I must take issue with those who claim that Locomotion is oh, so simple, and that I must be doing something wrong. At first I thought they might be right, for I managed to get 15 trains running, accumulate between 700 and 800K profit, and was even able to pay off that hateful loan,. but the game has one major flaw: your vehicles break down with increasing frequency (every 100 meters or so) and must be replaced (for some reason they can’t undergo a refit). But: prices keep going up; there is no ceiling, and that’s the flaw. No matter how much profit you make, you inevitable end up bankrupt. Game over. You are forced to replace engines at ever higher prices, and that eats into your profits so that pretty soon you are back to either having to take out an expensive loan again, postponing the inevitable a little more, or go bankrupt sooner.
To compound this, I could not replace the engines, as I had painstakingly kept all the routes separate (since the correct placing of signals keeps confounding me and in Locomotion is rewarded with costly crashes, speeding the inevitable bankruptcy even more), and I had thought I could just replace locomotives all the time. Now my problem was aggravated by the fact that the game didn’t think so and kept telling me that the new engine could not be placed, as there was another train in the way or approaching (not true). I could not even locate the train with the new engine, kept being told to click on “view” to place it (what view?), and I never found the train. When the symbol did appear, wherever I tried to place it, I was told that it could not be done (train in the way or approaching, etc.etc.) It’s in limbo somewhere, and bankruptcy is looming. What’s so simple? I need a sandbox mode, but trainers seem to exist only for Europeans. JackV (j.verheydt@netzero.com).
I used the locotool to double the lifetime of trains, it made the game easier to play
Off-course there is a mod where all trains have been modded for you
Well, back to work, lot's of it in the near future
There are some forms of transport where it is indeed most difficult to make money. Helicopters (hauling food) and cattle lorries spring to mind.
But with trains. It is quite easy on most maps.
I see three issues, maybe four, from what you have said.
a) Breakdowns. Yes no disagreement there. All players who play games for many game years will experience breakdown problems. Most will use a mod to improve or eliminate all breakdowns.
b) Correct use of signals. Your admission. Causing crashes so costing money. Signals have to be mastered. There is a great tutorial link somewhere.
c) Occupied signal blocks. If you cannot place a train then the game thinks the signalblock is occupied. If you have no signals at all then all connectted track is one block so only one train can be in place. To solve add a signal to split the block, then place 2nd train, then remove signal.
maybe...
4) Pause. Pause often to check for stopped or slow trains. Work out why and solve. If you have reached a point where you are having frequent breakdown problems with just 15 trains in place then you are most likely playing the game on normal speed.
Can we have a screenshot or two of problem areas? Or upload your saved game so members could have a look and offer advice?
To place back a new train on the track, do the following.
When you have made a new train, hover the mouse pointer over the track in your station.
Make sure it's on the left side of that track and that the length of that train fits the platform length.
When both sides of that track pieces have signals, then wait till a train leaves that station.
Your new train will then by visible as a ghost train.
Left click now and your train is on track.
And ofcourse use Wrappertool to make your trains 100% reliable.
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39 years experience with trains and still driving.
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Sorry folks, but I am a 75-ry old non-geek. What is a Wrappertool, how do I increase the speed with Locotool, and where do I get such mods (means modifications ? Just call me dumb. Jack V (j.verheydt@hetnet.nl)
Hi Chevyrider, Here I am again. I'm also desperately trying to find the homepage of Josef Drexler, for I have discovered that he's the author of Locotool. There is no manual, however. I would very much like to ask him how to use Locotool, but I don't know how to reach him. So now I need Wrappertool (at least a working version) and the instructions to Locotool. Anybody? Thanks, Jack Verheydt (Jacques).
Jacques wrote:Hi Chevyrider, Here I am again. I'm also desperately trying to find the homepage of Josef Drexler, for I have discovered that he's the author of Locotool. There is no manual, however. I would very much like to ask him how to use Locotool, but I don't know how to reach him. So now I need Wrappertool (at least a working version) and the instructions to Locotool. Anybody? Thanks, Jack Verheydt (Jacques).
Hi Chevyrider:
Have read your posted article about the Locotool manuals with interest, but I still don’t know where to get all of them, let alone use them.
You seem to know quite a lot about it; you must be a Locomotion expert. To show you that I’m not a geek: What is GUI?
