Scenario Editor - Tips, Tricks and Traps

[Basherz]

* TRAP * Do not use a portal as the starting point or destination for the Player train: as a destination, the player train treats the portal the same as buffers: ouch!

Russell Westwood

I think your "tips" listing is very useful indeed to new scenario maker's, so much so, I copied it to my own site, crediting you of course!

But the above "trap" I cannot agree with, as I have used these extensively in the past. If the portal is installed properly, then there is no problem with trains exiting or entering. What we have on some of the base routes, however, are some that were not installed/do not work consistantly, or in some cases, at all. (ie: Banbury exit)

[CaptScarlet]

* TRAP * Do not use a portal as the starting point or destination for the Player train: as a destination, the player train treats the portal the same as buffers: ouch!

Russell Westwood

I think your "tips" listing is very useful indeed to new scenario maker's, so much so, I copied it to my own site, crediting you of course!

But the above "trap" I cannot agree with, as I have used these extensively in the past. If the portal is installed properly, then there is no problem with trains exiting or entering. What we have on some of the base routes, however, are some that were not installed/do not work consistantly, or in some cases, at all. (ie: Banbury exit)

I don't think he means that they dont work, just that the "player" train shouldn't interact with them directly.

John

[rabid]

What an excellent post Russell, thank you.

Quite inspiring, so I may at some point have a go at another scenario.
Only uploaded a miserable total of one so far.

Maybe it would be best to wait until after patch mk3 when the dispatcher and signalling get sorted out (just a mo', didn't we say that about patch mk2 ?).

[Acorncomputer]

Hi rabid

I do not think the dispatcher is half as bad as it has been made out and by taking note of the tips, tricks and traps it is possible to write some very good scenarios.

I suspect that mending the dispatcher is probably the biggest challenge RSDL have had and we will not see the results until it is as perfect as it can be. Whether this will upset scenarios already written or not I do not know but it is a possibility that modifications made need to be made. Writing scenarios does take some time so I can appreciate some hesitation in wading in before the Mk3 upgrade.

[choccy]

The dispatcher is almost habitually universally blamed for myriad unaccountable errors . There are a variety of track problems on the default routes which means that a train will not take the expected route, as a specified junction is not negotiable. There are certain junctions that the player trains will traverse but AI trains will not. This leads to a variety of errors including the following.

AI train ( and less likely the player train) leaves its path
AI train collides
AI train halts or crawls.

A good number of the above faults are caused by faulty track or track direction directives. I've done quite a lot of correction work on the Bath-Templecombe route and find that the traffic now flows much better (though still not as well as I would like). Some things were easy to change, others proved rather tricky.

An example of a an easy change was an engine I assigned to go from Templecombe Upper to the Lower yard decided to go via Wincanton; a few mouse clicks soon fixed that one!

The dispatcher does have significant problems but nowhere near the number of problems community members attribute to it!

Mark

[Basherz]

I must add my apologies to Russell for my last post - I didn't see the word "Player"!!

[msdejesus]

All I know is that my whisky consumption has gone down dramatically!

That's a good one, now, seriously, thanks a lot for taking the time and effort to write those (useful) posts.

Cheers

Manuel

[pendolinofan]

Great post Russell, thanks very much.

When working on my pack for the S&D, I used the following strategy:

Write player path, time, instructions etc.

TEST

Add no more than two pieces of AI at a time

TEST

Finish AI

TEST

Note down destinations of AI trains, place loose stock avoiding these locations.

TEST

Much simplified obviously, taking out all the swearing, banging head on table etc. Seriously, I agree that the despatcher has come under some unfair fire for a while as the universal scapegoat for scenario problems. When writing my scenarios, I found a few points worth remembering:

1. It can't read your mind. Tell it exactly what, when where and how.
2. Be patient with it. Try changing a few things if you're having problems.
3. It doesn't like massive changes! Getting angry with it and changing lots of things at once is likely to cause you many problems.
4. Use -ShowDriverList to help diagnose issues with SFTL.

I think if you read through all the tutorials and posts on here, and learn slowly but surely each step, the Scenario Editor is cabable of some great things!

Adam

[smarty2]

Very useful post will copy and print it out, good job i dont drink or smoke as i think would have to go into rehab!

Mart

[Basherz]

... good job i dont drink or smoke as i think would have to go into rehab!

Mart

No Mart, I've practised at it for so long now, I consider myself fully qualified!!