Smart track changing possible in this game?

[f.meussen]

Too explain it simple, i got two separete tracks next to each other.( single track )

Between those tracks i got multiple "connection" tracks connecting the tracks to each other with the appropiate amount of signals,
idea is too run multiple trains on those tracks and that the "AI" do the switching between tracks in such a way that trains switch tracks the second they notice that they are not on a free path.

Whatever i try i cannot get this to work. ( simple real life thingy )
The game can only handle FIXED routes ( so predetermined routes which track and which switch he gonna use without making this dynamic and connected to the situation out there )

Is this game flawed or it is possible to make it like this? ( please a screenshot example )

[canophone]

The game isn't flawed, it just doesn't have exactly what you want!

[Didz]

It's much better to have an UP line and a DOWN line anyway, switches cause delays.

[Thork]

It may do that sometime, but it really is not necessary as is. I believe simply automatically switching to a free platform would work perfectly fine at least with recent patch changes, however, that would mean that platforms would randomly be blocked and there would be chaotic line changes all the time. Unless you come up with a good solution to do all this without introducing more problems than there currently are, this is not simple or a flaw at all.

[Didz]

In fact, I've started locking services to platforms in my game, having had a few dynamic platform changes that caused chaos.

[f.meussen]

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197974064631/screenshots/

[f.meussen]

Originally posted by Didz:

It's much better to have an UP line and a DOWN line anyway, switches cause delays.

I want my tracks to be both Up and both DOWN ( like real life ), depending on the situation the train must choose if it wise to use it as up or down.

[Thork]

I thought you meant usage of multiple platforms....
Using tracks dynamically should already happen when a path is blocked and there is another valid path. Maybe there is something (one-way signal) already blocking that track. Also, trains of the same line don't block/invalidate their path, it would need to be two different lines.

This game really does not operate on "automatic adventure" mode like Mashinky or TTD can. It is your job do define line-paths and I prefer it this way.

*Maybe the train without a switch reserved the path first, so the other train with a switch can't enter, otherwise it may work... Not sure, would need to test.

[f.meussen]

see my screenshot, it is clear what i want to achieve but simply because the trains have predetermined patchs the stupid trains just stare at each other without train1 going to the
other "free" track.

[Thork]

Paths are not predetermined anymore. There is dynamic path selection since the last patch. It may just be that the train going from bottom/up reached the signal first and therefore reserved the path.. It could work when both tracks had switches or the top train would've reserved the path first...
Not exactly sure, as said, trains of the same line don't invalidate each others path, but the blocked signal may. Need/might test this...

[f.meussen]

both trains are NOT from the same line ( one is orange other is red ), so if i understand it correctly if they are from the same line it could work?

[Thork]

No, the exact opposite. Same line trains won't block each others path (possibly to not block platform or run around jams on a line). I just tried it with different line trains and it works there.
As said, it probably does not work in your case because the bottom train reserved the path first and therefore blocks access to the switch the other train would need to reach.
It should work if you provide (x) switches for both directions.
It could also work if you place the top signal further away and the bottom signal closer to the switch (but that might still fail sometimes).

I really have not changed my playstile and did not test this dynamic pathing a lot since the patch, so I would need to play some more to see if there is some actual practical use besides of dissolving jams or finding a new path after a new construction.

[Didz]

Originally posted by f.meussen:

Originally posted by Didz:

It's much better to have an UP line and a DOWN line anyway, switches cause delays.

I want my tracks to be both Up and both DOWN ( like real life ), depending on the situation the train must choose if it wise to use it as up or down.

Tracks aren't UP and DOWN in real life. In the UK the left most tracks are UP, the right most tracks are DOWN. In the USA the right most tracks are UP (which I believe they call North) and the left most DOWN (South)
http://www.davidheyscollection.com/userimages/00-0-a-David-Ingham-Aldershot-Box.jpg
Here's a screenshot that shows a much more elegant solution in my own game.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1255815790
The trains on the yellow line using the left hand track to move North and then crossing over to use the Right hand track to move South. No collisions and only one delay cause by line switching.

[canophone]

Originally posted by Didz:

Originally posted by f.meussen:

I want my tracks to be both Up and both DOWN ( like real life ), depending on the situation the train must choose if it wise to use it as up or down.

Tracks aren't UP and DOWN in real life. In the UK the left most tracks are UP, the right most tracks are DOWN. In the USA the right most tracks are UP (which I believe they call North) and the left most DOWN (South)

Here's a screenshot that shows a much more elegant solution in my own game.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1255815790
The traines on the yellow line using the left hand track to move North and then crossing over to use the Right hand track to move South. No collisions and only one delay cause by line switching.

I don't believe you can refer to tracks as "up" and "down" so precisely anywhere in North America (yards might have 'up' and 'down' more predictably)... It can differ from one place to another, rather "inbound" and "outbound" are more accurate. Also, in many places you can't always predict which track a train will be travelling on.

[f.meussen]

I dont live in the UK or USA, but Holland, we do use lines both ways but i also know that there a lot of technical issues , delays and such with "our" way of working.

[Thork]

Well, there are cases of single tracks going both directions and/or short sidetracks for evasion/overtaking, but these don't require dynamic pathing but rather precise schedule/presignals/manual signal control IRL.
It's just that many players are used to TTD and therefore don't even think about if that system would make sense IRL. It often does not.
I would like pre-/priority signals to enable better usage of (short) sidetracks, but that alone would not necessarily enable all possibilities that these TTD players are used to.

I believe this dynamic pathing for individual trains got introduced for solving the automatic turn-around issues that the system had before. It's not meant to make lines obsolete like some believe. It might never do, because that might really require a lot of additional changes to not end in chaos.