Better simulation, better usability, better Train Fever

We are very happy that today another major game update has been released.

Traffic simulation has been heavily improved with the newest version. Most important, cars now take into account the current traffic speed (and traffic jams) in advance. Therefore, people can now drive around traffic jams (if possible) or may decide to use player-created lines instead. In addition, towns no longer allow that players bulldoze their main connection streets (works for new games). These changes lead to a more realistic passenger simulation and to a more interesting game experience.

screen_00Some car drivers may get tired of being stuck in traffic jams and switch to the player’s bus line.

As always, we have been listening to the community and with this update we present two of the top requested features: Automatic vehicle replacement and realistic vehicle loading speed. Players can now define a vehicle (per line) which is used to replace existing vehicles when they reach their life spans. Therefore, large amounts of vehicles can now be managed more easily. Vehicle loading speed is now dependent on the number of vehicle doors. This way, especially modern commuter trains load and unload significantly faster.

screen_01Modern commuter trains have many large doors; therefore loading speed is quite high.

Usability in general has been significantly improved. Track and street builder tools are now more easy to use. We have not only fixed a number of small bugs, but we have also improved the user interface of these essential tools. For instance, obstacles which collide with your constructions plans are now highlighted in red color, and better error messages are displayed if a problem occurs.

screen_02Thanks to better error reporting track construction is more convenient now.

Also, we have added links to the player-created Steam guides in the main menu and welcome window. The learning curve for beginners is now more flat and more advanced players can easily find walkthroughs or background information.

Many more small improvements (e.g. animated depot doors) have been realized. Overall, we believe that the current update is a major step forward and Train Fever is significantly better now.

Please find the complete release notes here.

You can be sure that more updates and improvements will be released in future. Thanks for your continuing interest in the game and best wishes!

60 thoughts on “Better simulation, better usability, better Train Fever

  1. was für ein geniales Update, danke an alle Mitarbeiter von Urban Games und schonmal vorab danke für das Weihnachtsgeschenk und frohe Weihnachten, macht mal Urlaub 😉

  2. You guys are fantastic. This sounds great. Looks like I need to start a new game!

  3. Well now I have to start up a whole new game????

    Whoppie!!!! Looking forward to an enjoyable evening.

    You guys are the best 🙂

  4. Just started and graphics got all crazy and game stopped working. Anyone else experiencing this?

  5. Excellent news, keep up with good work! In my opinion CPU optimisation is what we need most in the long term.

  6. Another regular 14 days update, and a big one. Thank you for listening players. Solving issues which are on top of player’s base is a great way for long run. I promise I am going to buy your DLC when it comes. Thanks and happy xmass.

  7. Thanks! These were really needed. Please keep up the two week cycle, I was a bit worried there for a few days 🙂

    Now we need smart platform selection for trains. 😛

    • I’m also looking forward to having less problematic collisions when build tracks. Often it is pretty hard to connect tracks that are at different levels, but it can be done manually. I wish that the automatic track laying would understand that I really need a track between points A and B without forcing me to select the track height by hand. Also, often the automatically selected route is impossible because bridge pillars collide with roads, etc. This also can be fixed by hand, but it takes time.

    • The function is really good, but there are caveats. Lets say you start in 1900 with a line of four DMG Cannstatt LKWs. Lets say that later in 1910 you need a couple more.

      Then, 1912 comes along with a much faster Benz, and you set that as the replacement vehicle for the line, with the replacement age at 25%. Your first four Cannstatts update immediately, because they are 12 years old and 12 years is more than 25% of their lifespan of 30. BUT your “new”” Cannstatts are just 2 years old. They will keep driving until they are 7.5 years old and until that your Benzes will queu after in traffic jams because they cannot overtake.

  8. Thnx
    what a coincidence, previous then previous update was released as soon as my trip started. This time is also the same thing
    😉

  9. This is pretty awesome! Now just for the shared tracks in stations, and making it easier to split trains (so when they get fast, they don’t all end up bunched up behind another train!)

  10. Thanks for the work to all buyers , but is there no way to change the city main connection road ? is it really important for people to have this rule in the game ? just because it was a ” waste setting ” in game for those who want to have their station build in the center of the city ! Also when was the rail crossing like ” IXI ” in the future ? thank you

  11. My game crashed but started back up right where I left off. Hopefully just a glitch. Update is great. Developers dedication is genuine and appreciated.

    I am liking TrainFever more and more!

  12. Cool. Danke für das grossartige Update! Freu mich schon drauf es auszuprobieren. Hab schon über 100h in dem Spiel verbracht. Es hat noch einige Ecken und Kanten, aber es wird immer besser, wie man sieht.

    Tolle Arbeit!

  13. Very good update, except for the towns streets that we can’t update anymore (with this ennoying message “Main connextion – need bypass first”), even on streets without any bus lines !!!
    It would be better if this could be an option.

  14. Just started a new game and the update is definitely a step in the right direction. I have however encountered a problem with the town main connection streets. We now have to first build a bypass which is nice and realistic but I have come across a scenario on the outskirts of town where multiple connections exist to the town and industries. No matter how many bypasses I put in the game refuses to delete streets including my added bypasses??? Hopefully this is a one off as I have used the bypass system successfully up til now.

