Field weakening will be available on KRS

[NeutronIC]

'warp speed' backwards solved?

I believe this is the bit that's fixed.

Matt.

[jbilton]

Hi John
Don't want to wander too far off thread... but by adding a 0 throttle position on the end of the settings, and by using a automatic gearbox.....(as msts manual gearbox just isn't fast enough).
Its been quite possible to have fairly realistic gen 1 DMUs for a couple of years (also managed to make the eng file only go 10mph faster in reverse...but Bin patch has totally fixed that now)....with eng revs building up to a crescendo and then gear changing....closing throttle and allowing to coast etc.
Add the old 'clickty clack' sound to the centre car and your off.
Also managed to bodge a proper vacuum brake.........and that takes some using....
One of the reasons why I was a little critical of the WSR and Swanage DMU addons at the time.
Superb models and cabviews, but the physics and sounds were/are dreadful.
I didn't release the eng files as I really wanted to do a charity CD to raise money for the Railcar association.
Unfortunately it never really came together, as it involved too many parties.
But to come back on thread ....I await to see KRS version of the Gen1 DMU in eager anticipation.
Cheers
Jon

[AndiS]

Steam engines natually expose lots of different controls and then there is a general understanding of how those controls interact and what kind of effect each has on the operation of the loco - from there you can map that to eng files and generally the "conversation" flows directly from the buttons in the sim.

Yes, but as soon as there is a feature that is not related to a certain handle you loose people again (super heaters, undesired condensation of steam, effects of water and coal quality (besides colour of steam and energy coefficient), all the different ways to arrange 10 driving wheels so they still pass through narrow curves (which do influence the change to derail, i.e., the driving experience, in a way).

Another aspect to remember is that MSTS made no attempt at all to model anything about diesel or electric traction besides the most fundamental top-level data, but it made some attempt at some parameters of steam production. So you cannot really say what people would discuss after five years of being able to model the ins and outs of those traction types.

Not sure I agree with the generalisation, certainly the younger generation do generally steer towards the modern image stock but I think that's purely because it's what they see on a daily basis. Go to their parents and they're interested in diesels, go to the grand parents and you're looking for steam. It's what you're used to.

In my view it is three different things which attract people:

• Nostalgia. Seeing what you saw (which fascinated you) in your youth, which is the time when you met the hobby brings back nice memories. It need not be the trains that were current at that time, can be preserved steam (or anything), too. And it need not be engines, it can be routes, landscapes, etc. I for one love the landscape of the region where we spent our holidays, but I never got too warm with the (diesel-hydraulic) engines which were used there. Also the narrow gauge railway we visited did not appeal me (including its steam engines), but the architecture of the stations I like. So it is a complex combination of sympathy and memories.
• Simulation of what you would like to do. Many people have some dreams about being an engineer/driver, like many dream about sail boats, planes, race cars, etc. There are many reasons not to live up to your dreams but buying a computer simulation of them is always feasible. The more serious faction of them will demand realistic controls and performance of the engines to make if more interesting. And they certainly will demand that every litter bin along the route looks exactly the same in the sim like they see it in real life, to make the illusion perfect. These people often love current trains or slightly out of date models (for the reasons given above).
• Technical fascination. Many people find many types of complex systems interesting to explore. It must have to do with our natural urge to learn. Engines are but one of many candidates. You need not want to be in the seat of anyone dealing with such systems, still you can take a huge interest in them. E.g., I would not want to be a dispatcher for a minute, but I find it very interesting to study line capacities and how different classes or streams of traffic interlock and influence each other, and how it maps to concrete things you see at stations, like the type of a switch or the position of a signal.

I've always firmly believed that it's a two-stage process to being hooked. Eye candy is the door that gets you in, good simulation is the hook that keeps you there - they're both important

Exactly. This is why I never understood some eye-candy vs. physics debate. If it does not have both, KRS will fail. Of course, it needs entry-level controls and "game-play" which is interesting to casual gamer, in addition. Then, and only then, it will attract people and keep them interested. If you look at the above list, then at least two of the three groups need good graphics, at least two need good simulation of the real thing, and at least two of them need entry-level controls to avoid frustrations in the early phase.

This is also my answer to the game vs. simulation discussion. KRS must look like a game from the outside and be a simulation inside. It needs to be bought by many, not only the hardcore train freaks. And it needs to keep a certain core of experts interested to maintain the community. Not only to build additional content, but also to share expertise and give newcomers the feeling that they join a large train. One concrete vision is that if KRS really simulates electric (and diesel) traction to an extend that makes it challenging, then the many people who dream about driving their favourite train themselves not only can do it for themselves, but can join serious competitions in doing so (mediated via community sites and/or the capability of KRS to exchange driving histories). So what is simulation for one person will be challenging game-play for another one.