Have Ai Trains Use Their Horns

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by jack.a.varley04, May 4, 2021.

  1. jack.a.varley04

    jack.a.varley04 Well-Known Member

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    Just a small idea that would add a bit more immersion have ai trains use their horns at level crossings whistle signs ect
    Also walking down the tracks trains should honk to let the player know they are their
    Let me know your opinions and ideas on this
     
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  2. Amtrak_Fan

    Amtrak_Fan Well-Known Member

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    Great idea. Trains in real life usually honk at railroad crew if they recognize them.
     
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  3. saint.russian

    saint.russian Member

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    You are right! It is something so obvious and on the surface but seems to have been overlooked.
     
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  4. Amtrak_Fan

    Amtrak_Fan Well-Known Member

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    Exactly. I always hoped that other trains would honk at me but never did. So thats why i think they should add it.
     
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  5. Silberpfeil#1047

    Silberpfeil#1047 Member

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    I would love that for American Routes, but in Europe it is just not realistic. In Germany for example, the Horn is just an Emergency Device, it is not allowed to be used unless advised by a Sign or an Emergency, same for France
     
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  6. jack.a.varley04

    jack.a.varley04 Well-Known Member

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    Still can be implemented for said signs
     
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  7. fabdiva

    fabdiva Well-Known Member

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    I thought the French had to use the horn when passing the rear of another train, at least on the classic lines rather than the TGV, or have they stopped doing that?
     
  8. dedh98mosqueto

    dedh98mosqueto Active Member

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    Yes, but I don't think they use there bells either.
     
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  9. lordragnarr

    lordragnarr New Member

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  10. lordragnarr

    lordragnarr New Member

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    This would be Awsome addition, and ADD more immersion into the game.....wish the crossing gates, would close and red lights flash when the A.i trains pass through,...but definitely when the Train, I'm Operating, approach's an intersection, Gates closing, and Red flashers !!! ✖ ⛔
    Having A.I. Train's acknowledging, (Sounding their Horn), when passing another Train, (Me, Train that I'm Operating) would also Add more to the Game!!
     
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  11. Purno

    Purno Well-Known Member

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    UK still have plenty of Whistle signs. :P

    I think the suggestion is awesome, as long as AI does what's realistic for that specific country. Would definately need less horns in Germany compared to the USA.
     
  12. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    The rules around using horns need a human to fully interpret them in real time. There’s no way a catch-all system for TSW can recreate realistic use of horns for AI trains on the routes. What would be much worse than trains never using horns is trains using horns all the time when they shouldn’t or using the incorrect sequence or tone. Not an easy thing for DTG to implement in the game or to research the correct use of horns for every route, era, train operating company featured from now on, and get it correct. This is what DTG have said about it too.
     
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  13. Purno

    Purno Well-Known Member

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    What about AI using horns half of the time? Would that be worse than having no horns at all?
     
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  14. dedh98mosqueto

    dedh98mosqueto Active Member

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    haha jokes on him. American trains don't have diffrent horn tones on a single engine.
     
  15. Mattty May

    Mattty May Guest

    I’m sure this could be built in so that when an AI train hits a defined point on the map, e.g. a whistle board, the horn is triggered. How easy that is to implement, I have no idea. Horns, when used correctly, are always fun in my book.
     
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  16. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    Oh, we’re doing it like that, okay then, have this. It may have escaped your attention but not all trains are American trains. If a system for AI trains sounding their horns was implemented it would have to cover different rules for different trains in different countries, not just USA. Some trains, like those in the UK, do have two different tones and often soft and loud options too.

    American engineers do have to follow all kinds of complicated rules as to when to sound their single sound* horns and just as important when not to sound their horns. It isn’t as simple as “there’s a whistle board, sound the horn.” A simple trigger point on the track just won’t cut it, not even in the US.

    *even though there is only a single sound for the horn, it is usually made of several different horn tones played simultaneously to form a chord. So, if I were to be pedantic, I could say that US trains have more horn tones than UK trains, they just bellow them out all at the same time, far too loudly and far too often, almost as if American trains are trying to be just like American people.
     
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  17. fabdiva

    fabdiva Well-Known Member

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    Reminds me of Brooklyn Air BnB I stayed in that was near some sidings, got in at 5am a little worse for wear after an evening of partying, try to get some sleep and at 7am a shunter turned up to spend an hour honking at a ludicrous volume!
     
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  18. dedh98mosqueto

    dedh98mosqueto Active Member

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    I know, but for the Sand Patch Grade it should be easy as all the have to program is two short blast of the horn when the train is about to move in the forward direction as well as the crossing signal of two longs, a short, and a long. Which by the way originated in England. The sign was simply morse code for Q meaning quarantine the crossing.
     
  19. ScottN

    ScottN Active Member

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    There is a train sim called Run8 that has the AI trains blow the horn for crossings and have two quick blasts before they start moving and ring the bells before moving. Why not implement that in TSW2?
     
