No fan of this version

davesnow

Crabby Old Geezer
Okay. After spending ALL DAY YESTERDAY transferring my Cotton Belt Route into TRS2019, I am sorely disappointed. They have changed so much stuff I can't figure a lot of it out. I have been working all day in my session. Some of the locomotives & consists that I painstakingly created drive to's, load, unload, etc. and stuff for don't have the information in driver so they just sit there. I can't even figure out how to assign a driver to a locomotive in DRIVER in this version. Menus are all different (and I hate that), it takes 15 minutes or more to load up my route, the simulated reflections I created for my locomotive mirrors don't work now, ATLAS crossings don't work, a lot of my foliage which I placed RANDOMLY are now lined up like freaking soldiers marching on the drill pad. I'm just tired of messing with it all.

Bahh
 
But Tony, why change up all the menus that have worked great for years and we've all grown accustomed to? What sense is there in that? What are you trying to do, make it look more like Railworks? Please don't. That simulator can't hold a candle to Trainz. I don't even play it at all and have, in fact, uninstalled it (about five or six years ago).

And that's all I got to say about that.
 
But Tony, why change up all the menus that have worked great for years and we've all grown accustomed to? What sense is there in that?

This is definitely a valid concern, and the simple answer is that we designed many of the current user interfaces a long time ago (~15 years ago, give or take a few years, for many of them) and a lot has changed over the years. We've "tacked on" many additional features in ways that made sense at the time based on where we came from, but which don't make a lot of sense if you look at what the product is trying to achieve as a whole.

This release was an opportunity for us to step back, look at what we've done right and what we've done wrong, as well as looking at what we're going to need over the next ten-or-so years, and make sure that we have a product which actually delivers on our goals. I won't claim that we've got everything perfect just yet- but I feel that we've made significant improvements overall and that we've successfully laid the groundwork for more improvements to come.

Hopefully, after you've spent a few days with the software, you'll come to agree with us that it was the right decision to make.

chris
 
The feedback from the beta testers was overwhelming positive.

We had 100 beta testers provide their feedback on the new Driver UI with an average score of:

2018-08-27_142540.png


Comments on the UI included:
[FONT=&quot]* I really love this new interface. Especially the line-map.
* [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I think its a very good change from older trainz versions
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]* [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The driver interface is awesome -- no changes are needed.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]etc.

[/FONT]
As Chris said, it isn't perfect and, in fact, it isn't even finished yet as we continue to tweak things. I'm sure over time you will wonder why we didn't introduce this earlier.
 
Okay okay okay. . . But I'm having real problem assigning new A.I. Drivers in Driver. I get to this point (screenshot below) but no matter what I click on I can find no menu or bar to add "Drive to" instructions for my new A.I. Driver:

best image hosting


In T:ANE it was very simple and easy.
 
This is definitely a valid concern, and the simple answer is that we designed many of the current user interfaces a long time ago (~15 years ago, give or take a few years, for many of them) and a lot has changed over the years. We've "tacked on" many additional features in ways that made sense at the time based on where we came from, but which don't make a lot of sense if you look at what the product is trying to achieve as a whole.

This release was an opportunity for us to step back, look at what we've done right and what we've done wrong, as well as looking at what we're going to need over the next ten-or-so years, and make sure that we have a product which actually delivers on our goals. I won't claim that we've got everything perfect just yet- but I feel that we've made significant improvements overall and that we've successfully laid the groundwork for more improvements to come.

Hopefully, after you've spent a few days with the software, you'll come to agree with us that it was the right decision to make.

chris

Hello Chris --

I've been with Trainz since late 2001, and yes, I have seen trainz from it's infancy (almost) to what it is now; However, you guys keeping dropping the ball when you release a product, and this is what I mean, sir!!!

You and Tony have the tools to make this simpler now, and I wish u take this suggestion for future products -- I say, next-time-around release a bunch of tutorial videos on how-to, etc to do things -- Sorry to say but the old days of folks reading manuals, etc are gone -- Today, folks just want to jump onto youtube in search of how-to do things! Look at the FAQ thread, and you will read how many times Tony repeats himself. Etc … Perhaps video tutorials and presentations from you guys can easily answer many questions that could / would come up!. Perhaps next time ask the Alpha and beta testers what kind of questions would they ask, and take those surveys, get in front of a video camera and give us one-on-one chat! It's not gonna be perfect, and yes, there will be threads asking this and that, Still, I feel tutorial videos and presentations prior to release of any products will, at least, ease some questions and minds!

Anyhow, it's my 2 cents on this issue! :)
Ish
 
Okay okay okay. . . But I'm having real problem assigning new A.I. Drivers in Driver. I get to this point (screenshot below) but no matter what I click on I can find no menu or bar to add "Drive to" instructions for my new A.I. Driver:

<image removed>

In T:ANE it was very simple and easy.

After you add your driver to your consist - click on move driver - the picture of a train and arrows, click on the locomotive.

By default, the locomotive is now user-drivable and not AI driven so you will see the knob for DCC, or the sliders for CAB control.

On the right are three verticle dots - click on those and the display with change from DCC or CAB control and finally to a blank area with the arrow-thing where you add in driver commands.

If the display behind the driver command bar and driver, you can darken that up by clicking below the 3-dots and choosing the dark background.

I agree it's a lot easier in T:ANE for this, but I like the fact that we can easily add drivers without having to click on Quick Drive and easily access the new drivers and consists without needing to exit the train we're driving by clicking on the eyeball to view the diver we want to.
 
However, you guys keeping dropping the ball -- I say, next-time-around release a bunch of tutorial videos on how-to, etc to do things -- Sorry to say but the old days of folks reading manuals, etc are gone -- Today, folks just want to jump onto youtube in search of how-to do things!

We agree :)

Tutorial videos take time to produce, and at this stage (Early Access) most of our focus is on bugfixing and polish items. We have produced a few out-of-game tutorials, but we're aware that there's a lot more to do in this regard.

chris
 
Each new update comes with challenges and the best thing we can do is work together and help each other out as we learn until we have a grasp of what's going on, just like all other times. I'm having problems to, but we just have to keep going on so we don't get behind.
 
We agree :)

Tutorial videos take time to produce, and at this stage (Early Access) most of our focus is on bugfixing and polish items. We have produced a few out-of-game tutorials, but we're aware that there's a lot more to do in this regard.

chris

Hi Chris --
Indeed, sir! :wave:
Take Care
Ish
 
Now add Dorothy, the Lion and Scarecrow sacking out in the poppy field. :sleep: Where's the yellow brick road? Man, Dave....I feel your pain..and I don't have TRS 19, just trying to catch up to TANE .....that poppy field looks good right now for all the wrong reasons.
Looking closer, that texture reminds me of a Hawaiian shirt that I haven't worn in decades. :)
 
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Now add Dorothy, the Lion and Scarecrow sacking out in the poppy field. :sleep: Where's the yellow brick road? Man, Dave....I feel your pain..and I don't have TRS 19, just trying to catch up to TANE .....that poppy field looks good right now for all the wrong reasons.
Looking closer, that texture reminds me of a Hawaiian shirt that I haven't worn in decades. :)



Well, they aren't poppys, they are sunflowers.... :p
 
oh...... well that kinda killed it then.

Good luck trying to adapt to a new system. I've always believed, like you, if it aint broke, don't fix it.
 
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