Skip to the next event

Meld in post 141236 said:

But the big question is ' Do we need such gameish features, for what is the most accurate UK signalling simulation around ???'

There's already game-ish features like the F11 menu, train list, or more related, the fast-forward feature. I see this as an improvement to the latter thing.

But the big question is ' Do we need such gameish features, for what is the most accurate UK signalling simulation around ???'

Meld in post 141236 said:

But the big question is ' Do we need such gameish features, for what is the most accurate UK signalling simulation around ???'

For what its worth, I found myself with a spare 20 minutes last Saturday (outside working a regular service and a ton of post gala shunting movements) and I filled it by cooking and eating a fry up. I normally take a book with me just in case I need to fill more time.

There's always something to fill the time, and in fact that's part of the real life challenge of working a box - staying alert and attentive when nothing is happening, then reacting promptly when something does happen.

jc92 in post 141253 said:

Meld in post 141236 said:

But the big question is ' Do we need such gameish features, for what is the most accurate UK signalling simulation around ???'

For what its worth, I found myself with a spare 20 minutes last Saturday (outside working a regular service and a ton of post gala shunting movements) and I filled it by cooking and eating a fry up. I normally take a book with me just in case I need to fill more time.

There's always something to fill the time, and in fact that's part of the real life challenge of working a box - staying alert and attentive when nothing is happening, then reacting promptly when something does happen.

No one's forcing you to speed up the time. If you like sitting around watching nothing happen in the sim, suit yourself. But that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone should be forced to do that. (Granted obviously fastforward already exists, but you get the gist)

It's like asking for a game developer to add in a feature where you don't want the story line, just the action... or playing a game where you have to complete tasks to get to another level and you just want to have the option of going to the next level without doing tasks...

Meld in post 141236 said:

But the big question is ' Do we need such gameish features, for what is the most accurate UK signalling simulation around ???'

For what its worth, I found myself with a spare 20 minutes last Saturday (outside working a regular service and a ton of post gala shunting movements) and I filled it by cooking and eating a fry up. I normally take a book with me just in case I need to fill more time.

There's always something to fill the time, and in fact that's part of the real life challenge of working a box - staying alert and attentive when nothing is happening, then reacting promptly when something does happen.

I can't believe anyone really believes that sitting around doing nothing for an hour while waiting for the next train to turn up is part of the stated purpose of SimSig, or part of its attraction. Otherwise we wouldn't have 0400 start times, or the ability to speed up time.

SimSig is supposed to be realistic insofar as the things that you do do in SimSig are like the things that you do do in real life. It's supposed to look like an IECC and operate like an IECC. But we're not actually signalling trains, we're not actually getting paid, we're not signing on for an 8 hour shift at 1400 and doing nothing but SimSig on 1x speed.

We're playing a game.

There are plenty of things SimSig doesn't simulate for that very reason. Including SPADs and fatalities and many other things besides. Usability and playability are considerations, which is surely why most simulations of mechanical boxes include several boxes so that people aren't bored when enjoying their hobby. Cause they aren't actually getting paid.

Hap in post 141256 said:

It's like asking for a game developer to add in a feature where you don't want the story line, just the action... or playing a game where you have to complete tasks to get to another level and you just want to have the option of going to the next level without doing tasks...

No it's like wanting to play a video game without the long loading screens, which I think you'll find is exactly what people want.

There are plenty of things SimSig doesn't simulate for that very reason. Including SPADs and fatalities and many other things besides. Usability and playability are considerations, which is surely why most simulations of mechanical boxes include several boxes so that people aren't bored when enjoying their hobby. Cause they aren't actually getting paid.

I can't believe anyone really believes that sitting around doing nothing for an hour while waiting for the next train to turn up is part of the stated purpose of SimSig, or part of its attraction. Otherwise we wouldn't have 0400 start times, or the ability to speed up time.

TUT in post 141257 said:

I can't believe anyone really believes that sitting around doing nothing for an hour while waiting for the next train to turn up is part of the stated purpose of SimSig, or part of its attraction. Otherwise we wouldn't have 0400 start times, or the ability to speed up time.

SimSig is supposed to be realistic insofar as the things that you do do in SimSig are like the things that you do do in real life. It's supposed to look like an IECC and operate like an IECC. But we're not actually signalling trains, we're not actually getting paid, we're not signing on for an 8 hour shift at 1400 and doing nothing but SimSig on 1x speed.

We're playing a game.

There are plenty of things SimSig doesn't simulate for that very reason. Including SPADs and fatalities and many other things besides. Usability and playability are considerations, which is surely why most simulations of mechanical boxes include several boxes so that people aren't bored when enjoying their hobby. Cause they aren't actually getting paid.

Hap in post 141256 said:

It's like asking for a game developer to add in a feature where you don't want the story line, just the action... or playing a game where you have to complete tasks to get to another level and you just want to have the option of going to the next level without doing tasks...

