Any Interest in Building an RWA Community Route?!?

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

With RW3 coming very soon, and especially with the new route editor coming very soon too (yay!), I got to thinking that maybe we could build something for the R&WA equipment pack we have. A fictional route, built by RWA enthusiasts for RWA enthusiasts. And a proper community effort, too.

So let's build a true RWA route:

My idea was something like this: We (whoever is interested) can build the RWA route together. One person starts, terraforms the base route and starts building the route. A yard, a station, a town, whatever is desired. Then, after a certain time, the project gets handed over to the next builder, who adds a few more miles of trackage and scenery to the route, then the next person, and so on. Until everybody who wanted to has added something to the route. I think the end result would be not only a lovely route full of many great ideas, operational potential and great scenery, but also a true community effort.

Would anybody be interested in doing something like this?

If we built a route like this, we would have to arrange a few basic "rules", but generally I think there would still be a great deal of artistic freedom for each route builder who participates.

A suggestion for some basic rules:

Time: Every builder should have a time limit. A week maybe? Certainly a time frame in which it is possible to finish the work, but not so long that everybody who isn't building the route will get bored to death.

Completion: Within this time frame, the route builder should complete their section of the route. Tracks, scenery, markers, eye candy clutter, it should all be done. Better have two miles of amazing detail than twenty of cool trackwork surrounded by total nothingness.

Logical ending: In order to not force the next builder into a certain direction, every segment should have a logical end, after which something totally new and different could be added by the next builder. So a yard or a town would be a good place to end one's segment in. This way, a new builder could also decide to add their new line to a segment that was completed much earlier on, like for example to build a branch line.

Continuity: If we want to be able to play the route later on and write scenarios on it, we need a certain continuity of how we use markers, which signals and signal scripts we use, what track types, etc.

Assets: What assets should we use? Default only? Default + selected freeware only? Or default + some payware (like the PRR route's assets)? In any case, I think it would be good to agree on this beforehand, else there could be some issues later on. Even if it is maybe only the final packaging becoming a nightmare.


OK, I think I've written enough for now. I got some more ideas swirling around my head, but first I should really hear your thoughts on all that, and of course if there's any interest at all!


Thanks!
Michael

[shicoe30]

I think it's a cool idea. Kind of like a modular model railroad club, only V-scale. I'm interested, though I have some catching up to do in the continuity section, and am in the midst of my own route. If more people get on board, I'm in.

[matepava]

I would be interested, though it would depend on the time commitment. I have a 13 month old and it is difficult to find time for Railworks at times. I have manged to lay about 1 mile of main line with a small town and interchange yard at one end and a coal yard at the other. I just need to finish placing the signals and landscaping now. I love the idea of a community route, though. And would be happy to contribute if time allows.

[thecanadianrail]

Count me in on this!

1 suggestion on time, make it about 2 weeks. someone like myself who works 12 hour shifts dosen't alwayse have a whole lot of time on their hands to complete a segment that they desire.

I think default, GN, SMM, 3DTrains assets would be an obvious choice to start out with. woulden't mind also having the option of having the allaboard, PRR, and Portland assets avalable. (that is saying that all of us whom are bulding it have the payware assets)

so basicaly your section will be from someones end of a town/yard, continuing on the line from there up till your own town/yard? i like this idea, but I think when we hand it off to the next person we should put a small readme with it to tell the next person what you have done on your section of line. (there is no real point of having a slow speed branchline turn into a high speed mainline. [thats when somebody decides to start a branchline off of the mainline] of course leaving the option open for the next bulder to do whatever they want but to make it somewhat make sence if you know what i mean?)

I for one will do prarrie scenery for the mainline run, with a very nice large sorting yard for all those nice elevators. (maby GNr could do some repaints of his elevator into pool elevators and such for anybody to use for the route....then maby some R&WA hoppers....maby even a R&WA elevator?? ah hell make a bunch of R&WA structures for the bulders who will continue on!)

ok before we actually do start, we need to decide on what track we will use? (GN default, GN 3D, default, 3DTrains, Portland Terminal ect....?)

wow i am excited about this one!!!

[bsrrco]

I like the idea but, i think it should be all freeware or default assets, that way everyone has or can get all of the assets needed for it. Also we need to decide on some kind of order on who starts it who comes next & on down the line.

[thecanadianrail]

well for the route to be true to it's name you will need the R&WA donationware set......i would also assume that about 95% of us have almost all the payware assets anywayse by now.

[PapaXpress]

I know that that anyone can donate to RWA at any time, but I would like to see some (not all) of the assets as "donationware" to help upkeep this site. Model RR clubs have dues, and Hawk does not ask for dues or put up advertising, what do you think about it?

As for the use of fully payware assets, I would like to say that we stay away from them, just for now.

I will offer any support for repaints, and QA. Mike and I have been experimenting with syncing files, including routes using Live Mesh Sync (this is the 5gb free version not the 25gb SkyDrive), and so far we have made good use of it. If this is of interest I can explain how it works and why I chose the 5gb version over the 25gb (and why I did not use dropbox, and similar products).

