Trainz newsletter

[BLueNeon]

I should have been specific .... Auran Jet ---> http://www.devmaster.net/engines/engine_details.php?id=27 <--- should answer all your questions

BN

 

[Smileyman]

I used to "lurk" around the Jet forums for a while, and at one point I was considering purchasing the Jet engine for some C++ hobby projects I was working on.

Then one day the Jet forums disappeared and never returned!

Hmmmm. :hehe:

I agree that future funding from Australia might be a problem now, but you never know.
Governments do seem to avoid spending money on things like street lighting and policing etc, but do seem to have millions to spare when it comes to opera houses or Millennium Domes.
Politicians have never been the brightest buttons.

Back to Auran, I believe I heard that there was some investment from China, although I can't remember if this was before the Fury Crash or after.
Let's hope they can get some investment into the company to get them going again.
Unfortunately, it will then once again be down to whoever is running the show to decide where this money is used, and unless changes have been made in this respect since the Fury Crash, then I fear the worst.

Aiming for the sky is always admirable, but let's hope they aim for something a little more realistic this time.

Smiley.

 

[bl4882]

Thanks, BN. My fault; I'm stuck in the sixties.

Bernie

 

[johnwhelan]

Auran used the Trainz franchise to create a huge community here over the years, and they did it well.
I think they were quite happy for the profit margins to be wafer thin because they were looking at the bigger picture, and the plans that they had for this large captive audience.
It must have had a positive effect on the sales of their other projects over the years, and it didn't hurt their standing in the overall software market either I imagine.

Ok, they put most of their eggs in the basket when it came to Fury, and it didn't turn out as they'd planned, but they still have this huge community to build on again.

In my opinion, and I do like to give my opinion :hehe:, I think it's time Auran stopped spending pennies on Trainz, and tried to get some of that Australian Government money to spend on a Train Simulator that will finally bring in the profits that Trainz deserves.
I don't think this Trainz Classics thing is going to do that somehow.
I think it's another example of adding 3-5% to the code base, and selling it again.

We're either building the community up for another big non-Trainz project, a big project that is finally for us Trainz fans, or it's a Trainz swansong.

Less hype, more substance please. :wave:

Smiley.

Unfortunately you need a bit of credibility to get Government money after Fury they might be less inclined to put up cash once more. Given the resources available I don't think there are a lot of options and at the moment the TC route and making the DLS nearer to break even point by encouraging people to buy a first class ticket are about the best of the very limited options there are.

Cheerio John

 

[BLueNeon]

Let's hope they can get some investment into the company to get them going again.

Unfortunately, it will then once again be down to whoever is running the show to decide where this money is used, and unless changes have been made in this respect since the Fury Crash, then I fear the worst.

Aiming for the sky is always admirable, but let's hope they aim for something a little more realistic this time.

Smiley.

For interest --

http://www.kotaku.com.au/games/2008/03/auran_looking_for_fury_funding_oz_sales_better_than_bad.html

Ya never know ... but at moment nothing concrete that I have heard of

BN

 

[abarten]

The reason you haven't received Trainz News is that the GREAT GUY who used to write it is on permanent vacation. Remember Lance? There is no Trainz News any more.

Al

 

[titaniclover]

I didnt know Lance was the one that made it on his own!

Definatly looks like a no go for the Newsletter...well...

Cheers,
Adam

 

[QR1408]

DLS losses

If both DLS and Trainz are really running at a loss. There are things Auran can do about it aren't there, instead of one of the staff making whinging and insulting comments on the DLS forum. Is that going to encourage anyone to update to the latest software? The price of an annual FCT could be doubled and still be good value. Produce software that people want to buy, it seems that TC missed the boat there. It may be a good programme but the routes included aren't in my opinion ones that have people rushing out to get it. Apart from the inbuilt content from these routes most of the other content is from original Trainz. If TRS sales haven't lived up to Auran's expectations maybe they should take a good look at what they've produced since TRS2004.
​

 

[billgatesthethird]

Move the whole thing over to open source, let the community take it over. Works for other software, there can be a commercial return too, look at what Mark Shuttleworth has done with Ubuntu.

The continued release of poorly developed stuff, supported by a second rate user forum like this, is surely going to collapse before long.

Regds, BGIII

 

[Smileyman]

Move the whole thing over to open source, let the community take it over. Works for other software,

Yeah, but it's not right for all software.
What the community needs is a piece of software that unites the whole community, so that everyone can start creating for the same platform again, like it was in the old days.

The community is so fragmented these days, that you have to create for TRS2004 if you want the majority of the community to be able to use it.
That's right. A game that was released going on 4 years ago.
If you use any of the abilities of TRS2006 or TC, then you are cutting off a lot of people who still use TRS2004 or TRS2006.

My only wish now is that if there is going to be one last "REAL" version of Trainz (as opposed to that TC thing), then make it a good one and go out with a bang, leaving the community with something that everyone wants, repairing the divide.

Who knows.
This could even then result in further versions down the line.
The current "baby steps" that Trainz is taking is only going to fragment the community further.

