multiplayer Trainz organization?

[colinknapp]

I was wondering whether there was a set up organisation that arranged multiplayer (as they are) sessions for trainz.

If not then would anyone be intrested in joining this sort of organisation.

i've already written out the basic rules for such a group and created a basic route template.

this organisation would allow the simulation of a proper network where industrys on seperate sections would provide goods for each other.

the network would agree on one set country and time period (to start with present day UK),

and a regular competition would be held for the person who keeps closest to the time table, best section, best screenshot etc
(no prize i'm afraid just the honour of being recognised as being the best)

if your intrested post a reply here, and i'll post the rules, in their entirity.

Colinknapp

 

[Kelly88]

I was wondering whether there was a set up organisation that arranged multiplayer (as they are) sessions for trainz.

If not then would anyone be intrested in joining this sort of organisation.

i've already written out the basic rules for such a group and created a basic route template.

this organisation would allow the simulation of a proper network where industrys on seperate sections would provide goods for each other.

the network would agree on one set country and time period (to start with present day UK),

and a regular competition would be held for the person who keeps closest to the time table, best section, best screenshot etc
(no prize i'm afraid just the honour of being recognised as being the best)

if your intrested post a reply here, and i'll post the rules, in their entirity.

Colinknapp

When You say Multiplayer I assume you mean iPortal set up as Real Multiplayer in real time is not available, I would be interested in a set up along the lines you have outlined, more so as my interest it UK Layouts ( being English ) maybe a few more details

 

[colinknapp]

Hi thanks for your interest,

here the rules i have come up with so far, i have also uploaded a map called: 'Module Multiplayer Blank' <kuid:115630:100012> as an optional start point for modules which should be avaiable in a few days (fingures crossed!)

The Rules:
1. you can edit the module however you Like.

2. you can only use freely available content (if not from DLS then address of supplier must be provided

3. The route must be Standard guage (you may use other guages but only standard guage can be connected to iportals)

4. the module should only be about 3 boards long

5.The module must have a British theme

6. content from the present day should be used (this will be changed every so often to allow other periods)

7. all modules must be submitted to the DLS

8. any rolling stock you would like included in sessions should be listed (kuids) and emailed to i.pidgley@hotmail.co.uk and this list will be circulated around all members.

9. each module may only contain 2 unrelated industrys (for example if you have a coal mine you cannot have a power station as both involve coal)

10. you must provide any rolling stock on your module to transport 'outgoing goods' (E.g. if you have a coal mine your section must contain an engine and trucks capable of carrying coal)

Modules will be entered into Best module competition on wich all members can vote on the best section unfortuantly there will be no prize just honour i'm afraid!

to Become a member of this organisation email me at: i.pidgley@hotmail.co.uk or post here for the time being

 

[colinknapp]

My New Site

http://www.freewebs.com/itrainz/

will contain all info on the club which i have decided to name ITrainz

Colinknapp

 

[WileeCoyote]

Hmmm... great idea, only problem is most of the stuff I have used is payware and I drive heavy freight trains in East (or West whenever I fell like it) Germany, I suppose there are no regional exceptions?

WileeCoyote

 

[colinknapp]

well i picked UK because i live here. however members can vote on a new region/time if they want to i'll go with the majority.

Only the Rollingstock and trains must be freeware however members are encouraged to share there whole route with other members so freeware is best. (i can't afford to buy payware content)

Colinknapp

 

[WileeCoyote]

Well you talked me into it, at the moment I am building a three baseboard layout for this as I think it would look today (being as my knowledge of BR today and how their stations normally look goes about as far as my knowledge of the rail system of North Korea). Quick signal question, does BR still use semaphore signals in a few places or do they only use light signals? And where can I find some good modern BR road-rail crossings?

WileeCoyote

P.S. Please excuse me for my ignorance of British railways and how they look.

 

[Kelly88]

One small point, why must the moduals be on the DL Station, as It would only be the person using it that needs a copy !!

How would you go about setting up a time of connection and for how Long would it run, as to be interacive/multiplayer we would all need to be online togeather,

Do the module need to be in line
say 1 iportal at each end

so if I was to send something to fred and he was 4 modules away
I would only send to the next module and the dispatcher there would need to forward it on, otherwise you wouls need 1 iPortal outound for each player ?

 

[colinknapp]

ok heres the specifics:

at each end of the modules there are 2 portals 1 in and 1 out so its a double track set up.

each module controller would relay the train until it reached the correct module.

Sorry i should have said that earlier!

i wasn't expecting such a positive response to the idea!

Colinknapp

 

[colinknapp]

Time of connection...

thats a very good question,

my thought is that prior to begining a session we meet over MSN messenger so we can see who is around and who isn't and arange the line up of who goes where (hopefully there will be enought to form a circle)

As for the DLS rule i thought that in order to judge a section it would be nice to download it. however if you think thats a bad/ unneccasry idea then i suppose you don't have to, oh the other reason was to make sure everyone had the correct rolling stock downloaded, but that can be listed i suppose.

