[R H Steele]

Csantucci, on 07 July 2015 - 12:56 PM, said:

...A new window has been created: the TrainListWindow (opened with Alt-F9). It contains the list of all AI trains plus the player train.

Carlo, may I ask a question. Reading the thread I notice AI being mentioned but no a "loose consist" engine that is driveable.
Would it be possible to include any engine that is listed in the activity ( it would need a CabView to be operable by the player)
Placing a loose engine in a yard to couple onto is considerably easier that inserting an AI train into the activity. I do that now, but of course have to couple to it to change cabs and use it as the player engine.

[atsf37l]

Good catch. I picked up on the fact that it would only work in an activity but I didn't realize that the second engine had to be an activity based AI. Concur that it should be any driveable locomotive. :bigboss:

[Howky]

in multiplayer it will work, too?

[Csantucci]

Re static consist locos: they can't be driven, because to run them they should have a path; but if they have a path, they are no more static consists... So at least in this first phase only AI trains may be eligible to be driven.
To use the static locos, they should be run as trains are run now in multiplayer, that is pathless. This is another story, especially if this occurs within an activity run. So for sure it won't be in the first release.

Re multiplayer: multiplayer and activities aren't good friends accordingly to my last experiences, however I will (not for the first release) test that train switching and multiplayer does not worsen the relationship between activities and multiplayer.

[atsf37l]

Understood. This will still be a long step toward full operation. Never had much luck with AI's. They are hard to do on unsignaled routes. Guess I'll have to do some learning. Shouldn't be too hard with an unmoving AI helper.

[longiron]

Csantucci, on 09 July 2015 - 11:02 AM, said:

Re static consist locos: they can't be driven, because to run them they should have a path; but if they have a path, they are no more static consists... So at least in this first phase only AI trains may be eligible to be driven.
To use the static locos, they should be run as trains are run now in multiplayer, that is pathless. This is another story, especially if this occurs within an activity run. So for sure it won't be in the first release.

In the first phase, would you consider an AI that has NO start time? It would mean an enhancement to Open Rails, so that it accepts act files that do not have a start time.

[R H Steele]

Csantucci, on 09 July 2015 - 11:02 AM, said:

Re static consist locos: they can't be driven, because to run them they should have a path;

If one were to "jump" to the loose consist (off-path) engine and move it to the player consist - using manual mode - then couple onto the player engines, would it not become part of the player consist and also path?

[atsf37l]

But it wouldn't have a path to run from its resting place to the helper position on the player train, right Carlo?

[R H Steele]

If I'm not mistaken (and could well be mistaken) I think it is possible now, within an activity, to couple onto a "loose consist" engine, change cabs, and using manual mode run that engine anywhere you want. (of course with AI traffic this would be subject to obey signals and switches that are reserved for traffic. But with an activity that has no traffic, you should be able to move anywhere in manual mode.)


While my above statement may prove to be true, it does not alter the fact, that what Carlo is proposing is an advancement in OR and just the beginning .... I don't think it rules out the possibility that eventually a player will be able to switch to any driveable engine and use it.

[atsf37l]

You are correct in your assumption. It would seem that anywhere the tracks go you should be able to run. Case in point are my RGS activities out of West Durango and Ridgway as well. The "Path" for my player engines at both terminals are from the ready track at the engine facilities to the end of track in the engine house or roundhouse respectively. The first thing I do is back away from the "Path" and I run "off path" with a red player symbol for the rest of the activity. Common practice was for the helper engine to assist to the top of the grade and then proceed ahead to the base of the next grade and be cut in there to help on the next hill and then repeat as necessary to get over the road. To accomplish this I drop the helper at the summit and have another copy of the same loco loose-consist-parked at the base of the next hill, as though it had run there on it's own. I pick up the helper with an unprototypical train-goes-to-helper action and continue the run. Makes it problematic to run out and back as there are all these helpers that have been dropped off at summits. But anyway, after I have picked up the helper I can switch cabs to that locomotive and run from the rear where I'm pushing or from the front engine on a double header, and sometimes after I cut off at the summit I will run the light helper down the hill or, in the case of a Ridgway to Peak (Dallas Divide) assignment, turn it and run it back to the terminal at Ridgway.

So yeah, once you hook up to a playable engine you can go to its cab and run it wherever you want. The big problem is making the hop from one player to another.

I'm no software guy but it still seems that you ought to be able to point-and-click on any operable locomotive and switch to its cab. If you can point to a switch and throw it with a keyboard/mouse command or uncouple cars in the same way, why can't you point to a locomotive and run it?

<_<