Now available from http://www.the-train.de. Plus an updated Rolling Stock bundle. Not a huge amount of difference from 2.0, 4 new activities, photo-realistic stations and some new locos (a RhB steamer and a couple of shunters).
Not too struck on the inbuilt weather, I'd prefer to be able to use Sky Conductor. You seem to lose quite a bit of detail in the 'mist' on most settings
Albula 2.1
Moderator: Moderators
-
fgrsimon
- Established Forum Member
- Posts: 496
- Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2002 12:00 am
- Location: Stroud, Glos
- Contact:
Albula 2.1
Forest Green Rovers - The Little Club on Top of the Hill
-
johndibben
- Bletchley Park:home of first programmable computer
- Posts: 14007
- Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2001 12:00 am
- Location: Bletchley
I was a little disappointed with the stock. No see through windows on what I've tried so far ....
Frame rates are very poor considering my PC is new and near the top of the range ....
The density of the scenery will always be a problem with a complex route like that I suppose ....
Very good for the price though
Frame rates are very poor considering my PC is new and near the top of the range ....
The density of the scenery will always be a problem with a complex route like that I suppose ....
Very good for the price though
-
PaulH2
- Very Active Forum Member
- Posts: 1843
- Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2001 12:00 am
- Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA
- Contact:
I'm not keen on the stock or built in weather either.
Some nice interior detailed stock would be good, but as the frame rates are already on the low side, that might be a killer.
The aircraft that goes over in the supplied weather looks, well frankly, pretty awful. I too would prefer to use Sky Conductor or even the default weather for that matter).
I'm not mad keen on the supplied activities either. Only one activity that runs the full length of the route? And that with no AI traffic! Not brilliant.
Could always come up with something myself I suppose, but single track activities are always such a pain in the bum...
Nice route all the same though. Somewhere I've always intended to go on my hols and never got around to it...
Paul
Some nice interior detailed stock would be good, but as the frame rates are already on the low side, that might be a killer.
The aircraft that goes over in the supplied weather looks, well frankly, pretty awful. I too would prefer to use Sky Conductor or even the default weather for that matter).
I'm not mad keen on the supplied activities either. Only one activity that runs the full length of the route? And that with no AI traffic! Not brilliant.
Could always come up with something myself I suppose, but single track activities are always such a pain in the bum...
Nice route all the same though. Somewhere I've always intended to go on my hols and never got around to it...
Paul
-
johndibben
- Bletchley Park:home of first programmable computer
- Posts: 14007
- Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2001 12:00 am
- Location: Bletchley
-
PaulH2
- Very Active Forum Member
- Posts: 1843
- Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2001 12:00 am
- Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA
- Contact:
I've had problems with a few of the activities. I assume that is why many of them have no AI traffic.
I have the Swiss Railway Journeys Albula Line video and I was thinking about trying to glean enough information from that to put together a prototypical activity. Might have a bash at the weekend if I have a bit of spare time...
Yes I wondered what on earth was going on when I first spotted the plane flying over! WOuld also be nice if the cable cars part way into the route were animated.
It looks like the route is going to be expanded in a couple of directions though (if you keep going at at least one end, you can drive another few miles through un-sceneried but roughly terraformed land).
Paul
I have the Swiss Railway Journeys Albula Line video and I was thinking about trying to glean enough information from that to put together a prototypical activity. Might have a bash at the weekend if I have a bit of spare time...
Yes I wondered what on earth was going on when I first spotted the plane flying over! WOuld also be nice if the cable cars part way into the route were animated.
It looks like the route is going to be expanded in a couple of directions though (if you keep going at at least one end, you can drive another few miles through un-sceneried but roughly terraformed land).
Paul
-
ianmacmillan
- Very Active Forum Member
- Posts: 9588
- Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2003 12:39 pm
- Location: N. Lanarkshire Scotland
-
saddletank
- Very Active Forum Member
- Posts: 14183
- Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2001 12:00 am
- Location: UK East Midlands
I was very disappointed with those much vaunted super environments. From what I could tell by dipping into about 4 activities it was either dark or a London pea-souper! All that gorgeous scenery and you can't see it!
Yes, definitely need some better activities for this one.
I was also a bit surprised to find all those RhB locos aliasing to that horrible default Acela cab, I would have happily put up with a stock pack x2 the size in order to get more cabs.
Yes, definitely need some better activities for this one.
I was also a bit surprised to find all those RhB locos aliasing to that horrible default Acela cab, I would have happily put up with a stock pack x2 the size in order to get more cabs.
Martin
_______________________________________
ED209: "Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply."
_______________________________________
ED209: "Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply."
