Rapid Area Transport System. (Project Refurbished)

[Pink_Luigi]

For roughly 2 months prior to patch 1.8. Chittebengo, Vintage_Griffin, Takyoji, Mawringfox and myself had been talking and planning on a mass transport system for TFP's minecraft world.
The previous tram systems had been broken and forgotten since the loss of the Minecraft Mania mod and the need for one was sparked when the /home mod changed, no longer allowing players to /home to any other player. Only to the spawns, mall, and their own set homes.
Over that time we talked, debated, brainstormed and experimented, and produced the designs for a standardized transit system based inside the Nether. A hellish subway of sorts that will allow players to traverse a large distance of the overworld map with minimal effort and time. We debated having it in the sky of the overworld for sightseeing, but decided as a majority that using the Nether would be more efficient.

tl;dr: Discussion & Debate over new mass scale, nether based subway system.

The Layout as drawn by MawringFox

This is the design we agreed on as how we would lay out RATS. It's divided in to Major stations (The green and blue circles) And minor stations (The purple boxes). Each separated by a 1500m minimum to a 2000m maximum. Since RATS will rely heavily on Portal transfer between it and the overworld, this distance is required so portals of Rats do not cross each other. Said portals will be set on their exact X/Y coord counterparts so they match.
Each Major station connects to each other Major station, Minor stations only going two ways. Some of us debated about making them all Major stations, creating a massive 4-way grid. But we eventually agreed that might be a bit -too- invasive, and this was an acceptable substitute.

Entrances & Major Stations As built by Pink_Luigi

Here are my personal mockups of both the RATS overworld entrance and the Major Stations.
The entrance I wanted as a simple subway-esque staircase with a portal at the bottom, trying to be as non-invasive as I could make it. While also making it recognizable, one people grow accustomed to what to look for.
The station itself is a stone shell made for both looks, and to protect it from outside Ghast bombs. Inside there's room allowed for the tracks, as well as some stylization that'll be covered in the section below. Two pairs of tracks, coming and going, leading outward in a NESW pattern. The double-wide tracks prevents anyone from colliding mid track. The wooden station in the middle makes it simple. Drop your minecart, get in, hit the button and it sends you right along. Obviously they'll each have signs designating where each railway goes, as well as a portal back to the overworld.

Major Stations: Stylization as built by Pink_Luigi

This is a quick mockup I made of how the major stations can be designed differently, allowing players to differentiate each and better remember how the system is connected with itself and the overworld. While minor stations will be copy-pastes of the same design. Major stations I created with customization in mind. Allowing our builders to decorate the insides to make them fitting with a "Theme" unique to that single Substation. Glass RATS, Grass RATS, Red RATS, Snow RATS, Wood RATS and White RATS in respect to the image. Creating a more visually memorable system, rather then relying only on names and coordinates.

Minor Stations As also built by Pink_Luigi

The minor stations I'm rather proud of. These aren't meant to be decked out like the Major stations, but instead designed simply to be compact and efficient. If looking at the picture you'll notice how the two tracks are separated. Both sides have a piston based delaying mechanic. When a minecart rolls in to the station, Pistons will extend and pause the rider for a brief few seconds, giving them two choices.
1) Press a very nearby button, in which a 2nd set of pistons extends and ejects the Minecart safely from the track.
2) Do nothing! After just a few seconds the piston will retract, and a powered rail will launch the rider off towards the next Major station.
That short off-side rail you see in the close foreground is the rail entrance, one on each side, same as the Major station. Place your cart, hop in, push the button and you're off! And as you can see, Minor stations are also equipped with a portal back to the overworld.




This is the existing idea for the RATS set up. But as this is designed to be a community service, it's open for suggestion and discussion. Whether it's requests for changes in the design, completely new design suggestions you made yourself. Or to simply approve or reject the idea all together. The more info we get on this project, the better it'll turn out! :D

[Pink_Luigi]

Reserved for future updates & Info.

[Pink_Luigi]

So many views,
Yet not a single reply?

This makes me sadface.

[Aro_So]

I'm quite interested but can't see the pictures posted for some reason...

Anyway, couple questions;

Given the minimum distance required between major stations linking nether to over, it may become necessary to have surface networks linking major stations to minor outlying communities that are located within the minimum portal distance. Will it fall to RATS to design and construct this surface network, or, given that the creators of these minor networks will likely be the inhabitants of said outlying communities, would their installation and design be effectively freelance? If so, then could there be inclusion in the station design for these extra links? Or is this the purpose of the 'minor stations'?

Also; given that the design calls for some very strict spacing, will the RATS network be constructed before their respective stations have communities at all, thereby also designing the location of settlements?

[Chittebengo]

Pics are up now.

The major and minor stations will likely be linked. There are continued discussions on layout and some more direct admin involvement now. Rest assured, outlying communities that want a link to the main grid will get consideration. Hell, it'll give some of us something to do. They can either do it themselves or request it and we'll make it happen one way or another.

Likely, requesting a connection and giving the coords will likely be enough to warrant a RATS project extension out towards remote locales given enough activity out there.

[Chittebengo]

Caigan has expressed an interest in taking on this project personally. Eager to see what he plans to do with it.

[Pink_Luigi]

To be completely honest. I'm kinda glad. Even using MCedit to create, copy and paste the larger bits and the rails, only using Minecraft for minor details and such.. Making this is a bitch and a half. I can't imagine how it'd be doing the whole system by hand...

I'm quite relieved to be honest. Now we can focus our attentions on other projects like the Spawning area. Stuff that doesn't require such a calculated touch.

[Chittebengo]

Wuss. You have no mind for elaborate, over-the-top projects.

[Pink_Luigi]

[Chittebengo]

Using this as a spot to keep my notes.

The RATS system template has been loaded through the Nether on the bottom -very- successfully. Right now, I am visiting each station, noting its coords and jumping through to reposition the portal in the overworld.

In the case of the minor stations, I am also making "waypoints" out in the wild, which entails positioning and making a subway station entrance and putting a big arrow in the sky so that people will know it is there.

Right now, Stone RATS opens onto a -massive- ocean. This needs to be renamed Water RATS, obviously. :p Good spot for an underwater city.

Additionally, it is super easy to get lost in here. I'll be devising some kind of mapping system with signs so that people won't get lost.

Another problem: Another station opens into nothing but -vast- ocean... Hope this isn't a common feature on the map.

Some shots of the minor "waystations" and beacon arrow.