I'm enjoying running the route vey much Andre but just have a small query. It looks like there should be one AI train in the 'IntroRide1 'activity but nothing shows up, either Ctrl+9 map or Alt+F9 Train list or the game itself.
No errors regarding this are shown in the OR log.
I confess that it has been over a decade since I have tinkered with the Ozark Northern (during the time I was extending the ON south to Ozark, AR, and the ES&NA north to Eureka Springs) , so I'm not familiar at all with the activity in question, nor the issue.
I'm running Windows 11. Windows Defender blocked the download for me with the message "Virus Detected." Windows Defender dialog box identified the threat as Trojan:Script/Wacatac.B!ml
Apparently some have had issues with their anti-virus software in regards to there being a "exe" file within the zip. Others have had success temporarily disabling their anti-virus software.
No antivirus warnings here as well (with up to date antivirus definitions on Win10). Installation went without issues.
The "issue" with the missing AI train at the start of the IntroRide1 activity is due to differences in how MSTS and OR process paths: Double reverse points do not work in Open Rails in the same way they do in MSTS. In Open Rails the player path at the start of this activity is already set beyond the starting point of the opposing AI train. Open Rails will not spawn the AI train if its track is already "occupied" by another path. This quick little workaround worked for me: Switch to manual mode (Ctrl-M) and change the switch in front of the locomotive (keyboard key "G"). This takes the player path off the starting point of the AI train and it should now spawn. Wait until the AI train has arrived in the siding, then change the switch back, go back to automatic mode (Ctrl-M again) and start your journey.
Thank you very much, Andre, for this generous gift to the community. The route and the equipment that comes with it really are very nice (especially considering how long ago they were made) and capture this early era of railroading very well. I'm already having a lot of fun with it! 🙂
Cyberpower Desktop with AMD Ryzen 5 CPU /. 16GB RAM /. ATI AMD Radeon RX6700 12GB graphics /. Windows 11 Home 64bit /. RailDriver /. Partridge in a pear tree....
Thank you for helping those with Open Rails! At this point, I do not run Open Rails, thus, I had (incorrectly) assumed that, being as Open Rails is backwards compatible with MSTS, then the acts would work in Open Rails. I now know that is not the case.
You're welcome Lukas. Thank you for your very kind words.
As for its "age": I guess the route was somewhat "cutting edge" for as long ago as it was that I developed it. I think I started on the ON mid-2000's, but didn't get finished and released until about 2008? I was in the process of beginning the very lengthy process of activity development for the route. That's when it went dormant. The issue was I had gone full time railroading and I simply didn't have any time to work on it, and for sure I didn't have the creative energy at the time.In response to inquiries by my VSC customers that were looking forward to the ON, I finally explained to them my time/energy constraints, and took a poll as to how many wanted me to release it with the handful of activities that I had created/tested thus far, and the overwhelming consensus was "release it 'as is'". So I did, hence the small amount of activities that come with that route compared to my previous routes.
Looking back, I guess my VSC routes (the St. Louis & North Arkansas, the A&O Sub, and the Ozark Northern) were each fairly advanced for their time in regards to scenic approach, theme and concept, as well as activity philosophy. As for activities: There was something like 40 hours worth of activities supplied with both the StL&NA and A&O Sub, AND, the activities were ground breaking in that they were story telling and progressive.(i.e. Sequential.) It was almost like hiring-out and working for a railroad! That was very much intentional. I wanted to bring my railroading experiences to within the MSTS simulator environs and share with the train sim community. Thus, my activities were filled with unexpected developments and scenarios, all of which were based on real life railroading.
I will say that VSC turned out to be a LOT of work, but it paid me well during a time that the wife and I were very much in financial need. (And essentially every dime VSC produced went toward a large unexpected outstanding debt as well as paying for bills.)
I will likely never be involved in developing commercial content ever again, but I did have some periods of enjoyment during my VSC years, and, I think I have some lifelong online friends that came about through it.
Thank you for that very informative explanation Andre.
