Trainz Release Opinions

[RaveRod]

Hey guys. I've been an avid user of Trainz for many years and thought I would post my opinions on each Trainz release and get some other opinions. I use Trainz primarily for content creation.

UTC: The first Trainz game I bought. Loved it even though it had limited features.

TS2004: A vast improvement over UTC and took quite a lot of my time away from me.

TS2006: The best Trainz release ever in my opinion. All the DLS content I want, works perfectly and there seems to be very few bugs in it. :udrool:

TC3: A nice pre-cursor to TS2009. Seemed a little lacking in the content and feature department but managed to get it at a good price.

TS2009: This is the one I wanted to use for my routes. It had some teething problems but most of those appear to be worked out with SP2. I'm reinstalling it now to see if my DLS content works properly and hopefully, I can use this one for route building. My main draw card over TS2006 is the graphics. I WANT this to be the best release.

TS2010: Personally, this is a pile of crap. 3/4 of the DLS content won't work and come up with errors I can't fix (like texture mapping and something about missing points). I was making good headway with my latest route until I realised that half of the stuff was put on the "session-layer" and the rest on the "route-layer". Other main components of my routes like the traffic controllers, animated junctions, trams etc. don't work. It just feels like it has been "rushed" out the door and should really be an upgrade (service pack) to TS2009. Was amusing to see trees die as I watched and giant trees the size of a 3 story house! I wish I could return it, honestly (bought via Digital Download so I can't).

So what is your opinion? Which Trainz version do you use and which would you recommend for building a route that uses quite a bit of advanced DLS content like ATLS, AJS, subways, trams etc?

 

[RaveRod]

After fighting to get TS2009 installed and updated, I've given up. SP2 won't install and the game won't run properly now.

I'm going to install TS2010 and just bear with it for now. Some of the content I can't get to work but hey, if I post up on here often enough someone should be able to help me (I have no idea about content creation in Trainz).

 

[gary6204]

i personly think 2009 with sp2 is the best (but its also the only one i own) i like it cause most content works with it even if there are errors

 

[paulzmay]

My money's on TS2010 - though it still needs a bit of work before it's as good as it could be. And yes it's a pain when you keep building in the session layer - but I just merge the session into the route and carry on...

Paul

 

[airtime]

I always loved Trainz 2006, only for the annoying sound issue of clunk, click, bang, hiss, Trainz 2006 would of been the best release of Trainz so far, and they could of worked up from that...

I think Auran are trying to compete too much with Railworks, this in my opinion is a major mistake and could break Trainz in the future.

Railworks is good, but Trainz is better and it doesn't need to compete with Railworks, as I believe Trainz is the best of the bunch and a totally different simulator to Railworks, Trainz is in it's own league.

If Auran could make just one service pack for Trainz 2006 to fix the sound, I think the majority on here would go back like a shot. This then, could be your base platform and you could work up from this, I know you can't please everyone all the time, but I think you'd please most with a fix to the sound in Trainz 2006...

I have trainz 2010, and don't get me wrong, I love every bit of it, but it's very similar to Railworks now, and it's beginning to lose it's identity...

it has a layers feature, like Railworks
it needs a high end computer to run, like Railworks
not everything works in it, like Railworks
it's slow and jumpy at times, like Railworks
too many errors show on old content, like Railworks

However I am a fan of Speedtree, and I can't speak for everyone, (see Speedtree threads)

Basically, all I'm saying is don't be Railworks, be Trainz, we like you better this way...

I know you have to move with the times, but there is a difference between moving with the times, and killing yourselves off...

I only ask of one thing to do... All I ask is make a Service pack for Trainz 2006 to fix the sound, and we will see how many go back to that version...

