Microsoft Train Simulator 2 News

Yippie

I'll DEFFINTELY be going back to MSTS.It was the first one i got and was so excited when release 2 was comming out, but unfortunatly got scraped.I'll just pusts with trans untill it comes out.
 
This does look interesting, but won't be released for at least a year. However, along with KRS it does look as though the train sim bar that Auran lifted is being raised again.
 
Oooh. Microsoft did a bad thing, let's shun them for not getting the original MSTS Right. wooohh.... Real good point. Microsoft hasn't made any reliable products, ok, then what have you been using as an OS since you don't enjoy MS products. You running DOS? Maybe Commodore 64?

Ubuntu actually.:D
 
The release doesn't seem to say anything about making your own routes. If they don't totally overhaul MSTS Editor & Tools and support it, as far as I'm concerned its a waste of $$$.

Ben
 
I don't know about others but I'm not remotely impressed by anything I've seen so far. The World of Rails concept is not going to be what some believe it will be, and the graphics look pretty lifeless.

Remember that unlike the original MSTS and the previous incarnation of MSTS2, this one isn't being developed by people who have experience of making train sims, it's being done by a company who have been making flight sims for 25 years. It all looks a bit of a desperate gamble by MS to get back into the market they gave up on IMO.
 
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I remember when I was still using MSTS only, reading somewhere that KUJU came out in defense of the game during the worst of the player flak that was being stirred up. They said something to the effect of, if microsoft hadn't had the release date so set in stone (after having pushed it back once or twice already) and had let KUJU build it like they wanted to; as well as addressed the problems that they (microsoft) knew existed, then MSTS would have been a far better game.

MSTS was rushed. You can look at it and tell. For one, when it came out you couldn't couple to a train with the front coupler. That was something that they (ms) didn't seem to have ever considered someone wanting to do.

After all the headaches I had with it, I'm not sure I'll go back just yet.
________
Buy herbalaire
 
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Before criticising the new product it might be worth reading in depth the comments on the UKTS and responses from the MS team who, this time round, seem to be engaging fully with the community.

No one knows exactly how "World of Rails" will work but I think it's fair to assume we will be getting a lot more default mileage than any other sim to date. I'm sure there will be plenty of scope for customisation of your favourite route. In the meantime, the prospect of quite possibly being able to drive "out the box" from Euston to Glasgow (or any other line) on an approximation of the real world route rather than hoping someone will have the courage to spend 2 years in a route editor creating 400 miles is rather compelling. How accurate the "World of Rails" routes are in terms of prototypical accuracy - track layout, gradients etc. - remains to be seen, but I doubt MS would be proclaiming this if it just amounts to a RRT2 style depiction of the network.

Bear in mind the PR screens are from the preliminary work - either mock ups or pre alpha code, so we ain't seen nothing yet. My personal view (and hope) is that MSTS2 will transform the way we approach the train sim hobby. IMHO the early graphics are way ahead of any of the existing train sims and even the new Kuju/EA sim.

Comparisons to the existing MSTS are meaningless as this is a brand new product, coded from the ground up by a different development team.

As the other main player in the train sim scene, it will be interesting to hear if Auran now have any plans to revive Rail Sim Pro or Trainzportation? Each to their own obviously, but I can't see an ongoing series of standalone Trainz Classics routes (using a 7 year old game engine) holding a candle to MSTS2 (if MS pull it off).
 
With MSTS2 there is still too little information to praise or condemn. Sufficient to keep a watching bief though.
 
Modleing in sim

Has anyone heard if there going to use Train Sim Modeler to do build in game stuf, I still have mine.If so then maby will get an upgrade on that to.It's not as good as gmax but a lot easer to use.
 
Has anyone heard if there going to use Train Sim Modeler to do build in game stuf, I still have mine.If so then maby will get an upgrade on that to.It's not as good as gmax but a lot easer to use.

I think it's a bit early for that.

As Abacus never really supported TSM beyond the initial patch it's debatable whether they would have any interest in redeveloping the product for the new sim(s).

Probably the best we can hope for will be a plug-in for 3D Canvas (which looks set to happen for the EA-KRS) which can import TSM .dst files, albeit minus the textures (however that's a doddle in 3DC).

TSM is IMHO a superb programme, 3D modelling for doofus (like me) and a doddle to make up simple buildings, bridges etc.
 
The JET ENGINE is old, a resource hog from hell, and in need of a complete ground up rebuild. Hell I play games like bioshock on full sliders, jet engine full sliders on detail routes, payware stuff makes my comp. lag and it's no bottom end unit. If they want to play with the future big boys they better ditch the old grandma engine now not later. I payed for TC and I got the same old engine with some tweaks, thats it. I love TRAINZ but christ get with the times.

Regards,

Lorin
 
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Hmmm..., what should I spend my money on? Trainz Classics or Trains Future? Well, since it ain't costin' me a dime yet, I'll just hang on to it and see how good this MSTS2 is once its released. Already the FSX engine kicks Jet's butt from here to Timbuktu.
 