  15. Wow, it’s Xmas before the 24th 🙂

    It’s very pleasant to see that the developping team is listening to the user requests and working hard to improve things over time. The mainstream gaming companies (EA and so on) should come to see you and take advice on how proper customer relationships should be handled.

    Thanks for the efforts and keep going like this. You’re doing it right 🙂

  16. Danke für eure arbeit das Spiel zu erweitern und zuverbessern, es sind wirklich einige sehr schöne Änderungen dabei 🙂

    Allerdings sind die Änderungen was sämtliche Landstrassen angeht so doch ziemlicher Mist, alleine um kleinste Änderungen oder Verbesserungen zu machen an den Landstrecken muss man nun einen Finanziellensuizid begehen da man unnütze Umwege bauen muss nur um Strecken zu Begradigen, Teilstücke auszutauschen (gerade bei T-Kreuzungen weil upgrades wegen platzmangel nicht gehen) und hinterher noch mal ein Vermögen draufhauen um die hässlichen Verunstalltungen der Umgehungen wieder zu planieren. Wenn die KI der Autofahrer wirklich stark verbessert ist besteht eigentlich eh kein Grund die Straßen zwischen den Städten dauerhaft zu trennen. Aber so ist das Optimieren und Verschönern von Strecken nur noch eine Qual.

    Sowas sollte eher als Option unter den Spieleinstellungen zum Start festgelegt werden können für
    Spieler mit masochistischen Tendenzen.

    P.S.: Kann man in Zukunft auf Gleiskreuzungen & Kreuzungsweichen hoffen oder sind diese nicht Realisierbar?

  17. Looks like a welcome step in the right direction, not sure about locking the main town streets but overall it’s good to see progress. The big issue is always going to be performance, here’s hoping that’s going to be in early 2015.

  18. hallo 😉
    erstmal herzlichen super tausend dank für Euer wunderbares Train-Fever !! 😉

    okay, Performance-mäßig sind die neuen updates ja auf jeden fall ne verbesserung, aber nun zu diesem “bypass..main connection…”-thing..

    ich fand das erst ja noch ganz lustig die etwas “negativen” Kommentare dazu zu lesen, aber ich muss nun auch sagen, das is scheinbar mehr Fluch denn Segen 😉
    “tough” ausgedrückt: super nervig, geht eigentlich gar nicht (oder jedenfalls nicht in der momentanen Form).
    würde deshalb auch dazu tendieren, das als “Option” “anzubieten”…
    So ist das echt zu hart…

    Aber viele Grüße und vielen Dank nochmal !! 😉

  19. Seit dem neuen update ruckelt das Spiel bei mir schon in den ersten Minuten. Man kann scheinbar nicht mehr mit x und y herein und herauszoomen. Dass man die Straßen nicht mehr abreißen kann, oder nur dann wenn man die umleitung praktisch direkt daneben baut finde ich eher schade. Allerdings lesen sich die anderen Neuerungen ansonsten echt super!

  20. Thanx for the update!

    Haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds great. I still would love to see other ( AI ) entrepreneurs starting there lines and competing with the player! This would make the game more competitive.

  21. The new feature regarding bulldozing the main connection streets is very annoying, as it still prevents bulldozing, even if you build a new connecting street first….

  22. Thanks a lot. Going to restart my game 🙂 I know it’s been suggested before but would be great to have a little fix when it comes to upgrading small roads outside of cities where they end up in T form crossing and then get the message: Not enough place. But in a way i feel that that happens less then when i first started this game months ago.

  23. What’s the Point of preventing removing streets?

    Also, could you make a feature so a railroad crossing creates when I make a road over an Railway. Right now, I need to bulldoze the Railway in order to make an road and therefore making new rails in order to create an Railway crossing, wich is very annoying.

  24. Very nice update, as usual. Thanks, Urban Games.

    Also, a short discussion. Obviously, preventing the player from bulldozing major street connections is the preventing the player from cheating. This is good! But there is an issue now: the track could not be placed over the road’s node (nodes are the points between straight/curved segments of the roads/tracks). In such cases the player could delete few segments of the road to place a single segment without nodes on a location for the future track crossing. Now the player is unable to do so. My guess is the map generation algorithm should be changed so the inter-city roads should be generated with the minimal quantity of segments/nodes. This will make the ‘track crossing over road’s node a rare situation. Maybe there is another, better, solution for this issue, so, people, post your suggestions.

  25. Great great update. Before I only played 4/5 hours of train fever before finding it too frustrating, but now I’ve already played 19 hours since the update. This update has turned train fever from a curious, interesting game to a brilliant working game. Theres still more you can do, there are still weird quirks in route making and I’d like stations to work better, but this is what was really needed and you did it, good job!

  26. Great update! The autoreplacement was my biggest wish, the improved handling of traffic jams is a nice bonus as well. And the “working” signals from the previous update look great too.

    Thanks a lot for improving the game like this after release!

