WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES ARE THERE? Activities are divided into two general types, passenger and freight. Passenger activities involve following a timetable while travelling between stations. Freight activities generally involve moving and switching freight cars with less emphasis on time. Activities can range from simple to complex, and include duties such as sorting cars in a yard, picking up and dropping off cars at industries, driving a freight over the mainline, or trying to keep a passenger train on-time. CAN I CREATE MY OWN ACTIVITIES? Yes. One of the many tools included with MSTS is the Activity Editor which allows you to create a wide range of activities. Note, though, that this is a moderately complex and powerful tool and involves use of logic similar to computer programming. HOW LONG DO THE ACTIVITIES TAKE? The included activities range in length from 15 minutes to a couple of hours. For instance, a yard switching task could be relatively short (like a switching puzzle found in some railroad magazines) while any trips on the main line will take a while. User created activities can be of any duration and complexity. ARE SWITCHES PRE-SET DURING ACTIVITIES? During some activities, yes. If you're doing an activity involving a lot of switching, such as making up a train, or making pick-ups and deliveries at industries, you will be able to throw your own switches. If you're going to be running across a route, such as on a passenger or freight run, the switches will be set for you. Even in free mode, though, you may need to pay attention to switch settings. Some of the free mode default switch settings send you into dead ends or otherwise off the main line. HOW DO I MAKE THE ACTIVITY UNPACKER WORK IF I'M USING WINDOWS 98? After a session with a friend I belive I have a way to make the Unpacker work for anyone. The following assumes you are running Windows 98 and have a default install. If you don't have a default install I'm sure you can figure out the changes necessary. I will try to spell this out in a step by step fashion. 1. Open a folder with a packaged activity in it. 2. From the tool bar at the top of the folder select "View" then "Folder Options". 3. Select the "File Types" tab. 4. Scroll down the list of Registered file types untill you find "Packaged Activity". 5. Highlight the Packaged activity and press the Remove buttong. Dont let the warning box scare you were going to fix that in the next few steps. 6. Now select the "View" tab of the folder options. 7. Look under the Advanced settings for a check box labeled "Hide file extensions for known file types". Make sure this check box is NOT checked. 8. Click the okay button and you should be back at the folder. 9. Look in the folder contents for a file with the .apk extension and right click on it. Select the "open with" option. 10. The open with dialog box should open. Select the "Other" button. 11. Now navigate your way to "C:/Program Files/Microsoft Games/Train Simulator/Utils/tsunpack.exe". Highlight that and click okay. You will return to the open witih dialog box. 12. Press the Okay button of the open with dialog box. You will recive an error message stating the all too familiar "Failed to open package". Now dont cry were almost done. Click the okay button and you should return to the folder again. 13. Select from the folder tool bar "Views" then "Folder Options" and select the File Types Tab. Look familiar ? Good. There is one change though you will now find a listing for APK File. 14. Highlight that listing and press the "Edit" button. 15. In the Actions box high light the "open" and press the edit button. You should see "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\UTILS\tsunpack.exe" in the Application used to perform action box. If not lather rinse repeat (steps 1 through 14). 16. Now edit the listing in the App. used box and add the "%1" to the end. Dont forget the space. It should now read "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\UTILS\tsunpack.exe" "%1" press the okay button. 17. Press the close button for the edit file type box. 18. Press the close button for the Folder options box. 19. Now two click the .apk file. You should get a box that says "Unpackaged Activity to ..." Guess what ! It now works ! I gotta post the usual disclaimer about not accepting responsibility for anything that may happen by performing the actions here in. Sigh, however this little excercise should be relatively harmless. Additional Information: I've also got a Win98 system and ran it under the command line in DOS as mentioned above... C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\UTILS>tsunpack "csx_intermodal_k_train1.apk" This seems to have done the trick. I actually got it to unpack. Now I'm going to see if I can play it. HOW DO I MAKE THE ACTIVITY UNPACKER WORK IF I'M USING WINDOWS ME? These are Ulterior's Instructions to be used only if using Windows ME. Due to difference in the buttons on ME compared to 98. After a session with a friend I belive I have a way to make the Unpacker work for anyone. The following assumes you are running Windows 98 and have a default install. If you dont have a default install Im sure you can figure out the changes necessary (wink). I must give credit where credit is due and thanks too leemon for finding the key to this solution puzzle. I will try to spell this out in a step by step fashion. 1. Open a folder with a packaged activity in it. 2. From the tool bar at the top of the folder select "Tools" then "Folder Options". 3. Select the "File Types" tab. 4. Scroll down the list of Registered file types untill you find "Packaged Activity". 5. Highlight the Packaged activity and press the Delete buttong. Dont let the warning box scare you were going to fix that in the next few steps. 6. Now select the "View" tab of the folder options. 7. Look under the Advanced settings for a check box labeled "Hide file extensions for known file types". Make sure this check box is NOT checked. 8. Click the apply then okay button and you should be back at the folder. 9. Look in the folder contents for a file with the .apk extension and right click on it. Select the "open with" option. 10. The open with dialog box should open. Select the "Other" button. 11. Now navigate your way to "C:/Program Files/Microsoft Games/Train Simulator/Utils/tsunpack.exe". Highlight that and click open. You will return to the open witih dialog box. 12. Press the Okay button of the open with dialog box. You will recive an error message stating the all too familiar "Failed to open package". Now dont cry were almost done. Click the okay button and you should return to the folder again. 13. Select from the folder tool bar "Tools" then "Folder Options" and select the File Types Tab. Look familiar ? Good. There is one change though you will now find a listing for APK File. 14. Highlight that listing and press the "Advanced" button located near the bottom of the box. 15. In the Actions box high light the "open" and press the edit button. You should see "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\UTILS\tsunpack.exe" in the Application used to perform action box. If not lather rinse repeat (steps 1 through 14). 16. Now edit the listing in the App. used box and add the "%1" to the end. Dont forget the space. It should now read "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\UTILS\tsunpack.exe" "%1" press the okay button. 17. Press the ok button for the edit file type box. 18. Press the apply then close button for the Folder options box. 19. Now two click the .apk file. You should get a box that says "Unpackaged Activity to ..." Guess what ! It now works ! HOW DO I MAKE THE ACTIVITY UNPACKER WORK IF I'M USING WINDOWS XP? This was tested and works on XP Pro - should work on Home as well. Go to 'Start / Control Panel' If you are in 'Category View' pick 'Appearance and Themes' then 'Folder Options' If you are in 'Classic View' you can directly pick 'Folder Options' When the Window pops up, pick the 'File Types' tab - may take a while to process all the types. Scroll down to APK "Packaged Activity", select it, then hit the 'Advanced' button. From the 'Edit File Type' window that pops up select "open", then hit the 'Edit' button. In the text box titled "Application used to perform action", scroll to the right, and remove the little box in quotes. Replace with "%1", and hit 'OK'. You're done!
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