Oh the joys of scenario creation...............sarcastic!!

Oh the joys of scenario creation...............sarcastic!!

Postby SteamSoundsSupreme » Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:28 pm

Oh my has my patience been tried considerably today!!!!! Working on a scenario for Kris Harding's WSR Mogul 9351, where you double-head with Modified Hall 6960 Raveningham Hall. A railtour has arrived at the West Somerset Railway and you are charged with getting the 12 coaches to Minehead. Instead of boringly starting coupled to the train, I decided to make it interesting. You start in the loco compound, at Bishops Lydeard. You maneuver over to platform 2. The tour pulls up at the home signal. The loco comes off and runs forward to the water tower. We then back down onto the railtour stock. The editor seems happy with what I have instructed. I launch the scenario, and all seems to be going well. However, once I'm in position in platform 2, waiting for the railtour to arrive, it soon becomes apparent that it's not coming. I press 8 and fly along the line and what do I find? The train stopped dead at a green signal, as if it's read!! :cry: I go back into the editor and move the whole consist up to Bishops Lydeard and change a few timings. Now all the AI has to do is move forwards 100 yards and stop at the signal, uncouple and move forwards to the water tower. Again, the editor is happy with it. When I run the scenario - from a fresh launch of TS - the AI is crawling!!! :( I haven't seen that problem for a few years!! So, after hours of fiddling, I was forced to do the boring plonking everything in place at the beginning. TS wouldn't let me create something interesting! I love running preserved lines - especially with a broken speedo! ;) However, just running from one end to the other can get a little dull. I've tried so many time on the WSR, GCR and others, to create more interesting and immersive scenario's, but it seems TS just doesn't like it!!

What a waste of time!!!!! :roll:
User avatar
SteamSoundsSupreme
Passed Fireman
 
Posts: 183
Images: 101
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 5:49 pm
Has thanked: 214 times
Been thanked: 143 times

Re: Oh the joys of scenario creation...............sarcastic

Postby Chris89 » Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:36 pm

The dispatcher can be damn right annoying at times. I've had lots of issues with my current scenario.

I haven't really touched the WSR at all recently, but will do to get some scenarios sorted. The AI is damn right fussy, although some routes i never have crawling AI, i seem to get it more on WCML Over Shap and North more then anything.

What you tried to do should easily be possible without and difficulty really, it does through up errors sometimes with signal blocks or if your train is the same class as the AI service.
Chris89
Full Time Fireman
 
Posts: 97
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:03 pm
Has thanked: 115 times
Been thanked: 35 times

Re: Oh the joys of scenario creation...............sarcastic

Postby cjbarnes5294 » Wed Apr 16, 2014 1:41 am

That's pretty much why I don't make scenarios, Matt. For me personally, it gets to the point where I don't think it's worth the rise in blood pressure, and I abandon it. Instead, I leave it to the experts, such as Chris. ;)

Chris
The Red Queen Hypothesis, applicable to train sim development?

"Here, you see, it takes all of the running you can do, to keep the same place."
cjbarnes5294
Driver
 
Posts: 398
Images: 82
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:40 pm
Location: Gloucestershire/North Yorkshire
Has thanked: 551 times
Been thanked: 187 times

Re: Oh the joys of scenario creation...............sarcastic

Postby Nobkins » Wed Apr 16, 2014 7:56 am

I have found scenario chaining a good way to overcome some of the issues.

By breaking the scenario down into parts you can stand more chance of achieving complex sets of scenarios made up of simpler parts.
TrainSimDev.com YouTube Channel
Video tutorials and other resources
User avatar
Nobkins
Site Admin
 
Posts: 547
Images: 3164
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:24 am
Has thanked: 325 times
Been thanked: 185 times

Re: Oh the joys of scenario creation...............sarcastic

Postby AndiS » Wed Apr 16, 2014 1:05 pm

I elaborated a bit more on the AI-only block signal as this is what might help you. See here.

AI is known to demand lots of blocks ahead of any train, unless it is AI following AI and the second has lower priority than the first.

In your case, you might shock the AI even more since the player train will move towards the approaching AI.
Therefore, it might be a quick fix to start the scenario with the player engine at platform 2. But still, I would not put too much money on that alone fixing it.

I don't know the route, but I guess that while it is said to be oversignalled compared to the real thing, it may well be undersignalled for ambitious scenarios.

Instead of trying my scenario-specific signal, you could also upgrade the disk signals there to stopping signals. It is one of the original misconceptions that disk signals are not seen as "real" signals, not binding to trains.

To do so, change Stopping to eTrue in the signal's .bin file. However, this is a change to the route itself, so it is a no-go in terms of distribution, unfortunately. This is why I am so happy about scenario-specific signals. They allow you to mend things as required.
AndiS
Top Link Driver!
 
Posts: 736
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 5:48 pm
Has thanked: 268 times
Been thanked: 308 times

Re: Oh the joys of scenario creation...............sarcastic

Postby Chris Baker » Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:21 pm

This is why i stepped away from scenario writing. The time and effort taken to make a good scenario and test it and make sure it works is a nightmare. Plus i moved on to Route building and modeling which is less Stress .........Maybe.......Sometimes :lol:

Chris
User avatar
Chris Baker
Passed Fireman
 
Posts: 115
Images: 6
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:29 am
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 69 times

Re: Oh the joys of scenario creation...............sarcastic

Postby SteamSoundsSupreme » Tue Apr 29, 2014 11:28 am

Chris Baker wrote:This is why i stepped away from scenario writing. The time and effort taken to make a good scenario and test it and make sure it works is a nightmare. Plus i moved on to Route building and modeling which is less Stress .........Maybe.......Sometimes :lol:

Chris

I wish I could step away from scenario's. However, I do feel kind of obligated to provide a scenario or two for those who purchase our packs. I know scenario's shouldn't be expected, but they kind of are! Some won't try to make one of their own............................this experience probably illustrates why!!
User avatar
SteamSoundsSupreme
Passed Fireman
 
Posts: 183
Images: 101
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 5:49 pm
Has thanked: 214 times
Been thanked: 143 times

Re: Oh the joys of scenario creation...............sarcastic

Postby cjbarnes5294 » Tue Apr 29, 2014 3:52 pm

I must say, I'm really enjoying the really well made quick drives myself (although I can imagine them being absolute pigs to set up well, considering you have so many trains at so many different times). The SECML one from Edinburgh to Dundee was simply fantastic, as it was extremely busy AND made use of alot of my DLC from Oovee, Thompson and DTG. I think including custom QDs that make use of the product they're being included with are possibly the way to go for general, generic services, with normal scenarios being a better fit for story driven or special case ones.

Chris
The Red Queen Hypothesis, applicable to train sim development?

"Here, you see, it takes all of the running you can do, to keep the same place."
cjbarnes5294
Driver
 
Posts: 398
Images: 82
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:40 pm
Location: Gloucestershire/North Yorkshire
Has thanked: 551 times
Been thanked: 187 times


Return to Scenario Creation

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests