YCR. Inquiry to John

[douglee]

HI,

Just read the thread Yorkshire Question.

Are there any plans to upgrade/extend the YCR route as hinted at in the Docs with the route.

This route improved no end, on my machine, with the MSTSBin patch, with all settings on max. So it would have another lease of life.

GOOD LUCK

Doug

[JohnKendrick]

I haven't done any more to it. A number of reasons, in no particular order but all combine to have an effect:

It takes a lot of time to do anything worthwhile;

There was quite a lengthy spell when work developing the route was halted while activities were created and tested and the route getting released so I lost the route building impetus I had had up to that time. The things I had planned couldn't be worked on until after the route had been released, but in the meantime I had lost the thread of what those were! With hindsight, maybe I should have completely handed over the activity side over to others to sort out and carry on with what I had been doing with the Route Editor; However.......

The amount of time needed was giving me indications that I may just have started to suffer with RSI and upset my eyesight;

I was fully expecting MSTS to have been replaced ages ago (MS/Kuju had promised us MSTS2 before YCR was released) and it would have been daft to spend ages creating something for a program that had been superceeded! I have recently felt like adding a bit more to it but with several new sims still promised in the near future, I fear any work on it could still all be in vain.

While creating YCR a number of other (non MSTS) projects I was working on were put to one side and I've still not completely caught up with these! Hence I have only used MSTS very rarely for quite a while. However, if some of the other events I am mentioning here hadn't occured in the way they did, I may have had a greater enthusiasm to continue with the route building and I would have obviously left those projects even longer.

You probably noted in the route readme or in the forum that certain objects, downloaded from UKTS and used in good faith, had to be removed from the route before it could be released when permission to use them was refused! This was before other CDs had to be withdrawn. After this I gained a certain lack of trust in using any downloads in case it happened again and I certainly wasn't in a position to create evey object I needed myself. If I could have done then I may have been better releasing the route as a commercial project as I could have profited from my labours! The long shot of this was, that UKTS in general left a bit of a bitter taste which wasn't helped with a profusion of locked threads in the forums. Ultmately I would only post in response to anyone having an issue with the YCR that others were having a difficulty solving and this is still my stance today.

After spending ages building the route, I was no longer seeing it as if it was real anymore; it was just boxes and polygons - I just had to have a break from it all.

I did gather a large collection of photos, maps and diagrams to enable me to continue the route so I have always said when asked about adding to it, 'Never say never.' Maybe one day I'll feel like doing some more to it but surely that effort would be better spent on a better program than MSTS which really frustrates in that half the things one wants to add, one can't, because one has exceeded the number of objects allowed on a tile. And as a reward for reaching this random limit it scratches off everything you have spent several days adding to that tile! Sometimes that work can be retreived, sometimes it can't, so when one has thoughts of doing more that reality check kicks in.


John

[douglee]

Hi John,
Thank you for your prompt and comperhensive reply.

I agree with the time issue, there are many more things in the world than MSTS.

As to replacing MSTS, either with the next version or another sim, there are alot of dinosoaurs around, me included, who carry on with what the have. From my point of view MSTS does everything I want. Better now with the Bin patch, which was my imputus to ask. I am sure MSTSers would support an up date.

Working on other projects is fair enough especially if they generate income.

The removed items were a shame but we never had them so didn't miss them. I added my own choices and played around. I think The commuinity is more stable now, if not as prolific.

Good luck with what you do, I for one fully appreciate route and activity builders efforts, my own are dismall.

GOOD LUCK

Doug

[bigmull]

I think this is one of the best routes available,but then i may be a bit biased being a Scardeburghian!It really cpatures the countryside and the flavour of North Yorkshire.My only issue is with Pickering station,it all goes VERY slowly there.I recently tried the Cleveland stopper and got as far as the tunnel just before Londesborough rd and it just freezes.Ive run it through route riter and its all hunky dory,any ideas?

[JohnKendrick]

My only issue is with Pickering station,it all goes VERY slowly there.I recently tried the Cleveland stopper and got as far as the tunnel just before Londesborough rd and it just freezes.Ive run it through route riter and its all hunky dory,any ideas?

Shouldn't be any problems around Pickering.

Scarborough has quite a bit of trackwork, so I believe that to be partly the reason coupled with tiles full to max capacity with objects. Then add several trainsets and the sim struggles!

