Auran Trainz - Japanese rolling stock and scenery?

[TestudoToTetsudo]

I'm thinking of getting Auran Trainz and possibly eventually making a route layout in it.

Just curious if anyone here has it, and if they recommend (or not recommend) it for train simming/making a layout in.  I read it's MUCH easier to make a route in than MS Train Simulator was.

I know Auran Trainz has a great community of users who create and offer (as freeware or payware) scenery, rolling stock, etc. -- how is the quality and quantity of Japanese-related scenery and rolling stock out there?  I know they have a lot of American rolling stock/scenery, and even the German Transrapid Maglev...

I've poked around the AT site and some of the community sites looking, but wondered if anyone here has firsthand experience.  Thanks!

[spacecadet]

I got it when it was first released and I haven't used it much since then so I don't know how helpful this is, but I remember my big problem was that the routes were *much* too small for me.  I'm not sure if this is a limitation of the software or just what the designers decided to include with the sim on release.  It seems like it probably would make a good sim of a layout for that reason, because that's basically what all of the included routes felt like.  There was nothing longer than about 5-10 miles.

Say what you want about MSTS, but at least you could drive hundreds of miles on some of those routes...

[TestudoToTetsudo]

Thanks Spacecadet,

I seem to notice longer routes mentioned on the Auran Trainz websites now; someone's doing the entire US Northeast Corridor from Boston, MA to Newport News, VA (over 600 miles!)...10 years is a century in software time, so maybe that issue has been taken care of, but I will look into that before committing to AT as a potential platform for any future "electronic layout."

And I have many fond memories playing MSTS, not trying to bash it -- I just have heard AT is much easier, and is continuously being updated, whereas MSTS came out over a decade ago, and no update is in the works (last I heard MS laid off the group that was working on it).

I want to create a sort of "Japanese-American" fantasy layout; not exactly a Japanese layout but not a US-based one either, something in the middle in terms of scenery, architecture, equipment, operations, etc.  I'm debating making something that would be solely city-based (~10 miles), or something more suburban-to-city based (~60 miles).  This would probably take years, but I need a new hobby for my spare time...

[westfalen]

I mainly trainsim with Railworks these days, IMHO it leaves Trainz and MSTS for dead as far as graphics go and it is regularly upgraded although Trainz is easier for building your own routes. I did purchase Trainz 2010 but found nothing in it that jumped out at me over previous versions. Unfortunately for us lovers of Japanese trains, apart from the two token routes included in MSTS there hasn't been much Japanese content for any of the train sims, I think because the Japanese seem to prefer games like Densha Go for the Nintendo DS.

[spacecadet]

Yeah, Densha de Go and Train Sim (not MSTS, there's a Japanese sim of that name) are pretty popular there for a bunch of platforms, not just the DS.  But you can't add your own routes to these - at least not to Densha de Go, not sure about Train Sim (which is sort of the update to Densha de Go - that series has been retired now - but Train Sim is also on PC so it *might* allow some more customization).

Densha de Go is actually really fun and I've always wanted to own an iteration or two, but like model railroading itself, if you want the full experience it really can cost a lot of money, since each release only includes a few trains and lines and again, you can't add to them.  Plus the most recent home version is for the PS2, as far as I know, meaning I can't play it.  (The PS3 is region-free for games, but the PS2 isn't.)

If you want to be able to add your own stuff, I think it's best to stick with one of the western sims.

[TestudoToTetsudo]

Thanks for your input, westfalen and spacecadet...I'll look into Railworks, although with the amount of building to create a ficticious layout, I may go with AT since it's easier.

[westfalen]

Thanks for your input, westfalen and spacecadet...I'll look into Railworks, although with the amount of building to create a ficticious layout, I may go with AT since it's easier.

I think that would be the best choice, I've modified routes in Railworks but haven't attempted to build a route from scratch. Like a lot of things if there was a train sim that included the best features of the three major ones, MSTS, Trainz and Railworks it would outsell all three.

[Toni Babelony]

Otherwise, try BVE (Boso View Express), free and Japanese. There is also an English version of this program and it works pretty well. Too bad there is no stable macintosh version of it (there is OpenBVE, but it's pretty messed up last time I checked). http://mackoy.cool.ne.jp/

Downloadable routes and rolling stock. Worth a try before buying something.

[Martijn Meerts]

I have Trainz somewhere as well. Haven't played it much, but I do remember trying to pull the Big Boy with a string of loaded cars up an incline. If I remember right I ended up breaking the coupling between loco and tender =)

[Lawrence]

TestudoToTetsudo  if you pm me with your address I have a copy of Trainz Passenger Edition that you can have, it is XP\2000\98 compatible, like Martijn I bought it when it came out but never really used it.  You would be welcome to have it.

[TestudoToTetsudo]

Thanks for the offer Lawrence but I'm not 100% sure I'll be going that route yet...although it looks promising, still looking at some of the others...I realize this is going to be a multi-year hobby effort once I do start so I'm taking my time looking into which sim to use...

Thank you everyone for your input!

[Lawrence]

Okay no problems, if you change your mind and you don't like it then you have lost nothing, you could pass it on too, it is free to anyone who wants it just let me know 

[Martijn Meerts]

I bought Trainz Simulator 2010 recently, visually it's rather stunning, especially the newer, high detail train models (they still have the old stuff in there as well ;))

I have to say though, it's on of the buggiest games I've ever played. Even after the upgrade to the latest version there are TONS of bugs all over the place. Also, there are no steam train tutorials, even though they do mention them on the site.

It does have a LOT of rolling stock, but of course, very little Japanese. I believe they only have an EF81, but at least it looks good. There might be more on the site, considering you can model your own rolling stock and put it on the Auran site, but I haven't really looked at it.

[Mudkip Orange]

I believe they only have an EF81

That's just because Amtrak had an EF81.

[Martijn Meerts]

I believe they only have an EF81

That's just because Amtrak had an EF81.

Auran is Australian though, so they shouldn't have all that much interest in Amtrak =) Of course, much of the content is actually made by users rather than by Auran themselves.

[Shashinka]

Actually, what fracks my weasel is that I loved MSTS and they even had Japanese trains and a Japanese line. I loved this game, and was excited about he new release, then 9/11 happened, and within six month MS dropped the entireprogram saying it was not profitable, despite inside sources stated DHS was pressuring them heavily about releasing it.