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  20. Ant Craft

    Ant Craft Well-Known Member

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    Working crossings are a thing now. They have been since Southeastern High Speed. They just need to be implemented on older routes now.

    AI honking their horns at crossings though would be awesome. Hope they add it in the future, and maybe they could have a randomised high/low pattern, at least for UK ones. (eg. the game randomly picking between high, low, high or high, low, low ect.)
     
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  21. BleenteamJ#6470

    BleenteamJ#6470 Member

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    For some reason the "Tools of the Trade scenario has a horn honked in the background when you start.
    I found a video:
     
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  22. JellyScrub

    JellyScrub Active Member

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    I can't remember the service number, but I just played another one on NTP where the Class 40 that dropped off 3 vans at Huddersfield did a short toot when it started moving again.
     
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  23. Yoinkermcskoinker

    Yoinkermcskoinker Well-Known Member

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    The class 08s and 40s Always use their horns/whistles before moving
     
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  24. jackthelad258

    jackthelad258 Active Member

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    This is a good idea. At the moment the AI flash you when they pass you (on the ECW). I am not sure if they use the horn when they go past a ‘W’ sign or if they are passing through a station without stopping but this is a normal procedure in real life. I usually sound the horn in these cases and think the AI should also.
     
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  25. Amtrak_Fan

    Amtrak_Fan Well-Known Member

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    Another good system would be if a passenger (or the player) gets too close to the track as the train is approaching the ai train will honk its horn to alert the passenger of the incoming train.
     
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  26. ScottN

    ScottN Active Member

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    How about that they give two short toots before they move and do two long a short and a long for road crossings in the US and Canada? If you played a train sim called Run8 they do blow for crossings and do two toots before they move.
     
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  27. ItsYa165

    ItsYa165 Well-Known Member

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    Last time this was discussed on stream, they said it would be expensive for AI trains to use their horns. They said it would drop performance if every AI train was continuously checking to see if they were near a whistle board. But I suppose, it could be the other way around. The whistle boards could check to see if an AI train has passed it.
     
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  28. Amtrak_Fan

    Amtrak_Fan Well-Known Member

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    You dont even need to do that. just have a checkpoint or something like it at all whistle board, and as the train passes it it triggers the horn.
     
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  29. ItsYa165

    ItsYa165 Well-Known Member

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    Yeah that's basically what I meant to say
     
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  30. dramos#3074

    dramos#3074 Member

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  31. dramos#3074

    dramos#3074 Member

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    This is why the USA gets no love in the game. Apparently you don't realize America does more freight services than all other countries with there freight and passenger services combined, 5000 tons per person compared to Europe's 500 unfortunately Europe is stuck in the past with Fairy Tail monarchies.

    [EDIT - Jan - Language]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 19, 2023
  32. OpenMinded

    OpenMinded Well-Known Member

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    TSG have implemented this on the Niddertalbahn DLC already. So it is definitely possible! Every time an AI train passes a whistle board it is actually doing this…
     
  33. trainsimplayer

    trainsimplayer Well-Known Member

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    Lol.

    You tell me what looks more modern:
    1200px-Kenworth_truck.jpg
    Or
    IenM06042016LM496.jpg

    And again; 7dddca05a0612b2e25b395b1314.jpg
    Or
    Cameras-on-freight-trains-credit-Jim-AllenFW.jpg

    And finally, we don't have many "fairy tale monarchies" - the blue are all republics. European_monarchies.svg.png

    An ignorant American. Never thought I would see that.
    No harm to the Americans on these forums who aren't like this one.

    [EDIT - Jan - Language]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 19, 2023
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  34. mlouie100

    mlouie100 Well-Known Member

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    Train Sim Germany's Niddertalbahn route has AI Trains have the ability to use their horns.
     
  35. 43050

    43050 Well-Known Member

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    As said previously with 08s, on Diesel Legends the 08s give a quick blast before leaving Paddington with stock for Old Oak Common
     
  36. Yoinkermcskoinker

    Yoinkermcskoinker Well-Known Member

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    You're comparing 50 states all lumped together into one huge country vs loads of smaller separate countries obviously the numbers are gonna look better for the USA
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2023
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  37. PortlandAreaRailfan

    PortlandAreaRailfan Member

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    Well because we use 5 tone horns. They can be quilled irl (not blowing all the tones) but most in game cant
     
  38. dramos#3074

    dramos#3074 Member

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    It's a fact USA does more in just freight than any other country that's a fact
     
  39. trainsimplayer

    trainsimplayer Well-Known Member

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    Because the US is a massive country...
    It's not that they're better.
     
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  40. Yoinkermcskoinker

    Yoinkermcskoinker Well-Known Member

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    You obviously didn't read my comment properly...
     
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  41. 43050

    43050 Well-Known Member

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    The US lacks a bit on High Speed Rail travel though and in passenger numbers in general compared to a much more efficient European system
     
  42. applesnax#6064

    applesnax#6064 Active Member

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    In addition I'd love to see ai trains dim headlights as they approach you. I do for them.
     
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