Derail Valley Newbie Questions

[Huntn]

There may be a few, but right now, I'm looking for a Game Manual or something that describes basic functionality within the game.

I'm using an Oculus Rift with Touch Controls. When the game starts, it says pick up this book which I can do. Then I'm told to flip through the pages. I have yet to figure out how to do this. I'm pushing all sorts of buttons but so far no luck.
Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks!

Duh never mind. It says on the front of the book, Joystick to flip pages. ;-\

[Huntn]

Hmm, I threw the track switch I thought I needed to run the first train out of the station, but somehow I derailed it. Lesson learned, always examine the new track position. :)
* Is there option to start the game from scratch?
* Are there any save slots? IT does not look like there are any.
* Or does it always save you where you last left off?
* And is the ony option after derailing a train, to respawn at another station?
Thanks!

[Altfuture]

Hey there!

Originally posted by Huntn:

* Is there option to start the game from scratch?

For now the only way is to delete the savegame files. They are located at Derail Valley\DerailValley_Data\SaveGameData.

* Are there any save slots? IT does not look like there are any.

There are no save slots for now. They are a planned feature however, and should make it in the following months.

* Or does it always save you where you last left off?

Savegame is work in progress, but it will return you to the nearest station, once you load the game. It will save your money, as well as license/garage unlocks. It will NOT save ongoing jobs and cars.

* And is the ony option after derailing a train, to respawn at another station?
Thanks!

Currently, yes. We plan to add rerailing at a later point.

[Huntn]

Originally posted by Altfuture:

Hey there!

Originally posted by Huntn:

* Is there option to start the game from scratch?

For now the only way is to delete the savegame files. They are located at Derail Valley\DerailValley_Data\SaveGameData.

* Are there any save slots? IT does not look like there are any.

There are no save slots for now. They are a planned feature however, and should make it in the following months.

* Or does it always save you where you last left off?

Savegame is work in progress, but it will return you to the nearest station, once you load the game. It will save your money, as well as license/garage unlocks. It will NOT save ongoing jobs and cars.

* And is the ony option after derailing a train, to respawn at another station?
Thanks!

Currently, yes. We plan to add rerailing at a later point.

Thanks for replying!
I'll say this game has a lot of potential, so looking forward to the improvements.

Maybe you could clarify what happened to me. I was at the starter station, I pulled the engine out of the engine house, threw the track switch so I could back up and couple with the single car. Then I threw the switch on the track on the right, so I could leave the station and go down the track, but when I got to the track switch point on the right, the train veered left and not only derailed at 5-10 mph but also decided it had to flip over on it's side, which was just not realistic imo, not at that speed, and the ground was level.

So what happened, any clues?

Which also prompts me to ask, are random catastrophic derailments built into the game even if you do everything right?

Also at the starter station, does a derailed train just lay there forever, or does it despawn eventually?

Finally, I've not had a chance to get into the game, but there does not seem to be any guidance on going out and finding hauls to pick up. I assume that will appear eventually.

Is there any speed guidance in this game, as in signs located along the tracks? I really do not want to be derailing if I can help it.

Now maybe it exists and I've not found it, but reading manuals in VR, can be challenging. I would recommend a pdf file which includes a game guide and all of the manuals that are in the game. I really dislike the fact that if I want to document this stuff, I have to read, pull off my Oculus, write it down, and repeat over and over.
Thanks for listening!

[TheLostPenguin]

I can maybe offer some answers to your questions for now:

Random derailments are not a feature, whist the game has improved on that front even in the last week there are still issues so unfortunately it will still happen from time to time. I think just about everyone on this forum has tales of times they inexplicably flew off the rails when doing everything the same as every other time they've successfully run over a section, it sucks but we do all have to remember that as frustrating as it can be to lose a run within sight of the destination, this also a game that very recently landed into early access.

If you select Restart from the pause menu you will be respawned at the nearest station, any jobs you were doing are cancelled and any mess you left behind in terms of derailed vehicles should be cleared (although I do recall 1 occasion in the past where this was not the case for me and I almost ran into my previous mess after a restart). I would hope this also works even during the initial tutorial, if not restarting the game altogether should do it.

Finding jobs to do (either yard shunting or distance runs) is simply a case of going into the station office at any of the stations marked on the map, there will be a selection of job cards lying on the table there to choose from. Doing shunting jobs that involved loading wagons will generally generate a long distance job to then take those wagons somewhere when completed, doing jobs that involved unloading wagons will generally then generate jobs to either load them with something else ready for dispatch, or hauling them somewhere as empty stock.

At present there is no signage ingame but it is planned both for speeds and gradients.
As a general rule 20 km/h (15 if you want to be extra safe) over points and tight curves, 25-30 over more moderate curves and in some places you can run faster over the gentlest curves (I've hit 80km/h so far, it's claimed 100 is possible although I personally haven't hit that yet). If you hear squealing from wheel flanges rubbing it's an indicator you're pushing the limits of speed through that curve so you need to brake gently (harsh braking brings significant risk of derailing the train through excess compression loads), flying off into the wilderness is a indication you were either going way too fast, or that the physics freaked out if it happens when hauling at what seemed a safe speed, as I mentioned it can happen at times.

