How Real Are Games Becoming To Real Trains

Wow!

Yes, that does look very realistic. What system is the game for or is it just for a computer? I don't know much about computer games. 

It's a PC-based simulator. Not yet ready for release--it's in what's called the "beta testing" stage. Some testers are allowed to demonstrate the program in its current state (by way of gameplay footage posted to YouTube) as a form of advertising.

---PCJ

I find this type of realism dangerous. All you nead is one screwball "foamer" who gets these games,  practices this to no end, and ultimately can create some serious havoc on the real railroad!

I seriously doubt that realistic train sims will cause any of that.

Microsoft Train Simulator has been around for 15 years.   Onion Pacific was fear mongering when it first came out.

Nice to see that they have brought such realism to this simulator.

I haven't watched the entire second video, but, this is fantastic! The first video was spot on, even the start up sounds. I would do some procedures a little different (I didn't see a governor button - very important) and I wouldn't be fueling my own engine, but, overall it is great.
I haven't the time to watch the entire second video right now, but, appears to be as equally well done. I do see some mistakes with the MU hoses, but, this looks to be very very real.
I'd like to get in on this and how can I get them to do my old district?

Big Jim posted:

I haven't watched the entire second video, but, this is fantastic! The first video was spot on, even the start up sounds. I would do some procedures a little different (I didn't see a governor button - very important) and I wouldn't be fueling my own engine, but, overall it is great.
I haven't the time to watch the entire second video right now, but, appears to be as equally well done. I do see some mistakes with the MU hoses, but, this looks to be very very real.
I'd like to get in on this and how can I get them to do my old district?

Yea, it may not everything, that's why I mentioned in my original post, but still it does look real.

There's also another video demonstrating to uncouple cars and you can see the air hoses pop off and on autoracks you can unlock the hatch and open doors. But do to the person who made the video has some language I won't post that. But if you want to look it up search "Train Sim World - I broke TSW (Train Simulator bug testing)"  There are problems with the game as this is a beta meaning it's a rough draft and that is when you uncouple the engines from the cars, the engine derails and the cars sink underground. A bad glitch. Also I guess if you run the train around a 30mph curve at saw 90 mph, the train won't derail.

I also like Trainz, a simulator that has been around 15 years old also and has a great contributed library.  Lots of member created add-ons such as paint jobs, industries, etc,.  They are from down under and talk funny but love their code!    Russ

http://www.auran.com/

I wish train simulators would come to consoles, the only train simulator one was released in Japan for PS3 and was called Railfan, neat stuff but never made it to America.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

I find this type of realism dangerous. All you nead is one screwball "foamer" who gets these games,  practices this to no end, and ultimately can create some serious havoc on the real railroad!

Highly unlikely in this day and age. With things like cab locks, PTC, DP Train Check, Fuel Optimizer, and the rest of the computer resets.... if you were even able to get into the cab, and get it started, I bet you put it into emergency   

Would be nice to see the game on a console, I haven't used a desktop in 6 years and am not willing to upgrade it just for one game.

MSTS was great for the time with all of the available upgrades and freeware.

SPSF posted:

MSTS was great for the time with all of the available upgrades and freeware.

Yes, it was and this is something I hadn't thought about in years. I bought MS-Train Simulator when it was a brand new release and probably played around with it for a few years before losing interest. In addition to the freeware I also purchased an add-on that featured  B&O operations and let you play out freight scenarios around Cumberland, MD and up into PA and WV.

johnstrains posted:

SPSF posted:

MSTS was great for the time with all of the available upgrades and freeware.

Yes, it was and this is something I hadn't thought about in years. I bought MS-Train Simulator when it was a brand new release and probably played around with it for a few years before losing interest. In addition to the freeware I also purchased an add-on that featured  B&O operations and let you play out freight scenarios around Cumberland, MD and up into PA and WV.

Yea, I still have MSTS. Which I play once in a while, but the issue is that the game when I try to add a new route to the game, does not work.

I'll buy it today !

Its not Grand Theft Auto, lol ..... but its pretty cool!

I liked getting out of the cab and standing on the front of the engine and enjoying the winter ride (in the second video).

I played one a bit, don't remember the name ..... doing some switching in a MP15 .... its was fun

I watch Squirrel's videos too. I have Trainz, and I have a video I posted earlier today! Iron Horse Rambles with Reading 2124 leading and 2100 helping.

Thumbs up for my guinea pig, Chunk!

EBT Jim posted:

Its not Grand Theft Auto, lol ..... but its pretty good!

I run MSTS using Open Rails. http://openrails.org/

They must have used blueprints from the locomotive and freight car builders, because all of the details are there.

The atmospheric effects are very distinct.

Andrew

Well, the train sim game UP uses is very real.  You actually sit in a chair like an engineer, and have a control stand just like the real thing.  Has great graphics.  Only things are the one I ran was in a semi-trailer, and except for a UP public display only UP employees can use it.

Very cool!!  I want this game!

SPSF posted:

Would be nice to see the game on a console, I haven't used a desktop in 6 years and am not willing

I'm going to say..."highly unlikely", mostly because there's no realistic way to vet all the user-generated add-ons, and charging the end-user for the effort involved (for stuff that's largely freeware on the PC) just won't fly with the console crowd.

Basically there's too many aspects that are out of the console maker's control, and while some users wish it to be just as wild-n'-wooly-west as the PC, there are a pile of less-than-desirable consequences involved with introducing that model to the console world.

---PCJ 

Railroaded, many games now allow console mods.  Fallout 4 which I play regularly has a huge console mod user made library. This on my Xbox one. The days of user mods only being on pc is gone. Plus with Microsoft moving to single architecture between the console and pc, it gets even easier.

I have MSTS but for whatever the reason it does not seem to load anymore. Yes I have a "new" computer, but I was having trouble with it loading on my "old" XP system also. I don't mean to open up a can of worms, but what would be a good Train Simulator program to purchase? I have seen reviews on many of them and there are just as many bad reviews as there are good ones on any given system. For those of you who actually have these games, what do you like? TIA.