I have also downloaded Wrapper from the German Locomotion-fanpage.net, but when I try to open this zipfile lt_wrapper_1[1].15, I get the message: “Cannot open file; it does not appear to be a valid archive. Try downloading it again.” Have also downloaded KeinErsetzen from there, and meticulously followed the instructions in the accompanying readme, but I have not had time to see if it works yet.
The whole thing keeps puzzling me. I did manage to download quite a few maps and scenarios from that site that look interesting. Haven’t tried them yet.
As for Randstad, there is no NLBW.dat in Objdata, and I am told that then I must reinstall nl.pack. But from where, for godsake?The whole thing is soooooo frustrating. When I started on computers, it was fun, but nowadays, when you are hooked, you have to be an electronics engineer or a teenager..... Your fellow Dutchman, Jack Verheydt (j.verheydt@netzero.com).
Hi, Jacques, I can understand your frustration, I have similar problems sometimes
All these mods and tools are made by gamers, they make good things that suit them fine, they don't make things for end-users
I hope some locomad gamer can help you
Well, back to work, lot's of it in the near future
I am afraid I fit the bill for a loco mad player. 14 months now. I do not use mods. I havnt even used all the standard vehicles that come with the game.
There are various great mod tools out there. If you are loosing money now I dont however think they are the complete solution for you.
If its understanding the game play you want then may I suggest you upload one of your frustrating saved games to this forum. I am sure several members will be pleased to give you some straight forward advice.
Hallo Jacques,
The G.U.I stands for Graphic User Interface.
Which means you can alter something in a program by clicking on some parts of the screen, just like windows, instead of typing in commands like in DOS.
That Wrappertool on the German site should work,
Also the NL pack on that.
But you have to register there and login, otherwise the programs aren't complete.
Some other members had problems with it too.
The following:
They didn't unpack the RAR or ZIP files.
So after downloading, RIGHT click on the RAR or ZIP file and unpack it in your Locomotion directory.
BTW, i'm glad that you try to make this work on your age (75).
I'm 53 myself and sometimes things go to fast for me too.
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39 years experience with trains and still driving.
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Hello Chevyrider. You wrote:
That Wrappertool on the German site should work. I reloaded it. Also the NL pack on that. I loaded that, too, and it works fine.
But you have to register there and login, otherwise the programs aren't complete.
Some other members had problems with it too. I know, so I registered right away. It was like pulling teeth from a baby at first, they gave me numbers that didn’t work, but they straightened it out when I started griping in German, and now I have no trouble accessing their site anymore.
The following:
They didn't unpack the RAR or ZIP files. I did. Also your Stone bridge, the Airport.pack (out of curiosity), and the NL.pack for running Randstad. But I do not understand how to get the first 2 to work.
So after downloading, RIGHT click on the RAR or ZIP file and unpack it in your Locomotion directory.
BTW, i'm glad that you try to make this work on your age (75).
I'm 53 myself and sometimes things go to fast for me too. Makes me feel better. I felt a little uncomfortable, because I thought I was an old man among nothing but expert teenage geeks.......
How are things in Amersfoort? I used to live in Zutphen for 19 years. Also in The Hague, where I was born.
But back to business: I’m familiar with the signals etc. manual you are referring to. It is indeed excellent, and I have printed it out. But I still have problems with signals. Guess I am stupid when it comes to signal placement.But I’ll tell you about that later. Am working on some drawings showing the situations I’m looking for. When I’m done, I’ll make scans of them.
But right now I want to get Locotool, Pizza.trainer (reloaded it, but it still does not work, so I guess it’s for the European version only), Wrapper etc. working, so that I will be able to do something about starting capital, unlimited money, no breakdowns, and especially those ridiculous price increases of all vehicles. THEN I shall finally be able to enjoy Locomotion....I’m worried about my dismal stupidity.......Can’t use the Aircraft.pak because I don’t know what all this Configurator and Test Editor stuff is about. A thought: The game folder is more than 600 MB now, so I don’t think you would allow me to send that (besides, I don’t even know how you can send whole folders by e-mail, sofar I have never been able to, even via YouSendIt), but may I send you some PrintScreen scans of the Explorer contents? Perhaps you could tell from what I have in the folder and subfolders what I should and should not have in there. Let me know if this is wishful thinking; I hope you do not mind. Jack V., the 75 yr-old amateur.
non-geek. What is a Wrappertool, how do I increase the speed with Locotool, and where do I get such mods (means modifications ? Just call me dumb. Jack V (
