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There's a reason for this.
You see, MSTS is capable of giving an immersive simulation enviorn to the train enthusiast that can be quite convincing. However, to more fully enjoy what MSTS is capable of will take some digging, probing, and even some experience on the prototype to draw from and apply.
It is the hope of VSC that this page can help the V scale enthusiast extract more from his simulation experience. As a long time MSTS user, as well as having some experience with the prototype, it is hoped that by sharing these tips and hints, some of it can be benificial in helping others to increase their enjoyment of MSTS.
REALISTICALLY VIEWING YOUR TRAIN
VSC is of the opinion that before you can ever fully enjoy the experience, you must become proficient at using the navigational tools supplied with MSTS.
This first begins with learning to use the keyboard to control your train. Using the mouse will limit you to being inside the cab, facing forward, in order to use the interactive objects needed to run the train. As long as you're running forward, and remain in the cab, this is fine for those so inclined. But what about the times you'll be switching? After all, the prototype switches, right? At that time, you'll be hopping from cabview to exterior, cabview to exterior... in order to make control adjustments. Clumsy for sure, and certainly detracting from the immersive qualities of MSTS!
Using the keyboard, when it comes time to switch cars, simply press the F5 key twice to bring up the Heads Up Display (referred to as the "HUD"). You can now see everything you'll need to see in order to stay abreast of the control of your train. Note the visibility differences between the cabview and headout when running an engine:
Now, the above headout view works great for those times you're switching and you can see adequately by simply "stickin' yer head out" to see what you need to see. (And it looks VERY real!) BUT... what if the move your making is 10-20 cars away?
Well, you then need to take on the role of a ground crewman! How, you ask?
First off, let's use the #3 key (the row of numbers/alphas above the letterboard) to go exterior. The #3 key defaults the view to the rear of the train... BUT... you're in a helicopter! Since the #3 view defaults to the rear, let's use that key, but adjust our view to resemble something considerably more realistic than the helicopter view. Use the arrow keys beside the letterboard (NOT the arrow keys on the numberboard) to position your camera to where your view simulates one of riding the cars. The up/down arrows zoom the camera in/out. The left/right arrows rotate the camera view. Using the "ctrl" and the down/up arrows lowers/raises the camera. Below, you'll see the huge difference this makes in regards to realistic viewpoints.
I find it useful to set up both the 3 and 2 key views in the above manner, one oriented looking rearward, the other looking forward. This way, when I'm "workin' the ground" while switching, I can quickly tap one of two keys to see either direction!
Oh yes, when using either the 2 or 3 key views, if I need to move forward or back along the coupled cars, I can do so by holding the "Ctrl" key and tapping either the left/right arrow. This toggles me car-by-car forward or backward.
With just a little bit of practice these view keys become second nature to use!
Using these adjusted camera views as described above results in a very convincing simulation of what you actually see when out switching on the prototype! For me, the more I can make this sim reflect the prototype, not only in looks but also feel, the more enjoyable it is!
RUNNING YOUR TRAIN
Most V scalers are not experienced running prototype trains. I have been fortunate in that over the years I've been around railroading, I've had the opportunity to work off of, and operate, not only diesels, but also steam engines (steam via a tourist operation). Though it's been almost two decades since I've received a paycheck with a railroad company name on it, the experiences I've garnered throughout my lifetime of exposure and involvement in the railroad scene will remain with me for the duration of my years.
It is my hope that perhaps I can share some of my experiences with you, the V scaler, that may help you to understand why the trains behave the way they do in V Scale Creations' products, as well as other MSTS products that are beginning to move toward more realism in the physics realm.
First though, a bit of explanation:
When first purchased, the basic MSTS package contains very, shall I say "generous", equipment physics. That is, the original equipment supplied with MSTS makes it very easy to run a train. The trains and engines start quick. They stop quick. Trains of 50-60 cars can seemingly be stopped on a dime. Concern for air reserve for the brakes is not a problem, none of these sorts of things, as well as other elements, are "modeled". I would assume their reasoning for this was to make the game playable very quickly for the new user. To that end the original designers of MSTS succeeded.
These generous physics were brought over into many, many, of the available freeware products by virtue of simply emulating the various physics files that were shipped with the game. A copy of a copy of a copy, that sort of proliferation.
