Stick with Trainz or move on to MSTS 2?

[rjhowie1]

"for route building.play trainz.........for really cool locomotives........go to msts"

Hhhm, this implies obviously that Trainz is better for operating but that the opposition has better locos so you use MTS. Would think that is a wee bit of a contradiction there as locos aren't much use without easy route building? For me like the actual vast majority of Trainzers it gives us who are not techy minded the actual wherewithawal to build routes unlike MTS or KRS. I am glad I found Trainz and for the average person (like me again!), hours of pleasure and satisfaction without having to go to great lengths. You cannot get that with MTS.

 

[bernhart_lossiemouth]

I so so think it depends on how clever you are, yeeeeeaaahh you know what i mean

 

[BLACKWATCH]

for really cool locomotives........go to msts

I would suggest you take another look at the quality of the loco's being made for TRS, the 9F & Deltics are 2 among many.
Loco's are as good as builders care to make them, we now have some very good builders of stock for TRS.

 

[lewisner]

I re installed my MSTS together with the Great British Diesels pack and found that all diesels have a "generic" sound so they are ALL wrong.Also their "clag" looks as though it is coming out of a cigar rather than a diesel.

 

[Vern]

The main advantage MSTS2 would appear to be going to offer over any of the other sims is the "World of Rails" concept right out the box. No one yet knows how it will work but it certainly seems there will be at least a generic representation of just about every rail route in the world.

Route building as such will change beyond recognition with developers becoming more route "enhancers" rather than outright builders, as most of the terrain and non railway scenery (via autogen) will already be there. That leaves builders free to concentrate on enhancing and detailing specific areas such as yards or station areas.

The other big advance will be up to date graphics (something promised but not quite delivered by KRS). Without a major overhaul, TRS is still running on the same 7 probably going on 8 year old graphic engine. Even with all the wonderful scenery items, grasses etc. created to super detail routes, as soon as you jump in the cab things don't always look quite...right. The procedural and functional enhancements TC3 will bring are of course welcome but there will come a point when Auran need to look at a significant upgrade to the basic game engine in order that TRS can keep pace.

 

[geophil]

I have some serious doubts about that "World of Rails" concept and what it will be able to deliver. You will be lucky getting something like Navteq or Teleatlas for the Western World (licensing issues?) and DCW level 0/1 (VMAP0/1) for the the rest of the planet. Even then, this wouldn't be more than the very first step in route building, very much like markers in MSTS1 or KRS or hand-drawn polylines in TransDEM and Trainz. Sorry.

geophil

 

[amigacooke]

The main advantage MSTS2 would appear to be going to offer over any of the other sims is the "World of Rails" concept right out the box. No one yet knows how it will work but it certainly seems there will be at least a generic representation of just about every rail route in the world.

Will that include routes that no longer exist? I am mainly interested in the ability of rail sims to recreate 'lost' railways.

 

[Vern]

I have some serious doubts about that "World of Rails" concept and what it will be able to deliver. You will be lucky getting something like Navteq or Teleatlas for the Western World (licensing issues?) and DCW level 0/1 (VMAP0/1) for the the rest of the planet. Even then, this wouldn't be more than the very first step in route building, very much like markers in MSTS1 or KRS or hand-drawn polylines in TransDEM and Trainz. Sorry.

Oh I agree and as a devotee of Trandsem (missing it greatly in KRS) will be eager to see how much the "WOR" vision will deliver as opposed to the hype. However on T-S.com and UKTS the MS/Aces reps seem fairly confident it will be more than just a Railroad Tycoon style painting of rails on the terrain.

Will that include routes that no longer exist? I am mainly interested in the ability of rail sims to recreate 'lost' railways.

This has also been raised on UKTS and the answer seemed to be, "depending on the source data". Obviously a similar situation exists for those wishing to produce fictional routes - how will these fit in with WOR, unless you build them at the North Pole. Agree about the power of train sims to recreate "lost" railways (my SMJ for MSTS refers). I would love to see a recreation of the Great Central from Marylebone through to Nottingham or Sheffield but it would be a huge undertaking in either TRS or KRS. Maybe Aylesbury to Rugby would do for a start...

 

[geophil]

However on T-S.com and UKTS the MS/Aces reps seem fairly confident it will be more than just a Railroad Tycoon style painting of rails on the terrain..

Last year, in context with the presentation at the Leipzig show, I read some of their earlier postings on WOR in the forums. I got the impression at that time they had no clue of what they were talking about. (It always depends on the perspective, of course.)

Just imagine, they knock at the door of the various railway companies around the world: "Hi guys, you know we are developing this fancy simulation game for the crowd of armchair railfans out there, and we need your accurate track geometry data for this. Will you kindly make your data bases available to us, free of charge, of course? You will get a free copy of the game for your efforts, wouldn't that be nice? And, by the way, you may need to invest a few man months to convert all your data to the format we decide upon." I'm quite sure they would earn a big laughter at Union Pacific, Deutsche Bahn or Burmese Railways.