Hope this helps

Joe Airtime

 

[narrowgauge]

In a fairly large nut shell
Original Trainz- best thing available- hooked me.
Utimate Trainz - still the best available.
TRS2004 - the first sign of maturity.
TRS2009 - no real advance, hated CMP, ignored this version
TC1/2 - single route versions of TRS2006 - tried then ignored
TC3 - same as above.
TS2009 - obviously the beginning of the next step forward. CM2 worked every time - grabbed it with enthusiasm.
TS2010 - Overwhelmingly the best, puts the rest to shame. Love the trees and general functionality

Peter

 

[amigacooke]

TS2010: Personally, this is a pile of crap. 3/4 of the DLS content won't work and come up with errors I can't fix (like texture mapping and something about missing points). I was making good headway with my latest route until I realised that half of the stuff was put on the "session-layer" and the rest on the "route-layer". Other main components of my routes like the traffic controllers, animated junctions, trams etc. don't work. It just feels like it has been "rushed" out the door and should really be an upgrade (service pack) to TS2009. Was amusing to see trees die as I watched and giant trees the size of a 3 story house! I wish I could return it, honestly (bought via Digital Download so I can't).

I wonder if you know that 09 defaults to compatibility mode and 10 defaults to native mode?

 

[Approach_Medium]

For me, with the hardware listed in my sig, TS2010 is by far the best.
I have run TS2004, 06, 09+SP2, and now 2010+SP1.
Performance is far better (Native mode) than in TS2009, and treez look so much better.

Sure, I did have to fix a lot of broken content moving from 09 to 2010, but it wasn't so bad. I used PM2IM and just tweaked the assets in CC.

FW

 

[RaveRod]

I wonder if you know that 09 defaults to compatibility mode and 10 defaults to native mode?

I realise that but the content I'm trying to work with won't work with the new error checking in CM. '09 was rather relaxed and in compatibility mode, the content worked fine.

'10 on the other hand, even with compatibility mode on, the content shows errors in CM and won't work in the game. I actually have to use compatibility mode in the game just to get the content that doesn't have errors to display correctly (AJS invisible stations being the main one).

 

[Euphod]

Personally I like 2006 the best of all versions, but I understand 2004 is probably more robust when it comes to dealing with less than perfect content. I like the headlights on in the day in 2006 though, and continue to use it for that reason.

2010 is generating kudos from the "experts", but I'm not letting Auran get me again. Really; what's the point anyway? Next year there will be another version that will change more requirements, then the year after that, and the year after that, and the...

 

[martinvk]

From my point of view most versions were great at the time they were released. It's only looking back and with the knowledge of what was added that previous versions start to look a bit less than great. Seen from a content creators perspective, maps are just a place to view new content:

Original and UTC: good learning platforms.
TRS2004: Easy to create and manage content. Good support, TO and CCG.
TRS2006, TC 1,2 & 3: gave them all a pass. Saw CMP as a step backward, creation unfriendly.
TS2009: convinced me to upgrade. CM2 actually worked and and my creation work-flow was as smooth as before.
TS2010: one word - layers, was enough to get me to up grade. Finally a map can be made and edited without disturbing nearby objects. No change to the creation work-flow.

 

[amigacooke]

2010 is generating kudos from the "experts", but I'm not letting Auran get me again. Really; what's the point anyway? Next year there will be another version that will change more requirements, then the year after that, and the year after that, and the...

Shocking, Auran are trying to improve the user experience year on year.

Not always succeeding for everyone, but at least it gives retired board members something to write about.

On topic, I like all the versions of Trainz as each has bought something new in the way of features.

 

[Euphod]

Shocking, Auran are trying to improve the user experience year on year.

Not always succeeding for everyone, but at least it gives retired board members something to write about.

There you go mate, something for everyone!

 

[itareus]

'10 on the other hand, even with compatibility mode on, the content shows errors in CM and won't work in the game. I actually have to use compatibility mode in the game just to get the content that doesn't have errors to display correctly (AJS invisible stations being the main one).

Have you done an extended database repair??

(Apologies for going off topic).

