Rail Works career mode

[stuart666]

Hmmm. . .


BR Classs 24 placed with GWR Coaches

Deduct 400 Points

Drive Class 142. -10000 points for bad taste in rolling stock.

Love to see if anyone could get 100% for passenger comfort levels on one of those!

-15 points, feeling seasick.
-20 points, passenger lost false teeth.

There are so many, but I better stop before I upset pacerpilot.

[jimmyshand]

Quite an emotive subject this one, consumers of RW take their simming very seriously indeed and it looks like there is going to be a love it or hate it split in the camp. From watching the videos I think it looks great personally but I can understand the reluctance of some.

The way I look at it is that certain scenarios are becoming a bit boring now, especially on long featureless stretches like York to Darlington! The inclusion of a points system will certainly help to keep me alert and paying attention in the same way as a real driver needs to be alert and paying attention because his job depends upon it!
With the way things are currently it's all too easy to become distracted and not pay attention because there is no penalty for doing so.

From seeing the vids I think this feature is the perfect compromise.

If you want to keep RW as it is, ignore the points and tasks, you can tootle along admiring the scenery without a care!
If you are a hardcore ultra competitive 'gamer' type then you can try to be the best on the leaderboard!
or
If you are like me it will just give a more interesting and challenging incentive to driving scenarios and make me want to do well rather than just tootling along!

[MidnightTrain]

Quite an emotive subject this one, consumers of RW take their simming very seriously indeed and it looks like there is going to be a love it or hate it split in the camp. From watching the videos I think it looks great personally but I can understand the reluctance of some.

The way I look at it is that certain scenarios are becoming a bit boring now, especially on long featureless stretches like York to Darlington! The inclusion of a points system will certainly help to keep me alert and paying attention in the same way as a real driver needs to be alert and paying attention because his job depends upon it!
With the way things are currently it's all too easy to become distracted and not pay attention because there is no penalty for doing so.

From seeing the vids I think this feature is the perfect compromise.

If you want to keep RW as it is, ignore the points and tasks, you can tootle along admiring the scenery without a care!
If you are a hardcore ultra competitive 'gamer' type then you can try to be the best on the leaderboard!
or
If you are like me it will just give a more interesting and challenging incentive to driving scenarios and make me want to do well rather than just tootling along!

What about those of us who want to feel like they're operating on a real railroad? Those of us who doesn't want to just tootle along, but don't want to "compete" either. What about those of us who just want to drive their train and feel like they're driving the real thing? What is RSC doing to cater to that end of the sim?

[AndyUK]

What about those of us who want to feel like they're operating on a real railroad? Those of us who doesn't want to just tootle along, but don't want to "compete" either. What about those of us who just want to drive their train and feel like they're driving the real thing? What is RSC doing to cater to that end of the sim?

You lost me a bit there, what should RSC be doing to "cater to that end of the sim"? I assume you realise the 'career mode' element only applies to scenarios designated as such and that you will be able to drive ordinary scenarios without competing?

Andy L

[gnash]

The way I look at it is that certain scenarios are becoming a bit boring now, especially on long featureless stretches like York to Darlington!

LoL .. boring stretches eh ? for a somewhat larger world view of railroads ... http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusine ... e/rail.jsp ... points won't help me here

[stuart666]

Lets be fair, there were similar mission bits included in FSX and FS2004. Ok, so it didnt include points, but you got a nice little badge instead to show you have passed the mission.

Ultimately its a choice, dont use it if you dont want to. I dont see a reason to condemn RS.com just because they are trying to broaden one aspect of the sim.

[MidnightTrain]

Lets be fair, there were similar mission bits included in FSX and FS2004. Ok, so it didnt include points, but you got a nice little badge instead to show you have passed the mission.

Ultimately its a choice, dont use it if you dont want to. I dont see a reason to condemn RS.com just because they are trying to broaden one aspect of the sim.

That is true, FSX and FS9 did have those missions. However, they also had a realistic flying enviorment, and realistic aircraft models. They catered to the gamers as well as the hardcore simmers. I see the point system as catering to the gamers, but I'm just wondering what RSC is doing to cater to the hardcore simmers?

[Darpor]

That is true, FSX and FS9 did have those missions. However, they also had a realistic flying enviorment, and realistic aircraft models. They catered to the gamers as well as the hardcore simmers. I see the point system as catering to the gamers, but I'm just wondering what RSC is doing to cater to the hardcore simmers?

Well, what is it you want?

[gnash]

That is true, FSX and FS9 did have those missions. However, they also had a realistic flying enviorment, and realistic aircraft models. They catered to the gamers as well as the hardcore simmers. I see the point system as catering to the gamers, but I'm just wondering what RSC is doing to cater to the hardcore simmers?

Well, what is it you want?

should we post the list again ?

[ihavenonamenoreallyidont]

That is true, FSX and FS9 did have those missions. However, they also had a realistic flying enviorment, and realistic aircraft models. They catered to the gamers as well as the hardcore simmers. I see the point system as catering to the gamers, but I'm just wondering what RSC is doing to cater to the hardcore simmers?

The answer to your question is surely the very fact the game exists at all.

And, to come back on the FS9/X point, the hardcore community initially went ape over the inclusion of missions and - gasp - the ability to use an X-Box 360 controller if people wanted to. Eventual result? No long term impact on the hardcore community whatsoever (although I am sure someone will try to argue that the closure of ACES was caused by said missions and controller).

[MidnightTrain]

That is true, FSX and FS9 did have those missions. However, they also had a realistic flying enviorment, and realistic aircraft models. They catered to the gamers as well as the hardcore simmers. I see the point system as catering to the gamers, but I'm just wondering what RSC is doing to cater to the hardcore simmers?

