[Z31SPL]

I wanted to see what you guys thought about this and how it effects activities in general. Not sure if this is a new idea or not but here it goes. So I was kind of tired of the whole process of having to spend as much time creating a new activity as playing it. Often I spent so long in the AE by the time I was done I wouldn't even want to run a train. This led to me taking a few months off from open rails to recover lol. I've been a bit behind with the new updates because I stayed with the stable release, but with the release of 1.1 I finally got to test out the ability to swap trains around the route.

So here's my new process which to me seems revolutionary. Now instead of creating activities or even a template for multiple activities, I create essentially worlds. I take a route and fully stock it with consists. So that means in the yards and industries they are fully loaded with loads and empties and the service depots are loaded with engines. I've been experimenting with this on Paul's Dominion Atlantic because of the smaller scale around Kentville Yard. So basically you load into this world and that's it you are free to do whatever you are in the mood for. You want to switch out some industries you chose an available engine in the yard and get to work. You want to build a train and take it on the road, no problem swap into some road power and get to work. When you are done for the day just save the game. Ready to get back into it just load it up and continue where you left off. No need for paths and all sorts of crazy work in the AE. To keep all of your work organized maybe you want a note pad or something to keep track of cars but it's pretty open ended. In the future I want to then maybe start adding in a stream of AI Traffc and see how that goes. So basically it's a persistent activity that doesn't end allowing tons of variety. Maybe not put an end to activities but it's an idea you can try to allow more time in the sim and actually using your trains.

[Z31SPL]

Some things I forgot to say (on my phone can't edit the post) basically more of an open sandbox concept than a structured activity (which still has it's merits) I also like the fact those coal hoppers I delivered two days ago are still there next time I'm riding by in another train, it's a cool feeling. Another thing In a structured activity you always know when and where there the meets are going to happen so on an so forth. If you set your ai traffic with a reasonable schedule I'm hoping I can get this to wokrk decently havn't gotten that far yet in testing. To me this effectively the definition of a "V scale layout" it's always there and you can leave and come back to it whenever you want. Another thing is you aren't using a utility to create consists you are effectively doing it yourself in game. To some people I see tht being tedious work in a yard but some people also would enjoy that sort of thing. Which could add depth to multiplayer sessions. As long as you populate your base route/activity with enough variety it's pretty self sustaining. With Open Rails ability to change weather and time on the fly it's pretty awesome. I don't know what the other train sims offer out there along these lines but I feel Open Rails can kind of take the lead on this. I know a lot of you guys are a little older and never got into the sandbox style games like grand theft auto, the saboteur, la noir etc but the feeling of being in an ongoing world is pretty unique. I'll let you guys chime in with your thoughts.

[steved]

I've been doing something similar for a while now. I took the LaSalle route and figured out what kind of industries there were and built a 180 car train around that. Of course 180 cars won't fit anywhere so you start by stuffing as many in the Rockford yard as you can. That'll give you about 20 cars and a caboose to start with. I just work one end to the other and back picking up and setting out cars that look like they belong. A "Granville Turn will take most of the day.
Once you get everything distributed along the line OR updates and you have to start over. :spiteful: :spiteful:

Steve

[vince]

JIm (Sniper97) Ward's Port Ogden & Northern route ( in the file library at trainsim.com) has activities as you describe. The route is actually two routes, one where a player has absolute control over his path and the AI route with hundreds of AI running. The player can't run the AI route part but the two routes do interact at interlocked junctions all of which the AI have priority.
All the yards and sidings in the route are populated with loose consists and helper engines.

I have not tried the route in OR yet. The multiple available player paths provide many starting points for the freestyle activities. The paths are all very short so all driving in OR would have to be in Manual Mode.

The route is a real fun joy to run in MSTS. Like setting up an imaginary work order: Pick up ALL loose consists and helpers in the route. You end up with a ~200 car train . . .
Writing this has now piqued my interest. I guess I'll dig a copy off my archive disk and give it a shot. I expect trouble due to the custom signalling that allows AI to run with a player in manual mode. I'll report results
regards,
vince

[Hamza97]

Nice idea there, i will try it..... :thumbup3:

[SetiRich]

I too have been thinking about continuing activities from one session to the next. My interest, however, is not so much in model RR type anything goes activity, but having real work assigned for different jobs on the line, and you pick your job & run it. This would enter an area of complexity that might be too much, but maybe not...

What if there was another program that kept track of the last state of the route, and set up next jobs in response to what was done. Something like this exists for model RR operations that even creates all the paperwork you'd every want (if you wanted any) or could do PDF's since we could refer to those on another screen or an iPad or phone.

This could also lend itself to multi-operator activities, but the server to keep track of that might be more than we want to get into.

Interesting thoughts...

[R H Steele]

I have been running the same activity for about 3 weeks now. Running it using many different AI trains as player, also using static engines as the player.***
Now that Carlo Santucci has "memorialized" the player train - it does not vanish as do AI trains when completing the path, OR only needs a player train to open the activity and for the save/resume function.
Activities can be written with a short path player train - just sits there - and the user can play the activity from many different perspectives.

*** (no path needed for static engines when used as player, you just have to be aware of switches and signals reserved for AI traffic.)

[slipperman]

Hi Gerry,
That's an interesting scenario (pardon the use of that word ;)) you've described!

Does the player train always have the highest priority, whichever consist is used? If so, wouldn't it be more realistic if it took the priority of whichever consist was being used and a set of services was created, each having their own priority level, into which the Player would be required to merge. There would be no need to worry about paths used by higher priority AI trains as the Player would be prevented from using them by signalling. Conversely, lower priority AI services would give precedence to the Player.

Apologies if I'm jumping too far ahead, or what I've described is already possible !

Cheers,
Ged

[Z31SPL]

SetiRich that is exactly what I have been doing but have just been using a notepad to hand write whatever jobs are done or in progress. Once I'm done doing a local job maybe I'll tie down that power on a siding and pretend the crew timed out and I'll jump to a switcher back in the yard and start building another train. Once that train is put together you can jump into some road power idling on the refueling tracks, couple them to the head end, pump some air and then depart on a journey to the next yard. If you get bored or tired on the way you can always tie it down in a siding and pretend you timed out. At any point in time you can save and exit and continue at a later session and you won't lose any progress. Maybe when you come back next time it will be raining ;) and like you I also believe multiplayer should play a big extension of this idea.

RH Steele thats an interesting idea also to try a common activity from multiple perspectives.

[R H Steele]

slipperman, on 06 May 2016 - 11:00 AM, said:

Hi Gerry,
That's an interesting scenario (pardon the use of that word ;)) you've described!

Does the player train always have the highest priority, whichever consist is used? If so, wouldn't it be more realistic if it took the priority of whichever consist was being used and a set of services was created, each having their own priority level, into which the Player would be required to merge. There would be no need to worry about paths used by higher priority AI trains as the Player would be prevented from using them by signalling. Conversely, lower priority AI services would give precedence to the Player.

Apologies if I'm jumping too far ahead, or what I've described is already possible !

Cheers,
Ged

Hi Ged, I have not thought about it in that way. I really don't know. I think you are jumping ahead into strictly OR activities. A Player train is a holdover idea from MSTS. I can see activities being written for OR that do not have a player train. When the activity loads and opens the first thing one does is open the Train List window and choose a train from all available to be the player train. Then something like your scenario (there's that word again :rolleyes: - but it is an excellent word and describes the situation precisely) would fall into place. Am I on the right track??