Making the plunge...

[Blutorse4792]

I held out, but now my FCT expired, I guess I'm gonna take the plunge and update when I get my next paycheck.

My instinct is to go with Trainz 12, but from what I hear, it's a bit glichy, and there are issues with backwards compatibility.

Here's a word from my friend, Speccy...

So, I guess what this all boils down to...

1. Trainz 2010 or 12?
2. Is my machine up to snuff?

 

[trainman7616]

I have vista as well but yours in better then mine but I run TRS2006 2009 2010 2012 and Train Simulator 2013 with no problems. With TS2012 you cant backdate models but you can update them for 2012. All the trainz games are glitchy but TS2012 is by far the best one I have.

 

[AMTRAKwannabe]

I run Vista and 7 and both work fine with TS12, haven't tried TS2010 on Vista yet, yes TS12 has glitches but if you stay pre-sp1 most are resolved... I say go with TS12. Just my thoughts, AMTRAKwannabe

 

[H222]

If you go with SP1 HF3 the bugs are virtually non-existent or have existed for years. Once I got rid of the useless old 2001 content, it ran like a dream

 

[RRSignal]

So, I guess what this all boils down to...

1. Trainz 2010 or 12?
2. Is my machine up to snuff?

Both? I like the routes that come pre-installed with TS2010. There are about 30 of them, and quite a variety too. TS12 isn't so bad as long as you avoid SP1, but is a little lacking in built-in content. Fortunately, most of the TS2010 content is available on the DLS. I'm not sure all of it is, though...I seem to remember having trouble finding a few things. Maybe the tie-breaker could be cost?

I have an old machine with almost identical specs to yours, except it runs XP. Both TS2010 and TS12 ran decently when it ran as a standalone. I could consistently get 30+ fps on all but the heaviest areas. I have since made it into an internet/email machine, so I don't really know how either version would run now. I would expect them to run noticeably slower, but probably still acceptably.

 

[boyerm25]

With 52 built-in routes in TS2010 and 9 in TS12 the choice should be obvious.

 

[H222]

With 52 mostly-old, obsolete and out of date routes you mean? Compared to 9 brand new routes built to the very best of trainz. Not to mention there are plenty of routes for download
...

 

[RRSignal]

Probably about 80% of the "new" routes on the DLS are one-baseboard, untextured garbage.

New != Better. (New doesn't mean better, for the non-geeks! )

 

[Blutorse4792]

Thank you all for the input.

I'm leaning towards Trainz 12 (without SP1) at the moment.

Trainz 2010 looks alright, but I don't want to get it only to have support discontinued in a couple of years.

My main focus at the moment is route-building.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Unsupport only means that you won't be able to upload your assets to the DLS.

 

[Blutorse4792]

It also means that I can no longer download without an FCT, and I figure that since an upgrade is only about $15 more than a year-long FCT, I might as well prevent this issue from resurfacing for as long as I can.

 

[Blutorse4792]

Went ahead and got 12 this morning, about to fire her up for the first time.

My old Leslie "blat" horn is showing up as built-in content for the GG1. I guess that makes me a celebrity around these parts, eh?

 

[schweitzerdude]

I bought TS12 over a year ago (have also TS2010) and at first, moving a route I was working on from 2010 to 12 resulted in a lot of broken DLS stuff, some of which I could not find substitutes, so I gave up and stayed with 2010. A year later I tried again with the same route and the result was much better since so much DLS stuff has been upgraded for 12. I will tell you that the same route I was working on runs better in 12 than 2010 on the same laptop. I upgraded thru SP1 HF3 and in my opinion TS12 is the best Trainz ever. With the latest updates, the merge route issue seems to have been fixed. Zooming out to map view in surveyor is really a time saver for moving around and seeing your route in a new way. A lot of small improvements too, such as the straighten spline tool is now on the spline tab in addition to the track tab. Another minor thing that is really useful is that the ruler function shows not only length but angles in degrees. Also, in 12 exposed water shows in satellite view as water where in 2010 and before you had to texture water first to see it. Just my opinion.