[Noisemaker]

Paranoid posturing, or simply progress? I don't mind people saying what works best for them and their dislikes. And sure, I may personally judge when I hear it. But also am generally surprised by the differences that might be had by others. And too, MSTS really has had no corporate support for near 10 years now. I don't think it's fading anytime soon thanks to all the ardent users of it. But - am worried that someday it may simply just not work on a new Windows platform? Or maybe it will be Open BVE that bites the dust first? Is there anything worth migrating too should that become the case?

So yeah, it sounds like Nick is about to place the crown on something with this review. But I don't think that was his intent at all. Having been exposed to so many sims to do his reviews with, he'd be arguably the most well rounded to know the 'good, bad and uglies' of them all. But soon as I saw this come out, I knew Nick wasn't going to bash or diminish any sim by any means. Some are definitely progressing, but doesn't make them 'the best' by any means.... Yet. :derisive:

[CGW121]

Since there is no way to keep score and have standings like in sports any definition of the best is simply opinion. My best may be totally different than your best, and so on and so forth. And I have never watched any of this guys stuff so I cannot comment on him. The threads t that other site, can I say TrainSim.com here?, Seem to degenerate quickly to a schoolyard one upsmanship contest. Like the ones about payware diesel companies that are often preceded by keep it civil or it will be locked statement. Getting upset and hostile over a personal preference seems so 3rd grade to me. Blue is the best color!!! NO Red is!!! NA Na Na and so it goes. As a musician you should know what I mean that all types and flavors of musicians have their strong and weak points and so do sims. A suprising bit of info on musicianship, is that I find classical musicians are often the hardest to work with. One was a violist who was in a symphony orchestra. He was ok as long as he had sheet music, but ask him to improvise and he was lost. But I digress. As long as it is civil ok but far too often it just stirs up hard feelings and serves no real purpose. At least that is how I see it. So I avoid them like my exwife.

[Noisemaker]

I hear you on that. Saw someone ask if there was any good Canadian routes for RW yet, and suddenly accused of 'bashing' MSTS with that question. And too, I get my back up with some of the over exigent favoritism for Open Rails already. Not that there's anything wrong with Open Rails, or someone making a 20,000 poly steam engine that can only be run in OR. No. But like you say in the musical sense, if someone learns Chopin or Mozart, and vows never to play rock music on their electric guitar again - that's where it get's a bit much for me. But, like love - one rarely see's it coming, and opposites always seem to attract. ;)

Just listening to Nick's radio show here, and he's pointing out ALL the pros and cons with all the sims. And oh-oh-oh.... Train Dispatcher get's the crown? :ko2:
(Just kidding! :derisive: But he's being fair and balanced with all he's speaking about.)

[CGW121]

Speaking of Canadian routes my daughter gave me a book on the construction of Rogers Pass. An interesting read.

[Noisemaker]

Rogers Pass is a good one. But the real harrowing history is CP's Kicking Horse Pass. MLT's first route they put out. Though the scenery isn't great on it - a nail biting drive on it's short stretch. And that's with diesels and Dynamic braking at that. How they must've handled it back in the days of steam, good lord! And I think there's many relics to be had way down in the canyons of the poor trains that didn't make it.
Rogers Pass is definitely the more 'smoother' road for big CP freight today, but still pretty arduous for the engineers and all.

MLT does pretty good with the track at least on their routes. Nick even mentioned one of theirs in the show, and how he went at going to redo the tree's, then the houses, then just everything. Bit of a double edged sword with MLT routes. When I first get them, I think 'Wow! There's Hamilton, there's Banff, there's Washego....' And when I start seeing the vegetation and other structures, I get miffed and say 'that stuff is horrendously cheesy!' And like Nick - maybe if I put in different trees, swap those houses out for Ron Picardi's. Then it becomes a hunters obsession. I swear Andy Hockin put out GTA with as little scenery as possible, knowing full well I and others would be ripping it out and doing it 'our way' soon after we got the route. :ko2: This Bala 2.0 will be really interesting, as Rob Claxton wants to give MLT something that really 'looks good' route wise finally. And though I'm privy to some inside looks at it's development - I'm thinking to myself 'Get some of those Picardi houses there. Change that marsh area with some of the latest Russian vegetation...' Obviously why I'm no good with women to this day! :derisive: