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"Where are the new activities?"

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flarrfan (418 posts)
Oct-24-01, 06:33 PM (EST) "Where are the new activities?" So, what's going on here? Very few posts, very few new activities, seems like most people with MSTS are content to collect the hundreds of skins and run their virtual toy trains around mostly empty tracks with little or no interest in prototypical operation. There are a bunch of people posting on the Trainz forum about the need for prototypical activities in the initial release, even though the plans are for the activity editor (called Yardmaster module) to be left out of the initial release until sometime later. Yet I see very little going on here, and as a prototype operations fanatic, I'm not sure why?????By the way, I'm not doing Marias activities anymore, since it seems like each new version of the route that comes out is screwing up paths or making the buggy signal system even worse.I may have a few new NEC activities with downloads from the A-Line site soon, but that's about it for me, so blame me for the lack of "activity" here if ya want Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
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Subject Author Message Date ID RE: Where are the new activities? baz Oct-24-01 1 RE: Where are the new activities? baz Oct-24-01 2 RE: Where are the new activities? lnghairedwizard Oct-25-01 3 RE: Where are the new activities? Vince Oct-30-01 4 RE: Where are the new activities? flarrfan Oct-30-01 5 RE: Where are the new activities? michigandon Oct-31-01 6 RE: Where are the new activities? rdfox Oct-31-01 7 RE: Where are the new activities? drjim Nov-05-01 8 RE: Where are the new activities? lnghairedwizard Nov-05-01 9 RE: Where are the new activities? michigandon Nov-06-01 10

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baz (120 posts)
Oct-24-01, 09:19 PM (EST) 1. "RE: Where are the new activities?" Yeah -- I installed Version 2 of Marias Pass -- I wish I hadn't now because whenever I either create an Activity myself or download one to play with , I don't know if the one I created is going to work on the default Marias Pass if I upload it or if the one I download will work on my machine.I don't know about all this "prototypical stuff" though -- not being a train driver , I wouldn't know a proto-whatever if I fell over one. However , I am always looking for steam activities. Trouble is most that I have seen involve downloading many other files as well and then trying to get them all to work . How about designing something for the European routes -- especially the Austrian one.Barry Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
baz (120 posts)
Oct-24-01, 09:22 PM (EST) 2. "RE: Where are the new activities?" Oh -- and one further thing. I did download some early Marias Pass activities that were supposed to be realistic. BUT -- the descriptions of what was required used quite a bit of "railway jargon" which frankly went right over my head! Barry Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
lnghairedwizard (165 posts)
Oct-25-01, 07:51 AM (EST) 3. "RE: Where are the new activities?" Actually I have just learned the Activity editor (Msts, as "buggy" as it is, is teaching me more bout computers than my A+ cert. classes.....hehe) and I have been planning on releasing a series of activities in some of the better add-on routes (I hope to tackle the Hoboken shore RR first). These activities will utilize add-on rolling stock, but only those that are bug proof and don't require juggling various files to get them to work (will include all the proper info for finding, downloading, and installing these add-on engines and cars). All those that love msts but lack time or patience to learn the activity editor please let me know what you would like to see in an activity such as:1. What prototype roadname?
2. few add-ons, or many for a more custom and interesting activity?
3. Types of activities
4. Level of assistance (such as pop-ups, included maps etc.)
5. Anything I forgot to mention ......LOLLonghairedwizard
E-mail me with any Ideasbbzak@msn.com Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Vince (40 posts)
Oct-30-01, 10:36 PM (EST) 4. "RE: Where are the new activities?" LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-01 AT 10:37 PM (EST)flarrfan writes:
>So, what's going on here? Very few posts, very few new >activities, seems like most people with MSTS are content to >collect the hundreds of skins and run their virtual toy trains >around mostly empty tracks with little or no interest in >prototypical operation.
<<snip>> Hold on for a bit longer flarrfan, I have been working on a large freight activity for the NEC route and it should be ready for distribution in a few days. Testing is in progress. The activity will come in two flavors, default equipment and custom. The custom will use the 3 GP-38 NECX engines, the IC cupola caboose and the GG-1 engine and will be setup to run on Bill Knowles v2.0 NEC route.
The default will run on the default route and all default equipment but I may have to sacrifice some traffic due to the miserable signaling and speed limits in the default route.
I still must contact Columbus Locomotive Works for permission to include the GG-1. There are over 45 traffic trains in the activity and close timing by the player will be a challenge to not cause delays to Amtrak passenger traffic. Players will be timed to run very close to the speed limits. Too fast or too slow and you will be rewarded with error messages.
In some cases (not planned) running too slow will kill the player with AI/Player train standoffs at a red light. Only found one of these possibilities so far. I did not do this on purpose, it just worked out that way. If you keep close to the speed limits it works fine.
