Wish I could get my money back.

[Geekyone]

At least until the Editor comes out. And for the time I spend beta testing this horrid game.

I like the game, I like the feel, but it's not done, and what has been done is wrong.

I hope game magizines rate this game on how it was before the patches. And then hopefully game publishers will be more inclined to allow Devs the time needed to actually make games.

 

[rsuttles58]

I've got to agree to an extent. I do love this game in a way but it just doesn't work a lot.

I have a brand new computer 2.33 ghz, 1gb ram, nvidia 7300. The game freezes all the time for no reason. I called the 2k support line and he told me I should take it back and get a new copy but it's been atleast a month since I bought it and I'm highly doubtful that they will switch out my copy. So I'm pretty much just jobbed out of the $40 or so bucks this cost.

 

[Cicer0]

Have you installed the patch? I have had no crashes since I installed it, and it improved performance significantly.

 

[rsuttles58]

Yes I have, sorry I didn't mention that before. I've also updated my video card drivers. It makes me quite sad that it just isn't working for me. I want to like this game and if it worked when I played it I would LOVE it. I would play it in between writing 15 page papers on income disparity and gender discrimination.

 

[Krupo]

2.33ghz? What kind of processor do you actually have? I have the same vid card, but the game runs nicely with an E6400 processor and 2 gigs of ram...

 

[StreetWired]

Have you installed the patch? I have had no crashes since I installed it, and it improved performance significantly.

I installed the patch about an hour ago, and the game still crashes.. Not as many as before, but still blows..

 

[petertr2000]

I've got to agree to an extent. I do love this game in a way but it just doesn't work a lot.

I have a brand new computer 2.33 ghz, 1gb ram, nvidia 7300. The game freezes all the time for no reason. I called the 2k support line and he told me I should take it back and get a new copy but it's been atleast a month since I bought it and I'm highly doubtful that they will switch out my copy. So I'm pretty much just jobbed out of the $40 or so bucks this cost.

I hope you realise your "brand new" computer is actually rubbish?

Slow CPU, poor onboard graphics, probably using slow system memory.

 

[Reignking]

Please, that computer is fine. My new one is about like that, and it plays everything fine. My last computer consistently was below spec on many, many games and still played well.

 

[rsuttles58]

I hope you realise your "brand new" computer is actually rubbish?

Slow CPU, poor onboard graphics, probably using slow system memory.

Go figure. I blow the minimum specs for Railroads out of the water. I'm not saying I have a super machine or anything, but this computer should definitely run a lot of games out today.

Also looking at other Railroad players specs mine are actually higher then most that I've seen. You just in a pissy mood or what? I wasn't really bragging about anything if that's why you felt obliged to make a snooty remark.

Edit: BTW, I can't take Brits that say "rubbish" seriously.

 

[StreetWired]

I hope this discussion isn't going to get off base by determining that the computer does not meet the requirements posted on the home page, which are:
Minimum System Requirements
Operating System: Windows® 2000/XP
Processor: Pentium 4® 1.4 GHz or AMD Athlon® equivalent
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 2 GB Free
Video: DirectX 9.0c-compatible 64 MB video card with hardware pixel & vertex shaders
Sound: DirectX 7-compatible sound card or higher
DirectX®: DirectX® version 9.0c (included) or higher

This game continues to crap out on me, and my basic system is a MSI NEO2 Platinum, 2gb ram, evga 6800GS, and the AMD FX-53 oc to 2.43ghzx, Audigy 4, and at least 30gb free space. I also regularly defrag.

Games I am currently playing on this system, or have recently completed, and all ran perfectly are - FEAR & expansion, Prey, Ceasar IV, CIV 4 & Warlords, Half-Life Blue Shift, Quake 4.

I also have MSTS installed, and about 20 expansion packs for that.

So, the problems with Railroads is not my system, it is the product. With the patch in, I still get corrupted screens occasionally when I select creating a new train route. When I modify and existing route and delete the first depot from the screen. I also have had trains go into loops, and even when I have deleted a section of the track, far away from the train, the train still assumes the track is there and runs over the ground till it hits the tracks. I also see plenty of ghost trains running around, especially in scenarios that are very complex, as far as the tracking goes.

Basically, the game with the patch is what should have originally been sold, and then they should have had a second patch ready within days of the release.

Even notice that when you buy out a competitor, especially a large one with many trains and loads of tracks, and select Liquidate, the game doesn't speed up with the removal of all that extra track & trains? You would think it would..

 

[Reignking]

Basically, the game with the patch is what should have originally been sold, and then they should have had a second patch ready within days of the release.

That is exactly how I feel. I can play it, now, but it slows down horribly.

What happened to the annual assessments? Now, the game just moves on, without me really knowing how things are going.

And no Southeast US map???

Thank God for the random layout generator.

 

[texta149]

Man I got lucky. I didn't have any performance issues with the 1.0 version and it still goes fine with the patch.

I think this is a really fantastic game and I'm very sorry to hear other people are having problems.

I think it's a game where even though it gives the appearance of being quite fast, to do well you need a lot of patience.

 

[Krupo]

Even notice that when you buy out a competitor, especially a large one with many trains and loads of tracks, and select Liquidate, the game doesn't speed up with the removal of all that extra track & trains? You would think it would..

Uh, actually it does - I sometimes liquidate just for the performance boost.

