Purchasing Trainz - Confused

[Fogey]

Hello,
I have not purchased this game at all yet but was told there was multiplayer which brought me to look. Now the company is offering a number of different things but does not explain what is in it very well to a new user.
Is a first class ticket a paid for download of all of their paid for products?
Do I get the paid for product downloads free with the first class ticket?

Also if I get the Digital Download it comes to me "instantly." If I purchase the Trainz 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition then I can't load the game tell I get the box?
This makes even less sens with the Trainz 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition SUPER BUNDLE!
So I can't get the digital download for the game but all the other stuff is?
None of this is making any sens and I have been going back and forth across the Auran website looking for answers and am not finding them.

Help would be appreciated. I already know that I would like one of the routes that is included in the 2010 version as well.
-Fogey
(Nat)

 

[fran1]

First class ticket, you buy this for faster downloads of extra content.
2012 has multi player, 2010 has both non multi and multi player versions. both have routes, sessions locos and stock included. Extra content is available from the DLS which is why you need the FCT.
Digital download, your good to go assuming it all downloads ok.
Box set, you install when it's delivered.

 

[RRSignal]

If you want MP, get TS12; although TS2010 supports multiplayer with a patch, I'm not sure if it works with others playing TS12 and most MP routes are specifically being built for TS12 anyway from what I've seen.

The First Class Ticket allows you premium access to the download station, the largest repository of Trainz content like routes, locomotives, buildings, and so on. Pretty much every addon route requires stuff from the DLS so it's good to have fast access. The DLS operates somewhat like Rapidshare and other download services in that you can still get free access (provided you have a supported product registered) but you can choose to pay for better, faster service.

The difference between the digital download and the boxed edition is just that: If you gotta play Trainz now, get the DD; some of us prefer a boxed, physical product with a nice, printed manual, so we buy a boxed edition. The Anniversary Edition has a nice, 240-page manual, which the basic boxed edition I bought way back when TS12 came out did not. If I were buying today, I'd buy the Anniversary Edition because I'm old-school like that.

I believe with the Super Bundle you can download TS2010 and the other content immediately and they send you the Anniversary Edition by snail mail. This is actually the way I'd go if I were just getting into Trainz because you get a lot of great content and I'd still get the boxed version I mentioned above. I like that TS2010 has tons of great routes - about 30 - built in, though TS12 has some cool features and bug fixes not in
TS2010.

 

[Originalwelshborder]

The FCT (First class ticket) gives (almost) guaranteed access to the large library of free "user made" content. It's not a link to the items you buy from Auran/N3V, which you either buy as a dvd which has to be posted out to you (maybe from a more local source than Australia), or as a download (but not both). The downloads of bought items from Auran are accessed by following a link you are emailed (if you opt for the download method). No book, fancy tin etc if you do this!

The "download station" has all items, whether a route/map/scenario/engine/carriage etc or just a blade of grass made by users since the creation 10 years or so ago. Without an FCT you have to try your luck fighting for access to the limited, slower, bandwith, but you can still download from here without an FCT. There are also many, worldwide, other sites with content to download, as not all users/creators put their stuff on the company site.

 

[danny5]

Welcome To the fourm!
A FCT give you the right to down load 204128 items (at the momint) that are free on the down load station that trainz members have made on there own time and gave to us to use in trainz. The money for the FCT is to pay for the bandwitch so we can have a place to DL assets.
When getting a digital download you get the game only, all updates are free.
I don't know if you get the game it self in the A.C.E.
I know you get a poster,a metal box, a 30 day FCT. A chance to win trainz games for life.
If any of this is wrong please correct me.
As for the route it might be in TS12,but if not you can DL it.More then likey free.

 

[Fogey]

Thank You to all that have answered. I think I have a better feeling about what I am purchasing.
@RRSignal I feel the same way about having product in hand.

Now just to clarify if I purchase the Trainz 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition SUPER BUNDLE! I can get a digital download of the game as well?
Or is shipping time comparable within the United States?
Thanks for all the responses.
Regards,
Fogey

 

[Euphod]

If you purchase the Super Bundle, 12 will be sent to you via the mail. It does take awhile to arrive from Australia. Shipping times are NOT comparable to those in the continental US. The 2010 is a digital download.

