Trainz

Trainz (all versions)

Auran JET, later (from TANE) E2

genre

Train simulation

multilingual

Trainz is one of the Australian company N3V Games developed (originally Auran) railway simulation for Microsoft Windows and later for Mac OS X , similar to the Microsoft Train Simulator . While the original version, simply called Trainz , and the later Ultimate Trainz Collection (UTC) were still designed as a virtual model railway , the more recent Trainz Railroad Simulator (TRS) or Trainz Simulator (TS) can be used to simulate the entire railway operations.

Version overview

Trainz (2001)
Ultimate Trainz Collection (UTC) (2002)
Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004 (TRS / TRS2004)
Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006 (TRS2006) - international
Protrain Perfect (PTP) - German version of TRS2006 with German routes
Trainz 2007 (New German version of TRS2006)
Trainz Simulator 2009: World Builder Edition (TS2009)
Trainz Simulator 2010: Engineers Edition (TS2010)
ProTrain Perfect 2 (PTP2) - reduced version of TS2010 with German routes
Trainz Simulator 12 (TS12)
Trainz a new Era (TANE)

Trainz and UTC

In Trainz and UTC, simple signals control the operational sequence, the player can control the train with a rotary switch similar to the one on the transformer of a model railway or with the controls in the driver's cab. The trains can also be put into autopilot mode, in which the computer takes control. It is possible to choose the driver's cab view, a follower view, the view of fixed camera positions along the route or a view that can be freely controlled in the terrain.

The editor (surveyor) as an important element of the program has been available in all versions since the original version. It can be used to create new systems (also known as maps ) or to modify existing ones.

UTC introduced the first scenarios in which the player was given a specific task.

Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004

TRS meant a leap from model railroad simulation to railroad simulation. Even complex operational processes can be simulated with TRS.

Service packs

The Service Packs (SP) add new functions to the original TRS, eliminate bugs and improve performance . In some cases - depending on the computer - new service packs also lead to a deterioration in performance. All service packs are provided by N3V Games free of charge.

Four service packs for TRS 2004 have been released:

Service Pack 1
This service pack added new driving physics for steam locomotives to the program.
Service Pack 2
Since SP2, the transport of passengers has been possible. Some script functions were also added.
Service Pack 3
With SP3 some bugs should be removed and the performance should be improved. There were some serious bugs in the German version of SP2 in particular.
Service Pack 4
The last SP should in turn correct errors in the not entirely successful SP3.

construction

TRS is divided into the following sections: driver games, scenarios, editor and depot.

So-called sessions can be run in the Driver Games section . These consist of a map with the objects placed there, trains set up on the map and session rules (see TrainzScript) that control the game. It should be noted that the trains do not belong to the map, but are located at session level, i. H. they are not saved with the map.

Scenarios are still a relic from the times of UTC and, according to Auran's planning, will soon no longer be supported. Instead, developers should implement them with sessions . The menu item "Scenarios" is still available in Trainz 2010, but no new scenarios can be created in the meantime.

The editor (Surveyor) can be used to create and edit both maps and sessions. It is kept very user-friendly ( WYSIWYG ) so that the first maps can be created quickly. For realistic-looking tracks and landscapes, however, one or the other aids and some experience are required.

The depot is used to view the installed locomotives, railcars and wagons. These can be classified as favorites so that you can find your preferred rolling stock more quickly in the editor.

TrainzScript

One of the most important innovations in TRS - if not the most important - is the introduction of the TrainzScript script language , with which the possibilities for simulating complex operational processes arise.

The language is object-oriented and its syntax is similar to that of Java or C ++ . A large number of classes are already available, these offer suitable functions to influence the course of the game.

Most of the objects in the game can receive a script and be controlled by it or can also influence other objects. Signals, for example, are automatically of the Signal class - even if they have not been assigned a script by the creator. If the developer has assigned them a script and thus also a class, the latter must inherit from the Signal class.