There are currently 3 versions of Trainz that are being run by people (TRS2004, TRS2006, TC1&2). It will be 4 if TC3 ever gets released.

One big new version of Trainz (TRS2010) that takes the best of all versions, and it'll be the one everyone wants to use.
Just don't forget to kill off CMP during development.

Smiley.

 

[johnwhelan]

Move the whole thing over to open source, let the community take it over. Works for other software, there can be a commercial return too, look at what Mark Shuttleworth has done with Ubuntu.

The continued release of poorly developed stuff, supported by a second rate user forum like this, is surely going to collapse before long.

Regds, BGIII

Blender cost $150,000 to move over to open source, do you have that sort of money lying around? Also if it was open source how would you pay for and run the Forums and DLS?

My personal view is that I haven't seen a better user forum than this one. Perhaps you could give some examples of what you consider to be first rate user forums?

Thanks

Cheerio John

 

[poppins122325]

in reply to the DLS loosing money in my opinion there should be a first class ticket only area where you needed to have a FCT to download the items

and about the spread out community i think that a trainz 2010 could be the answer that if auran promoted the game a bit more before the launch with a website(away from the slow as ever trs2006 one) and demos and a wide publicity display then they may have a chance but if they don't than i think it may all be over :'''(

but there was trainz driver a great simulator let down by a few things that could have pushed sales up the lack of a demo ot the trainz driver webpage was one of these things and a way of importing layouts from earlier versions of trainz (or incorporating a page into the dls for driver routes and senarios only) may have sent sales up

 

[billgatesthethird]

Also if it was open source how would you pay for and run the Forums and DLS?

It seems easy enough for Gnu/Linux/Sourceforge which seem to run on a shoestring.

My personal view is that I haven't seen a better user forum than this one. Perhaps you could give some examples of what you consider to be first rate user forums?

Cheerio John

Well maybe you should get out more. This forum system sucks - I've documented elsewhere issues to do with sign-on and permissions to view. No help from the so-called Helpdesk either. The whole thing could be moved on to Usenet for free, and for the cost of a server and some bandwidth other forum systems are available. Mozillazine seems to work quite well, there are plenty of others. It's all part of the cost of doing business, not much in dollars but a lot of good-will and customer mutual support reducing in-house support costs.

Regds, BGIII

 

[S301]

Erm they suck? Since when? I've NEVER had problems signing in... Well, except when Auran has had to do maintenance or something has gone wrong (which can happen on ANY forum software). I'm an admin on a PBPBB base forum, and we have out fair share of problems... But we wouldn't go to another software because another user doesn't like it... If there were problems for all users, then its possible. But if it were only one user, (or a minority, either way) then there is less likely hood of it happening. Auran is the same. It takes a lot of time and money to make the coding changes required for a company like Auran to get a forum up and running with the correct skins, and buttons, such as the 'profile', 'DLS', and 'COC' buttons up the top...

Now, if you were willing to pay for someone to make a 100% perfect completely error free, no fuss, open source, and user friendly forum, then go right ahead.

It's sort of obvious that TRS isn't running on the greatest of all budgets, so it's not likely that Auran will spend money on a new forum system (including the mods to get skins and so forth done) when they could spend it on work on the new TC or what have you...
Zec

 

[johnwhelan]

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnwhelan
Also if it was open source how would you pay for and run the Forums and DLS?

It seems easy enough for Gnu/Linux/Sourceforge which seem to run on a shoestring.

Quote:
My personal view is that I haven't seen a better user forum than this one. Perhaps you could give some examples of what you consider to be first rate user forums?

Cheerio John

It seems easy enough for Gnu/Linux/Sourceforge which seem to run on a shoestring.



Well maybe you should get out more. This forum system sucks - I've documented elsewhere issues to do with sign-on and permissions to view. No help from the so-called Helpdesk either. The whole thing could be moved on to Usenet for free, and for the cost of a server and some bandwidth other forum systems are available. Mozillazine seems to work quite well, there are plenty of others. It's all part of the cost of doing business, not much in dollars but a lot of good-will and customer mutual support reducing in-house support costs.

Regds, BGIII

GNU/Linux/Sourceforge commercially IBM HP RedHat are interested in supporting these. One Sourcenet project Blender was purchased for $150,000. Sourcenet does not run on a shoestring.

Usenet forums tend to be spammed frequently. You may wish to start a Trainz one and see if people flock to your new forum. Changing the forum software wouldn't in my mind make any major contribution to the quality of the posts and its the quality of the posts that I was referring to not the colour of the banners. If you find the subject matters posted and the level of answers not to your liking it could be that this may not be the forum for you. There are a number of other forums that concern themselves with Trainz, a number of which use different forum software which may meet your needs better whatever they maybe.

In particular there is a Trainz UK content forum available and there is also UKTrainzsims? which gives you the equivalent of the DLS with slightly less functionality and a good deal less content for only 4 or is it 8 times the price. Since you would be a paying customer there they maybe more responsive. I understand they prefer to sell sims with add on packs as well so that may also better meet your needs.

Bye

Cheerio John