Why do so many people still use Trainz 2006?

I spend over 85% of my time in Surveyor building every model railroad that tickles my fancy. I have 5GB of content I've downloaded over the years backed up in three places. I have enough to keep me busy the rest of my life, even only using built in content if needed. My favorite install is TC with the Trainz Driver JA files from 2006 in it. 09 was my mistake, TS12 was a gift and I use the Mac version when to lazy to boot into Windows.*
With USLW, TPR and others, no end in sight for 06 or 04.*
 
Again, the statement that "TRS2006 has a very limited lifespan left in it" is completely false and deceptive because it implies that the software will become unusable in the near future. This is not the first time in recent memory someone has spread this kind of misinformation - look at the tizzy over GMax.

Again, proving how false that statement is, I run 30+ year old software all the time.

Frankly, the only of the Trainz series that have the technical ability to actually STOP working is TS12 - specifically, the DLC if you have SP1.
 
TRS2006 has an unlimited lifespan ... as long as you have all the assets on your PC, and/or you backdate the higher build assets ... TRS2006 will continue to run in the year 2099

Backdating content will work to a certain extent. Eventually there will be changes in the format that will prevent the assets from being imported into TRS2006.

Now as much as I like running older applications, as I said in my earlier post so many pages back, running the latest version of Trainz does have its advantages (there are a quite few disadvantages too, but that's another ball of wax to melt). There is the advanced error checking that so many people complain about. With this in place, this ensures that most content loads properly and the program runs with fewer crashes. As has been said so many, many times before, this process was actually started with TRS2006, and has been enforced more and more with current versions. The reasons for this are numerous and among them is with older versions, and compatibility mode with TRS2009 and TRS2010, the program will horse its way through the errors and attempt to load the content anyway. When this happens, this causes additional stuttering as the program stops and parses the errors then loads the content. This works to a certain extent, but it does not work successfully all the time. The end result was the numerous crashes we saw in TRS2004 and in TRS2006. Oh, you can get that sweet spot with these programs where things don't crash, but when they do, it's difficult to find the culprit. Now with the error checking, this rarely is the cause of a crash.

As time goes on, the content will be nearly error free right off the DLS as people are working to clean up the content that is up there. Included in the clean up process have been older built in items as well which had errors in them, mostly in the config.txt files. Now. I don't blame the content creators for many errors because they duplicated what Auran had given them originally. The problem is the community grew a lot faster than Auran expected and this caused the amount of faulty content to become a lot higher.

The current versions also do have better performance, perhaps as a result of the error checking, but this is also attributed to better code tweaking and cleanup. There is better scripting so signals and junctions work better. The AI work a little smarter, well sometimes, and other things that are hidden under the hood from us non-programmers. The draw distance has been increased, and yes, you can actually get the 5km draw distance in Surveyor and the 2.1km draw distance in Driver . (This latter issue is due to the limitations of Direct 3D and the video card). What causes things not to display correctly is older content that is not optimized. The throttle will kick in and drop the draw distance to prevent a crash. As a long time user, I have found that by replacing older content, and even rebuilding and replacing baseboards, I've been able to maintain the longer draw distances.

Yes, Speed Trees can be awful. I have found that this has to do with the creator and the shear number of them. By picking and choosing what I install, I have found that the trees really do look quite nice. I have also found, as I stated in another thread, which I can't remember if it got snarfed in the crash, that by thinning out their numbers, the performance is quite nice in Trainz. Yes, they are bigger and thicker and have more polygons, making them drag the system down. Doh! But... Unlike the old flip board trees which we grew to love so much, they are truly 3d and are not rendered by the CPU first. This latter point is important to note as this can mean an increase in performance believe it or not. Instead of going through multiple steps to get the trees drawn on the screen, they are handled directly by the video card. This saves CPU cycles, processing, and of course time. With the real time processing and rendering, every cycle and second, even a millisecond, counts, and having this extra time and CPU for other things such as AI processing, scripts, and overall system use, is important as it helps everything run much smoother.

