Mac User Looking to Start Into Trainz Community

[jdfield]

Hello all, I am a new member to the Trainz forum, and the simulator entirely, and I could use some guidance from the Veterans of this community. I am an avid Mac user but I am torn between purchasing Trainz Simulator 2 or Trainz: A New Era. I am mainly leaning towards T:ANE. What would be your best suggestions for a final purchase?

I understand the basic concept that you download content that you want into the simulator via the Download Station. If I were to download T:ANE, would I be able to access content within the station from years such as 2006, 2009, etc? I have noticed that much of the content I want to download is from older editions of Trainz.

What other advice can anyone pass on to a new member? Any help into having a good start into this community would be most helpful.

If this helps any, my main focus interest in railroads and trains are Post War Streamliners (FEC, Santa Fe, Union Pacific, NY Central specifically), Thomas and Friends, and Steam Locomotives from the 1930s to the 1950s. Post War diesels are more of my favored choices rather than more modern diesels of today. I also enjoy the narrow gauge lines of the Durango and Silverton, and the Cumbers and Toltec.

I look forward to meeting those who read this post and reply.

 

[pware]

Welcome to the forum, jdfield.

As you have not yet purchased your copy of Trainz (either version) you are unable to register on the forum and, as such, will not get full access to all the services this web site has to offer. When you do get your copy, make sure that you click the Register button at the top of each page of these forums and supply your product serial number. Folks in this community are often wary of responding to unregistered users.

I can give you no advice on Trainz Simulator 2 as I do not have it. You may want to take a look at Trainz Driver 2016 which is a Driver only version of T:ANE (no Surveyor of Content Manager). Currently it is for Windows only but a Mac version may be forthcoming. I do have T:ANE and it is now my preferred version, over Trainz 2012.

Importing DLS (Download Station) assets from earlier versions (pre Trainz 2012) into T:ANE - that covers 2006, 2009 and 2010 - is problematic. Not all of the older stuff is compatible and even some of the Trainz 2012 stuff can cause problems but they are slowly being updated to T:ANE compatibility.

 

[Matt3985]

I have a Mac and I've been a veteran since the 04 years and I would suggest if you don't mind updating and beta testing then I would recommend TANE (which I highly recommend because TANE is a lot better now than it was last year) but if you don't like to deal with all that, then Mac 2 is for but TANE will soon have everything that Mac 2 had when it comes to built in routes.

 

[jdfield]

Reply

Thank you for your suggestions! I will purchase TANE as soon as I can. I was hesitant to do so because of the poor reviews received on the App Store. It is great to hear that the older content may eventually transition into TANE with ease, hopefully. I look forward to posting of my progresses and other sorts.
Jacob

 

[Matt3985]

No problem. Happy to help.

 

[alexl102]

Thank you for your suggestions! I will purchase TANE as soon as I can. I was hesitant to do so because of the poor reviews received on the App Store. It is great to hear that the older content may eventually transition into TANE with ease, hopefully. I look forward to posting of my progresses and other sorts.
Jacob

Please please PLEASE check that your computer's spec can handle T:ANE. I'm sure you know this already but it's far harder (in some cases impossible) to upgrade a mac if it doesn't meet the spec. Trainz Mac 2 is excellent and has very few limitations in my opinion so would be entirely worthy if you can't run TANE

 

[jdfield]

Working fairly well with my Mac at this time. A little slow at times but it's performing very well