Railway Signals

[Steven Silverheart]

How advanced are they and how will they work?

I like the signal system in these kind of games but in Railway Empire i always got confused and my trains eventually got stuck and such. I never got a hang of the way they did signals. TTD did it much smarter.

[Lilin]

This is the most important question for all train track building games!
I was looking for an answer to this on the store page to no avail.

[Steven Silverheart]

Originally posted by Lilin:

This is the most important question for all train track building games!
I was looking for an answer to this on the store page to no avail.

We'll see if the devs sees this thread and answers. Its saturday no so i guess nothing until Monday anyway :)

[Great Manitou]

First of all, as the game is still in development, we tested and still testing different versions of signal system working and it might be changed in the final version.

Most probably release version will get automated signal positioning at every railroad connection (junctions, station etc), because it's too obvious, that every junction needs a signal. These signals are 2-way signals. At each signal trains will stop to pass other trains. There won't be any simple mode, that allows trains to ride through each other.
So in general it's closer to Railroad Tycoon 2-3 signal scheme, rather than to Transport Tycoon.

As for manual controlling and placing signals - it's still under discussion, so I cannot say now, will it be in release version or not.

[Stealthy]

Maybe a combination, or option? Either automatic or user placed? I for one, love to place the signals where i want them and tinker around to optimize my network.

[Steven Silverheart]

Originally posted by Stealthy:

Maybe a combination, or option? Either automatic or user placed? I for one, love to place the signals where i want them and tinker around to optimize my network.

Sure i do that aswell, but for some reason i never managed to to that properly in Railway Empire even though it should be simpler than OTTD. No matter what my train network in Railway Empire got to a halt at some point.

[Jmac]

I wanted to add that railway empires did such a terrible job with signaling that is why i mainly refunded it. If you do signals, they better be easy to place, super intuitive and work properly. Its really a red ball type question. If you can not do it so its easy and simple to place do not do it at all. I don't know what idiots thought up the system in railway empires but i know a ton of people were not happy with how hard they were to place and manage.

[Stealthy]

I really don't get it why people say it is difficult when it is exactly same as in Transport Fever for example and follow completely normal "railway logic". Signal is placed where you potentially want train to stop.

[ralf.g.wirth]

Basically there are two options for Signals:
1. "block signals" where one train can be in one block. This is how trains in the real world work. I think that the game Mashinky uses path signals too.
2. "path signals" where a train blocks the whole path beginning at the signal he just crosses to the next signal on his path. This is how Train Fever, Transport Fever and Railway Empires work.
(OpenTTD can do both things)

And yes, placing signals is hard at the beginning, but if you watch one of the many tutorial videos on youtube and with some experience it is not hard any more. The alternative is of course "no signalling".

Maybe there are other means of signalling like defining every (or some) lines as one-way (like the underground lines in Cities In Motion 2) but they seem to be exotic.

So in conclusion I'd say that Path Signals are the easiest and most popular way to place signals in modern railroad games.

[Amaretto]

I'd definitely say go for manual placement for signals, auto mode would probably place signals as close to the junction as possible, but not everyone would like it that way :)

[jhughes]

Originally posted by Great Manitou:

First of all, as the game is still in development, we tested and still testing different versions of signal system working and it might be changed in the final version.

Most probably release version will get automated signal positioning at every railroad connection (junctions, station etc), because it's too obvious, that every junction needs a signal. These signals are 2-way signals. At each signal trains will stop to pass other trains. There won't be any simple mode, that allows trains to ride through each other.
So in general it's closer to Railroad Tycoon 2-3 signal scheme, rather than to Transport Tycoon.

As for manual controlling and placing signals - it's still under discussion, so I cannot say now, will it be in release version or not.

This game, as early as Campaign Mission 2, really needs either waypoints or manually placed signals or much better AI path finding / signal placement. I'm sorry but having double tracks that I can not control the blocks on.. where trains wait when there are clear paths is unacceptable. I know the game is early access.. But this is just the most basic of control requirements. If it was 1990, this control system would be acceptable. After games like Transport Fever, Mashinky, and Railway Empire.. These controls are just not enough. Not for anything except maybe a tech demo.

[ppumkin]

Like i started playing the game and like no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ signals? Seriosly. Dont get me wrong the GFX are really great and all the details in the towns and stuff. But FFS bro's - Its a train game.. trains can not exist without signal.. i can tell the developers are not train fans.

Thanks for the Mashinki tip. Wow.. that game looks epic. I think im going to refund this one like 5 minutes it pissed me off. Get Mashinky instead

[tarx2004]

Originally posted by Great Manitou:

First of all, as the game is still in development, we tested and still testing different versions of signal system working and it might be changed in the final version.

Most probably release version will get automated signal positioning at every railroad connection (junctions, station etc), because it's too obvious, that every junction needs a signal. These signals are 2-way signals. At each signal trains will stop to pass other trains. There won't be any simple mode, that allows trains to ride through each other.
So in general it's closer to Railroad Tycoon 2-3 signal scheme, rather than to Transport Tycoon.

As for manual controlling and placing signals - it's still under discussion, so I cannot say now, will it be in release version or not.

What do you mean the game is still in development? I bought this game not to be your beta tester, i bought this game to have fun, and not get frustrated over things that should have been fixed in your in-house beta testing and your early access release. I did not ask you to hand me a game and have me test it, did i?

[genemead]

Stop assuming this game is a normal railroad game, where you build track, stations, and place signals.
It's a railroad corporation building game.
Two different things.

[tarx2004]

Originally posted by genemead:

Stop assuming this game is a normal railroad game, where you build track, stations, and place signals.
It's a railroad corporation building game.
Two different things.

so, let's just automate the trains, you handle the routes, have the game lay the tracks and automate trains, no? Or you haven't noticed? if your trains are stuck and can't move, you stop making money, left alone, you'd go bankrupt, which makes you fail the game.

[Eye in the Sky]

So they knew signals were going to be a problem as far back as February...