Well....
...Clearly Deadpool here has never run model trains on an op-session with other people. Its not about those exciting moments, but about working together, to get a much larger job done. Even if its just for pretend.
There is a,lot I like about Run8, and a lot about TRS12. But nothing about RW TS13. Color light touched on a few good key points as to what makes Run8 good. But yes, a lot of the content will be payware. They are going to release a content creators tool kit some time next year. Yes Run8 is one route, yes its one style of locomotive, and yes the scenery isn't the best. But when it comes to MP is train sims Run8 has the right idea. The DS screen is what wins me over. That and they now have an external DS program. So I can drive my train on my main PC, but dispatch the session from my laptop.
Now TRS12 picks up where Run8 lacks. TRS12 has tones more content, much better and more routes, the tools to build more routes, and many talented content creators. MP in TRS12 is more fun in the model train sense that cars can be spotted at an industry and loaded with out user interaction. TRS12s controls are much simpler.
Both sim's are good at what they do.
But what about the OP, lets get back to this:
wonder why no mp sessions are running?
Lets look at a quote from my topic that Oknotsen linked:
Can I play multiplayer on my own route?
Yes, but there are a few rules to this. First of, the route its self MUST be on the DLS, as well as the session. And to add to that, all assets must be on the DLS or built in as well. I know that Jointed Rail EMD SD60M in BNSF that you paid $10 for is the best locomotive you have ever seen, but its not on the DLS so you can't have it in your session. And here's another twist, all the assets for the asset must be on the DLS as well. So that really cool ZMCX Mechanical Reefer is just what your meat packing plant needs to haul away fresh meat. But the trucks for it come from RR mods and are not on the DLS, meaning the car is a no-go for MP sessions.
Can I host a session?
You sure can! It just has to meet all of the above requirements for an MP Session. Here's a kind a cool thing we touched on back int he list of MP routes, you can password protect your session. Meaning only those with the pass word may join. This means if you really only want to have your few friends join your session, and no one else to come in and muck things up, put a password on it and tell only your friends. If you don't have a password, then any one may join. Only set a password if you want to have just your friends join, other wise, leave out the password and you might get to meet new people who you'll want to invite to those private sessions.
Requirements
To be able to play multiplayer in TS12, you should have the latest build of the game. At the moment of writing that would be build 49922. You can find this number in the bottom right corner on your start-up screen. If you do not have the latest build, go to options on that start-up screen and find where you can enter your username+password; you will find a patch button on that screen. UPDATE: Steam has been updated and now TRS12 from Stema should be at build 49922. So you can play MP with the Steam version of TRS.
To be able to see active multiplayer sessions, you need to have the route downloaded on your machine. To be able to join the session, you also need to have the session downloaded, together with all dependencies. Clicking "join session" will try to download the session and dependencies. If this does not work, look up the session in Content Manager and download it from there. (Thank you Oknatsen)
TRS12 for Mac has yet to be verified if it will work with other versions of TRS12.
You see, if you dont have a route that happens to have an MP session for it downloaded, then you dont see any sessions. And thus you falsely assume that none are up. But in fact, UMR has a session up 24/7 last I looked.
But there is another problem, all of our wonderful content. If your missing even one asset, or one thing is not on the DLS, then MP is a no-go for you. Yes this can hinder some fantastic routes, locomotives, roiling stock, and even scenery items from being used in the creation of of MP route/session. But I feel that this system of content management is perfect for a world of MP gaming.
If the requirement for content to be on the DLS where to have not been put in, MP would be impossible. Let me explain why that is:
Lets go back a few years to 2001 when Microsoft Train Sim, MSTS, was all we had. There was no system that managed content. If I built a route and sent it to you, you would have to hunt down the trees, the track, many different buildings. Then to install the route you'd have to copy files from one folder to another. Some times a web site where a piece of content was hosted might get shut down making it impossible to download some key part of a route. Finding every thing for a route, downloading, copying, and installing a it all could take hours. And even then it might not all be there. This is the same for Railworks TS13. This right here is why the DLS requirement for MP routes and sessions is a life saver.
Also, keep this in mind, many of use are busy with the holidays, or school, or other things. So sessions might be fewer. (This is true for Run8 as well, had two sessions canceled cause every one was busy.)
So this brings up another question, whats wrong with TRS12? Well first off, the flaky servers. They tend to be on and off, or at least there where last time I tried to host a session. Second, the fact that you must have the route and session installed to see what sessions are up makes it seam like nothing is ever going on. For this I'd suggest a system that displays what MP sessions are up, who's hosting, what route, what session, and if you have the route/session installed or not. Kinda like a server browser for some FPS games. Some think like this form BF3:
So if you want a physic's driven, real deal simulator with MP then Run8 would be right for you.
But if having all that high brow realistic stuff isnt you cup of tea. If youd rather play with trains, then TRS12 is right.
Just my thoughts, not yours.
