Is it okay to be unrealistic in Trainz?

Hello everyone, I didn't really know where to post this, so I hope it's okay here.

I've decided that i'm going to get serious about route-building in Trainz- A New Era, and after looking at some model railroad layout ideas, I've decided that I'm going to make a route based on the United States in the 1970s. I'd like to incorporate elements of real-life railroads, from all across the country, especially the South, with elements of the West Coast and the Northeast, but It's not going to be based on any route in real life. It's mostly going to be a bit of fun, and the closest parallel I can draw to the kind of route I'm building is the old Highland Valley Industries route, or its modern equivalent, Kickstarter County, but it will also have passenger operations as well as freight.

I know that many users here like to play on real routes, and even build real ones themselves. I'm just wondering if building a somewhat unrealistic route would gather any attention compared to the masses of very realistic, high-quality routes that most other users build. of course, I will try to make the route as realistic-looking as it can possibly be, but I am not aiming for a picture-perfect representation of a real railroad.

Let me know what you think, I'd be happy to hear any thoughts or questions you might have.

Fantasy routes are also fun. always interesting to see what could have been but was never built because of cost. If it looks realistic, it will be appreciated. Beyond that, Trainz is an anything goes platform too. Even if it could never be built within the laws of physics, it can still be fun.

Whatever floats your boat. The idea with route building is to have FUN. So I say you just do whatever you like and if others don't like it phooey on them.

It's your world, build and run whatever you like. Personally I love fictional and what if stuff, I chuckle reading the rivet counters argue over the most minuscule stuff, but hey, to each his own. Trainz is meant to be enjoyed however you choose.

Thank you all for your thoughts about this. I really like the way Trainz' surveyor mode works, and it makes it really easy to make good-looking routes and areas. That's why it's also easy to build things the way you want, but some people want a really realistic train simulator, and I didn't want to get slammed for making something that isn't prototypical or based on a real location. I'm going to go ahead with building my route anyways, because I think there are people who have already played Kickstarter County and Highland Valley, but want more of that kind of gameplay.

I know not everyone here is a realism junky, so the route I'm building is for those people who just want some good, simple fun with trains. Thank you again for your support.

Dude, Trainz is a do whatever you friggin want. Felixg (the guy who is really a god at trainz) made an amazing - i mean amazing - HO route. Completely fictional from what I understand, but its also proto in its own way. Heck, I even made this.....

A person is only limited by their imagination when building in trainz.

One of the finest routes in Trainz is Murchison 2 and that is fictional.

Ken

... and lets not forget all the assets created by Ish6 (and others) that allow you to build a fictional layout on Mars - search the DLS for "marsz".

pware said:

... and lets not forget all the assets created by Ish6 (and others) that allow you to build a fictional layout on Mars - search the DLS for "marsz".

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I remember those assets. Really crazy, but fun to play with.

davesnow said:

..if others don't like it, phooey on them.

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I haven't heard the word "phooey" in decades. I'm getting nostalgic. We should bring it back into popular use.

Dinorius_Redundicus said:

I haven't heard the word "phooey" in decades. I'm getting nostalgic. We should bring it back into popular use.

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... <snippage> ...

I'm just wondering if building a somewhat unrealistic route would gather any attention compared to the masses of very realistic, high-quality routes that most other users build. of course, I will try to make the route as realistic-looking as it can possibly be, but I am not aiming for a picture-perfect representation of a real railroad.

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First, it's going to depend upon what kind of attention you want, and from whom. The one whose attention you most need to get is your own, and perhaps those who might he drawn to offer to collaborate. Among the rest of the community, there will be some number who might be interested in an exact representation of a real railroad route, there will be some other number who are interested in letting the imagination run wild, and who choose to build "out of this world" routes and content.

With respect to imaginary routes, I am attracted to (and I suspect a number of other members of the community are, too) plausibility, by which I mean that if the route (or other content) you are building existed in the real world, that it would look and feel just about the way you modeled it. If it fails the plausibility test, I'm not likely to be interested, except as a passing curiosity.

ns

"I'm just wondering if building a somewhat unrealistic route would gather any attention ... I will try to make the route as realistic-looking as it can possibly be, but I am not aiming for a picture-perfect representation of a real railroad."