I expect eventually a PDF manual will be made, at present the game is very much at an early stage and anything published would be almost immediately out of date, even a manual from a week ago would be missing info on a bunch of stuff including basics like keyboard controls that have been added since then, so I doubt they'll make one too soon. For now this forum is a good source of info on many things, the developers are active here as are other players willing to try and help/offer pointers as to where you might be going wrong if struggling with something.

[Huntn]

Originally posted by TheLostPenguin:

I can maybe offer some answers to your questions for now:

Random derailments are not a feature, whist the game has improved on that front even in the last week there are still issues so unfortunately it will still happen from time to time. I think just about everyone on this forum has tales of times they inexplicably flew off the rails when doing everything the same as every other time they've successfully run over a section, it sucks but we do all have to remember that as frustrating as it can be to lose a run within sight of the destination, this also a game that very recently landed into early access.

If you select Restart from the pause menu you will be respawned at the nearest station, any jobs you were doing are cancelled and any mess you left behind in terms of derailed vehicles should be cleared (although I do recall 1 occasion in the past where this was not the case for me and I almost ran into my previous mess after a restart). I would hope this also works even during the initial tutorial, if not restarting the game altogether should do it.

Finding jobs to do (either yard shunting or distance runs) is simply a case of going into the station office at any of the stations marked on the map, there will be a selection of job cards lying on the table there to choose from. Doing shunting jobs that involved loading wagons will generally generate a long distance job to then take those wagons somewhere when completed, doing jobs that involved unloading wagons will generally then generate jobs to either load them with something else ready for dispatch, or hauling them somewhere as empty stock.

At present there is no signage ingame but it is planned both for speeds and gradients.
As a general rule 20 km/h (15 if you want to be extra safe) over points and tight curves, 25-30 over more moderate curves and in some places you can run faster over the gentlest curves (I've hit 80km/h so far, it's claimed 100 is possible although I personally haven't hit that yet). If you hear squealing from wheel flanges rubbing it's an indicator you're pushing the limits of speed through that curve so you need to brake gently (harsh braking brings significant risk of derailing the train through excess compression loads), flying off into the wilderness is a indication you were either going way too fast, or that the physics freaked out if it happens when hauling at what seemed a safe speed, as I mentioned it can happen at times.

I expect eventually a PDF manual will be made, at present the game is very much at an early stage and anything published would be almost immediately out of date, even a manual from a week ago would be missing info on a bunch of stuff including basics like keyboard controls that have been added since then, so I doubt they'll make one too soon. For now this forum is a good source of info on many things, the developers are active here as are other players willing to try and help/offer pointers as to where you might be going wrong if struggling with something.

Very informative, thank you! Playing a game like this in VR is kinda amazing. BTW, if you've not tried it and have an Oculus, check out Lone Echo, a truly amazing VR game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pmV2mwAV9k

[Huntn]

How do you load train cars at the station? I ♥♥♥♥♥♥ around for a couple of hours trying to figure this out. I am at the Steel Mill doing SL-00 (I think), load up 3 flatbed cars. I've put them where they are supposed to be, but I thought I remember seeing in the tutorial a console that you use to load cars, is that correct? Well I can't find that, and after messing around with this first mission for 3 hours, I'm going to have to quit and lose all my progress. :(

You need to get that save game feature instituted. :) I hate the idea that all the time I spent, trying to get these cars positioned is going to be flushed, and I assume the job is flushed to.

Which brings up another question abut job parameters. I was asked to load 3 flatbed cars, but I found them in a string of 7 cars. I think ideally for a first mission, you should either explain the mechanics of uncoupling several cars in a long line of cars, or you should make a simpler mission for the first one. The job parameter question is, if the job asks for 3 cars, and you take that entire string of cars and load up the job related cars, will you pass or will the game reject what you've done, if you have more cars hooked up that the job calls for?

Thanks for listening! :)

[TheLostPenguin]

You're right about needing to find a console to un/load wagons, they all look the same other than the text for cargo types will vary depending on location:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1655425729
I don't recall offhand exactly where the one is at the Steel Mill although I think it was pretty near the siding I've been sent too for unloading wagons (not sure if there are multiple sidings used for un/loading within each yard at present, but I don't think there are), about the only constant I've been able to identify is that they're always at least visible from trackside, although some are set back a bit of a long way from the nearest rails in slightly unintuitive spots. I quite often have to hunt a bit for them too if not at a location I've used either recently or frequently enough overall to remember it's layout, it would be nice to have them made a little more convenient in the future.

As to your second question yeah you're kind of left to figure out splitting rakes of wagons as needed after being given the basics of the coupling controller, but at that stage you're not doing any kind of 'first mission' as once you leave the tutorial compound all jobs are dynamically generated, rather than following any kind of scripted progression. I believe if you took the entire rake containing the requested wagons and some others and loaded/moved the whole lot the game wouldn't have any issue *at present* as I routinely ditch the unwanted wagons in similar situations in whatever random siding is convenient without consequence. In the future I guess it may matter and the system require you to leave any unwanted wagons where they were before, but at present that's not the case. The biggest problem with doing so is that after you complete that shunting mission those wagons will then form a long distance job to be hauled to another city/industry, if you leave them in the middle of other wagons you'd still have to either split them out later if you wanted to take that job, or haul far more than needed across the map.