virtual companies

spanner_m0nkey · 03-27-2012, 03:29 AM

I'v seen a couple of groups running virtual rail companies in railworks. I thought it would be an idea for a small group to opperate from a depot on a route sticking to a BR rule book, completing assigned opperations etc. More for the social aspect and the general interst in British rail and its traction than as a competition.

Would there be any interest in this kind of thing?

Just putting it out there. If something like this already exists or if anyone wants to show an interest let me know.

cheers

Suicide Perkies · 03-27-2012, 03:32 AM

http://forums.steampowered.com/forum....php?t=2219045

spanner_m0nkey · 03-27-2012, 04:09 AM

Thanks. I have seen them. I was thinking abouth something just based around british rail, maybe just one route maybe opperating from just one depot and a lot less complicated than what they are doing to open it up to people who maybe just have a general interest and people who dont want to go overboard with the whole realism and opperations of a railway.

Irontooth · 03-27-2012, 06:40 AM

http://www.uir.marleyman.co.uk/

Perhaps this is something you like more. It isn't as complicated as Vora. We try to do all settings of Railworks; USA, Germany ánd Britain. Check it out and contact Marleyman If you're interested

We can still use more members. Not to active at te moment I might say, but we will be once the multiplayer is out. We are waiting on further info about how MP is going to be developed/integrated in the game in order to plan how we will work.

Cheers,

Pieter

Trainmaster1 · 03-28-2012, 12:44 PM

VORA is not complicated at all. We are a group dedicated to prototype operations in the US and Canada. We do require a higher level of skill than most groups in that you do have to qualify to become an engineer in our group.

But since I was an actual engineer, I can tell you that our group is not complicated at all. We select RW routes that closely approximate their real world counterpart and you get all the real track charts, rules and everything a real engineer running that line would receive.

If you are into true prototype action, then you should check out what we do. VORA is the closest thing to working on an actual railroad anywhere on the net.

Keep an eye on this thread for an invite to our next RW operating session. That way you can hear all the action first hand for yourself and decide whether this is something you want to do or not.

Thanks,

Nick

spanner_m0nkey · 03-28-2012, 01:04 PM

Thanks Nick. I had seen your group previously and was very impressed. I didnt mean being complicated in a bad way. All I meant was that I didnt mind how in depth the experiance was.

Your group does look ideal however my real interst lies with a british prototype. Im a big fan of british locomotives as they are a subject close to my heart. A few members of my family have worked at Doncaster works and I currently wok there.

Irontooth · 03-29-2012, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spanner_m0nkey

Thanks Nick. I had seen your group previously and was very impressed. I didnt mean being complicated in a bad way. All I meant was that I didnt mind how in depth the experiance was.

+1! That's what I meant as well. Lack of english language prevented me from explain what I ment with "complicated"

Cheers!

Pieter

spanner_m0nkey · 03-30-2012, 01:23 AM

It could be an idea to start a group where by people create scenarios running from 1 depot on 1 line say newcastle york using stock from a set period for example all 1960s or 70s. Then create a set of rules based around BR rules for that time and opperate the scenarios according to those rules. Then if there were a way of sharing the debreefing online this could be the "proof" of completion of a job so to speek.

In future if and when a multiplayer system is put in place the same ideas on the same route with the same rules and drivers could be used. The system could already be in place so to speak.

Trainmaster1 · 03-28-2012, 01:27 PM

Would love to see at some point how we can expand what we do over to European operations as well. Our platform will travel anywhere there is interest in "working" on the railroad.

Nick

Trainmaster1 · 03-30-2012, 07:05 AM

Biggest difference between what we do and what "virtual" companies do is this:

1) We recreate an actual day in history on a real route with the actual trains that ran that day.

2) We never do anything fictional or use shortlines. The latter may come into use in the next phase of what we do in that the Class One railroad will interchange with the shortline and we will follow those cars to their final destination.

3) Right now all of our activity takes place inside an operating session. All crews are on the railroad at the same time working together to move traffic just like a real railroad.

4) All crews actually talk to each other live and hear each other in real time. You work with dispatchers, yard masters, train masters and much more live in every session. We do our research and do our best to recreate the entire railroad.

5) We do have something like your scenarios in that the local trains running in a session do have a specific set of cars and a work order that they follow in an operating session to complete their work. This is done by a two person crew-engineer and conductor-who see their train in real time and work together to get their work done. We can do this in Railworks right now.

Our biggest learning curve is we have no one here who knows enough about British operations. I am sure rulebooks and the like can be found on line but we need a source for historic information as to train symbols, train consists and the like in order to expand what we do.

