Route Builder Burnout

[gisa]

Hey Guys and Gals


When embarking upon a project, I guess it is normal for everyone to *burnout* or just stop entirely for a time. Since most of our projects are somewhat lengthy, I was just wondering...how do you guys *get back on the wagon (or train )* so to speak. I feel like I'm just drained in terms of route building and there is so much more I want to do. What reinspires you to get back to your route?

:wave:

Gisa ^^

 

[StorkNest]

Burnout is common in any part of content creation. You could either take a break from creating or try learning another part of it (reskinning, scripting, etc.).

 

[NorfolkSouthern9708]

Yea the same thing happened to happened to me, I started to get bored with the ho scale henderson valley route so i deleted it, now I'm waiting for some insparation...

 

[angelah]

Out and back

Yes, I know the feeling, especially with long routes like some of mine.

I usually have two or three on the go at once and if I haven't then I go and experiment on a new board - and that often ends up as a route!

I have just put some screenies on the UK Screenshots thread of a layout that started exactly that way.

Angela

 

[leeferr]

Route building can be a very intensive drain on my enthusiasm, but it's one of my favorite things to do. When I start to get burnout, I ususally return to some content creation. Routes can take hundreds of hours to build, detail and test, but it's very rewarding in the end. I got route building burnout after my AC - Cresent Mtn Div. I've done some content creation since then, ran some trains and am now about ready to start an expansion of the Cresent Mtn Div.

 

[trackplate]

Hey Guys and Gals
What reinspires you to get back to your route? :wave:
Gisa ^^

Stopping the build and running the route just for fun and then thinking did I really do that it needs changing drastically is usually the motivation to get me back to the build
Bob V

 

[OMG_internet]

I find that leaving it for a while works for me.
what i tend to do is just go and work on something else. I usually just end up working on what has just become a sandbox route now for a while before going back to what i was working on before.

 

[backyard]

...yes...very important to know we all go through this...!

It is not uncommon to hear that several of our big routes, especially the DEM routes, where "cutting corners" is not desirable can take about two years to complete.

The acquisition of trackcharts, timetables, pictures from the web, satellite views from Google Earth, NASA, Microsoft Virtual Earth, etc, plus a knowledge of how much gradient to allow that locomotives could handle, then the selection of content from all sources, is a complicated project!

And then, like I did the other day, you go about deleting "extra" profiles in CMP only to find you deleted a key dependency route & now all the hours you spent building your dream are gone way past the recycle bin!

Save, save, SAVE!

Save, in Surveyor. Save or clone in CMP. Pull the route up in CMP & save out of the edit folder in Explorer to another location.

I create a folder on the desktop for all the research items including the processed TransDEM files, to fall back on.

If you do become burned out, just leave the route intact & whatever brought you to create it in the first place will bring you back...soon!

Someday, an enormous collection of routes will link many locations in many countries for everyone to enjoy!:udrool:

 

[JCitron]

I've been there too a few times. This is part of the creating process. Now that my own route is long enough, I'll setup a session and go driving and riding along to enjoy the fruits of my labor. This also serves two purposes. First to see what I've done so far to come up with new ideas, and second to troubleshoot or modify sections I've completed.

The other thing I do is to look at the real world for ideas. I'll look at maps, photograhs, take a drive to real places, and even turn a highway or road into a railroad. A boat trip down the local Merrimack River became a scene on my route. This is the line to Willows Point. The landscape seen on the left of the river is similar to what is seen from the river as you look at Amesbury.

There's a lot of things you can do for inspiration ranging from the suggestions I've made to just leaving everything alone for a bit.

Remember this is to have fun, and once it becomes a chore it's time to leave it alone or do something else to spark your creativity again.

John

 

[Gandalf0444]

This is all to normal I have come across several of these myself. Sometimes you should just take a break from the route,perhaps build another(work on 2-3 at a time and go between them as you see fit) and that can help lower the chances of our equivelent of "writer's block" etc. Or if you are really down,then you should take a break from trainz all together for a week or so,and play other games that have long since been forgotten.

 

[bl4882]

When I've been afflicted with burnout, I've used the time budgeted for the hobby to search for resources at the library or book stores; or get out of the house and do some train watching, or ride light rail or CalTrain and refresh my memory of what real trains look, feel, sound, and smell like. That always seems to give me some new insight when I can bring myself to hit the "Load" button in Surveyor again. That's always worked for me in virtual railroading and, before, in model railroading.

