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darkfyre (43 posts)
Feb-06-02, 12:46 PM (EST) "Suggestions for new routes.." Ya know, its nice and all that we have all these updates for Marias Pass and NEC; but what about making other routes such as the tracks around Burlington yard, or Santa Fe; or even an amtrak/B&M route that extends into Boston and Portland, Maine? or you could make extensions that go into those areas...as for the Maine extension, maybe you could do the Maine Central route?Boston area: Connecticut/Mass./Rhode Island: New Hampshire: Maine: Portland Area: Vermont:
And Heres the legend: http://www.guilfordrail.com/legend.htm
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Subject Author Message Date ID RE: Suggestions for new routes.. ccyko Feb-06-02 1 RE: Suggestions for new routes.. rjdiii Feb-06-02 3 RE: Suggestions for new routes.. DKlemm Feb-06-02 2 RE: Suggestions for new routes.. gilbertsfridge Feb-06-02 4 RE: Suggestions for new routes.. LawrenceKellie Feb-06-02 5 RE: Suggestions for new routes.. landnrailroader Feb-06-02 6 RE: Suggestions for new routes.. LawrenceKellie Feb-06-02 7 Oh... darkfyre Feb-06-02 8 RE: Oh... smolds Feb-07-02 10 RE: Oh... LawrenceKellie Feb-07-02 11 RE: Oh... Motley24Crue2 Feb-07-02 12 RE: Suggestions for new routes.. rjdiii Feb-07-02 9

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ccyko (386 posts)
Feb-06-02, 04:17 PM (EST) 1. "RE: Suggestions for new routes.." ccyko (384 posts)
Feb-05-02, 06:09 PM (EST)
1. "RE: can some one make Western New York and Pennsylvania"
NO!... sorry, always wanted to say that to one of these posts.
Route designers usually build something that is of intrest to them personally. (Like the 'L' for me.) To date, I don't believe I've seen any requests come to fruition, even the NYC subway system which seems to be in high demand. If you are looking for something to be built, the most reliable way to get it done, at least while route building is still such a consuming process, is to break out the editor and begin learning. Afterall, someone who has the passion for the line will have to most initiative to take the time necessary to create an accurate representation of it.-Chris
Chicago-

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rjdiii (38 posts)
Feb-06-02, 05:00 PM (EST) 3. "RE: Suggestions for new routes.." I would like to second that and, state that I would have much prefered not to have spent the last 4 months doing and redoing and redoing and restarting and rebooting yahtadatada, learning the RGE and RE and all other BS associated with route building. But... the route I'm working on interests, me so I've made the effort. 4 months worth of work and I'm MAYBE, and that's being optimistic, 5% complete on a 175 mile route.For "modern" prototype USA routes most of the basic resources are out there, free (DEMs, DEM-EX, aerial photography and, most importantly, the knowledge base found here), you just need to put in the time. I'm not artistically inclined and all those tools like TSM, for creating objects, what with models and textures with alpha channels (whatever the hell they are), just totally flimflam me. But, because the route interests me I'll keep working on it for the time being. I too really doubt there is anyone out there looking for a route to take on. I think the route along the New Hampshire Vermont border particularly would be magnificant, so get busy, you've expressed an interest in the route, get to it, we can't wait to see what you comeup with.Richard Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
DKlemm (1109 posts)
Feb-06-02, 04:32 PM (EST) 2. "RE: Suggestions for new routes.." As ccyko has said, your not the first person to ask and will more than likely not get a taker. I've been working on the IC route since last June, with the release one beginning in late July. I've spent an easy 400 hours or more on it. If I wasn't interested in this route, I wouldn't be doing it. So you need to find someone interested in the route, you, and start doing it.
David Klemm
Illinois Central Route
Illinois and St Louis Divisions
Ver 0.6 uploaded
Working on Decatur IL
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gilbertsfridge (46 posts)
Feb-06-02, 05:43 PM (EST) 4. "RE: Suggestions for new routes.." I'd tend to agree, I'm a myopic perfectionist so I don't have the patience to build an accurate representation of the routes I know and love (i.e. the mainlines and branches between Lands End and John O' Groats, and maybe a spur to Europe), so certainly wouldn't try one I don't know, unless I was paid, which I wouldn't be because I'm not qualified.Instead I plod toward the eventual release of my Little Britain fictional route (based on a little ditty by a dance group called Dreadzone, itself sampled from Carmina Buruna). The trouble with British routes is that there is barely an inch of trackage that isn't cluttered with one kind of highly detailed crap or another, it is therefore taking time.On the other hand, all is not lost, or at least not for me as there are many talented people over at UKTrainSim.com doing sterling work on my favourite routes. Given time, every imaginable route will be available, but the only way to speed that up is to make a start now and add your bit of the world to the rest of the Trainsim world.Hope I don't sound preachy.
