Quick drive

[thetrainfan]

Quick Drive will be perfect for me.
99% of the time I am in RailWorks, I am driving because I want to, where I want to - this means I drive in my own, personal free roam scenarios.
This will just about be the same apart from the fact that there will be AI in - this is fantastic, however I fear it will be too 'generic'.
No charter trains I mean, or if there is it will probably be the same one every so often.

Also, the player's station stops! How does RW know which stops you're to stop at? Is it just a free roam in the effect that it lets you stop wherever you want, or would it pick out stops randomly, or even from a WTT?

Would we be able to create our own Quick Drive sessions? Maybe we could include WTT services on real life routes. I am thinking about my WIP Tyne Valley route, I could create all of the services for the day and the player could just pick one and drive it in a realistic way.


Interesting stuff from RSC I think, I can't wait!

[msey0002]

I'm also interested in AI regeneration. Would the sim pick any random AI, or would we be able to choose prototypical stock to a region?

I echo all sentiments above, this does look very interesting and one of the few updates that has really captivated me

[Stone75]

It takes a lot of hard work getting a scenario with AI movements working well. As soon as trains cross other trains paths this becomes a lot more work. This in no small part due to the way RW has no dynamic signaller but rather a pre set path/time for all trains. While it would be great to have it working, i'd like to see it before i believe it. Payware scenario makers must be quaking in their boots.....well maybe not yet

steve

[whiterider]

99% of the time I am in RailWorks, I am driving because I want to, where I want to - this means I drive in my own, personal free roam scenarios.
This will just about be the same apart from the fact that there will be AI in - this is fantastic, however I fear it will be too 'generic'.
No charter trains I mean, or if there is it will probably be the same one every so often.

Also, the player's station stops! How does RW know which stops you're to stop at? Is it just a free roam in the effect that it lets you stop wherever you want, or would it pick out stops randomly, or even from a WTT?

Would we be able to create our own Quick Drive sessions? Maybe we could include WTT services on real life routes. I am thinking about my WIP Tyne Valley route, I could create all of the services for the day and the player could just pick one and drive it in a realistic way.

I too want to know how the AI will work too. I think it will be quite simply default stock or stock included with that route. I would like something that allows me to select which trains I want as AI, so on London to Brighton I want 377s and I want some Voyagers too. It would be good to have a slider which then lets the user set a percentage of how many of that train they want as AI. So for example, I don't want many Voyagers if any, so I would set the slider (% level) to 5%, the 377s slider would automatically go to 95% unless I had chosen for there to be other AI trains.

Also, I don't think you would be able to set stops as you would have to go through all the markers on the route as some may want freight scenarios and others passenger scenarios.

I feel it is basically a Free Roam only you have a goal whereas Free Roam you are just roaming the tracks doing whatever you want. From the video all you get to do is choose a train included in the pack you have, you are then given options such as time and then the weather. You then boot the scenario up and RW does all the hard work.

As for your Tyne Valley route and introducing a WTT it wouldn't work unless you created each scenario individually in the Scenario Editor, I have tried it myself whereby you can drive any train and complete it's schedule, however it is quite complicated and extremely time consuming as you have to make sure every train has everything set 100% correctly and as the Railworks dispatcher isn't up too good it just fails after a few trains have been set. It's also difficult as to where to start the trains if you implemented something like that.

[jimmyshand]

Another question to ask is how will it know what era of stock to deploy as AI? If I'm running Ox to Padd in the 1980's then I'd expect to see class 50's aplenty rather than FGW HST's and 166's. May be proven wrong but I can't see how this function could ever possibly be intelligent enough to pick the right stock, in the right liveries, from the right time period and from 3rd party stock also. As far as I can imagine, I assume it will only generate random AI from the default stock catalogue and from the default era of whichever route (i.e 2000ish Ox to Padd, 1970's/80's Newc to York etc). I can see why such a function would be of some appeal to a casual user but for a hardened simmer with a craving for realism and accurate varied stock in their scenarios, then I can't see this bringing any real use or benefit.

[transadelaide]

I'm expecting that it will only work with...

1. Routes that have had the necessary data added so the system knows where to put trains and where to run them to/from. That would probably, for the time being at least, rule out doing it on non-RS.com routes.
2. A selection of pre-defined consists which the system knows to select from for that route, which again probably limits it to just items they provide.

Expecting anything other than this is asking for magic, so it's basically just a more user-friendly alternative to free roam.

Another question to ask is how will it know what era of stock to deploy as AI? ...

It would select from a pre-defined list of rolling stock for each route which has Quick Drive enabled, just as a motorsport simulation game will provide you with AI opponents appropriate to the racing class you selected. I'm guessing it will include the facility to pick from those DLC items you have purchased (just by making a bigger list and some basic conditions), but not from third party sources.

I can see why such a function would be of some appeal to a casual user but for a hardened simmer with a craving for realism and accurate varied stock in their scenarios, then I can't see this bringing any real use or benefit.

I can't see it totally replacing 'proper' scenarios, but on the contrary I can see it being of great use to many "hardened" users for when they just want to test out a new route or a new rolling stock item. Do remember that people were rolling out the same hysterical comments about career scenarios when they were first announced and a great number of users ended up finding themselves pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out.

Lastly, every video they have done they are using a game pad, don't get me wrong it looks to be a good feature, but it seems they've forgotten the whole keyboard/mouse.

