Changes to OpenTTD Distribution on Steam

This doesn't feel right for me. OpenTTD is so much superior in every way compared to the original TTD, that noone in their right mind would ever play the original. So Atari now, while spending zero effort compared to the years of work that OpenTTD devs put in, will basically sell OpenTTD as if was their own creation. People who buy the new TTD will simply play OpenTTD anyway, since it's so much better.

I might be wrong, but it feels like Atari are like parasites in this situation feeding off the hard work of OpenTTD devs.

Obviously having OpenTTD available for free on Steam would jeopardize Atari's paid rerelease of Transport Tycoon Deluxe, so I think this is a good compromise. Hopefully they rigged it up so the assets from Transport Tycoon Deluxe get picked up automatically by OpenTTD when you install the bundle. I also hope that Atari will be sharing some of the revenue from the bundle with the OpenTTD team as part of this arrangement. They've spent the last 20+ years adding nice quality of life features and keeping the game playable, and I think they deserve to be rewarded for that effort. Going back to stock TTD after playing OpenTTD feels like a massive downgrade, like going from vim to BSD vi.

It would be nice if someone could provide some explanation as to why this situation is necessary. Did Atari's lawyers go full tilt?

I like Simutrans more because the cargo and passengers have destinations in mind.

TTD and OpenTTD do not which incentivizes mechanisms to dump everyone at the edge of the map.

Aside from that they're both transport games with bad UIs.

Atari got a game I like called Awesomenauts and revived it from being shutdown F2P to $20. They paid an old dev to get it playable on a temporary contract. Though it has a few rough qualities I'm glad it's playable again.

What is the story with OpenGFX then? It sounds like OpenTTD is completely new codebase and OpenGFX (which I also helped with) is completely new graphics. Why does one have to pay for that?

Surprisingly, this is an interesting outcome. Atari could have been worse (better too).

Interesting to see an open-source game navigating Steam distribution. The tension between open-source freedom and platform-specific packaging is something every desktop app deals with — different installers, update mechanisms, code signing per OS.

OpenTTD with its beyond clunky UI has a special spot in my heart.

There is even an Android version with the same very much not touch friendly (but somewhat customizable) UI.

Atari? I never expected to see that ancient name again. If I remember correctly, I've been playing OpenTTD for more than a decade without the original TTD assets, and I usually build it from source, so this change won’t really affect me. Still, it feels a bit strange (even if it may be somewhat legitimate) to see Atari suddenly asserting rights over it.

Weirdly the OpenTTD Steam page seems to be missing entirely at the moment: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1536610/

Honestly fair and understandable. OpenTTD builds on TTD (it's right there in the name.)

You aren't forced to play OpenTTD and you aren't forced to get it on Steam/GoG.

It's acceptable.

Just use gog

This seems quite positive to me: Clearly the rightsholders are not being total jerks since they're happy to allow an OpenTTD bundle, and the original game is available with modern fixes as well.