The AI mechanism never ceases to amaze me.

Hi Anne

What I would like to see in Trainz is an instruction equivalent to having the staff/tablet for a section so that the AI driver who has it has full control of the section until the staff/tablet is surrendered at the end of the section.

I have been using a system of variables to achieve this with the AI for at least 10 years. Once you understand how variables work it is quite easy to implement and it is even possible to have trains traveling in the same direction follow one another into a long single line section that has intermediate signals along it.

If this interests you then let me know and I can expand on it for you.

Regards

Brian
 
Hi Anne



I have been using a system of variables to achieve this with the AI for at least 10 years. Once you understand how variables work it is quite easy to implement and it is even possible to have trains traveling in the same direction follow one another into a long single line section that has intermediate signals along it.

If this interests you then let me know and I can expand on it for you.

Regards

Brian

Thank you very much Brian. Forgive me for not replying sooner, but I've been having more problems with sleepiness just lately. I think variables would be a useful thing for me to learn about so please do explain more about it.
 

I notice they give an example using the Signal Passed At Danger rule. What I would like is if the AI driver backed up to the correct side of the signal and waited until it cleared like they were supposed to. Waiting two minutes on a single line after illegally leaving a passing loop and then completely blocking traffic is not exactly a useful thing to do.
 
What I would like is if the AI driver backed up to the correct side of the signal and waited until it cleared like they were supposed to. Waiting two minutes on a single line after illegally leaving a passing loop and then completely blocking traffic is not exactly a useful thing to do.

In many systems drivers are not allowed to reverse on a main line. If they do a SPAD then waiting (several minutes) for radio clearance from control before proceeding forward is the norm .
 
In many systems drivers are not allowed to reverse on a main line. If they do a SPAD then waiting (several minutes) for radio clearance from control before proceeding forward is the norm .

I don't think they had radios in 1913. That's the date of my minor lines GER Norfolk layout by the way. For my period it would be the signalman yelling, 'What the hell do you think you're playing at', or words to that effect and out would come the red and green flags and someone would be sent up the line to lay warning detonators, - and then the engine would shunt slowly back with all signals set at danger until it was back in the passing loop again.

That is of course so as long as the engine didn't derail itself by running past the signal set at danger and into a set of mechanically locked over points and then there would be a right mess. Operating steam era single line railways is a lot of fun.
 
Last edited:
Annie - The driver command: Token Management 2 (in the PLL downloads) simulates handing over a token to one driver. Other drivers wanting the same token are forced to wait until the current owner clears the token (which happens automatically in some circumstances).

There is a companion Token Management rule (TMR) that adds functionality to the command.

Best Regards - Trevor
 
Thank you very much Brian. Forgive me for not replying sooner, but I've been having more problems with sleepiness just lately. I think variables would be a useful thing for me to learn about so please do explain more about it.
I have been playing around with AI for quite some time now, and have to workaround the following scenarios.
If a train approaches a junction without any directives, it will take the left track. (Use feathers to correct)
If a train is held at a signal for excessive time, it will start looking for a way around the signal. (Direction markers are partially successful in resolving)
If a train is in push mode, it often has trouble following directives (Attach invisible loco to the train rear).
If a train is desperate to find its way around an issue, even track direction markers won't stop it!
Establishing train priorities does not necessarily mean that a Priority 1 train will over-rule a Priority 3 train!
The end result is that AIs can usually be made to follow a desired schedule, but it is not straight forward! Regards. Colin.
 
And the "Train Priority" markers usually do not work at all, and your trains end up following another undesired path, and if you create a new session, all the Train Priority markers reset themselves to the default setting, prority 2.
 
Not in my experience, but I will give them a test run in the new TRS19 SP1 beta when I get back to my computer.
 
I have been playing around with AI for quite some time now, and have to workaround the following scenarios.
If a train approaches a junction without any directives, it will take the left track. (Use feathers to correct)
If a train is held at a signal for excessive time, it will start looking for a way around the signal. (Direction markers are partially successful in resolving)
If a train is in push mode, it often has trouble following directives (Attach invisible loco to the train rear).
If a train is desperate to find its way around an issue, even track direction markers won't stop it!
Establishing train priorities does not necessarily mean that a Priority 1 train will over-rule a Priority 3 train!
The end result is that AIs can usually be made to follow a desired schedule, but it is not straight forward! Regards. Colin.

Even with a directive (Drive To specified track mark on a right-hand siding and a direction marker pointed right at them on the left mainline, my AI boys still like to take the left track if there is another train close by on that siding). I had to rig my special TMS rule to bend them to my will finally. TMS is my "feathers to correct" in this case.

AI was never really intelligently designed in our game. Those with at least a masters in traffic engineering and/or railroad science should oversee future Trainz projects.

My guess is that Trainz has limited funding for serious R and D. It is just a PC game after all. A tech toy. Millions of dollars must be spent on software and hardware that controls real autonomous vehicles (BART in San Francisco, transit trains, subways) carrying real living people. The UP yard in Roseville, California has had unmanned locomotives running about this yard at least as early as the year 2011.
 
Last edited:
Not in my experience, but I will give them a test run in the new TRS19 SP1 beta when I get back to my computer.
Interested to see your results. The "trigger" for me was to save a Session. Upon restarting a saved session, the locos Priority had reverted to 2. Seem to recall the same scenario also reverts coach liveries back to their default. i.e. any customizing appears to be lost when a Session has been saved. Regards. Colin.
 
I just ran some tests:-


  1. set the train priority level to 1
  2. started it on an AI run in Driver
  3. saved the Driver Session (Game)
  4. exited Driver
  5. loaded the saved Driver Session (Game) and it resumed from its save point
  6. checked the priority level of the train and it was still level 1.

I do now recall hearing some time ago that this was a bug but whether it was fixed recently in TRS19 SP1 (non Plus) beta 104930 (or earlier) I do not know but "fixed" it seems to be.

EDIT: I tested it again in TRS19 build 100240 and again the Priority level was restored after saving and reloading a Driver Session (Game).
 
Last edited:
When I first started running AI driven trains I was downright amazed at how AI drivers would want to 'shortcut' through a maze of rusty industrial sidings with a speed limit of 5 mph instead of taking the open and clear mainline route right in front of them. Being a UK pre-grouping modeller facing crossovers are rare on my lines so I don't have too many problems with the AI idiots wanting to switch tracks for no reason at all, but I still need to sow 'go-this-way-you-idiot' trackmarks at the major junction stations if I want things to run smoothly.
 
I just ran some tests:-


  1. set the train priority level to 1
  2. started it on an AI run in Driver
  3. saved the Driver Session (Game)
  4. exited Driver
  5. loaded the saved Driver Session (Game) and it resumed from its save point
  6. checked the priority level of the train and it was still level 1.

I do now recall hearing some time ago that this was a bug but whether it was fixed recently in TRS19 SP1 (non Plus) beta 104930 (or earlier) I do not know but "fixed" it seems to be.

EDIT: I tested it again in TRS19 build 100240 and again the Priority level was restored after saving and reloading a Driver Session (Game).
Hmmm .... interesting. I am now on Build 100240 so I will have to revisit the customizing aspects of Sessions. Many thanks for taking the time on this issue. Regards. Colin.
 
On my experience, the priority setting on locos stay as set even if you save many times. Only time I for sure will lose it is when the consist goes into a portal. Remember that logically what comes out of these is not the same as what went in.
 
Hmmm .... interesting. I am now on Build 100240 so I will have to revisit the customizing aspects of Sessions. Many thanks for taking the time on this issue. Regards. Colin.
My test did produce consistency in the area of Priority in the loco but, interestingly enough, customization options in rolling stock were not so lucky! Using andi06's LNER 61ft coaching stock. They are configured with a default livery, and also some alternative liveries. If I select an alternate livery, then after saving and reopening the Session, the coach has reverted to default livery (TRS19 Build 100240). There is a simple workaround though.When determining the desired livery, then change the default livery to match! :)
 
Back
Top