-
96smitro
- Been on the forums for a while
- Posts: 166
- Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2004 8:19 pm
- Location: Liverpool, City Centre
Sorry to bring back an old post into the limelight again, but I was wandering if there are going to be anymore updates to the Albula line v2.1? Is the unsceneried section north of Monstien going to be completed, or any further extensions made?
Secondly, are there any "more realistic" activities that are available to download?
Thirdly, is there anyway of creating passenger views for some of the stock, I would love to be able to "sit" in one of the semi open carriges to watch the amazing scenery on this route.
Thanks.
Secondly, are there any "more realistic" activities that are available to download?
Thirdly, is there anyway of creating passenger views for some of the stock, I would love to be able to "sit" in one of the semi open carriges to watch the amazing scenery on this route.
Thanks.
-
saddletank
- Very Active Forum Member
- Posts: 14183
- Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2001 12:00 am
- Location: UK East Midlands
Absolutely no apologies for "bumping" this thread.
I read Matt's review of Glacier Express, remembered that I already had Heidi Express and that I'd downloaded Albula, subject of this thread, and only played with it once!
Straight to trainstore and stored all but Heidi and Albula and set about some activities (I agree about the weather...wots that all about? fog!!!) and then decided to explore using some heidi stock.
I'm pretty much "in yer face" about scenery in routes, and as I enjoyed the various views I wondered how I'd given up on this so easily the first time! Staggering perspectives, photoreal buildings and some fantastic passenger views. On the down side some of the worst frame rates that I've experienced (and yes I tried all the usual tricks...) and I'd agree that some of the stock was a little dissappointing. But the scenery and driving challenge....Outstanding!
Can I take it that the new commercial route (Glacier Express) has good english translations of the activities?
I never understood why Heidi was so poor frame-ratewise? Is it number of items per tile? Is it LOD's (or "lack of" in the stock - good but hardly StateOfTheArt )......
These are a couple of diamonds in the crown, but at the moment, IMHO, they're rather rough diamonds. It must be noted that one was a commercial project and the other is freeware. However, as my computer, newer than Heidi, is struggling with them they'll be a dissappointment for owners of older machines.
Any feedback on frame rates and stuttering (the only routes I get this on) from owners of State of the Art machines?
Basically I think these are fantastic routes but they seem to be a tads "demanding?".
Any route builing experts got any advice for improvements?
Geoff
P.S. Turning the detail down is IMHO NEVER an option. If someone gave their time and effort to create the detail it needs to work!
I read Matt's review of Glacier Express, remembered that I already had Heidi Express and that I'd downloaded Albula, subject of this thread, and only played with it once!
Straight to trainstore and stored all but Heidi and Albula and set about some activities (I agree about the weather...wots that all about? fog!!!) and then decided to explore using some heidi stock.
I'm pretty much "in yer face" about scenery in routes, and as I enjoyed the various views I wondered how I'd given up on this so easily the first time! Staggering perspectives, photoreal buildings and some fantastic passenger views. On the down side some of the worst frame rates that I've experienced (and yes I tried all the usual tricks...) and I'd agree that some of the stock was a little dissappointing. But the scenery and driving challenge....Outstanding!
Can I take it that the new commercial route (Glacier Express) has good english translations of the activities?
I never understood why Heidi was so poor frame-ratewise? Is it number of items per tile? Is it LOD's (or "lack of" in the stock - good but hardly StateOfTheArt )......
These are a couple of diamonds in the crown, but at the moment, IMHO, they're rather rough diamonds. It must be noted that one was a commercial project and the other is freeware. However, as my computer, newer than Heidi, is struggling with them they'll be a dissappointment for owners of older machines.
Any feedback on frame rates and stuttering (the only routes I get this on) from owners of State of the Art machines?
Basically I think these are fantastic routes but they seem to be a tads "demanding?".
Any route builing experts got any advice for improvements?
Geoff
P.S. Turning the detail down is IMHO NEVER an option. If someone gave their time and effort to create the detail it needs to work!
-
NeutronIC
- Atomic Systems Team
- Posts: 11085
- Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2001 12:00 am
- Location: E11, London, England
- Contact:
The activities for Glacier seem fine:
Title: Perseverance 2
Brief: Perseverance 2 - with a mixed cargo train from Samedan to Chur.
They still exist in the eighty's, the mixed cargo trains pulled by a Ge 6/6 I.
In this adventure you can drive with such a train from Samedan to Chur. On your way you constantly have to collect wagons.
The passenger wagon always has to be ranged behind the engine.
As an increasing adventure "Constancy" there have been added on several stations
stops to let board new passengers. Can you hold the time table?
Title: Wintersports
Wintersport
Today the schools in the Engadine have their sleigh day. The RhB takes the pupils with a special train to Preda. You are the engine driver of this train.
The kids board in St. Moritz, Celerina, Samedan and Bever. You have to stop in Spinas to let get off the collegues of the construction departement.
