Train simulator 2019 challenger boiler pressure simulator#
I want a simulator that gives me the feeling I am driving a train. My point is that I don’t want a realistic simulator. Real(istic) timetables are good, but not when it is almost impossible to arrive on time in the simulator.User-friendly, where man-machine becomes one, is good simulation to me. But a real engineer would not point and look at it with a mouse, he just happens to have his hand there in the first place. You can have a realistic “regulator”, that you can operate in the locomotive cab.A real engineer spends much time checking things like breaks and wheels.A real engineer knows the line well, and has special physical documentation about the line available.Yet in a train simulator this is what we do, because we want (much) variation (it is a somewhat boring game anyways). They are not going to be driving a new train, with unknown weight, on a new track on a tight time schedule. In the real world a train engineer makes calculations about breaking distances. The weight and length of the train matters, as long as other factors. A real challenge when driving a train is breaking and planning your breaking.That is the realistic truth about driving a train, but how entertaining is it? Some routes allow for long eventless sessions.It seems to me it would be very possible to deliver a better Train Simulator game! On Realism If driving is quirky, creating scenarios is kind of black magic (the problem is I need to test it, and when it fails after 40 minutes, I need to guess whats wrong and drive again for 40 minutes until I know if it works – a horrible development and debugging experience). I found that creating scenarios was often more fun than driving myself and I have contributed some 44 scenarios on Steam Workshop. That is where the (Steam) workshop comes in and there are quite many scenarios (of varying quality) do download. What I find more annoying is that I buy a nice piece of DLC and it comes with very few scenarios. You can read about all the expensive DLC, but that is your choice (I bought some, but most everything on sales). You can read about the outdated graphics of TS2019 and that is true, but it does not ruin my experience. This is annoying for two reasons: first the time table is often ridiculously tight, second it is not uncommon that maximum allowed speed changes unexpectedly. Decouple a wagon and for some reason (bug?) I get “operational error”, being penalised with -750 points (1000 is max), and I have no choice but aborting the scenario. The game has a competitive aspect (it is a game) where you drive scenarios and get scores. When there is a little inperfection in the game I can perhaps accept the lack of good simulation experience, but if it ruins the scenario completely, it is worse. The combination of bugs and being unforgiving is rather frustrating. But sometimes I am just a little late, a little early, I connected or disconnected the wrong wagon, I went into the wrong siding or something like that. One little mistake can ruin a scenario so you can’t even continue. The physics, engines, wagons, signals, AI and scenario conditions sometimes don’t work in a way you would expect. The game has developed over the years but there are some annoyances. I got Train Simulator because I wanted to try to drive trains. My experience with Dovetail Train Simulator (2019) In 2019 there are two alternatives to TS2019 that I have tested and that I will write about: Train Sim World and Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019. While I have spent much time with it I also have mixed feelings. That is the game that used to be called Railworks and that currently is named Train Simulator 2019. I have some personal enthusiasm for trains, and last years part of that has been playing Train Simulator on PC.