I have given up on my AI drivers to some extent.

J

JonMyrlennBailey

Active member
They flat out cannot handle navigating via the Mojave Wye to turn the train around and get back to the main line the opposite way. They get a case of the dumb a_s when confronted with a complex block of 10-15 switches at the yard. Putting a handful of track marks down has proven no use also. If they have to negotiate 3-5 yard switches to double back down the line they usually are good at that. So I have put engines on either ends of all my AI trains running the line so they can shuttle back and forth continuously in damn near a straight line. In at least one instance I even installed a crossover on a relatively level piece of yard real estate to give the returning trains a simpler path back to their home position on their respective routes. The old practice of turning trains, locomotives and sometimes running around is a long, dead practice on many American roads anyway. There is not a single turntable on the Mojave Sub to boot. Turning trains or engines consumes time, energy and money. It generates no revenue for the RR.:hehe:

Push/pull train operation for regional passenger service with a cab car at one end and an engine or more at the other end of the train is the norm these days. In California, there is the Niles Canyon RR with a steam loco at one end of an excursion train and a D/E loco at the opposite and for back-and-forth shuttling.

PS- Yes, even modifying your track layout can help artificial 'intelligence' out.
 
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On simpler, relatively-straight shots down the line either way they seem to handle Drive To quite well. I am keeping the AI boys out of the yards as much as possible. Yard work is reserved strictly for MY hands on the controls. 'Mainline drivers' are not 'hostlers' anyway.

This thread is the "end of the line" for me regarding the limitations and faults of AI operation.
I have struggled with trying to iron out the wrinkles of AI for several days now
and I'm getting tired of it.

I just had to let all you here know.

Consider this thread is the CLOSER for me and the topic of AI altogether so rejoice! :cool:
You will never hear from me regarding AI again. I promise. Scouts honor.
 
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As I said, I have rested my case with AI altogether. It is a dead horse (just like the many dead brain cells of AI drivers) and my arms are dog-tired from beating it with a whip, so to speak.

Tomorrow, instead, you may hear me complain about the shortcomings in graphics, audio and animation of Trainz during game play (sessions).
 
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AI was developed in 04, and was for the most part a failure, although it does work to some extent.

Auran and N3V developed the game platform, and all the rest of the assets were created by 3rd party creators, and were donated to the DLS, some of them adolescents or inexperienced creators ... So you can't expect a second rate game to be top notch ... There are imperfections, and it will never be perfect ... So enjoy the hobby like the rest of us ... It will never be a college course game, worthy of a thesis or book
 
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Drivers don't set routes, dispatchers do. Drivers just follow orders. The whole concept of AI drivers, acting like cars on a highway, is dumb. Check the links to the posts by oknotsen; use trackmarks and 'drive to trackmark'' 'drive thru trackmark', 'drive via junction', 'drive via trigger commands' etc. NEVER use 'navigate to' unless there are no choices that have to be made by the driver (straight track no turnouts or loops). You can get the trains to do what you want.
This subject has been raised and covered extensively ever since before TRS2004.
You are also going to have to use commands that set junctions, free junctions, and change train direction. you may have to use 'dcc drive' commands if parts of the track are occupied. You should use the schedule library rule to store these so you can just copy them when you need them in game. Sounds complicated and it is, but you only have to set it up once.

I have 'programmed' a setout in this way. The train stops at a siding, decouples the caboose, pulls ahead, reverses directon, throws some switches, backs into the siding, uncouples a string, changes direction, pulls ahead, changes direction, throws some switches, backs in and couples to another string, changes direction, pulls ahead, throws switches, changes direction, couples to the caboose, changes direction and goes on it's way. (phew). Took some time, but it's a lot of fun to watch.

People who have used the game for a while know that AI doesn't work and don't really care.;)
 
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Jon.

You may find that inserting a wait... (fill in seconds in the pull out menu associated with it), helps with moves such as this along with some in between track marks.

To turn an engine on a wye, I have done the following.

1) Setup the legs on the wye, designated by the example here, as N-S-E where N-S are the main line, and E is the leg.

2) I Place track marks both on either side of the legs plus one in the middle of each branch.

Keeping this in mind, the aim for the dumb AI drivers is to keep things simple as you can.

Now for the driver commands in this example, I am turning an engine around using the E-point on the wye.

If I am doing other things such as pulling into a yard first, I will stop the train, wait 20 seconds, uncouple from consist, or designated car using the uncouple-from. This uncouples the engine from the rest of the train.
Wait 20 seconds.

I then tell the driver to drive to S-E wye track mark, located in the middle of the wye-leg from S-E.
I then have the driver drive to track mark E-leg. Then drive to another beyond the switch to another track mark in order to clear the points.
Wait 20 seconds...

Now the train backs up.
Engine now drives to track mark N-E
Then drives to track mark N
Then drive to another track mark located away from the wye legs so the switch points are active,
Wait 20 seconds...

Then drive via track mark N-S, located in the middle of the main line. Then perform other duties as required.

The purpose of the wait... command is to slow the driver down a bit and I found it flushes the queue a bit so the driver thread isn't overwhelmed too much.
The in between track marks keep the train/engine on track, no pun intended, on the specific route we've set for the driver as they will sometimes go about the long way to drive the shortest way between two points. Using these in between markers keeps them on course.

Are all these commands a bit redundant, or are these extra marks redundant? I suppose, but this seems to work about 90% of the time for turning trains.

Experiment....

John
 
I don't see a problem with AI. They follow track marks. Every route that I have there are track marks at 1 mile intervals. If there is crossover facing the train direction add an track mark after the turn out, mark it the appropriate distance from the last distance marker before the turnout. Try avoiding placing track marks before signals, always after, so that AI reads the signal first.

John
 
And always make sure the train is going the right direction before you issue the navigate to command.

I prefer to use the other commands I mentioned, less track marks needed, more control, more fun.
 
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