Railworks screenshots

[TheTazman]

Thats pretty well worded and something i have been wondering about myself. I dont think i could have written it any clearer than you have there pete.

I'm actually not expecting any of these things in RS2:RW on release to be honest.
I see this as a consolidation of content (no more Euro/US split) and a setting up of the base code for future enhancements (including the above items) but this will NOT be visible on release. Consequently they are including spruced up locos, new routes and some fluff to make it appeal to the "off the shelf" customers, because they are not going to buy it for some potential for extra functionality or fixes/consolidations.
I believe those will come after the release, as this is primarily laying the code groundwork for future expansion.
People should temper their expectations for RS2 in my opinion. The RS2 release won't change your life... now RS2 into the future, I'm trusting that they will have the base they need to take us forwards

Simon

[Reppo]

I'm actually not expecting any of these things in RS2:RW on release to be honest.
I see this as a consolidation of content (no more Euro/US split) and a setting up of the base code for future enhancements (including the above items) but this will NOT be visible on release. Consequently they are including spruced up locos, new routes and some fluff to make it appeal to the "off the shelf" customers, because they are not going to buy it for some potential for extra functionality or fixes/consolidations.
I believe those will come after the release, as this is primarily laying the code groundwork for future expansion.
People should temper their expectations for RS2 in my opinion. The RS2 release won't change your life... now RS2 into the future, I'm trusting that they will have the base they need to take us forwards

You have a very respectable point of view
It is a very centered way of thought too.

I hope we could keep a elevated level of ideas interchange

I would like to be so optimist as you.

Thanks for quote me and answering.

[Klaabu]

We don't need new rolling stock or new routes, the things we really need are features that give realism.
With new and improved features in RS2, developers could build all of other things like locos, addons, etc.

I absolutely agree.
I have german version of the Trainz 2006 SP 1 (I've spent most of my free time with playing it - RailSim was uninstalled after release of Patch Mk 2) called "ProTrain Perfect" with all released add-ons. I enjoy it because it gives me most important - functionality. German security systems - SIFA, PZB 90, LZB, AFB, everything works fine there. Driving is like driving has to be - as realistic as possible. Stutter exists but much less than in Rail Sim. Train lights are working, dispatching can be automathic or manual (You can adjust path for trains Yourself), locomotive 3D cabs are well done (high poly cabs), AI trains can couple and uncouple, signalisation works right way ... and most important - You can write Your own scripts to make something working like You want. Only problem is that You can't overload it with traffic (but in some dence areas there is lots of traffic in reality). But Rail Sim has the same problem. Better functionality is what I'm expecting from developers of the Rail Simulator. Not few new locos and fictional routes 3-rd party developers can do. If I will not see important improvements (just mentioned earlier) in Rail Sim 2 then I will not buy it name it Railworks or whatever. That's it. In current state of development we still don't have any information about improvements in code.

[Reppo]

All time, money, human resources used to create new rolling stock and routes could have been used to improve things as basics as level crossings, lights and dynamic smoke.

But I understand it anyway, locomotives and routes are more "easy to sale".

MK3 was free.....not for money interchangeable...

Two good reasons, obviously.

Regards.

[nikos1]

It looks like we are still going to be stuck with the same non variable particle effects.

Is there some nuance I'm missing when I look? How can you tell from a static picture?

Its rather obvious, the smoke effects look the exact same as in RS. According to the description in the Deltic shot, the train is stopped at a signal, yet it is still spewing out a cloud of smoke.
The fact that likely none of the important problems will be fixed is rather disheartening. The cancellation of MSTS2 has really left me caring less and less about train simulation, i was hoping RW would respark this interest but im having serious doubts about whether it will be even worth buying. The only thing that looks worth the purchase price at this time is Dereks 37.

[AndyUK]

what era is this new german train from ? cause im sure one of the early british diesels was built using surplus parts from them ? just cant remember which

The Western Region D8xx Warships built between 1958 and 1962 were to the same basic design as the V200s but scaled down to fit the more restricted loading gauge over here. The same engines, Maybach MD650 and MAN L12V18/21; and transmissions, Mekydro K104 and Voith LT306 were used in the British locos. The order was split between Swindon Works and North British (NBL) of Glasgow. The Swindon locos* had Maybach engines and Mekydro transmissions the majority of which were built in Germany but were not, as far as I know, 'surplus' V200 parts. NBL used the MAN / Voith combination both built by them under license.
*Except D830 which used Paxman 12YJXL engines instead.

Andy L

[AndyUK]

All time, money, human resources used to create new rolling stock and routes could have been used to improve things as basics as level crossings, lights and dynamic smoke.

Reppo,

I think you are being a bit hasty there, the only improvement you mention that has been confirmed as not being in RailWorks is the lights illuminating the track (http://www.railsimulator.com/en/node/6200#comment-20816). I also doubt that those involved in creating the new rolling stock and routes are the same people who do the coding and would therefore not have been able to attend to the improvements instead.