Or you can read about them here (listed in order... oy vey, I need to start publishing again...):
http://thegradecrossing.blogspot.com/20 ... al-to.html
http://thegradecrossing.blogspot.com/20 ... lroad.html
http://thegradecrossing.blogspot.com/20 ... art-2.html

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

Wow, I wasn't expecting such an overwhelmingly positive reaction, this is awesome, and very exciting! I think with the handful of people we have "on board" now we might already launch the project. If more people want to join later, they can do so anytime.

Seeing that there are some points where opinions differ, I thought maybe a quick poll about the key starting issues of terrain, assets and tracks could help. Please see here if you'd like to fill in the poll: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3311

Thanks for the info about the SkyDrive thing, I wasn't aware of that one. Sounds pretty useful! Though maybe we won't even need anything nearly as sophisticated as that, with folks working on the route one after another there should be only a few limited file transfers of the whole project, in which case any file hosting service should do the trick.

Cheers,
Michael

[TDHenderson]

A couple of us have been helping Bob Artim over at the North Eastern Railworks club on a group build and the one thing you need to clearly define is the track work. From what we have found that is the only area that only one person at a time can work on. As long as you set tile boundaries for folks to work within you can all do your own thing, as long as the work does not touch tracks or trackside items. Roads, non-track lofted items, terrain, buildings, trees, etc are all fair game.

So, either designate one "track-master" to lay out the entire route, or you can split that up but your track work has to be done sequentially and not in parallel.

Trevor

[TDHenderson]

Michael,

Here is another idea. It looks like you want to do a prototypical route. Why not poll the community to find out who has what track charts and maybe use that as the basis for the route? Just an idea.

Trevor

[Hawk]

Thanks for the info about the SkyDrive thing, I wasn't aware of that one. Sounds pretty useful! Though maybe we won't even need anything nearly as sophisticated as that, with folks working on the route one after another there should be only a few limited file transfers of the whole project, in which case any file hosting service should do the trick.

Cheers,
Michael

For this project, I'd be more than happy to supply the file sharing storage, if y'all are interested.

[artimrj]

Like to add my 2 cents to this. My route is almost completed. It is 50 miles of fictional railroading. I had 4 guys at one time helping me. What I did was lay down all the track, did the DEM and then everyone took a section to scenick. We kept 1 tile of seperation between our work areas. Then all they had to do was give me their files and it worked quite well. They had instructions to not touch anything track related only scenery, and roads and lofts and terrain molding and painting could they do. That way everyone can be working on it at the same time instead of passing the whole route onto individual people.

[arizonachris]

Correct me if I'm wrong, I had suggested that Tori's route and another designer's route (can't remember who it was) could link up, and was told it was not possible for two different routes to be joined like that. But y'all think you can build from a central point out and make one huge route? This is totally cool. I'm just a driver. Waiting for new assignments.

[Dan]

I'd love to be involved but I really don't think I have the skills yet to contribute.

However, I am a researcher for a living so if the route is prototypical I would be happy to do research for the route.

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

Thanks everybody for the many repsonses and filling in the poll, I think so far the results of which are quite clear:

Our route should be based on real-world terrain from around in the Alleghenies, we route builders should only use only default and freeware assets, and ScaleRail.

BTW, I think the route itself is supposed to be a totally fictional one, the onle realistic thing would be the "Dem'ed" terrain.

So how exactly should we begin this whole project? -- After RW3 is out, I suppose.

I'd like to do the basic terrain work... are there any objections against using the area around Pittsburgh, PA? Or does anybody have a better idea? I already have the Pittsburgh region 1/3 arc grid NED DEM files from an older project and I think it's also a great place to build routes, it has a lot of hilly terrain but thanks to the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela valleys there is still comparably much flat terrain too (for easier building of larger towns, yards, industries), then there are also lots of steep, narrow canyons for branch lines etc. If anybody has a better idea for a starting place, please let us hear it. If Pittsburgh it is, I'd put the route's starting point somewhere in Pittsburgh, then generate terrain about a dozen miles up and down each of the three large rivers, plus a few miles of terrain up into the hills on the banks of the rivers (for distant terrain and also the possibility of branch lines).

Then when we have RW3 and the terrain is done -- who wants to start building the route? Who has a cool idea for the starting place of the R&WA (Richburgh and Western Alleghenies railroad company )?

I think once we have the first segment done, town, yard, interchange, or whatever there will be, we can just take it step by step. Find the next route builder, add the next segment, and then expand the thing until there everybody who wanted to add something has done so.

Then as a last step the signals should be put in by one person on the whole route, to keep it simple and to ensure that the signals all follow the have logic and setup. Apart from that I think we could leave everything up to the ideas of the route builders.

Oh, one more thing, which assets do we want to use?
With the results from the poll, the minimal list would be as follows:
- Kuju
- KujuUS
- RSDL (Foliagepack)
- RSC (Stations Pack)
- 3DTrains (ScaleRail, ScaleRoad -- what about RuralLandscapes??)

What other developers' assets should we add to the list? Would it make sense to simply limit the asset use to the items that are available here at RWA and the ones from Jerry's and my websites (SMMDigital and GreatNortherner scenery assets)? Would that be too many assets? Or, on the contrary, maybe even leave out any must-haves I just forgot about right now?

Cheers,
Michael