Trainz experiance improvment suggesstions

Me and spikesignal were thinking about trainz multiplayer.

And, we got a fair few ideas for improvments.

some of these ideas are:

• In-game voice chat.
• Ability to hoast private servers not through auran's systems as a Host (Controls rules and regulations as well as the host's computer handling everything, rules, regulations, everything)/client (Basically not helping to control the server) connection (could possibly improve performance over auran's networks due to the fact that the host, nor client needs auran's networking servers to play, but still require a connection to auran to verify that it is at least a full leagel version to be able to play multiplayer to prevent piracy of the game when it attempts to join/create a multiplayer server.)
• Along with that, there comes the aspect of the ability to manually type in an IP address into a text box with "Connect" or "Connect to" to the left of it, symbolising "Connect/Connect to [IP address]" to manually connect to a 3rd party server in host/client client.
• Trainz not only looks for built-in or download station but it also looks for local for the same KUIDs that the host's server has.
  
  What I mean by this is that both participants may have the same map, session, dependances, but not nessessarily avalible on the DLS. The system you've got is that it has to be either on the DLS or built-in to play Multiplayer.
  
  If trainz can't find assets on either the DLS, local or builtin, trainz would supply copyable KUIDS, which you could send to your friend who's hosting, who could then sort something out.
  
  Another point would be that it wouldn't be an offical server, like what most people host.
• A trainz multiplayer lobby area (something like the picture below, but with different filters at the top and buttons at the bottom. Note: This is only a rough example).
  
  
  
  Instead of route-dependant multiplayer sessions that displays multiplayer sessions depending on route type (you don't know how common multiplayer lobbies are to multipalyer games, trainz, so far, is the only non-lobby game I have met).
  
  This would list all of the multiplayer sessions currently hosted in a table fashon, allowing people to sort through the servers into an order (using one or multiple filters in acending/decending order) which they would like it to be in to get the best results and multuiplayer sessions through through menus at the top which should include at least:
  • Name of server
  • Number of players
  • Max number of players allowed
  • Game type (Free for all or dispatch, changable in-game)
  • Map (Currently built-in is harbour master and port Ogen And Northern)
  • Session (there could be multiple multiplayer sessions created)
  • Voice chat authorization (Whether Voice chat is allowed).
  • Server you joined last
  • language (the language is allowed within the server so that noone's disabled due to language translation problems, could be replaced by a language translation piece of code which translates one lanugage into another.)
  • Location which route, session and dependences are locaed (could be local, built-in, Download station or unknown.)
  • IP
  • Description (optional).
• Console (just an idea, toggled by the "`" button, the button beside the "1" and above the "Tab" buttons, can be changed, can be expanded on).
• Surveyor-like train placement within driver and driver configuation (this would allow a player to manually place a train of his choice, and assign a driver of his/her choice to it, no driver and train lists required), server owner can choose which consists can/cannot and only host can place from a list of local rolling stock, sorted out by the common surveyor list, this solves the issue of rolling stock cannot be replaced within-game when someone de-rails their train when I was playing trainz multiplayer.

But, I beilieve ththere's more that can expand this lis and I haven't played trianz multiplayer since the text box gone off the boundry of the screen (still waiting for the patch to fix it trainz developers).

So, this is open for discussion and expansion by other trainz multiplayer testers.

Note: I have based my ideas around security and protection of trainz and its third-party assets but not so limiting that you can't do anything with trainz MP, but this security can only get so far before the law can step in.

Edit: I was thinking aobut adding a feature in trainz where you can build your own bridges via a bridge-editing feature where you can edit via another grided window.

can't comment on most of the post but for voice chat, at least for the very limited time I had MP on my machine, my buddie and I used skype! Set up the call first then started trainz.

The only problem we had was the sound from trainz coming through which sometimes made the voice communication difficult

Bricey

bchester said:

The only problem we had was the sound from trainz coming through which sometimes made the voice communication difficult

Bricey

Click to expand...

As it would in real life, I imagine. I haven't tried the MP yet, and probably won't, but I see no good reason to incorporate a native voice program either, as there are excellent programs out there. Any additional features that steal computing power from the Trainz installation are probably undesirable.

bchester said:

can't comment on most of the post but for voice chat, at least for the very limited time I had MP on my machine, my buddie and I used skype! Set up the call first then started trainz.

The only problem we had was the sound from trainz coming through which sometimes made the voice communication difficult

Bricey

Click to expand...

yea, that happens with some recording devices, not trainz its self.

I'm sure there's a feature on your OS/mic to stop the background disturbance.

Edit: as for

Euphod said:

As it would in real life, I imagine. I haven't tried the MP yet, and probably won't, but I see no good reason to incorporate a native voice program either, as there are excellent programs out there. Any additional features that steal computing power from the Trainz installation are probably undesirable.

Click to expand...

Yes, and the external programs would take away computing power anyway.

Edit: it would also take away any voice communication to other people that are not in your network/friends list on the external programs, but are on the server just by quincidence, so some people wouldn't hear you.

Added: Another point for the improvments, could be new Track-laying AI.

The reason I suggest this is because tthe track AI starts off steep, but as the cuirve goes on and round about centre, it becomes smooth, but at the vertex point, it becomes steep again, I thought of re-designing the track AI so that it generally makes a smooth transition of curve based on the angles of the 2 vertex point, and calculates a smooth, very round radii to smooth off the curve.

if there's no track connected to the vertex point, then the curve continues round at the mooth radii to finish off the curve.

Some suggestions:

1. Automatically calculate tilting for track when laying it. Tilting would depend on speed limit of that track and radii of the curve.

Trains would tilt too while going in tilted curve.

The tilting of train would be set in its config-file, but the train would still tilt if the track is tilted.

You can right-click on the track and set it not to tilt. (example. places where track tilting is just not possible or needed


2. Possibility to have spline points in trackside objects. (Like catenary pylons)

It would really help making catenaries, because the pylon would work like trackside object, cause it aligns perfectly to track, and you just attach wire to it. Simple.


3. Make automatically frogs, checkrails and switch blades when making a junction from track splines.


4. Implement dynamic lighting. This would work as static lights (like lamps at station) would light everything near them. Not just having a light pool.

Ben1337 said:

Edit: as for
Yes, and the external programs would take away computing power anyway.

Click to expand...

Perhaps, or perhaps the external program would use a different thread. There are many who already believe the Jet engine is overtaxed, that Trainz is already bloated; if adding a voice communication feature was not redundant to other, (probably better) programs readily available, I would agree with your suggestion, but as it stands, I don't think it's a desirable addition.

Euphod said:

Perhaps, or perhaps the external program would use a different thread. There are many who already believe the Jet engine is overtaxed, that Trainz is already bloated; if adding a voice communication feature was not redundant to other, (probably better) programs readily available, I would agree with your suggestion, but as it stands, I don't think it's a desirable addition.

Click to expand...

Well, I was wondering with spike, is if it would be better to remake trainz from almost scratch? Because I feel that it might be using tech which might have come from trainz 1.3, please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Ben1337 said:

Well, I was wondering with spike, is if it would be better to remake trainz from almost scratch? Because I feel that it might be using tech which might have come from trainz 1.3, please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Click to expand...

No, I think you are right. I'm sure someday in the future they will redesign the game engine, but so far, the improvements have been centered on squeezing as much from the old creaker as possible.

If they were to go with something more current, then inclusion of a voice com feature may be quite desirable. As I said, I don't MP, so am not familiar with what's desirable or not, but I have read a post from "someone official" concerning the voice communication, and I tend to agree.

Unfortunately I just spent 20 minutes trying to find that post so I could link you to it, and failed. My apologies.