The best payware routes?

[goodell911]

I purchased Marias Pass SE from HP-Trainz recently, along with the payware locos to complete the set. I thought the route was a little over-priced at first, but now that I've had it a while I feel differently. The route is extremely well built, looks great, and runs smooth. It comes with a lot of sessions and more are available to download.

I'm so addicted to it, I haven't spent any time working on my own route for a month!

~Rick

 

[philskene]

There are a few minor quibbles with "West from Denver", but it's still an absolutely outstanding effort. Despite its faults, I'd highly recommend it.

What surprises me is that the two prototypical North American payware routes are sourced from wrong side of the Atlantic.

What gives with you dudes in the US/Canada!

Phil

 

[007007]

Maybe I am just a little bias but if your in for fun operating sessions then maybe you could try the HO Layout Packs at VRL/TLW.

The HO Layout Pack contains 6 different layouts and 1 Megaroute with all of them connected.

get it here if you want...
TRS06 http://www.virtualraillink.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=7
TRS04 http://www.virtualraillink.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=2
good luck on your quest!

Steve

 

[leader2302]

There are a few minor quibbles with "West from Denver", but it's still an absolutely outstanding effort.
Phil

The errors in "West From Denver" are not "minor quibbles". Take a look at the engine yard outside of Denver in the route. It's a mess. A beginning route builder would do a better job laying track in that yard. The magically floating track and twisted, crooked track are inexcusable for a route costing $45.00 !!!

"West from Denver" clearly did not undergo a thorough beta testing. I found the errors a half hour after installing the route. How could Trainz Italia not see those errors???

The immersion factor is destroyed when your trains are traveling over track floating 2 meters off the ground. This is ok for a freeware route, but not for one costing $45.00!

 

[Elukka]

Marias Pass seems to have more sessions than Murchison, am i right? (the website lists 8 or something, however most of these seem to be tours of the are with ships and helicopters) However, i kind of like the theme and looks of Murchison better... The choices, the choices.
I'll also look into the HO pack.

Thanks for all the recommendations people.

 

[Boobless_ed]

Perhaps instead of complaining about the faults in West From Denver here, they could be directed to Trainz Italia? Hopefully then they can address the issues.
It's great to point out the faults, but nothing is gonna get fixed talking about them here

With the problems with the yard aside, I found the route to be completely amazing, though I'm a person who more likes running the odd train.

Another great payware package that unfortunately suffers from some errors also is the UK focussed 'West Somerset Railway' package. Although it looks a bit dated now, it contains a decent sized route, an incredible amount of rollingstock and around twenty or so sessions.
Due to the route being of a slightly shorter size, there seems to be a bit more fun to be had in the sessions, as there's often more to do.

Apparently the folks selling the package are working on an update to address the problems with it, but I haven't seen anything from them in a while.

 

[tinotos]

I wan't go trough the major quibbles you recognized in the West of Denver route here. More qualified people then me will do it, anyway.
Bulding a routhe like the West of Denver (an all other routes in this category) is an huge effort.
Think about 6 peoples working just like two year long on a project where they put about all the freetime they have to present not only the route, but just like everything needed to make it "prototypical" (this means about 500 objects...) from the tracks to the tunnels, from the Coors Arena to the Union Station to the river's water.
Think about 6 months of extensive betatesting.
Think about the physical faults of Trainz that doesn't allow to connect two routes on different levels without having bad effects.
Think about the different Trainz versions on the market that react differently to the grafic engine.
Think about the necessity to keep it playable even on middle class computers.
Well... a route like West of Denver put the hardware and the software at the limit. And the people that want to do it.
Think about the very limited market for such a product.
Think about the faults contained in all Windows versions as presented and you will have the idea.
Think about evenings spent on oline discussing how many stars the US flag had in 1915, researching, looking for pictures.
Think about money spent to buy books, magazines and anything that helps giving the idea of the real route.
Think about two versions (fall and winter) with many different contents to give more chances to have a nice product.
30 Euros, the price we ask for, ist just the costs of a normal diner here in Italy, OK, an italian diner, with real italian food and wine, and the Euro is now about 1.35 Dollars. Are you unhappy about this? We are it too.
Do all of this make sense?
In my opinion it doesn't.
Only a huge passion and the convincement to give something important to the comunity can justify such an effort.
That's the reason why both routes come from outside USA. No money on the poket.
Who's ready to do it? Only people that belive they are doing something for the comunity.
In fact, with all the money we collected until now we had a diner together, just to justify the effort.
The price we ask for is only a way to say: go forward boys. You made a good job. Go forward and do something more for us.
For all these reasons the first reaction to such a critic is: you want better and cheaper? Boys, do it by yourself, if you can.
Good luck.
On the other side, we had a big support from the international community, and we are going forward with other projects that we will offer to the omunity soon: the Rollins Pass route will be a totally new project that we hope will go forward again on the route of offering more realistic, more playable routes. Have a look of the pictures and materials we are posting and you will have an idea.

 

[Talismana]

I have both the Murchison layout and Marias pass on my computer.

I think both is well worth their money, but I now only run Murchison for many reasons: It is so beautiful and challenging with wonderful sounds and a lot of details and you always find new and exiting things to explore.

In my opinion Murchison is a masterpiece.

/ Håkan

 

[WileeCoyote]

Hmm... S-Bahn Leipzig from PTP, assuming my computer doesn't crap out while playing it.

WileeCoyote

 

[leader2302]

Perhaps instead of complaining about the faults in West From Denver here, they could be directed to Trainz Italia? Hopefully then they can address the issues.
It's great to point out the faults, but nothing is gonna get fixed talking about them here

Yes, I did address the faults on the route with Trainz Italia with numerous emails and screenshots. Updates were promised and never delivered.

"Nothing is gonna get fixed talking about them here". Your wrong on that one too. With exposure to the community on this forum, perhaps Trainz Italia will now fix the route.

It is very important that the community knows about a very expensive payware route full of errors so that others will not make the same mistake and waste $45 like I did.

Tinotos,
We all appreciate Trainz Italia's hard work on this route. That's the strange thing about this. It does not make sense.

With all that hardwork and dedication put into making the route, why doesn't Trainz Italia fix the route with an update?

Surely, with all the years of time invested in making the route you could take a day or two to fix the route.

When you sell a payware route that is more expensive then the original game people expect and demand a bugfree product or at least updates.

Saying your "going on to other projects" before correcting the old ones is showing very poor judgement and a total lack of dedication to your loyal customers. Trainzers who might be interested in your routes will avoid them like the plague. Customer service is the key.

 

[tinotos]

Yes, I did address the faults on the route with Trainz Italia with numerous emails and screenshots. Updates were promised and never delivered.

"Nothing is gonna get fixed talking about them here". Your wrong on that one too. With exposure to the community on this forum, perhaps Trainz Italia will now fix the route.

It is very important that the community knows about a very expensive payware route full of errors so that others will not make the same mistake and waste $45 like I did.

Tinotos,
We all appreciate Trainz Italia's hard work on this route. That's the strange thing about this. It does not make sense.

With all that hardwork and dedication put into making the route, why doesn't Trainz Italia fix the route with an update?

Surely, with all the years of time invested in making the route you could take a day or two to fix the route.

When you sell a payware route that is more expensive then the original game people expect and demand a bugfree product or at least updates.

Saying your "going on to other projects" before correcting the old ones is showing very poor judgement and a total lack of dedication to your loyal customers. Trainzers who might be interested in your routes will avoid them like the plague. Customer service is the key.

I checked the matter with our staff and I can tell you now that the problems on the loco facility are connected with the fault zero position of the depot related to the zero position of the track.
This is something that need much more then a fix, because it is related to the way Trainz handle this kind of objects.
Before going out with the route we tested it extensivelly and now the route is at the best possible level related to the possibilities offered by Trainz.
The Trainz engine is a particular piece of software and have limitation connected to the fact that Trainz is not really a simulator of routes but a virtual layout construction set that doesn't take care very much of reality and need a lot of compromises to work with a reality oriented terrain.
Everybody that had to do with it can confirm it.
For this reason I would like to ask you for more details regarding the faults you recognized.
We aren't Microsoft. We don't have customers but friends all over the world that appreciate our works and recognize our hard work. We don't think to make money on Trainz, it just just an hobby for which we ask support.

I suggest you to get in touch with us directly by e-mail to clear the matter in the best way for both of us.

Ciao

 

[Boobless_ed]

"Nothing is gonna get fixed talking about them here". Your wrong on that one too. With exposure to the community on this forum, perhaps Trainz Italia will now fix the route.

It is very important that the community knows about a very expensive payware route full of errors so that others will not make the same mistake and waste $45 like I did.

I wholly agree that if there seems to be a problem which hasn't been corrected it should be discussed openly on these forums.

The thread is about advice for payware routes, and you've given your advice. You've stated your fair criticism, which is important in this thread, but now it's starting to repeat itself. All of a sudden this thread is losing it's original subject of discussion.

I don't mean to be rude or act like a moderator, but wouldn't it be better to have these issues discussed in their own thread, as the issue seems to have taken on a life of it's own?

 

[leader2302]

Boobless,

I agree. I will be contacting Trainz Italia (again) directly to resolve the issue. Let's consider that part of the discussion closed.

Now, back to the topic of the thread:

Could anyone create a list of the payware routes available, listing them in two categories: protypical and fictional?

It would be a great help to new and old Trainzers.