So anyway, yes, there are advantages to staying with the older version, but updating is not such a bad idea either. Like any program though. Do as you wish if you can. You are lucky that you can do this with Trainz as many companies will not allow older versions to run concurrently with newer ones, and in many cases the older software will not run on newer systems. Enjoy your TRS2006 for as long as your PC can run it.

John
 
Again, the statement that "TRS2006 has a very limited lifespan left in it" is completely false and deceptive because it implies that the software will become unusable in the near future. This is not the first time in recent memory someone has spread this kind of misinformation - look at the tizzy over GMax.

Again, proving how false that statement is, I run 30+ year old software all the time.

Frankly, the only of the Trainz series that have the technical ability to actually STOP working is TS12 - specifically, the DLC if you have SP1.

+10

The difference between unplanned, planned and programmed obsolesence.
 
You people don't seem to understand what I'm saying, I like TRS2006 and haven't got anything against it, but you're all being pedantic if you don't mind my saying. I'm not saying that in a few weeks TRS2006 will just stop working, but that eventually something will happen like the DLS is cleared of all content dated before TS2009 or something, I don't know what I'm speculating. But let's be honest, all games eventually get so out of date that they simply don't work. People may get new computers that don't run TRS2006. For example, my PC doesn't run MSTS anymore due to some compatibility issues. In the future, something similar may occur with TRS2006. I don't want it to, but in all probability it's bound to happen. I'm not spreading rumours, I am expressing my opinion. I can't stress that enough. I don't want to argue, I just want to help you all understand it.

PortLineParker
 
snip~:You people don't seem to understand what I'm saying ... snip~: I don't know what I'm speculating ... snip~:all games eventually get so out of date that they simply don't work. People may get new computers that don't run TRS2006 ... snip~: I'm not spreading rumours, I am expressing my opinion. I can't stress that enough. I don't want to argue, I just want to help you all understand it. PortLineParker
So you just will not stop ... until you have crammed it down our throats with a plunger stick ? Do you really think that we really need you to explain this to us in detail, and rub our faces down in the "Muck" ?

You may as well close this thread ... because you have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about ... If you have such a "beef" against TRS2006 users ... leave us the *ell alone.

We will be running TRS2006 in the year 2099 ... Do you really think that TRS2006 is "Really" going to just magically shut off someday, by remote control DRM by N3V's initiative ?

Why are you bashing TRS2006 users, and flaming them into an argument ?

It seems that you will not stop bashing TRS2006 users, and stop spreading misinformation, that is totally in error ... untill you start a "Flame War" ... which, I quess ... is your mission here ?

Mods: Please ...Close this thread due to moronic misinformation being flailed around, like a dung flailer !

Manure Spreader:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yQnA__px68
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqtOX7COr2c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4lITsNlEY0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF_1AcnpJBQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GMaDvMX1M4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ankJWg3qmk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA1vuM4IfWE

Personal opinions are like _ _ _- _ _ _ _ _ ... everyone's got one !

You don't see me spreading rumors that XP, Vista, and Windows7 OS will be magically be shut down by DRM someday ?

If N3V ever went out of business ... your precious 09, 10, 12 versions, and DLC stuff, that has DRM, may magically just shut down someday, by remote control ?

And I will still be up & running TRS2006 on Vista & Windows7

Just because it is lousey inclement weather in the UK ... don't come here, and rain on my parade !
 
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Thank you for your kind words. I'm not trying to rub anyone's nose in the 'muck', I just commented on this forum to express my opinion. I truly am sorry for any anger caused, however I am NOT sorry for expressing my opinion, you will have to learn to live with that. I am not on a 'mission' as you put it, I have TRS2006 and as said in my original post I loved it at the time as it was the most stable version of Trainz available at the time. You know my opinion on this matter so I'll leave that. I respect your opinion, so let's not take this any further.

PortLineParker
 
Then just stop posting about the pathetic TRS2006 version users, and rubbing our faces in it !

You just can't stop, can you ?

