What is a flight simulator for except for traveling from point A to point B? I don't understand the difference, except that while traveling there is more scenery to look at at ground level than at some-thousand feet!
Well said as always, Ed. LOL.
What brought me to Trainz? The ability to build the railroad or model railroad of my dreams. There's no way one could build a 200 mile railroad and be able to operate it alone, not worry about maintenance, space and cost, and still be able to sit in the driver's seat too.
Trainz is very much like a regular model railroad because there are so many aspects to keep you busy. The actual Surveyor and route building aspects are like the actual layout building with the plaster and plywood. With Trainz there's no mess other than the tea, coffee and other goodies that get spilled on your keyboard as you forget what time it is and munch at the keyboard.
Also if you don't like something you built, rip it out and try again. No loss other than your time. There are no broken track parts, wasted plywood, and for me no allergic reaction to the gypsum plaster.
The script writing and that aspect of content development could be similar to the wiring and those that like to figure out complicated switch lists for running. In Trainz there are a number of experienced programmers who will spend their time writing and debugging awesome scripts. These are written in a C++ or Java-like language so you need some programming experience and lots of patience!
The content creators who make models, are like the scratch builders. When we use the content, we're like kit builders and bashers, particularly if we reskin models. This too can be an exciting and challenging aspect of the hobby, particularly when you can recreate a long lost steam locomotive from old plans and see it operate on your or someone else's route.
Then there are those that like to just run the trains. These are the people who go to the train shows and hobby events and run the trains for the fun of it. There are also a more dedicated, folks who will run to timetables and complex running orders. This can get really complicated and very time consuming.
And now the best thing of all with Trainz is you can be as complicated with it as you wish. If you want to count rivets and screw threads, you're welcome to it. If you want to put in every detailed grass blade and anthill, be my guest. There is no one here to stop you. You can even run as spartan as you want, and no one will complain. This is all your stuff, and it sits on your computer for your enjoyment. The only limitations will be your computer hardware and your imagination.
Remember this is a hobby to have fun with even with it's long learning curve. When it's no longer fun, you need to step away and do something else.
John