No it's like wanting to play a video game without the long loading screens, which I think you'll find is exactly what people want.

Well apparently opinions don't matter. I think your opinion is perfectly valid, long loading screens/times are extremely frustrating. Don't think there's that issue with Simsig though.

Here's the definition between a game and a simulation....

"A game is what one can play in a computer game whereas a simulation combines strategy and skills along with the game. Simulations and games are very much different in their purposes. While a simulation is designed for evaluative or computational purposes, a game is designed for entertainment and educational purposes."

It might be a "game", but a video game and a simulating game are two very different things.

Quote:

There are plenty of things SimSig doesn't simulate for that very reason. Including SPADs and fatalities and many other things besides. Usability and playability are considerations, which is surely why most simulations of mechanical boxes include several boxes so that people aren't bored when enjoying their hobby. Cause they aren't actually getting paid.

What if... and I'm going out on all limbs here... What if, people with a hobby for signalling actually want to experience all aspects of it (Excluding the fatalities/Spads which I will not argue with 100%)... You've actually inadvertently given an insight to other users what a signaller could do during the quiet times and granted that this stuff isn't available to the public. BUT they now know some of the dealings that goes on during the night shift or gaps between trains. So kudos for bringing that up.

For the record, I haven't discounted the OP request. I'm just thinking logically...how that would be implemented on SimSig without the detrimental effect on all other users, their saves etc. When things do need to be addressed that affects the loader/core code to ensure that all the sims work are unavoidable.

Perhaps what should be requested is that on a midnight start TT, where the TT writer knows that the early hours are quiet or the whole sim TT is quiet, they should add in a bit of information on the TT description that during these hours services are light and during those times the signaller could be doing any of the above tasks that you mentioned, then advise that for users wanting more train action or events they should try the later TT start options?

There're plenty of requests on here for the WHL. What's the point having that sim if you're only going to deal with 10 trains in a whole day?

I'm trying to be proactive here rather than reactive.

Quote:

I can't believe anyone really believes that sitting around doing nothing for an hour while waiting for the next train to turn up is part of the stated purpose of SimSig, or part of its attraction. Otherwise we wouldn't have 0400 start times, or the ability to speed up time.

I refer to my above mention of the WHL. Are you just going to fast forward through the day to get the trains through and be done with it in ten minutes?

Everyone has a different need and you can't meet every one of those needs. What may be boring for you may be really interesting for someone else, especially now that you've given an insight to what goes on during those "boring" times.

I wouldn't, personally, favour a WHL sim, I think people just quite like the area and the novelty of RETB. I think it wouldn't be the best game to play.

Night shifts can be boring, long and uneventful. This is the purpose of the simulation.

At the end of the day, The OP has asked a fair question/request. Everyone has an opinion on it which is perfectly fine.

For the record, I haven't discounted the OP request. I'm just thinking logically...how that would be implemented on SimSig without the detrimental effect on all other users, their saves etc. When things do need to be addressed that affects the loader/core code to ensure that all the sims work are unavoidable.

A basic definition of "event" could be:
- Any message appearing in the message window (would also allow a certain degree of user filtering, by disabling messages that shouldn't pause time)
- Any F7 message appearing
- Any incoming phone call

This screenshot shows what we have in the debug window for testers and developers.
[...]
All I'm saying is, yes we can offer you these tools, but they come with their own pitfalls and limitations - and don't you dare complain that they don't comply with your requirements when it all goes belly up! :)

Neither would I. Similarly, the ERTMS Cambrian line, which I refer to as "sheep sim" as there are a lot more sheep involved than trains. Fascinating to see the modern technology in the box but dull as dishwater to operate.

This screenshot shows what we have in the debug window for testers and developers. If that's what people want then so be it, easy enough to allow regular users to see it. But it certainly doesn't cover everything, as Clive already stated. For example, you have a lone train running through the area and it ends up at a red signal: I can use "any train stops moving" for that - great, except the train is already stopped. So when do you want to be notified? Within sighting distance of a restrictive aspect? Already too late. A minute before? Driver can't see it, so it's not an "event", can't be triggered. These tools are meant for debugging where you're trying to reach a certain point with (usually) a specific set of circumstances, and you don't really care what's going on elsewhere - including stopped trains.

All I'm saying is, yes we can offer you these tools, but they come with their own pitfalls and limitations - and don't you dare complain that they don't comply with your requirements when it all goes belly up! :)

The original request as I interpreted it (which I think has a lot of merit) was simply: suppose it's 0520. There are no trains on sim. In F4 the next entry is at 0549. A button to jump to 0546 (or 0549 - x: x = to a suitable number of minutes) would be pretty handy.

Lol. Am I the only one who uses the quiet periods in a sim to try and learn the signal numbers and their locations so I don't have to keep right clicking or referring to a signal plan?