Trainz Simulator 2009 World Builder Edition
Trainz Simulator 2009: World Builder Edition of (TS2009) includes everything you need to build and operate your own dream railroad. You can build a fun layout in minutes, faithfully recreate a steam railroad from days gone by or develop a fully fledged 100+ mile prototypical route; the choice is yours.
As Engineer, you can climb inside the 3D cab and take charge of a wide range of diesel, electric or steam engines. Using Driver Commands, you can operate multiple trains by setting orders for computer AI Drivers to follow. Using Rules you can set up Driver Sessions, and give instructions for other Trainz fans to follow.
TS2009 includes the traditional Surveyor, Driver and Railyard modules, an updated, more user-friendly Content Manager V2.0. There are powerful new graphic features that allow higher resolution terrain and textures and more detailed scenery items and trains. In the Surveyor module there are new tools for manipulating your terrain and improved search and filter capabilities to find the content you are looking for. In Driver there are new commands to tell your Drivers where to go and we've improved their driving and stopping capabilities. (Engineers Edition will add even more Driver related improvements).
Trainz 2009 also introduces Trainz Online*, a new in-game web browser that is your window into the wider world of Trainz. This is a community driven environment that will connect Trainz users through chat, galleries, tutorials and more. You can upload screenshots to your own Trainz Gallery and view thousands of screenshots from other fans. By tagging each screenshot you can search for your favourite railroad or region. Trainz Online also has a new community-driven online Help system where you can ask questions and search for hints, tips or even add to the Knowledge Base yourself.
TS2009 will include new assets that illustrate the new graphics capabilities and over 13,000 legacy items to ensure maximum backwards compatibility. We've also put over 50GB of Download Station assets through rigorous error checking and made updates wherever possible.
Thanks to the hard work of thousands of content creators, it has taken seven years to reach 100,000 items on the Trainz Download Station. With new 3D model exporters and the TrainzDev.com website support we expect that by 2010 we will have many thousands of new routes and items that take full advantage of higher resolution graphics and other new TS2009 features.
Existing owners of Trainz will be able to import their favourite content from previous versions of Trainz using the new Content Manager V2.0. Old routes can be loaded and upgrade work can commence in TS2009 straight away. For example, using the new "Replace" tool, just select an old piece of track, a tree or a building and replace with a new high resolution TS2009 version.
We're confident that whether you are an existing fan or a new user, you'll find TS2009 is the "must have" version of Trainz. By supporting Auran you will be helping to ensure the future development of Trainz is long and prosperous.
The World Builder Edition will be available for purchase online only either via Digital Download or on DVD via mail order. You will be able to pay by credit card (online or fax), by Paypal or by mail using a money order. Release is scheduled for late November 2008.
*Trainz Online requires an Internet connection.
Features List
Highlights:
* Higher resolution graphics capabilities
* Greater terrain and texture detail
* New terrain deformation tools
* Content search, filter, management tools greatly improved
* New Trainz Online Gallery, Help, Chat, News and more
* Stability improvements and performance optimisations
* 99% backwards compatibility with previous content
Details:
* "Quad" terrain grid (5m grid)
* Increase maximum draw distance (5km)
* Use Displacement Maps as brushes
* Create custom displacement brush
* Sensitivity on terrain tools recalibrated
* Smooth spline "finer" on 5m grid
* Optimized terrain
* Optimized mini-map
* Increased ground texture size limit
* Gloss and bump maps materials added for ground textures
* Ground decals for ultra high detail areas
* Content search filter improvements
* Group replace function (replace asset (a, b, c) with asset (d)
* Surveyor performance options recalibrated
* Stitched mesh code for higher resolution and better performance
* New track type providing visual and performance improvements
* Texture compression to allow for higher resolution textures
* Automatic texture LOD reduces memory usage and improves performance
* Addressed a number of backwards compatibility issues
* Compatibility mode option for older assets
* New driver commands (e.g. Drive To, Navigate To etc)
* New Driver AI behaviour (looking ahead, controlling speed and stopping)
* Added additional scripts and support
* Added persistent Rules (e.g. Chat)
* Direct script calls are now supported between different asset classes
* Signalling performance optimisations
* Improved User Interface
* Improved Game Settings including custom script settings.
* Improved widescreen/dual screen support
* Support for Raildriver
* Trainz Online:
o Online Help Mode (linked to wiki)
o In-game Web browser
o Trainz In-game Image Gallery (Snap, Upload, Tag, Search)
o Custom content links can provide detailed information via Trainz Online pages
o Download assets from In-game Browser
iTrainz Chat:
* Available in all games modules
* Status shows on main menu bar
* Buddy/channel/ignore functions
* Chat in multiple channels
Content Manager:
* Can operate offline or online
* Performance and stability greatly improved
* Search functions improved
* Last 4 searches saved
* Batch downloading improved
* Improved current status/error messages
* Now performs most operations as background tasks
* Takes advantage of multi-threading
* Repair database function added
* Added custom tool support to CMP
Content Creation:
* New exporter for all versions of 3DSMax
* New XML Importer tool for importing meshes
* Improved exporter GUI
* Simplified exporter features
* TrainzUtil batch program support
Content:
* New "2009" high resolution assets
* Trainz 2006 and 2007 content* including:
o Dozens of Routes with over 100 Driver Sessions
o Hundreds of locos and thousands of scenery, track and trackside items
MINIMUM System Requirements:
* Pentium IV 2.2GHz (or equivalent)
* 1GB RAM
* 64MB 3D Graphics Card (NVIDIA GeForce2 or equivalent)
* Windows XP Service Pack 2
* 1024x768 display resolution
RECOMMENDED System Requirements:
* Intel Core 2 Duo (or equivalent)
* 2GB RAM
* 256MB 3D Graphics Card (NVIDIA GeForce7 Series or equivalent)
* Windows XP Service Pack 2
* 1024x768 display resolution
