A Brief Foray into Scenario Creation

[hertsbob]

I've been playing around making a couple of scenarios for London to Peterborough which in theory I'll upload onto the Workshop in a day or two.

Both scenarios have been created by basically plugging in some Simsig Kings Cross timetable information into TS2015 to see what happens, and although I say it myself what happens ends up being quite entertaining (in my opinion, of course!).

The stock used is from the main route and also WCML Over Shap - I have almost zero interest in the fact that it's not prototypical - I'm far more interested in trying to create an engaging scenario or two.

If I wanted to attach the scenario(s) to this thread would just the .xml file be sufficient or should I be including any MD5 files and the other random bits that pop up in the Scenario folder?

Either way I'll provide links to my efforts here later on, so you can have a drive if you wish.

Cheers

Bob

[cjbarnes5294]

Looking forward to those, Bob. When a scenario is made interesting with dense AI and intense operations, I can't say I care whether the stock used is prototypical or not (unless it's as obvious as seeing a CSX SD80MAC in Kings Cross ).

Chris

EDIT: I don't know much about scenarios, but I believe you can zip up the scenario folder and drop the extracted file into the route folder's scenario folder.

[hertsbob]

Wow. Thanks for the reply, Chris. I was fully expecting for there to be no interest whatsoever!

As long as you can cope with the occasional large loco Class 47 and Mk2 stock running alongside the EMUs and HSTs from the DTG route you'll be fine.

One is basically ready to go, although I'd like to run it through once more just to check it's OK, and the other one needs a bit more polishing although the fundamental structure is in place and working.

I suppose in the grand scheme of things it's academic but I wasn't sure whether the various initial save files etc. are supposed to be stripped out before sharing the scenario? Thinking about it I should really just delete them off my system to see what happens!

[Rockdoc2174]

I use the Utilities program to package my scenarios into .rwp files. IIRC, .MD5 files are back-ups and the files I have included in my .rwp files are:
InitialSave.bin
Scenario.bin
ScenarioProperties.xml

Keith

[hertsbob]

Many thanks for that, Keith. I forgot to set the Packager going before I left for work this morning so I've zipped up the files mentioned as per the attachment.

A couple of screenshots from the scenario, which don't really tell anybody anything!

At Finsbury Park

Towards the end of the scenario...

There's what appears to be some recovery time built into the timetable between Welwyn GC and Welwyn North which means there's no point in going faster than about 35mph between the two stations. Not sure whether it's worth putting a comment in to advise about this or just let people deal with it? Any thoughts? There are only three other popups in the whole of the rest of the scenario and I rather like the idea that people can (and should) think for themselves. I'm open to discussion about this however!

Anyhow. It's a Standard Scenario lasting around 50minutes. Uses London-Peterborough and WCML Over Shap stock and is called "2R12 Kings Cross to Hitchin" (because sometimes my imagination runs riot! )

4cc75f50-fe33-47ea-94b4-c869e6ec48fa.7z

(76.95 KiB) Downloaded 790 times

[cjbarnes5294]

After a whole day of faffing about with sound files, I could do with some entertaining driving, so great timing. Many thanks, Bob.

Chris

[AndyM77]

There's what appears to be some recovery time built into the timetable between Welwyn GC and Welwyn North which means there's no point in going faster than about 35mph between the two stations. Not sure whether it's worth putting a comment in to advise about this or just let people deal with it? Any thoughts? There are only three other popups in the whole of the rest of the scenario and I rather like the idea that people can (and should) think for themselves. I'm open to discussion about this however!

Personally I'd just let them deal with it. I prefer pop up messages to be as few as possible, unless it's to advise a game breaking bug (such as scenarios where you get a signal that just will not clear no matter what happens). If the "Arcade Gamer" crowd start moaning that the timetable is wrong and there are static trains here, there and everywhere because they've been driving too fast, well that's their problem.. The "Simulator crowd" or those who prefer to drive more realistically, i.e just under the speed limits, slowing down to appropriate speeds for yellows, etc.. will see the time between the stations and the distance and will know that it's slack.

This is something that I enjoy with the AP scenarios, as there are a few freight orientated ones where you have to wait ten minutes or so for a path, which is perfect time for making that cup of coffee or 'Personal Needs' time without pausing the game mid-flow.

I'll congratulate you and thank you for this scenario, but I sadly don't have the required routes (yet) - sacrilege I know

[hertsbob]

Thanks for that, Andy. I very much appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I'm definitely in your Simulator Crowd group (although I'm not entirely sure I could cope with waiting ten minutes for a path!) and totally agree that if someone is going to ignore the timing of a scenario then that's definitely not my concern.

For better of for worse I've published the first scenario now so I'll see whether or not a) anybody bothers to try it out, and b) if there's any useful feedback from Steam users.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=296387019

Onto the next one, and then I fancy something properly loco-hauled using the 1977 SimSig timetable. Fun times!

Cheers

Bob

P.S. Surely you must be the only living person who doesn't own Shap, Andy? At least, that's what one is led to believe reading the 'other' forums.

[AndyM77]

Yeah, there are a couple of the 'Must Have' routes that I don't own at the moment, (Shap, WLoS, Woodhead) but come sale time(s) when I usually spend on routes I've found myself buying other games.. Shameful I know. I've also got a train* of thought at the moment that as I've grown up down South around 3rd rail, then as long as I've got that covered then I'm good for now. Of course, when a freeware "must have" route is built that requires a route that I don't have, that is usually the point when I'll buy without hesitation.

* yes, bad pun

[cjbarnes5294]

I finally got around to giving the first one a go, and I really enjoyed it. Against all the odds (according to my previous track record), I successfully completed it. And I particularly enjoyed the parcels train race at the very end - I left him to eat my dirt, but he swooped past me right at the end.

Thanks Bob, looking forward to more.
Chris