Guide to how to play trainz

[fullsteamahead]

When I bought TRS2004 I was not much interested in playing - just buildong. After a lengthy absence I bought Settle to Carlisle mostly because I know the area well and it would keep me occupied until my TRS2010 arrives.
Question. Is there a guide as to how to play? Obviously I can drive a train and change the points etc, but are you supposed to remember all the instructions? Can you access them as you go along? If you make a mistake can you correct it or should you save frequently? I'm sure these must seem simple questions to you folks but the help sign only tells you to consult the 2009 manual which doesn't come with the game..
Surley someone has written a guide.
Andrew

 

[dougtrain]

playing trainz

Hi Andrew.
There are no hard and fast rules about playing trainz. It is open-ended and that means that it would suit anyone. Some like to build huge goods yards and some like stations and passenger trains. Some want a mix of both. Steam, deiselel, electric and maglev. Era, country and so it all goes on. The bottom line is "do what you like". You are free to drive your route and save it as a session to be able to continue later or just start from the begining each time. If you spot mistakes then go into surveyor and make corrections / alterations and try again.

It is not easy to answer your questions - I mean - "how long is a length of rail"

Regards Doug

 

[johnwhelan]

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Trainz/Things_You_Can_Do_In_Trainz

Cheerio John

 

[geoffwilliams]

When I bought TRS2004 I was not much interested in playing - just buildong. After a lengthy absence I bought Settle to Carlisle mostly because I know the area well and it would keep me occupied until my TRS2010 arrives.
Question. Is there a guide as to how to play? Obviously I can drive a train and change the points etc, but are you supposed to remember all the instructions? Can you access them as you go along? If you make a mistake can you correct it or should you save frequently? I'm sure these must seem simple questions to you folks but the help sign only tells you to consult the 2009 manual which doesn't come with the game..
Surley someone has written a guide.
Andrew

Hi Andrew
Welcome back to Trainz.
You may like to visit http://www.trainzclassics.co.uk/
There you will find a lot of information you can download about the Settle route. A lot of the information can be printed so that you do not need to remember it.
Geoff

 

[fullsteamahead]

Perhaps I didn't explain myself very well. Take as an example Carlisle to Skipton the 10.18. There is a schedule to follow which cannot be downloaded and is quite extensive. It would be nice if you could click where the waybill is (bottom RH corner) and have it appear so that you could adjust your speed accorvingly. But that doesn't exist.
I tried instructing the driver to follow his schedule but he is very deaf and doesn't even start at 10.18.
Obviously I can drive like a bat out of hell (luckily the train doesn0t derail if you widely exceed the limits) and stop at the next station, go to save, check with a re-start as to the time you are supposed to leave and load the saved game at nauseam.
Am I being stupid or just duficult - or perhaps both?:hehe: but surely there must be a better way than the ones I have outlined.
The driver would I am sure have in his pocket the timetable or at least have done it so often that he could do it from memory.
Its such a womderful route that I want to play it and all the others and get my money's worth. Someone please help.
Andrew

 

[john259]

Andrew,

That sounds like you'd appreciate having some activities in the same style as TRS2004 scenarios.

Perhaps someone has created some for S&C. If not, then you could use Trainz Pro Routes' SCS2006 (Scenario Creation System) to make some yourself. It's an excellent program, compatible with TS2009 and also free of charge. There's a bit to learn but it's well worth the effort.

HTH, John

 

[Mikeinva]

I'd hope that in the next build of the TRS series that they'd do away with all the scripting & just add a built in scenario editor into surveyor so that players can program their own routes with pre-set objectives....RCT2(RollercoasterTycoon2) included this easy to use feature so why can't TRS? Not many players know how to do things such as script editing & other technical stuff that can mess up not only your game but your computer as well if you make a mistake.

 

[fullsteamahead]

Andrew,

That sounds like you'd appreciate having some activities in the same style as TRS2004 scenarios.

Perhaps someone has created some for S&C. If not, then you could use Trainz Pro Routes' SCS2006 (Scenario Creation System) to make some yourself. It's an excellent program, compatible with TS2009 and also free of charge. There's a bit to learn but it's well worth the effort.

HTH, John

I have razorback railways or used to have - it was interesting although I confess that at the time I was trying to build the Nitrate Railways of Chile at the turn of the century. When I saw and bought StoC I assumed that as it was stand alone it was a game with objectibes etc. I now think I understand. That is not the case. Its as Doug put it - you drive your train and that's it. No particular challenge. No monsters to slay, no treasures to be found and no lives to pick up. Pity because it is so close to being a challenging game for tyro engine drivers. Thanks anyway and I'll check out Trainz Pro Routes.
Andrew

 

[Mick_Berg]

I'd hope that in the next build of the TRS series that they'd do away with all the scripting & just add a built in scenario editor into surveyor so that players can program their own routes with pre-set objectives....RCT2(RollercoasterTycoon2) included this easy to use feature so why can't TRS? Not many players know how to do things such as script editing & other technical stuff that can mess up not only your game but your computer as well if you make a mistake.