Colinknapp

 

[rockster]

hi, i im up for this, i remember posting this same sort of idea when 2006 first came out but didnt get much interest at the time, each member would supply a commodity to the rest passing in a line to who ever needs it, then sending the cars back, also a passenger train could be scheduled to pass each map, some local, some express, stopping at just a few maps in the line.

if this is going to work i think the route creation would need to be managed a bit, we dont all want to be building coal modules, so it would be important to let people know so as to keep plenty of variation in the layouts.

also i dont really see the need for all routes to be from the same region, as well as rolling stock, again for variation, but i think there would need to be rules on the length of the consists allowed to be sure each map can handle goods from another layout

cheers

Gav

 

[Kelly88]

The thing is that every one must have the same rolling stock on his computer database otherwise it wont work, and you must drive on the same side of the road!!!
now I normaly work with Bristish Steam, but I have loads of other stock available, and I was sujested that it be UK Modern, thats also OK with me but I have just been looking arround, and there doesnt seem to be that much UK interacive stock for modern UK lines ( wagons ) plenty of locos but no stock

the 4 ports is OK ( in & out ) both ends, but then each player can only have 2 destinations out of his module, so like I said it has to be a chain, with each player being the dispatcher on his module ( thats also OK ) but all players have to be available otherwise you have a break in the circuit ( NOT GOOD )
for through traffic I dont think thats a problem, as you could say send a unit through my section, by just giving the driver orders to enter and depart the moduel ( I assume that driver commands are transfered across the system along with the consist ?)

so if fred needs to send a unit through my module to henry he gives commands like
( Drive to Mikes INPORT-1/Drive to Mikes OUT PORT-2( wich would have Henrys address as the destination)/drive to Henrys coal mine/unload/ and then so forth eventualy arriveing back at Freds module) the progress through my module would not require any intervention by me?, but would be subject to the traffic control on my unit)

are we still on the right track here ?

 

[Kelly88]

By the way I have wanted something like this since I got 2006 and I also tried to get people intersted, but for one reason or the other it never gelled, I have never been able to use the iPorts due to lack of another participant

I hope this takes off !!

 

[Kelly88]

I have been putting something togeather while sitting here
It an adapttion of 1 of my moduels from my main layout
Its not completely finished yet, has a small through station/ a small goods yard & a Dock, it has 4 small interactive industrys available but each 1 could only handle 5/6 wagons at a time, I have just changed the signals from semaphore to BR Lights to update it, if anyone is interested and give me there E-Mail I can send it to them to check out ?

 

[rockster]

The thing is that every one must have the same rolling stock on his computer database otherwise it wont work, and you must drive on the same side of the road!!!
now I normaly work with Bristish Steam, but I have loads of other stock available, and I was sujested that it be UK Modern, thats also OK with me but I have just been looking arround, and there doesnt seem to be that much UK interacive stock for modern UK lines ( wagons ) plenty of locos but no stock

the 4 ports is OK ( in & out ) both ends, but then each player can only have 2 destinations out of his module, so like I said it has to be a chain, with each player being the dispatcher on his module ( thats also OK ) but all players have to be available otherwise you have a break in the circuit ( NOT GOOD )
for through traffic I dont think thats a problem, as you could say send a unit through my section, by just giving the driver orders to enter and depart the moduel ( I assume that driver commands are transfered across the system along with the consist ?)

so if fred needs to send a unit through my module to henry he gives commands like
( Drive to Mikes INPORT-1/Drive to Mikes OUT PORT-2( wich would have Henrys address as the destination)/drive to Henrys coal mine/unload/ and then so forth eventualy arriveing back at Freds module) the progress through my module would not require any intervention by me?, but would be subject to the traffic control on my unit)

are we still on the right track here ?

each train would need to be despatched through your route, you couldnt give a command to drive to mikes inport if it is no on the map, which side of the road doesnt really matter as the inport would be on the correct side for the layout being used

cheers

Gav

 

[Kelly88]

Hi Gav

well what I understand is as follow ( just for example we take one line )

on your module you would have 2 iports

at one end this would contain the input address to you system
at the other end it would have the destination address of the next module in the line
If you were situated next to me then my input port would just be set up to recive
but my output would be set up to the next in line

so if my input was called X
and my out put called Y

If you gave a command to a unit to drive to x folowed by drive to Y surly it would just pass through my unit without me doing anything ?
and your unit would arrive on the module of the guy up line from me

 

[rockster]

Hi Gav

well what I understand is as follow ( just for example we take one line )

on your module you would have 2 iports

at one end this would contain the input address to you system
at the other end it would have the destination address of the next module in the line
If you were situated next to me then my input port would just be set up to recive
but my output would be set up to the next in line

so if my input was called X
and my out put called Y

If you gave a command to a unit to drive to x folowed by drive to Y surly it would just pass through my unit without me doing anything ?
and your unit would arrive on the module of the guy up line from me

there is no way for me to give a command for the train whilst it is on your route, can only give commands on my own layout as my pc wouldnt be able to access the info on your route, when you give a drive to command you need to select a destination from the list, there is no way of telling the driver what is on your map,

so the last command i can give my train is to drive to my exit iportal, after that the train would be in, i hope, your safe hands

cheers

gav

 

[rockster]

hi been busy all afternoon working on a module, it has a power station and a lumber mill, all track is laid, junction done, need to signal it and do the scenery

http://img57.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cleavedenevl8.jpg

cheers

Gav

 

[insulfrog]

I would love to join the Itrainz club as it will increase my communication skills a little and make new friends.

May I make a suggestion?

What if the user has the option of putting in the the 're-rail portal' in their module. It will handle any derailments, take away un-wanted trains, and if combined with the 'Emit Train Now' rule, add more trains if needed. You never know when a derailment may occur.

Both the 're-rail portal' and the 'Emit Train Now' rule are both are on the DLS if you have not got any of these .

Also you might need somone who would help out and give support while on-line and point people in the right direction if needed.

One more thing, can a casual iportal user send trains to the club's modules if they happened to be in the neighbourhood?

 

[Kelly88]

If you have the address and details of the persons modual then yes:
but I would be polite to ensure that they are in a position to recive it

I would love to join the Itrainz club as it will increase my communication skills a little and make new friends.


One more thing, can a casual iportal user send trains to the club's modules if they happened to be in the neighbourhood?

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