Cities: Skylines - Bienvenüe: Beginners Guide

Welcome to the Bienvenüe Beginners Guide. This post will explain the following points:

0.1 Objectives of this guide

1. Purpose of released networks and props,
2. Explains how to use tracks in different settings,
3. Provides examples on how tracks can be used,
4. Provides side notes and explains known issues,
5. Replies "Class A" questions that were asked numerously.

0.2 What is Bienvenüe?

Bienvenüe (or shortened as BVU) is a network extension of Railway. BVU takes its name from Fulgence Bienvenüe, the man responsible of Paris metro network, who then was called 'the father of metro'. BVU aims to provide Railway quality, this time with metro look.

BVU is a style package for train network, based on RWY. It does not touch vanilla network because of reasons explained in next section.

0.3 Objectives of BVU

Bienvenüe will follow two main principles:

1. expand the Railway Mod environment and concept, 
2. In-game, network-based solution that would require no special Mod or UI in order to keep save games and gaming experience free from bugs, glitches and game breaking issues.

Based on these principles, Bienvenüe will provide:

1. Solution package for advanced players who want to build a proper metro/elevated rail network for their cities, based on Railway Mod and train network. 
2. Said package will be dynamic with different networks, styles that players can choose to subscribe content as they require.
3. As it will operate on Train AI, combined use of Railway Mod/Bienvenüe will be possible in cases where train/metro tracks are shared (cases like Germany) this will provide interoperability between urban and regional networks.
4. Provide functional improvements for complex junctions and railyards via nodeless tracks.
5. Provide props and decorative networks that players can use independently from track networks, in order to further customize their network layout. 
6. As networks are highly modular, pave the path for other creators to create their own custom network package.

0.4 Compatibility with Railway

BVU is a 'sub-brand' based on RWY and logically everything is compatible with RWY package.

1. Prerequisites

1.1 Obligatory Mods

Following mods are absolutely required to follow the guide.

1. Anarchy Mod, in order to work extensively with the rail network. 
2. Move It, in order to tweak nodes and curvature.
3. Fine Road Tool, to adjust the increment of the height and switch between segment variations and make things smoother.
4. Loading Screen Mod, tracks share a lot of textures, use LSM to take advantage of this and reduce overall RAM load and loading time considerably.

1.2 Recommended Mods

Following mods are used by networks. Not having them will not break your game, however will limit you from certain features.

1. Railway Replacer, also known as Railway Mod. It allows to customize station tracks per 'plop' and gives global prop style customizations for BVU tracks that supports the feature. 
2. Network Tiling, used on Hamburg third track and tunnel entrances.
3. Railway Props, tracks utilize certain props from Railway, such as; fishplates, beams.

2. Contents of the Bienvenüe Pack

2.1 RAILWAY: Replacer Mod

Used to replace station tracks with new Railway station tracks, also prop customizer. It must be subbed.

• Any station that uses ETST and vanilla station track can be updated with the mod in order to use new tracks. 
• Some creators use standard tracks on stations in order to negate peasant maximum length of station tracks in-game. These tracks wont get replaced by the mod. Use Move It mod, or Touch This to remove these tracks.

2.2 Replacer Mod - Props

The mod will also give you the ability to customise props used on tracks.
Buffers on Munich style can be customized via the UI. Prop customization depends on per style.

2.3 Tracks

Base network suite that contains standard 1 and 2 lane tracks and their respective nodeless variants.

• Munich: Track style and prop package based on Munich. 
• Osaka: WIP

BVU is compatible with RWY. Thus any content released for RWY can be decorated into metro style via third rail.

2.4. Decorative Networks

Set of decorative networks that can be used in a complex railyard setting, junction or decorating existing RWY bridges. So far, contains third rail power networks that are based on:

• Munich,
• Hamburg,
• Vienna,
• London Docklands.

User is free to choose any of these decorative networks to sub to.

2.5. Props

Prop packages that is used on specific network suite and decorative networks.

3. Using BVU package

There is nothing special about using them. If you are already using Railway package, then this section is easy to pass.

3.1 Standard tracks

Use as any other track. They should be the base of the network.

3.2 Using nodeless tracks

Nodeless tracks are networks that can be used to create complex junctions without dealing with texture glitches and any other weirdness. Each network suite contains their own nodeless variation, but in addition to that, tracks are compatible with Railway nodeless sets, thus in need, you can combine both tracks to create junction you want.

3.3 Using decorative network

Decorative networks -so far- are separate third rail networks based on specific locations. You can however, use them how you want. Decorative networks can be used on junctions, yards, converting custom RWY bridges into BVU style bridges and so on.

3.4 Using props

You can alternatively place track props independently. Use Find It mod, and use keywords indicated in prop pack to find and place track props (signalboxes, powerboxes, sensors etc.) anywhere you want.