SCS2006 is the equivalent of a scenario editor, or so it seems to me. You don't need to know scripting, it has a very straightforward text-based GUI.
I've only just started with it, but I think it would do what you want. My only complaint is that it is a bit cumbersome to use, eg you can't add commands on the fly like you can with Driver, and you can't use the Quick Drive button to go from Surveyor to Driver.
Mick Berg.

 

[geoffwilliams]

Andrew
Not sure I am following you, but you can open the html asset in CMP2 and print out the timetable. Is this what you mean? The timetable is available in driver (the info icon) but if you save your session it does not reappear when you load it again.
Geoff

 

[j_maybury]

. Its as Doug put it - you drive your train and that's it. No particular challenge. No monsters to slay, no treasures to be found and no lives to pick up. Pity because it is so close to being a challenging game for tyro engine drivers. Thanks anyway and I'll check out Trainz Pro Routes.
Andrew

But you said you were getting TR2010, If you load you're SnC program into this, you will get surveyor and all the content from TR2010 bolted on so you will be able to alter it to you're heart's content.

The other thing if you click the info, page button far bottom right then press the P key on the keyboard in that order, you will be able to keep to the timetable much better.

 

[fullsteamahead]

But you said you were getting TR2010, If you load you're SnC program into this, you will get surveyor and all the content from TR2010 bolted on so you will be able to alter it to you're heart's content.

The other thing if you click the info, page button far bottom right then press the P key on the keyboard in that order, you will be able to keep to the timetable much better.

Milagro milagro!! While I was looking at the info (good idea to have a masterboard where you can see all from hgh above) but another flag came floating down . I clicked on it and lo and behold appeared the schedule I was supposed to be on. All of which proves my point. If only Auran supplied a short manual with the stand alone game then I am sure they would get more enthusiastic buyers. I guess I'll have to write one - but don't hold your breath.

Of course you are right that once 2010 arrives I'll be able to do a lot of things but it won't be to change the scenery - that's too good to spoil. But I will try and put an inviisble rolling stock in front of the engine so I can sit on the buffers, so to speak, and enjoy the ride and miss no key signals due to a dirty windscreen.
Thanks all for your patience with a curmudgeon.
Andrew

 

[Gary_Evans]

My input on "playing trains":
There are two things in forum posts that really get my shorts in a bunch ; folks who state there is no difference between a scenario and a session and people who write about "playing trains". When I was a kid I "played trains" thanks to Lionel. Trainz is a hobby in which we create assets and share them with fellow enthusiasts around the world or if that is not our bailiwick we load a layout onto the PC and then operate engines, reline switches etc. If I want to "play" a game I go to the video games room in one of our local casinos. So, flame me.

 

[fullsteamahead]

My input on "playing trains":
There are two things in forum posts that really get my shorts in a bunch ; folks who state there is no difference between a scenario and a session and people who write about "playing trains". When I was a kid I "played trains" thanks to Lionel. Trainz is a hobby in which we create assets and share them with fellow enthusiasts around the world or if that is not our bailiwick we load a layout onto the PC and then operate engines, reline switches etc. If I want to "play" a game I go to the video games room in one of our local casinos. So, flame me.

Of course you are absolutely right and I have to confess that I scolded someone only a week ago for playing trains. But force majeur I have no other option until my DVD for TRS 2010 arrives and therefore I will at least be ablle to enjoy the wonderfu vistas of the Yorksire Dales.
Of course it's not as challenging as modelling a Fairlie Double Boiler or simulating the track coming out of Clapham Junction but it ao least helps justify all the work that the builders of StoC have put in.
But don't feel to bad if you too get that urge to go up to the loft and hunt for that Hornby Dublo your Dad gave you for Xmas, connect up the track and wind up the engine and lie down and watch it go around. I promise we wont tell anyone.:hehe:
Cheers
Andrew

 

[narrowgauge]

Andrew

Welcome back. I thought you dropped of the edge of the world. Did you ever complete the Taltal Railway nitrate line? That long climb up from Taltal would be an interesting one to make.

Peter

 

[fullsteamahead]

Andrew

Welcome back. I thought you dropped of the edge of the world. Did you ever complete the Taltal Railway nitrate line? That long climb up from Taltal would be an interesting one to make.

Peter

I got sidetracked writing a couple of novels. I completed a line coming out of Iquique and another one out of taltal. They looked allright at night but I really didn't devote enough time to either of them. My plan was to use them for an historical video and then I got further sidetracked writing a bokk on the history of the Nitrate War also known as the War of the Pacific. Too contentious because Chile with the help of the Brits managed to takeover the nitrate fields in both Peru and Bolivia. The discusions go on today at Government levels so I decided to abandon such a contrivesial topic and wrote instead a novel abouta nun becoming the next Pope called Her Holiness!!

All of which leaves me in total admiration what other dedicated ppeople have achieved in terms of routes and why I am so amazed by the StoC achievement and am playing it when I get time.

Back and ready to do something when 2010 arrives

Andrew.