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Kuju/EA Rail Simulator: Now There Are Three (Continued)
By Alfred Barten
The route selection and rendition point to a philosophic difference between Trainz and the two Kuju-developed sims. RS and MSTS emphasize the driving experience and challenge with realistic train dynamics and train control while operating over true-to-prototype routes. This approach has always been popular in Japan, Kuju’s home base. Trainz, on the other hand, was originally conceived as a model railroad simulator and, despite Auran’s subsequent efforts to distance itself from this concept, Trainz simulators and users have always been more about building routes – more often fictitious than not - and operating them as one would operate a model railroad: from outside the train, throwing switches, and controlling more than one train at a time.
View from the cab of British Class 166 DMU. Some pedestrians actually walk.
The included paper manual is a joy for the “save the trees” folks, but an annoyance for those of us with old eyes (I represent both camps). The print is small and obfuscated by background images and the mere 16 pages provide only the barest amount of information. Fortunately, four full manuals in PDF format are loaded onto your hard drive when you install RS. EA is also expected to release expert development tools in the near future. These should provide the capability for building rolling stock and scenery items.
Another annoyance is the software’s choices of display resolutions. There are many, but none to match my particular laptop (1280 x 800). Thus I have to run RS in windowed mode, which in turn does not support the Intermediate and Expert methods of control. I’m a simple controls guy anyway, so I’m OK with it.
I had some difficulty getting consistent results with the viewing. The zoom controls didn’t always work and the raise/lower viewpoint controls mostly didn’t work. I also don’t like having to insert the program disk into my PC every time I want to use the simulator, but that’s a minor inconvenience.
Finally, as with any software these days, system requirements keep climbing. RS is no exception. The manual refers you to the packaging for specifics, but the packaging does not mention system requirements. EA’s RS web page does mention system requirements and, while my system (a 6-month-old low end Dell laptop) meets them, I found that I had to move the display parameter sliders way over to the left (lower quality) in order to get smooth operation. This may be more a function of the highly detailed routes packaged with RS than a commentary on the truthfulness of the stated system requirements (Auran’s latest, Trainz Classics, has similar stated requirements and suffers from the same overreaching).
MSTS users may see some conceptual similarities between KRS (above) and MSTS.
On the whole, RS appears to be the long-awaited update to MSTS that MSTS users expected in 2003 before MSTS bowed out of the train sim business (they’re back in it, by the way, and are expecting a release in 2009). It provides a number of features that Trainz users have long taken for granted, most notably an easy-to-use route creation system. RS does not provide the interchangeability that an MSTS upgrade would have provided (nor will MSTS 2 when it arrives). What RS does provide is a fresh start and a sound base upon which to build. RS retains many of the things MSTS users like and are familiar with and it has the backing and marketing clout of the one of the world’s largest electronic game publishers. This is not insignificant when viewed in the long perspective. Auran, by contrast, is a small developer/publisher and has struggled mightily to overcome its lack of marketing clout and suffered accordingly in the marketplace. What Microsoft may or may not come out with next year is not worth worrying about or holding out for in my mind. Things often change and nothing is guaranteed, neither release dates nor product specifications. If you are a MSTS fan and want a much-needed update, RS is worth a serious look. If you are a Trainz fan and yearn for some serious hard-knocks driving challenges, RS may also be worth giving a spin. I like all train sims, so I welcome RS on board and look forward to doing some serious driving and route building with it.
Al
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Article and screen shots (C)2008 Alfred Barten. All rights
reserved.
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