You just gotta have the last word in ... Just STOP !
 
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My last post. I want no hostilities, I want to leave this peacefully. But I could say the same about you, you're relentless. What in my last post 'rubbed your noses in it'? I think you're looking for an argument when in fact there wasn't one. Anyway, I'm off now, but let's leave on a peaceful note.

PortLineParker
 
And you are leaving with your: "last word in" on this topic ? Talk about relentless ... You came here to bash us TRS2006 users ... I am done with this argument that you started ! (I appologize ... that was Klambert who started this thread ... that you so kindly jumped in on the band wagon, to help along to further bash us TRS2006 users).

Just STOP Dude !
============================
Now you futher this along, by sending me a nasty PM:
Re: This ends now
quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by PortLineParker
You know, I'm usually pretty easy to get along with. But I don't like bullies. And I don't like you. You know full well that I was expressing my opinion and that you started an argument over that. You need to learn some respect for other people's opinions. I'm blocking you so that any return messages will be blocked, so don't bother trying. I just want you to know that you seem one of those forum trolls that goes about trying to cause arguments. In this case, you succeeded in arguing with me, but I'm ending it here. I'll be keeping an eye out on your posts so that I can see if you try and stir things up again in the future.

PortLineParker​
Some people just can't STOP !

You'd also get pretty ticked off, if someone came around, intent on bashing your favorite thing in life, and said about yer' Dawg ... That it was so ugly ... That it should be shaved, & trained to walk backwards ... hit a sore spot ... you did ... Don't pour salt in my wound !
 
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You people don't seem to understand what I'm saying, I like TRS2006 and haven't got anything against it, but you're all being pedantic if you don't mind my saying. I'm not saying that in a few weeks TRS2006 will just stop working, but that eventually something will happen like the DLS is cleared of all content dated before TS2009 or something, I don't know what I'm speculating. But let's be honest, all games eventually get so out of date that they simply don't work. People may get new computers that don't run TRS2006. For example, my PC doesn't run MSTS anymore due to some compatibility issues. In the future, something similar may occur with TRS2006. I don't want it to, but in all probability it's bound to happen. I'm not spreading rumours, I am expressing my opinion. I can't stress that enough. I don't want to argue, I just want to help you all understand it.

PortLineParker

I'm a Mac head so bear with me. What possible compatibility issues can you have running older software? I was a Windows user until around 2001 when I bought my first Mac. Mac and Windows user until 2006 when I bought this MacBook Pro that can run Windows in bootcamp. Never had problems getting older software to run. Granted, I stopped at Vista and went back to XP. QUICKLY.*
I had been considering putting together a Windows box, but, if the new versions of Windows are causing problems, I'll save my pennies for a new MacBook Pro instead and soldier on with XP.
 
Then just stop posting about the pathetic TRS2006 version users, and rubbing our faces in it !

You just can't stop, can you ?

You just gotta have the last word in ... Just STOP !

Rubbing your face in it? Now that's a line I heard you repeat a few pages back. Well you didn't have to read this thread if you feel that. Lighten up please and if you must insist on joining in on this thread, listen and accept peoples differing view points. By the way I notice you haven't addressed my previous post in response to one of yours, yet.

@PortLineParker, I see your point, TRS06 is already outdated, one of the reasons why I upgraded to TS10 was so I could continue to download from the DLS.

Cascaderailroad: "You'd also get pretty ticked off, if someone came around, intent on bashing your favorite thing in life, and said about yer' Dawg ... That it was so ugly ... That it should be shaved, & trained to walk backwards ... hit a sore spot ... you did ... Don't pour salt in my wound !"

Jeez mate, lighten up I didn't think a train simulation game meant that much to you. I find PortLineParkers posts to be very reasonable and did not warrant those sort of responses.
 
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Rubbing your face in it? Now that's a line I heard you repeat a few pages back. Well you didn't have to read this thread if you feel that. Lighten up please and if you must insist on joining in on this thread, listen and accept peoples differing view points. By the way I notice you haven't addressed my previous post in response to one of yours, yet.

