BigVern

Agree, it was nice to get the opportunity to play test and offer some useful feedback. I didn't get quite as much done as I hoped, what with Covid over Christmas then being put off by the prospect of encountering gankers and griefers in MP but still a worthwhile exercise. Just wish we had been given a bit more to test in the SP game. Still, less than 24 hours now until the retail release.

Thanks for the confirmation. Must admit I enjoyed jumping back in earlier, is it me or the graphics improved slightly not so bright? Anyway I think I will definitely be buying this on Friday, concerns about a save game notwithstanding.

As the title asks really - with release of the retail version at (presumably) 1800 UTC/GMT on Friday 13th (ha!), I'm assuming at some point prior to that the play test will be wound down and the servers switched off? Going to have one last fling on it, though I see with the exception of EN1, most of the English servers are deserted.

Yes only electrics is going to lead to a slight lack of variety.

Correct. If you are in the "8" view while sat in the driving chair you can fly around to your hearts content. But once you physically leave the cab you must walk back to it, there's no magic morph command to suddenly put you back.

Sorry to bump this, but a week from release the developers are still staying quiet about this. Any information, please?

The problem with a voting system is that it could be used maliciously. A few people decide they think I have an ill favoured look about me or maybe I got a bit assertive in the chat and suddenly I'm voted off, when operationally I've done nothing wrong. The whole thing is a massive minefield and while I've not been playing the last week or so I've been lurking on the forum and tend to agree that private servers by invitation or acceptance are the only system which will provide some chance of working with sensible people. However that then brings the problem of who is going to run these, including any access and bandwidth costs and who the moderator/admin will be etc.

I just want to know if we will be able to save a SP run or scenario in progress. The devs continue to be silent on this issue.

I don't see passenger option as a gimmick. Sometimes it's just nice to chill and take a sideways view out of the carriage window,

Trouble is the damage is done now. You really don't want to jump on a server and find after 20 or 30 minutes your session is ruined by the gankers. SimRail MP was a great idea, ruined by the sad inevitability of human nature. Let's just hope the SP redeems it as I won't be buying this for MP.

Had this happen once, before the train was even off the platform. That in itself needs to be relaxed. In the real world (UK anyway) the driver would either get permission from the signaller to set back, or continue forward to the next station. Expect tea and biscuits with the manager... What makes it worse in SimRail is that the instruction persists even if you are many km beyond the station. Once you go beyond the point of no return, the next objective/waypoint should show.

In some ways it's good this happened now as it gives the devs a (very) limited time to decide what they are going to do about it prior to release two weeks today. However at the same time this should have been anticipated and stronger measures already in place, maybe better vetting of who is allowed on the playtest. This is probably a viral situation now which it will be very difficult to stamp out even on release. It's also the reason why many train sim players have been a bit cautious about calls for multiplayer in other games, due to the inevitable disruptive element on open public servers. Run 8 gets round it with private servers that are strictly monitored and I'm not sure what precautions the MP element of Trainz Surveyor has in place. This is why I'm hoping the single player element of the game is significantly bolstered from what has been revealed in the playtest - i.e. an all day timetable and the ability to save progress. We also need a SP signaller simulation. The current state of things is pushing SimRail from a must buy Day 1 purchase, to a let's wait and see - particularly the ongoing silence about whether or not there is a save game in SP.

I second that Sean, fantastic and one of my questions answered.

I have noticed on the EU07bthat running with the cab windows or doors open does not seem to allow any external sound to penetrate the cab. Running under bridges or tight walled cuttings (not encountered a tunnel yet so can't comment on that) does not generate any reverb bouncing off the wall. Going over metal bridges should also induce a bit of clatter and rattle. It's a lack of reverb audio that often makes the driving experience in TSW a bit bland. Hopefully there are plans to enable these effects in the game.

As this has been mentioned by myself several times without an answer and at the behest of another forum member, I'll post it here. Can we have confirmation whether or not in the full retail version we will be able to save a run in progress in Single Player to resume later? If so, is it worth implementing the feature in play test, so we can check if it works correctly? If there is not going to be a save feature then I respectfully suggest that a game which will possibly feature end to end runs of several hours absolutely needs a save feature so you can do them in more than one sitting. Thank you.

Well there are short runs but once the full game arrives I'm not going to want to spend time driving the same old stretch, or not be able to take a train across the entire route in my own time. There seems little point popping it in Suggestions, I've already asked the question several times in sight of the devs and they have not responded. Which is sadly leading me to suspect there may not be any means of saving a run in SP - as I said above will be nonsense as very few people have time to do a long run in one go, nor should you be sitting in front of a monitor without a break for that length of time.

Adding to comments above... At the station where you have to leave on the subsidiary signal, the HUD speed limit shows 40 km/h but on passing the signal you are hit with a 20, losing points (for those who care about such things) until you reduce speed. These training scenarios are quite long and point to why we need some sort of save game function enabling. I had to come off the game after the stage above which means I now need to start from the beginning again. It's also in the interests of the devs if there is a save game to get it out there for testing. We all know what a mess the save game in TSW was (still is to some extent) so give us a chance to prove it works. I don't know how SP will be organised in the final game, whether TSC style scenarios or the full playable timetable of TSW but it is not reasonable to expect people to sit 4 or 5 hours in front of the PC to do a run in one shot.

There was definitely no instruction to put the reverser in direction first - this needs sorting.

Similar to the notes function in SimSig. Nice find!

I don't think anyone was demanding per se, just wondering what had happened. Anyhow it's here now - even if only a couple of tutorials - so all is well. Incidentally you might have to push the update either by starting the game or going into Steam, where it was listed in the D/L queue for 3rd January!

I didn't struggle too much with Lazy LC. The two single lines at the bottom work on the acceptance system which was easier on the "domino" NX panel than the digital one. What does catch the unaware out is to clear the route for two of the lines towards Lazy you need to hit the train departure button, otherwise the exit track circuit will remain showing occupied and you can't route another train towards it.

It's more the fact there hasn't been an official update, given this was a milestone on the roadmap. Just checked the game and Train Driver is still faded out and no downloads pending on Steam. Quite right it's not the end of the world, but the single player is my primary interest as much as the multiplayer has provided me some amusement. There was a lot of anticipation around this stage of the test which I saw as the main course after the appetizer. Oh well, there's always tomorrow...

Problem is there doesn't seem much point going on MP, in case it suddenly gets pulled. Oh well guess I'll go and enjoy my 110 and N-wagons in TSW on its micro short route, pop back in later see if things have changed.

I was wondering that too. he came in, made his point, got the rebuttal and really that should be it. However it does make me wonder with hindsight if access to the play test should have involved answering some basic questions to assess experience with this type of game, a bit like some virtual airlines in Flight Sim expect you to take a test before agreeing membership.

Hopefully it won't be delayed, and the reason for official silence is that the team are working flat out to get the SP released.