Favourite Loco Poll

[edh6]

A poll has appeared over at TrainzPortal.com asking (amongst other things) "Choose up to 10 of the following locomotives you would like to see created/updated for Trainz"

http://www.trainzportal.com/news/vie...loco-and-route

I scanned through the list and of all the UK steamers on it (I can't say for other countries) all but one of the classes listed are already available in Trainz. Several of them are locos that I have built for the DLS and most of the others have been covered by Skipper1945 on the DLS or by CamScott's payware models (plus a couple of other authors).

Why are N3V asking people to choose models already made in a poll of locos wanted in Trainz?
Are they implying that our existing models aren't good enough and need upgrading?
If they are implying that then who will do the upgrading?

Or is this just a completely pointless survey?

[Saieditor]

Well, I took the poll, very, very surprised to see Indian Railways WDM2 and WDM4 locos in the poll.

I added a fantastismorgical route I would like to see created.

And I added an opinion. (Well, they asked for an opinion, you see. )

You can all do the same. Mind you, the Jointed Rail survey (?) didn't do you much good either. They didn't BELIEVE what I wrote about other rail sims. Updates taking you under the ROW. Truly ruly, as the rotten little bleeder is wont to say.

So, take the survey at your own risk.

[nicky9499]

The more I look at it the more ridiculous it becomes. It looks like a hodgepodge of random locomotives some bored cretin copied from a five year old's Lionel wishlist. There's an "Amtrak Genesis", "Amtrak P42" and "GE Genesis P42". Some are incredibly specific "Connersville and Newcastle 20 Spartan Success GP20" and some cover the gamut of roads and decades like "4-8-2 Mountain" and ALL the EMDs. To top it all off there's an open ended option at the end rendering the aformentioned basically moot.

We have enough duplicated work as it is - SD40s, bogies, freaking enginesounds etc. I understand a poll for mobile, the point being "which engines/routes would you like us to port over to your little cut-down app" but for PC this is completely nonsensical. Is there an army of content creators awaiting the results of this poll to create whatever we vote for? Is this simply to understand what's everyone's favorite engine/route is and even so...so what???

This survey is as pointless as a polished 8-ball.

[clam1952]

I was tempted to copy the list of Locos already available from content manager and stick in the comments box........ Decided not to bother probably wouldn't fit anyway!
What is the point of requesting what already exists?

Perhaps its a "Get the Community Involved" or N3V / Community bonding exercise?

[pcas1986]

I did wonder what this was all about so I chose not to participate. My passion is steam locomotives so I'm always interested in others' creations. George (Skipper1945) is my benchmark, but Zec's creations are right up there as are EDH6's locos. And there are plenty more worth mentioning. If I have to test yet another diesel with the same interior as the last 20 or so that I have tested I'll probably throw up!

I would have rather seen a request for locos that are not already available or, that are so old (i.e. TS04/TS06 era), that they need a refresh.

There are 100's or maybe 1000's of locos we have yet to model. All we need are drawings, TE characteristics, photos and time.

[Blu3wolf]

Or is this just a completely pointless survey?

Perhaps it was released a day early?

[Tony_Hilliam]

The list was primarily from the iOS submissions with most (but not all) duplicates removed.

There is no doubt our mobile audience skews younger than desktop but whatever the list there is room for more to be added.

[narrowgauge]

Tony

You list two of mine, the VR G class and VR NA which are already on the DLS. Why?

If you were asking on behalf of the tablet and phone small screen addicts, all well and good, but that is not what your heading says. If you are including PC users in the heading then whoever made the list should have checked the DLS and then all the sites offering content.

Carelessness like this is an easy way to lose friends, in many cases, long friends.

PeterPM

[Tony_Hilliam]

The poll asks about favourite locos and upgrades as well. It doesn't say we will create the new models. We may instead look at including existing models as featured downloads for example. So I think you may be over- reacting to the purpose of the poll.

Also, as you all know, one of the complaints often aired is old content.At some point things need to be updated. This isn't a definitive list of what will be created but rather a popularity poll to see which types of locos and which liveries are best supported. It may also lead to looking at which interiors are serviced best from the popular models.

[nicky9499]

Hi Tony,

Good points, but they need a bit more polish in the PR department. For example:

The poll asks about favourite locos and upgrades as well. It doesn't say we will create the new models. We may instead look at including existing models as featured downloads for example.