@PortLineParker, I see your point, TRS06 is already outdated, one of the reasons why I upgraded to TS10 was so I could continue to download from the DLS.

Cascaderailroad: "You'd also get pretty ticked off, if someone came around, intent on bashing your favorite thing in life, and said about yer' Dawg ... That it was so ugly ... That it should be shaved, & trained to walk backwards ... hit a sore spot ... you did ... Don't pour salt in my wound !"

Jeez mate, lighten up I didn't think a train simulation game meant that much to you. I find PortLineParkers posts to be very reasonable and did not warrant those sort of responses.

No, they are not "reasonable" because they willfully and deliberately spread misinformation. It's one thing to say, 'In my opinion, the newer versions are better' or "the older versions aren't as good'. It's entirely different to say, "TRS2006 has a very limited lifespan left in it". Especially without qualification.

Once again, technically, the only of the Trainz series that has a potentially (and artificially) limited lifespan is TS12 SP1 and later, and that's only by deliberate design.

P.S. If you have an FCT, you can download to TRS2006, TRS2004, or whatever. No need for TS2010.
 
P.S. If you have an FCT, you can download to TRS2006, TRS2004, or whatever. No need for TS2010.

Yes but the newer stuff is not available to run under TRS2004. There is a wider variety of assets available that run under TS12 than are available under TRS2004 or TRS2006.

Cheerio John
 
Yes but the newer stuff is not available to run under TRS2004. There is a wider variety of assets available that run under TS12 than are available under TRS2004 or TRS2006.

Cheerio John

Most of it can be backdated, though. Beyond scripted assets, most stuff that runs on later versions *should* work on older ones, albeit with some tweaking. In theory.
 
Yes but the newer stuff is not available to run under TRS2004. There is a wider variety of assets available that run under TS12 than are available under TRS2004 or TRS2006.

Cheerio John

I kind of find the opposite is true. While there is newer content coming out, the community is scrambling to fix older content to work in newer versions. It seems everything is being "fixed" to work in these new versions. Outside of the older content N3V keeps selling me hidden from error routines in JA files.*
Better off just staying with older versions that do run it and avoid the hardware upgrade to make use of it now. Outside of pretty content, the game has changed little since TRS2004. Same garbage turnouts. Its all cosmetic now and DLS access.
 
I kind of find the opposite is true. While there is newer content coming out, the community is scrambling to fix older content to work in newer versions. It seems everything is being "fixed" to work in these new versions. Outside of the older content N3V keeps selling me hidden from error routines in JA files.*
Better off just staying with older versions that do run it and avoid the hardware upgrade to make use of it now. Outside of pretty content, the game has changed little since TRS2004. Same garbage turnouts. Its all cosmetic now and DLS access.

Well yes but the fixes make the stuff run better in the older versions as well. Basically the error checking wasn't so good in TRS2004 was it tafweb who created software so that you could fix assets so they actually ran in TRS2004. In those days you had to do the fixes yourself its only recently that the fixes have been done centrally on the DLS.

Cheerio John
 
First off. There is NO reason to attack some one for expressing an opposing opinion. We will not tolerate. At no point has 'misinformation' been spread, simply an opinion on software becoming 'obsolete'/'unusable'. Which has occurred previously, and there's no real way to know if this will or will not occur in future. This does also depend on how much effort you are willing to put into making old software work when newer versions may be available...

Again, please keep your discussions friendly and clean. We will not tolerate personal attacks on other members, irrespective of the topic.
 
At no point has 'misinformation' been spread, simply an opinion on software becoming 'obsolete'/'unusable'.

Erm, yes, such misinformation HAS been spread. Sorry if it conflicts with the intention of N3V and other software vendors to sell software. As pointed out earlier, that "opinion" could have been expressed differently and more accurately. As for personal attacks, well, I did not make one, but there is a not-so-fine line between personal attack against and individual and a callout of a claim made by same.
 
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