For those of us whose only space is cyberspace now. Any thoughts?
Build a machine first. One that is rather high end. Then you can run ANY sim.
Check out the recent release thread based on EA’s rail simulator. I have a short video capture in it.
4 gig of ram dual channel, RAID zero, 7900 GS video card (256 bit- 256 mb memory), DVI to Samsung 932bw screen with 2ms response time and a 550 watt powersupply protected by a 1500 watt smart battery good for 20 minutes or so. And Im still running all of that on a ASUS motherboard that is approaching 6 years old and facing a 2008 rebuild.
Fortunately everything is cheap in computers these days. Cheaper than train stuff even.
Now… the downside.
Game stores are stopping thier Personal Computer games. Games for windows and MAC are no longer being offered in smaller game stores. I think in a few years even Best Buy might quit selling video games for the PC but will take some time.
MSTS is ok, but aged and long in the tooth.
Sig’s “Railroads” is fairly good, especially with the bonus holiday scenario.
EA’s Train sim is pretty good.
Trainz 2006 is suffering lack of support or content availibilty. Zip, zero, nada.
Microsoft FSX based Train Simulator two is about a year away… sonny, you better bulk up your uber rig. No beige store bought boxes will be able to run this one.
My vote would go with MSTS. It’s old, and incredibly buggy…but the best train sim available. The new Microsoft Train Simulator 2 should be great, but it’s still in development and won’t be available for a year +. So right now the best is still MSTS…and there’s by far the most 3rd party equipment for it.
There’s a brand new sim that just came out, Kuju’s Rail Simulator. And there’s some nice US stuff coming out for it, but it’s so new there’s not much known about it. And the locos are not the best textured right now. And I’ve read about some major bugs. But this is to be expected of a brand new sim, and most if not all are being worked on. There should be some quality 3rd party equipment for Rail Simulator eventually.
If you’re not too familiar with train sims, check out this link:
It’s full of informative forums that should fill you in pretty quickly to the whole train sim world.
And leading 3rd party vendors you should be aware of for MSTS are the following:
Here are some screen shots I just took from MSTS. Not bad for a what is it now, a 6 year old program?
Gee I wasn’t aware of that. I would have said Trainz was the best available at the moment otherwise. Not sure about the 2006 version but there used to be a lot of guys creating content for Trainz other than Auran.
Why won’t somebody make a decent train sim for a gamebox instead of PC only? I’d rather buy it for the Gamecube or Wii than for a PC…although you just can’t beat working on the railroad in real time! [:D]
You have touched upon one thing I dont like about Auran and thier support for the so called content. Thier system does not work at all. I point to Fileplanet, Fileshack and other mega download centers overflowing with gigabytes of content and other stuff for today’s games on the market. Auran’s support is pitful, non existant.
I actually got in contact with a content creator and look forward to recieving the items over the internet AWAY from Auran at some point in the future. As it stands, it is only about a 100 megabytes worth of stuff and takes a few minutes to move it or ship the CD rom.
By the time that happens, newer games have hit the market such as EA’s Trainsimulator and the pending Microsoft trainsim 2. If Auran does not get the stuff working and get back to work for 2008 and beyond, they are likely to be left behind like so many other games that are neglected.
I dont think a real railroader is going to spend hours of his precious “Rest time” tied to a computer re-living the hassle or pain of the workday just finished. I cannot stand some of the trucking games for more than a few minutes myself.
The day of the Game box game content has arrived. In 6 of the 12 stores that sold PC games a few years ago, those 6 no longer sell PC games. It’s all about the gamebox such as the Wii now. I dont know if they are dumbing down the games to work on simple gameboxes or if the gameboxes are nothing more than portable PC’s growing in strength and power with each year.
Maybe the PC is the dinosaur that has not understood it’s demise yet.
Best? Best for what? Do you really mean “Model Railroad Sim” or just “Train” sim, or “railroad” Sim. Simulation of a whole railroad, running the trains, running just a train, running the railroad business, building a railroad (or model railroad), just a virtual layout???
There is great software out there for each of these situations, and then some. It would help if you gave a little bit more idea of what you are asking about.