3.5 Placing new stations:

Select the station from the toolbar/menu. Railway UI will pop up. Select the track you want to plop the station with, then place the station.
Same station can be placed multiple times with different track config.

3.6 Updating already plopped stations:

You will have to replop the same station. Select the station from the toolbar/menu. Railway UI will pop up. Select the track you want to plop the station with, then place the station.

BVU Munich does not have any custom station track. Instead it has decorative networks that can be used on station to decorate by user.

4. Case Examples

4.1 Laying standard tracks

Nothing complicated. Lay down tracks as any other train track.

4.2 Junctions

High (left) vs. Low (right) Angle Switch

4.2.1 High Angle Switch

This is a junction with a relatively high angle crossing (the angle between merging tracks on center). As game can handle this kind of junctions relatively fine, there is nothing special about it. Third rail segment is disabled on 'nodes' which are junction point in order to prevent visual nuisance.
If you want to decorate the junction, use any decorative third rail network to add additional power source. In reality train sets have contact with the third rail on multiple points along the train set, so they do not need all time third rail support on junctions.

4.2.1 Low Angle Switch

This is a case where a junction is present with two track that parallel, meaning low angle junction. There's a high probability that junction will glitch because game cant handle this amount of angle. This is where nodeless tracks and Move It mode will become useful.

Create the junction as required. Then identify if and where the visual glitch occurs. Use either third rail nodeless track or RWY nodeless track set for main track by in-game 'upgrade road' tool. Then use node tracks for branching. You can try the otherway around, process depends on how junction is made. Refine the look by using move it mod and edit the curvature and node position if needed.. Finish the junction by adding decorative third rail support if needed, and/or lane props.

Final result.

4.4 Combined transport: Overhead and third rail support on same track

There's no third rail + Overhead catenary support for Munich Set as it doesnt exist IRL (it will be for Osaka), but still you can achieve this by using any RWY catenary network. Use the trackset of your choice and then decorate the rest. In order to do this, use activate Road Anarchy and disable node snapping. Then disable all snapping options. Start dragging third rail by centering the starting node (that circle thing you see when dragging network) on tracks, as rail itself is offset. Third rail position depends the direction of dragging the network. If you want third rail be aligned on center of the trackbed, drag them against the direction of travel.

If tracks have height variance, use Move It to align third rail height with the rest of the track. Align start and end nodes with the track itself, then use slope tool of Move It for all nodes between both endpoints.

4.5 Upgrading network

Same as any other train track. Use in-game upgrade tool.

4.6 Decorating custom RWY bridges

Same process of 4.4.

4.7 Decorating stations

I left station tracks outside BVU for Munich set, as third rail station tracks depend the station itself. Hamburg for example uses black and white tracks on stations. Vienna has entire network with yellow third rail. Since you have multiple decorative third rails, you can decorate station tracks how you want for Munich set. Process is same as it's described on 4.4.

5. Known Issues & Side Notes

5.1 Duplicates:

It might be possible that a "duplicate pillar" error in LSM loading window will be thrown. This is normal, since game acts in a rеtardеd way when it comes to elevations. Duplicates are usually same pillar that was used in tracks.

5.2 Prop It Up shortcut issue:

It's reported that using RWY shortcut also opens Prop It Up menu. Either change the shortcut of Prop It Up or close its window whenever it pops up.

5.3 Performance:

All rails and sleepers are shared among all networks. Packs that have same "style" obviously share texture load. Thus the RAM load will be relatively small. Keep in mind that certain elements are shared with RWY sets, thus if you have them subbed already, subbing to BVU wont cause excessive load on RAM. While it's impossible to indicate shared RAM load, consider the fact that all track superstructure is shared among all networks, and track "styles" are shared between themselves as well.

5.4 Any incompatibility with any mods:

None.

3.6 Status of Catenary Replacer

It's not relevant to the pack, and its presence doesnt break anything. Since you have wired and wireless tracks separately and catenary style now can be customized with RWY UI, CR 'can' be considered obsolete, should you use only RWy tracks.

5.5 Status of MOM

It has nothing to do with MOM. MOM is easy to use, mod-free, mainstreamed package that aims to make metro on overground possible and it does just that.

BVU aims to be a modular package based on already proven and high quality RWY and encourages combining other mods to make a realistic metro network.

With this fundemental difference, BVU is not intended to replace MOM, but to provide metro style to RWY players.

5.6 Known Limitations

Underground & Sunken stations
Railway doesn't have any sunken or underground station tracks, thus they remain as vanilla look. (Same issue as Railway itself.) Moreover, there is no junction between station track - direct tunnel segment as Railway station tracks doesnt support such switch.

These issues will likely be fixed on next batch of custom tracks as station tracks will be released for Osaka.

Guide by REV0