RSC 2-8-0 CONSOLIDATION

[BNSFdude]

Weird, you may have to take that up with Chris L. or Derek, I don't have a clue. I don't happen to have the FTP details though, and am really giddy to try this bad boy out. Mind PMing me the details?

[mrennie]

I think I see the problem. The positions "Release", "Hold", "Apply" and "Emergency" work, but "Quick Charge" and "Lap" (or even "Service") don't, and get substituted for "Direct", which appears to release the brakes! So, I'll have to settle for having just four positions, release, hold, apply and emergency.

EDIT: After further testing, I see that indeed you can't use any old names. For the engine brake, it has to be "Release" and "Direct" (I tried putting "Apply" instead of "Direct" and the engine brakes stopped working). For the train brakes, it has to be
"Release", "Hold", "Apply" and "Emergency" ... other names don't work.

Matt said he'd put it on Steam for the beta testers, so I'll let him do his thing with what I put into the ftp. The ftp is just a two way communication between individual developers and RSC, as I understand it, not the means for distributing betas to everyone. But like I said, I'm still new to all this.

I'm trying to do an introductory scenario but it's getting complicated trying to explain where the controls are. I feel like putting trigger instruction at the beginning that says simply "Now spend some time in the cab, mousing over the various levers, valves and switches to see what's what!".

[mrennie]

I just noticed the re-titling to "Freeware WIP". I'd better start a new thread down there in the RSC WIP payware section. This thread's had a peculiar history

[bpetit]

nah just ask a mod to move it.

[mrennie]

OK

... dear Mod, would you mind moving this thread to the payware section, thanks very much

[buzz456]

Shortly

[mrennie]

Shortly

Thanks Buzz

[mrennie]

Just to check (and to answer a question some time ago from Mike Durdan), I installed the Consolidation onto my mid-low-end laptop, an HP Pavilion dv6 notebook PC that I bought for about 300+ pounds some 4 or 5 years ago. The system specs are:

HP Pavilion dv6
-------------------
CPU: AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile RM-74 2.2GHz
RAM: 4GB
OS: Vista Home 32-bit
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4500/5100 Series
HD: 60GB
Windows evaluation score: 4.3 (the graphics got the lowest score ... the highest, at 5.9, was for the RAM).

I had to put the TS2013 graphics to the "lowest detail" setting, but with the Consolidation sitting on its own in the yard at Altoona on the HSC, in sunshine, with wisps of steam and smoke coming out everywhere (including the safety valves, because she'd been sitting there a while), I still got between 19 and 25 fps, depending on the viewing angle and mainly on what was in the background. I swapped the Consolidation for the PRR K4 and the fps were in the same range. So, I'm not expecting anyone to have any problems with the fps.

For comparison, if I do the test on my new Alienware M17XR4, the fps are in the 50-60 range on highest detail, TSX on, FXAA + 8 x MSAA, only procedural flora and depth of field turned off.

M17XR4
---------
CPU: i7-3720QM @ 2.60GHz
RAM: 12GB
OS: Win7 Home 64-bit
Graphics: GeForce GTX 675M
HD: Samsung SSD 229GB
Windows experience index: 6.8 (the graphics got the lowest score ... the highest, at 7.9, was for the SSD).

[UP3985]

Not that I'm complaining, or just being hard to get along with, but I think the original, flat out "WIP" was alot easier to use. Do we really need too break everything down so much?

...

Just a question

[bpetit]

I wonder if it will have wheelslip sounds. This is gonna be one great new year present.

[mrennie]

I wonder if it will have wheelslip sounds. This is gonna be one great new year present.

Yes, wheel slip sounds are there, and sand effects at the rails, as well as realistic looking sander controls in the cab (I didn't stop at the levers and the rod between the levers, but also did the fulcrums and connecting rods that go up above the boiler and lead to the cranks in the sand domes).

[mrennie]

I was too late to get the Consolidation into beta testing over Christmas, but I've been told it's in the queue for January.

[ozinoz]

Excellent news. A few weeks testing, tweak anything that needs tweaking and then into the DLC release schedule, so she should be an Easter present

You can now have a rest and a contemplate about what is next. Given all of your long and hard work on this, I hope the reward outweighs the effort - it will be well deserved.

from Down Under...

Grant

[mrennie]

*!!thnx!!*

Excellent news. A few weeks testing, tweak anything that needs tweaking and then into the DLC release schedule, so she should be an Easter present

You can now have a rest and a contemplate about what is next. Given all of your long and hard work on this, I hope the reward outweighs the effort - it will be well deserved.

from Down Under...

Grant

Thank you Grant, and for all your encouragement ever since I began all this. It honestly has been a help to me.

I'm hoping there won't be much to tweak (I've made notes every time I spotted something not right, and tried not to leave things to fester on the list). Maybe it'll be out before Easter - I hope so.

I want to start the next one as soon as possible after I get back from holidays. If I can get the drawings and some help with photos, it'll be the GN P-2. Otherwise it depends on what I can find.

I have no idea how RSC are going to price this DLC. They still haven't seen it in the flesh, as far as I know, so I think the level of detail is going to be a surprise for them too. Maybe that will have an influence on the price. On the other hand, I haven't got any bonus rolling stock to go with it, nor does it come packaged with a route, so that too will surely have an impact on the decision.

I was worried at first that the detail would be too much, but I've tested it on a desktop and two different laptops to check that the fps are in the same range as other DLCs (with far less detail, I might add!).

It's got all the TS2013 TSX features ... rain (tiny drops, not big blobs) on the windows, projecting headlights (that project a long way), cab lights that cast shadows (the shadows can be turned off with a key press if the fps hit is unacceptable), stereo sounds (not all of them though, some are still mono). I love driving it! Development started to slow down towards the end because I was spending more time taking her out for a spin! (with the excuse that it was "just a test drive" ... yeah, yeah).

While the testers are doing their bit, I'll do a set of scenarios. Suggestions are welcomed!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Prosperous New Year to everyone,

Mike

[Griphos]

While the testers are doing their bit, I'll do a set of scenarios. Suggestions are welcomed!

Mike

Freight!

Well, this sure sounds like it will be the most detailed loco yet for TS. I'm sure looking forward to it whenever it gets released and whatever its price.