So… what good are waypoints?

Home Forums General Discussion So… what good are waypoints?

Viewing 5 posts - 16 through 20 (of 20 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #13402
    TrainInfluenza
    Participant

    Another example of why they’re awesome is to split express and commuter lines – typically there would be 4 tracks: outside slow tracks that stop at all stations and inside fast tracks that the express uses that may not even have platforms. Without waypoints you could get this situation where the returning express in this case has to wait for the commuter train. With waypoints you can guarantee that the lines take the appropriate track when they split.

    #13444
    crossmr
    Participant

    Waypoint’s where badly needed for trains and I for one am very grateful for their addition.
    There where multiple scenarios where the automatic re-calculation of routes could mess up your entire network, causing trains to try to swap lines here there and everywhere… obviously not such an issue if you have 1 track going from A to B and 1 track going B to C, or two without joining them…

    You’re over selling that. They weren’t “badly” needed. I had numerous maps, full of connections of trains everywhere, making lots of money without way points.

    Way points are useful in a few limited scenarios:

    1. Making an express line separate from a regular line, if you don’t want to run a separate line

    2. Switchbacks. These are now possible (though expensive and space consuming) but you should be able to make a switchback going up a mountain now.

    3. sorting a track direction without using 1 way signals. This is of limited benefit, but if you wanted to ensure that trains were going a certain direction on a double track, but didn’t want to use a 1 way (because maybe you had a train crossing over somewhere in the opposite direction) you could use way points to do that without limiting directional travel.

    there are things which are badly needed though, like road/rail crossing fixes, collision fixes, X track crossings, etc.

     

    #13452
    FX2K
    Participant

    Perhaps so, but the same could be said for the things you say are badly needed, aside from me agreeing with you 🙂 which I do…

    i.e
    X track crossings.. workarounds are possible..
    collisions.. workarounds are possible.
    Waypoints.. workarounds where possible too.

    For me, they add much needed control, but then so would x crossings and fixes for stupid collisions would prevent pita scenarios.

    #13456
    crossmr
    Participant

    Sorry, but there are no workarounds for collisions. Nothing more annoying than laying some difficult piece of track then going to twin the track only to find you can’t because it refuses to let you draw the bridge on either side of the one you just laid. The collisions are out of control and “completely redesigning your entire system” is not an acceptable work around.

    X crossings also have zero work around, you can only put the other direction after it, that’s not a work around, It’s something that doesn’t exist

    there is also the issue with branching double tracks in one direction. You can branch the first one, but the second one can’t cross over properly. The only work around is to build some kind of sky bridge. This is not an acceptable work around.

     

    #13469
    FX2K
    Participant

    I rarely see collisions. When I do, adjustments to the layout work, so therefore it is a workaround.

    x crossings, well its possible to cross tracks using more space, so that’s a workaround too. Waypoints benefit in this regard too.

    Branching double tracks can be done with a bridge or tunnel. It IS a workaround

    You can argue the above points all day long, I agree what you mentioned are badly needed but it makes me thinking waypoints where badly needed no less valid. Besides, they are done for rail anyway.. so its also pointless to continue.

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by FX2K.
Viewing 5 posts - 16 through 20 (of 20 total)
  • The forum ‘General Discussion’ is closed to new topics and replies.