This store doesn't have proper support for betas the same way as Steam does, but your purchase comes with the Steam key, so if you really want to try it out, just create an account on Steam and use the key. The official version will be released here of course once the beta testing is over.
Polling has now ended with 148 votes for scenery (itch + Steam) and 120 votes for gameplay (55% vs. 45%)! The small lead for scenery means that it'll be the next major update, after the small controls update which is currently under beta testing on Steam. The gameplay update will be done after the scenery update.
The custom physics engine I'm using doesn't really support leaving the tracks, so in case of derailment the vehicles will stay more or less upright and won't stray too far from the rails. Definitely no running down the embankment, falling off a bridge or anything like that.
The rationale for implementing derailments is to have visible consequences for mistakes (speeding, slamming brakes on loosely coupled stock etc.) instead of just abruptly halting the simulation. Basically having the train grind to a halt with appropriate sound effects and clouds of dust, but nothing more spectacular than that. Having a wheelset drop on the ground and bump over sleepers could create an interesting visual feedback in the cab, given the physics modelling of the bogies and driver head.
No need to have two versions installed, just pick the one that's more convenient to you. Steam downloads and places the exact same files to your hard drive if you use Steam. The itch version is always the latest official release, but Steam also has a newer optional beta testing version of DRS if you're interested in trying out new features in advance (while potentially suffering more crashes because of the nature of the test version).
EDIT: Don't forget to check the Steam workshop for more content if you decide to use Steam instead
Thanks! The lighting experiment looks really nice but I still need to find out how many light sources the graphics engine can handle before it drops the frame rate too much, so I'll return to those in another update.
A to B and rescue for now because the sim doesn't implement shunting yet. It works fine in passenger traffic if you attach some DMU trailer cars to it. Controls and handling are quite similar to the railcars since the transmission is similar, except that there are five gears and a separate air brake for the locomotive. The vacuum brakes work on coaches only, goods wagons being unbraked (but with an AI brake van at the rear of the train for additional braking force).
Thanks! The easiest way to share routes is via Steam Workshop which is basically a download hub. If you don't wish to use Steam then it might be possible to use websites like trainsim.com. Or, just e-mail your route to me and I'll include it in the core package with appropriate credits! The file sizes are very small since there won't be any custom textures yet.
In addition there will be optimisations, bugfixes (like fixing the key configuration with AZERTY keyboard) and graphics improvements. The update will hopefully be ready for testing this month and the official release in January. I'm sorry it's taken this long to make the update but it turned out to be much more difficult to do than I expected.
Hi gulp78, I'm really sorry for missing your question earlier, I don't think I received a notification! Anyway, I'm going to enlarge the current route box in the main menu and automatically add the workshop routes there. The whole user interface could use a redesign which I'll do in one (or several) of the later updates, so I'll rethink the main menu layout then.
Still plenty of Steam keys left! There should be a button for claiming the key somewhere around the middle of the download or purchase page, but it might require you to first link your Steam account before you can claim the key. It's been a while since I did this myself so I don't quite remember the details.
I thought about adding support for different formations in the same template but it turned out to be a bit complicated so had to drop the idea. If I figure out how to make it work in the future I'll certainly do it. For now you'll just have to create separate templates for different formations.
Yes, the latest version (1.30) has a timetable editor which you can use to create your own traffic to the existing routes. The editor can be started from the top of the service selection screen. The next update (1.40) is to include a route editor.
Thank you Donstover! Yes, I guess it would be a good idea to implement actual derailments. It would add to the realism and make the sim more credible, knowing that there are consequences (other than just losing points) for breaking the rules.
It's been there from day one :) You'll just have to overrun a trailing point set against you and then reverse, and the front of the train will go to the other track.
I respectfully disagree :) In real-life you can exceed the line speed limit at the risk of derailing or damaging equipment. You can also exceed the train's designated maximum speed at the risk of derailing or damaging the train. You shouldn't do either though. In the case of the 1st gen DMUs the max safe speed is probably limited by the power train, but for safety reasons, many other trains have lower max speeds than what they could actually reach.
In real world the continuous railway network is a large complex web that can't all be modelled as one route so you'll end up with some branches and stubs that lead to unmodelled parts of the network. These are often modelled as portals of some kind in the other train sims as well. Then again the current routes are fictitious so the portals could be replaced with terminus stations to form a small-ish but complete railway network. Another option would be to have the run start and end at a non-terminus station instead of a portal.
I'm probably not going to make any more routes but I'm going to improve the existing ones. Hopefully people will use the editors to create new routes but if that doesn't happen then I'll look into making some more (real-world ones).
That's true yes, these features would be nice and I'll try to fit them in at some point, but they're relatively minor details compared to some of the other missing stuff so they're not yet a high priority.
There's a more up-to-date plan over at the Steam discussions forum (no account required for reading). The locos will be 03 and/or 08 and/or 37 with Mk1 coaches and/or freight wagons but I'm going to release two editor updates before that. Developing the editors is taking a lot longer than I originally expected because they're technically quite complex. I shouldn't really give any dates because I've done such a poor job of estimating them in the past, but the next update is quite likely to be released next month.
I've watched a couple of videos of Trainz, Open Rails and Run8 multiplayer. The problem is that they don't seem very fun. Train Simulator 20xx is still the most popular train sim even if it doesn't have multiplayer.
In reality there weren't advance warning boards for the speed limits in 1960's UK so I'm leaving them out. For more modern routes there will be advance warnings
Yes an update is probably going to be released next week, but it's a small one with some bugfixes and optimisations. The route editor is still not ready.
