Hello, In the manual, I do not see any information on handling the switches. Is it better to operate them on foot or with the external camera, is it possible from the map? Some advice will be welcome. Thanks in advance.
I have done both on foot as well as using the '3' view. On some scenarios using the '3' view can cause issues so foot is best.
I always use the map Make sure you're not going to crash whilst in the map view (so either be stopped or sure that the closest set of points are set correctly and that the accellerator isn't on full whack) then go into view 9 Follow the light blue path and make sure that the points are set to follow that path by clicking on any that aren't done right. If in doubt, stop the train and then check on the map again Takes some practice maybe, but you can set quite complex paths without interrupting your movement
Just use the map, it's the same thing. Zooming in on the map makes it easier to see which track you are switching too.
How you can throw all the switches manually (on foot) in a complex yard maneuver is quite beyond me. Even the free cameras would be difficult. Use the 2d map and save yourself some aggravation.
If you press ESC and then choose the MAP option, the train will remain static while you throw any necessary switches.
At least at release you could not change the switches in the "ESC" map because the game was paused (so you could not change anything). You had to use the "9" map to do it. Not sure if they changed this with any of the patches.
Thank you for all your contributions. I would love to try with the map, but as Inkar pointed out, it doesn’t work when I display the map with ESC. Unfortunately, on my PC, the ‘9’ key does not display the map (it doesn’t do anything). I’ve tried everything, even going through the key customization options; none concerns the 2D map. Could it be because I have an AZERTY keyboard? I did, however, check the matches with a QWERTY keyboard and it should work. Mystery!
So long as it types a 9 in notepad when you press the 9 button I don't see why it would make a difference
When you need to throw switches to reach an objective marker, do it on the map before you start moving: it takes just a few seconds. I've seen MP do it and very fast. Follow the blue line. Actually, I check the switches frequently while on the move. It takes a nanosecond.
Quite right, I just tried and failed to do that. You can, of course, check whether the switches are correctly set, which they are around half the time, but you can only move them while the game (and the train) is actively running.
You can change switches while the game is paused via the map. Note that the switches will not show the new position until after you resume the game.
Really? I did not know that. I had figured that since there was no feedback in pause mode (the purple line didn't move) that one wasn't changing them.
I just use the map screen (“9” key). If I’m moving I just move the map slightly and it stops following the train so you can just change the points as required. Easy as peas.
What I find interesting (and all too often frustrating) is that sometimes switches change automatically, while at other times they have to be changed manually -- either by using the 2D map or by leaving the cab to change them on foot. There doesn't seem to be any consistent rhyme or reason to the choices made by those who create the activities. This inconsistency has become more evident and annoying with the release of the Clinchfield route, which frequently involves comparatively long distances between, say, a drop-off and subsequent pick-up that require a switch change close to the engine's location followed by several more along the way to the destination. Since brakemen and ground crew members exist only in the player's imagination, I typically set that first switch on foot and then handle the subsequent ones via the 2D map (which isn't as risky as some posters have claimed when driving at speeds suitable to yard maneuvers); then, along the way, I've learned to check those intermediate switches again -- perhaps even several times -- since the activity maker tends either to forget to preset an intermediate switch or perhaps leaves it in the wrong position intentionally. I have also at times (still dealing with the Clinchfield -- a switching paradise) insisted on stopping at each switch that needs to be changed along the way and doing so by leaving the cab. This, of course, lengthens the time required to complete the work; but it also increases the number of points scored for driving under the speed limit. That it lessens the chance of winning a medal doesn't bother me in the least, since I'm in this for the enjoyment, not the "rewards".
Yes, that's why when transporting freight I always check the switches on the map. Why as a driver should I be switching switches anyway? For me it doesn't add any immersion.
While I can understand your point, I find "immersion" highly over-rated and much prefer imagination or even just ignoring the sim's limitations.
I would fail so hard when shunting in Cumberland when I would not use the MAP (9), zoom out, switch around and follow the path visually from my train to the marker (blue/aqua track). Even then I do make mistakes and land on wrong tracks so it's no magic tool
