KUJU and the NEXT MSTS

As I mentioned in other Threads on this Subject, the latest Profit figures from KUJU are the reason why I think we can look forward to a Significant Improvement with the Next Version of MSTS.The rather brittle Internet is going down the Tube fast, even simple Worms being capable of destroying it, not helping further Growth in ONLINE Gaming, one of KUJU's majors as well as Play and X-Box, the latter also reaching Software saturation point.For KUJU a lot will depend on the success of MSTS-2003 to improve on what is most important to Bussinesses, their Shareholders and to me as an Accountant, the BOTTOM LINE = NET PROFIT !O t t o

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RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, richb, Jan-28-03, 10:53 AM, (1) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, sd70mac666, Jan-28-03, 12:54 PM, (2) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, lfriddle, Jan-29-03, 02:55 PM, (12) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, NW_611, Jan-28-03, 01:48 PM, (3) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, Darrel55, Jan-28-03, 03:41 PM, (4) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, OTTODAD, Jan-28-03, 10:36 PM, (5) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, crow357, Jan-28-03, 10:56 PM, (6) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, OTTODAD, Jan-28-03, 11:03 PM, (7) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, pwillard, Jan-29-03, 08:08 AM, (8) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, heffed, Jan-29-03, 10:38 AM, (10) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, downside, Jan-29-03, 08:49 AM, (9) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, OTTODAD, Jan-29-03, 11:26 AM, (11) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, Dokkensound, Jan-30-03, 11:38 PM, (13) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, OTTODAD, Jan-31-03, 08:29 AM, (14) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, chucksc, Jan-31-03, 02:15 PM, (15) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, OTTODAD, Jan-31-03, 03:51 PM, (17) RE: KUJU and the NEXT MSTS, edwardk, Jan-31-03, 03:36 PM, (16)

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Sure eventually a new version of MSTS will come out, but will it be at the cost of non-compatibility of all the present rolling stock, scenery and add-on's we have now! Some have invested a lot of money on payware add-on's, not to mention all the time and effort by add-on producer's who may have to re-tool for a new MSTS.As a long time user of the Flight Sim (since version 3) I have seen each and every upgrade partially or fully uncompatible with the previous version. One can only hope that the "powers" behind MSTS will try their best to make a new version at least somewhat compatible with the old.Rich

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The only thing I want is more research. If every locomotive had Locotrol I would not be bitching, I love using DP where it's practical. Independent control of the helpers would be a big plusThe Ragged they come and the ragged they kill
Down in the Cool air I can see
Superbeast; Rob ZombieI dragged your big-assed dirty robbed car out of that ditch

I Took Your Name: R.E.M.

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About compatability, one thing in going for us is that most of the way it was programmed (ACE and shape files for example) read almost verbatem like the examples in the Microsoft Direct X Program Development Guide. Unless they abandon Direct X, we should have a chance!
Larry

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I hope you're reading that right, 'cause I want Train Simulator 2.0, just like everyone else here. If they follow the strategy of the FS team, most of this stuff should be compatible and/or convertible. I do, however, understand the objection of the payware and developer perspective; however, hopefully the next entry in the franchise would be enough to sooth the loss. I figure I've bought into a hopefully long-running franchise, and my level of satisfaction is sufficient to buy the next one, especially if they don't muck anything up while providing "new" features and whatnot. Just follow the Flight Simulator model (but not the odd-even good/bad model) and I'll be happy. Sooner or later, I wouldn't mind something on the order of necessary communications with the nearest yard dispatcher; Falcon 4.0 communications would be rather nifty to have while driving my latest N&W acquisition.

____________________________________________________________________
Norfolk & Western’s Radford Division, Pulaski District: Who needs the Marias Pass?

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A big limiting factor for KUJU and a new TS is marketability. Seems like there are still a ton of slow underperforming pcs out there. A huge install of MSTS with tons of new options requiring lots of disc space and speed just wont be saleable for KUJU or Microsoft, at least for awhile.When and if it does happen, I do hope that it's compatable with all the extras we are using now. I think they or whoever could go a long way in just improving add-ons and how they are installed. And also support the editor/s and make them easier to use. I really really appreciate those developers for taking time to make the great add-ons. You should be commented for your time and interest in railroading and make it available to all.