Okay, except we don't have any meaningful form of "featured downloads" unless you're talking about DLC plugging in the newsletter. There is Content Showcase but that one's more for "bookmarking" rare or obscure assets not mainstream featuring.

Also, as you all know, one of the complaints often aired is old content.At some point things need to be updated.

Well! At least you finally realize this. However, the poll does nothing to improve anything in this regard due to the muddled intention. To be of any use it could've been any of the following:

- Vote for ___ current TANE builtin that should not be builtin in the next Trainz version
- Vote for ___ DLC routes to be builtin in the next Trainz version
- Vote for ___ DLS/JR/3rd party content/routes to be builtin in the next Trainz version
- Vote for ___ features that the next Trainz version's builtin should have
- Vote for ___ desirable qualities that the next Trainz version's builtin should have
- Vote for ___ examples of current content that deserve to be builtin in the next Trainz version
- Vote for ___ user as examples of current...you get the idea.

In addition the next two questions, asking what they like about xyz does nothing to help refine content. My route is old, inconsistent and outdated but I like it. Does that mean it should be builtin? I also like alot of so-and-so's content but they are similarly outdated, have no normal mapping or baked textures or groundplanes - it should not be in the next builtin content set.

popularity poll to see which types of locos and which liveries are best supported

Similarly muddled. Popularity among existing content or a free-for-all global wishlist? Because I see so many in that list that are horribly outdated/author vanished/straight up nonexistent. What do you even mean by "supported" or is that just another misused PR buzzword? So far the only support I get for my locomotives are the payware ones.

It may also lead to looking at which interiors are serviced best from the popular models.

Your poll has no indication whatsoever such a response or even line of thought is being sought. In fact there is not a single word anything remotely close to "interior" in the entire survey. There is nobody out there who'd look at a random list of trains and think; "mm yes I should tell them which one of these have already been created and have the best interiors which should be...er...serviced? Whatever that means."

C'mon mate, make me your PR manager already, this is embarrassing.

[nathanmallard]

Flying Scotsman is on there three times! It and all the narrow gauge suggestions have been covered by edh6.

[H222]

Surely this has to be skewed by mobile versions...

The people with mobile platforms of Trainz don't have stock covered by anyone like us PC and Mac Users do.

[Paulsw2]

I took it to mean old content that could be upgraded for TANE and completely new locos that are not currently there.

Disappointing that no 'heritage' classes of UK DMUs were included. Also the Class 25 which was the second most numerous class of diesel loco in the UK and we're still using a model that dates back to 2003. I added-in the Class 56 as this is another major omission - only available as an 11 year old payware model that is no longer on sale. And don't get me started on early Mk2 coaching stock!

Paul

[Vern]

I started to look at the poll last night but didn't get time to finish it.

Maybe I'm being cynical but wondering if this is a pre-emptive survey to evaluate potential content to bundle in the "Next" version, whenever that releases? The question re routes is really subjective and not easy to answer. The ECML in TANE is a behemoth, but it looks dated and lacks easy ready to play scenarios. Settle & Carlisle is good, but needs a scenery overhaul. Murchison and Avery to Drexel also good. Then there's my own routes, some of which I'm quite proud of but too modest to suggest them as favourites.

So far as locos or other rolling assets are concerned, if the intention is to somehow showcase these then the first priority should be bringing up to 2017 standards, particularly with regard to cabs, sounds and physics (and by the latter I include vacuum braking and stepped or EP brakes along with traditional air brake systems).

[EverTrainz]

... If the intention is to somehow showcase these then the first priority should be bringing up to 2017 standards, particularly with regard to cabs, sounds and physics (and by the latter I include vacuum braking and stepped or EP brakes along with traditional air brake systems).

Bit late here but I believe NEXT will be focused on MP Surveyor. This is the total opposite of what a content creator would want and I'm afraid the additional functionality you've mentioned falls into a content creator's toolbag i.e. not too big of an interest with regards to MP Surveyor.

It would be real big accomplishment to see native support for vac brakes and possibly ACS like they've done with ARN. But on the other end of the spectrum this would be of no interest to those who devote all their time to building routes. The builders outnumber the content creators so MP Surveyor it is.