Sharing Route Modifications...

[Ericmopar]

I've been doing some testing and I think that certain files from my Donner Pass Southern Pacific Redo, could be uploaded and installed by a user, to fix the worst of the east side of Donner Pass.
I haven't found any example of that in the file library though.

[artimrj]

robbit submitted several route patches in the past. They were small. Like the broken track in HSC. As long as it is just route files, I see no problem. Can not add any assets, unless they are freeware. And don't forget if you or anyone write scenarios for it, they will need your updated files for those scenarios.

[Ericmopar]

These are scenery mods Bob. There would be included networks bin files, because some roads got moved slightly, but no scenarios get broken by this.
It's not a small package. Zipped up it's 352MB.
All of that is bins. None of it is texture files as far as I can tell.
I've used assets from Donner Pass and Cajon Pass only. A person might have to enable Kuju and RailSimulator, RailSimulatorUS in the Route Editor.
If I'm correct, someone with the American Assets pack from Steam should also be able to use this?

I'd like to Beta this, But I'm not sure how with a file this big.

[buzz456]

You can load a file that size up to mediafire.

[artimrj]

These are scenery mods Bob. There would be included networks bin files, because some roads got moved slightly, but no scenarios get broken by this.
It's not a small package. Zipped up it's 352MB.
All of that is bins. None of it is texture files as far as I can tell.
I've used assets from Donner Pass and Cajon Pass only. A person might have to enable Kuju and RailSimulator, RailSimulatorUS in the Route Editor.
If I'm correct, someone with the American Assets pack from Steam should also be able to use this?

I'd like to Beta this, But I'm not sure how with a file this big.

If you are using the Kuju stuff in the route then you already turned them on and that is listed in the routeproperties.xml file. The users will have to get that from you also, so that should not be any kind of a problem for anyone.

352 meg is a lot of bin files. That seems like you did a lot of the route. Have you thought about cloning the route and modifying that with your mods? Or is this what you did already?

[Ericmopar]

I already cloned the route Bob and modified that. I did an experiment, in which I copied over the Mixmap, Networks, Scenery and Terrain folders to my original Donner Pass, after backing it up, and they seemed to take effect a few days ago. I then renamed the cloned version with the mods temporarily and the original Donner Pass with the copied over mods seemed to work okay.
I thought about including only bins changed by date, but there are hundreds if not thousands of them!
Thanks for the heads up on the RouteProperties.xml. I just took a look in that Route Properties folder and it refers to the "Donner Pass Southern Pacific Redo" which is the cloned route. So I'm thinking I would upload those files listed above, but with instructions to enable Kuju, Railsimulator, RailSimulatorUS. Otherwise, wouldn't I have to upload the entire cloned route?

I have redone a lot of the route. From Truckee to Mogul so far.

[artimrj]

Yes you would have to upload the entire cloned route minus scenery assets. That's what you should do.

[OldProf]

Am I correct in thinking that anyone who installed a private route modification such as this and wanted to keep it would have to re-install it after each and every cache verification?

I seem to remember having seen similar modifications of DLC routes available through the Steam Market Place, Eric: perhaps that would be a better way to make your versions available? The advantage, it seems to me, would be that scenarios written for your modified version would not be confused with those written for the original route.

[buzz456]

As long as you give it another name it should not be affected by a verify. It just becomes another third party route.

[Ericmopar]

A person could install my modified route files and then clone the thing with all their favorite scenarios installed.
I'm afraid if I just upload the route somewhere, that almost no scenarios would be made for it.

Also, the last time I was looking at the Steam Workshop, I didn't see any modified DLC routes, only original routes. It made me wonder if DTG had changed their policy on that.

To answer your first question Tom, yes there would have to be a reinstall after a cache verification doing it the way I'm thinking of doing it, kinda like a loco reskin. The advantage of that would be that any Workshop or other scenarios would work for the Original Donner Pass Southern Pacific.
If I simply uploaded the entire route, then someone would have to make scenarios for it or they would have to have Cajon, Donner, Marias, the BN SD40 pack that went with Marias Pass, the SP SD45, FP40PH, Sherman Hill and Mainline's boxcars, to use included scenarios from my end. I hate when something needs tons of DLC to work... I think others do to.

Really, 352MB isn't that much to back up in a persons Mod folder. I have things that are all together in the gigabyte range for reinstalling after a clean install or DTG update.
My TSmods are 12.2GB at this time. When you add up all the audio, route, rolling stock etc it can add up in a hurry.

I just realized I still need to beta my original idea and see if it will even work!
I just finished a "bald" area between Verdi and Floriston and feel the files are adaquate for first release with updates in the future. It's mostly done between Sparks and Truckee.

BTW thanks for all the feed back everyone.
More ideas are still welcome though.

[artimrj]

If you changed a lot of track and signals the original route's scenarios will probably not work. You are changing the track DB which scenarios use also. What ever you decide to do, don't worry about how big it is for uploading here. If you can't get it here, put it on mediafire or whatever and I can always grab it and post it here for you.

[Ericmopar]

Thanks Bob.
I didn't change the track, I left it alone so Workshop and OEM scenarios would still work.
I've tested it and know the scenarios for the east side of Donner still work fine.

[imnew]

Looking forward to this. Donner Pass is my all time favorite route. That applies to the MTS version (back in the day) also.