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Darrel,you will never get REAL PROGRESS if you keep looking over your shoulder all the time, trying to cater for things past. What we want is a MSTS resembling the Quality and Functionality of FS2002 !> I really appreciate those developers for taking time to make the great add-ons.
> They should be commented for their time and interest in railroading and make it available to all. Yes, all of us do appreciate their efforts ! But programmers like myself thrive on new challenges to prevent our Creative Brain Cells from dying ! That's why I am so active in this forum at my age of 74 ! Never fear, whatever KUJU will come up with and it better be good, our ADD-ON Creators will rise to the challenge, to mention but one, SNIPER !!! O t t o

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5% profit? You gross almost 5 million dollars (or pounds) and all you make is 250,000?!?! That's awful! Heh, if it was me, I'd close and open a restaurant. Those generally get 10 to 15% profit.

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Yes Art, you got the drift ! Their ADMINISTRATION Charges reflect the costs of all the new Programmers they employed last year and opening another office.Now KUKJ and we MSTSers are hoping to get some results from these new "Programmers" ! O t t o

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Nah... Just our luck... they are probably all XBOX programmers.Pete Willard
-< The Keystone Works >-
Mechanical Engineering Dept.
http://www.trainsimstuff.com

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>Nah... Just our luck... they are probably all XBOX
>programmers. Hehe... No problem. I have an Xbox. -Jeff

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LAST EDITED ON Jan-29-03 AT 08:50 AM (EST)

It is all very well displaying those figures but they are out of context when not read in conjunction with the Chairman's report. No mention is made in those figures of the in excess of £5,000,000 raised through the flotation of the Company which appears in the balance sheet.It also mentions a signing of a major PC title for Microsoft (MSTS2 perhaps?? Perhaps not as elsewhere in the report there is mention of the continuing royalties from Train Simulator.), an xbox version of Fireblade (now completed) and a first person shooter game under licence from Games Workshop plus commencement of another game for Nintendo's GameCube.The whole report can be read at http://www.kuju.com/docs/Maiden%20Interims%20171202.pdfBill

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Bill,> No mention is made in those figures of the in excess of £5,000,000 raised
> through the flotation of the Company which appears in the balance sheet.Which raised I think £ 2.6+ mill. in hard cash.There again, it is the BOTTOM LINE in the BALANCE SHEET = NET CURRENT ASSETS of 2.6 mill. which matters. Not going to last as long as AMAZON's did. Profits will have to start rolling in soon !O t t o

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It's a double edged sword, if all the add-ons from this version of MSTS are compatible with V2.0 when it's released then the programers are shackled and the improvments are limited. Even though I work for a developer I would rather see the entire program improved radicaly then let the developers catch up. Yeah, we've all figured workarounds for many problems but face it, the physics as relates to train handling is still screwy and just not correct. Even if the code is radicaly changed, we still have all the models in 3dmax and other programs, if we need to reconvert them and create new .eng physics files I say it's well worth it if we all get a better product in the end.

Dokkensound
Train Artisan
Lighting & Sound

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Those are Jim Ward / SNIPER's sentiments precisely and I hope that is the way KUJY thinks as well.M$ has been trying to shed this "Backwards Compatibility" Shackle for years and we all know what that achieved, mostly the same of the previous dressed up differently ! O t t o

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LAST EDITED ON Jan-31-03 AT 02:17 PM (EDT)

Of Course they could provide a conversion utility like they did in early days with MSFS (either as a stand along utility or built in to the package like they do now)....
It will take quite a while to catch up again if they $hit-can everything IMHO! Of course the developers who are working with them will have the inside track... The rest of us will be some months catching up and in the meantime your freeware library will be unusable... Look at the havoc they cause every time they upgrade MSFS and take some months to release the SDK for the new version! Also IMHO based on past history they will only implement anything to about the 80% line in order to get it out the door and maximize profits.... So while some of the "new stuff" will be whiz-bang good looking... The back end will still not be 100% fixed... Improved but not fixed...
FWIW, My opinion is based on a long history with MSFS (How many revisions of that are there now?) and a long professional history of working with Microsoft Products...Chuck Schneider
(Virtual) CEO
North American (Virtual) Locomotive Works

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Ah yes, Chuck, I hope that everybody hangs on to the current MSTS and installs the new one in another partition, I sure will. I like my Routes the way they are now, having spent a lot of time perfecting them.That way we can carry on enjoying both and give the Developers time to catch up until such time that we can think about ditching the older version. Whether the latter will be able to carry on with the latest Graphics Cards and their drivers, DirectX-9 and AGP 8x remains to be seen. O t t o

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At this point, the only thing we can do is to try to guess what will & what won't happen. One thing is for sure, when you consider the amount of work that goes into making objects & routes, you would think that Microsoft/Kuju will attempt to provide a way for the current routes and objects to work with MSTS2. If you think about it, the two areas that are in question are the shape files & the route specific files. I don't believe there should be an issue with the wagon/eng files.Edward K.

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