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LawrenceKellie (1256 posts)
Feb-06-02, 06:14 PM (EST) 5. "RE: Suggestions for new routes.." At the risk of being labeled (again) critical, down, crybaby, negative, I would like to provide some perspective on this point.There certainly is nothing wrong with asking that a route be created, or supplying an idea for a route. I lived in Northern New England for several very happy years. The routes that you suggest along the Maine coastline and up central Vermont or up central New Hampshire, for that matter, would be incredibly scenic.Now comes the hammer! There are different disciplines, if you please, in MSTS add ons. There are the engine tweakers, the skinners, the shape creators, the route makers, the activity makers.I have done a little of almost all of those, so I think that I can make this generalization. For almost all of those, the craftsman can use previously created items to create new ones.Take for example the craftsman who wants to make a new tree shape. Well, take an old tree shape (in the 3d modeling software) and apply new textures. That's it. You have a new tree.Or what about a "snoot nose" SD40? I realize that this is overly simplistic, but essentially, you can take an existing SD40, pull a couple of points, and you have a new one. Again, I realize that is simplistic, but the point is that you don't have to start over, from ground zero, nothing, nada.Or, skinning a locomotive. Again, those skinners can take old textures, or textures that they have set up to use as "templates," and work quite quickly producing a newly painted item.Well, what about the route makers?Unfortunately, we must always start new. Except for your repertoire of shapes, we cannot copy and modify anything. We have to create the route in the RGE, from scratch, obtain digital elevation data (if we want to automatically create the terrain) or manually create the terrain, insert all the track, insert all the roads, insert all the scenery, start over because the editor crashed and ate the route , etc. There is almost nothing that we can use as a foundation for the new route...except our experience.Therefore, requesting a new route is NOT like requesting a new skin, shape, engine performance. Route makers start fresh every time--and like I said above, sometimes more than once per route!Am I complaining? Absolutely not. I thoroughly enjoy creating routes....and, I think, I am good at it. But regardless, creating a route is a many month process, and the more prototypical it is, the more complete it is, the longer it will take to create.So, go ahead and ask. But as much as I would like to see something up in that area, too, I currently have three (yes 3) routes that I am working on: Tapiola Version 2, GM&O, and a surprise (prototypical). Oh almost forgot. It is four routes that I am working on. The fourth is for my personal amusement alone..
Lawrence
Tapiola now here at Train-Sim.com
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landnrailroader (155 posts)
Feb-06-02, 06:54 PM (EST) 6. "RE: Suggestions for new routes.." The suggestions that I have seen are all excellent. Therefore, the question I pose is this.Considering that it takes 200MBT or more to create a route, how in the sam-hill are we going to distribute these routes. It is nice, if you have a Cable connection, or DSL or somesuch, but I have a 56K modem, and no real justification for any other. Therefore, as I create routes, I will be sending CDs of the route to selected acquaintances, and hope that they might--1: Improve the objects and artistic stuff if they wish, and 2: send a couple of copies to their selected friends. I also play with Flight-Sim, and Combat-sim I & II, but most of the scenery that has been created for FS is of a single airport, or in some cases a few airports. In our stuff, we are basically creating a little piece of the world essentially from scratch. A typical FS scenery is 10mbt at most.Now here is what is in my pipe - course a better RE would be nice, but this flea bitten piece of memory eater works, if you have a liberal dose of patient, mountain dew, and pain killer, not to mention a bucket of prozac perhaps.1. Clinchfield, North End, (CSX Kingsport Sub.) Track is complete will all branches as of about 1990. Roads are going in place around Elkhorn City, along with some residences and other structures.
Next, in order, will be complete roads, then put signals on the road crossing, and lastly signals on the track. Probably throw in some vegetation as well, but may leave that up to the artists.2. Well along in research, and data gathering on Clinchfield, south end, i.e. CSX Blue Ridge SD. Scenery generated with new version of MicroDem and older version of Demex, then saved to CD for safekeeping.3. Data on hand, for Louisville & Nashville, main stem, Louisville to Nashville.4. Data on hand for Chattanooga Subdivision, former L&N line from Nashville to Chattanooga.5. Data on hand for recently abandoned old main line between Etowah, TN and Copperhill, TN, including the Hiwassee Loop.6. Data (profiles) just received for the sadly fallen flag, Milwaukee Road, between Alberton, MT and AVery, ID. This one will be done with Catenary, although that which comes with MSTS does not look like the CMSt.P&P variety. I have a friend at the Wisconsin Central who monitors this group and got it for me. He claims MSTS is the most expensive Christmas gift his wife ever gave him, since he had to upgrade his PC to run it.J. H. Sullivan, P.E.(retired)
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LawrenceKellie (1256 posts)
Feb-06-02, 07:51 PM (EST) 7. "RE: Suggestions for new routes.." It sounds to me that you have just given yourself justification for a faster connection. .
