Tsw Vs Ts And Kids And Computer Specs

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by jesseneedsapsn, Jan 8, 2022.

  1. jesseneedsapsn

    jesseneedsapsn Member

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    My eight year old son recently got an upgraded laptop for his online school. He previously had a chrome book. And please excuse my lack of knowledge with computer specs. I’ve always games with game consoles. Here are his computer specs…

    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM)
    i7-1165G7 @ 2.80 GHz, 2701 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logic Processor(s)

    We got TSW2 running through PC game pass, but it’s just kept crashing. And I’m going to guess it’s because his computer just isn’t powerful enough to run it.

    I was thinking about getting him TS 2022 since it is a little less hardware intensive, and I could buy him the Big Boy as an add on. But my concern there is that the game a lot more complicated and it lacks in game tutorials.

    Is there by chance simplified driving mode in Train Simulator?

    There’s also that other train simulator, the fresh one with the Z, which seems a little bit more simplistic in all levels, including CPU and driving mechanics. But I don’t know overall if that’s more kid friendly. I think I played it 10 years ago on my old Mac laptop possibly.

    Sorry for all the Noob questions, as the kids would say…they probably don’t say that anymore.
     
  2. mariussoare_84

    mariussoare_84 Well-Known Member

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    TS has a "simple controls" option which displays a simplified version of the HUD for beginners for example. Once you want to move to the next stage you can switch to advanced in the menu.

    One way of getting around system specs on the game pass is to use their streaming option, if you have the ultimate pass that is. In this way, the game is running on Microsoft's high-end computers and streamed to you. You can even play it on your mobile phone or tablet if the game allows and by using an Xbox controller.
    I've tried a few games in this mode and it is a nice feature, not perfect. It can depend on the game (if it is an online game, it might be laggy at times).

    In case your laptop has an integrated graphics card even TS can struggle in which case streaming TSW via the pass is the best option to be able to play.
     
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  3. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Since you don't mention a GPU I'm guessing there isn't one so that's it for TSW. TS on the other hand can be quite playable on a system that relies on a CPU's integrated graphics but with caveats. Firstly though you don't mention RAM- you want at least 8GB.

    I got started in TS with the 2016 edition plus the Weardale and Teesdale Network in the '60s route on a 1.7GHz i3 based laptop boasting only the integrated HD graphics. Happily my favourite route was the W&T (still is in fact) which is Diesel only and mostly rural. Diesels and leccys are manifestly less work for a system than steam loco's and throughout much of the route the scenery isn't all that complicated so it really could not have suited that laptop better. Graphics settings had to be dialled back and even then frame rates were never high and things slowed down noticeably when it got busy in built up areas like Darlington but, since it was this or nothing, I bore with it and had an absolute ball. I did drive the bundled routes too of course which are Köln-Koblenz, Sherman Hill and Riviera Line in the '50s. In Sherman Hill the scenery is also pretty sparse except at Laramie and Cheyenne at the ends so the story was much the same. Köln-Koblenz is a busy electrified main line through a heavily built up area and although, as mentioned, electric loco's aren't that hard to draw for a system the endless catenary added to that detail and really made the system chug. The Riviera route is steam which the laptop could cope with but strained noticeably and when things got busy could fall flat on its face.

    Of course an 11th generation i7 processor is going to run rings around my much older i3 and the integrated graphics hardware is streets ahead so I'm pretty confident that TS would be a thoroughly enjoyable experience on your system but expect steam (on which more anon) and more detailed routes to still be heavy going. Unfortunately newer routes tend to be more detailed and, of course, the routes bundled with TS2022 are all fairly new so it might not be the best place to start. You might instead think of getting one of the older editions of TS which are available as Steam keys from other sellers (posting links can be problematic here and prices change all the time anyway but you know how to Google).

