains i386 binaries and data files. We want to bring our games to Linux users running on various platforms, and are supporting them as resources permit.

  The current patches include a patch for the PPC architecture.

  
  
• 2.8 Does the game support Esound?
  
  
  RT2 has native support for esound.
  
  
• 2.9 Can I use my SBLive! card with RT2?
  
  
  The problems initially experienced by SBLive! users have apparently been solved in the latest open source drivers from Creative Labs.
  
  
• 2.10 Does the game fully support X-Windows? Would I be able to run the Linux game using an X-term on a Windows machine?
  
  
  Some people have been able to do this, but it tends to be slow and requires a very fast network connection between the two machines. It is an unsupported configuration.
  
  
• 2.11 Does the game run from the CD?
  
  
  It does not run from CD, and at least the base installation must be installed onto your hard disk.

  The base installation will use up approximately 180 MB of hard disk space. The two campaigns can be left on the cd, as can the movies for the campaigns. If installed to the hard disk, the campaigns and movies will take an additional 160+ MB of space. If the space is available, we recommend installing to the hard disk, as doing so will improve game performance, scenario loading time, etc.

  
  

3. Interoperability

• 3.1 Are the Windows and Linux versions save-game compatible? Are my Windows saved games playable on the Linux version, and vice versa?
  
  
  Save game formats are slightly different between the Windows and Linux versions, and are not compatible.
  
  
• 3.2 Can I play multiplayer under Linux against users playing RT2 for Windows?
  
  
  RT2 is not network compatible because the Windows version uses DirectPlay for networking. Since DirectPlay is a Microsoft product and uses proprietary calls which Microsoft has not documented, there is currently no way for us (or for Mac users) to write a game with compatible calls.
  
  
• 3.3 Would it be technically possible to use the Windows RT2 CD and then download the Linux binaries?
  
  
  No, the games use slightly different data file layout, and have some data file differences.
  
  

4. Demo

• 4.1 Where can I get the Railroad Tycoon 2 demo version?
  
  
  The Railroad Tycoon 2 demo is available through our Demo Launcher (http://www.lokigames.com/products/demos.php3).
  
  
• 4.2 What are the system requirements? Any different than the requirements for the full commercial version?
  
  
  The requirements listed for the full commercial version of the game are the same as those for the demo, except that the demo requires only 85+ MB of hard disk space, as opposed to 170+ for the full commercial version.

  Minimum system requirements:
  Linux kernel 2.2.x GNU C Libraries (glibc) 2.x Pentium class processor 4-speed CD-ROM drive 16 MB RAM 85 MB free disk space XFree86 3.2.x or newer		8-bit or 16-bit color Video card capable of 1024x768 resolution SVGA monitor /dev/dsp compatible sound device (Enlightenment Sound Daemon also supported)

  
  
• 4.3 How do I install the demo? Any tricks?
  
  
  1. Pull down the rt2-demo.run archive from one of our mirrors
  2. Go to the directory in which you would like to install the demo. Make sure that you have write permissions to the directory. (ex. cd /usr/local/games)
  3. Unpack the archive (ex. if you downloaded the archive into your home directory: sh ~/rt2-demo.run). A new "rt2_demo" directory should have been created.
  4. To run the game, just go to the new game directory and type "./rt2_demo" (or create symbolic links, or add the rt2_demo directory to your path).
  
  
• 4.4 Any known problems with the demo?
  
  
  The only major problem that we're aware of is that the game crashes when you try to enter sandbox mode (which should have been disabled for the demo anyway).
  
  
• 4.5 Is the demo supported at all?
  
  
  We don't offer telephone or e-mail support for the demo version, but we do want to take care of any problems/bugs that might exist, so we would be grateful if anyone experiencing problems would report those on our bug server/database. And, of course, our on-line resources (including this one) are available on our support page.
  
  

5. Installation

• 5.1 How do I install the game?
  
