multiplayer system...

[enrico95]

more volunteer please to develope multiplayer

[kox]

I think the multiplayer can be developed efficiently only when the other parts of the game are complete.

[muskokaandtahoe]

Not meaning to jump down your throat or anything but "multiplayer" is about as specific as "having fun" -- as in everybody likes it but your idea of it sure ain't mine....

So, asking kindly, what sort of specific features would you like to see under the label of multiplayer? Could become an interesting thread.

[Trainmaster1]

We run MSTS operating sessions every two weeks and have been doing so for over a year now. We avoid the term multiplayer because for some reason that seems to have been associated with "I can see the other train". If you are truly interested in railroad operations that is not a very meaningful feature.

Case in point, in our busiest ops session to date we ran 29 trains (all with qualified crews) in a 9 hour session on the freeware Surfliner. You would have had a train in your view for just over 6% of the time. The other 94% was you working with the dispatchers (2 in that session--just like real world), 2 yardmasters (Hobart and San Diego), and a Trainmaster (not me--that day).

Our focus is creating actual railroad operations based on the road we are running. We use their rules books, signal charts and we provide track charts too for every crew so that when you step into the cab with us, you have everything an actual class one engineer has in hand when they go to work. We only do class one railroads in eras ranging from 1960 to modern.

We select routes by doing the research on the traffic on that route at the time period for the session. To be selected for a full session a route has to be a faithful rendition of its real world counterpart, has to have at least 50 trains a day run on it, and has to allow us access to assemble all the materials for crews to run.

From that info we create a call board which our engineers bid on based upon their qualifications. They get instructions on how to assemble their trains and consists based upon actual car counts (for that freight symbol on that day that we are recreating in the session). The TM approves the train and they are ready to run in the session. For us "I can see you" is a nice to have but not necessary for what we do. We have cracked a way for conductors to ride along with engineers in a session where the conductor can be in a different city or country and can still throw switches and cut cars while the engineer runs the train.

Listening and working in our sessions is like standing trackside and hearing a scanner. You will hear trained dispatchers, yardmasters, trainmasters, maintenance of way personnel, road foreman of engines and more working in sessions. This is by far the most operating depth and detail on any sim anywhere.

Next Saturday 9/3 we are running a double route session as we continue to add new qualified engineers. We will be running MLTs Rogers Pass and Shuswap Subs from 1 pm to 10 pm. 32 trains will run if all get claimed (18 got picked on day one of board being up) including a steam special with CP 2816. Two dispatchers and the Revelstoke yardmaster will be on duty. If anyone is interested in coming and listening to what a session sounds like send me a PM and I will give you the info you need to hear all the action. Stay for as little or as long as you like. I am sure like the hundreds before you, the session will blow you away. This is the difference between running the sim and playing the sim. Any questions or if you want to stop in, please just let me know.

Thanks,

Nick

[longiron]

Nick,

Detail Question: do your engineers just run "free roam" paths based on their Train schedule, set their own "paths", or do you distribute a master ACTIVITY file with the paths already done?

[Trainmaster1]

Every session has a call board based on the actual train symbols that run on the line. You make your consist and train based upon actual detail from what the railroad did that day. We supply that to you.

Let's say we are running a modern day session on the BNSF. On the call board you would see about 24 trains to choose from. You select Z-CHCSSE9. Once your choice is confirmed back to you (all trains are first come first served). You begin to assemble your train. So if Z-CHCSSE9 had three engines arranged 2 by 1 with 80 double stacks that is what you will have on your train. You send this to the Trainmaster for the session (not me by the way) and he approves your consist for the session. You will run over the route in explore mode. Nothing is set as an activity as that is way too limiting for what we are doing. This is an example of what we call a straight shot...yard to yard no work along the way. This is the easiest work (except for grades and train handling issues).

If your train works along a route in real life, you do the same in the session. If you go from yard A to yard B without working so do you in the session. All action in the session is controlled by dispatchers trained and qualified on the route. They also work with yard masters to handle sets outs, pickups and all local work. Only senior engineers (6+ completed sessions handle local work and traveling switch jobs).

In addition in certain sessions we have maintenance personnel, Road Foreman of Engines and a Trainmaster who is in charge of the personnel within the session. So everything you would find on a actual class one road is in our sessions. Running in a operating session is not for the faint of heart that is for sure.

We train everyone for every position and have a number of actual class one employees among our ranks who after doing it for real for 6 days a week run with us on their day off. A tip of the hat them and big thanks for the extra realism they bring to each session.

Again, anybody who wants to listen into next Saturday's session on Rogers Pass and Shuswap, just send me a PM and I will contact you later this week with how to hear all the action. Happy to answer any and all questions....

Thanks,

Nick

[sniper297]

Well, I'm not Nick, but;

https://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showthread.php?300292-Quick-Overview-of-Multiplayer

How it works is Explore Route while communicating with other engineers who are running the same route in explore mode at the same time. That's the primary reason I was never interested, being able to actually see and interact with other trains has always been important to me. Your Mileage May Vary, obviously it's not the most critical part to most people, in fact the majority of trainsimmers are happy cruising around without ever seeing another train, moving or stationary. I've done a lot of tinkering and kludging over the years to get the effect I want, see a red signal, stop and wait, opposing traffic train appears in the distance or around the curve, diverges onto the other track and goes by, then my signal clears and I can go. For me, multiplayer MUST have that element, and I honestly don't care about real life seeing other trains only 10% of the time, for me this is a GAME, not a training device, I have no desire to be a real life engineer. My solo player activities are designed so that while playing I see a moving AI train an average of every 10 minutes because it's FUN, how realistic it is means zip to me.

