Hi everybody
I want to buy a trainsimulator. The main thing I want to do is to drive trains myself. Steam, electric. diesel, freight, passengers, etcetera and perform some taks while doing that.
I looked around the WWW and it seems there are basically two options:
- Trainz (Auran)
- Train Simulator (Microsoft)
Please comment on these options. What are their pro's and con's ? Which one is your favorite, and why ?
Thanks in advance
- D -
MSTS or Trainz ?
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birminghamnewstreet
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Tnx for the tip. I tried it but its too basic. Don't like it. I played MSTS one evening so have a very rough idea what that one is all about, but BVE is just less of everything when compared to MSTS. Seems not better in anythingbirminghamnewstreet wrote:have you stumbled accross BVE? its free and its as relistic as your going to get from a driving the train point of view.
Or am I wrong ?
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saddletank
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MSTS focusses on driving a train. The physics are pretty good, activity writing is relatively easy compared to Trainz in which the AI trains are very odd sometimes. Trainz has an easier route building editor and when you drive your train you can select cabview or an exterior model railway type view with a model railway style controller. Trainz lets you jump between locomotives on the route and between cabs of 2-ended locomotives. MSTS doesn't. Trainz has a working turntable, MSTS does not. Trainz has animated passengers that 'fade' out when they board the train. MSTS has no equivalent animations but calculates stopping time at a station from passenger density parameters input by the activity writers. One of Trainz' weak points is it's 'activity' or 'scenario' scripting which is very poor and extremely complex.
There is wider support for msts world wide, with a much larger library of free models to add to your install.
In my view MSTS is the better simulation. Trainz is the better 'game' if you want to play at model railways. Trainz steam physics is a load of... ahem.
If you want to drive one train and enjoy the challenge of a heavy train on slippery rails with a climbing gradient then MSTS is the one to go for since it has better physics.
There is wider support for msts world wide, with a much larger library of free models to add to your install.
In my view MSTS is the better simulation. Trainz is the better 'game' if you want to play at model railways. Trainz steam physics is a load of... ahem.
If you want to drive one train and enjoy the challenge of a heavy train on slippery rails with a climbing gradient then MSTS is the one to go for since it has better physics.
Martin
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Caseyjones82
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Neptune50006
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My opinion is....
Trainz....Bought it, installed it, tried it, 2 months later uninstalled it. Now taking up space on a shelf.
MSTS...Bought it, installed it, tried it, downloaded some add ons, tried it some more, downloaded more addons, upgraded PC to run it better, downloaded even more addons, had a go at activity writing and dabbled in route building, got frustrated with it, uninstalled it, left it for a few months, missed it, reinstalled it, upgraded computer again to run it even better, downloaded more addons, got Broadband to download yet more addons, bought more addons....and so it goes on.
I think MSTS won there
Trainz....Bought it, installed it, tried it, 2 months later uninstalled it. Now taking up space on a shelf.
MSTS...Bought it, installed it, tried it, downloaded some add ons, tried it some more, downloaded more addons, upgraded PC to run it better, downloaded even more addons, had a go at activity writing and dabbled in route building, got frustrated with it, uninstalled it, left it for a few months, missed it, reinstalled it, upgraded computer again to run it even better, downloaded more addons, got Broadband to download yet more addons, bought more addons....and so it goes on.
I think MSTS won there
Gary.
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"Perchance it is not dead but sleepeth."
http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk
Check out the (slow) progress of the L&B for RW here
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johndibben
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I love these threads 
Spend ages in another sim with exactly the same name. Must be another sim as I don't recognise the descriptions here although Martin's latest one was the closest so far
Auran download station today, available, free, as is almost all Trainz content which makes for a more pleasant life and much, much cheaper.
3805 loco's. Not D1, 2, 3, 4 etc., as you can chose your number, headcode and even livery, on newer loco's.
5804 rolling stock. A weak spot for UK enthusiasts with freight stock in short supply.
1310 layouts or routes. Many are simply layouts but there's a few excellent routes. Again, UK ones are in short supply.
8554 buildings.
7710 items of scenery.
6155 Track objects.
Trainz' strength is the surveyor (route editor). Protoptypical routes are possible but take a while. However, for someone who wants to build their ideal route, there's tons of stuff to make it with, almost all available freeware.
MSTS, you but for £19.99 in Game (Trainz 2004 is £24.99). MSTS, you buy .... and can keep buying .... add-ons .... and do nothing but drive.
Trainz is best if you want to build something, even if it's not perfect.
The Trainz game engine is far more powerful and allows loads more stuff which will means it will still outstrip any new MSTS style sims unless they make an enormous leap forwards. MS and Kuju didn't fancy the task with all their resources.
The steam physics are basic but the Engineers Edition is specifically to rectify that. That complete, Trainz will be complete and Auran will move on. By the time any MSTS based sim gets going, Auran's achievements will be even further advanced. That's achievements and not plans or promises.