All school classes get off the train. You have to take the shuttle train to Bergün. It is neededfor the sleigh trains.
Title: Glacier Express Instruction Tour
Train 555 Glacier Express instruction tour
Welcome to the Glacier Express. We would like to introduce you the routing of the Glacier Express. During the course from Chur to St. Moritz you will come across a lot of explanations. The train 555 occurs in the timetable as Glacier Express.
There are sightseeing wagons of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) formarly FO and BVZ inserted. These wagons are missing on this trip, because of a track disconnection between Sedrun and Disentis are the wagons blocked.
We assume that you have been reading the manual and are prepared with the duty timetable as well as the tracktable. Please fade out the track monitor.
Due to to the fading out of the monitor the course will get more realistic.
One thing I left out of the review now I come to think of it is that they have also included RailDriver versions of all stock and have made versions of the activities for the raildriver stock as well so if you want to use a raildriver it's no hassle to get it running.
Matt.
Title: Perseverance 2
Brief: Perseverance 2 - with a mixed cargo train from Samedan to Chur.
They still exist in the eighty's, the mixed cargo trains pulled by a Ge 6/6 I.
In this adventure you can drive with such a train from Samedan to Chur. On your way you constantly have to collect wagons.
The passenger wagon always has to be ranged behind the engine.
As an increasing adventure "Constancy" there have been added on several stations
stops to let board new passengers. Can you hold the time table?
Title: Wintersports
Wintersport
Today the schools in the Engadine have their sleigh day. The RhB takes the pupils with a special train to Preda. You are the engine driver of this train.
The kids board in St. Moritz, Celerina, Samedan and Bever. You have to stop in Spinas to let get off the collegues of the construction departement.
All school classes get off the train. You have to take the shuttle train to Bergün. It is neededfor the sleigh trains.
Title: Glacier Express Instruction Tour
Train 555 Glacier Express instruction tour
Welcome to the Glacier Express. We would like to introduce you the routing of the Glacier Express. During the course from Chur to St. Moritz you will come across a lot of explanations. The train 555 occurs in the timetable as Glacier Express.
There are sightseeing wagons of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) formarly FO and BVZ inserted. These wagons are missing on this trip, because of a track disconnection between Sedrun and Disentis are the wagons blocked.
We assume that you have been reading the manual and are prepared with the duty timetable as well as the tracktable. Please fade out the track monitor.
Due to to the fading out of the monitor the course will get more realistic.
One thing I left out of the review now I come to think of it is that they have also included RailDriver versions of all stock and have made versions of the activities for the raildriver stock as well so if you want to use a raildriver it's no hassle to get it running.
Matt.
Hi Guys,
One of the things that really impressed me about Heidi was the cab views. I was only thinking about them when I retried Albula 2.1 recently. Without being unkind to the modellers the photo realistic cab views were better than the actual 3D models. Having said that, smooth sided locos are probably THE most difficult to portray realistically.
To illustrate my point take a look across the pond. The GG1’s are a case in point. Look at the excellent photos of them on Fallen Flags http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr-elec.html wonderful web site and take a look at the excellent models in gg1 mega.zip on TrainSim.com. Here too is an excellent cab view and the 3D models are excellent, but the basically flat panelled skin is very difficult for a modeller to reproduce.
I remember that I have downloaded some excellent cab views for older exotic electric loco’s in the past. I seem to remember from other European sites. I think what’s called for here is a bit of aliasing or even consist modifications (although you'd need Heidi to do this)? There have been quite a few electric loco’s built in quite a few countries with the long low nose and central cab of these units. I think a search of the European sites may also come up with some reasonable "electric" cab views for download? Anything’s better that an Acela!!!
Anyone else got a link?
Geoff
One of the things that really impressed me about Heidi was the cab views. I was only thinking about them when I retried Albula 2.1 recently. Without being unkind to the modellers the photo realistic cab views were better than the actual 3D models. Having said that, smooth sided locos are probably THE most difficult to portray realistically.
To illustrate my point take a look across the pond. The GG1’s are a case in point. Look at the excellent photos of them on Fallen Flags http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr-elec.html wonderful web site and take a look at the excellent models in gg1 mega.zip on TrainSim.com. Here too is an excellent cab view and the 3D models are excellent, but the basically flat panelled skin is very difficult for a modeller to reproduce.
I remember that I have downloaded some excellent cab views for older exotic electric loco’s in the past. I seem to remember from other European sites. I think what’s called for here is a bit of aliasing or even consist modifications (although you'd need Heidi to do this)? There have been quite a few electric loco’s built in quite a few countries with the long low nose and central cab of these units. I think a search of the European sites may also come up with some reasonable "electric" cab views for download? Anything’s better that an Acela!!!
Anyone else got a link?
Geoff