  
  1. Mount the CD-ROM using the "mount" command. If you are unsure how this works, please check the documentation for your Linux distribution. Generally, the format for mounting a CD-ROM under Linux is similar to:

         mount -t iso9660 -r /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
     

  2. Under X11, enter the command "sh [Mounted CD-ROM Path]/setup.sh". Be sure to replace the [Mounted CD-ROM Path] portion of this command with the correct path for the mounted CD-ROM. In the example above, the command would be:

         sh /mnt/cdrom/setup.sh
     

  3. Under "Global Options":
     • Enter the directory into which the game should be installed in the Install path: box. In the box labeled Binary directory, enter a directory in your $PATH where a symbolic link for the binary should be set up. Make sure you have write permissions in both of these directories.
  4. Under "Install Options":
     • You must install "Base Install" (the basic game files). You may choose to leave the Campaigns and the corresponding movie files on the CD. If you wish to write these files to your hard drive, click in the corresponding boxes.
     • Below the Install Options, the installer will display how much space is left on your partition, and how much the game will use per the options selected (181 MB just for the base install).
     • Check in the box for KDE/Gnome menu items if you would like them installed.
  5. You may view the game README at this point if you wish, by clicking on "View Readme". Otherwise, click on "Begin Install" to begin the copying of files.
  6. When the game has finished installing, you may choose either to launch it directly (click on "Play!") or to simply exit and run the game from the console.
  7. To run the game generally, just type "rt2" from the console (you shouldn't have to enter the complete path).
  
  
• 5.2 Do I have to be logged in as root to install the game?
  
  
  No, but you do have to have write privileges to /usr/local/games (or wherever you install the game).
  
  
• 5.3 After I install the game, it won't start, and gives me a "Segmentation Fault" error. I can't run the game at all.
  
  
  Chances are, you're running a Soundblaster Live! card with the beta drivers from Creative Labs. If you update to the current drivers, this problem should be resolved.

  If, for some reason that is impractical, see this answer for a workaround.

  
  
• 5.4 How do I set my path so that it can access the game directory?
  
  
  export PATH=$PATH:[installation directory] (replacing [installation directory] with the actual path to the installation, of course)
  
  

6. Updates

• 6.1 Where can I download the updates?
  
  
  The 1.54c patch is available through loki_update (http://updates.lokigames.com/).

  There is a 1.54b patch/installer for the PPC version (which requires the retail CD for the installation), available at http://www.lokigames.com/products/rt2/updates.php3.

  
  
• 6.2 What problems are addressed in these patches?
  
  
  1.54c:
  • Fixed hang when switching desktops in XFree86 4.0.
  • Fixed swapped second century campaign movies.
  • Fixed cargo loading on PowerPC.
  • Fixed winning conditions in the Geocore campaign.
  • Fixed typos in Brazil and Seattle Metro scenarios.
  • The mouse is no longer placed in direct mode (DGA).
  • Activated the voice-overs when you break windows.
  • Save games and edited maps are now saved compressed, if the --compress or -z command line option is used.
  1.54b:
  • Fixed crash when the AI is creating companies.
  • The server IP address is now properly used in finding network games.
  • You can now network with more than 2 players.
  • Defaults to fullscreen by default; the new fullscreen code does not require root privileges anymore, and should work on any XFree86 and compatible X11 server with at least the 1024x768 video mode defined in the XF86Config file. Use the Alt-Enter hotkey at any time to switch between fullscreen and windowed modes.
  • Proper CDROM detection on systems using supermount (Mandrake)
  • CD-ROM volume settings are now saved between games
  • The CD-ROM is now detected if it is mounted while the game is playing.
  • Initial PPC port work by TerraSoft (available in a separate archive). This port does not support networking with other versions of the game.

  1.54a:

  • Fixed splash screen appearing over main menu in fullscreen mode
  • Fixed 32-bit fullscreen blitting crash (new optimized C blitters)
  • Now clears screen during campaign videos
  • Fixes campaign map corruption for maps 08 through 15
  • Fixed X shutdown when the game crashes and is started from menu
  
  
• 6.3 How do I apply the updates?
  
