Run8 Tutorial Series on RTS

[SurvivorSean]

In the past 24 hours I started a tutorial series of live streams focusing on how to set up a system in Run8. This will include industries, trains, spawn points, and other factors. I will try my best to keep the titles meaningful but this is basically myself setting up the system from scratch and running it.

I recenty brought the RTS server down for the summer as I focused on better internal systems for RTS. I thought this would be a great opportunity to answer questions. If you come across a video or live stream and have a question let me know. If there is a topic you want covered let me know and I'll do my best to address it.

The videos are a bit long but can be fast forwarded. Everthing is on a schedule so I should go through all aspects of setup and operations.

Thanks

Sean

[haverfordwest]

Your R8 tutorials on YT look interesting Sean and possibly helpful to me. But they all seem to be done in darkness (the ones with the blue txt).

Mike.

[SurvivorSean]

Yeah I usually to the most recent stuff in the dark as it makes seeing the industry tags better. Some times I'm also inside the 24 hour clock and it might be night.

Stay tuned I should be starting sessions again this weekend though not really tutorials. If there is something you're looking for let me know.

Thanks

Sean

[haverfordwest]

Understood Sean, i was only looking for any help in general. To make the most of the game, thanks.

Mike.

[westerngy]

Thanks Sean good work

[SurvivorSean]

You're welcome guys, glad you enjoy it.

I started my 24 hour clock this evening and I'm still in the process of adding more fake industries in. This gives a significant advantage to traffic headed to the humps as it prevents them from filling up quickly as well as more loads and empties based on the location of origin.

Scott helped me in some data entry as well I've gone ahead and added as much as I can. I'll make save files, industry files, and other supporting stuff once everything is complete which should be soon. For now I'm running an experiment to see if I can handle Waycross by myself in single player.

Escape valve industries are another tool I'll get to eventually (I already have one in Jacksonville). Again all of it is to push Run8 to the limit and make it as real as it gets from an operations standpoint as much as possible.

Just saved at 02:30 on the first day of the latest experiment heading my 1st train to Waycross from Callahan Sub.

Thanks

Sean

[haverfordwest]

All double dutch to me Sean, but well done buddy.

Mike.

[haverfordwest]

Sean, is it possible to set up AI to auto collect the sorted cars from the bowl. After they have been sorted.

Mike.

[SurvivorSean]

They don't have AI switching but you can build a train and AI it out which is something I did quite a bit. You can also AI power from one end of the yard to the other. Unfortunately when it comes to trimming the bowl (taking the sorts and building trains) it still takes some human work or teamwork to get the job done.

I tried it once and was actually in the middle of trying it again, but kind of got tired of it to be honest once I was away from the PC for other reasons not related. Usually it takes me to get back into it again before I catch the bug again, but I found somehting else that caught my attention and I haven't been back.

I don't expect Run8 to suddenly have this option as just having an AI dispatcher was beyond my expectations and got me back into Run8. But for the time being I've lost the interest. The railrdriver is still plugged in just like last time and it's still on my hard drive. What I think Run8 needs is a bit more of these new regions. Not sure what they're up to at the moment and I know eventually Florida is expanding (which might get me back into it again). But for now I'll wait until 2023 and try something else. Run8 was worth every penny multiple times over, and I would recommend it to anyone without hesitation.

Thanks

Sean

[haverfordwest]

Ok Sean thanks very much. Good informative post buddy.

I will stick to main line running then, not a problem.

Mike.

[SurvivorSean]

The other thing to consider is locals. I don't think this applies to your interests but perhaps others may get something out of it. Actually I will point something out which I call escape valves that may work for you.

There are 2 ways of running locals that save you time to do other things.

1) If you like switching you can AI the train to a certain point keeping an eye on the time and it's progress. Once it gets close give it a signal or switch into an intermediate yard or siding for switching. From there you can take over the train and perform all it's switching industries while continuing to do other switching if that is what you like or even run another mainline train finish it etc.

2) If you are not as interested in switching all the time but like to run a hump or key mainline operations you can do something what I call escape valves. These are industries that you build in the yard that turns over a train and all possible car types (usually requires 2 industires per track just like the fake industries I like to build that draws realistic or selected traffic to avoid cars you don't have or want in you operation). The key to this track is it simulates the switching because it takes loads and turns them into empties, empties into loads and retags them for various other locations that can be sorted once again in the hump.

The reason why I perfer this is I like to manage a yard, have limited switching (in other words I don't want to switch these big regions like crazy all day and night) and I do enjoy running mainline trains that are meaningful.

I think you and I are more of the option 2 type though I'm huge on operations. What I find operations do that when your trains are part of an overall system is it gives much more purpose. Which in return doesn't get you bored as quickly. For example for me just running trains a to b over time and seeing the same type of random AI trains gets boring. But having a job to do with that train as part of a system keeps my interest.

I'm sorry this is getting long as I'm hoping this sparks a flame for you or others. The reason why I'm looking forward to Railroader and perhaps smaller regions in Run8 (something that a solo person or small MP group of people you trust) is that running these class 1's with humps (as much as I do love the humps) usually means lots of trains and industries to deal with on a regular basis. This is also likely why I backed off of Run8 for a while and got interested in Medieval Dynasty.

Again sorry for the long post. Nothing wrong with Run8 as there are ways to make it happen with selected smaller regions you define as well. Sparks, CA and area may very well be a better territory but I'm not a fan of double track so I passed this one.

Thanks

Sean

[haverfordwest]

Another very helpful and informative post Sean. Alas local stuff doesn't really interest me sorry.

But i am sure others will find what you say, very interesting buddy.

When it gets too complicated, it's time for me to hover over the delete button.

Maybe i should just get my old Triang train stuff out and sit on the floor. While watching it go around and around, the circle of track

Buddy of mine has Medieval Dynasty, looked quite interesting.

Mike.

[TrainSimJack]

Sean, I messed around with tags quite a bit (roseville is great for this since it's a self contained route)

One thing I did was break up my locals into smaller locals, this had the unintended effect of making AI generated trains much easier to sort over the hump and might be useful if you like doing locals, but dislike sorting cars in a yard.

As an example in the UP-Roseville route:
Local LRA61 became:
LRA61-[relative direction from yard]-[Indicator as to if this car is pushed forward into the industry siding or backed in]

Example
LRA61-S-F (LRA61, spur south of the yard, Cars need to be in front of the engine)
LRA61-NW-B (LRA61, spur to the north west of the yard, Cars need to be behind the engine)
LRA61-SE-E (LRA61, Spur to the south east, cars can be either in front or behind the engine due to track arrangement)

If you select specific locals in your AI spawn for mixed fright, you'll need to go in and select all the variants.
I still tag the lead loco with just "LRA61"

The hump controller gets interesting.
Since all we've changed is the name of the local and not the industry your existing hump controller config will still work, however..
If you put the local symbols in the hump controller, you get nicely grouped tracks in the bowl that are pretty much good to go.

Hey as a side note I think I read somewhere that the 5 saved locations (Control/Shift 1-5) were your idea - that's a neat feature!

[SurvivorSean]

Glad you like the idea. The fake industries is how I would get around better looking trains the most.

Thanks

Sean