Chris Sawyer's Locomotion

Lore & Background

Chris Sawyer developed Locomotion independently, handling design, programming, project management, and research himself, with assistance from a graphic artist and musician. The game uses a refined version of the Transport Tycoon engine first used for RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, incorporating large parts of that game's programming. Sawyer had intended to create a successor to Transport Tycoon as early as 1996 but did not make a serious effort until after the release of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 in 2002. He cited a desire to modernize Transport Tycoon to harness increased processing power and memory, allowing for more vehicles, larger maps, and multi-level bridges and tunnels. The game's title includes Sawyer's name to address possible legal issues with using the name alone, a decision that also suited promotional efforts. Sawyer stated that Locomotion was the game he was most proud of creating, calling it the best-written piece of programming he had ever done, citing its plug-in and multiplayer capabilities.

Reader's Guide

Locomotion was released to mixed reviews, with critics noting its dated presentation and less user-friendly interface compared to its predecessors. Reviewers such as Dan Adams of IGN described the game as having a severe lack of artistic direction and a frustrating interface, while Allen Rausch of GameSpy critiqued its visuals as remarkably unattractive. The game's interface and navigation were widely criticized as cumbersome, with map rotation and information sorting described as infuriatingly difficult. Despite this, retrospective assessments have been more forgiving, with Retro Gamer calling it the most complete version of Transport Tycoon, even if not named as such. The game's engine later served as the basis for a 2013 mobile iteration of Transport Tycoon for Android and iOS. An unofficial, open-source reimplementation called OpenLoco has also been created. Sawyer himself acknowledged the game's quiet start, speculating that it is easier to advertise something good-looking than something that plays well.

Did You Know?

• Chris Sawyer developed Locomotion independently over nine years from the 1990s.
• Locomotion is the only title released by Sawyer to use his name in the title.
• Following an extended hiatus from the video game industry, the game's engine was used as the basis for a 2013 mobile iteration of Transport Tycoon for Android and iOS.

The Long-Gestating Sequel

Sawyer had been designing an isometric game-world system as a personal project before Transport Tycoon's 1994 release. Inspired by Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon, he built his management simulation on that foundation. Transport Tycoon became a classic, and its 1995 deluxe edition sold well enough that Sawyer immediately set out to create a sequel. However, that sequel would never materialize on schedule. While developing the engine for the Transport Tycoon follow-up, Sawyer pivoted to RollerCoaster Tycoon, which he coded entirely in x86 assembly language with only freelance help from graphic designer Simon Foster and composer Allister Brimble. After RCT's success, he again returned to the Transport Tycoon sequel, only to postpone it once more for RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 in 2002. It was not until 2004 that the long-awaited successor finally shipped as Chris Sawyer's Locomotion, nearly a decade after its first conception.

Building on a Dated Foundation

By the time Locomotion launched in 2004, the engine it relied upon was the same one Sawyer had crafted for RollerCoaster Tycoon, a title he had written solo in x86 assembly language back in the late 1990s. That engine, while revolutionary in its time, had begun to show its age by the mid-2000s. The game's artificial intelligence and user interface drew particular criticism from players and reviewers, shortcomings directly tied to the constraints of reusing a platform not originally designed for a transport-simulation experience. Sawyer had previously enhanced the Amiga version of Frontier: Elite II by adding texture mapping during his porting years, showing his willingness to push engines further, but Locomotion's foundation simply could not be stretched as far. The result was a title that, despite carrying the weight of the Transport Tycoon legacy—a game widely regarded as one of the most important simulation games ever made—struggled to match the ambition of its predecessor.

A Career Bookend

Locomotion marked the end of an era for Sawyer. After its 2004 release, he stepped away from the industry for several years. In an interview, he cited a desire to take a break after two decades of continuous game development, a growing distaste for the violent nature of contemporary titles, and the lingering fallout of a legal dispute with Atari over unpaid royalties from RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, in which he had served as a consultant. The lawsuit, filed in November 2005, saw Atari counter-sue in 2007 before both parties settled out of court in February 2008 for an undisclosed sum. During his hiatus, Sawyer told Wired he "made a few trips to ride roller coasters around the world," a pursuit he had cultivated after using Transport Tycoon revenue to travel across Europe and the United States. Wired would later describe him as "one of gaming's greatest enigmas" for his legendary output paired with a near-total absence from public life.

Echoes in the Mobile Era

Though Locomotion itself never received a modern re-release, its place in the Tycoon lineage ensured the franchise's continued life through 31X Ltd., the mobile game studio Sawyer founded in 2010. Initially conceived as a holding company for the Transport Tycoon intellectual property, 31X pivoted toward active development after Sawyer spotted market interest in simulation titles for smartphones. The studio's first product was a mobile port of Transport Tycoon for iOS and Android in 2013, produced with the assistance of Origin8. That partnership continued with RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic in December 2016, which brought the first two RollerCoaster Tycoon games to mobile, followed by ports to Windows and macOS in September 2017. Longtime collaborator Jacqui Lyons, who had worked alongside Sawyer for over twenty years, served as executive producer. After Classic's completion, Sawyer decided to step back once more, noting he felt he was "getting on a bit" and that a solo assembly-language coder like himself had little place in the modern industry.