Openbve, Heard Of It?

I was watching DadRail on youtube the other day and he played this game OpenBVE. Apparently it is an old game but it has received updates. It is a freeware game and has tracks all over. I have seen UK, US, Spainish, Japanese to name but a few. The graphics are dated, people look awful but the trains aren't bad and the cabs look good imo. The speedometer looks quite clear for example.

While certain graphics looked a bit dated the sound and physics are not, from what I saw they better than TSW2, I think the game was around 2002 but not 100% on that. The first video is of the 465, he even went in a toilet on the train. The sounds on the doors and then the Loco itself sounded cool to me although I have never been on a 465. The second video is of a 313, he does talk for a bit at the start so you might want to go 3mins in but watch the train move off.

Again I have never been on a real 313 so wouldn't know how accurate the sounds are but to me they sound good. And the physics of the train when moving is brilliant. IMO DTG could learn from this, remember this game is freeware. I wondered what you all think?

 

I've heard of it and played it, wasn't particularly easy to use in my opinion

 

Yeah I heard of OpenBVE before. I ususally play it here and there. The only routes I have are all the subway lines in New York City and all of London Underground. I haven't download any routes in a long time and the route above looks interesting.

 

How accurate do you think the sounds are?

 

I played bve 3 for the London underground lines. Never got openbve to work properly

 

Remember playing it years ago. Unlike a company naming no name’s recent attempt, the sounds actually sounded like the real thing, 150s 158s, HSTs. Great sounds. Can’t remember much about the physics but seem to remember they weren’t bad.

 

Seen Videos of it regarding NYC Subway and You might be talking about this clip Open BVE Version of Birmingham Cross City LIne
Here's a Custom Run using a TTC Toronto Rocket on A train Inwood 207th Street UWS to Lefferts Blvd Queens
I have a playlist of Train Sim Videos from Open BVE TS22 TSW2 on my channel

 

It’s good and the mix and match between routes and trains is useful.
However you can’t save a run in progress and of course some BVE routes are to put it kindly very basic.

 

I used to play BVE years ago when MSTS was around. It was more restrictive than MSTS (no external views for example) and the graphics weren’t as good (in comparison with the standards of the day) but I found it strangely compulsive. Maybe because it was free (including DLC) and maybe because it had a lot of London Underground routes.

 

From what I remember all the other trains were static models, has it changed?

 

I started on MSTS then went on to OpenBVE, was good back in the day, graphics are sprite based & look very dated.

 

I used to use BVE4 a lot before Railworks came out. The Cross City south route was very well put together. You had a very comprehensive set of services to run however you could only go in one direction, i.e. Reddich to New Street which became repetitive. There was a huge freelance route called Network West Midlands which was very good, although again you could only go in one direction. Don't know whether that is still the case with Open BVE?

 

Really good sim if you like realism. The physics, cab sway, sounds all feel spot on. Yes, the graphics are not amazing, but they aren't bad either. However, you can inject reshade into OpenBVE which helps a lot.
For new starters to the sim, try the Birmingham X City and the Network West Midlands routes, they are extremely well done.
For NWM, the signalling is randomised on each run, on the freight runs you may or may not be put into a loop. And the approach control signalling is spot on (take note TSW)! Also you get changable weather, random TSR's and track workers which wave back at you!
The person who built X-City was revamping it with better graphics + building Watford to Rugby, but it's gone a bit quiet, I guess real life takes over. Check out the website, https://railsimroutes.net/ , the screenshots look brilliant.

 

When I first saw it I thought the graphics were OK but then when you start seeing passengers it looked a bit off as does some of the scenery in 2d for example but saying that the sounds, cab and the sway not only in cab but in the carriages too were great. Remember this is a free game. Then I liked the guard interaction.

That 465 sounded good imo. This begs the question why does DTG struggle with sound when a freeware game can do a much better job. I wonder if DTG have been in touch?

 

I suspect authors creating freeware as opposed to content for which money changes hand and might be scrutinised, can exercise a bit more latitude how/where they obtain the sounds.

 

Yeah that's a point. Although it still must be a bit embarrassing for DTG that a freeware company has a game which has better sound and physics in no?

 

Yep that was one of the stand out things I remember too.

 

I personally perfer BVE 5, as it has more route routes for it, and sound quality in most of them are exceptional.

 

NWM has moving AI

 

Are routes still only uni-directional? For me that was the biggest turn off in the end. I didn't mind the static trains or passengers, although that is linked into the reason routes were uni-directional if I recall. The sounds and physics were excellent.

 

The main UK routes are, but there may be some out there that aren't, I vaguely recall some devs made some routes bi-directional?

Also these devs are I think planning to make their North London Line bi-directional..
http://bvewesternregion.co.uk/
Another excellent highly detailed route, highly recommended. The sounds on this route are amazing.

 

yeah I've played it before I had railworks and then last time was about 6 years ago What I find hilarious is the openbve 150 has way better sounds and physics and even has track sounds , what does the rivet class 150 have nice visuals /eye candy

 

I have only watched a few videos and came to the same conclusions.