Question and Answer session with RailSimulator.com

[vlado960]

I think I can ask this for us who are making locos/rolling stocks... The big problem is "Turbo" mode in Asset editor. Because of that we can't precisely adjust points of coupling. Will it be fixed?

Regards
Vlado

[SaMa1]

I would also like to know how the dispatcher mode will be integrated to the game in multiplayer. Will there be some 3d environment where dispatching player turns point switches in tower manually just like in locomotive cabin or how its done? Also I would like to know if locomotive screen panel instruments will get more functionality, for example by showing LUA scripted custom text on screen?

[vbomber]

Hi , a couple from me

Can you look at a way of implementing a Driver,s vigilance device aka dead mans pedal.?

Would it be possible to change the speed restriction boards for the modern illuminous background type, with the R for restriction, T for the termination and the variable limit according to the restriction, i,m aware this is partly possible now, are you able to change it to suit modern railway operations.?

Moveable and resizeable pop up windows are you able to shed any light on this , is it possible?

Will the team consider extending exsisting default routes, ie Didcot to Bristol, Oxford to Birmingham, Newcastle to Carlisle, working with other route devolpers to fill in the gaps.?

Can you tell us about other countrys are there any offiical add ons being planed , will the German companys Blue Sky and German Railroads offer products to the scale of MSTS and Trainz for Railworks.?

Will you consider a loyality scheme, where if someone purchases say the 170 DMU it then becomes avialable in a another pack, that cost is reduced for the same item in another pack , ie Glasgow to Edinburgh, customers do not want to pay twice for something they already have.

Thanks for your time. Vbomber

Thanks and keep up the good work

[paulz6]

On the snip bits so far.

The block asset tool looks very powerful to me. I guess you could lay whole forests pretty fast with that.

The videos have seen seem to operate in a square fashion. Can we define these regions in a polygon fashion?

... this thing is beautiful, I mean really beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Mountains as far as the eye can see and over two thousand plus individual lights so far………… and that at a great frame rate.

Does this mean we get finer terrain resolution near the camera? The current 8m terrain mesh is my route builders blight. It makes sense not to render to 8m in the distance, but close up needs a finer terrain mesh, Is this how it will be implemented?

Each wagon sways independently as it moves past and the feeling of reality is very, very strong.

Great. How complex is the physics in this? I would think it would not have to be down to the quantum level to be effective. Is this a precursor to super-elevation or will we get it?!

The consist is huge, got to be well over a mile long. Been told it takes more than four minutes to roll by at a reasonable speed (will try that later). 100 plus wagons.

I suppose that is a test to the efficiency of the above?!

Nice to see progress is being made, and in the realism direction. Very encouraging.

[Neptune50006]

Can the mouse pointer be made to disappear after a few seconds of inactivity, like it did in MSTS?
Also, when route building in full screen mode can there be the option of being able to exit without saving the last changes instead of using Ctrl Alt Del?

[Railworks3]

Questions please,
1. Will you be implimenting AI shunting and marshalling of trains ( both freight & passenger ) ?
2. Will you be refining the physics and AI operation in general ?
3. Could you add a function to the Scenario Editor, to enable swapping of locos in game ? Without losing the driver commands for that consist and including all types, ie: diesel for steam.
4. Will you be refining the signal logic, so that single track operations work correctly.
5. Will you be adding industries to the game, other than refueling commodities.
6. Will you be adding the capability in the Route Editor, for swapping like items for like, ie: track for different track, signals for different types of signals etc.
Thanks very much and keep up the excellent work.

[theokus]

Can the mouse pointer be made to disappear after a few seconds of inactivity, like it did in MSTS?
Also, when route building in full screen mode can there be the option of being able to exit without saving the last changes instead of using Ctrl Alt Del?

You are soooo right
Good point Neptune.

[Incentroman]

I'm only asking/hoping for two things: Superelevation and lights that light up.

[Neptune50006]

Just thought of another. You (RSC) sorted out the small font problem in the left hand flyout. Are you going to do the same for the right side?

[malkymackay]

One small question from me:
Would it be possible to have units other than metres in the route editor. Most information I have come across for British routes still lists distances in miles, chains & yards. Maybe have it tied in with the track rule, like the different ways of expressing gradients are at the moment.

[thetrainfan]

Will you be watching the Royal Wedding?
Sorry, back to the proper questions.

Will we be able to hold the doors for as long as we want?

[malcolmholmes2]

Talking of font size, can you increase the font size when the notice comes up "broken consist at..Lat Long.." please. It is difficult to read the numbers with such small font size.

Thanks
Malcolm

[haddock1000]

In other popular map and world editors provided with other games, such as Valve's Source Engine's Hammer editor, The ability to prefabricate commonly used components out of other objects, and then save them into the object list is available. This would be useful in RailWorks for creating commonly used objects, such as station signs attached to lamp posts. Is such a system planned?

thanks.

chaddockdk

[AndiS]

Ok, seven pages of wishful asking got me out of my wait-and-see corner.

The short and strong version of my question would be: RW unfortunately lost a few folks (not counting myself) on the operations side and on the Continental side in the past. What are you offering to them to bring them back, or do you prefer a predominantly engine admiration devoted fan base?

The long "question list" would be this:

Operations

With multiplayer around the corner, will there be some entity (scenario script, game core, human player) reacting to deviations from the preplanned course of actions, setting paths for trains as needed, following prototypical logic (which will vary between countries and eras)?

Will this entity actively check track occupation, then set and lock switches, then set signals based on schedule, or will signals get additional information to get a chance to better fix things between themselves?

Will AI obey signals, as in stopping at a stop signal and slowing down at a speed reduction aspect (not to be confused with a static speed limit)?

Will AI see obstacles, and maybe even couple to other trains?

Will loading/unloading change the weight, and how should we configure that in detail?

How is wheel slip determined?


Documentation

In my view, you could pass of RW as it is as RW2.2 or so by unleashing what is there. This means spelling out the details of how to use the existing features, in real detail, and including the limitations and how to work around them.

What are the (real) units of all the values in the blueprints? This includes fine print like the fact that power is gradually capped off starting at 90% of Vmax, so you better set Vmax to some 110% of the real thing.

When will all the details of the sound files be documented?

What is the complete list of system calls controlling exhaust?

Are there any new system calls to detect various system states (coupling, fire state, to name but two)? If yes, what are they (and their parameters)?

What about the wagon script? LogMate complains if it is not there, but we never learnt what you could do with it, i.e., which system calls there are available to it.

What is the consequence of using multi-track links in level crossings?
And in portals? What are the official limitations of the latter?

What is the drawing distance really now (or then)? For terrain, for scenery. And how to we set up fog that neither makes the sky green nor the mountains white?

How do all the curves and values related to power relate to each other?

How to set up the controllers to work with the F4 HUD but still influence the value in the script?


Route building

Will there be a measuring tape that measures along the track (and not the direct line)? This would be needed for signal placement, ideally in addition to a system call for the signal script to get the same information, because you have both situations: normal placement at prescribed distance and "reaction of signal" to reduced distance.

Will we get key shortcuts for left-right movement of objects (like they exist for up-down)? And snap points at signal heads to easier place them at gantries?

Will there be a diagram view of the route, to easier spot signal placement errors? It would show the route as a straight, condensed line, with the sidings spaced enough to clearly show the symbols for the signals. Of course, the type should be printed there, so you quickly find the one "3asp 2T" that should be a "3asp 2T 1E".
Such a diagram would also help with timetable construction.

Can we have some information on performance relative to texture size (per object), shaders, object count per tile, polies per object, texture reuse between objects, terrain painting intensity, procedural flora? This should help create routes with good framerates.

How can we influence switch geometry and texturing? There are some promising files since KRS release there, unlocking their powers could permit users to improve the look of switches.

Will there be means to enter the radius and length directly instead of the current pulling the curved ribbon until it is a fair enough approximation of what you want to have? Even better, will there be a chance to enter the frog angle for a switch, which would then create the right radius of the diverging track even in curves without extra calculation in a spreadsheet on the side.


F4 HUD

Will we be able to move and/or hide parts of it?

Will we be able to substitute some, e.g., to replace up/down movement by rotation on the throttle?

Where will in-cab signalling be integrated, and how?

Will we see the radius (or curvature) in the route ahead, together with speed limits and signals? Without that, you still need route knowledge to keep the "inertia meter" pacified, which invalidates this otherwise useful display.

[Shadders]

Well, a lot of good questions so far, here's mine:

1. Are there any plans to implement 64-bit binaries? I'm thinking that long scenarios on demanding routes such as WMCLN or GhostCav's Wales & Borders can prove a little bit unstable at times. If not, what do you have planned to improve stability in the current version?

2. The scenario editor, while much improved with the addition of the timetable view still leaves something to be desired, what are RS.Com's plans in this area? For one, I'd love to see further separation of stock, by blueprint for example. So you can look at lists that only contain say, carriages or electric locos. Oh, and re-sort them too, by asset folder for example so that all the repaints of an item of stock are grouped together, regardless of what they are called.

3. Lua scripting in scenarios, sounds great. Please can we have more info?

That will do for now.

Best regards,

Shad.