  
  Just run the script. It will autodetect your installation, and modify/add the files it needs to. It doesn't matter where the script is in your filesystem when you run it. It doesn't have to be in the game directory.

      sh rt2-1.54a-x86.sh
  

  or

      sh rt2-1.54b-x86.sh
  

  NOTE: You don't have to be logged in as root to run the upgrade, but you do need to have write permissions to the game directory and files. (It's a good idea to run the upgrade script logged in as the same user under which you installed the game.)
  
  

7. Display

• 7.1 How do I keep Window Manager Task Bars from getting in my way when playing the game?
  
  
  The power and flexibility of the Linux window managers makes them very nice for the user. Unfortunately they make the user interface completely non-standard. There's no way to tell beforehand what keys are remapped, no way to tell whether or not your window has decorations, etc.

  Here are suggestions for some of the major window managers:

  • In KDE, open the panel-setup with:
    K -> panel -> configure
    then, select the panel tab, set taskbar to hidden, click ok. Now the taskbar is gone, only the panel is on top of the game. It can be minimized, by clicking on the small black triangle on the left (or top) side of the panel. You can also open the configuration screen by right-clicking the panel bar and selecting "configure" from the pop-up menu.
  • If you're running an FVWM based window manager and running the game at your full screen size, but the title bars don't disappear, add the line MWMDecorHints to your window manager initialization file. This is known to work with AfterStep and FVWM.
  • In GNOME, set the panel to autohide.
  • With some distributions, you can also start X with "xinit" rather than "startx", so that you're not using a window manager at all. Or you can run the X server in a different resolution so that the game won't run full screen. (See this answer.)
  
  
• 7.2 Does the game have GNOME or KDE support (adding itself to task bars, etc)?
  
  
  Just make sure the box next to "Desktop menu items (KDE/Gnome)" in the setup screen is selected, and the game will add itself to the KDE/Gnome menu during the installation.
  
  
• 7.3 How can I iconify the game and have it run in the background?
  
  
  Typing CNTL-z iconifies the game. When the game is iconified, it is paused and uses very little CPU time.
  
  
• 7.4 How can I change my screen size? Is it possible to run RT2 in a window rather than at full screen size?
  
  
  RT2 always runs at 1024x768. If you want it to display in a window (and be able to see the whole window at once), you need to be running X at a higher resolution, such as 1152x864, 1280x1024, or 1600x1200.

  If there is no video mode for 1024x768 defined in your X configuration, RT2 will not be able to switch to full-screen, and it will run windowed by default.

  Alternatively, you can run RT2 with the command-line

      rt2 -w
  

  to force it into windowed mode.
  
  
• 7.5 How can I get the game to play fullscreen if I'm not logged in as root?
  
  
  For the version that was shipped:

  If you're running in 1024x768 resolution, the game will use the whole screen. If you want the game to use the DGA extensions to switch to fullscreen, run the game as root. DGA fullscreen allows slightly better performance by writing to /dev/mem directly, rather than going through X buffers. To allow non-root access to this, you need to put yourself in a trusted group and give the group access to /dev/mem.

  NOTE: This is a security risk and should not be used on machines where security is important.

  For the patched version:

  Due to updates to SDL, DGA is no longer required to run full-screen. If you are running as someone other than root, you will be able to switch to 1024x768 fullscreen without having access to /dev/mem, provided X has been configured to include a 1024x768 mode.

  
  
• 7.6 When I try to scroll with the mouse, I have a hard time scrolling up and down, as my hidden task bars keep getting in the way. What can I do?
  
  
  In addition to scrolling with the mouse, you can also scroll with the arrow keys. Also, with a three button mouse, pressing the middle button and dragging will scroll the screen around.
  
  
• 7.7 How can I maximize graphics speed when running the game?
  
  
  There are a couple of tricks that will speed things up for you:
  • X should be run in 16-bit color for those who wish to speed up graphics. Using 24- or 32-bit color forces X to convert 16-bit images to 32-bit before it displays them -- a severe penalty for MHz challenged machines. You can make sure you're running in 16-bit color by starting x with "startx -- -bpp 16".
  • Run it without a window manager or desktop environment (if you aren't already). Basically replace what is in your .xinitrc with this one line: /usr/local/games/RT2/rt2 (or whatever path you put rt2 in). You might want to back up your old .xinitrc just in case.
  • Later on in the game it can help a lot to play with some of the game settings. Click on the "Control Panel" icon on the left side of the screen, then click "Graphics", and turn some of the settings down. It will also help to make sure that "Color Mouse Cursor" and "Grid Lines" are turned off on the main control panel screen.
  