Scripts are also used to develop scenarios. However, for users who cannot or do not want to deal with the scripting language, there is also a tool developed by Trainz users (Scenario Creation System), with which scenarios can be created without programming knowledge. As already mentioned, Auran plans to abolish scenarios and replace them with sessions with the same functionality.

Since TRS, there has therefore been the option of creating so-called session rules for sessions . These are scripts that can control the entire session or just individual areas, such as B. the weather. The rules can be added to the session in the editor. Within the session there is a tree structure of rules, i. H. A rule can be subordinated to others that are only executed under certain conditions. In this way, elementary rules can themselves be understood as part of a programming language.

Another option for integrating scripts are the DriverCommands. These are commands that can be given to the computer train drivers. You execute this after the start of the session . There are commands to drive to a marked point on the route, to load goods, etc.

Industries

Industries are another major innovation in TRS. These can be placed on a map and generate or consume goods that are delivered or picked up by the trains. The goods that are produced by one industry can in turn be consumed by another. For example, a power plant needs coal, which is extracted from a coal mine. This in turn needs diesel for its vehicles. Diesel can be delivered from the port to the coal mine.

A special form of industry since TRS SP2 has been train stations where passengers can get on and off.

Download Station

A download station operated by N3V Games has existed for the old Trainz since SP3 as a central collection point for objects created by Trainz users. Every registered Trainz user receives a user ID and can download objects free of charge from the Download Station or publish his own objects there under his user name and his user ID.

The Download Station offers convenient search functions. Objects can be searched for and displayed by their name, ID, the user name of the creator or a term in the object description. Since TRS 2006, Trainz has a so-called content manager with which the user can manage his local content. This also offers the option of searching for and downloading objects on the Download Station without having to open an Internet browser.

A major shortcoming of Download Station is the download speed. This is limited to a few kilobytes per second. However, by purchasing a first class ticket , a user can download at higher speeds for a limited time. Because of this limitation, some users do not publish their items on Download Station, but only on their own server. Although this leads to faster downloads, it also means that the object is more difficult to find, especially if it is needed for a map, and may limit the availability of the object.

With the full version of TRS 2004, which appeared on Computer Bild Spiele (CBS) in spring 2005, the Download Station cannot be accessed because buyers of the magazine do not receive a serial number. However, if you have already purchased TRS from retailers and thus received a serial number, it can also be used with the full version of the CBS.

Create new objects

Own objects could be integrated into the original version of Trainz . With Trainz SP3 and the Download Station this has been simplified considerably.

Every user can create and export their own 3D objects for Trainz with the programs GMax , Blender or 3D Studio Max and the corresponding plug-in . After creating a configuration file that tells Trainz the type of object and some properties, these are available in Trainz .

Objects created by Trainz users have become an integral part of the Trainz world. Without them, the program wouldn't be nearly as appealing. This also applies to German-speaking users, as objects from German-speaking countries are developed almost exclusively by Trainz users.

Scripts from Trainz users (e.g. the rules) also contribute significantly to the game.

Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006 / ProTrain Perfect / TRS 2007

Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006 was finished at the end of August 2005 and is sold in various countries. In Germany it is distributed by the company Blue Sky Interactive (BSI), which is known in the scene above all for its add-ons for the MSTS that have been released under the ProTrain label , together with NBG under the name ProTrain Perfect . Despite the different name and design, it is basically the same program, only in German.

