Tips for Trainz in general.

I recently did a Trainz content relocation and it was successful! Before I did this, I knew the risks (loss of data, being logged out, etc.) and set up a backup plan. Besides content relocation, there are some good things to do for Trainz if you end up with corrupted assets, faulty assets, a database repair or another issue. Here are a few:

1. I made a backup content folder. If anything went wrong with an asset, I would pull it from the folder and re-install it. It was also a helpful way to distance normal files and folders from .cdp files and a good way to free up some space if you have multiple drives.

2. Don't get mad if something goes wrong. If you have a backup asset folder, then you should be fine. Getting mad does nothing positive.

3. Make sure you are completely patched up (updated) and are on the latest non-beta build. For TRS2019, that is SP2. For T:ANE that is SP3. TS12 is SP4 and so on. Even though SP2 for TRS2019 caused a bit of backlash, SP3 is coming out soon.

4. Have adequate space in your drive for content, game files and more. You don't want to end up with no space to download anything or even play the game. If you end up running out of space on your C:\ drive(Windows boot drive), consider a content relocation. (http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/Help:Moving_Content)

5. Ask for help! There are plenty of nice people on the forums, NV3 support and plenty of YouTube videos to go around. You should find an answer in no time.


Those are my tips for Trainz. I hope you found these helpful!

Some more tips for newer users:

- Don't only come to the forums with questions or needs. Use the forums to learn. Visit frequently (I check several time daily) and bookmark (or log) helpful threads.

- Surprised by a new feature or change in the latest update? It's likely that it's been discussed in the TRS19 beta forums for weeks or even months. Check the beta forum for up coming features so they don't say "Surprise" next time you install a release. You may not be involved in beta testing but you can reap rewards from knowing what's "coming soon".

- Not sure if you want to update to a new verson or not? Create a second install and try the new version first before you patch your existing one. Just download the app to a second location, create a new data folder for "testing" and point the new app to it.

- Learn as much as you can about how to use the Content Manager to maintain and fix assets.

- Setup and maintain (keep organized) an "asset library" of all your personal and 3rd party content (cdp's). (File folders by vendor, type, content, etc. Whatever works for you.)

- If a new update/patch plays bad with your db/assets don't be afraid to try a fresh install. This will likely improve things a lot. It will also make you prepare for any future "crash" or failure as you should have all your personal and 3rd party assets tucked away (cdp's) and filed so they can easily be located, identified, and installed. (You should have backups in any case.)