I have tried most of them, but MSTS is the best in my book, especially with the free add-ons to make the program better. (graphics, gameplay etc) Train-sim.com is the place to get them, it has tons of add ons.
I like my Milwaukee Road add-on, Rocky Mountain Division.
I own both MSTS and Trainz…I like MSTS but Trainz has much better graphics IMHO…
I prefer the MSTS of trainz too. I think MSTS is a little more you drive than Tranz, and is also has all the add-ons.
Personally I’d wait for MSTSX (The new one) or TRS2009 in the fall. Currently MSTS is a little out dated, but great for driving. Ops, not so much. Trainz is alright, detail is lacking a bit.
Best Rail Sim right now? Rail Simulator I would say. You can download a demo of it to try here: http://www.fileshack.com/file.x/11472/Rail+Simulator+Demo
Granted it’s a European steam demo, but it’s still pretty nice. I have MSTS, and it’s ok, but just not that impressive. Graphics weren’t very great even for it’s time, it’s buggy and unrealistic in many spots. I also thought that it had a poor original set of routes and engines, etc.
This Rail Simulator has better graphics, a more streamlined interface, and overall better stuff so far.[2c]
That’s sad to hear. I got on the Trainz bandwagon early and found the support at that time to be quite exceptional. It sounds like it has gone straight downhill and that is too bad.
I agree. The sims are only good for times when you have no space for a layout. I used to spend hours with Trainz…but then I had no room for any layout…[:(]
Games boxes are nothing more than fairly powerful computers that are focused on graphics IMO. IMHO the graphics available on todays game boxes blows away what the PC can offer and for far less money and hassle.
I think the PC’s day as a gaming box is pretty well over and honestly it’s about time. Games should be played on a game system. There are better things to use a computer for that don’t require the huge graphical resources that games demand. Still this is just my humble opinion, individual results may vary.
I notice a lot of difference of opinion in regards to graphics and detail. Lets keep in mind that the configuration of each individual PC has tons to do with how a game looks, how it runs, or if
I once watched a office computer struggle to open a Microsoft Word Document. It sat there for 7 minutes until finally it produced on screen a simple letter that we needed to print.
Ive seen shippers lose tempers over computers that suddenly become balky and have issues creating the bill of lading when it is time to go.
The first computer was expensive. But several generations of upgrades made it CHEAP.
Today’s game boxes are staggering in thier costs, accessories cost (They equipt it just enough for one person knowing you will be back.) and game costs etc… plus the gigantic HDTV’s plasma, furnature etc etc etc…
Back in my day a simple Nintendo Game system plus games was a hundred bucks and that is it.
I try to run machines with good horsepower… kinda hard to drive a train when you stutter, stutter, stutter… and finally fry that old hard drive or burn up your video card.
I rely on Antec 900 Cases for the cooling, it gets hot here in Arkansas.
As far as Apple is concerned they spend so much of thier existance selling computers and dont know how to write games the way the windows folks have. If they will just accept the various technologys used today in writing/building games they will see a surge in demand for those apples.
I also recall a time when gaming was a chess board or checkers.
White King Pawn to King Four anyone?
I really think “staggering” is going way overboard, imho. [:)] Of course we, in our home do not believe we need everything as it arrives on the market. Still using the Gamecube we paid $100 for quite some time ago and we buy most games well after they are released and cheap at Wally world or off eBay. Staggering? Only if you are the kind of person who waits outside a store from 6 pm Friday until opening on Saturday so you can be first in line to get a new Wii the same day they are released. [(-D] We have friends like this. We just shake our heads.
Don’t own one… certainly won’t own one for gaming! HD? My eyes aren’t even that good! [;)]
Furniture? For gaming? Bean bag chair on the floor…$15
Yes, me too but not because I am gaming. I edit video with resource hogging Adobe Premiere and manipulate digital images alot with resource hogging Adobe Photoshop. I like to be able to multitask with my resource hogging apps. Games are played on the gamebox except in my sons case, where he plays online games too. His P3 either works or it doesn’t. I don’t get concerned unless it’s his homework that is being held up by the computer chugging and so far that’s not an issue.
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I rely on Antec 900 Cases for the cooling, it gets hot here in Arkansas.
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