  

8. Sound

• 8.1 The sound effects work, but why won't the music play from the CD?
  
  
  You need read permissions for the CD-ROM drive. Usually this is /dev/hdc, but it may be different on your machine. If you aren't sure, look at the link for /dev/cdrom (ls -l /dev/cdrom). Then run the command chmod o+r /dev/hdc (using your device for /dev/hdc). Also, make sure that your cdrom device is listed in /etc/fstab as an iso9660 device. You should see a line something like this when you "cat /etc/fstab":

      /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 user,ro 0 0
  

  If you have more than one CDROM device, check here to see how to tell the game which one to use.
  
  
• 8.2 If I have a music CD in when I start the game, the music CD will start to play. If I pull up a CD player app and stop it, it keeps restarting. How do I stop this?
  
  
  You need to turn off music from within the game -- this can be done from the control panel (just set the music volume to "0". Also, if you don't want the game accessing your CD-ROM, you can use the command line option --nocdrom when running the game.
  
  
• 8.3 Why I don't hear any sound?
  
  
  First be sure that you have sound support compiled into your kernel and that you have installed an OSS supported sound card. Next, make sure that you have read/write permissions to /dev/dsp (chmod a+rw /dev/dsp). If sound still doesn't work, contact your Linux distributor for more assistance. Once sound is properly installed on your system RT2 will use it automatically. There is no need to do any sound configuration within the game itself.
  
  
• 8.4 I have multiple CD-ROMs. How do I tell the game which one to use?
  
  
  You can set the environment variable SDL_CDROM to the full pathname of the CD device you want the game to use. ("export SDL_CDROM=/dev/hdc", for example)
  
  
• 8.5 Is there a workaround for the SoundBlaster Live! crashes?
  
  
  There should be no issues if you are using the current drivers from Creative Labs' driver page.

  There is a work-around involving eSound in the CTP FAQ.

  
  

9. Networking

• 9.1 How do I chat in a network game?
  
  
  Hit the TAB key and a type what you want to say. The text should appear along the bottom of the screen as you type it, and disappear when you hit Enter.
  
  
• 9.2 How do I individualize my character in the game?
  
  
  In the initial TCP/IP dialogue, where you select or create a server, click "Change" to modify characteristics of your player. (name, picture, description, etc.)
  
  
• 9.3 How do I play a network/internet game through a Linux Masquerading firewall?
  
  
  RT2 does not support playing through a firewall at this time.
  
  
• 9.4 Do the computers have to be on the same subnet to play networked games of RT2?
  
  
  No. All players just need to know the IP address of the server machine. The game doesn't rely on broadcasts, so machines needn't be on the same subnet to play.

  Unfortunately, there is a bug in both 1.54 and 1.54a that prevents connections from outside the same subnet from working. This will be fixed in a later update.

  
  
• 9.5 Are there no internet servers to connect to? How are connections made?
  
  
  There are no public internet servers to connect to for RT2. Basically, you will just have to set up times with friends to start games, and agree on one machine to host. One machine acts as server, and all of the other machines enter its IP address to connect.
  
  
• 9.6 Can you join a game once it's in progress?
  
  
  No. Games are closed once they're started. All players start off in a lobby, have a chance to approve/disapprove of settings, and then once all have approved and the game is launched, no new players can join.
  
  
• 9.7 On a multihomed host, how do I tell the game which interface to use?
  
  
  Edit the file ~/.loki/rt2/userprofile.txt and add the line "ipaddress = X.X.X.X", where X.X.X.X is the IP address of the interface you want to use.
  
  

10. Gameplay

• 10.1 Everything keeps running along, and I don't have time to do any planning! How do I pause the game?
  
  
  Pressing the "Pause" key pauses the game without minimizing; "Ctrl-z" pauses and minimizes the game.

