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Sims' comparative difficulty?

You are here: Home > Forum > General > General questions, comments, and issues > Sims' comparative difficulty?

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Sims' comparative difficulty? 12/04/2011 at 13:35 #2817
Easternmost
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Hi all. As a newbie, I'd like to 'sort' different sims by order of their difficulty. I already know that Royston is the easiest, puprposely training thing. I also tried to single-play
Sheffield and Bristol which are frustrating nightmare to manage for one person. Exeter and Gloucester are only playable on a simplest difficulty for me.

So, what's in the middle? What are the second and third steps for me after Royston?

Is there any list rating all published sims for dificulty?

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Sims' comparative difficulty? 12/04/2011 at 13:35 #15028
Easternmost
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15 posts
Hi all. As a newbie, I'd like to 'sort' different sims by order of their difficulty. I already know that Royston is the easiest, puprposely training thing. I also tried to single-play
Sheffield and Bristol which are frustrating nightmare to manage for one person. Exeter and Gloucester are only playable on a simplest difficulty for me.

So, what's in the middle? What are the second and third steps for me after Royston?

Is there any list rating all published sims for dificulty?

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Sims' comparative difficulty? 12/04/2011 at 14:32 #15030
andyb0607
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260 posts
I would go for something like Peterborough. It is quite a big sim but has ARS installed.

If you run it with ARS sub areas turned off for Peterborough Station area but leave it on for everywhere else. This allows you to concentrate on Peterborough station and leave ARS to run the rest of the sim for you.

Andy

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Sims' comparative difficulty? 12/04/2011 at 14:41 #15031
jrr
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95 posts
I agree - Peterborough more or else runs itself apart from movements in and out of the yards and sidings, and replatforming late running services.
Likewise Liverpool Street will almost run itself (apart from trains entering the same platform to join) ... until you try the scenario with the tunnel and patforms 1 - 4 closed.
Westbury on a basic timetable isn't too difficult either but harder than the above.

jrr

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Sims' comparative difficulty? 12/04/2011 at 14:44 #15032
jc92
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3690 posts
i would also say worksop is relatively easy using the default (modern) timetable. once the block instruments are mastered traffic isnt too busy to work it alone
"We don't stop camborne wednesdays"
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Sims' comparative difficulty? 12/04/2011 at 15:22 #15035
ewanm89
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jc92 said:
i would also say worksop is relatively easy using the default (modern) timetable. once the block instruments are mastered traffic isnt too busy to work it alone
Yeah, until one misses setting train on line cause they are managing block signals somewhere else.

Waterloo also runs itself with ARS (mostly) so one can just turn off the area they want to control.

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Sims' comparative difficulty? 12/04/2011 at 16:32 #15037
UKTrainMan
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1803 posts
Southampton isn't too bad, I managed it solo without much difficulty, although I was using the overview to assist me in moving about quickly.
Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for.
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Sims' comparative difficulty? 12/04/2011 at 16:35 #15038
Lardybiker
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771 posts
Stafford isn't too bad either
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Sims' comparative difficulty? 12/04/2011 at 17:35 #15040
ewanm89
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Yeah, Southhampton is my most local station, the SimSig covers and I know it rather well, so find it quite easy myself.
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Sims' comparative difficulty? 13/04/2011 at 09:38 #15059
kbarber
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1743 posts
Lardybiker said:
Stafford isn't too bad either

Stafford is nice, apart from the blessed level crossings (particularly panel 5 down the Stoke road)!!!!!

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Sims' comparative difficulty? 13/04/2011 at 12:17 #15062
Easternmost
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15 posts
Thank you everyone.

Already playing Peterborough these days.

Southampton and Exeter were also playable for me, though din't try the hard modes like line closures, severe delays etc.

Is ARS used during multiplay games?

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Sims' comparative difficulty? 13/04/2011 at 18:52 #15065
Lardybiker
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771 posts
That will depend on the sim, who's hosting and what sim is being played. I suspect ARS is usually turned off.
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Sims' comparative difficulty? 15/04/2011 at 11:25 #15119
UKTrainMan
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Easternmost said:
Is ARS used during multiplay games?

Lardybiker said:
That will depend on the sim, who's hosting and what sim is being played.  I suspect ARS is usually turned off.
Indeed, in many simulations I've played in multiplayer with others ARS was turned off, in-fact it's often 'isolated' by turning it off then clicking on the reminder button then clicking on the ARS control button for each individual area to isolate it (yellow 'collar'- this disables it being turned on perhaps accidentally. Of-course if there are limited players then one area or a few areas may be left running as ARS until someone can take it at which point ARS could be turned off.

Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for.
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Sims' comparative difficulty? 15/04/2011 at 12:26 #15122
bill_gensheet
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1414 posts
Easternmost said:
So, what's in the middle? What are the second and third steps for me after Royston?
The first run with a new sim is always tricky if you don't know the area, so an area you know will be easier than a nominally 'easier' sim.

The other aspect to consider is how much leeway the developer has left in (or created) to make it work easier as a single player.
- can you reduce or turn off LC calls ?
- how much ARS is there ?
- how many full LC's are there, how much rail traffic on them and are they automated ?

Finally,
- is the sim & timetable a full release and bug free ?
- is there a simpler timetable ?

Don't get too hung up on the hard modes/timetables, a lot of these are there to make multiplayers more fun and are totally unmanageable.

As you've got Southampton going OK, Westbury would be OK and perhaps even Edinburgh 1993 with some ARS.

Bill

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Sims' comparative difficulty? 19/04/2011 at 07:18 #15224
Lordmwa
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148 posts
Kings Cross is hard because it is VERY busy.

Many people find it very satisfying when they get it to - from about 5am you certainly wont ever have nothing to do

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