BigVern

SimRail gets better and better! Bring on the pre-order - my Steam Wallet funds are straining at the leash...

This is where SimRail does it right, unlike TSW where you are driving your Class 45 or Class 47 loco hauled train across the Pennines but absurdly have to "operate" the doors at stations. On old style slam door coaching stock without central locking, passengers opened and closed the doors themselves with the station staff or guard assisting with closure before departure. Not the driver's job.

One of the reasons I rarely ventured outside single player in ED, except when I was up at Beagle Point where only the most hardy and dedicated players ventured (a virtual 65K light years from the populated "Bubble"). I think the griefing even made mainstream news, there was some sort of special event laid on for a player who was terminally ill and the evil element made it their purpose to try and interrupt or even destroy the mission. The sad thing about ED is that David Braben and the other devs at Frontier turned a blind eye and even semi condoned the anti social activity as "emergent" gameplay. Hopefully (to stay on topic) SimRail won't demonstrate the same mindset.

As I mentioned in another thread, think there should be an option to switch off the alerter which is a PITA but keep the signalling system active.

Funnily enough was thinking about this last night. If implemented might need an on screen countdown similar to what we get for signal distances now.

I must admit to getting a bit confused between the Line (route?) number and the actual track number which I believe is prefixed by "Tor".

I know there are some very good and scenic narrow gauge routes in Poland, would be great to see one or more of these come to SimRail eventually. The low traffic levels and simpler track layouts would be ideal for a more relaxing MP or dispatcher environment. Narrow gauge, if feasible, would also increase the scope for user created routes.

Especially are we getting any diesels?

Paying for the game didn't stop the griefing in Elite Dangerous.

That looks like one of my Trainz routes... 🤯

Agree Sean. Had my first go at Lazy earlier this evening and delayed a couple of AI services while I established how things work, including diverting a train onto an alternate line (in the correct direction) as I hadn't realised you needed to clear the block with the train departed button. Would be easy for someone to report that as a frivolous re-routing when in fact there was no ill intent. What does need clamping down on (possibly) is cases where players are setting up races or deliberately sending trains on a collision course.

Verify files in Steam maybe?

Just had a go at Lazy for about an hour, worked out most of the moves. Only thing I didn't figure yet is what the top and bottom tracks on the RHS of the panel operate but nothing ran either on or off those lines during my time. I did pick up on the left end towards Lazy LB you must hit the departure confirmation to clear the track for the next train. And there's a fair bit of traffic off Line 3 which requires the acceptance etc. procedure. But quietly pleased I didn't mess it up, though you do get a bit of a sweat on when it's a player train not a bot!

Anyhow having a quick go at Lazy on a quiet server. So far so good, learned that for trains towards Lazy LB you need to hit train departure button to clear down the route for the next train. You.ve also got a lot of traffic from Lazy LB on that Line 3 where you need to confirm acceptance and give train out of section.

Think I had one or two on Derail Valley looking like that too!

It will still be great - I'm looking forward to driving the full length of the routes. I wonder if it will be possible to dispatch Warsaw Central in MP mode! Despite my reservations, if they opened it up for pre-order tomorrow mine would be going in.

I understand some of what you're saying Gazz, but at the point of a public play test less than a month before retail release some of these issues ought not really to have been cropping up. "Still working" on AI Dispatcher at this point, as mentioned in another thread just now, is a bit worrying as is server reliability. Play test (or Open Beta) in my book should be the pre-gold version, i.e. pretty much what is going out on release date and not really need much changing other than some unforeseen game breaking bug. I don't know what sort of closed beta or testing period preceded what we have now, but it looks like a lot of what's being picked up now wasn't spotted. I'm not trying to be negative here, still think the game is great despite my distraction last night and will be a Day 1 purchase for me.

Is part of the problem they have made the signalling control way too complex for many casual users? I worked on the real railway for over 40 years, not as a signaller, though in the Control I was expected to have a working knowledge of the principles of the system. However I couldn't have just walked into a signalbox - manual with semaphores, NX ("domino") or even modern computer screen ARS and started to operate the controls and move trains. I believe it is something like a 3 month (maybe longer) training course for UK signallers and that's before they learn specific signalboxes with the relevant local instructions. Yet SimRail is dropping people into the signaller role with the scantest of knowledge in some cases. Would something like the PC Rail, SimSig or even SIAM system where routing etc. is greatly simplified not have been a better approach? There is obviously a disruptive element at work presently but many of the problems may well be due to well intentioned people having a go and getting overwhelmed or stuck. Maybe there needs to be some on screen prompts or help if an action is required but the signaller hasn't got around to it.

Pretty much how I feel. Found myself back in TSW last night trying out the new German route with the 110. Okay it's not really worth £30 but it is quite nice. So far as SimRail MP is concerned, pretty much seen what there is to see. It could be solid, but server reliability, whether or not you end up on a server with a group of people messing about, driving the same 20 to 30 km before coming to a signal permanently stuck at red... All stuff that really needs to be addressed. Well the shine wore off fairly quickly. Guess I should have another go at dispatching but at this point I really just want to see how the SP works out.

Could this be the issue that occurs if the initial server connection attempt fails? It then attempts to recover but instead puts you in a stationary train where everything appears to be active but you can't raise or lower pantographs or get anything to actually work. Maybe it would be better if a failed connection actually returned you to the server menu rather than put you in this "limbo" world.

Disagree to some extent. We have TSW where the nights are pitch black, even in large towns and cities where there should be plenty of ambient light pollution. Even out in the countryside on a bright moonlit night it won't be absolute dark. At least give a choice to keep things as they are.

Just watched the first 30 minutes of your clip Sean and noticed that too. BTW (and sorry if you already knew this), once you get to Notch 28 on the throttle you can start bringing up the shunt regulator to increase tractive effort while reducing power consumption.

Well I would hope SP in the full version will offer a complete timetable and not just a handful of bespoke scenarios, as we get with DTG TSC routes.

I t wouldn't load the server list from the MP button on the main menu, pop up box connection lost. Back to TSW for tonight, I guess. Think it might be time to rest SimRail until the SP test unlocks in a few days.

Tried to get started, clicked Multiplayer but the server list isn't populating and I'm getting the "Unable To Connect..." pop up again. I'll try verifying the files on Steam, see if that helps.