Graphics cards and monitors aside, is it worth upgrading a keyboard and mouse to say a mechanical keyboard and gaming mouse give you better control or does a bog standard keyboard and mouse suffix? Your thoughts, thanks.
What is a mechanical keyboard? Is that a normal one? I didn’t realise there were different types. I use a ‘gaming’ keyboard and mouse, got for my son, but I’m not sure it’s any better than a standard set (comparing with laptop), unless you’re playing some fast shoot ‘em up type game. Not sure if any extra milliseconds responsiveness you get with an advanced set up makes any difference in TS. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Thinking about your reply, I now realise what a stupid question I may have asked, there’s nothing to be gained with a faster response time. I believe a mechanical keyboard activates an actual switch beneath the keypad giving an actual sense that you’ve pressed the key.
Not to worry, there are no stupid questions. I’ve never had a keyboard without moveable keys, so all over my head. As I say, I used to try TS on a laptop, but gave up because it was so slow in terms of frame rate, but my bog standard keyboard and mouse worked perfectly well.
There's something to be said for getting a full sized keyboard (if you have a laptop say or a compact keyboard) since some trains use numeric keypad keys. I doubt the type matters at all though- TS hardly depends on split second timing.
I have a mechanical keyboard (cherry reds for anyone that knows/cares) and my Missus absolutely loves me typing furiously to reply to a message here or on Facebook. "They love it they do, they love it" (10 points for anyone who gets the reference). I have a reasonably basic old and humble gaming mouse, A Logitech G402, has a few assignable buttons but not OTT like MMORPG player targeted mouses (mice?), still forget to use them though.
Thanks for the replies, I initially asked the question wondering if an upgraded keyboard and mouse would give me better control, particularly when it comes to keeping to the speed limits, as in most scenarios using A and D on my bog standard keyboard acceleration can jump from 20% to 40% with no middle ground.
Depends on the train - multiple units, of course, have notching, typically 4 or sometimes 7 (eg DMUs), which in real life control an advance through serial, parallel, full field, weak field. Old fashioned locos tended to have finer adjustments through the sweep of the throttle lever, but on some default stock this is still rendered as just gross steps. Rather than thinking of mice and keyboards, practice your throttling and braking - that's the way to improve!
That is down to the train settings rather than the keyboard. The DTG Class 33 - when you apply the brakes on the standard loco it jumps from Off to 55% at the slightest touch You can either change the bin file for the loco or more easily download a patch that improves the response. And if you wish move the handles in the cab with your mouse
There is a dodge I discovered for some trains with a notchy throttle- it may be well known but I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere. Using the mouse and HUD you can hold the throttle at a position between two notches. In some trains this has no effect- it either doesn't increase the revs/power at all or at some point jumps to the level set by the next notch. In other trains though, first generation BR DMUs for example, the power increases smoothly depending on where the throttle is whether it's held by a notch or the mouse. If you want to cruise at a speed that isn't matched by a particular notch that's all very well but of course holding the throttle in a certain position with the mouse like this over any distance at all is tiresome so then you can press F4 (or F3 depending on which HUD you are using) to close the HUD, release the mouse and the throttle will remain in that position. IRL this would probably be frowned upon or not work at all but FWIW.
Another dodge with throttles that only change by 15-20% at a time is to very quickly tap A and D - you might get a 2-5% adjustment.
My favourite "dodge" is to use my raildriver, no really it actually is a dodge because with CobraOnes software you re-assign the loco brake lever as your throttle which gives you a whole lot more range and fine adjustment.
Looks great! Can you define separate throttle and brake levers on this? (Cf the ATC PBC, which might be best suited to modern units, with combined PBC, but not so much for separates controls.)
Yes, that's exactly what I just said, with the CobraOne software. Yellow = PBC Blue = Train Brake Red = Loco Brake ( but can be re-assigned to Power lever with CobraOne software) The lever to the left of yellow is the Reverser btw in case you were wondering.
Thanks, I’ll go with your advice and practice more with my Cherry KC1000 & mouse, a lot of the other posts are way over my novice head yet I enjoy driving different trains in the many different scenarios.
