Getting the best from Trainz.

[PFX]

Well, I've finally discovered how to get the best cab experience from Trainz. Switch it off and buy Train Simulator. ; )

Seriously though, I've been committed to Trainz for many years now and one thing that has always frustrated me is the experience of actually driving from the cab. Purely out of interest, I got a few routes at £7 a pop (in the sale) on the other sim and the difference is night and day. Driving from the cab is absorbing and the sound is superb. All I'd say is I really hope that T:ANE is going to at least match the immersive nature of TS14. N3V have a great chance to become the best train sim.

[gds]

Trainz route building and range of content with TS graphics, sounds and feel would be unbeatable.

[klambert]

Well, I've finally discovered how to get the best cab experience from Trainz. Switch it off and buy Train Simulator. ; )

Seriously though, I've been committed to Trainz for many years now and one thing that has always frustrated me is the experience of actually driving from the cab. Purely out of interest, I got a few routes at £7 a pop (in the sale) on the other sim and the difference is night and day. Driving from the cab is absorbing and the sound is superb. All I'd say is I really hope that T:ANE is going to at least match the immersive nature of TS14. N3V have a great chance to become the best train sim.

I've been a user of the 'other sim' for about a year and it has it's annoying quirks too, usually expensive ones. For example if you buy the scenario packs from Armstrong powerhouse, there's a good chance they won't work if you don't have the correct rolling stock so you have to buy the rollingstock, but then you've had to spend £30 more than intended, even once you've downloaded the rolling stock, there's a good chance they'll be an item needed but isn't available anymore which means the scenarios still won't work so you find you've ended up wasting £35.

And most of the routes and rolling stock are so damned expensive when there isn't a sale on. My latest purchase was the Class 91, but the scenarios that came with that weren't very well written and errors in the scenario scripts meant that the TPWS grids kept setting off the emergency brakes despite the signals being clear.

Another problem is when you buy such routes as the GEML, with the scenarios you won't get a decent mix of traction, only the same old EMU type again and again which in the case of the GEML is very unrealistic.

I still like trainz because so much of it free and really is value for money at £22.99.

[PFX]

Ah, now I didn't say it's the best, only that it is far more realistic. I'm all too aware of the costs and T:ANE may well go the same way. My major gripe as you mention, is the likes of Armstrong Powerhouse add ons which require a whole load more add ons to work. I think it's somewhat disingenuous to the customer.

I like the freedom of Trainz and that's where TS really falls short. Both sims have benefits and failings and whoever answers both of these in a single sim will own the market. Fingers crossed T:ANE will do that, given it's being built from the ground up.

[Briggsy]

I haven't run TS for about a year. It looks nice and the cab views, etc are definitely much more appealing than Trainz - but for me, it stops there. I prefer Trainz for everything else.

To improve some of my Trainz sounds, i've got permission to use some of the TS sounds in Trainz 12 as long as they're for personal use. Coincidentally, I'm in the process of converting an engine sound into Trainz at the moment for potential use with something that doesn't currently have an engine sound in Trainz.

[Class172]

I haven't run TS for about a year. It looks nice and the cab views, etc are definitely much more appealing than Trainz - but for me, it stops there. I prefer Trainz for everything else.

To improve some of my Trainz sounds, i've got permission to use some of the TS sounds in Trainz 12 as long as they're for personal use. Coincidentally, I'm in the process of converting an engine sound into Trainz at the moment for potential use with something that doesn't currently have an engine sound in Trainz.

Similarly, whilst editing content in trainz is relatively straightforward, as files are in familiar formats, whereas in RS I have know idea where to start.

[PacerNut]

I just purchased the Bristol - Exeter add-on, after purchasing the AP 142 add-on about a year ago. I went to launch a 142 session on Bristol - Exeter and it kept crashing, requiring a Class 220 and a Class 150 for the session (which I didn't have and don't have the money for after just spending getting-on-for £20 on the Bristol - Exeter route (which isn't even finished)).

Trainz all the way. It may be a tad unrealistic but so are the prices associated with TS14

TS14 is great as a concept, but I can't even get to drive 142's on free roam sessions.

[73129]

TS14 is great as a concept, but I can't even get to drive 142's on free roam sessions.

You have to create your own

[Dean_Forest]

I find that the best cab experience has to be WOS3. While there are no editors and there is just the Circle line to play with, the graphics are brilliant and all the cab controls work properly, even the announcement computer-thingie. Never mind the fact that you can just get off your train, catch one going the other way around the Circle line and watch the chaos unfolding as everything backs up behind your one!

Nothing beats Surveyor as a tool, though.

[klambert]

I find that the best cab experience has to be WOS3. While there are no editors and there is just the Circle line to play with, the graphics are brilliant and all the cab controls work properly, even the announcement computer-thingie. Never mind the fact that you can just get off your train, catch one going the other way around the Circle line and watch the chaos unfolding as everything backs up behind your one!

Nothing beats Surveyor as a tool, though.

I've had non stop woes with World of Subways, framerate issues, game freezing and my biggest gripe is that a lot of the outdoor scenery, especially the section between Hammersmith and Paddington isn't very accurate at all.

[Nexusdj]

Mid November 2013 I became very disillusioned with TS12 and those constant validation checks (sorry for mentioning it again) so I abandoned it and threw myself headlong into using TS2014 . I already knew how to put together sessions and make consists etc. but this time I decided to go the whole nine yards and I started building routes , Reskinning content and then finally onto producing content and installing into the Sim .

A very steep learning process indeed , A learning curve very similar to learning Gmax but I ultimately found very rewarding . Some features in their surveyor mode are similar to Trainz but the rest are very orientated to an audience used to using the surveyor tools in MSTS . I kept finding myself trying to place and move stuff the Trainz way , After a while I got it though . In the end I now have 4 part finished routes and it's a nice feeling to drive along one you've made from scratch .

One thing I did like with TS2014 was the importer program for importing meshes and textures and turning them into usable objects in the Sim . Very similar in process to CMP though it adds a shadow mesh automatically (if you want) to any object you pass through . Seeing my Stafford station buildings in TS2014 but with dynamic shadows was great .

Now before you all turn your noses up and call me traitor I'll leave you with this little snippet :
I produced additional buildings for use around Stafford in Railworks that I hadn't built before in my Trainz version , 3 of these ( 2 x electrification + LMR type 14 Signal box) have now made an appearance on the Trainz DLS , so the Trainz community has ending benefitting from a Railworks project

So for now I'm back on Trainz , ultimately to finish Duchy so Fudginator can finally release it , but I'm enjoying it again (when it isn't validating !!) and apart from a quick Bash on an 87 from Preston to Lancaster the other week I've not really bothered with Railworks .

The summer Sale on Steam will probably be the next time I slink off to the Dark side for a while as I've had my eye on a few potential purchases over the last couple of months . So much better to get it 40+ % off though

[PFX]

I'm with you on that nexus. I've bought what I wanted in the sale and have 3 good UK routes to mess about with for whenever I get Trainz sick ; ) I also bought a couple of the cheap Armstrong Powerhouse enhancement packs which are very good.

Haven't bothered with surveyor as I use TS14 purely for driving. I may or may not decide to take a look at it but I recall being unable to fathom MSTS surveyor. I don't really use Trainz for driving beyond route testing.

I actually have a route almost ready to go (eso's Oakgate junction) and I'm working on the Dublin route too. I think I stopped with Oakgate due to the passenger issue which may or may not be fixed and which has put me off using passenger enabled stations. Inverness Kyle is on hold at present as I would like to see where it would stand with T:ANE, plus I have grown to hate the sight of it, having spent far more hours than are normal on the thing.