Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Trainz is a railway simulator that owes much to the internet. I've only had the product for a short time and it's a very rich product so the review will not cover everything in detail.
Trainz has many faces and features. I get the impression the product has evolved over time. Out of the box it has scenarios much the same as Microsoft Train Simulator. However it also has a model railway heritage and as such you can use a model railway type controller to control the train rather than learn the precise cab controls that Microsoft makes you use, dual cab control. This mode has point scoring speed limits etc. a conventional game.
It shows it's Australian heritage by including a number of Australian routes, engines and rolling stock. In one scenario you take over a train part way through it's route. The driver handing over very definitely has an Australian accent.
Besides the scenarios it also let's you use virtual model railway layouts. There are a number of layouts included with the product. This mode is known as Driver. You can select the engine and the rolling stock you want to use. You can build the layouts with the surveyor tool.
The simulator is very open and flexible and that's it's great advantage. Railway track can be selected with wooden or concrete sleepers etc. Objects can run on tracks, either visible or not. Objects can have sound files attached. Objects can be imported or exported. The product comes with a copy of Gmax to let you build and add objects. What does this mean? Well if you want to run a different engine or rolling stock than those supplied you can either build your own or download one someone else has built. Want to repaint it? The product comes with Paint Shed included. Want animals to populate your fields? Simply download them and add them to your layout, with sound of course. There are a number of houses, churches, skyscrapers etc. available, some English, some European, some North American to populate your layout.
These objects can be items such as ships, boats, trams, buses, cars etc. Theoretically if you don't like trains you can build a layout with just buses and cars. I'm hoping someone builds a layout with canals and I can run a narrow boat or two. Currently there doesn't seem to be a lot of steam locomotives but there does seem to be a number of web sites that are either single or group enthusiasts who are building some very specific and detailed models.
In many ways the Internet communities that exist remind one of the model railway societies that exist. With different people getting involved in building models. The difference is these models can be shared electronically.
Finally a comment on hardware. Trainz pushes Directx to the limit. You'll almost certainly need to download the latest video card drivers before it will run. If you have a limited computer you can adjust the display to take less cycles. Got the latest or want an excuse to buy the latest hottest machine Trainz will take full advantage. You might like to check the supported video cards though before you buy.
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