Do you use Way Points?

[OldProf]

When writing scenarios and dealing with the frustrations often presented by that mythical marauder often called "the dispatcher", I sometimes forget to simply flag the route I want a train -- player or AI -- to follow. The requisite tool is called a Way Point:



Unlike the Drive To instruction (which can also be used in its Go Via mode), Way Point instructs an engine to head that-a-way. Simple to use because it offers no options, Way Point allows you to plot an engine's path marker by marker if you wish, but usually it's only necessary to choose a marker that lies in the appropriate direction and is accessible from the engine's previous position. The drawback is that the red path line will not extend to the Way Point's position.

I've found this tool particularly helpful after the editor has hastily and insistently reported that an engine cannot get from point A to point B, even though any fool (including this one) can see that the path is open and available. Sometimes changing the editor's mind is as easy as 1) deleting the failed Drive To of Go Via instruction, 2) placing a Way Point that leads beyond the marker I want the engine being edited to reach next, and then c) reinserting the Drive To or Go Via, although at times it's necessary to save, quit, shut down, relaunch and reopen between steps 2 and c. If even that fails (and the editor-dispatcher combination's innate stubbornness, as all scenario writers know, is inestimable), more drastic steps such as shutting down and restarting the computer or even performing a cache verification may be needed to appease the aforementioned deities.

I can't and won't state that this always works, but at least it's well worth trying rather than giving in to TS's quirks.

Happy editing!

[artimrj]

I use them for AIs mostly. Sometimes if you use them for the player and do some diverging the switches will not get thrown (sometimes) and you get lost or crash into something.

[OldProf]

I use them for AIs mostly. Sometimes if you use them for the player and do some diverging the switches will not get thrown (sometimes) and you get lost or crash into something.

Yes, you're quite right: player train switches are always the responsibility of the driver, except those that have been preset by the scenario writer, and even those are subject to being changed by the dispatcher as needed to allow AI trains to follow their paths. However, Way Points are still useful for the player engine. I've used them to convince the dispatcher to allow the player engine to travel in directions and along tracks that the editor had otherwise rejected. There are exceptions to everything, but I wanted to point out the possible usefulness of this instruction.

[Chacal]

Also, waypoints don't show up in the task list, helping to reduce the clutter.

[OldProf]

Also, waypoints don't show up in the task list, helping to reduce the clutter.

Excellent point! By the way, several types of instructions, such as "Stop At"/"Go Via", can now be "hidden" from the task list. I haven't experimented with this much.

Without any intention of charging the topic, I've recently noticed that text instructions (e.g.: "all 6 boxcars", with or without displaying the car numbers) inserted into marshalling instructions don't show up in the task list. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong?

[RudolfJan]

Can you post a screenshot of the instruction form? It's hard to guess if you did anything wrong without seeing what you tried to do.

[OldProf]

Can you post a screenshot of the instruction form? It's hard to guess if you did anything wrong without seeing what you tried to do.

I'll do that soon: good suggestion!