Frame rates:
In the densely populated areas near Philly a few drops to around 10-15 fps but this does not last long. Most of the route gets 24-40 fps. This on a 866P3/512Meg/GEForce2 card.
So hang in there for a little longer,I'm workin hard to get this done right.Vince
NEC Track Team
vcockeram@lvcm.com
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flarrfan (418 posts)
Oct-30-01, 10:50 PM (EST) 5. "RE: Where are the new activities?" See this has bumped back to the top. I have a few NEC activities of my own that may get posted soon at the A-Line site, but as for future activities, I am somewhat distracted right now by a superior sim called FS2002, and now my 3DTrainStuff Tehachapi has arrived with only 2 full length activities, so I will need to create a few for that one (oil cans in the near future, methinks).Speaking of Tehachapi (and I know payware is a dirty word to some of you), is there any interest in sharing some activities for that route? The track work is very good, and from my personal railfanning experience, once you get out of Bakersfield or Mojave and through Tehachapi, the minimal scenery looks a lot like what's really there. I've made one full run and had a blast. I'm saved now on my second run, first westbound, at a red signal at the end of double track somewhere around Cable. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
michigandon (230 posts)
Oct-31-01, 02:10 AM (EST) 6. "RE: Where are the new activities?" Well I still haven't yet finished all of the activites that I HAVE downloaded so far, only so many hours in a day, y'know? So I got enough to keep my busy for a while yet. As of right now, Meg and I have been very busy trying to complete "The Mule" without piling it up. I usually don't download a new engine or skin unless I find an activity that I wanna try that requires it. "Explore Route" mode bores me to tears, and more often then not results in a spectacular derailment. Hey flarrfan, I'm dissapointed to hear that you're not making any more Marias Pass activites. I FINALLY ran your "Essex Turn part 2" just the other night and enjoyed it immensely. Haven't bought the Tehachapi route yet, but I probably will in the near future. I don't understand why all these payware outfits get treated like the Devil Incarnate all the time. And like you say, there really ain't all that much else out in that part of the country besides what 3DTrainstuff was able to include in their release! If you create a buncha new activites for it, I'm there!Don Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
rdfox (54 posts)
Oct-31-01, 02:20 PM (EST) 7. "RE: Where are the new activities?" Well, I was working on a rush hour activity for the El (v.0.6d), but was tripped up when I added the traffic... the lack of signals on the route as it stands now makes it impossible to run a prototypical traffic schedule without massive logjams around the Loop, and trains colliding in stations. So now, I'm holding off on any more work on it until Chris releases a signalled version.(For the record, if/when I finally release this, it'll include a complete 24-hour Tuesday schedule traffic pattern for the El, based on the schedules available on the CTA's website. While not very practical for most uses, it'd make a fine template for other activity designers to use on their own El activities; just cut out the section you want to use and delete all the other trains.)BTW, does anyone have information on the actual consists used on the various El lines? Particularly, number of cars on typical trains, and breakdowns of power cars and trailers. Thanks...RDF
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drjim (9 posts)
Nov-05-01, 06:43 PM (EST) 8. "RE: Where are the new activities?" I just beginning to get the hang of activity designing, and have been testing one for Marias Pass. (Need to add more rolling stock to the boring yards along the way.)But...your comment has me thinking about a mess I had earlier:
----------
seems like each new version of the route that comes out is screwing up paths or making the buggy signal system even worse.
----------I used to have those nasty pulled couplers just west of Cutbank until I learned about increasing the "break" strength. Then I did something that messed up the Activity Editor so badly that it took a reinstall to fix it. Suddenly, I was getting derailments along the gorge east of Conkelly - even when I faithfully held to the speed-limits. Another reinstall didn't help any. I figured that something was hanging around in the files even though I had "uninstalled" the whole package. I finally got back to the first "flavor" by completely reloading the entire system (Compaq has a Quick-Restore feature that resets everything - takes about 45-60 minutes but fixes just about anything that I mess up!!!!).This makes me think I should burn a CD of what's there now, just in case I "update" something and then find it was a mistake.
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lnghairedwizard (165 posts)
Nov-05-01, 07:02 PM (EST) 9. "RE: Where are the new activities?" Im working on a "Conrail" based activity for Rich Garber's East Metro RR route and one for Enocell's Hoboken Shore route right now (they should be finished real soon). They will of course require non-default rolling stock but they will be easy to install add-on and I will include easy instructions and all necessary info to find, and delete should things go south.(although hopefully there should be very few if any folks that have problems)Longhairedwizard Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
michigandon (230 posts)
Nov-06-01, 00:33 AM (EST) 10. "RE: Where are the new activities?" That sounds great Longhairedwizard. I just downloaded the East Metro the other night, and I've been having a ball with it!Don Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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