Trainz TS12 now has actual multiplayer where you DO see and interact with the other player's trains, I only tried one session so far with two other guys, but to me being able to see the other guys moving around and setting out cars for the other guy to pick up, or adding cars that he set out to my train, was just plain fun. Still working on organizing the whole thing, worst problem at the moment is there are so many different routes and multiplayer sessions it's pure hit or miss as to whether you find one that someone else is playing at the same time. Also has a bunch of unanswered questions right now - how many players, how big a route? Phil Skene made some teeny little industrial switching routes that are ideal for 4 to 8 players, big enough to move around, small enough to see and interact with other players frequently. Something like the Mojave sub with hundreds of miles of empty desert would not have the same effect, unless you were all operating in the same area you would rarely see another train. Helper action is something else I want to try, can I couple onto the back of another players train to give him a push? If I do, will I still have control of my loco, or will control of both locos pass on to the lead loco? Can I then uncouple and go my separate way again? If I derail can I pick another unclaimed loco to drive? Lot of stuff I haven't looked into yet simply because it's too new.

The main thing I would avoid is too much thinking - N3V apparently has a Department of Innovative Solutions to Imaginary Problems, their main concern was what happens if someone joins a session and doesn't have all the required locos and rolling stock? So they programmed in restrictions, all rolling stock in the session, all scenery on the route, plus the route and the session itself have to be either built in or on the download station, or the session will refuse to launch at all. That eliminates the option for six or a dozen friends who all have the same content from Jointed Rail or wherever to play together using engines that are only available from Jointed Rail and not on the download station, and the really psychotic part is THE SESSION ITSELF has to meet the requirements! So to create a multiplayer session, do all the usual stuff, add in a bunch of AI trains and playtest solo, then remove the AI traffic and add the multiplayer rule with the preferred settings and save. Now you have to upload the session to the download station - so you can test it with actual multiple players to find out if it's worth uploading!

I would avoid that garbage at all costs, if people are trying to run a multiplayer session and one or more doesn't have the newest version of Thomas the Tank Engine, let them troubleshoot their own compatibility issues instead of shackling the entire community with useless restrictions.

[Trainmaster1]

The beauty of what we do is that I can take any sim...find routes that are done faithfully to class one standards and we have the basis for a session. Granted you do need a higher level of skills to run in a simulated class one session but it is not out of reach for anyone. It is all learnable. We will be holding our first sessions for TRS coming soon. This will be available for 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2012 owners. 06, 09 10 will run like MSTS does now. TS 12 owners will enjoy being under dispatcher control (all signals and switches like the real world). Eventually hope to hold pure TS 12 session but I do not feel right telling members who own 2006, 2009, 2010 that they have to upgrade or go away. We are trying to include as many possible not drive them away.

The biggest difference in what we do is that we run operating sessions not multiplayer sessions. This will remain consistent even when we have full time I can see available...There are far more inportant things when you are a class one engineer that you need to worry about in the course of your working day other than seeing the other train. As a former engineer myself, I know that having someone pass you happens 5 to maybe 10 percent of your work day tops. I am much more interested in the other 90 to 95 percent of the day. That for me is where the fun is.

I encourage all of you to try TS 12 and come and check out as well. There are many great things happening out there today. All you have to do is ask.

Nick

[Train-a-Mania]

To the OP, it really depends on what type of experience you are looking for with regards to having multiple trains running at once.

For me, VRMA sessions have been both highly realistic and very enjoyable, and I am glad to be part of a great team of Train Sim engineers. I look forward to seeing what Open Rails will be capable of.

[sniper297]

Biggest problem I see for TS12 is the hefty system requirements;

http://www.auran.com/shop/TrainzSimulator12_view.php

Scroll down to the bottom to see what you'll need, MSTS and Open Rails will run on systems that are much much much older, TS12 won't. What I got;

Model: Dell DXP051
CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 2.80GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 2046MB RAM
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp.080413-2111)
DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS 512.0 MB
NVIDIA Driver Version: 6.14.0012.5721

Sound: SigmaTel Audio
sthda.sys Driver Version: 5.10.4823.0000

Hard Drive: Maxtor 6L160M0 147.8 GB

* McAfee Anti-virus
* McAfee Personal Firewall

That's my son's computer, mine is identical except I have an 8500GT instead of the 8400GS. On both systems the performance is about the same - runs like an arthritic turtle with three legs. Even creating routes and sessions specifically designed for framerates over eye candy with all quality sliders turned down to "YUCK!" it still doesn't run anywhere near as smooth as Open Rails on those specs.

That said, I would encourage all Open Rails developers to try TS12 and Railworks if you have enough horsepower, both games have things they do better than MSTS - but both are missing key features that made MSTS so popular for so many years. To me the whole point of the Open Rails project is to do what both Railworks and Trainz failed to do - make an MSTS replacement, and for that it has to do everything better without leaving anything out.

[Trainmaster1]

I would like to invite anyone interested in listening in to our upcoming operating session to please let me know here via PM. I believe you will enjoy the level of professionalism and realism that we create in each and every session. Also, we are planning to do a live Q&A session this week where I will answer any and all questions. This will be on Wednesday night Aug 31st at 9:00 PM eastern time. Again let me know if you are interested via PM and I will provide the details on how to get to the session.

Thanks,

Nick