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Microsoft Train Simulator: First of
the Big Ones
By Alfred Barten
When Microsoft released its much anticipated
Train Simulator in the spring of 2001,
they opened the door to a new era of train simulation.
MSTS, as it's called, set new standards
as a can-do-everything simulator, including full 3D environment, train control
from inside and outside the cab, the ability to throw track switches, shunt
cars, and much more.
Microsoft patterned Train Simulator
after its successful Flight Simulator,
aiming to provide the most realistic train driving experience possible. That
included train dynamics such as momentum and inluence of train weight and
track slope, operable cab controls, and optional involvement with boiler
pressure, water and fuel consumption, coupler breakage, track sanding, and wheel
slippage. As with Flight Simulator, you
could begin to learn how to drive the prototype vehicle on your PC, experiencing
direct feedback from your actions.
Microsoft appears also to have expected most third-party development to be
commercially based, as it is with Flight
Simulator. As it turns out, there are only a small number of developers
producing payware items, while most of the many thousands of add-ons today are
freely available on the Internet. That means we, as enthusiasts, have an
unprecedented amount of free models and realistic routes to choose from. It also
means that Microsoft did not make it easy for the non-professional to build
add-on content.
In the winter of 2004, having failed to meet its prevously announced goal of
releasing MSTS Version 2 in the fall of
2003, Microsoft announced its discontinuance of any further development of
Train Simulator. Many saw this as a
crushing blow to the hobby, while others saw it as a golden opportunity for
Microsoft's major train sim competitor, Auran
Trainz to dominate the genre. Instead,
the hobby continues to grow, Auran continues to update
Trainz, and there doesn't appear to be
any appreciable migration between the two heavyweight sims.
MSTS is still as popular ever, though
its sales may have dropped off. Like the mature game title that it is, it can be
gotten new for tag sale prices, now packaged in simple CD packaging and wearing
the Atari label.
While it would be hard to argue anything close to perfection on Microsoft's
part, they at least got enough right to make their product viable for the
forseeable future, even without further updates. Microsoft claims to have sold
1.3 million copies of Train Simulator,
which I suspect, puts it in the lead over the competition.
The prospect that other newer, more feature-laden simulators could eventually
supplant MSTS as the favorite, if indeed
it is the favorite, is ever-present. The new
TrainMaster Train Simulator
(TMTS), now in development by
P.I. Engineering, has already demonstrated its ability to convert
MSTS rolling stock to the
TrainMaster format, but no mention has
been made of converting routes. Another train sim in development by the team of
gaming giant Electronic Arts and Kuju (the original developer of
MSTS) is currently planning to limit its
attention to European railroading and the European market, but little is known
yet about this new sim other than Kuju's declaration that it is being designed
new from the ground up.
Thus, only time will tell what the future has in store for
MSTS. It's not unusual for a game to
continue well past its initial publisher's involvement, as is the case with
Transport Tycoon Deluxe (TTD), which is
ten years old and going strong. Because of various acquisitions and mergers, no
company at this point claims ownership to TTD, though we suspect Atari owns the
rights. Certainly, no commercial developer is interested in it, despite its
strong and dedicated following.
All this is simply a way of saying MSTS
is here, it's solid, it's established, and it's not going away any time
soon. If you have any hesitancy about getting involved because of Microsoft's
withdrawal from further development, put it aside and jump in. At current prices
you have nothing to lose, and there's always the bonus of having a sim with only
modest system requirements. A 1.2 GHz Pentium III was about the fastest thing
around at the MSTS was launched, and the
listed minimum requirements call for a 266 MHz Pentium II CPU - a tad modest for
practical purposes. I ran MSTS happily
for years on a 733 MHz Pentium III CPU.
A Few Things You Should Know
It's inevitable that every new user has an idea of what to expect right off the
bat, and that usually is something wide of the mark. Here are a few things to
keep in mind, especially if you are coming to
MSTS from another sim.
Driving. The first
thing to realize, especially if you look at the user manual first, is that you
don't have learn or bother with the details of driving a locomotive, even though
the manual proudly gives instructions and you may find the challenge to your
liking. You can operate a train using simple controls. However, you cannot begin
driving a train by simply rotating a dial as you would a model railroad or with
Trainz. You must first raise the
pantograph (if your train has one), then set the reverser to Forward, release
the brakes, and finally advance the throttle. I've created a summary of basic
commands and knowledge for beginning and infrequent users of
MSTS. You can find it
here.
Be sure you are familiar with at least the key commands corresponding to the
steps mentioned above. Before long you will want to throw switches and uncouple
cars, turn on the headlights and blow the horn. Eventually you may want to learn
to drive a locomotive realistically, learning all the controls and reading the
gauges.
Consists. A train
does not exist in the game unless it is made up and saved in a consist file.
MSTS has a built-in consist builder, but
almost no one uses it. The overwhelming favorite is a free program by Carlos
Gomes and Joe Smith called ConBulder,
available free at train-sim.com and elsewhere. A consist can be a single
locomotive or wagon or a combination in any length. You can place a consist that
has a locomotive in a route for driving while you are in the ROUTE &
ACTIVITY SELECTION screen. You cannot place ambient consists without going into
the Activity Editor, a task that's well beyond the scope of this article.
Version 1.2 Update.
No matter when you bought MSTS, you
should get the free version 1.2 update. It fixes a few minor bugs, adds some
content, and lets you run MSTS without
the need for inserting Disk 1 into the CD drive. You can get the update from
Microsoft
here
.
Installing
Add-Ons
There are many thousands of add-ons available for
MSTS. Most come with proper instructions
for placing the item in its right place. Some add-ons, such as routes, are a
little involved because they require running an included .bat file to copy
existing files into new folders. Other add-ons come in the form of an installer,
which automatically places the add-on in the right folder(s). The one cardinal
rule is to follow the included instructions carefully.
Resources
I've listed a lot of resources in my "Train Sim Webfinder," which I update
regularly. You can get it
here.
Two sources are worth mentioning here because they are so helpful and can lead
you elsewhere as well and include online forums, your number one source for
help:
Al
Article and screen shots (C)2006 Alfred Barten. All rights
reserved.
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