Multiplayer Consensus

[JIb228]

So Ive been working over the past, what, 3 years now on various MP routes and sessions. Most notably MRL and FMR&LRR.

Now FMR&LRR is my main project, and will be a continuous ever growing route/project. And MRL has largely fallen off my radar for the time being. Btu most every thing I have done, or tried to do, is very operations heavy.

But I want to start this topic to get a feel for what every one is thinking about MP so far. Now I dont mean to ask for technical details. But more of, what are every ones thoughts and ideas on the the subject? What sort of things do you all look for or want in an MP route/session?

Do you like the more organized system of CMTMS, or do having industries and being allowed to do you own thing sound more fun?

Are large 100+ mile routes your thing, or would a small 20 mile route be better suited?

Just, what are you thoughts on it all?


There is a reason i ask. As I work on FMR&LRR, I also have a few side projects that I have been kicking around. But before I do too much else on them, I kinda what to get an idea of what every one wants. For example, I dont want to spend hours upgrading MRL and making a CMTM session for it, if that might not be some thing every one wants. Or another example. I dont want to spend the time making a route that uses Multiple Industry News, only to find out that you'd all rather have CMTMS for it. I want to make content that every oen will enjoy. I can't make locomotives or rolling stock, so I try my best to make routes and sessions. And I want to have the best idea of what people want out of a MP session before I dive in and get to work on some thing.

 

[transitguard]

On the subject of route length, I think for most MP sessions a medium-sized or smaller route is better only because trains can be moved around relatively quickly. Longer routes could result in long delays for yard crews as they wait for trains to come in.

CMTMS to me is more interesting because it provides more of a challenge instead if "any car loaded with this can go here". It also provides more realism from an operations standpoint and more of a challenge to switchers. The downside is that it adds a lot of work when it comes to updating a route.

Overall I think a mix of operations, from longer mainline driving to yard operations is key to entertain the preferences of anyone who might like to join in.

 

[danny5]

Well Jib you know that I like ProtoLars INDs, so you leave the cars and they load/unload at a set time.(no more then 30 mins)
Yard(s) that someone can sort trains to go N.S.E.W.and yard leads that will hold a train at least as long as the longest yard track.
A route that has at least 12 good size towns 20 to 25 INDs and each town will supply each other with no town products what it consumed. One IND in a town could supply INDs in all other towns.
Double main line with squeze points.
Cars that will load with a certain product that players can learn what they load with and help them know where to send these cars to get loaded when empty when switching in the yard(s)
using Hoppers,Flatcars,gondolas,wellscars,TTX for trailers,then you can see if the car is loaded or not.

 

[MrRail]

Well the experience from the MP I have played is that I generally enjoy longer routes. It is nice when you can get some tonnage in the train too. I still have to play with CMTMS though, so don't consider my opinion as heavily.

 

[JIb228]

Well the experience from the MP I have played is that I generally enjoy longer routes. It is nice when you can get some tonnage in the train too. I still have to play with CMTMS though, so don't consider my opinion as heavily.

I recommend checking out my FMR&LRR rotue and session. Though its broken in HF4, it works and is a pit of fun. Or any of the routes/session by Dap.

Well Jib you know that I like ProtoLars INDs, so you leave the cars and they load/unload at a set time.(no more then 30 mins)
Yard(s) that someone can sort trains to go N.S.E.W.and yard leads that will hold a train at least as long as the longest yard track.
A route that has at least 12 good size towns 20 to 25 INDs and each town will supply each other with no town products what it consumed. One IND in a town could supply INDs in all other towns.
Double main line with squeze points.
Cars that will load with a certain product that players can learn what they load with and help them know where to send these cars to get loaded when empty when switching in the yard(s)
using Hoppers,Flatcars,gondolas,wellscars,TTX for trailers,then you can see if the car is loaded or not.

Ive never had luck with ProtoLars. And in my playing with them I have found lots of things I dont like about them. MRL had them once and they never worked right for any one. The yards I can agree on. Most any yard needs to have at least 5 tracks I have found in my experience both virtual and modeling. But the yard lead can be iffy. A short lead can force an operator to think more before moving his train. Some really nice yards out there int he real world dont have yard leads. (I'm looking at you Durand MI) The industries and rolling stock I agree on, thought not the times. With MIN's you get an unrealistic load time. And you wind up with all your cars in blocks of box cars, hopper cars, and tank cars. And every thing is ether in the yard or in a train, nothing is at the industry. And cars are blocked because "IND4 loads box cars, and IND100 unloads them. So just move these 10 box cars back and fourth." Which to me is very unprototypical. But none hte less, I did ask for every ones thoughts, and I will listen to all.