I would like to see if it is possible to have you listen in to one of our upcoming sessions so you can hear what we do and see if it is of interest to you. Granted it will be a railroad in North America and may be a sim other than Railworks but the result is the same. For us the railroad is what matters, not the sim. We only need the sim to recreate what happened on the day we are using in the session.

Hope this all makes sense and I would like to see if there is a way to bring what we do to operations in your countries over there as well. The basic premise should work provided there are enough people who want to operate according to the prototype and follow all the rules of the road.

Nick

spanner_m0nkey · 03-30-2012, 07:25 AM

You say you have train crews of two people who can both see what's happening. How do you work this? Do both people have to be at the same computer or do you have a better method?

Trainmaster1 · 03-31-2012, 11:01 AM

We have multiple ways of doing this and no they are not at the same computer.

Last month for example I was a conductor on a local freight train. I was in Philadelphia, PA. My engineer was in Southern California. Yet we worked as a crew and I could see exactly what the engineer was doing, watch the scenery go by, could cut cars and work as a real crew in real time.

So we do not have to be in the same place but can rather link up remotely and work as a regular train crew. Just one of the many things that makes VORA a great place to be.

Nick

spanner_m0nkey · 04-02-2012, 04:03 PM

Ok so I decided to take a couple of hours and make a site to try and better put across my vision.

Its far from complete and there are many more features I would like to add in the future should there be any interest.

Anyone who wants to take a look or has any input on this is more than welcome.

I might not be entirely experienced in this kind of thing but I'v got a vision of what I want to create and I dont mind putting my time and effort into trying to achive this.

http://www.virtualbr.webs.com

Let me know what you think.

spanner_m0nkey · 04-03-2012, 08:23 AM

Ok a quick update.

The new domain name is http://www.virtualbr.co.uk

Iv started to create a rule book that is relevent.

There is a forum up. (so sign up if your interested

)

There is a scenario up. Its just a quick one while I get the chance to put something better in place.

Cheers

Trainmaster1 · 04-03-2012, 12:02 PM

Wish you luck on your virtual rail project.

Nick

03-27-2012, 03:29 AM	#1
spanner_m0nkey Join Date: Mar 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 7	virtual companies I'v seen a couple of groups running virtual rail companies in railworks. I thought it would be an idea for a small group to opperate from a depot on a route sticking to a BR rule book, completing assigned opperations etc. More for the social aspect and the general interst in British rail and its traction than as a competition. Would there be any interest in this kind of thing? Just putting it out there. If something like this already exists or if anyone wants to show an interest let me know. cheers

04-03-2012, 08:23 AM	#14
spanner_m0nkey Join Date: Mar 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 7	Ok a quick update. The new domain name is http://www.virtualbr.co.uk Iv started to create a rule book that is relevent. There is a forum up. (so sign up if your interested ) There is a scenario up. Its just a quick one while I get the chance to put something better in place. Cheers Last edited by spanner_m0nkey: 04-03-2012 at 10:03 AM.

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03-27-2012, 03:32 AM	#2
Suicide Perkies Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 35 Posts: 521	http://forums.steampowered.com/forum....php?t=2219045

03-27-2012, 04:09 AM	#3
spanner_m0nkey Join Date: Mar 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 7	Thanks. I have seen them. I was thinking abouth something just based around british rail, maybe just one route maybe opperating from just one depot and a lot less complicated than what they are doing to open it up to people who maybe just have a general interest and people who dont want to go overboard with the whole realism and opperations of a railway.

03-27-2012, 06:40 AM	#4
Irontooth Join Date: Jul 2011 Reputation: 18 Posts: 151	http://www.uir.marleyman.co.uk/ Perhaps this is something you like more. It isn't as complicated as Vora. We try to do all settings of Railworks; USA, Germany ánd Britain. Check it out and contact Marleyman If you're interested We can still use more members. Not to active at te moment I might say, but we will be once the multiplayer is out. We are waiting on further info about how MP is going to be developed/integrated in the game in order to plan how we will work. Cheers, Pieter

03-28-2012, 12:44 PM	#5
Trainmaster1 Join Date: Nov 2011 Reputation: 14 Posts: 31	VORA is not complicated at all. We are a group dedicated to prototype operations in the US and Canada. We do require a higher level of skill than most groups in that you do have to qualify to become an engineer in our group. But since I was an actual engineer, I can tell you that our group is not complicated at all. We select RW routes that closely approximate their real world counterpart and you get all the real track charts, rules and everything a real engineer running that line would receive. If you are into true prototype action, then you should check out what we do. VORA is the closest thing to working on an actual railroad anywhere on the net. Keep an eye on this thread for an invite to our next RW operating session. That way you can hear all the action first hand for yourself and decide whether this is something you want to do or not. Thanks, Nick

03-28-2012, 01:04 PM	#6
spanner_m0nkey Join Date: Mar 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 7	Thanks Nick. I had seen your group previously and was very impressed. I didnt mean being complicated in a bad way. All I meant was that I didnt mind how in depth the experiance was. Your group does look ideal however my real interst lies with a british prototype. Im a big fan of british locomotives as they are a subject close to my heart. A few members of my family have worked at Doncaster works and I currently wok there.

