Long distance scenarios and AI

[tubemad]

Hello all,

I may have lost the plot today and attempted to test drive my new scenario from Penzance to Cardiff calling at what felt like a million stations (Including Pilning!) based on the real 1025 Penzance Cardiff in the 2005 timetable, and AI based on that timetable too.

So I managed Penzance to Totnes in one go and saved, quit the sim and made a coffee. It felt like it was starting to lag (64-bit) but on re-loading the sim and the save, it was still a bit stuttery but soon cleared, it may have just been the vegetation. Anyway all was working fine and managed to hike all the way to Severn Tunnel Junction in one go.

From here I noticed AI was very sparse. I know from memory there wasnt a lot of AI but still something missing. Upon looking at the 2D map the 1430 Swansea Paddington HST hadn't moved from it's starting point. It should already be on the move. The Cardiff to Portsmouth 158 had left Newport however and the dispatcher sent it 'wrong line's out of Newport bypassing the HST!

The NMT HST also left Newport on the Relief line as booked, but when it passed me further down near Llanwern, it was crawling at snails pace despite me setting it to 90% performance.

From the Cardiff end two AI trains moved but all bar one of the ones between Cardiff and Newport didn't move from there starting point.

The result? Just got to Cardiff East and an AI smashed into the rear of the HST east of Newport that didn't move as mentioned earlier. Also the HST east of Cardiff that didn't move looked like it was about to get smashed as well.

Without going through another 6 hour test drive to see what could be done is it possible that the longer you go the more chance of AI not playing ball and just failing to work? If I saved somewhere before the incidents like Bristol TM, quit the sim, reload the sim a bit later and load the save it might actually work after its been refreshed?

If that's unlikely then any ideas what the cause may be otherwise?


Any help appreciated!

James.

[rosschris10]

No as had been the case in TS20XX for a LONG time the problem arises when you save the scenenario then reload it again from a save it can confuse the AI.

[749006]

Were you able to test the scenario before playing to see if the trains worked as they should?

I remember doing a long scenario on a different route and saved it part way.
When I came back some of the AI did not behave as it should have.
A second try running the scenario without having a break and it ran ok.

I personally would not play a scenario that ran for the length of time yours does.
In real life a train crew would work it in three stages - Penzance to Plymouth, Plymouth to Bristol and Bristol to Cardiff.

Peter

[Trev123]

Better to make them into parts say of 1hr each as near as possible.

[smarty2]

To mirror the crew changes. I have had similar Ai problems too, I think it is down to a matter of resources that gum them up.

[brysonman46]

To mirror the crew changes. I have had similar Ai problems too, I think it is down to a matter of resources that gum them up.

Ever thought of triggering AI by distance rather than by timings. That way, you can ensure that no AI can overlap its route with that of another (so goodbye AI collisions). That is the way DTG set up AI in Quick Drives

Static AI do not take up any resources, until they are triggered to move

Nick

[smarty2]

Hi Nick, most times if there are plenty of portals I store them up in there and usually send them out through them too to free resources up, but I am intrigued to how you "trigger" them by distance rather than time?

[brysonman46]

Hi Nick, most times if there are plenty of portals I store them up in there and usually send them out through them too to free resources up, but I am intrigued to how you "trigger" them by distance rather than time?

Hi Martin. I did a detailed account on another forum http://railworks.freeforums.net/thread/ ... ols?page=3. I also followed up on some other topics on this site, such as https://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic ... r#p1827327

Hve a look, and come back with any more questions

Nick-

[gptech]

This might help you Martin....https://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic ... i+services

[smarty2]

Great stuff, thanks, gentlemen.

[tubemad]

Thanks for the responses guys!

Probably best split it in 3 scenario's then really? I was going to release it as one but stating that you could save and continue if you didn't have time to do it in one go, but sounds like all that's going to do is make it unplayable.

Any other extreme long distance ones I shall split them up to make it easier.

I shall work on a Steam charter scenario from Penzance to Plymouth next though instead, found one on sixbellsjunction I like the look of, seems like it might be a nice challenge over the various gradients!

[tubemad]

Ok well I've just done a Penzance to Par scenario, just over an hour long, 4 AI trains in total, 3 work but the HST booked to start at St Austell doesn't want to know, yet again AI collision.

I've done 1hr 30 minute scenario's with no problems before, but I've always used the 32-bit editor, I used the 64-bit editor making these two scenario's just wondering if that just by chance has something to do with it, either that or it's certain locations on the route where AI won't budge if you plonk it there.

As I say it's not a demanding scenario, I've decided to keep the 3 AI trains that work instead and have the HST as 'cancelled' just makes it easier

[Carinthia]

Ok well I've just done a Penzance to Par scenario, just over an hour long, 4 AI trains in total, 3 work but the HST booked to start at St Austell doesn't want to know, yet again AI collision.

I've done 1hr 30 minute scenario's with no problems before, but I've always used the 32-bit editor, I used the 64-bit editor making these two scenario's just wondering if that just by chance has something to do with it, either that or it's certain locations on the route where AI won't budge if you plonk it there.

I don't think the version of the editor has anything to do with it. Moving the train by a short distance or changing its start time by a few seconds is probably all it needs.

John

[gptech]

4 AI trains in total, 3 work but the HST booked to start at St Austell doesn't want to know, yet again AI collision.

AI collision suggests that 2 of the service are colliding, so what you're seeing is 3 services being pathed with no issues, but the fourth conflicts. That effectively means you only have 2 working services.
The error message will give the names of the services involved so check the pathing for both of them. The lat and lon given in the error message may aid in determining just where the collision occurs.

[tubemad]

Of course where I went wrong initially was I didn't do the 'play scenario' option and speed it up to check if it moved or not.

Having already deleted it, I took the above suggestion and moved the HST from St Austell to the next signal, as there is no starter signal at St Austell. I did play it through at it moved, and tried the scenario again and sure enough it passed me further down the line as expected. Moving it certainly helped thank you for the suggestion