TS13

[jjanmarine3]

Hi guys,

What is in the pipeline ? I don't see much talk about the next version, would like to know about any news.

Jan

 

[nimec]

Why would any one be concerned about 2013 yet? If you are short of interest, go the the DLS and get some more content 2012. There is plenty there. 2012 still has a few problems as you will see if you read this forum but there are a lot of good routes available for 2012 let alone worry about 2013. Its too early. Fix the 2012 issues first. Even some of the good Euro routes can not run in native mode in 2010 let alone 2012 so stop dreaming. there is a long way to go with quality and creators still need to catch up. N3V need to concentrate on getting 12 right and selling good quality stand alone routes and sessions sessions for 12, before they burden us with a later edition, and Im sure that there a possiblely good routes around or in development that they could sell us as well. The Donner Pass, while not an N3v route is still comming but there should be others that N3V can pick up on and retail to us. They need to sell us new content to stay in business, and we need them to stay in business, but there needs to be a quantum change in any 2013 if its offered.

 

[oknotsen]

The second you start talking about a next version of a product, you basicly kill the sales of your current product.
In other words: Dont expect N3V to mention anything about a new version, even if they are working on one, untill that becomes commercially interesting.

There better first be a service pack / new bunch of patches for TS12 before wasting a second of their time in a new version.
If they cant fix a bunch of problems in their current version, I doubt they will all of a sudden be solved in a new version.

 

[jjanmarine3]

Hmmmm..I asked for it and got it

Seems then that there are so many problems that by the time they are sorted the next version will be TR2020 perhaps.

 

[airtime]

Hello jjanmarine3,

Trainz Simulator 12 is near perfect at the minute, I would imagine N3V are working on add-on packs for Trainz 12, for example routes, loco's and rolling stock. They are also probably working on a service pack to fix little bugs that the forum have found.

But you have to remember, they also have other irons in the fire right now, with other simulators and other platforms to deal with, so I would not be surprised if Trainz 12 is it for now, and you might not see a new version until at least 2014.

As others have said, there is a lot on the DLS to play with, I can understand were your coming from, you are probably struggling to find South African content, and I am sorry that I cannot help you with this, as I do not know that much about South African railways, but others might if you ask.

Hope this helps

Joe Airtime

 

[jjanmarine3]

Yes Joe . What you guys have said makes sense .

I can imagine a T12 with all the latest goodies and gadgets and all our favourite assets of all the versions inside, but I can also see that we will all have to be millionaires to afford a system that can drive it, plus there has to be add-ons and other versions etc.

South African content ...ooohh njam ! njam ! There is some good stuff from good sources around currently and more to come if all goes well.

It is difficult in the beginning - foreigners have to learn about all the existing content with strange names and companies and all the mouthwatering new stuff , reskins , creations etc. appearing all the time.

One thing I want to mention though and make your own conclusions : Somewhere something reminds me of our post office here.
There are 12 cubicles to help people, and loooong queues of customers waiting to be helped, but only two cubicles have attendants that help them.Then there is a faded notice up that reads : "Sorry for the inconvenience, we are short staffed ". But that notice has been up there longer than I can remember.

 

[malikrthr]

I don't mean to throw things off topic but what about fixing the issues for trainz 2009 sp4. From what I hear, that has many errors. I know trainz 2009 is a bit old now but the issue with sp4 never got fixed.

 

[Vern]

Some news would be good, after all N3V are in a good position to trounce the competition. MSTS is all but obsolete, Railworks is all about payware, Zusi 3 is still vapourware IMHO and the new Run 8, while showing promise, seems mainly aimed at multiplayer use.

A TS13, incorporating a few of the suggestions made over the years, could run rings round the above.

Sadly, given the almost complete lack of response by N3V staff or managers to ideas in the Suggestion Boxcar or other threads, one has to ask is there actually anything else planned for the PC end of the franchise? It wouldn't hurt to pre-announce a new version in the works, wouldn't necessarily hurt sales of the existing versions as many people prefer to buy and use these for their own reasons.

 

[clam1952]

I don't mean to throw things off topic but what about fixing the issues for trainz 2009 sp4. From what I hear, that has many errors. I know trainz 2009 is a bit old now but the issue with sp4 never got fixed.