This approach works fine to introduce you to MSTS. BUT... you are missing out on some of the most fun this simulator has to offer! That's right, correctly operating physics will vastly enhance your simulator experience, PLUS, it moves you several steps closer to getting a feel for what it's really like to run a train "out there" in the real world of 1:1 railroading!
Soon after entering the V scale hobby (has it been almost 3 years??), I too, begin to realize the experience I was receiving with MSTS was NOT what I had been exposed too, and thus set out to learn more about how to modify and edit the physics involved.
I quickly discovered that others had begun to notice that REAL trains do not behave like those in the sim. Thus, the quest was on to move the physics of this sim ever closer to "reality". The pioneers in this field that quickly come to mind would be Joseph Realmuto, Rudolf Richter, Chris Lee, and Bob Boudin. Bob Boudin went a step further and begin to create physics "packages" for the V scale community to use. Bob's latest published version is freely available at Train-sim.com.
There have also been relative newcomers that have become highly interested in extracting more realism from this sim. One of which I'm priviledged to have working with V Scale Creations is a long time model railroad friend: Bill Hobbs.
Much of V Scale Creations physics have been built upon the works of all of the above, with adaptations, modifications, and final tweakings falling into the hands of Bill Hobbs and myself, Andre Ming. Bill's work in the steam engine physics realm is nothing short of astounding in regards to breaking the physics codes down to the most minute of details. His knowledge of not only the steam locomotive "eng" files, but also his understanding of "wag" files, has been incorporated into the current V Scale Creations physics files, as will be incorporated into the physics for future VSC products.
I've said all of this to let you know that when you run a VSC product (or any product that incorporates physics that are more realistic), if your previous exposure to MSTS has been via the "generous" physics of the basic game and early add-ons: You likely WILL have to relearn how to run your trains!
Though I've enjoyed running more realistic phyics on my installation of MSTS, with the near advent of VSC's first release containing physics that are more realism, others will be exposed to such physics, possibly for the first time.
Concurrent with this, I've also noticed that there seems to be a growing interest in realistic performing trains among many in the V scale community. That so, perhaps I can be of help to any that may not have had the good fortune to be inside the industry of railroading.
Which brings us to the main elements of this installment of "Tips and Hints".
When you "hire out" on a railroad. They do NOT just dump you into the cab of a train on your own, and tell you to hop to it. That would be a prescription for disaster. You must first learn. You must learn the rules of the road, the controls of the engine, and so forth. The training period to become a qualified engineer on a Class One railroad is quite intensive and quite lengthy. Only after successfully completing ALL of the above, are you allowed to "mark up" (ready for unsupervised general service) and begin to run trains by yourself. Though I was not an engineer on a Class One, I know through friends that are (and were) how intensive such training can be. Even working for a shortline, as I did, you have to be thoroughly TAUGHT how to handle your assigment before you can be singularly trusted with the safe performing of your duties.
Fortunately, even with realistic physics in MSTS, the only risk you face is virtual: No harm to property or life! Thus, such precautionary measures do not need to be mandatorily taken. However, before you can really handle trains having realistic physics with skill in all situations in MSTS, there WILL be a learning curve!
One of the most overlooked elements of V scaling is this: YOU MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH THE ROUTE. For example, if the route has moderate grades, such as those you'll find on VSC's North Arkansas, you will then need to know WHERE the grade begins, HOW long it is, WHERE the grade lessens, and other such important things. Otherwise, you can start down a grade, let them roll too fast, and not have enough stopping power to get stopped at the bottom in time to avoid a collision with a waiting train. (Or get stopped in time to perform switching, etc.)
In addition to being familiar with the route, you must be familiar with train handling. You need to get enough experience in the cab of realistic performing engines and handling various weights and lengths of realistic performing trains so that you can have a good grasp of how a particular train will handle moving across the route just by looking at the consist. (i.e. How much tonnage will be behind the engine.)
Wow! This sounds different, you say? Well... do you want to SIMULATE railroading or play trains? (Said with a smile!)
If you want to simulate railroading... then check back here soon and I'll begin to share some operating pointers with you!
Have fun!
VSC's Operating Tips for Advanced MSTS Use...
Like most simulators, MSTS is a project with a tremendous amount of depth to it. In fact, there is such depth to it, here it is 3 years AFTER its release, and the developmental community is STILL learning aspects of it! In terms of computer simulators and games, such growth and interest in a sim this long into its service life is almost unheard of.
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