As release is a maximum of 6 weeks away it can't be long before we know exactly what has been improved, even if we have to wait for someone here to buy it and report back!

Andy L

[mikesimpson]

It really is a pity that no list of 'improvements' has been leaked by RS or whatever their name is this week. The screen pictures show mainly the same old stuff plus a mythical route and more British diesels which we need like a hole in the head.

I did notice on the RS forum quoted above that although Derek does say the headlights will still not work, he does not mention level crossings so maybe, by exclusion, he is saying they do work?

As RS had supposedly been working on patch #3 for the many months which have passed since patch #2, I can't really imagine that they have done nothing except merge the Eu/US versions of the simulator and reboxed them as Rail Works, then are trying to sell us the same thing we have already spent hundreds of dollars on? I really do expect that a lot of work has been done 'under the hood' and if not, why not?

I had a merged version of the EU\US simulators working within a week or so of the release of the US version, so it was hardly brain surgery to do this.

[RailX]

sorry, i can only leave a comment about the shown screenshots, i can see nothing new on them.

i heard that the lights will not project onto the tracks, is that right?

regards

Rail-X

[tk421]

These screenshots are OK and graphics look correct. But I don't see that "significant graphic advancements" we were told RW will have.
Shadows are a little better, there are a couple of new shaders, and the distance of view seems larger. But I don't see heat haze, HDR or a new ligthing system (Maybe I don't see them on the screenshots but they really are). That would be significant graphic advancements.

Some people are a little bit disappointed, not because the game looks bad, but because they had greater expectations. And that's, in my humble opinion, where the problem is.

It would be great if RSDL wrote a list of all the bugs fixed and the improvements made. Instead of talking in general about the "incredibly high levels of realism" that generate incredibly high expectations, it would be better to say "Hey, this is what RW offers and this is what it won't offer".
If what RW offers is incredible, people would just buy it, and if it's only an MK3 with some content, people will now what really is, and they also may buy it. We are not the medium young videogame player who buys a game because of what the cover says.
I'm sure there's a lot of people that would buy RW if it's more stable than RS and has less stuttering. That and the new content will convince a lot of us. But only if we are expecting that.

Also, maybe there are a lot more of things that have been improved in RW, but we haven't seen them. Use your marketing tools wisely. The best way to make someone buy your product (specially if it is a simulator) is by showing him the best part of it, or at least some of the good things, not the correct-only ones. So, show us videos with the new functions, effects, animations or whatever is really good in RW.

Take for example the new Terminator videogame. They've shown a lot of videos of the co-op, covering system, enemies, and there are also a lot of screenshots on the net. It may or may not be a good game, but it looks good, and it has the co-op, covering system and enemies they say it has, because we've seen them.

I'm not saying that RW graphics are bad, but if the graphic engine doesn't seem the greatest advancement of the game, then show us more things.

I hope you take this as constructive criticism. I still like very much RS and I'm sure I will also like RW a lot.

Thank you for your commitment to railfans! Keep the good work!

[nikos1]

And the lights themselves seem to be the same plane of texture . that was with RS, very unconvincing.
Honestly as awfully unrealistic as Trainz is atleast they got the lights right.
RS seems to be going down the trainz classics road right now, marginal improvements repackaged as a new game.

[longbow]

I think that's right, although I believe RW will include new patches centred on improvements to scenario handling

[exshunter]

And the lights themselves seem to be the same plane of texture . that was with RS, very unconvincing.
Honestly as awfully unrealistic as Trainz is atleast they got the lights right.
RS seems to be going down the trainz classics road right now, marginal improvements repackaged as a new game.

I really hope that RS are not following the Trainz way of doing things ( releasing virtually the same game several times over ). Myself, and i suspect many others on this forum want nothing more than for RW to be a hit, and to fix a lot of things that were'nt in RS. I will buy this next version if only for Dereks 37 , but i would also stress that if there is no effort to improve gameplay/realism etc (including the pesky stuttering, wipers that serve a function, dynamic smoke linked to throttle etc) then i will be knocking it on the head. So c'mon RSDL, please dont let us down.

[iceman2117]

the Days to Release was brighter, and the News darker

Lights, ...
So if this is true by the lights of the trains were not changed, there is no real roadmap there,
crossings do not work, then I ask myself: "What shall we do with the RS II?

It then shows the more you do not have access to the main code has.
So ignorrant can not be deemed not to understand what the main requirements of the user.
This leaves the RS I and RS II continues to be a program with a small fan community.

There seems to be a rather Mr Gatland fog candles and annoyance to donate, instead of a reasonable Railsimulator.

If it were not "real" changes in the RS II are, then you can immediately turn the blinds shut.

greets ice

[longbow]

It seems quite a few posters here aren't up to speed with what RW is about - read karma99's post for a realistic assessment of what it will contain. As I understand it RS.com got control of the source code only recently so this was never going to be RS2. Think of it instead as RS Gold, aimed primarily at new users. If you want to see an RS2 eventually, don't begrudge that - RS.com will need the extra revenue and new users that it will bring, especially in the US, to make further game development viable.