    As to steam there are degrees of difficulty in TS both for the driver and the system. I mentioned my i3's tribulations with the Great Western loco's in the Riviera line where loco's were sometime only partially rendered or disappeared completely and busy stations with several kettles could crash the game. The Riviera loco's though were quite new at the time and have more features and complications than older models which still look the part and which the laptop, although it would have to think about them, could cope with. The Big Boy, the new one from Smokebox, is as fully featured, detailed and complicated as he could make it so it's going to ask a lot of the system it runs on and probably take a bit of driving as well- I don't have it but it is meant to be as realistic and challenging as possible. Even the simpler older steam loco's take a bit of getting used to- starting with Smokebox's Big Boy is likely to be jumping in at the deep end. I would steer you towards the Battle for Sherman Hill bundle though which includes Sherman Hill of course and a few older models of US steam loco's including the original Big Boy which, again, I don't have so perhaps someone else could comment but is likely to be easier on both the system and the driver.

    I wouldn't get too excited about the simple controls in TS BTW- they don't seem any simpler to me than the regular controls and can make some things more difficult. However the Head Up Display (HUD) makes things pretty simple itself and I've seen kids of eight and younger get to grips with it pretty quickly even it takes a little longer to catch on how to make the best use of them.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2022
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  4. Rudolf

    Rudolf Well-Known Member

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    For TSW2 you need at least a gaming laptop in the price range above Euro 1000. If you try to play it at a very much underpowered system, it will not be fun at all if it works. You even may blow up your graphics card if you try this for a long time.

    TS also requires a gaming laptop with a separate graphics card, not an onboard model. These onboard graphics cards are meant for internetting an bit and word processing. Keep in mind TSW2 requires a lot of patience and perseverance. It is not an easy game to play. A better option for you may be to buy a playstation or XBOX. A keyboard is a useful addition then, but it is far cheaper than buying a game PC. If you can afford, go for the latest generation models.

    NB this is for TSW2, you cannot play TS at consoles.

    NB2 Be aware that there are a lot more train simulation applications. You may have a look at Derail Valley or Railroads Online. In all cases, it takes a lot of time to learn the game and take care of the required system specs.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2022
  5. jesseneedsapsn

    jesseneedsapsn Member

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    Thank you very much for this massive write up. I completely forgot about buying steam keys. And that might be the way to go.

    It looks like any version older than TS 2016 will just update to 2016.

    Thank you for all the info.
     
  6. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    An older edition might come with a bundle of routes that interests you more than the current offering and, in a couple of cases, include routes that are no longer available by other means (although the only ones I'm aware of are British- no idea if they'd interest you). There's nothing to stop you buying one or more than one if you already have TS or indeed any future edition when it comes out. Getting older editions is a good way of building a cosmopolitan collection and plenty of TS owners buy the new editions.

    There are other slightly stealthy ways of getting started with TS. Some routes (Faversham High Speed, West Somerset, the novelty routes Holiday Express, Game of Gnomes and Count of Monster Disco and I'm sure others that I've overlooked or forgotten) include the program- they're effectlively single route editions of TS and can have DLC added to them I understand. (I've heard that the loco' in Monster Disco serves as a nice introduction to driving steam BTW). If you are interested in British routes Great British Railway Journeys is good value with five at least decent routes- I have three and will at some point buy the bundle to get the other two.

    No. If you install through Steam, which you would if you bought a Steam key for an older edition or one of the stand-alone routes mentioned above, you'd get the route(s) you expect but Steam will always install the current version of the core program so when you start it you'd see the TS2022 splash and menu screen and the program would continue to be updated in future.

    I'm not picking an argument on this- TS certainly benefits from having a discrete GPU. From my experience, as mentioned above, TS will make ye olde HD integrated graphics work hard and in some cases give up completely but if integrated graphics is all you've got and you really want to drive trains it'll do with reservations. The OP does specify the CPU his system uses and it has Intel's Iris Xe integrated graphics which will match the performance of low-end GPUs.
     
  7. jesseneedsapsn

    jesseneedsapsn Member

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    to be honest. I might have not looked at the specs completely. I am very lost on PCs. Very very lost.

    That’s really good to know about the standalone routes though. He’s really only interested in steam locomotives, and North American freight trains. So a single route might be a better option.

    I’m still trying to figure out how to approach all this. I’m just really confused by what the computer runs and what it doesn’t. It runs Art of Rally fine. And it runs Wreckfest fine of all things. Shugs.

    Maybe it’s an unreal engine thing.

    And thank you for the tips. Very helpful.
     