 

[Snoopy55]

At times you really have to wonder what the problem is. My only crashes have been now and then AFTER it saves my game at my request. Here's my system:

AMD 3200+ (2.0 Ghz)
MSI RS482M4-ILD
2Gb ram
On board sound
HD - 200Gb, 160Gb, 120Gb, 80Gb
CD - LITE-ON LTR-52246S
Video:
___Sapphire RADEON X800
___PCI-x16
___390MHz core
___256Mb ram
___CAT. V. 6.9

Yet, I've heard others with better systems who are having a terrible time with it, and others with less having a great time. I can play with it for 5 or 6 hours without a shutdown. The most I have is the more track I have, the longer the pause when I add track, specially when I do double track. My brother has a slower CPU, half the memory and a Radeon 9300 128Meg and he has no problems. So the question becomes, What is the difference that is causing the problem? If nothing else, get a HD, load only what is needed to play the game offline, and run it. What have you got to loose except a little more of your sanity? (I've lost most of mine already!!)

 

[Abaddon]

what a let down

 

[Krupo]

The onboard audio, and maybe some driver conflicts, seem to be the main potential reasons you have trouble, Snoopy.

Have you tried newer drivers?

You have the patch, right?

 

[teccuk]

I also have MSTS installed, and about 20 expansion packs for that.

Is that any good btw? I cant bring myself to walk into a shop and buy it, oh the shame. Ebay is even worse as will show up on my previous auctions...

And OMG! 2k games and a Miers' game released unfinished?! No i refuse to beleive it! Cos its not like Civ4 was a buggy, crashing peice of rubbish when that was relased huh?

Anyway you lot should stop winging i cant get Civ4 to run on my machine. Im still playing Civ3

 

[StreetWired]

Is that any good btw? I cant bring myself to walk into a shop and buy it, oh the shame. Ebay is even worse as will show up on my previous auctions...

And OMG! 2k games and a Miers' game released unfinished?! No i refuse to beleive it! Cos its not like Civ4 was a buggy, crashing peice of rubbish when that was relased huh?

Anyway you lot should stop winging i cant get Civ4 to run on my machine. Im still playing Civ3

This game, SMR, in my humble opinion, is the worst release of a highly anticipated game in memory, and that memory goes all the way back to gaming on the Amiga in the mid-80's.
CIV IV did have a few bugs and took a few months to release a patch, but was at least playable, and I don't remember very many crashes occurring.

Msts is a fun game, helps to also have the PI Controller, if you want to drive trains and play for hours and hours, lumbering over endless tracks and occasionally beautiful scenery. It requires you to obey all the physics of driving a real train, and once you learn some of the tricks in, say keeping a fully loaded coal train from exceeding 20mph while driving, facing a 3% grade downhill on a cold stormy night. Certainly the most enjoyable railroading game for the purist. Oh, and the addons.. So many companies are producing great addons, that make the humble original game quite fun. I have purchased a few of them on Ebay and on Amazon at significantly reduced prices.

So, why can't you get CIV IV to run? It is graphics intensive, but you can reduce that requirement. And the Warlords Expansion got me back into playing it again, as once you win a few games, and learn the tricks, CIV IV can get old pretty fast. Then again, it also depends on why you are playing the game in the first place..

One thing to always remember, with any game, after you first install, always defrag the installation drive. And most games, including SMR, use the My Documents/My Games folder to store your save games. Be sure you also defrag the drive those are located on. I never install to my OS drive, all programs, games and data are all stored on separate drives/partitions. After all, it seems OS's have a tendency to require re-install quite often, especially if you install a lot of stuff.. like games..

And, always, always, always check for newer drivers for all your hardware. Drivers resolve lots of problems stemming from your hardware and even Mainboard BIOS upgrades can resolve a lot of problems. Always upgrade when it is available, don't listen to the ppl that say: 'Only upgrade if you are experiencing a problem'. After all, what you think is the 'norm' may actually be the problem.. Just be sure you have your data backed up, especially if it is on your OS drive..

 

[Snoopy55]

The onboard audio, and maybe some driver conflicts, seem to be the main potential reasons you have trouble, Snoopy.

Have you tried newer drivers?

You have the patch, right?

I can't say really if it is a problem. My CPU, a 2.0Ghz, runs at 100% at times. My video driver is updated monthly if available. Can sound really be a problem? My younger brother plays F.E.A.R. online on this same computer with no problem. As I've said before, there are an unlimited number of combinations of computer systems and tons of different software and drivers. If you have people with no problems, and they are out there, how can you blame the software so heavily?

Yes, I have the patch. Have any of you looked over the 'Hooked on Railroads!' forum???

 

[StreetWired]

I can't say really if it is a problem. My CPU, a 2.0Ghz, runs at 100% at times. My video driver is updated monthly if available. Can sound really be a problem? My younger brother plays F.E.A.R. online on this same computer with no problem. As I've said before, there are an unlimited number of combinations of computer systems and tons of different software and drivers. If you have people with no problems, and they are out there, how can you blame the software so heavily?

Yes, I have the patch. Have any of you looked over the 'Hooked on Railroads!' forum???

One more important update is the mainboard (aka motherboard) drivers. Whether it be a VIA chipset, Intel, Nvidia or SiS, the manufacturers update them regularly, and yes, anything that is on the mainboard can cause conflicts with other installed hardware.
As far as blaming the software, yes, but only when everyone is having a problem, no matter what system they use. Also, if you use XP as your OS, and you bought your computer with it installed, then the actual number of driver combinations are actually not that complex, as most OEM use the same manufactures mainboards, and generally the same chipsets & cpu mfg.

I build all my systems and also have a gaming computer company for ppl looking for extreme gaming systems.

I have joined Hooked on RR's, but those guys are too intense..