 

[Vern]

CE (2001) - Very basic, still early days but we did have Greg and John with their vision to keep us hooked.
UTC - a better version of CE...and we still had Greg and John to keep us hooked.
TRS2004 - A move away from the model railroad dogma of the first two, but didn't really mature until release of the passenger edition and the start of steam (as in motive power) support. Greg and John faded in the background or even moved on by now.
TRS2006 - Probably the peak of the series, there were a few issues at first but patched to 3337 as good as it's going to get for all round compatibility and the "Trainz" experience.
TC1, 2 & 3. A barmy concept, TC3 was a good standalone pack but early signs of the failing optimisation with single figure frame rates at Carlisle even on relatively fast machines.
TS2009 - Back to the idea of a mainstream release. (Maybe Greg and John shouted, "Oi...") but marred by numerous bugs, obsoletion of older content including much loved built in items. Now needing higher and higher PC's to run on, a 5m terrain grid virtually unuseable but at the very core still essentially the Trainz of 2001. Oh and although TC1 & TC2 built in, if you want TC3, pay again please.
TS2010 - Should have been presented as a service and content pack for TS2009 (the original idea), however the corporate beast (NeverFail) now firmly replaced the charisma of Greg and John. Some like, others don't.

And to the future...well TS-X (or maybe that should be TS-XI). All new version with optimised graphics, splines that draw frogs and crossings at points, AI despatcher/timetable/career mode, tunnels that can lie at any angle... Dream, dream, dream! And the return of Greg and John, please!

 

[airtime]

You missed one thing Vern...

Trainz 2006, the best route out of the box - The Glasgow to Falkirk line, by far the best route ever in trainz 2006, shame it's a bit stop - starty in trs2010. This is the route I played with the most, the sound issues in Trainz 2006 spoilt it, but other than that, the Glasgow to Falkirk route was fantastic and by far the best. I loved the tunnel out of Queen street and that's when the journey began, from the city, into the heart of Scotlands great countryside, an amazing route that I never knew existed until you built it.

Would love to see this route done again for the next edition, except it would run from Glasgow through to Edinburgh, with passenger enabled stations, it would probably complete the East Coast Mainline nicely...

Joe Airtime

 

[Vern]

Thanks Joe - without going OT I must admit I winced a bit when I loaded it in TS2010. Not aged well at all. I wish Auran had solicited me to redo the project either in 09 or 10. Would have done it for a tee-shirt or names in the credits. It's still on the list of projects to take a look at, once I've got Jingpeng Pass (don't ask!) out the way in RW I may come back and take a look at it.

 

[RaveRod]

Have you done an extended database repair??

(Apologies for going off topic).

I don't see how it would fix the errors with the assets but yes, I have had to do an EDR due to other problems and it didn't fix any of the errors with downloaded content.

 

[Timothetoolman]

I have never played UTC. When I got TRS2004, I thought it was pretty good, but never learnt how to download things. Only when I got TRS2006 did I figure it out.The only prolem with it was if I put too many trains on it it would all 'warp' and look terrible. TS2009 was the best game I played in the series, and with the better draw distance, it was made even better. How ever, when it came to updating it to SP2, it screwed everything up. The worst thing, reversing steam locos. Once one hit 8mph, the sound messed up, and stayed the same even at 100mph. Then my computer would mess up and crash. Right now I'm waiting a chance to purchase TS2010. It looks best by far and what with speed-tree and the great routes starting to come out into the open, it seems the right time to buy. As I can't find it in stores here in Melbourne at the moment, I will wait for the next model railway expo where there is a Trainz stand, and hope to buy one there.

Cheers
Timo

 

[Vern]

The Glasgow to Falkirk line

Well as it happens this morning I got so bored with RW, I took TS2010 back off the shelf and reinstalled it (out of interest, no power issues with the laptop this time). Forty five minutes in Transdem produced the map overlay and DEM formed terrain and after expecting just to potter around at Queen Street, I got the main line laid out as far as Croy (still got all of Cowlairs to do yet, etc. etc.). Just the track laying so far is looking better than the TRS2004 original, smooth curves, straights with no doglegs and a dighole tunnel at Queen Street.

I'm not intending to go to Edinburgh with the first iteration but I am planning a slight extension to the original in that it will go to Polmont, Larbert and include the line through Grahamston. Where possible I shall try and stick with using default items - in the spirit of the original.