Open Rails doesn't have a "quick start" tutorial

[Procopius]

My hard drive farkled, so I quit using Windows. I didn't want to upgrade to Windows 10, and Windows 7 was past the end of its service life. So for the last four or five years I wasn't able to play with MSTS. I don't think OR works on Linux either. A few months ago, I learned how to install a Virtual Machine on my desktop, and I installed Windows 10, and hurray!! I can run MSTS. So I've been running MSTS for four or five months, and would like to be able to run OR as well. The problem is I don't know how to run the $#^@*& thing. I load an activity, the cab opens up with a view of what's in front of me, I push keys like starting an engine in MSTS, and it just sits there. I look at the manual, and it was written by a geek. It tells me far more than I want to know (right now), but it doesn't tell me how to start playing. Is there a tutorial on the Intertubes? Has someone written a "quick start" page? I want something like, "Now that you've got your activity loaded, press the H key twice to turn on the headlight. Then press the W key to set the ..."
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Roger

[pwillard]

There is a cheat sheet of sorts...

https://openrails.org/files/QuickStartGuide_062_03.pdf

[commec61]

I have to say Pete, That is a great quickstart guide.

[Procopius]

That's good to have, but it doesn't tell me what to do. Why doesn't my locomotive move when I move the throttle up to 100%? And release the brakes? And how do I release the brakes? They don't go to zero.

[derekmorton]

Well why not start at the beginning:-

post the eng file and the log file.

[pwillard]

It's a known fact that some engines created for MSTS have physics issues that are not in line with fixes added to ORTS, making them essentially immovable bricks on your rails until their physics are corrected.

Therefore, your issue might be about OR Physics. You might find a number of items in the file library that have had their physics settings adjusted accordingly. If you are inclined to search for it, there is much discussion about this in the forums.

An example of what I'm talking about: https://www.trainsim.com/forums/file...leid?fid=86408

[wwhall]

Let me explain a couple of things. First, when it comes to engine and brake behavior, MSTS was not realistic. Brakes systems would charge quickly upon release, etc. OpenRails tends to be much more realistic in operation. So, when one releases brakes on, say, long train, it can take a long time to recharge all of the air reservoirs--sometimes 10 or 15 minutes on a long train, just like it does in real world operation. Second, as Pete noted, many older MSTS engines and wagons had unrealistic physics parameters in order to work with MSTS's unrealistic physics programming. Put bluntly, MSTS was a "game"; OpenRails is a simulator, and one that has gotten more realistic as it has developed. In my case, I wanted a realistic simulator, which I why I "dumped" using MSTS over a decade ago in favor of using OpenRails. If one is wanting a "simple train game" to play, then OpenRails probably isn't the sim to use.

[oper190]

Here's a cheat:
After setting up your camera views, engage reverser, headlights, etc., here's a Quick release for brakes:

<Ctrl> plus ; = this will quick release train brakes - then
<Ctrl> plus / = this will initialize your brakes - you are ready to roll.

Also check your engine (.eng) file for the line "MaxPower" ( eg: MaxPower ( 1119kW ) ) make sure the valve is in kW not kN, some MSTS engines were miss written using kN ( a factor of force not power ) so won't move no matter what you do in OR.

[oper190]

Put bluntly, MSTS was a "game"; OpenRails is a simulator,

I disagree, until I'm sitting in a full scale engine cab with every gage ,lever, button, with sound, vibration, swaying, bumping, surround video, etc. it a computer game that simulates train operations.
To be a truly effective and desired OR needs user setting for realism, from arcade simple to as real as you can make it, or new comes will drop it and go elsewhere and OR will die as the current users move on. Some flow charts on how to do things would surely help. I agree the manual is far superior to the MSTS manual ) but it contain to much data that a new come and many users do not need to get into. OR needs to start simple and let the user progress to their desired level of realism.

[Procopius]

oper190 This! I couldn't for the life of me remember the <ctl>; <ctl>/ sequence. I'm fairly sure it's in the manual somewhere, but it's not clear why. Four or five years ago, it was commonly asked on the forums. I absolutely agree with everything else you wrote.

[burgerbern]

for a quick start when i start a consist in OR i release both brakes then i hit ctrl + ? to release all the brakes completely then W and D to start the consist rolling

[Procopius]

OK, I figured the problem might be with the physics of the engine, so I installed the BNSF Scenic Sub. Amazingly slow response. Before I press a key I get a message, "12:00 Dynamic brakes released." I press the H key to turn the headlights on. No response. I press the W key to set the reverser to "forward." No response. I hold the D key down for several seconds, no response. I press the ; key for several seconds. Finally I get a response saying the brake is released. I press the <ctrl>; key for several seconds, no response. I press the <ctrl>/ key for several seconds, no response. What am I missing? Four or five years ago at least I could get the activities to run. I've forgotten something. How do I send the log to the forum? I can't even remember that.
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Roger

[derekmorton]

Hi Roger,

Something is not right.

I hope you mean the TS starter route?

Most of the keys you are pressing are edge sensitive not level sensetive, so pressing longer is doing nothing.

As has been asked before, please attach a log file for us to look at.

[geepster775]

To be a truly effective and desired OR needs user setting for realism, from arcade simple to as real as you can make it,

Do other sim platforms come with 'arcade simple' settings?

Just curious why some people think Open Rails must inherit this burden of accommodating the faint of heart? Why does such an automatic assumption exist? Who believes "I only want to drive from A to B using old style MSTS simple controls" buys us much? It is not like the payware ecosystem surrounding Open Rails benefits all that greatly from such users being accommodated. Generally speaking these users are not wholesale replacing their MSTS-grade physics with new payware grade material that provides such.

Just throwing that question out there to chew over.

[oper190]

st curious why some people think Open Rails must inherit this burden of accommodating the faint of heart?

To keep it alive!!!
Why can other simulation games have all sorts of realism setting and OR can't?
Someone is interested in OR, ( it's free after all ) but has never run a train sim before. They'll be lost in seconds, confused, and so move on to something else, and the futures of OR dies.
Coming from MSTS to OR helped a bunch, but I loaded OR four or five times and junked it just as quick. Why? I could not get the train to move. Checked the manual and there is no flowchart/check list, on what to do. ( What is the sequence to use with which controls keys? ). Releasing Emergency Brakes was a pure trial and error process, no mention in the manual on how to do that. It wasn't until I saw a post here giving those instructions that I could at last get it right.
Want real as it can get, go for it, but why does it have to be a one way street? ( Real as it gets or screw you! Why?)