Lawrence
Tapiola now here at Train-Sim.com
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darkfyre (43 posts)
Feb-06-02, 10:59 PM (EST) 8. "Oh..." LAST EDITED ON Feb-06-02 AT 11:02 PM (EST)Just went and tried to edit an existing route.Didn't quite work.1. Sitting there staring at a bunch of grey buttons that don't do anything.2. Using temperamental tools that only work 25% of the time.3. Sitting there staring at a bunch of pixels without knowing where to begin.-------------Real eye opener..Been seeing lots and lots of routes being posted every week; and since the track editor in Railroad Tycoon was easy to use, figured Microsoft/Kuju would follow in it's footsteps...Guess I was wrong..Why do the big corporations have to always do things the hard way?I'm not much of a route designer; but i can skin a train IF my life depended on it.. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
smolds (74 posts)
Feb-07-02, 05:45 PM (EST) 10. "RE: Oh..." "Real eye opener..Been seeing lots and lots of routes being posted every week; and since the track editor in Railroad Tycoon was easy to use, figured Microsoft/Kuju would follow in it's footsteps...Guess I was wrong..Why do the big corporations have to always do things the hard way?"Hey, man, don't blame Microsoft - they are busy taking the entire month off to fix all the security holes in their software! Stephen Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
LawrenceKellie (1256 posts)
Feb-07-02, 06:15 PM (EST) 11. "RE: Oh..." Thought I would comment on your comments.>1. Sitting there staring at a
>bunch of grey buttons that
>don't do anything. Sorry, that is incorrect. They do do something. You just have to know what they do. Therefore, the first thing *you* need to do is to learn what they do, then when you click on them, you will be able to use the tool. Did you consider reading the help file?>2. Using temperamental tools that only
>work 25% of the time. Again, you are incorrect. The Route Editor works 100% of the time, IF *you* follow a few oft-stated suggestions. The first and foremost is that you need a significant amount of RAM available.>3. Sitting there staring at a
>bunch of pixels without knowing
>where to begin. This may well be the most truthful statement in your post.>Real eye opener..Been seeing lots and
>lots of routes being posted
>every week; and since the Did you know that each one of those "lots and lots of routes" took hundreds of hours, in other words, months to complete? That would be like a pine tree looking at an apple orchard's harvest and saying, "Since so many apples are coming from there, it sure must be easy to grow an apple," without realizing that it takes months to grow an apple.>track editor in Railroad Tycoon
>was easy to use, figured That was a mistake. Assuming that because statement A is true then statement B must be true is illogical. Those who have used various software *know* that you can't make that assumption.>Microsoft/Kuju would follow in it's
>footsteps...Guess I was wrong..Why do Why? Why would MS/KUJU use someone elses work to create their work? Did you know that that sort of behavior is against the law? It is breaking intellectual property laws which protect such a thing from happening.>the big corporations have to
>always do things the hard
>way? Why do those who can't do something "always" blame something or someone else for their inadequacies?The chances of me skinning a locomotive is very remote. But that is *my* fault, *my* lacking, not Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop's fault.The chances of me flying a Boeing 757 is very remote. But that is not the fault of Beoing!The chances of me creating a complex object like a locomotive is extremely remote. Is that Abacus (creator of TSM) fault? Or Amabilis (3d Canvas) fault?Do something unique. Take responsibility for what you may be unable to do and stop blaming someone/something else..
Lawrence
Tapiola now here at Train-Sim.com
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Motley24Crue2 (333 posts)
Feb-07-02, 08:00 PM (EST) 12. "RE: Oh..." hehe Lawrence i do have to say you have a Sense of Humor when it comes to this Sim, yes this Sim can be difficult and hard to understand, unless you take the time to understand the program and it's uses, and as said Several times by you and others in the Forum Ram is a must, i just maxed my system "Kinda sucks i was only able to but 384mb, that's all it takes ... and i upgraded the Processor to Pentium III 850 that made a big Difference the Editor doesn't have that Many panic Attacks anymore.... whohooBob... Philly, Pa Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
rjdiii (38 posts)
Feb-07-02, 04:28 PM (EST) 9. "RE: Suggestions for new routes.." Re: 200MB route. It's amazing just how much you can remove and compress if you're planning on distributing a route electronically. A 200MB full route will probably end up being ~20 thru 25MB thinned and compressed. My ~340MB route compresses to ~47MB with about 2 minutes of deleting e and n .raw files, .bk and .mkr files, and removing the activites related directories before making a compressed backup every night.Also, an alternative to CD only distribution is to send a CD to someone with a quick connection to upload it (a compressed version) for you.Richard Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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