Industry Mods

OpenTTD, industry NewGRFs completely re-engineer the economy by changing cargo chains and logistics mechanics. They range from simple expansions of the baseline game to brutal logistical puzzles. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The definitive order of difficulty for major industry NewGRFs spans from easiest to most complex:

1. Vanilla (Default Game)

• Complexity: Minimal (Linear chains)
• Key Mechanics: Primary industries (like Coal Mines) produce cargo without requiring any inputs. You simply haul the raw materials to a factory or power station for profit.
• Growth: Keeping station ratings high simply by servicing them frequently triggers automated production increases. [1, 2, 3, 4]

2. Pikka’s Basic Industries (PBI)

• Complexity: Very Low (Vanilla+)
• Key Mechanics: PBI retains the core feel of the base game but introduces minor, highly logical interactions. For example, delivering Valuables back to primary industries or directing power from power stations back into manufacturing.
• Growth: Relies primarily on high-quality service, but introduces multi-cargo delivery incentives. [1, 2, 3]

3. FIRS (Basic / In a Nutshell Economies)

• Complexity: Moderate [1]
• Key Mechanics: FIRS (Furs Industry Replacement Set) introduces production “feedback loops”. In these simplified configurations, you can choose layouts with far fewer total cargos to act as a gentle introduction to production supply mechanics. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Growth: Primary industries generate basic output naturally, but you must deliver “Engineering Supplies” or “Farm Supplies” to max out production. [1, 2]

4. ECS Vectors (Electronic Cargo System)

• Complexity: High
• Key Mechanics: A modular system broken into different “vectors” (Chemicals, Machinery, Agriculture). It features tight stockpiling constraints. Unlike FIRS, industries in ECS will strictly stop accepting cargo if their internal storage is full, which can break your train queues if you do not balance your supply lines carefully.
• Growth: Highly volatile. Managing cargo flow accurately dictates whether industries thrive or completely shut down. [1, 2, 3, 4]

5. FIRS (Extreme / Steeltown Economies)

• Complexity: Very High
• Key Mechanics: Up to 80+ industries and nearly 70 distinct cargo types. Steeltown forces you to manage multi-tiered production networks. You have to carry coal and iron to make steel, combine that steel with engineering components to build parts, and haul those parts to manufacturing hubs.
• Growth: Standard production drops to effectively zero over time if primary mines are not continuously fed with a stream of supplies. [1, 2, 3, 4]

6. XIS (Xtreme Industry Set)

• Complexity: Brutal
• Key Mechanics: An expanded fork of FIRS. XIS ramps up the difficulty by creating massive, deeply interconnected webs of raw material dependencies. If one single component of your production line stalls (such as lagging on manufacturing chemical additives), the entire global shipping operation bottlenecks. [1, 2]

7. Yeti Complex Industry Set

• Complexity: Extreme (The Ultimate Challenge) [1]
• Key Mechanics: Yeti turns OpenTTD’s mechanics completely upside down. No primary industries have base production on their own, except for a lone Worker Yard. [1]
• Growth: You must first transport workers from the yard to a primary industry to activate it. You then must systematically supply every single cargo type in the game to achieve true maximum output. The logistical scaling requires massive, flawlessly-timed mega-stations to prevent systemic decay. [1]

How to rank Wannaroo Basic industries?

On the OpenTTD industry difficulty scale, Wannaroo Basic Industries (WRBI) ranks as a Low-to-Moderate difficulty NewGRF, bridging the gap between Pikka’s Basic Industries (PBI) and FIRS (Basic). [1, 2]

It modifies the base game’s layout to support a clean 16-cargo layout, making it more engaging than vanilla without throwing you into the overwhelming, multi-tiered chaos of full FIRS or ECS. [1, 2]

Where WRBI Fits in the Difficulty Hierarchy

1. Vanilla / Default Game (Easiest)
2. Pikka’s Basic Industries (PBI)
3. ➡️ Wannaroo Basic Industries (WRBI)
4. FIRS (Basic Economies)
5. ECS Vectors
6. FIRS (Extreme / Steeltown)
7. XIS / Yeti (Brutal)

Why it Ranks at this Level

• Logical, Semi-Linear Cargo Chains: WRBI injects 10 new cargo types (like Alcohol, Building Materials, Plastic, and Chemicals) and a few new town industries (such as Shops and Superstores). The loops remain highly intuitive. For example, raw oil goes to a refinery to create petrol and plastic, which then get sent straight to commercial zones. [1]
• The Recycling Loop Mechanic: It introduces a unique waste-management mechanic featuring Recycling Depots and Recycling Plants. Towns generate Waste and Recyclables, which you haul away to be processed back into raw materials. This adds an extra layer of routing logic without requiring punishing micro-management. [1, 2]
• Forgiving For Beginners: Unlike ECS, industries do not feature strict, line-blocking stockpiling mechanics. Furthermore, its custom parameters include an “alternate production” toggle. This allows primary industry production to scale up or down based on your service quality without the threat of the industry closing down completely if left unserviced. [1, 2]

If you enjoy WRBI but want a bit more flavor, you can couple it with Wannaroo Extra Industries (WRExInd). This introduces 8 modular industries—like Distilleries, Desalination Plants, and Distribution Centers—allowing you to slowly increase the difficulty at your own pace. [1, 2, 3]

Would you like a breakdown of how the Recycling and Waste loop functions in WRBI, or are you looking for a compatible vehicle set that natively supports its custom cargo types? If so check this out: [1]