Previous Topic | Next Topic

LAST EDITED ON Jan-23-03 AT 05:13 AM (EST)

Hi all,I've got two questions to the experts on activity editing.First questionFor some repaints I am currently having beta tested, I would like to prepare a few activities on Marias 3.1 to be ready with the release of the repaints. One of them includes the following setup:The player drives a film crew from Essex to summit, via left track. The film crew wants to film a second train paralleling the players train on the right track, between Java and Mile 1153 (shortly before summit - and yes, engine and car have revised physics to minimize coupler breaks), and then go on to Glacier Park for a break.Now the film crew of course uses a flatcar with trailer in the consist, meaning that the speed limit for the player's train is 25mph. The train to be filmed is a passenger train with two Berk's, that rarely exceeds the 25 mph uphill. Still I would like to make use of the feature "ignore speed limits" available among the event windows, in order to allow the player to move the film crew train more flexibly to positions ahead and aft of the train to be filmed. Despite setting the activation level to 1 (even tried 2), and also having placed the event "end ingnoring speed limits", I still get citations for speeding whenever I take the player's train beyond 25mph. Any hint what else I need to do?Second question: In post
http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/DCForumID7/1421.html the issue of editing activities in order for the player to have AI consists of his/her choice is addressed, and to some degree warned of. Does anyone have experience with the quick and dirty way I wanted to include in my activities:All AI trains for each activity use default stock, but have their own unique consist with a name logically associated with the activity. For the above mentionned film crew activity, there are three AI trains Westbound:FilmCrew_XW_01.con, for FilmCrew_XW_01.srv
FilmCrew_XW_02.con, for FilmCrew_XW_02.srv
FilmCrew_XW_03.con, for FilmCrew_XW_03.srvI now want to instruct the player that he could include consists of his choice by simply substituting the default equipment consists with appropriately named consists the players build of his own liking. I'd be indicating in a list what the maximum length of the consists can be, plus where and when they appear and end. By just "overwriting" the consists provided with the activity, the player would not require to do any changes in the traffic pattern in the AE. Would that work in an (almost) "fool-proof" way, or what unthought of problems lie in this solution? Notice: A warning would discourage from changing the player's consist, and the few loose consists in the activity would not even get touched by a user who does not open the AE.Please adviseLukas a.k.a Swissie

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Hi,I believe that the Ignore speeds only concerns the Summary of the Activity that is displayed after ending the Activity.About that speed of 25 mph. Is that because the limit for freight trains is that low? Why don't you alter the type of the stuff to Carriage? That way you disguise it as a Passenger train with higher limits.And about the consists, yes I think you are on the right way. The warning about changing the consists by the user is mainly for reverse points. When you don't have reverse points, it's no concern for you.Dick van den Hoven

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Hi Dick,thanks for your answer.> I believe that the Ignore speeds only concerns the Summary of the Activity that is displayed after ending the Activity.Actually, I also get the "citation" for speeding exactly in the summary I also get a warning of course when using F5 while running faster.> About that speed of 25 mph. Is that because the limit for freight trains is that low? Why don't you alter the type of the stuff to
> Carriage? That way you disguise it as a Passenger train with higher limits.Yes, in MP version 3.1, the speed limit for freight has been lowered on that section of track (passenger still is 30mph). Yes, I thought about disguising, but I used the default US2 stack car (flat car loaded with truck). If I want to mask it, I'd have to do a repaint and classify this as carriage. The alternate would be to add a freight car to the parallel consist - guess if nothing else helps, I'll rather go that second way... > And about the consists, yes I think you are on the right way. The warning about changing the consists
> by the user is mainly for reverse points. When you don't have reverse points, it's no concern for you.Thanks for the warning regarding the reverse point: The player's train has a reverse over the tricky wye at Glacier Park (tricky due to the sudden downhill grade before reaching the end), and the train with the Berks has reverse points near Essex and Summit where it reverses from the right track onto the left, in order to fall behind the players consist for the single track sections. So that warning is definitely needed. The other AI trains would be straight forward meets that have to hold at Java West and Summit until the reversing Steamers clear the right track. Lukas a.k.a Swissie

Alert | IP

[ Home | MSTS Forum | MSTS FAQ | File Library ] Copyright © 2002 by Nels Anderson. All Rights Reserved.