With the release of the first service packs for TRS2006, however, this is no longer generally the case. Add-ons or objects that were developed for TRS2006 with Service Pack may have an entry in their configuration file that requires a higher version number than that of PTP. Blue Sky Interactive sees PTP as a stand-alone product that exists independently of Trainz :

“We never said that PTP and Trainz are absolutely the same. That was determined by others in another forum without our wish. [...] PTP was actually considered as runtime in a meeting with Auran because the production of ADD ONs for the TRS 2004 would not have been worthwhile due to the poor sales figures. [...] What Auran does now with his TRS 2006 is their thing and does not involve any obligations for us. If you haven't noticed any incompatibilities, so much the better. If there were any, we wouldn't work against it. You are absolutely right, we actually do not build in accordance with the Auran's building guidelines, we go our own way. "

- Rolf Steinberg, Managing Director of Blue Sky Interactive in a forum post

Due to these circumstances, Blue Sky Interactive is also not working on implementing the Auran service packs for PTP. BSI only wants to implement additional functions via its add-ons with the script language integrated in TRS2006 / PTP. These plans caused astonishment and criticism in large parts of the user community of TRS2006 and PTP.

All BSI add-ons can only be run with PTP or TRS2006 without a service pack. Anyone who owns TRS2006 with Service Pack or TRS2007 cannot use PTP add-ons, as BSI has built in a script for each object that queries the Trainz version. If this is not the same as the PTP version, the objects cannot be used because they display script errors that are only caused by different version numbers. With this version query, BSI specifically excludes normal Trainz users who prefer to use TRS2006 with Service Pack or TRS2007 instead of PTP. A program called Trainz-Switcher simulates a PTP platform when querying the scripts of the BSI add-ons and thus enables its use with TRS. However, this switcher only works with the PTP add-ons 1, 2, 3, etc. 6. Newer add-ons contain a new version query so that the switcher cannot outsmart this query. What exactly is queried is currently unclear.

At the end of June 2007 an official German version of Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006 including service pack 1 was released. The name of the version is Trainz Railroad Simulator 2007, it is distributed by Halycon and was developed in cooperation with Auran.

Trainz Simulator 2009

At Christmas 2008 a new version of Trainz went on sale. The target group of the version called World Builder Edition are users who create objects or maps for Trainz. The demands on the graphics card have increased if you want to use the new possibilities of the more realistic surfaces. The Engineers Edition was originally supposed to follow in spring 2009 and is aimed at people who are interested in controlling trains. However, the release date was delayed until autumn 2009, when the Engineers Edition appeared under the name Trainz Simulator 2010 .

In addition to playful improvements, changes to the jet engine in the new version u. a. the ground grid of squares with an edge length of five instead of ten meters, which allows more detailed landscaping.

Trainz Simulator 2010

The English version of Trainz Simulator 2010: Engineers Edition was released in November 2009. The new features include the use of the SpeedTree development environment for more realistic vegetation. Other innovations include a. Customizable menus, support for different appearance of objects depending on the season and a layer model for the editor, which enables the assignment of objects to layers as well as the fading in and out of these layers. For example, a certain layer of the landscape can be made visible for a session and others made invisible in order to be able to show different states (e.g. decades) of the same map. The German version was published on June 10, 2010.

ProTrain Perfect 2

ProTrain Perfect 2 was released on November 25, 2010 in cooperation between N3V Games , Blue Sky Interactive and Halycon Media . Originally, PTP2 was supposed to be based on TRS2007. Volker Rieck, managing director of Halycon Media announced in the N3V forum that a different version is being used and that the appearance of PTP2 will therefore be postponed by a month. The BlueSky Interactive forum states that PTP2 is based on Trainz 2010. So far there are seventeen add-ons with German routes, eleven task packs for PTP2 and thirteen themed add-ons (TEE, BR110, BR151, BR182, BR120, BR440, Eurobahn Vol. 1, Highspeed - On Board the ICE, Local Transport Vol. 1– 4, Munich-Nuremberg Express).

Trainz Simulator 12

In April 2011 the international version of Trainz Simulator 12 was released. The biggest and most important innovation is the included multiplayer mode. In addition, there were many changes to the program interface, so you can now zoom almost continuously from the 3D view into the map view or use functions that were previously only accessible via configuration parameters. The German version was published on December 6, 2011 in cooperation with N3V Games and Halycon.