AI Trains Start Times

[Rich_K]

Will Open Rails recognize AI trains with start times that are before the start time of the player train? I know this is possible in MSTS.

[OTTODAD]

Will Open Rails recognize AI trains with start times that are before the start time of the player train? I know this is possible in MSTS.

Try creating an activity that has an AI running before the actual activity starts, or use an existing one in ORTS which has one.

[seagoon]

Will Open Rails recognize AI trains with start times that are before the start time of the player train?....

Yes.

[OTTODAD]

Here is a test activity in my DB-Tracks Gold-Spike-X route, the AI starting 5 minutes before the activity starts, its player waiting at Whitefish for the AI to arrive:

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/video/ai-early-start.wmv

The display of this activity in ORTS is not as good as in MSTSBin, distant scenery objects disappearing, flickering AI head lights and the direction of the AI exhaust smoke emission varies.

All Alerter options having been turned off in the ORTS Options some still appear, like telling me that I have just switched to the #3 camera view !

[roeter]

Any trains starting after midnight will be run as part of the activity before the start of the player train, even though they may have 'disappeared' by the time the player train starts.
Trains starting before midnight will start at the end of the day.
It is not possible to have AI trains run 'through midnight' before the start of the player train. That is the same limitation as in MSTS.
The same problem occurs at the end of the day; if you have a player train activity which runs through midnight, you cannot start any AI trains after midnight as these would have been started in the morning of the 'day' where the activity starts. That, too, is the same limitation as in MSTS.

In timetable mode, all AI trains as defined will always be started regardless of the start time of the player train. The problems around midnight, however, also still apply to timetables.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[motormaster532]

Any trains starting after midnight will be run as part of the activity before the start of the player train, even though they may have 'disappeared' by the time the player train starts.
Trains starting before midnight will start at the end of the day.
It is not possible to have AI trains run 'through midnight' before the start of the player train. That is the same limitation as in MSTS.
The same problem occurs at the end of the day; if you have a player train activity which runs through midnight, you cannot start any AI trains after midnight as these would have been started in the morning of the 'day' where the activity starts. That, too, is the same limitation as in MSTS.

In timetable mode, all AI trains as defined will always be started regardless of the start time of the player train. The problems around midnight, however, also still apply to timetables.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

Usually that is the case.However I just created an Activity where The Players train originated at 2250.I started my opposing AI traffic from 1915 through 0315 and all ran in sequence.I expected the problem you were referring to,but luckily it ran.I was having a problem on this route Conrail Indianapolis with AI failing to spawn in Open Rails.In this Activity,they ran perfectly.Go figure!!!Brian

[Rich_K]

I also seem to have an intermittent problem with AI trains failing to spawn on various routes. At first I thought it was because I was starting AI traffic ahead of the player train's start time. The AI trains always show up in the activity editor however, even when they fail to show in Open Rails.

[motormaster532]

I also seem to have an intermittent problem with AI trains failing to spawn on various routes. At first I thought it was because I was starting AI traffic ahead of the player train's start time. The AI trains always show up in the activity editor however, even when they fail to show in Open Rails.

Yeah,that seems to be common.I ran into this on a default Activity on Maple Leaf Tracks excellent Bala 2 when I ran it in Open Rails.As you said,the AI ran in the Activity Editor.Also,as I said it cropped up on a custom Activity for Conrail Indianapolis.I set up another one for that Route,and low and behold everything ran,even the AIs that transcended the witching hour of midnight.As far as starting AI traffic ahead of the Players train,I have done that on at least 25 Activities that I have set up with never a problem.Brian

[OTTODAD]

Silly question !

What is the point of starting an AI before the activity starts, the player can not see running until they meet ?

[Rich_K]

Silly question !

What is the point of starting an AI before the activity starts, the player can not see running until they meet ?

Otto,

Here is an example. Player train path is from point A to point B. AI traffic path is the same as the player train, but in the opposite direction, point B to point A.

In order for an AI train to meet the player train at a point near the beginning of the player train's trip, the AI train must start before the player train so that the AI train has traveled a significant distance and has closed to gap prior to the player train starting.

I prefer this method to the alternative of creating several AI train paths in shorter segments. Hope this makes sense:-)

[motormaster532]

Otto,

Here is an example. Player train path is from point A to point B. AI traffic path is the same as the player train, but in the opposite direction, point B to point A.

In order for an AI train to meet the player train at a point near the beginning of the player train's trip, the AI train must start before the player train so that the AI train has traveled a significant distance and has closed to gap prior to the player train starting.

I prefer this method to the alternative of creating several AI train paths in shorter segments. Hope this makes sense:-)

Why explain yourself to anybody.It works,dont it.That is the only thing that matters.Brian

[Vince]

What matters too is helping another member better understand.

[scrabbleroad]

Thanks for the discussion, all. Yes it helped me!