[ATSF3751]

Hey everyone,

Well I am finally back up and running after upgrading my PC a little bit. Anyways while I was off line I thought about an interesting conversation that may have some controversy but I do not intend it to end up that way. Looking at all of the other simulators and being that I have tried out many of them it got me to thinking. Why do I keep going back to Open Rails vs the other guys? ( Train Simulators ) Now I have tried Train Simulator, a few different versions of Trainz along with a few other Train Simulator games but for some reason I keep going back or sticking with Open Rails and was curious why others who enjoy Open Rails also keeps with Open Rails instead of going off to other Train Simulators.

For myself the main reason I stick with Open Rails is for ease of access to downloads, Not to mention that Open Rails is free to download. I also have a lot invested into Open Rails over the years both project wise and financially with all of the payware I have bought over the years. It is also easy to make new content for Open Rails. This includes sounds, locomotive and cars, custom objects for routes, and ease of modifying the Engine and Wag files to your own liking. Open Rails also has the best physics out of all of the sims and sure some areas could still use some work we all need to remember that it is still a work in progress.

I know in the past I have given Open Rails a lot of grief for not being up to snuff with the other so called top of the line Train Simulators but I feel Open Rails is finally to a point where it has started to become one of its own and it is a far cry to where we started with in the days of MSTS.

So what makes you stick with Open Rails?

Brandon

[R H Steele]

:discuss_gathering: OPEN SOURCE

[pschlik]

The ease of modification, both of content and of the game itself, keeps me interested...maybe a bit much though. Gotta let myself rest and do literally anything else from time to time.

Anyway, knowing a lot about railroad mechanics makes the shortcomings of other sims very obvious, and in most cases there is genuinely nothing that can be done about those shortcomings. TS:C physics are practically nonexistent, not even massive scripting can save the long train physics there. Trainz operations and physics are inflexible and have no chance of doing any justice to most types of trains (why yes, I would love to drive an ES44AC with a transition lever), while all recent improvements seem to push towards making it a screenshot simulator and little more. Run 8 is a locked down environment with no chance for improvement on the many faults present as the hubris of the devs and community has left many gaslit into thinking the simulation there is infallible. TSW is immensely powerful but there's no chance of editing things DTG made due to the quirks of Unreal Engine, so you better quiet down and live with the mistakes DTG left in because nobody's fixing them (DTG's already moved on to the next route). SimRail is a good romp but is quite limited at the moment and I doubt it'll ever be as moddable as OR is considering multiplayer and whatnot.

OR's not exactly immune from the curse of knowledge either, I am very hesitant to touch first generation diesels because I know those have quirks OR does not support...yet. The same sort of thing that makes me wince like 'oooh, that's not right' in any other sim is something I can actually take control of and fix myself in OR. And if it's something bigger than changing a few plain text files, the source code is right there to go in and bend to your will. Even things that look like advantages exclusive to other sims, like the not-faked series motor simulation in TSW and SimRail (not faked doesn't imply 100% accurate and correct), could appear in Open Rails someday because it's not a dead codebase locked behind some corporation that is entirely influenced by money and is not going to listen to the features and improvements you want (TSW steam simulation is bad and will never be good because making it good wouldn't make money, they try to make changes to TS:C's code and the game gets uninstalled on everyone's computer, stuff like that will hold other sims back).

And it probably helps that we have a huge supply of content to choose from which, thanks to the whole modding thing, can be just as good as the new stuff when given some TLC.

[engmod]

All of the msts content available, and the fact the OR is still in development.

And its open source.

[superheatedsteam]

I can create content for it. It is evolving and improving. It's open source.

[Weter]

Hi, Brandon. Nice to see You back, with new computer and new good ideas!
I'm happy to see, that our colleague have gained courage and skillness to improve visual appearance of gameplay, what, I believe, will give You a little of delight.
To Your question, I'd answer this way, initially (maybe, some forther thoughts would be later):
By the will of Fate, ORTS have picked-up our favorite MSTS content and functionality and have carried all that forward - no need to learn new simulator from zero, no need to get all new content and cancel all the previous at once.
It is being developed in real time, and ready for our feedback and contributions.
It provides the same benefit, as MSTS - to create, or to improve Your favorite content and share results with the World.
Program is being made by hobbyists for hobbyists, instead of side coders for bringing profit, or forcing to buy top hardware.

[darwins]

Agree with all of the above. Development can be slow, since we rely on a very small number of unpaid developers to do a huge amount of work. The end product is usually worth waiting for though. As a person of limited means I could never afford to operate huge fleets of different locomotives, carriages and wagons if I had to pay for them all. I did dabble with RW some time ago and even worked with my son to try some route building, but became irritated by the valve or steam portal associated with it.

[ATW]

Open Source with continuous features and updates no purchase necessary like other simulators do that don't support backward compatibility like game companies do to make money. An no internet required to run alone like some sims I encountered.

Easy to update content physics, textures, shapes etc and make older content alive with new changes. I made lots of stuff back then that can use some tweaks and got couplers knuckles separated an Draft systems that can improve the visuals in what I got to update but have slowed down due to work and keep hearing something new an wait. Animated brakes an updates to graphs for example.

Always something new that's impressive to stay with ORTS an am happy the effort this platform and developers are doing.

[Genma Saotome]

> 20 years of making content. I'd go off and do something else entirely if, say, Microsoft made a big change and OR stopped working for good.

[leesan023]

First of all, it must be open source, I think OR is a building, everyone who loves trains, mechanical enthusiasts are an excellent decoration designer at this time, contribute to the building, and use it according to their own needs. Since then, there has been a certain achievement.

[joe_star]

Mainly the breadth and volume of content (good and bad) available.

Also route creation and editing is a big one for me

[QJ-6811]

There is so much available for OpenRails (and ex. MSTS), I think everyone can find their favorite locomotive, era and routes.
Personally my preference is that you can personalize and adjust as much as possible to your own preferences.
With other SIMs it "works as it is" and in most cases you cannot merge anything.
It is not without reason that it has been "my train SIM" for 14 years....! :)

[captain82]

I think because Open Rails is still in a "developmental phase" that there's no real limit to how far we can take things. Remember when the first rendition of the PRR route was released and how taxing it was on MSTS whereas ORTS barely breaks a sweat LOL. But compared to all other sims out like TSC and TSW which rely heavily on graphics ( however cartoonish TSC) and licensing, not to mention having to purchase other routes you'll probably never use just for its assets. ORTS with the right minds tinkering on it will undoubtably surpass any and all. OpenBVE probably being second.

[steved]

Ease of modification.
I can get OR to do what I want it to.
And a 24 year investment in content and knowledge.

Randy