Route Building

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PFX
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Route Building

Post by PFX »

Hello folks.

I've been working away on Midshire as you may have seen from the screenshots threads but I've also been farting about with a small route at the same time and would be interested in some feedback regarding my idea for this other route.

At present, it's only 4 incomplete boards but I was thinking of the vast urban networks and how best to model these. Many of them feature tunnels or cuttings and the track is often fairly hidden from direct view. With that in mind, I've been 'cheating' of sorts and the result is a small section of route that is designed to be driven from the cab only. I mentioned cheating and this is down to the method of adding scenery to the route, in other words, only adding scenery that is visible from the cab and a little beyond. The screen shot below shows a station and what I'd consider to be adequate scenery around it as a visual explanation of what I mean. The ground beyond the scenery would receive ground textures only.

My question is whether or not this type of thing is acceptable as a route or not? As I see it, it's a way to make a huge suburban network without having to spend a vast amount of time on non-railway related items.

Cheers,
Innis

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Mightyena
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Re: Route Building

Post by Mightyena »

Definitely acceptable - it's what I'm doing on most of my urban routes!

Not only does it cut down the time taken to lay down the scenery, it also means people's PCs are less likely to choke on rendering it all
James M, creator of the
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cyberdonblue
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Re: Route Building

Post by cyberdonblue »

It looks great Innis and it's perfectly acceptable, as James says. Have a look at Karl's (klambert) Central London Line. He has done just as you say in many places where his route disappears underground or into deep cuttings. I just wish I could get away with it on my Aylesbury route - believe me, I do try when the opportunity arises. Around Finchley Road and the Marylebone area I will certainly be constructing in that manner. After all, it's a railway game (sorry, I can't bring myself to call it a simulator.) The idea is to try and recreate the railway experience. If others want to drive buses, ships and planes too, well that's up to them. They can add what they like, but it's not compulsory.

Cheers

Dave

P.S. I've done much the same as you around my Baker Street Station build.
macneil
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Re: Route Building

Post by macneil »

Looks great wouldn't mind some close ups i love gritty urban routes perfectly acceptable though my wcml route is built like that.

these two screens look pretty detailed right ? then when you zoom out the detail doesn't go out very far.

Image2018-04-05 215351 by k h, on Flickr

Image2018-04-05 215423 by k h, on Flickr

when zoomed out.

Image2018-04-05 215359 by k h, on Flickr

Image2018-04-05 215430 by k h, on Flickr
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Re: Route Building

Post by PFX »

That's a great example. Gives me a good idea what to aim for.

Here's a closer shot.

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macneil
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Re: Route Building

Post by macneil »

Great shot even has life like rubbish on the tracks is there A group of youths at the end blaring terrible rap music on there phone loudspeaker :D :D
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Re: Route Building

Post by cyberdonblue »

macneil wrote:Great shot even has life like rubbish on the tracks is there A group of youths at the end blaring terrible rap music on there phone loudspeaker :D :D
I thought that was just a British problem Kane. Seems like it's worldwide then. Hmmm, worse than I thought :( :lol:

Couple more examples of "cheating" Innis. This is my version of Baker Street Tube Station.

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Elsewhere, a multitude of trees hides a multitude of sins ha ha ha!

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Cheers

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Re: Route Building

Post by PFX »

Good idea Dave.

Kane, no, no youths in that station. It's in the posh part of town. :D
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Re: Route Building

Post by andytee67 »

Image

It's exactly what I do... there's nothing but gray squares behind the buildings on the right, and the houses on the left.. Saves a lot of time...
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Re: Route Building

Post by PFX »

To be honest, it's something I never thought of until recently when reading the description of a route for The Other Sim.
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Re: Route Building

Post by klambert »

cyberdonblue wrote:
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Ah You've reminded me, I've gotta get round to sorting out and uploading my tunnel kit.
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http://berkshiretrainz.webs.com/

Great Bolshy Yarblockos!
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Re: Route Building

Post by PFX »

macneil wrote:Looks great wouldn't mind some close ups i love gritty urban routes perfectly acceptable though my wcml route is built like that.
I've stuck a few more close ups on the screenshots thread.
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Re: Route Building

Post by VernM »

One of the reasons I tend to build remote routes somewhere in the Siberian wilderness, is because I absolutely hate doing built up areas. I find it very hard to get beyond the Railroad Tycoon paradigm of plonking down a few representative buildings and leaving it at that! One of the routes I've got lurking on my HD was turning Blackpool Tramway into a third rail style Metro route but after going solid and finding I'd only placed about two miles of scenery in a week, it got chucked on the backburner. The mindset we need to adopt is that of the film producer or set creator. We only need to place what people are going to see and in the case of a train sim that really should be from the cab, the carriage window or maybe at ground level on a platform. However it is difficult... Then throw in sloping and uneven ground to make it even more challenging.

The Americans (and I think there might be some European block sets too) have the advantage of David Drake's various city splines. They're a bit long in the tooth now and the trees have turned opaque, but they are very effective mid distance scene fillers, broken up with some more detailed buildings at the front, trees etc. Actually at a pinch the warehouse ones can be used on a UK route.

Not sure what the answer is. Maybe TRS2026 will bring us some sort of autogen feature to help out?
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