I'm a sim player first then other stuff, I play FSX and Silent Hunter 4. I want to stay loyal to trainz but I must admit it's getting difficult, it's a damn shame considering I have a crap load of payware. I for one look forward to new engines and dynamic shadows.
 
Prehaps this is what Auran needs, some healthy trainz competition from other game developers; And then they might realized that this module idea is not working for the masses, and that a full and complete trainz product, perhaps built on a different engine, is what the Trainz communty needs!

Auran needs to get back to what made trainz so great, in the beginning ... if not, people will just move on ... I hope they're readying ...

Ish
 
The JET ENGINE is old, a resource hog from hell, and in need of a complete ground up rebuild. Hell I play games like bioshock on full sliders, jet engine full sliders on detail routes, payware stuff makes my comp. lag and it's no bottom end unit.
Bioshock is a 'First Person Shooter', right? if so you are comparing apples with oranges. No open format simulator in which you can jam pack the screen with high poly, huge textured objects is ever going to get the same frame-rate as a scene-limited optimized FPS is it.

ish6 said:
And then they might realized that this module idea is not working for the masses, and that a full and complete trainz product, perhaps built on a different engine, is what the Trainz communty needs!
You say its a modular concept and then judge it on the first release, why not wait and see what happens with subsequent releases.

(and it is reading BTW not readying)

Mike.
 
I guess ish meant readying as in "being prepared" for that change and the coming competition and they may be reading but are they actually listening ? :)

If one of the competitive sims indeed turns out to be something superior to Trainz, auran will sooner or later start losing customers, even those who have been here since the beginning.
The only thing they can do about it is to listen to the community, respect their wishes and actually implements / fixes them.

Next time auran decides to break downwards compatibility they might as well just come up with an entirely rewritten Jet engine (Jet2 ?), implementing todays graphics, sound and physics features. The Jet engine powering TRS / TC as it is now can be considered "aged technology" and while it still is fun to play it just doesn't represent any of todays standards anymore.
It's not all about graphics, yes, but we all know the sound problems, almost non-existing physics and AI problems and while it may even be possible for auran to fix these issues (which they are unable to, since 1.5 years already) I think that the Jet engine is out of business by the middle of 2008 and cannot compete against the other sims anymore.

I am also aware that IF auran actually has a Jet2 engine in the works that no news will surface until that new game is about half a year before its release so it may just be possible that auran can counter the MSTS2 release (be it the dumped RSP code-branch or something entirely new).

I will follow auran's next steps in that matter and hope that they won't let us down.

Tata
Mr.Jingles
 
I guess ish meant readying as in "being prepared" for that change and the coming competition and they may be reading but are they actually listening ? :)

If one of the competitive sims indeed turns out to be something superior to Trainz, auran will sooner or later start losing customers, even those who have been here since the beginning.
The only thing they can do about it is to listen to the community, respect their wishes and actually implements / fixes them.

Next time auran decides to break downwards compatibility they might as well just come up with an entirely rewritten Jet engine (Jet2 ?), implementing todays graphics, sound and physics features. The Jet engine powering TRS / TC as it is now can be considered "aged technology" and while it still is fun to play it just doesn't represent any of todays standards anymore.
It's not all about graphics, yes, but we all know the sound problems, almost non-existing physics and AI problems and while it may even be possible for auran to fix these issues (which they are unable to, since 1.5 years already) I think that the Jet engine is out of business by the middle of 2008 and cannot compete against the other sims anymore.

I am also aware that IF auran actually has a Jet2 engine in the works that no news will surface until that new game is about half a year before its release so it may just be possible that auran can counter the MSTS2 release (be it the dumped RSP code-branch or something entirely new).

I will follow auran's next steps in that matter and hope that they won't let us down.

Tata
Mr.Jingles

I agreed totally ...I went with a short version, and you went with the long version ... :p

Auran is not just the trainz developer, but of many other games, so as any gaming softer company they are readying and listening ... it's just make sense from a business point of view to listen to their customers!

Auran direction has me and many others from other trainz forums and 3rd party groups puzzled. Trainz on the road was a successful endeavor. Myself and many many in the old community forum participated. I mean, I had to drive 2hrs to get to a trainz show to do my part. TR04 became a major hit, regardless of it's patches, because it was a major improvement over Trainz Ultimate. Even TR06 had some improvements with their CMP.

After that, me and others, just wondered why take the module approach? There are those who says to sit back and wait ... But Auran already told us about their next release. From the top of my head they are planning 5 of these module concepts; But, however the case, still the hardcore trainz guy just wants a new full product. That's how I feel, and many others that I, myself, have talked with, on other forums feel the same. We even talked about the future of the DLS ... Would it still exist 2 years from now... I do hope Auran develops a new trainz product, perhaps with their next Auran Jet engine. It won't be back compatibly, but to tell you the truth, I would buy it, even if it meant recreating all my items.

And I do hope they re-introduce RSP once again. I feel that is the product that can compete in the coming future with MSTS2, and any other train game in the market!!

Just my 2cents thrown in the glass ...
Ish
 
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