Bernie :wave:

 

[Dermmy]

Hang in there Gisa - like all things 'this too will pass'...

I generally have a 'main' project, but also have a couple of very different smaller projects on the go at the same time and when enthusiasm wains I play around with the other routes for a while.

I just recently got over the worst burnout I have ever suffered - three or four months where I didn't even fire any Trainz product up at all. I thought it was over, but now I am back working on my latest route with real enthusiasm again....

Andy

 

[rjhowie]

I think many of this get this or near it. From time to time I got tired because I had a big city project and would leave it for a while then suddenly get the urge and hammer away then another period of inactivity and so on. In one of these creative bursts I even put a dinner date with an attractive female friend on delay! Think that is one of the aspects of sims?

 

[sethmcs]

I think part of the problem of builder's burnout is Content Creators are always creating better assets. I say to myself I should include this or that new item, the will is there, but the effort isn't to rebuild an existing route. So I start a new project. I am currently doing a DEM route of the Horseshoe Curve by Fishlips. I never attempted a DEM route before and I must say building in Western Pennsylvania mountains is most challenging. I spend an huge amount of time just grading the terrain. Not only the road bed for the railroad needs graded but everything needs to be graded roads, lots for houses, etc. The new challenge has really got me into route building again. Maybe a new challenging project will get you going again too.:wave:

 

[Snowhill]

Can I throw my pennies worth in here? Often it is something simple that inspires you when the inevitable burn out occurs. It can be just a simple post in the forum or a new asset on DLS that gets everything flowing again.... In my case it was the thread for the Disney map.... Having visited WDW a few years ago and used the monorail, the thread inspired me to look at JFE’s monorail..... with the lack of Disney assets to work with I decided to have a go at creating a theme park, then with the idea of adding an Old West Frontier to the theme park that sparked of the idea for creating a simple Old West layout...All of a sudden you have two new layouts on the go...As for the theme park, using Epcot as an idea I have a place to build various sections using assets from our brilliant foreign creators.... suddenly you have German, Japanese, and Italian areas to drive the monorail through..... No I haven’t forgotten all the other countries..... you can drive straight from a dessert into the Alps via Australia and anywhere else that you can find assets to fit..... It makes a break from slogging on with my real life layout using a Dem Map and creating a real railway....Trainz becomes fun again

 

[paulzmay]

I get a bit hot & cold over Trainz at times, but I usually just switch my attention to a different route (I have 5 on the go altogether), or do some content creation. I find that doing a very small mini-route can give me a good sense of achievement when I get bogged down in a big route...

Paul

 

[andrev]

Hi guys.

Since the first days of Trainz, I never stopped editing my route and sometimes like all of you, I get bored and fed up so I go back to Flight Simulator, Test Drive, Orbiter before coming back to Trainz and it works. You need a break and do something else than only Trainz.

And now, two weeks ago, I started a new hobby as I started to buy G scale real model railroad. Fantastic scale and I'm eager to get enough stuff to make them rolling.

Andre.

 

[JCitron]

I get a bit hot & cold over Trainz at times, but I usually just switch my attention to a different route (I have 5 on the go altogether), or do some content creation. I find that doing a very small mini-route can give me a good sense of achievement when I get bogged down in a big route...

Paul

This is a great idea, Paul. I would think that this also gives you a chance to try different ideas before you commit them to your larger layout.

This is what's so cool about Trainz. You can do these things without the cost and waste of materials. If the mini-route/test layout doesn't work, oh well, start from scratch and all that is gone is the time spent.

John

 

[Buffalo_trains93]

As for me my routes are based around my area so each time i go back and visit that sspot i think about adding on and on. Thats for me anyways

 

[colhad]

Yep, an old problem but one that happens to all of us at some point.

I see a few people here suggesting to have a couple of routes, myself personally, I have a real thing in that if I started a new route and stopped working on the current project, I'll never touch it again. I just lose interest in working on projects. I can really enjoy working on it, then all of a sudden I lose interest at the drop of a hat.

I hope I can complete my city route, I'm enjoying working on it at the moment.