After over a year and a half of work, the Sierra Logging map is finally about to be released!
I've set the planned release date for May 26th, and you can view the DLC listing here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3685460/Rolling_Line__Sierra_Logging/

But here's the best part, this DLC is FREE!
While the idea started off as a paid DLC, after putting so much effort into this map i truly want it to be available to everyone, without any paywall or barrier to access. I'm really proud of this map, and finishing it is a major personal achievement for me. It's by far the longest and most complex project I've ever worked on (aside from the initial release of this game!) and it's definitely the best official map to date, taking all the different elements of the game and combining them into my own best possible attempt at creating a virtual model railway.

The game has changed so much over the 7+ years I've been updating it, and the tools, content and features available to make maps is vastly different to when the game first came out in April of 2018. This new map is built entirely around these new features, like having a full chain of loading & unloading, where you can take logs from alpine logging camps all the way to the mill and on to the lumber yards. The map is also fully designed around being a real model railway, which you can hopefully imagine walking into someone's house and seeing, and driving trains around and completing operations. Everything this game was made for!


As lots of you are already aware, I'm just one solo developer. I've been working full-time for the last 7+ years making updates for this game simply because I want to see it reach its full potential. There's still so many more features I want to bring to the game *cough* *cough* multiplayer *cough* and I have no intentions at all of stopping development any time soon. As long as I can financially support myself to keep doing this job I love, then I'll keep doing it for the whole foreseeable future!

I've been very lucky so far that the simple purchase price alone of Rolling Line has managed to keep me at a stable living wage over such a long time, but that won't be the case forever. Most other games will go for things like paid DLC, or entire re-releases (imagine an alternate timeline where we've got Rolling Line 2025 or Rolling Line World 5, lol).
Personally, that kind of monetization really doesn't sit right with me. I don't ever want to put a dollar value on a map, or a train, or anything like that. I love the fact that Rolling Line is so cheap ($20 USD) and asks nothing extra of you to enjoy every single thing the game has to offer, and I want to keep it that way!

So instead of doing paid DLC, I instead want to try something different.
I'm starting up a Patreon, where those of you who feel like you've gotten more worth out of Rolling Line than the initial purchase price can help support its future development with donations. This is the best of both worlds, where all future updates and maps stay free for everyone, and those who would have been willing to pay can instead choose to donate.

This format also means that I can focus on things like feature updates, instead of needing to spend all my development time on map making (though I do of course enjoy making maps, and there will certainly be more official maps released in the future!).

If you feel like supporting the continued free development of Rolling Line, and want to show your appreciation for my work over the years, then please consider joining the Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/c/RollingLine?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

As time goes on and I get a better idea of how this system is working, there will be special behind-the-scenes stuff released on the Patreon about the development of the game. There will be more info about that coming in the future.
Everyone who signs up to the Patreon will also of course get an in-game shout-out in the games credits for being a supporter!

I'm very curious as to how this will go, and whether it will actually be a sustainable method for keeping Rolling Line's earnings at a living wage, but we shall see.


Without further ado, here is the official map poster for the Sierra Logging layout!!

And here is a ton of screenshots in this album:
https://imgur.com/gallery/sierra-logging-rolling-line-map-LpWaJFi

That's all for now, but the DLC will be released in two weeks on May 26th!
On release day I'll share a bunch more info about the history of the map and real-world inspirations, as well as a much more in-depth look at the map itself.
I'm so excited to finally release it!

I'm also curious to know your thoughts about this Patreon vs paid DLC idea in the comments, do you think the game can continue to survive on donations? Are there any ideas that would make you personally more willing to donate?
Let me know in the comments of this news post!

What an amazing event! This might have been my all-time favorite set of maps from any competition in Rolling Lines history. The level of quality and effort is just crazy. Massive congrats to everyone who took part!!
As with all these events, I play through every single map submitted, and these are a selection of some of my absolute favorites.




There were SO MANY more maps that were amazing but couldn't fit into my shout-outs, so go and play them all yourself! There's so many gems in there.

To view all comp entries, simply go to the Steam Workshop and choose the "Compact Comp 2" tag from the "Competitions" drop down list:

This update also includes:

• There is now a new "Unlocks 2" drawer which contains new Easter Egg unlocks coming in the Sierra Logging map. So far all that you can find in here is the compact comp boundary prop, which is unlocked by default. The compact comp drawer has also been removed now that the event is over.
  
• Fixed major bug with the loading/unloading system caused by automatic loading occurring when outside of view distance range.
  
• Fixed bug where automatic loaders could load over the max limit set if the speed was faster than the animation.
  
• Fixed shadow casting on various train details, like rust decals and logos.
  
• Fixed the alpha material options for flags. The menu also no longer exits when changing the physics type on flags.
  
• Fixed the collision layer for various props.
  
• Fixed small gaps on the base of the model for terrain pieces.
  
• Fixed bug where the inventory would become visible during loading screens.
  
• Blocked the search function from being usable during loading screens.

Thank you again everyone for taking part in this event!
I was truly blown away by the quality of maps!