Creating new free roam scenario from clone - Rookie Questions

[drivertime61]

After a ton of reading, I’m just about ready to begin my first journey in the Scenario Editor to create a freight operation - on the passenger ops oriented NEC NY-Philly. I hope this is the right forum to post my questions in.

- Aside from the new look of the TS15 initial editor screen that I’ve seen pictures of, has anything significant changed inside so that using all the many tutorials I’ve read for TS14 should not be done or done with caution with TS15?

- I want to use an existing free roam NEC scenario that already has a good amount of useful freight assets in it, but I want to create a start point more appropriate for freight ops – I’m thinking Frankford Yard for one. I don’t want to start at an existing passenger station start point if avoidable.

- I’m assuming (always dangerous) that a cloned scenario will carry with it all the engine and rolling stock assets of the original scenario, yes? I’d like to add appropriate Norfolk Southern and CSX engines and more rolling stock to what’s already in the scenario. I believe I will have to add those new engines to my cloned scenario’s available assets using those editor side screen flyouts. I don't think they're there by default, but I’ve seen them on other RSC routes I have. I've read how to do this.

- What’s the best way to change the scenario start point? Open the clone in the scenario editor at an existing nearby start point in the list and fly to the new location? If so, what do I do when I get there? IOW, where do I insert the new coordinates that I guess (??) will show on the compass at the top of the editor screen and save them as the new start point coordinates? Compass at the top of the scenario screen? One of the flyouts, for example > Properties? Elsewhere?

- Or is there a better way to change the start point of a cloned scenario?

The main reason for all my angst is that when I first got TS14 in July I thought I’d just take a quick look around in the Scenario Editor. I did or changed nothing, saw no way to exit and wound up with a frozen game and frozen computer. Task Manager was my friend that day, after a long struggle to get to it, along with Verify Cache that had to replace hundreds of files. I still don't know what happened.

Thanks for reading this wordy post. Any help, advice or just general hand-holding is much appreciated.

Al
On the NEC

[Chacal]

What you have read should still apply to TS2015.
In case you haven't found it yet, have a look at the "Scenario creation" section in our own RWA learning center.
There you will find a tutorial titled "How to change the scenario start location".
This should help you move the start location in your cloned scenario.
You are correct in assuming the cloned scenario will have all the material from the original scenario.

[drivertime61]

Thank you for the info. and for that link. Actually, I did read that tutorial before, but I've done so much reading from different sources that I forgot. Looked at it again just now and it leads to more required studying, namely Railworks Tools, which I haven't looked at yet, and would be required to open .bin files.

Can you tell me how to identify the routes I want to select to work on in the files? All I see when I follow the path to the proper folder for copying and pasting as instructed in the tutorial is files named with a long string of numbers. I have not been able to find anywhere a guide to route ID numbers.

Many thanks for your help Chacal.

[buzz456]

Making a Free Roam scenario is really pretty simple. I suggest going into build and clone the route. Then go to the cloned route and go to scenario. Say new scenario. Give it a name. Then after you set location click create. You now have a new free roam scenario.

[Chacal]

Why clone the route? You can create a new scenario without doing that.
What he wants is to start with a pre-existing scenario and build on that.
Cloning the scenario is the best option.

Can you tell me how to identify the routes I want to select to work on in the files? All I see when I follow the path to the proper folder for copying and pasting as instructed in the tutorial is files named with a long string of numbers.

That's one of the perks of RW-Tools.
It will tell you the GUID (the long string of numbers) for routes and for scenarios.
With that you will easily find the files you're looking for.

[buzz456]

Well..................he said he wanted make sure he didn't mess up his game. Safety first you know? . If you go back and read his post so I told him what to do. Sheesh.

[drivertime61]

Geez I ain't worth fightn' over fellas.

But seriously, thanks to you both for helping me. I googled RailWorks Tools and got a happy surprise = it's a Mike Simpson product (not DTG as I had assumed). Mike = great stuff! As I know from many years working with Route Riter and MSTS. Only this time I'll actually contribute $$, which is long overdue.

I'm thinking I'll take both your advice. Clone the entire route "just in case," but rather than just create a new scenario I'll clone the one in which I want to change the start location, since it has a lot of freight assets already in it. Then I can also create other new scenarios or make other changes to the route in the clone separate and apart from the original route. If I understand correctly, that would prevent Steam/DTG from changing anything I make/do with my changes in the future.

Man, I had an easier time learning the wonky MSTS Editors and Tools than this TS20xx stuff. It couldn't be that I was 12 years younger then could it? Naaaaaah!

Much appreciated guys. Don't be shocked if I'm back with more questions somewhere down the track.

Al

[buzz456]

Ask away anytime. That's the purpose of this forum even if we do occasionally act like brothers fighting with each other. There is rarely blood shed. I only suggested cloning the whole route because when I was a rook I screwed things up so bad one time........................well that's another story.

RWTools is a huge help dealing with changing stuff. There will be no argument there.

[Chacal]

Yeah I wasn't attacking Buzz, just saying he was overly cautious IMO.
If you ever want to share the new scenario with someone else, you may have to modify a few things in its files so that it can be used with the original route.
Also a good way to be careful with TS2015 is to keep a backup of the whole installation, if you can spare the disk space.
That way if you mess up a file you can restore it from the backup instead of using the verify function on Steam.

[drivertime61]

by buzz456 » Mon Oct 06, 2014 11:09 am

Ask away anytime. That's the purpose of this forum even if we do occasionally act like brothers fighting with each other.

That's refreshing to hear and it's what I've seen, reading on here for the past 6 months. Encouraging discussion helps everyone to learn.

by Chacal » Mon Oct 06, 2014 12:05 pm
Also a good way to be careful with TS2015 is to keep a backup of the whole installation, if you can spare the disk space.

Coincidence - the last thing I did before coming back here to check the thread is copy the entire Steam folder over to the internal data drive. Yours is a good suggestion indeed. It's sitting right next to a copy of Railworks 2014 I saved just in case. I'll never live long enough to max out this new computer I bought last March.

Again, thanks very much guys.