Normally it runs better coming out of Scarborough rather than going in as all the objects are preloaded.

Some may have suggested leaving out some of the trackwork to make the sim run smoother. They may have had a point but I opted for 'reality' over performance. Wish I could have built a proper Scarborough Station!

John

[Tonysmedley]

Like many other Trainsim addicts, I have by turns cursed and enthused over Yorkshire Coast, as I have done with many routes. I know that after a bad spell, I have almost decided to give up the whole thing and get another interest. That being the case, I have every sympathy with someone who as spent an enormous amount of time to get a route to a good level of presentation and then been faced with trying to solve the grouses of various users who, for right or wrong reasons, have got into trouble with the route. It must be an enormous temptation to say in effect -- " to Hell with it; I've had enough!)
I remain eternally grateful for those like John who have put heart and soul into Trainsim, with all its built in capacity for errors and turned a run of the mill Microsoft program into one which has given so many hours of real enjoyment to so many.
If only we were all perfect!

Tony

[JohnKendrick]

This route improved no end, on my machine, with the MSTSBin patch, with all settings on max. So it would have another lease of life.

I've not tried the patch, so what actually improved?

Thanks.

John

[douglee]

Hi John,
You asked "I've not tried the patch, so what actually improved?"

No big secret.

The improvement is, as remarked elsewhere, on the MSTSBin patch forum, a great increase frame rates on heavily populated parts of routes. I noticed it most on Don Hinton,s BD1/2. It could save you worrying to much about the number of objects on tiles. Allthough there probably is an optium number.

Bigmull should find this will help him with his issue, as that was precisely my point, I hope he reads this.

So, John and Bigmull, try the patch. It installs and uninstalls with no adverse effects.

You will gather from my post that I don't buy things just because they are there, and I'm a Londoner. So my PC is not top spec. If it ain't broke don't fixit.

If all this helps I'll be pleased as I have accepted help from the commuinity often enough.

I don't 'arf go on don't I?


GOOD LUCK

Doug

[JohnKendrick]

My point about the number of objects on tiles wasn't being made in respect of frame rates, though of course that is an issue and am pleased if the patch helps with that, but that the route editor has a limit on the number of objects it allows on a tile and fails to save tiles once that limit has been exceeded (and that limit can be anywhere between around 750 and 1500 objects per tile.) Well that isn't quite true, it's worse than that, it trashes the whole tile and creates a blank one instead! (Thank goodness I had GoBack installed or there never would have been a YCR as Windows restore doesn't restore MSTS files.)

If the bin patch overcomes that obstacle as well then it is indeed a miracle cure for MSTS and wonder why MS do not release it themselves as an essential upgrade.

I must admit that I haven't followed developments too closely of late and viewed the bin patch with some suspicion as casual users may end up with routes and activities that won't work without it, yet may not themselves be able to get the patch (not eveyone has internet access.) I could visualise all sorts of issues releasing a route that many could not use. Fine if it is all still compatible, but not otherwise.

I was under the impression that while the patch made routes run better somehow, it didn't have any effect regarding route creation. As one who uses (perhaps used is presently a more appropriate word) MSTS to build routes rather than run them, is there any value in installing it? If it is considered that it is of value, then would a route created with the patch still work the same without it? I think you can see what I'm getting at. An assurance that tiles no longer get trashed as outlined above maybe a fillip to get me going again, or at least look into it further!

Sorry if all this has been covered in other threads, but as I said, I only search the forums presently for YCR queries that have remained unanswered (and an occasional quick look at the New Kuju Sim threads incase a release date has been formally announced and if it is promised it will not contain spyware.)

John

[douglee]

Hi John,
I see your point about objects on tiles. I maybe should have said, If tiles are full the Bin patch keeps the sim running at reasonable rates. This is what comes accross in the Bin threads anyway.

As The Bin patch is so easy to install/uninstall at will, any incompatability can be overcome. I have had no problem running "old" routes built before the Patch was developed. In fact it positivly helped them, including your great effort.

If I gave the impression that I build routes, I'm sorry, I don't. The Bin patch does help routes run faster. However I don't think it has been mentioned that it helps on route creation before, so it probably dosen't. There was something about improving the AE view. A question on the Bin fourm is indicated.

I for one will be in the queue for an improved YCR, but don't build it just for me.

GOOD LUCK

Doug