Trains choosing platforms

[GeoffersH]

Good point Stonehouse!

[eldomtom2]

@GeoffersH

Telling someone to buy the game regardless of their doubts is not exactly helpful. To me this feature is necessary because if it is not there, building complex interconnected networks is pointless. As trains only go to their lines platform, there is no need to link separate lines together at stations. It is important for both realism and gameplay, and while I am looking forward to release, I’m not willing to rush in blindly without things like this issue being addressed.

[Omni]

I was about to ask the same thing, and I agree with eldomtom2. If trains will just wait for platform 1 to clear, while platform 2 is empty, complex networks become pointless. And, having 1 platform and seperate track for every 1 line I won’t consider a network. In this case, Stonelouse is right. If trains pile up before a station you clearly have too many.

For example, a double track running 6 lines, served by a 4 platform station is what I would think about in a basic network. You’ll have to use switches and signals to make trains go to different platforms. The lines have different destinations and may carry different goods. IF  in this case, all lines are fixed on just 1 platform, a setup like this is pointless. Trains should choose empty platforms for themselves OR the player should be able to assign a line to a certain platform to evenly distribute lines over a station.

If this isn’t possible, you’ll end up building like the first example. I’d be very disapointed.

[Stonelouse]

i think there are two issues being mixed up here.

first of all, at the moment platforms are automatically assigned by the route finding logic. that is a flaw that is known by the developers. which is why they are definately going to introduce waypoints either for the release version or shortly afterwards, depending on their workload of fixing major bugs and such. thus we will be able do define which platforms are going to be used by lines so that they are evenly distributed and 6 lines won’t pile up at one platform.

secondly, it will most likely not happen that trains might choose an alternative platform if their designated platform is blocked by another train. i guess whether you see this as a drawback or not might be dependend on where you are from, because i believe that in the UK it is common for train dispatchers to assign platforms on the fly, while in germany and switzerland, trains always stop at the same predefined platforms. over here trains will only go to different platforms if there is a major disruption that necessitates it. and the handling of disruptions is obiously something that goes much further than is the scope of this game.

so if we are looking at passenger trains in train fever, a blocked platform might occasionally stop a train from entering a station, but only for a very short while. which is even realistic because real trains occasionally need to stop in front of a station as well. and regarding freight trains, if trains pile up because they need to wait for a full load then there are too much trains on the line for the production capacity and even if they would choose a different platform, it would not improve anything because it is the goods production that is the limting factor, not the stations capacity. so trains will pile up anyway and if there were multiple lines transporting multiple goods at this station then you would even disrupt your other lines as well. so in this case, use the waypoints to make your trains wait outside the station, which would again be quite realistic.

[eldomtom2]

Okay, but can you have trains on the same line have a different designated platform? If I had four trains on the same line, can I have two use one platform and two use another? If not, I forsee problems with busy lines.

[Omni]

I just got a reply from a beta tester on Steam:

“The lines are fluid – The train will simply pick another platform to stop at and try to get back onto the original line whenever it can through switch tracks. 🙂

You can’t tell a train to always use Platform 3 with how the game is right now. They’ll just pick whichever is available and closest to the original line design.”

Too bad there are different views and ideas on this, but I hope he’s right :p

[rorovant]

@Omni : I hope he is right too ! Just like it is in OTTD ….

[eldomtom2]

@Omni

Reassuring news, if true.

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