Trainz isn't perfect and I still enjoy MSTS where routes are created which give an atmoshere of life. Lack of passengers on trains and often on stations,is really noticable in MSTS but that can be overcome as has been on the the likes of Cambrian, SVR and Swanage. You don't really notice the lack of passengers in the coaches as you look at the scenery.
MSTS is for the purist who likes the driving experience to be as accurrate as possible and looks at the track most of the time
Trainz has fully functional 3D cabs as well as the controller and the sounds are brilliant. The game engine's efficiency allows all this with my 'bog standard' 2.8Ghz, NVidia 128MB Video card, no sound card of note and 512MB RAM.
There's nothing elitist about Trainz and no added costs.
So why am I posting here?
Well, I enjoy MSTS as it's different, somehow clearer, the models look bigger and it's easier to build for. There's piles of good stuff and like many Trainz fans, I started in MSTS and believe you can be interested in both.
UKTS is famed for it's 'die-hards' and was accused of being introspective long before Trainz took off.
It also has many members who are working, to various degress, for commercial groups who's nets are trawling ever wider and are MSTS exclusive.
Trainz is hardly likely to be popular with them.
Raildriver is the only link as, I believe it works better with Trainz
Events just over a year ago made my mind up not to get involved with any group and therefore have more time to actually play the game and have enjoyed doing so, unlike many who say they only build stuff and never use anything other than explore mode to test it.
I'd say, buy both and make up your own mind if money is not an issue
Spend ages in another sim with exactly the same name. Must be another sim as I don't recognise the descriptions here although Martin's latest one was the closest so far
Auran download station today, available, free, as is almost all Trainz content which makes for a more pleasant life and much, much cheaper.
3805 loco's. Not D1, 2, 3, 4 etc., as you can chose your number, headcode and even livery, on newer loco's.
5804 rolling stock. A weak spot for UK enthusiasts with freight stock in short supply.
1310 layouts or routes. Many are simply layouts but there's a few excellent routes. Again, UK ones are in short supply.
8554 buildings.
7710 items of scenery.
6155 Track objects.
Trainz' strength is the surveyor (route editor). Protoptypical routes are possible but take a while. However, for someone who wants to build their ideal route, there's tons of stuff to make it with, almost all available freeware.
MSTS, you but for £19.99 in Game (Trainz 2004 is £24.99). MSTS, you buy .... and can keep buying .... add-ons .... and do nothing but drive.
Trainz is best if you want to build something, even if it's not perfect.
The Trainz game engine is far more powerful and allows loads more stuff which will means it will still outstrip any new MSTS style sims unless they make an enormous leap forwards. MS and Kuju didn't fancy the task with all their resources.
The steam physics are basic but the Engineers Edition is specifically to rectify that. That complete, Trainz will be complete and Auran will move on. By the time any MSTS based sim gets going, Auran's achievements will be even further advanced. That's achievements and not plans or promises.
Trainz isn't perfect and I still enjoy MSTS where routes are created which give an atmoshere of life. Lack of passengers on trains and often on stations,is really noticable in MSTS but that can be overcome as has been on the the likes of Cambrian, SVR and Swanage. You don't really notice the lack of passengers in the coaches as you look at the scenery.
MSTS is for the purist who likes the driving experience to be as accurrate as possible and looks at the track most of the time
Trainz has fully functional 3D cabs as well as the controller and the sounds are brilliant. The game engine's efficiency allows all this with my 'bog standard' 2.8Ghz, NVidia 128MB Video card, no sound card of note and 512MB RAM.
There's nothing elitist about Trainz and no added costs.
So why am I posting here?
Well, I enjoy MSTS as it's different, somehow clearer, the models look bigger and it's easier to build for. There's piles of good stuff and like many Trainz fans, I started in MSTS and believe you can be interested in both.
UKTS is famed for it's 'die-hards' and was accused of being introspective long before Trainz took off.
It also has many members who are working, to various degress, for commercial groups who's nets are trawling ever wider and are MSTS exclusive.
Trainz is hardly likely to be popular with them.
Raildriver is the only link as, I believe it works better with Trainz
Events just over a year ago made my mind up not to get involved with any group and therefore have more time to actually play the game and have enjoyed doing so, unlike many who say they only build stuff and never use anything other than explore mode to test it.
I'd say, buy both and make up your own mind if money is not an issue
Thanks a lot for your reply.
And a TRAIN sim is what I want
You confirmed my decission to put MSTS at the top of the list.
Code: Select all
Trainz is best if you want to build something, even if it's not perfect..Code: Select all
MSTS is for the purist who likes the driving experience to be as accurrate as possible and looks at the track most of the time You confirmed my decission to put MSTS at the top of the list.
