Atomic Systems

Hi Folks.

I've just been watching the YouTube videos on the new Rail Works career mode (you can find the link on the Rail Works website), and I just wanted to chip in here and say, I hate it!! Career mode adds a score to the sim... Now read and think about that again... A SCORE to the SIM... When I sit down to drive a train, that's what I'm doing. I'm in the drivers seat, I'm driving the train, I'm admiring the scenery, I'm stopping at stations, I may even be trying to keep to a timetable... What I am NOT doing is trying to score points!

The news about this on the Rail Works website says that this new career mode will be implmented in the next Rail Works update. I want this to be optional!!! I don't want to be driving a train and have a score counter jumping up and down based on what I'm doing. By putting a score counter into the sim, Rail Works goes from being a SIM to being a SKILL GAME, this is NOT what I want.

If this score counter is mandatory, if it is intergrated into Rail Works in a way that it is always there, it will finish me using the software.

Train Battlefield

g'ice

I watched the video and honestly I'm not that impressed with it. When I heard Career System, I was expecting something like starting out as a conductor or a fireman and working your way up the ladder. I was hoping for some training scenarios that teaches you about how to drive a train and railroad operations. You'd do the training scenario first, and then you're a conductor, and if you good enough job as a conductor then you get promoted to engineer.

I think it's unfair to call this a Career System when it doesn't really model a career in railroading when it comes to driving a train.

I'm a little confused here - if you don't like the Career Mode why don't you simply not play it and stick to standard scenarios?
Hardly seems a reason to pack in the game altogether

I would not worry too much. It is certainly a very productive role of the forum to give them clear warning of our feelings, but they got that months ago, I guess.

First of all, I read the announcement to say that there will be a new scenario type to support this. So, as long as you do not download and run such new scenarios, you are safe from career mode. Clearly, there will be some included in the next update. Just don't start the new scenarios then.

Second, I hope that all the evaluation will only be shown in the end, and not during driving. I.e., you can ignore it together with the current evaluation "take a moment to look at the evaluation" or whatever it says at the end now, I only looked there once and found the fact that I drove out the station while people were still boarding listed as "inappropriate loading time" or something like that. Funny to read, if you are bored.

Third, they do have a tradition of letting you opt out of game features. E.g., the new traffic signs to show wheel slip etc. can be turned off. And the compass disappeared years ago. So, if they indeed implement some background cheering chorus who applaud every time you stop at a station, then there will be a checkbox in the options page to get rid of that, I am quite sure.


Having said that, I think that we must also admit the bigger picture. Paul Jackson has quite some experience in the computer game business, and if he says that uploading the official notification that you can drive an engine is what pays the cookies, so be it. It is hoped that there is a wide sea of "casual gamers" out there and that they will pay the bills. Most of us have no idea what a casual gamer would be and what he will think about railways, but as long as he buys a legit copy of the game, he can think whatever he likes, as far as I am concerned. Plus, it has been pointed out often that reliable, interesting scenarios are a cornerstone of enjoyable careers, so things should potentially get better, not worse.

hi, ...

There is really no reason in Career Mode drive on, .. I get a unlock extra locomotive, or I get money?
This one goes in the direction of the Arcade Mode and not in the simulation Chapter.
I hope of a Taste for "optional"

g'ice

iceman2117 wrote:hi, ...

There is really no reason in Career Mode drive on, .. I get a unlock extra locomotive, or I get money?

Better default sounds?

In my life time dealing with simulators, I can sum up what the casual gamer, person with vague interests in the hobby cares about in one sentence: "What happens when you crash?"

I just watched this and I think career mode is a good idea and it works well. But I really believe the guys should be trying to sort out the bugs in the game which people have been complaining about since the days of RS. I think career mode will highlight certain bugs more especially the broken signals which have to be tabbed past to get through them. Many a time have I passed a green at high speed then the next signal is red. Three questions I have. Can career mode be turned on or off? will it be harder to make scenarios using career mode? and will different trains have different train in forces i e Pendolino's can corner faster than say a black 5.

Dean

styckx wrote:In my life time dealing with simulators, I can sum up what the casual gamer, person with vague interests in the hobby cares about in one sentence: "What happens when you crash?"

Hit the nail on the head there!

'Career mode' is just another way of playing some scenarios.
For users not interetsed you can simply carry on playing the standard scenarios.
I have to say though, I'm mainly a modeller and like creating rail scenes, but the new system certainly made driving trains more interesting for me.
If you like it play them, if you don't don't.

btw, welcome back Paul.

regards

Derek

hi, ...

That is to say yes, then the two versions of each scenario is, or how are we to understand that now?

g'ice

This message has been edited by a Moderator

RSderek wrote:'Career mode' is just another way of playing some scenarios.
For users not interetsed you can simply carry on playing the standard scenarios.
I have to say though, I'm mainly a modeller and like creating rail scenes, but the new system certainly made driving trains more interesting for me.
If you like it play them, if you don't don't.

btw, welcome back Paul.

regards

Derek

Derek,

If y'all are really interested in creating Career Mode Scenarios, then might i suggest RSC team look at FSPassenger?

http://www.fspassengers.com/

I think y'all have a good idea, but it does need to be expanded upon before you can call it "Career mode". Right now it's well... [Moderator Comment: ashgray - unacceptable language!] to be blunt about it.

This message has been edited by a Moderator

Is it me, but this career mode sounds remarkably like the scoring system in OpenBve
Regards Edward

like I said, play it or don't.
Your choice.

regards

Derek