 

[WileeCoyote]

@geophil I doubt they'd get laughed at, if anything they'd get stared at and promptly epoxied to the side of a freight train bound for Moscow if they bothered going to Deutsche Bahn.

Unless they happened to pay the, oh I don't know, several thousand (in Germany alone there are several hundred private companies) railroad companies who happen to have such data an awful lot of money, I can't see any way it'll work. Though this would be a very cool feature if it were indeed achieved, I can't see any company contributing so much time and effort to what is in reality a rather worthless expenditure. What I can see Makrosaft (look, that just happens to be the name used where I live) doing is taking DEM's and have a "track laying" program follow the track lines shown on WMS maps, and even then I still have doubts. If anything, we'll have to wait till MSTS2 comes out so we can see for ourselves what WOR does. In the meantime I'll continue playing Trainz and laying track on my own.

WileeCoyote

 

[BLueNeon]

Last year, in context with the presentation at the Leipzig show, I read some of their earlier postings on WOR in the forums. I got the impression at that time they had no clue of what they were talking about. (It always depends on the perspective, of course.)

You have looked at the ESP project and data ??

 

[BLueNeon]

If anything, we'll have to wait till MSTS2 comes out so we can see for ourselves what WOR does. In the meantime I'll continue playing Trainz and laying track on my own.

WileeCoyote

That's right , we will ... and it has already been stated that users will be able to move existing track and also " lay your own "

BN

 

[QR1408]

Basically Microsoft offers no support no forum or downloads. Will any of this change with their new rail sim? I doubt it. I made the mistake of buying one of their flight simulators a few years ago, all sorts of promises on the back of the box about extra planes to download. They sure weren't on the MS website.
There won't be a DLS with the amount of free downloads Auran offers. OK some is of varying quality, but most are pretty good, some outstanding.
​

 

[Barry]

Basically Microsoft offers no support no forum or downloads. Will any of this change with their new rail sim? I doubt it. I made the mistake of buying one of their flight simulators a few years ago, all sorts of promises on the back of the box about extra planes to download. They sure weren't on the MS website.

There won't be a DLS with the amount of free downloads Auran offers. OK some is of varying quality, but most are pretty good, some outstanding.​

If user friendly I am sure the users will manage well enough, with content and arranging a suitable forum and download sites for download. Many users sites can use their own sites for download anyway at least for small amounts.
Have made up to 50 megs of sailing sceneries and my own content available in the past for download.

Nice to have a choice anyway as best NOT to rely on any one thing these days, whoever or whatever. The more choices the better.

No need to take sides as use whatever suits you best at the time for your interests.

B

 

[nstrainz]

When MSTS 2 comes out next year, are you going to stick with Trainz or move on to MSTS 2? I will probably get MSTS 2 since I'm tired of all the glitches and crashes that the Trainz series has offered through the years. But I also want to check the requirements and the reviews first. My mom just gotten a new computer last month so it should run MSTS 2, I hope.

I'd rather you stay with Trainz instead of MSTS 2. Because I got my trainz reinstalled now and I'm hoping to release my piedmont cars to Issacg's upcoming website. I made the other ones. The Dogwood, Scotch Bonnet, and Honey Bee.

Tyler

 

[nstrainz]

That's right , we will ... and it has already been stated that users will be able to move existing track and also " lay your own "

BN

Please stop trying to bug my friend away from trainz. He was waiting for my piedmont cars to be released so he can make the piedmont consist.

Tyler

 

[perry_weekley]

My Cash goes to the train simulator with the best US steam. MSTS X wins right now. Sorry Classics 3 but I love US steam more then UK steam.

Another problem is that the Trainz community, aka us, has very little American Steam while MSTS and soon RS will have a bigger US steam collection.

I'm not a diesel fan sadly. Find them way to confusing. Steam are easy to keep track of because of wheel numbers.

 

[steamdrivre]

WOW! Perry, I feel the same way. I just bought 3D Canvas Pro to learn it for Trainz but plan to move over, too.

 

[HSSRAIL]

Just purchased and loaded KUJU Rail Simulator.

Not sure I am going to purchase microsoft simulator or not.

It's like the old west right now with creating content for Rail Simulator it is so new very few people are adept at creating content for it I am solidly confused right now. The route creating utility is different not sure it is easier to use or better than trainz?

I will try exporting one of my houses over in the next three weeks. I figure if I keep reading the same confusing stuff over and over again it is bound to click.

Howard

 

[yuui4]

I will keep using trainz (once i make it work) because msts problems are:
You need a diploma in progamming to use the route editor
You also need a diploma to use the activity editor