Well, what is it you want?

I'm glad you ask, I am an American so my viewpoint will be from the rairoad operations in the USA.

1. Documentation pretaining to the logic of AI and Signaling. I think this is the #1 thing that's holding back RW. I got AI to work on a signal track with one passing siding before. It involved alot of trail and error on my part. Alot of people are still complaining about AI and signaling on my side of the pond. So either there really is something wrong with AI and signaling, or RSC needs to realize that people are expecting it to work the way it did in MSTS and Trainz and get fustrated when they learn it doesn't.

If it's the former, then fix signaling and AI. If it's the latter, then Release documentation on AI and signaling logic. This should take priority over everything else IMHO.

2. Physics. Now I have never driven a locomotive in real life, and I doubt I ever will. However, from what I've been hearing, physics in RW leaves something to be desired. Now when they were working on the Dash-9, they asked for the physics model and from what I hear physics is great in the Dash-9. RSC did a great job coming to the TS community for that. I think they should revisit the SD40 and ES44 and do the same thing, ask for the physics model and redo the physics model for those two locomotives.

3. Lighting. Ok, let me show y'all want a typical USA cab looks like during night time operation.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 850&nseq=7 (This is not my photograph, I take no credit for it and instead give all the credit to whoever posted the photograph)

See how bright it is, and how well lit it is? In RW, it is impossible to do night time operation because the in cab lighting sucks. Not even the gauges are lit up. I would love to do some night time operation because there are shortlines that do night time operations, however right now we litterly in the dark when it comes to in cab lighting.

I don't know if out of the cab lighting works yet, I think on the Dash-9 it does, and if it does then that's a step in the right direction.

4. Back to AI, as of right now, AI only drops off cars, it can't pick them up. It would be nice if we had AI that could do switching (shunting to you Brits) work. I would love to come into a yard and see switcher locomotive putting together trains, breaking them down and basically pushing cars in and out of sidings. I would love to have a scenario start up to where I have to wait for the AI switcher to finish putting my train together. That would rock my socks off!

5. AI dispatcher. MSFS has an AI ATC that you can actually talk to, admittely it's done through number keys, but it still counts. I would love to see that for RW. I'd jump into my locomotive with my work order, and AI dispatcher clears me to my track to pick up my train, then it talks to an inbound train, etc.

6. Finally, Multiplayer. Now I know Paul Jackson already talked about Multiplayer. However I think before this is implimented, we need to know if we're going the private servers route, or the VATSIM route. If we're going the private servers route, then all RW needs to do is provide the capability and we can go from there. However, if we're going the VATSIM route. Then RSC needs to research the rules of railroad operations on US rails. Each railroad companies have their own operating rules, and for a realistic multiplayer railroad operations, these rules need to be in place. Otherwise, you'd have alot of immature idiots crashing trains into one another.

My hmmm 50 cents.

[Darpor]

Well yes, pretty much the same list that crops up every now and again and there is nobody that will disagree with it, me included.

What I don't understand is all the negativity in this thread towards something that will have no effect on you should you choose not to use it. It's been said before and isn't rocket science, career mode scenarios are seperate so if you don't want to go down that line, carry on as you do now.

The general feeling on this forum and others is that members feel they have a right to tell RS.com they shouldn't be doing something or make idle threats that they won't use the software any longer. The fact is, you have no right at all to tell a company how they should run their business and what strategy they should follow. The same members generally bang on about community spirit and dwindling numbers but what if this is a vehicle for getting more users interested, isn't that a good thing?

[MidnightTrain]

Well yes, pretty much the same list that crops up every now and again and there is nobody that will disagree with it, me included.

What I don't understand is all the negativity in this thread towards something that will have no effect on you should you choose not to use it. It's been said before and isn't rocket science, career mode scenarios are seperate so if you don't want to go down that line, carry on as you do now.

The general feeling on this forum and others is that members feel they have a right to tell RS.com they shouldn't be doing something or make idle threats that they won't use the software any longer. The fact is, you have no right at all to tell a company how they should run their business and what strategy they should follow. The same members generally bang on about community spirit and dwindling numbers but what if this is a vehicle for getting more users interested, isn't that a good thing?

Well I think what you're seeing is fustration from people who have brought RW back when it first came out, and RSC not really paying attention to them. I mean Simulation games has never had a huge fanbase, esp. not a railroad sim. I'll be honest, I brought MSTS back when I was a kid, and until I got into some of the finer aspect of railroad operation and how trains really operated, I just crashed them.

I think the fustration is due to the fact that people feel like RSC is ignoring our suggestions on how to make the sim better in order to draw in customers that may not even stick around. Sure they'll play a few scenarios, they'll rack up some points, however how many of them are going to stick around and learn about real world railroad operations? Many of them are going to get bored with it and go back to Halo or Modern Warfare.

I can appericate why RSC is doing this, an influx of cash will benefit us, on this I agree. I probably won't play Career Mode, and I won't bring down wrath on anyone who does. However, I do think that RSC should also think about their long term customers. Customers who are playing RW because they are geniunely interested in trains and railroad operations, and I think alot of people who are long term customers are feeling left out in the cold for customers who most likely won't stick around.

[Acorncomputer]

RS.com have their plans well laid out and our comments will probably not have much effect on them but check out interesting stuff on the new website for a better idea of where they are going -

http://www.railsimulator.com/home.asp

[RSderek]

Ignoring Forum comments? as if...

My current short term plan is to buy a lolly and watch the tennis and football at the same time, maybe followed by a beer later.
Not sure how this will impact my career, but shhh don't tell the boss.

Thank Crunchie it's friday!

d