They're using a new feature - which they have confirmed is optional and not affecting existing methods of control - in a couple of videos about new features? I'll add that to the bottom of my list of things worth bursting a blood vessel over.

[Leaf85]

I think it is a solid idea and look forward to using it.

[andynwt]

Would be nice if stock now had an 'era' value, e.g. you could set that a particular class of train would only crop up in quick drives run between 1962-1973 or something. Hope you can create your own consists for it too.

Good to see Styckx is still hanging in there. Misery loves company.

[andynwt]

I do wonder what this will mean for people like me who create Scenario Packs and I do hope that it won't affect them as people don't want to spend money buying scenarios when the game automatically does it for them for free - it already does but it is daunting at first and some people will give up or look at it and go 'No, I ain't touching any of this'.

Hopefully it will put the cowboy scenario designers out of a job, i.e. those that basically just plonk down a few trains running up and down but don't include any flavour. I am astonished anyone is able to sell that.

[jimmyshand]

I'm expecting that it will only work with...

1. Routes that have had the necessary data added so the system knows where to put trains and where to run them to/from. That would probably, for the time being at least, rule out doing it on non-RS.com routes.
2. A selection of pre-defined consists which the system knows to select from for that route, which again probably limits it to just items they provide.

Expecting anything other than this is asking for magic, so it's basically just a more user-friendly alternative to free roam.

Another question to ask is how will it know what era of stock to deploy as AI? ...

It would select from a pre-defined list of rolling stock for each route which has Quick Drive enabled, just as a motorsport simulation game will provide you with AI opponents appropriate to the racing class you selected. I'm guessing it will include the facility to pick from those DLC items you have purchased (just by making a bigger list and some basic conditions), but not from third party sources.

I can see why such a function would be of some appeal to a casual user but for a hardened simmer with a craving for realism and accurate varied stock in their scenarios, then I can't see this bringing any real use or benefit.

I can't see it totally replacing 'proper' scenarios, but on the contrary I can see it being of great use to many "hardened" users for when they just want to test out a new route or a new rolling stock item. Do remember that people were rolling out the same hysterical comments about career scenarios when they were first announced and a great number of users ended up finding themselves pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out.

Lastly, every video they have done they are using a game pad, don't get me wrong it looks to be a good feature, but it seems they've forgotten the whole keyboard/mouse.

They're using a new feature - which they have confirmed is optional and not affecting existing methods of control - in a couple of videos about new features? I'll add that to the bottom of my list of things worth bursting a blood vessel over.

Adelaide, you were doing so well until you mentioned career scenarios!!! Surely the biggest flop in the history of simulation? The whole point of simulation is re-enacting real-life operations, so, breaking every rule in the book, completely disregarding the limits of the machine and driving like a lunatic in order to "win" is a major turn-off for every simulator user I know of.

[msey0002]

I do wonder what this will mean for people like me who create Scenario Packs and I do hope that it won't affect them as people don't want to spend money buying scenarios when the game automatically does it for them for free - it already does but it is daunting at first and some people will give up or look at it and go 'No, I ain't touching any of this'.

I understand what you are saying, but surely the added competition will encourage you and others to push the boundaries of authenticity even further?

[andymar54]

I don't use free roam and only run scenarios made by other people, often bought as packs or produced by those with the patience and ability to make and upload their work.
I have tried writing my own scenarios in the past but found the whole exercise incredibly time consuming and error prone.

So the introduction of Quick Drive wont effect my decisions on purchasing well made scenario packs at all.



andym

[Oldpufferspotter]

I reckon that Quick Drive is going to be a simple device to let the casual gamer have more options when picking a train to drive.
In no way will Quick drive satisfy you guys on this forum. In my estimation it is not being created with you guys in mind at all, so forget it!
Payware providers will still be in a job producing scenarios for those of you who want realistic period specific scenarios without creating them for yourselves. Those who like to create their own scenarios, and share them on UKTS, will still be doing so with the Scenario Editor.
Quick Drive will be an additional facility for those who take a fancy to it, just as the obtrusive HUD is there for those who like to use it to drive their trains. No one needs to use either of them if they don't want to.

[Acorncomputer]

The opportunities for creating interesting and complex scenarios have always been there and despite the generally acknowledged shortcomings of the dispatcher, wonderful things can be done with that which is available already.

Quick Drive sounds as though it will have its limitations but I guess for many people this new set-up-and-go feature will be a great enhancement to the driving experience. I think it is very welcome new feature.

As for committed scenario creators, whether for pleasure or profit, the demand for more complex and interesting scenarios is bound to increase as people like the Quick Drive experience and want more. I think this will mean, however, that scenario writers will have to raise the bar and provide more imaginative products. This is not just in the complexity of the scenarios but also more innovative use of weather, times and very importantly, scenario specific scenery which can completely transform the way a route looks.

Are you scenario writers up to this new challenge Roll up up your sleeves, get stuck in and show us what really can be done with this program

-

[Fodda]

Love this idea, and would very much welcome a much smaller and less intrusive HUD too.

As for Free Roam, I don't use it as one has to spend way too long in the map box trying to see if the path ends or not in a siding or wherever. Not so bad at 10mph, but an absolute nightmare when doing over 60 in a long heavy steam consist. So setting a start and end point would be a fantastic fix for that problem.

Would also love to see TrackIR implented at some point soon too please. According to the manufacturers and the makers of the supported (and totally unconnected) Space Suttle sim, it only takes a couple of hours.

Please?