What are Trainz?

JIb228

Multiplayer Guru
So as many of you know, I am a long time user of this forum. Im not a well known member, but I have been around the block a few times.

But the last 2-3 years of playing any sort of train sim has been difficult for me. Ill keep this short and do the long story below, but my over all interest in trains and train sims has dropped. I do blame my lack of ability to pursue my interest in model railroading for it a bit. But that said, I do often bounce around between playing different sims when I feel that itch. Am I done with train sims? No. But I don't think I'm getting what I want out of them at the moment.

So today, Feb 20 2019 around noon pst I'll be live streaming playing Run8 here: My Twtich

I know Run8 isn't Trainz, and I have no intention of stealing players to that. I have been streaming other games regularly most evenings to share the experience with others. And that's what I want to do today with my stream. So yea, this is me shamelessly plugging my live stream.


This is the long part, no need to read farther.

So a few years ago I had to pack up my model train layout and store it. It was in a U shape 13 feet by 7 feet, so it took up some space. (I have a Trainz version of it on the DLS) But I had moved in with some friends and we didn't have room for it. That was at least four years ago. Last summer I had to trash the layout, I just no longer had room for it. So I saved what I could and put the rest in a dumpster. And it was shortly after I did that, that I sort of lost my life long interest in trains.

To add to the issue, my interest in games swings wildly. I'll often find one game very fun for a long time and end up playing it for weeks or even months at a time. Then one day I'll switch to another game and be the same way. This happens all the time for me. And it means I'll often sit with a game for months or even years without playing it then suddenly be very interested in it. And I spent a long time where most of my game time was devoted to Train sims in general. So the last 4 or 5 years I have been having a harder time getting motivated to play any of them.

To add to all this downerness. Last summer I had to give up a lot of my hobbies. Not only did I have to put my train layout in a dumpster. But I had gotten very involved in the LARPing. (Live Action Role Play). But I started a new job with a new schedule that conflicts with all of my LARP events. So I haven't be able to participate in that at all. Tossed the layout and left LARPing means I'm just feeling super down and with nothing to do. Hence why I have turned to live streaming. But I just cant bring myself to do things that remind me of the hobbies I have had to give up.

And before anyone suggests that I find a local model railroad club, I have. And it sucks. I was a member for less than a year and didn't get anything I wanted from a model railroad club out of it. It's a modular club. They meet once a month for coffee and doughnuts. And to spend a 3 hour meeting debating if they want to order face plates for their DCC system plug in ports. And they only set up 3-4 times though out the year. The next closest club only meets on the weekends, which I of course work.



Idk. This is the stuff that corsses my mind when Im out on my motorcycle mindlessly riding the desert.
 
Hmmmm, I may have also caught the disease. Trainz, Amateur Radio and Flight Simulation - dropped the Flight Simulation for the odd reason that TRS19 looks so much better. From 13,000 ft the earth is sort of grey. Trainz is slowly forcing me toward a major PC upgrade so it may also be "degraded". Spending time with something is one issue and another is spending money on it.

Fortunately we have a wild political environment which makes the news interesting' but also discouraging.
Dick
 
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