  27. Well, most of improvements are great or good, but one is awfull. The “main connection issue” does game unlplayable at all. There is soooo many think need to improve, expand and polish. This feature would be great for next Xmass as part of an “Ironman” DLC. Definately not now. It ruin the game. Remove it ASAP !

  28. I hate the new update guys!!! I can’t do **** with the roads!!! REMOVE THE MAINCONNECTION FUNCTION PLEASE!!! IT’S PISSING ME OF!!!

  29. Hey guys, thanks for the update! You really are dedicated and your updates always strike the right cord! Keep up the good work! I do have a couple of suggestions, maybe for one of the next updates:

    1. We really need rails to be able to cross one another, that would make everything so much easier.

    2. Some way of getting the trains to a specific platform at the station, without forcing them to go through waypoints and such.

    3. Upgrading the station – if I build it with two tracks, I might want to add some more later on in the game. And it would be really great if there were no limit of five tracks per station.

    4. Terminal stations would be visually nice, even though I concede that you can make terminal stations even from these ones.

    5. It would be really useful if, while you are connecting the line stops, the line color showed only between those stops that you’ve actually clicked, because it can get really confusing when you have or plan to have lots of stops, as the line cuts to make the shortest possible route.

  30. Here I ASK FOR REFUND !!!! About the Fcuking main connection !!!!!!
    You guys make the GAME PLAYS THE PLAYER
    NOT PLAYER PLAYS THE GAME …….

    I’m being crazy to change the fcuking main connection by building flyover or tunnel for an half hour
    and the Fcuking AI don’t change it’s fucking danm connection

  31. ALSO THIS TRAIN – FEVER !!!!!
    TRAIN’S FEVER , WHO CARE ABOUT THE ROAD
    ALL I CARE ABOUT THE TRAIN BUT NOT THE FCUKING ROAD AND BUSES AND TRUCK

  32. Great update! The improvements for track building are very noticeable. Keep up the good work, but be sure to enjoy the holiday season as well.

  33. Hope you guys provide a quick fix to the road connection issue. I would suggest to remove the requirement to connect cities with roads (at least give the option). Thanks

  34. Hi folks, I see I’m not the only one having issues with the main connection issue. Regarding “cheating” – I was happy to play along with the bypass building however this function is faulty, I used the same road on several occasions and the game still won’t let you delete the original route. In any case who cares if someone does something that someone else considers “cheating”? It’s a single player game! You wouldn’t have me telling you how to eat your dinner, would you? Anyhow, this game is almost unplayable for me now, I have to rely on old saved games which limits my playability a great deal. Please Urban Games, at least give the player the choice whether this function should be enabled. Love the game too much to put it down, but that main connection issue is a real game killer and it would appear this is the case for a lot of players. So, old saves and truck fever till next update for me 🙂 (fingers crossed).

    • You are right!! I really can not understand why this function has been implemented in the game. This is the first time I am really disappointed by a new patch!

  35. Would anyone post the ” blank new – no build any rail or station ” old save file ?
    The map crate before before patch 4820 & 4831 ?

  36. I’ve decided not to play TF anymore until this bug is fixed.
    I even build a new Railwaystation, but unfortunately in the wrong place. So I tried to destroy it again to build a new one, but even the just build station I could not destroy anymore, because it was a main-connection..
    TF is just unplayable

  37. Hi guys,

    I love the game, playing it about 3 hours a day! Thank you very much for all the updates thus far! I agree with some bugs above. Sometimes the game does not let me even update a part of the road because it says it’s a main connection. I am not that fond of this update, but appreciate the effort. Maybe you could make an auto repair when a road is removed after some time?

    I am not sure if this has something to do with the latest update, but I restarted a game and when I got to about 2050 my game started to get very slow and crashed all the time. Couldn’t play it anymore. So I started a new one. Hope you can fix gameplay issues and keep it fast also when the game progresses. My computer hardware should not be the problem.

    My wishlist:
    – x-crossings of trains should be very nice
    – end-stations
    – for cargo road lines to go to the first station I select. Now I put a depot near the first source and 50% of the times, the trucks go to another station.
    – tunnels with straight walls, so they it is easier to build a tunnel in a city
    – high speed tracks later in game
    – a way to slow down all time stages, so we can enjoy an era longer.

    Thanks again!

  38. Hey, guys! Thanks for game & keep up the good work! Sorry, but there are some trouble. Got an error with latest build after approx. 1 hour of playing: http://bit.ly/17bo8Yg I’ve an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 video card running ForceWare v344.75.

  39. Kennt Ihr den Spruch “Der Kunde ist König”? Solltet Ihr den verstanden haben, was ist dann der Punkt mit dem Main Connection Zwang? Es kann Euch doch völlig egal sein, ob ich Main connections abreisse! Wieso hindert Ihr mich jetzt daran? Ich habe Euch das Spiel bezahlt, und Ihr macht es unspielbar für mich! Dank diesem Steam-Mist kann ich nicht mal downgraden oder cheaten und verkaufen geht auch nicht. Mir wird einfach das Spiel unterm Arsch weg entwertet.

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