I have purchased TRS2010 boxed set from the Auran shop, received it inside of 3 working days so top marks for dispatch. Opened the package and there it was so shiny and new, I could not help noticing on the top left “OVER 1 MILLION copies sold” Mmmm multiply by $49.95 and round it = $50,000,000+ Mmmm tidy turnover in only 6 months, POOR Auran.:hehe:
Loaded on my PC and as I expected, a slide show with scenery popping out at the last minute and there is one particular stupid speed tree which is a skeleton till the last minute when it all of a sudden sprouts a poor excuse for foliage, Auran you got to replace that one it is an absolute joke even on a good PC. Then a steam train waiting at the station, the smoke is blowing one way and the trees another, another joke.
Yes I have read the forums and have the latest drivers etc.
Oh well at least I am now considered a customer again (I think), the box is sitting on the shelf above my pc desk, looks pretty.
So until I get a PC that will run it, that is where it will stay and any way I am to busy getting everything I want for my other Trainz versions before time runs out. Then I can start enjoying Trainz and learning more about what makes it tick. I still use MSTS and enjoy it, I quite like UTC its fun and TRS04 and 06 are great too. Hopefully when I finally get to use TRS2010 I will not have too much problem in using it as I will have an understanding of the workings and all of the bugs will have been fixed by then, Mmmm.:hehe:
Regards
Barrie
Barrie,
Before you start complaining too loudly, check out your machine more thoroughly. This sounds like there's something amiss with the system. Post the specs of your machine as this will help us troubleshoot your problem and get you up and running.
Offhand here are a somethings to check:
Ventilation. Trainz is a very complex program and really pushes the computer hardware to its fullest capacity. Today machines will actually throttle back instead of crashing - in other words the computer hardware such as the processor and video card will slow down rather than continue to operate in a very hot environment.
To rectify this problem, try cleaning out any extra dust bunnies that maybe inside the case and in the fans. I have removed dust clumps with cat fur in them that were so thick that I swear I could have used them as couch stuffing. Note: This was someone else's machine, not mine!
Ensure you have plenty of disk space.
The computer OS, not matter how much RAM you have, will create temporary files. This is the way every multitasking operating system works whether your using VAX/VMS on an old VAX 11780, and IBM 3270, or even UNIX, Windows, or Apple's offerings. When an operating system needs to swap its self out of RAM to make room for the programs, it writes its data to temporary files and a pagefile. If you don't have enough space to do this, the system will spend its time swapping stuff around to make room. This will create excess disk access and cause the computer to run sluggishly particularly when the program is very CPU and memory intenstive.
Now keeping this in mind, the other issue is programs are not kind housemates on your computer. Instead of cleaning up after themselves, they will leave bits and pieces of their temporary files around. Combine this with your personal files such as pictures, documents and other stuff, internet temporary files, and eventually your disk will become cluttered.
There are many utilities available (some free) to remove the junk files and keep your disk clean.
Speaking of disks... Defragment them. When a disk is written to, the operating system will choose the first available open sector to place some data. After that it chooses any other open sectors to place the data. The problem is eventually the disk read heads are moving around more than they should to retrieve the data. A periodic defragment of the data will prevent this excessive movement by keeping the data sectors all together in close proximity. The advantage of this is seen particularly when data is copied or read into memory. This issue will also effect temporary file swapping by the OS and programs as well as retrieving data. Granted computers are faster than before, but the disk is still the slowest component so keep this and mind and give a defrag a try. There are many free as well as commercial utilities for this operation.
Check for memory problems. A bad memory stick can cause weird issues. I had a totally weird problem that kept me busy until I finally tracked it down. The problem was Trainz would stutter and finally crash, but only in a particular point in a route, and only after a certain amount of time. After checking and changing many parts, like my power supply, the problem was solved.
And finally, check your power supply. A flaky power supply will give up when its needed the most. Instead of putting more power out, it'll take a walk-about instead and cause poor performance and possibly damage to your hardware. Getting back to my memory problem, I really contribute that to an original power supply issue. The machine came with a really inexpensive power supply and shortly after I purchased my machine, it pooped out. Much later on, I had a bad hard drive and then the memory problems.
Anyway there are many problems that can contribute to poor performance. Some programs will push the hardware more than others, and make these problems more evident.
John