03-30-2012, 01:23 AM	#8
spanner_m0nkey Join Date: Mar 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 7	It could be an idea to start a group where by people create scenarios running from 1 depot on 1 line say newcastle york using stock from a set period for example all 1960s or 70s. Then create a set of rules based around BR rules for that time and opperate the scenarios according to those rules. Then if there were a way of sharing the debreefing online this could be the "proof" of completion of a job so to speek. In future if and when a multiplayer system is put in place the same ideas on the same route with the same rules and drivers could be used. The system could already be in place so to speak.

03-28-2012, 01:27 PM	#9
Trainmaster1 Join Date: Nov 2011 Reputation: 14 Posts: 31	Would love to see at some point how we can expand what we do over to European operations as well. Our platform will travel anywhere there is interest in "working" on the railroad. Nick

03-30-2012, 07:05 AM	#10
Trainmaster1 Join Date: Nov 2011 Reputation: 14 Posts: 31	Biggest difference between what we do and what "virtual" companies do is this: 1) We recreate an actual day in history on a real route with the actual trains that ran that day. 2) We never do anything fictional or use shortlines. The latter may come into use in the next phase of what we do in that the Class One railroad will interchange with the shortline and we will follow those cars to their final destination. 3) Right now all of our activity takes place inside an operating session. All crews are on the railroad at the same time working together to move traffic just like a real railroad. 4) All crews actually talk to each other live and hear each other in real time. You work with dispatchers, yard masters, train masters and much more live in every session. We do our research and do our best to recreate the entire railroad. 5) We do have something like your scenarios in that the local trains running in a session do have a specific set of cars and a work order that they follow in an operating session to complete their work. This is done by a two person crew-engineer and conductor-who see their train in real time and work together to get their work done. We can do this in Railworks right now. Our biggest learning curve is we have no one here who knows enough about British operations. I am sure rulebooks and the like can be found on line but we need a source for historic information as to train symbols, train consists and the like in order to expand what we do. I would like to see if it is possible to have you listen in to one of our upcoming sessions so you can hear what we do and see if it is of interest to you. Granted it will be a railroad in North America and may be a sim other than Railworks but the result is the same. For us the railroad is what matters, not the sim. We only need the sim to recreate what happened on the day we are using in the session. Hope this all makes sense and I would like to see if there is a way to bring what we do to operations in your countries over there as well. The basic premise should work provided there are enough people who want to operate according to the prototype and follow all the rules of the road. Nick

03-30-2012, 07:25 AM	#11
spanner_m0nkey Join Date: Mar 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 7	You say you have train crews of two people who can both see what's happening. How do you work this? Do both people have to be at the same computer or do you have a better method?

03-31-2012, 11:01 AM	#12
Trainmaster1 Join Date: Nov 2011 Reputation: 14 Posts: 31	We have multiple ways of doing this and no they are not at the same computer. Last month for example I was a conductor on a local freight train. I was in Philadelphia, PA. My engineer was in Southern California. Yet we worked as a crew and I could see exactly what the engineer was doing, watch the scenery go by, could cut cars and work as a real crew in real time. So we do not have to be in the same place but can rather link up remotely and work as a regular train crew. Just one of the many things that makes VORA a great place to be. Nick

04-02-2012, 04:03 PM	#13
spanner_m0nkey Join Date: Mar 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 7	Ok so I decided to take a couple of hours and make a site to try and better put across my vision. Its far from complete and there are many more features I would like to add in the future should there be any interest. Anyone who wants to take a look or has any input on this is more than welcome. I might not be entirely experienced in this kind of thing but I'v got a vision of what I want to create and I dont mind putting my time and effort into trying to achive this. http://www.virtualbr.webs.com Let me know what you think.

04-03-2012, 12:02 PM	#15
Trainmaster1 Join Date: Nov 2011 Reputation: 14 Posts: 31	Wish you luck on your virtual rail project. Nick