[Csantucci]

I would like to easily associate to each passenger train and to each station stop a sound file that is played when the train is going to depart (this could be done in an enhanced Activity Editor). Examples of such sound files for all (!) Italian trains can be found in the website www.e656.net . Here you have a page about Milano Centrale http://www.e656.net/...06-alle-12.html . Click on any loudspeaker symbol in the last column, download the .mp3 file and play it (same artificial voice as in real announcements).

[Genma Saotome]

One more idea: Recently I learned that an AI consist would "appear" out of thin air at the start of its run and "disappear" at the end. How about adding some logic to the Activity code to allow the activity designer to choose between the original MSTS practice or having the AI train physically present before and/or after its run (i.e., something like LoadBeforeRun( Yes | No ) and (RemoveAfterRun ( Yes | No ). For compatibility purposes the default should be the same as what MSTS does.

What prompted the idea was thinking about having an AI train pull into a yard and the player assignment is to break down train using a switch engine.

[CGW121]

Genma Saotome, on 05 March 2013 - 03:12 PM, said:

One more idea: Recently I learned that an AI consist would "appear" out of thin air at the start of its run and "disappear" at the end.

I found that out when testing an activity. Had an AI train suddenly appear right in front of me heading straight for me. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. In a similier vein we have a wait statement that tells Hal to make this train wait here for x amount of seconds. It would be nice, and more prototypical to have a wait until statement where the train waits until another train passes, I.E extra 120 west, wait at Wasco for train 143. No time limit just wait like a train order would say.

[Mipman25]

Genma Saotome, on 05 March 2013 - 03:12 PM, said:

What prompted the idea was thinking about having an AI train pull into a yard and the player assignment is to break down train using a switch engine.

I'd like to see that. It would make for some great station switching in Chicago Union Station.

[Csantucci]

I would like to have a camera following the train similar to cameras 2 and 3, but tethered (bound) to a road running more or less parallel to the tracks, when there is such a road.

[cjakeman]

Genma Saotome, on 05 March 2013 - 03:12 PM, said:

What prompted the idea was thinking about having an AI train pull into a yard and the player assignment is to break down train using a switch engine.

Or take over a passenger train once it arrives at the terminus.

Definitely one for my wish list - thanks,

[sawyer811]

I hope nobody minds me bumping this, but with ORTS being used in place of "straight" MSTS (Open Rails tends to get along better with my system), I've noticed a few things that I've been wanting to mention in this thread. Bear in mind, please, that I'm no programmer, and thus can be ignored if you feel so inclined.

1) Fixing wheel rotation on AI steam engines: I'm a steam breather through and through (I sometimes wonder if my heart is actually a firebox, with steam and steam oil for blood...) and I run steam more often than anything else in MSTS/ORTS. However, I loathe that feeling of being the "only train on the road;" especially on big routes like V11 of the PO&N or Paul Charland's amazing DAR--you just know that someone has to be out there doing SOMETHING, dang it!

However, I've found that ORTS and AI steam trains don't get along; it's somewhat irritating to a rivet-counter like me to see Derek Miller's WP 4-6-0 No. 94 go by me with her driving wheels locked in place, sliding down the tracks and dead silent, with only the rattle of wheels against the rail joints to lend to the scene.

Besides the obvious damage to the running gear, it's just...infuriating to the guy who literally nitpicked the location of road grime on a fellow N-scaler's steam engine. The only thing I can think of that's causing this issue is the lack of an open throttle; I once had this same "locked up and sliding" action happen to me whilst driving M&URR No. 5, when I started my run on a 2-3 percent downgrade with about fifteen loaded cars behind me. with the throttle shut down, the engine slid down the hill ("skated" as I've come to call the phenomenon) but once I barely cracked the throttle (opened it literally to just 1% ) the wheels began to rotate properly.

2) Return of the steam effects: some people here have harped on this already, but I feel as if I need to chime in. One of the things I always loved about MSTS, even over my well-loved and heavily used preferred sim of TS2010, are the steam effects of the locomotives. the way the exhaust plume lightens and darkens depending on the amount of fuel in the fire, the steam the blasts from the cylinder cocks as you roll with them open, the whistle plume, and all the others. Now, I feel like ORTS has really gotten rid of that; it's no better than TS2010 now, really, with the smoke being all the same type, always the same color, and with none of the usual whisps one associates with a working locomotive.

[James Ross]

sawyer811, on 24 March 2013 - 12:50 PM, said:

1) Fixing wheel rotation on AI steam engines: I'm a steam breather through and through (I sometimes wonder if my heart is actually a firebox, with steam and steam oil for blood...) and I run steam more often than anything else in MSTS/ORTS. However, I loathe that feeling of being the "only train on the road;" especially on big routes like V11 of the PO&N or Paul Charland's amazing DAR--you just know that someone has to be out there doing SOMETHING, dang it!

I believe this has been fixed, please check out the latest experimental release.

sawyer811, on 24 March 2013 - 12:50 PM, said:

2) Return of the steam effects: some people here have harped on this already, but I feel as if I need to chime in. One of the things I always loved about MSTS, even over my well-loved and heavily used preferred sim of TS2010, are the steam effects of the locomotives. the way the exhaust plume lightens and darkens depending on the amount of fuel in the fire, the steam the blasts from the cylinder cocks as you roll with them open, the whistle plume, and all the others. Now, I feel like ORTS has really gotten rid of that; it's no better than TS2010 now, really, with the smoke being all the same type, always the same color, and with none of the usual whisps one associates with a working locomotive.

Likewise, we've added some initial attempts at more steam locomotive effects - cylinder cocks and whistle now work - and also tied the density and colour of emissions to the efficiency of the engine. Bear in mind that the steam locomotive physics in OR are still below what we'd like to achieve and the effects will be limited by that for now too.