Present ORTS limitations?

[frog3764]

Once in a while I try to run a train and usually end up not being able to do something. So I was wondering if someone had a simple basic list of what the sim is capable or not capable of doing at the present time. So far I've not been able to uncouple cars, or don't know how to do it. I would like to run a few trains, even with limited abilities, once in a while on a few of my routes, but it sure would be helpful if I had an idea of what works and what doesn't work yet. All input is appreciated. This sim really rocks and the team is doing a fantastic job with it.

Jim

[sniper297]

Take a look at the readme.txt and SoftDocs.pdf, in addition to the standard MSTS coupler window there are new controls;
Coupling/Uncoupling = Press & Hold ‘U’ Key and mouse click on coupler
Change Turnout – Either Direction = Press & Hold ‘Alt’ Key and mouse click on turnout to change

From the free roaming external view (#8 key) you can "fly" around a yard (arrow keys to move, hold down right mouse button and steer with mouse) and ALT click on any switch (so you can set a complete path thru a yard ladder, for example) and U click between any cars to uncouple them.

As for what don't work yet, signals and AI traffic are not finished.

[longiron]

In addition to what Jim listed, interactives such as car spawners, crossing gates, mileposts, and speed limits do not work. All activities start with the player and AI trains stopped at the proper position, but do not start in motion. Cabview control sprites do not move. All of these are on the development roadmap to be completed; however, there's no specific timetable for completion.

The softdoc.pdf provides a pretty comprehensive listing of what works and what doesn't with the current v360 public download.

[lindsayts]

"In activities stopped AI trains do not start"
Ah, that explains it then although if in an activity an AI is in motion it works OK. On a single line an AI train will stop and wait for the track to clear before proceeding. It is up to the OR player driver to keep an eye on track occupancy via the F5 key of course to avoid collisions as the signalling is not working.
It also appears one can do an activity where the AI trains exist all the time and one can REALLY have fun with that I must say.

Well done OR.
Lindsay

[frog3764]

Hey thanks for the input here. I think that ORTS is going to rule the train sims from what I've seen so far. I think the commercial boys don't have a chance here.

[conrail1]

I think that ORTS is going to rule the train sims from what I've seen so far. I think the commercial boys don't have a chance here.

One of the biggest limitations that I can see so far with the project would be from using the Microsoft XNA game framework platform. Then again even if OR was able to get a license to use an up to date, capable game engine for the program you would still need experienced individuals involved in the development to properly use that game engine, something that is not easy to come by, especially with an open/free/volunteer project.

The “commercial boys” (pay-ware) as you put it obviously have the advantage of the resources (money) for such a project but as we all know train games/sims are not big profit makers. Hence the reason why everything we've seen so far hasn't amounted to anything more than low budget games that use poor, out dated game engines along with a product that reflects a serious lack of any real knowledge of rail operations.

The other big hurtle is the fact that in order to create anything for OR you still need to use the MSTS editors. Creating editing tools specifically for OR isn't going to be an easy task so in the mean time you only have content originally developed for a ten year game (MSTS) to use in OR, a major turn off for many.

[twpol]

To be honest, we don't actually use much of XNA in OR and from what I've seen the bits we do use are mostly thin wrappers around DirectX (9) interfaces. That's not to say it hasn't helped get things going, but I don't think we'd actually have much trouble switching to pure DirectX or OpenGL if we decided that's what was needed.

[longiron]

The other big hurtle is the fact that in order to create anything for OR you still need to use the MSTS editors. Creating editing tools specifically for OR isn't going to be an easy task so in the mean time you only have content originally developed for a ten year game (MSTS) to use in OR, a major turn off for many.

The Open Rails team has only been "at it" for less than 1 year. Not a long time in the world of game development when you're building a brand new game from scratch even for a payware game company. Give us some more time and I'll think you'll be impressed.

[metrarailboy1]

The Open Rails team has only been "at it" for less than 1 year. Not a long time in the world of game development when you're building a brand new game from scratch even for a payware game company. Give us some more time and I'll think you'll be impressed.

I already am.

[conrail1]

but I don't think we'd actually have much trouble switching to pure DirectX or OpenGL if we decided that's what was needed.

James,

Are you saying that bringing OR into an OpenGL or a game engine that uses DirectX 11 features would not be difficult at a later date after it gets further along in development?

Not a long time in the world of game development when you're building a brand new game from scratch. Give us some more time and I'll think you'll be impressed.

Chris,

I agree, one year isn't enough time for an experienced game development team with plenty of resources let alone one that doesn't have previous experience.

At this point can OR really be considered a “brand new game from scratch”? In it's current form it looks more like a utility that reads MSTS content ported through a different game engine then a totally new game with it's own content.

[twpol]

Are you saying that bringing OR into an OpenGL or a game engine that uses DirectX 11 features would not be difficult at a later date after it gets further along in development?

That is not what I was talking about.

[longiron]

At this point can OR really be considered a “brand new game from scratch”? In it's current form it looks more like a utility that reads MSTS content ported through a different game engine then a totally new game with it's own content.

A utility? I must defend the development team. They've built an entirely new game that doesn't rely on the MSTS game engine - display of the 3D world, how content is displayed in the 3D world, and how content behaves in a 3D world. If your definition of a new game engine is SOLELY defined by having its own content creation tools -- stay tuned.

[OTTODAD]

The Open Rails team has only been "at it" for less than 1 year. Not a long time in the world of game development when you're building a brand new game from scratch even for a payware game company. Give us some more time and I'll think you'll be impressed.

It will take less time using much of what MSTS already has by way of routes, rolling stock and other objects and make it work using an up-to-date graphics engine, rather than creating a completely new one from scratch.

What I have tested so far has shown a lot of promise and seems to be heading in the right direction, given time.

Anybody who is not a member of the team and does not know the tools used by it to create ORTS can not make useful suggestions of what to do, but if they do should apply to become members of the ORTS team.

O t t o

[sniper297]

I'm not impressed

But then again I'm not easy to impress.

Valid points, I've been thinking pretty much the same all along - it's a new game from scratch, but designed to be backwards compatible with an old game so the content for that old game can still be used, which leaves the impression that we're actually playing the old game with a new unfinished interface. At some point the goal is new editors, new routes and trains. Can't remember where I saw it, but IIRC there's a new steam loco model out that was made for Open Rails only, it has too much detail to run in MSTS even with BIN. That's the whole point of all this, get rid of the old MSTS bugs and limitations by creating a new trainsim with more modern software, being able to run most of the old stuff is merely a bonus.

[conrail1]

That is not what I was talking about.

Maybe you could elaborate?