 

[TimBurr]

For someone like myself who has for the 1st time used the Trainz program. The Trainz forum with Threads & sticky's dating back to at least 2007. and learning how to use surveyor. and mutiplay. and DLS & content manager is more than I can understand or maybe more than I learn in my spare time. I have spent 10's of hours roaming around on this forum and its links to other sites. Even more hours spent driving & editing & building. Seems I found a game that will take up every minute of the rest of my life.
Still There are 2 things that I have not been able to figure out since I first got Trainz. 1 is upgrading my TS12 to the current version, & 2nd is the DLS. Is there a place somewhere on the forum that can explain in simple step by step how to upgrade my copy, and how to use AND keep the assets I download organized and not get them lost in with the original assets? Because I don't feel safe doing these 2 things unless I understand what is happening.
I think auran should have welcome thread with a help guide to walk a new person through these task to get us up to speed quickly. I mean I will eventually figure it all out on my own the hard slow way. But right now I'd rather have someone show me. Or is there a welcome thread? I'm still memorized.

 

[Euphod]

Since patches apply to the original poster as well, I'll post this here. Patches for 2010 and for 12 can be found at this link for manual downloading and installation. It sometimes works better than the autopatcher.

http://www.auran.com/servicepacks/#TS2010

Scroll the page to find the patches that apply to your version. You can find your current build number by looking in the lower right corner of the menu screen when you start the program. Here is an example:

You can see that this version of Trainz 12 is 49922.

When you download from the DLS, all content is kept separately from the built in content by the Content Manager. Built in content is contained in the programs JA files, and you can always see in CM what is locally installed versus what is built in.

Welcome to Trainz, both of you. This simulation can occupy as much time as you can put into it. I've been using Trainz since 2001, and have rarely had another game installed in that period of time. Good luck.

 

[korikovaVL80]

Since patches apply to the original poster as well, I'll post this here. Patches for 2010 and for 12 can be found at this link for manual downloading and installation. It sometimes works better than the autopatcher.

http://www.auran.com/servicepacks/#TS2010

Scroll the page to find the patches that apply to your version. You can find your current build number by looking in the lower right corner of the menu screen when you start the program. Here is an example:

You can see that this version of Trainz 12 is 49922.

When you download from the DLS, all content is kept separately from the built in content by the Content Manager. Built in content is contained in the programs JA files, and you can always see in CM what is locally installed versus what is built in.

Welcome to Trainz, both of you. This simulation can occupy as much time as you can put into it. I've been using Trainz since 2001, and have rarely had another game installed in that period of time. Good luck.

Finally someone who got a modified "launcher" again, so I'm not the only one with a strange looking trains menu...

 

[shaneturner12]

Since patches apply to the original poster as well, I'll post this here. Patches for 2010 and for 12 can be found at this link for manual downloading and installation. It sometimes works better than the autopatcher.

http://www.auran.com/servicepacks/#TS2010

Scroll the page to find the patches that apply to your version. You can find your current build number by looking in the lower right corner of the menu screen when you start the program. Here is an example:

[Image Removed]

You can see that this version of Trainz 12 is 49922.

When you download from the DLS, all content is kept separately from the built in content by the Content Manager. Built in content is contained in the programs JA files, and you can always see in CM what is locally installed versus what is built in.

Welcome to Trainz, both of you. This simulation can occupy as much time as you can put into it. I've been using Trainz since 2001, and have rarely had another game installed in that period of time. Good luck.

A note regarding patches...

The patch from 47059 to 48249 (TS12) is not on the Service packs page. This can be downloaded from http://download.ts2009.com/patch/47059_to_48249.exe. There is a direct patch from 46957 to 48249 at http://download.ts2009.com/patch/46957_to_48249.exe.

Fogey:

You may want to bookmark my tutorial site address, especially for the TS2010 side of things if you go for the Anniversary Edition. I have several tutorials on how to fix certain issues that may crop up with Trainz. I've also got a few on the Blogs page as well (my blog is Trainz Technical and Operational Tips and Tricks).

Shane