New Video

[Bill Hobbs]

For those of you who haven't checked this site in a while, there are new demos available now. After looking at the Black 5 demo, you can now sign me up!!
http://www.clubskill.com/gamepage/2235

[rgarber]

The last of the 3 new videos was great. Loved the depth of scenery. Ground textures looking awesome. There's alot to like from what the movie shows.

Rich

[electromotive]

What I'm worried about is content

I want fleets of BNSF, UP, SP engines and rolling stock, and some real american routes..

What am I going to do with a state of the art ultra realistic game engine and a few british steamer switchers, and a couple of european electrics? It's only going to make me feel bad about playing MSTS, nothing more..

If this is going to replace MSTS as a cult simulator, it will take a couple of years AFTER its release for the community to build up and start making some good stuff

Plus unless it has an open user friendly architecture like MSTS, it's a dead end.
We need a sim where everything is editable, specially sounds

[Bill Hobbs]

You can always learn to make content. I enjoy experimenting with things more than I do actually playing with it. Same for my model rr layout: I'm a builder at heart.

[electromotive]

Well I do all kinds of stuff, like repaints, sounds, and fixes, but if Rail simulator does not alow such access as MSTS, it's a dead end

[rgarber]

You're right on all counts. But in the pre-release phase we have no control. But like Bill Hobbs is saying, after release we can make the things they didn't provide. That's always been the strength behind msts anyways.

Rich

[muskokaandtahoe]

A lot not to like as well. Notice those turnouts? For some the word 'Lionel' came to mind. Not a tangent in sight.

I was particularly keen on seeing stuff from the editor and was pleased someone did post a few screen shots. At this point in the timeline AND absent seeing the thing in action, the screenshots are all we've got to go with and what's shown left me troubled.

There were a couple terrain editing icons that suggested nothing better than what you do in MSTS. If so, that's a major disappointment.

There was another screenshot that showed a list of different terrain textures -- early names like "the green, green grass of home". It's okay at this a point in time to be a bit silly, heck, even in the end product I suppose, but the serious questions that came to mind are (1) is the Kujo provided textures the finite list? and (2) no way can their tool be as good as the the combination of Photoshop and Mosaic so can I bypass it? Beats me.

And the track / ROW. After working several years exclusively w/ Scalerail I felt almost like tossing my cookies when I saw the Kujo created track and right of way. I certainly hope every dimension is open to profile subsitution.

[b]Dave Nelson
SLW Route Design: The Cal-P, 1950.[b]
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/muskokaandtahoe/Avatars/Dancing_Genma.gif
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/muskokaandtahoe/Avatars/4ad3d633.jpg

[Bill Hobbs]

With a 1st Qtr 2007 estimated release date, seems to me that what we are seeing in these low resolution videos is a "work in progress" and shouldn't be taken to be what the final thing will be like. It was probably put together to give a demo of some basic capabilities. For my part, it seems that they have done a good job of listening to these forums. I found the steam loco's movements good and was very impressed with the 3d cab and its controls.

[muskokaandtahoe]

Low res video isn't going to change the track or ROW profile, nor the shapes of the turnouts, nor the menu items shown.

You know there are a lot of people who are going to ooh and aah over the visuals. Don't bother looking at the models -- the look of a skin and/or a model are from the skill of the artist so who cares? Look at what the software does... the menus, the terrain, the water, and the track. Looking at the editor menus and track my honest reaction was (given that very limited viewing) if this is it, g*d help us all if there isn't a way to bypass it.

Consider for a momment the terrain skinning. Assume for a second or two that the only textures are those provided by Kujo and available in that list. What is your reaction? Mine is shivers. Now of course the assumption I provided might be wrong... perhaps many, many other textures will be available. Or that user created textures can be added to the menu list. If that's the case, then it's more of hmmm, have to see it in action before passing judgement.

The same can be said of the track (especially the turnouts) and ROW. If that's basically it, that's very bad news. If it can be thrown out and replaced with something decent like ScaleRail, well okay then, I'm (sorta) cool with it. But how long will it be before somebody creates a better track?

But the fact that from this first presentation my walk away is to wonder how much of what I saw can be gotten around or replaced is a big concern.

[b]Dave Nelson
SLW Route Design: The Cal-P, 1950.[b]
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/muskokaandtahoe/Avatars/Dancing_Genma.gif
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/muskokaandtahoe/Avatars/4ad3d633.jpg

[OTTODAD]

Hi Dave !

What you are saying is precisely the way I am looking at what a Train Simulator has to offer, not so much eye-candy and non-trainsim specific functionality and their animations but how realistically all of it looks and works, especially tracks and turnouts, we both have a special interest in ! ;-)

As the pictures shown so far are in-game scenes taken externally with cameras and video recorders and are still work-in-progress, similar to those we had with TMTS, we shall have to wait until we get better official scenes posted on the RAILDRIVER web site before commenting on them, providing feedback to their programmers.

As is being said, in order to attract existing users of MSTS, KRS has got be better, visually and functionally as realistic as can be made !

Take care, O t t o.

[Hack]

>we shall have to wait until we get better official scenes posted on the RAILDRIVER web site before commenting on them

Don't you mean the "RailSimulator" website?

By displaying KRS in a public venue, they opened themselves up to both good and bad comments. Arguments of "wait until it's done", or "wait for official screens" doesn't hold water.

Cheers!
Marc - 3DTrains
http://www.3dtrains.com

[link:www.3dtrains.com/products/index.shtml|http://www.3dtrains.com/images/pro_funit_atsfmain.jpg]

Pro Series v4.0 SuperPacks

[OTTODAD]

Don't you mean the "RailSimulator" website?

Of course I meant the RailSimulator ! Been writing to somebody about the Raildriver and KRS just before I posted that ! :+

By displaying KRS in a public venue, they opened themselves up to both good and bad comments. Arguments of "wait until it's done", or "wait for official screens" doesn't hold water.

This is also my view, but the TMTS fans did not like it when I said similar after seeing the TMTS W.I.P. screen shots and videos ! ;-)

By "wait for official screens" I meant screens printed directly from the monitor, being a better visual quality than those shown so far, taken externally with cameras and video recorders.

O t t o

[BNSF4723]

Would be nice to get a feel for the audio quality of the sim (or game, whichever it turns out to be). There didn't seem to be any in any video.

[MRRextreme]

I am not impressed. And the editors look WAAAAAY to Trainz-ish for my taste. I want flexibility and open-ended architecture, not cute. The turnouts look silly.

[Hack]

>I am not impressed. And the editors look WAAAAAY to Trainz-ish for my taste. I want flexibility and open-ended
>architecture, not cute.

I thought the same thing. Kuju should drop the cute icons for something a bit more utilitarian. As is, it has a toyish appearance, and as you mentioned, it looks way too much like Trainz. Perahps Kuju will give us the means to edit the GUI as they did with MSTS. One can hope.

Cheers!
Marc - 3DTrains
http://www.3dtrains.com

[link:www.3dtrains.com/products/index.shtml|http://www.3dtrains.com/images/pro_funit_atsfmain.jpg]

Pro Series v4.0 SuperPacks