Probably won't but stranger things happen, to N3V I suspect it's more important to get the current version fixed. SP4 was optional for those who wanted to use 2010 stuff, probably more of an experiment and by all accounts not that successful, it wasn't IMO a "must have patch" same as the 2010 multiplayer beta wasn't.
I still have my 2009 SP3 and it's fine or as fine as 2009 can be compared to 2010 and TS12.
It is pretty unusual for any game company to release patches for old versions after the next version is available, N3V is unusual in that it actually has.
It's also not compulsory for any patches to be released, more of a good will / marketing thing, if it doesn't work at least reasonably well it ain't going to sell and existing users may be put of buying future versions, nothing I have seen wrong with TS12 or 2010, annoying as it may be on occasions, would put me off a newer edition.

 

[shaneturner12]

I agree re: TS2009 SP4. I had a major thread regarding the issues with that, but Helpdesk said it was unlikely that much would be done.

I know the hot issue at the moment that I've been involved in is the issue regarding loading at stations, which I do have an active helpdesk ticket on.

Shane

 

[jjanmarine3]

One thing does not make sense is that nobody from N3V really wants to communicate , get involved or partake in these and similar discussions ? Now and then a comment appears.
There is more than enough to discuss with their customers if one reads the forum. I wonder how the other - as Joe puts it -' irons in the fire' are doing forumwise .
Have we as trainzers got one spokesman on the forum that can talk on our behalf about really important issues or how does things work . Just helpdesk tickets ?
Jan

 

[KenGreen]

I have always expected a TS14 version to be released but personally would prefer N3V to spend some time on DLC releases and sponsoring new Payware routes this must be quite profitable compared to a new release. I have only been using TS12 for 6 months as I needed to upgrade my PC first. There must be a number of users in this position and that may well be why they stick to TRS2006 and TS2009. By issuing a later release this is pushing the goal posts even further away. Once N3V have declared TC3 build as out of date or whatever that policy does they should continue to support TRS2009 and upwards this will then allow users with older PCs to use TRS2009 as the entry level.

Ken

 

[clam1952]

Some news would be good, after all N3V are in a good position to trounce the competition. MSTS is all but obsolete, Railworks is all about payware, Zusi 3 is still vapourware IMHO and the new Run 8, while showing promise, seems mainly aimed at multiplayer use.

A TS13, incorporating a few of the suggestions made over the years, could run rings round the above.

Sadly, given the almost complete lack of response by N3V staff or managers to ideas in the Suggestion Boxcar or other threads, one has to ask is there actually anything else planned for the PC end of the franchise? It wouldn't hurt to pre-announce a new version in the works, wouldn't necessarily hurt sales of the existing versions as many people prefer to buy and use these for their own reasons.

Agreed in principle, however is it a good idea to announce to your competitors new features? they may well pinch the idea and get in first if announced too far in advance. I doubt N3V are going to announce anything that hasn't been thoroughly tried and tested or is doable. Some of the better suggestions, which may seem easy to implement to users, most of whom have never needed to write a line of code in their life, may be way above the capability of the software as it stands, whatever, considering and implementing these things if they are possible to do, may take a considerable amount of time.

To my way of thinking, the current beta testing for "gadgets" with their limited capability, is a good way of drumming up interest in the full PC product, N3V are not going to make a fortune out of 99 cent software, I suspect it's a clever marketing strategy, therefore newer proper PC and Mac Trainz versions is to my way of thinking, inevitable.
A longer wait for the next version could mean the difference between a same as or blows the opposition out of the water version.

Yes, I'm having a severe case of optimism!

First though lets get that overdue TS12 patch.

 

[CaptEngland]

Agreed in principle, however is it a good idea to announce to your competitors new features? they may well pinch the idea and get in first if announced too far in advance.

What, like Railworks "multiplayer coming soon" just after TS12 came out? We are still waiting for that to appear! :hehe:

I don't think N3V need to worry about the competition unless Railworks team releases a route editor that is as easy to use as TS12's.

Regards.
CaptEngland
P.S. I think the next version will take longer to come out due to it possibly being a 64 bit version (at last!?!).

 

[Vern]

Actually I think the first thing they need to sort is the appalling slow running of the forum, but anyway...

The three main things I would like to see Trainz do are actually something the "competition" already does. 1. Automatically draw/render frogs and checkrails at points and crossings. 2. Make it easier to set up a timetabled activity for the player to run to. 3. Proper autonomous despatcher so I can run #2 without worrying about having to change points manually as I go.

I know there are workarounds for all three of the above but it's not the same as having seamless integration in the programme. Those three features alone combined with the power of Surveyor would give a new version of Trainz an edge.

My biggest fear is that TS13 or TS14 wil go down the same road as TS12. No real core changes, a few more obscure Eastern Europe or Chinese content additions sadly at the expense of the more mainstream stuff.

Maybe the reason we haven't heard anything is that the code really is at the end of what can be usefully done with it and there is currently a big debate going on at N3V whether to draw the line under Trainz as is and start work on an all new up to date state of the art sim, which really will blow the competition away! (We can live in hope...).

 

[oknotsen]

Yes, I'm having a severe case of optimism!

A refreshing and rare thing in todays world. :Y: Try to hold on to that! :hehe:

 

[harpman]

I'm fine with TS10 and TS12, but I'd sure like to see more American locomotives and rolling stock from earlier versions upgraded so that they work in TS10 or TS12. I see a list of rolling stock in my TS12 in bright red or pink and wonder what I'd have to do to get it to work. Not that I'm all that adept at anything more than simply running the game. My favorite line is CNW and so many of the locos that worked back in TS2006 don't/can't be run in TS12.

 

[TRam__]

1. Automatically draw/render frogs and checkrails at points and crossings. 2. Make it easier to set up a timetabled activity for the player to run to. 3. Proper autonomous despatcher so I can run #2 without worrying about having to change points manually as I go.

1 - n3v has already made penetry of attempts to introduce fixedtrack junctions into community. But some shortcomings of these objects (invisibility on the minimap, considerable difference from "lever spline junctions" in scripting area) led these attampts to nothing. More succesful, i think, was to make fixedtracks with ability to place usual levers on them, but ...

2 - may it be, another algorithm of passenger station is demanded. Not like "industry producing passangers" but objects with "time arrival", "time departure", "doors opening key/cabin control" ect. Also this is already possible to create using modern scripting API by third party.

3 - more complicated tasks for dispather needs more complicated configuration for it. If you route, for example, consists of 5 stations with 4 tracks in each of them, and double-track blocks between them, your train can drive from the first station to the last in 4*2*4*2*4*2*4 = 2048 ways ... I propouse your computer power isn't sufficient to compare all 2048 paths for each train with automatic driver (In trainz you haven't such a tem like "junction deviation", so all these paths differ only by their length). So you'll have to configurate where the train can drive, and where it can't. An this is much more boring than place "driving direction markers" as it is by default. And these "configuratable dispathers" exist in trainz for a long time. For example js-TRF PathControl or my own z7-xPath/zxPath (adapted only for russian signaling system)...

and wonder what I'd have to do to get it to work

To look for a thread "fixing content for TS12 standarts" or something like this.

 

[Vern]

more complicated tasks for dispather needs more complicated configuration for it. If you route, for example, consists of 5 stations with 4 tracks in each of them, and double-track blocks between them, your train can drive from the first station to the last in 4*2*4*2*4*2*4 = 2048 ways ... I propouse your computer power isn't sufficient to compare all 2048 paths for each train with automatic driver. So you'll have to configurate where the train can drive, and where it can't. An this is much more boring than place "driving direction markers" as it is by default.

Zusi manages this in the timetable editor, when a train reaches a junction with more than one possible route you can specify which routes are available to the train and even the % chance of getting put on a particular line. This makes it fantasticly easy for the AI signaller to be truly dynamic and resolve late running or conflicts without locking up. So if a guy hand coding a sim in his spare time can provide this functionality in a GUI interface, why the heck can't Auran/N3V?

 

[TRam__]

when a train reaches a junction with more than one possible route you can specify which routes are available to the train and even the % chance of getting put on a particular line

I've told about z7-xPath... It works close to the same. But in every case you have to specify the group of routes where the train have to proceed. For each station. And you have to specify the time of arrival/departure also for every station. This is boring, but this is already exists in trainz. Also in this area thainz has little benebit - it is possible to attach "solutions" of choosing this paths to session variables. And the variables to any other events of the game .