You would certainly get my attention 'cause they are exactly the sorts of routes and layouts I've been uploading to the Download Station for a decade or more. Like this still to be released layout that could never exist in real life -- but still follows prototypical practices (full screen / 1080p):


Three suggestions:
Use only built-in or Download Station content. Quite a few of us don't like to search to the farthest corners of the Universe for missing dependencies.
Make it as interesting and as varied as possible.
Try to keep frame rates reasonably good by using the same asset many times rather than a large number of assets only once.

Good luck and I'll be looking forward to the end result.

Phil

pware said:

... and lets not forget all the assets created by Ish6 (and others) that allow you to build a fictional layout on Mars - search the DLS for "marsz".

Click to expand...

Don't forget the Moon base: route, stations and rolling stock.

No of course not. The possibilities of Trainz are endless, limited only to the creativity of your imagination. You are free to choose whether you want your route to be realistic or just for fun.

As George Bernard Shaw said “Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will.”

philskene said:

"I'm just wondering if building a somewhat unrealistic route would gather any attention ... I will try to make the route as realistic-looking as it can possibly be, but I am not aiming for a picture-perfect representation of a real railroad."

You would certainly get my attention 'cause they are exactly the sorts of routes and layouts I've been uploading to the Download Station for a decade or more. Like this still to be released layout that could never exist in real life -- but still follows prototypical practices (full screen / 1080p):

Three suggestions:
Use only built-in or Download Station content. Quite a few of us don't like to search to the farthest corners of the Universe for missing dependencies.
Make it as interesting and as varied as possible.
Try to keep frame rates reasonably good by using the same asset many times rather than a large number of assets only once.

Good luck and I'll be looking forward to the end result.

Phil

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Thanks Phil, I'll be sure to take your advice. Right now I'm using only Built-in and some DLS assets, and I plan to keep it that way so there aren't too many dependencies one has to download. I'm planning to use just a couple different types of trees and buildings, but in different ways, so there won't be as much lag while still looking good. I've always got performance in mind when I'm building my route, so if something doesn't work for me, I'll make sure it gets fixed so that it works for other users as well. I've already taken a look at the route-building tips on the TRS wiki, and I also keep them in mind while I'm building. I guess it's really a case of what the user playing wants. If they want a realistic route, then they can, but if they want something more fantasy, then they can have that too, and I guess that's the beauty of Trainz.

Hello to the OP --

I've created Marsz, with hundred of items for that kind if fantasy game play, and that's what makes trainz an awesome platform --- You can have boats, airplanes, cars, and spaceship, etc .... even dinosaurs, and create your own Jurassic Park!:wave:

Regards
Ish

If you are planning on doing a fictional route one thing that can greatly help is the pen. I'm presently working with another known route builder on a collaboration route that will incorporate at least two and possibly more fictional lines seen here on the forum. This is being done by making a backstory or alternate history to how and why this lines exist. Writing this story will help guide you on how to build your route. Also give your route a personality. For example is it a shortline or a big class 1 operation? It is a well funded line or just barely hanging on? Where is home base and where is it going? What is its plan for the future?


For example we are using real world places in the US and TransDEM maps for the typography, but changing history to explain how and why these fictional railroads are converging on this city. With this it will seem plausible and have the feel of what if the world was like this?

Dave

Thai1On said:

If you are planning on doing a fictional route one thing that can greatly help is the pen. I'm presently working with another known route builder on a collaboration route that will incorporate at least two and possibly more fictional lines seen here on the forum. This is being done by making a backstory or alternate history to how and why this lines exist. Writing this story will help guide you on how to build your route. Also give your route a personality. For example is it a shortline or a big class 1 operation? It is a well funded line or just barely hanging on? Where is home base and where is it going? What is its plan for the future?


For example we are using real world places in the US and TransDEM maps for the typography, but changing history to explain how and why these fictional railroads are converging on this city. With this it will seem plausible and have the feel of what if the world was like this?

Dave

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I agree. My basic story for the route is that in the 1970s, the American National Railroad Corporation, an alliance between many different railroad companies, was formed as a conglomeration of most passenger and some freight lines across the United States. American National found themselves with hundreds of freight and passenger locomotives, and repainted most of them into its famous red, white and blue colors. The route, of course, aims to simulate the early days of American National, both its passenger and its freight operations, in the summer of 1973.



Inspired by Amtrak and the Bangor and Aroostook railroad, American National adopted this simple paint scheme for most of its fleet, especially passenger trains, though some freight trains had this livery too. Its only other livery was a simple all-black livery with white "American National" text.

That's all I've got for now, really, but there's a lot more work to do yet.