  NOTE: Some Window Managers may bind the "Pause" key, and using the "+" and "-" keys will also speed up and slow down game play. (Slowing down to 0 is the same as pausing.)

  
  
• 10.2 I can't build any tracks. Everywhere I try, the game tells me that I don't have rights to build there. How do I get rights?
  
  
  Click on the little factory icon down at the bottom of the screen. Then double click on your company's name.

  On the book that comes up, click on the "Territories" tab, and click "Consult" under the territory in which you would like to build. You have to purchase rights for each territory separately.

  
  
• 10.3 I built some track, two stations, and a train. Now my train is telling me that no track is available. What's going on?
  
  
  You've probably purchased an electric train, and are trying to run it on regular tracks. In order to use electric trains at all, you have to lay electric tracks (the track with the little lightning bolt on it that comes up at the bottom of the screen when you're laying tracks).
  
  
• 10.4 My trains keep stopping in between stations. What am I doing wrong?
  
  
  First of all, check the grade on your tracks. The steeper the grade, the slower your trains will go (and some won't go at all over some grades with some loads). Even for mildly steep grades, you'll want to lighten the load on your trains.
  
  
• 10.5 How can I tell where a certain resource/product is produced on the map if I need it for another town?
  
  
  Click on the "Map Overview" icon (the little globe) on the left side of the screen. Then choose the resource that you would like to track from the list that comes up.

  Now the resource you're trying to track should be the only one written on the map. Zoom the map out for a more comprehensive view. Facilities which demand the resource have the name written next to them in yellow, and producers are written in white.

  
  
• 10.6 Does the Linux version have a map/scenario editor?
  
  
  Yes, there is a map editor with the Linux version of RT2. Start it by clicking the "Editor" button on the initial game screen. Then you can decide whether you want to edit an existing map, or create a new one from scratch.
  
  
• 10.7 Where is the 'Editor.txt' file referred to in the manual?
  
  
  This file is incorrectly listed as being on the CD. While it is packaged on the CD, it is in one of the data archives. After installation, Editor.txt is located in your RT2 install directory (by default, /usr/local/games/RT2), and it is called Editor.txt.
  
  
• 10.8 How do I load games from the pre-designed maps available from your site and PopTop's web site?
  
  
  Pre-designed maps are available from PopTop.

  To use these maps, you just need to decompress them ("unzip" for the files from PopTop), and then copy the .mp2 etc. files into the game directory's "maps" subdirectory. Then you should be able to load them just like other single player scenario maps.

  
  
• 10.9 Where can I get more game tips?
  
  
  Have a look at PopTop's RT2 links page for links to lots of sites with information about getting the most out of Railroad Tycoon II: Gold Edition.
  
  

11. Miscellaneous

• 11.1 Video Memory Protecting
  
  
  This isn't really an error. The X Direct Graphics Access drivers are just verbose about resetting the graphics modes, which it does just to be safe even if they haven't changed.

  Since the updates no longer use DGA to set full-screen, this message should not be appearing after the patches have been applied.

  
  
• 11.2 The saved games take up a lot of space. Is there some way of compressing them?
  
  
  You can, of course, compress them manually (they are located in ~/.loki/rt2/games), but the game will not be able to read them directly.

  However, starting with version 1.54c, RT2 includes the commandline --compress (abbreviation: -z), which will cause the saved games to be compressed. Note that you do not need to specify this in order to read compressed saved games, but it does dictate whether the games are written compressed.

  By using this option, your saved games will not be compatible with other platforms (e.g. Windows), just with other Linux RT2 players.

  
  

12. Contact

• 12.1 How do I report a bug?
  
  
  Please visit our publicly accessible bug database (http://fenris.lokigames.com/) and post a bug report. Be sure to first check the list of known bugs and fixes/patches.
  
  
• 12.2 How can I receive technical support?
  
  
  We support our products by e-mail (preferred) and phone. Phone support is available by calling (714) 508-2140 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) Monday through Friday, except holidays.
  
  

Support inquries should be addressed to support@lokigames.com.
FAQ's maintained by faqs@lokigames.com.