Suggestion for Future Upgrade, Suggestion for Future Upgrade Options

[harryadkins]

I have been enjoying Activity Generator for years and it is an excellent tool for MSTS. However, AG lacks one element that would make this product more realistic - continuity. In the real world, freight cars move in a logical fashion on a day-to-day basis. In other words, it an activity I create tomorrow should build on what I did today. This function would require AG to save today's end-of-session status (what cars are at what industry). Tomorrow's activity would start out with all the same cars in place based on what I did (or was supposed to do) in today's session. For example, the empty boxcar I setout yesterday at the Grusome Casket Company would be loaded and ready for pickup today. The activities developed for the virtual Cascade & North Western follow a logical sequential order similar to this and are most realistic. I am not a programmer but I do remember that the waybill generation software (Commodore 64) I used for my HO layout years ago had this function. I think it is worth your consideration.

[sgdavis]

I have been enjoying Activity Generator for years and it is an excellent tool for MSTS. However, AG lacks one element that would make this product more realistic - continuity. In the real world, freight cars move in a logical fashion on a day-to-day basis. In other words, it an activity I create tomorrow should build on what I did today. This function would require AG to save today's end-of-session status (what cars are at what industry). Tomorrow's activity would start out with all the same cars in place based on what I did (or was supposed to do) in today's session. For example, the empty boxcar I setout yesterday at the Grusome Casket Company would be loaded and ready for pickup today. The activities developed for the virtual Cascade & North Western follow a logical sequential order similar to this and are most realistic. I am not a programmer but I do remember that the waybill generation software (Commodore 64) I used for my HO layout years ago had this function. I think it is worth your consideration.

I agree with you and Norm and I discussed doing this. As Norm said it is a little tough with MSTS because I haven't figured out how to 'crack' the save files. Such a thing COULD be done by ASSUMING all the work done was completed. But also I couldn't know exactly what order the setouts were made in etc. so when building the next activity, the way the setouts and existing cars lay out in a given spur, would not necessarily be the same order in which you actually set them out.

It isn't impossible and being a model railroader I understand the value of this, but probably it's something that we'll take a look at when MSTS-X comes out.

Thanks,

Steve