  8. DTG Matt

    DTG Matt Executive Producer Staff Member

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    I bought my dad a laptop a while back, £500 and it runs TSW a treat - but it has an NVidia graphics chip, doesn't have to be a high end one or even a mid tier one, it was a budget gaming machine and it runs both TS and TSW well (in fact it runs TSW a fair bit better) - and not even on the minimum settings either, it wasn't max, but it looked great :)

    Remember you can refund Steam purchases within 2 hours - so you can always buy it and try it out and if it's not satisfactory, refund it. You lose nothing.

    That said there are no Steam locos yet in TSW so that's not going to work for him at all :) We have a growing range of North American Freight so that's fine though.

    Plenty of Steam locos on TS2022 though ranging from the easy to drive to the more difficult.

    As far as age and accessing the game - it varies on the child in question... my son's been playing Train Sim's since the mid days of Microsoft Train Simulator when he was about 5, and has barely needed any assistance from me. He's 18 now though, and runs rings around me in most ways :) Our kids surprise sometimes but at least someone's there to reprogram the kitchen oven clock occasionaly :)
     
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  9. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Can you look up the basics? We already know the CPU is good, the GPU less so (though still good enough to make TS fun). The other important things are how much RAM you have, you want at least 8GB for TS, and possibly how much storage... TS kinda grows although the 40GB mentioned in the Steam Store page is very generous for an initial install.

    Seeing a Deltic at full chat might change his mind on that but he's young, there's time. :)

    As mentioned TS2016 includes the Riviera Line in the '60s which comes with several really nice Great Western loco's from a pannier tank engine to the mighty King class- do they have to be American kettles? It also includes Sherman Hill- if the Battle for Sherman Hill bundle interests you having the route already would get you a bit off the price. Of the stand-alones West Somerset (British obviously) and Count of Monster Disco (cheese dream land) are both steam routes. Holiday Express has a steam outline locomotive but I'm not sure that counts. If there are American stand alones I don't know about them but it wouldn't surprise me- I can't think of any easy way to search for them though. (I can't personally vouch for using a stand alone route as a starting point with TS BTW but someone in the Steam forums did do this for a young relative.)

    Excellent point- and this reminds me it was one of Matt's videos which suggested that the Count of Monster Disco made for a good introduction to driving steam. There's a lot of good footage on YouTube which would help you make an informed decision. Also it's worth waiting for sales- discounts can be substantial especially on older DLC which would suit your laptop best. It seems likely that the next Steam sale will be later this month.

    (Regarding TSW on your system- have you tried turning the graphics settings down? I wouldn't have high hopes- the store page recommends an NVidea GTX970 as a lowest spec' GPU and, according to the benchmarks I can find, that will still run rings around the integrated Iris Xe graphics you have but it might be worth trying.)
     
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  10. jesseneedsapsn

    jesseneedsapsn Member

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    He really did surprise me with it. When Train Sim World did work on his computer, he managed to get it open to the CSX Powering America Pt 2 scenario. He got that thing rolling all by himself. He has a horn going he of the camera going. He was having a blast.

    Interestingly enough, as soon as he got into the GP 38 he got completely overwhelmed and had no idea what to do. Something about those newer trains and having all the controls on a flat surface directly in front of you I guess.

    Thanks again for all the info. And keep up all the great work.
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2022
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  11. Smokebox

    Smokebox Active Member

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    The Big Boy (by Smokebox) also works in "Simple Controls" mode (it contains a considerable amount of extra scripting to make that possible). That makes it ideal for youngsters and novices, just as much as for the most die-hard fan of using expert controls and doing everything manually. Furthermore, it has its own specially scripted automatic fireman (different from the game's default auto-fireman, which has to be switched off before starting a scenario) and automatic engineer. The automatic fireman is already enabled when you start a scenario, but can be toggled on and off very easily by clicking on the fireman's seat. The automatic engineer is off at the start but can be toggled on (or off again) by pressing the 'E' key. If you press E while the automatic fireman is also enabled, the locomotive drives/runs itself almost completely autonomously, including from a standing start. If you stay in the cab view while its doing that, you can watch all the controls moving when the (invisible) fireman and engineer operate them, which is a useful way of learning how to run the locomotive yourself when you switch to manual. I often press E just a few seconds into a Quick Drive scenario so that I can play as a railfan watching the train go past from a suitable vantage point near the track without the need to operate the loco at the same time.
     
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