For anyone with the Activity Generator app it's worth noting that there's an activity template on there for this route. Templates
Regards,
Nick
( ' boffin0_reprised ' on TikTok )
Cyberpower Desktop with AMD Ryzen 5 CPU /. 16GB RAM /. ATI AMD Radeon RX6700 12GB graphics /. Windows 11 Home 64bit /. RailDriver /. Partridge in a pear tree....
Thank you for that very informative explanation Andre.
For anyone with the Activity Generator app it's worth noting that there's an activity template on there for this route. Templates
Thanks for mentioning the templates.
I've never tried Activity Generator, but I see how it could be very helpful for a route.
Hm. Only 10 more downloads before the 100 limit is reached.
Looks like this offering is going to max out on download count as opposed to timing out as was the case on the incomplete "Rock Island" route I offered a couple weeks ago.
Thank you for helping those with Open Rails! At this point, I do not run Open Rails, thus, I had (incorrectly) assumed that, being as Open Rails is backwards compatible with MSTS, then the acts would work in Open Rails. I now know that is not the case.
Open Rails is backwards compatible with MSTS for the most part. But it is a different program. It is impossible to recreate the behavior of MSTS in every particular detail (especially considering the many idiosyncrasies of MSTS). So sometimes there are little niggles. AI traffic on non-signalized routes can be one of those cases. Almost all problems with Open Rails and old MSTS content can be resolved with a little bit of tinkering. In my experience there are many people in our community who are willing to share their knowledge and help out when such problems occur.
I believe it is well worth the effort to make a few modifications here and there to keep fantastic content such as yours running on modern hardware.
Not to speak of all the new features and increased realism Open Rails offers over MSTS that can elevate old content to a whole new level: For your particular era of railroading for example we can now model:
Manual Brakes with Brakemen
A lot more detailed and prototypical air and vacuum brakes
steam brakes for locomotives
Different types of steam locomotives: Saturated, Superheated, simple-expansion, compound, duplex, geared...
Different types of fuel for steam locomotives: coal (of different calorific values if desired), wood, oil...
steam heating of passenger (and freight) cars
a lot more visual steam effects: cylinder cocks front and back changing with the movement of the piston (also cylinder cocks for more than two cylinders), injectors, generators, air pumps, heating hoses, steam leaks, moving locomotive bells...
Just uploaded my former commercial product, the Ozark Northern exe file (containing the route, equipment, and some activities), to Wormhole for a hobbyist that is interested in trying the route.
I have decided to make this public so those of you that would like to have a copy of the route can also download the route within the remaining time of the 24 hours or the 100 download limit that Wormhole allocates.
The password for the exe is: pinpuller
The current EULA included within the route is in effect until I update it at a later date.
About the route:
The Ozark Northern is a proto/free lanced standard gauge route set in Ozarks in 1893. The route is about 30 or so miles long. The line runs through a rugged portion of the Ozarks (used DEM to create the terrain). The exe file also contains the needed equipment and activities and will also install those into the installation location of your choice. The line features heavy grades and definitely has its own personality.
The link below will be good for 24 hours or 100 downloads. I just uploaded it a few minutes ago. Here is the Wormhole link:
I'm sure there are improvements, but I lurk and follow the OR forums over at ET and I often read of issues plaguing the platform that prevent me from taking the plunge.
To me the only real advantages of OR would be:
* The ability to have functional turntables. However, I have come up with a way to functionally turn one's engine in an activity at a turntable location that is unobtrusive, yet functionally works to reverse the direction of the engine.
* The ability to close/open a trailing point switch ahead or behind the engine. As it is with MSTS, you can only close/open a switch when it's facing point either ahead or behind.
I figure "one of these days", I'll have no choice but accept OR, but for now, I'm still very pleased with using MSTS RE as well as MSTS. I know RE inside and out and can typically bail myself out of any issues I create for myself! LOL! Plus, with MSTS I know what to expect and previous features don't get broken with an update as is often the case with OR.
Again, though, I readily accept that OR is the future for continued "MSTS like" experience, but with far more bells and whistles and wish the best for those still developing the OR platform.
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