On the subject of route length, I think for most MP sessions a medium-sized or smaller route is better only because trains can be moved around relatively quickly. Longer routes could result in long delays for yard crews as they wait for trains to come in.

CMTMS to me is more interesting because it provides more of a challenge instead if "any car loaded with this can go here". It also provides more realism from an operations standpoint and more of a challenge to switchers. The downside is that it adds a lot of work when it comes to updating a route.

Overall I think a mix of operations, from longer mainline driving to yard operations is key to entertain the preferences of anyone who might like to join in.

There are a few things wrong with long routes. First off, time. It takes time to go places. On MRL a run from one yard to the next was at least a 2 hour trip. Now I know some of us have free time to kill, but often times doing a 2 hour run just isn't fun. On top of that, if you have a large route, and only a few people, they might never see each other. I have been on UMR for hours in the past and never interacted with another player out side of chat. So I'm a little hesitant to do a large rout at this moment. (But the idea of an MRL reboot has been kicked around a bit.)

And yes, CMTMS is a beauty and a beast. It makes for the best operations though.


I'm still open to ideas guys and gals, keep them coming.

 

[MrRail]

Ok, now that I have seen the CMTMS, I do like it, however it's a bit of a learning curve. So revising my previous statement, I do still like the longer routes, but the CMTMS is a interesting addition. Ill be curious how CMTMS sessions develop over the next generations of trainz too, as I think they are pretty handy.

 

[JIb228]

Ok, now that I have seen the CMTMS, I do like it, however it's a bit of a learning curve. So revising my previous statement, I do still like the longer routes, but the CMTMS is a interesting addition. Ill be curious how CMTMS sessions develop over the next generations of trainz too, as I think they are pretty handy.

The CMTMS is a bit a of a pain when it comes to building the data soup. But can make very prototypical sessions. That's why I have started a small route for it. My FMR&LRR seams to be, at least amongst one group of people I know, a very popular route and session. And it uses CMTMS. So I have started toying with one of my larger routes and seeing what I can do with it. But as CMTMS takes a lot of time and effort to get working, I dont want to get to far involved in it.

Hench why I originally posted this. I still want to know what every one thinks.

 

[Isegrinns]

In general, faster servers and 3rd party content. Hopefully in the next version.

In particular, I feel that MP routes should be more prototypical in looks and acts. To be honest, MRL and UMR dont do it for me, I dont enjoy the loop tracks and double ended sidings.
Thats my taste and not an offense to the builders of those in any way! I do know very well how much work is involved in route building.

I am also a CMTM guy and enjoy working with it, despite the long nights of setting it up. So far, I dont know anything that can beat this system.
The cartagger might be an alternative in the future, I just took a glimpse at it.

Conceptional, industries should send their goods outside of the route, either to a set staging or into a portal, unless its a big route with some miles (lots!) inbetween shipper and receiver, otherwise trucks would be the way to ship it.
That goes for either old-time and modern routes. An exception are intra-plant movements, like refineries, steel mills, big lumber- or quarry operations.

A good idea to set something up would be a yard at one end of the route, with switchers handling cuts of cars plus industries around and interchange traffic to other companies (staging, can be driven by AI with the command library).
Then a line with several smaller towns which have few industries, but take a while to switch for wayfreight/local trains. Maybe a big industry at the other end or along the way that could have a dedicated switcher.
The line could either go into another bigger town or be a branchline that ends in the middle of nowhere, depending on how many MP slots you want to fill. That should be deceided first.
A branchline/shortline that has one IC yard at its end and goes through the warehouse district can keep 2-3 people busy, a mainline between two towns several more, of course.
The more sidings you have, the more people you can host. The more industries you have, the more time it takes for a local to get from one end to the other.
Routes dont need to be big to be challenging to operate.


If you want more input like this, lets chat on Skype or PM me.

 

[trainsim1995]

Something else that will add to the realism would be Defects and breakdowns like in Run-8 Train simulator. The Jointedrail KCS locomotive (freeware) has a script that if the engine starts to over heat it will shut down til it cools down.


I like running short to medium sized routes with single and double track with mountains or hills. Some good ones I like is Mojave, Thompson and Western, FMR & LRR, and EK3. These have both Mountains and Single and double track. I would say that im more into operations than long runs.