PC Clinchfield Distributed Power/banking

Discussion in 'Troubleshooting' started by solicitr, Apr 22, 2021.

  1. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    Come on, TrainSim-Matt, throw us a bone here! How does one set up distributed power/helper engines in Clinchfield??? Several services are effectively unplayable, because a third or more of one's traction is just so much dead weight. For example, Extra 3010 South (a Journey Mode service and thus "required")- a fully loaded coal train starting up the brutal 1.5% grade out of Elkhorn. You get an ABBA F7 set up front, and two SD40s behind- that's 12,000 horsepower, which would be plenty... except that half of it, the SD40s in back, provide precisely zero-point-nought horsepower, leaving the poor old F7s to try - and fail - to get up the hill.

    Tell us, what's the secret? Where is the magic button?
     
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  2. DTG Matt

    DTG Matt Executive Producer Staff Member

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    Banking comm doesnt work unfortunately due to a misunderstanding between members of the team - its on the list to fix.

    In the mean time - use the 3 camera to position yourself outside the window of the lead rear set and drive the controls manually through the window - it's actually quite fun :)
     
  3. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    Not fun for me! I don't use journey mode, but if those services show up in the timetable, I'll just have to skip them for now. Disappointing, because I enjoy DPU runs, but hanging around the helper loco is not a viable workaround for me and I would think most players. Frankly, I'm not sure I could even do it that way. This needs to go to the very top of the "fix" list. It's a game breaker.
     
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  4. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    3 camera doesn't work if any part of the train is in one of CRR's innumerable tunnels......
     
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  5. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    [ctrl][+]/[-] on PC for virtual helper role to take BR o7
    Easy peasy lemon squeezy
    Consoles? Welcome to the house of pain
     
  6. DeStijl

    DeStijl Well-Known Member

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    Serious question - are you telling us that this wasn't tested even once during the QA process?
     
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  7. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    Really!? Every time you move the throttle or any of the brakes? Does it even work with cab switch controls?
     
  8. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    Really. I put the SD throttle to F7 minus one position and I did the job. EZ PZ
    PS It is fun, although I admit - the radio should work, especially for console users. BR o7
    ... You make changes every few minutes. This is not a big deal.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 23, 2021
  9. DTG Matt

    DTG Matt Executive Producer Staff Member

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    Agreed, it should work, I don't know how it was missed and i'm going to make it everyone's problem to make sure it doesn't get missed again.
     
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  10. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    IRL, back-end units have to account for the grade and the fact that the front may be over the crest and heading down hill. Besides adjusting throttle settings, the big consideration here is that the DPU does NOT begin dynamic braking when the lead does, but waits until it in turn has reached the down grade, or it can pull the train apart! (Note for the future, Matt: coupler failure and broken trains would be an awesome addition to the software).

    A great Norfolk Southern training video about DPU operation on a steep grade (Saluda Mountain, 5%):

     
  11. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    This is uphill :) No need to brake here. Only the last part, where you can go for notch 0 with SD.
    I played this as a helper, switching cabs.

    You're making your life too difficult. It is enough to change the cabin once in a while. It is not very complicated :) ** on PC of course
     
  12. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    Your solution is just a band aid. Band aids are temporary. This needs to be fixed. It's like the dynamic brake problems with EMD and the banking com on C40-8W. They seem to get little attention. I mean Clinchfield's been out for more than 2 weeks. But woe betide us if something goes wrong with the train painting app or the trophies. Then it's all hands to the pump.
    Sorry, had to get that off my chest.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2021
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  13. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    You can choose - my way or slow way. Or just wait for a 'possible' fix :)
    PS I am not an optimist on this matter - it will rather stay that way :(
    'again' sounds a little like 'for the next time', here /o\
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 23, 2021
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  14. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    Funny, I thought the same thing.
     
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  15. DTG Matt

    DTG Matt Executive Producer Staff Member

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    "again" means "next time we have a loco that should have banking comm, make sure it doesnt get missed" - or you could just misread it for the fun of it i guess. *shrug*
     
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  16. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for clarifying that. I think we understood your meaning perfectly. It's just that we're more concerned about this instance rather than the next.
     
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  17. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    Agreed. This is a major bug which needs to be fixed retrospectively, for the F7 and SD40 in Clinchfield. It's nice to know that some future loco won't have the same failing, but in the meantime CRR has a bug which comes close to game-breaking: the sort of thing which shouldn't be allowed to stand. CRR has the expected number of glitches, major and minor, and I would expect the core team to take a fixit-pass at it before it falls onto the bottom of Adam's lengthy to-do list. This one should be part of that patch.
    ---------------------------------
    I've done the service, Extra 3010 South. I wouldn't call it "fun", but it is at least do-able (albeit a massive PITA). But that's using the control +/- teleport keys. I have no idea how console players will manage, since external cameras are disabled half the time.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2021
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  18. Winzarten

    Winzarten Well-Known Member

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    So, it's January 2022, and I just got to the Extra 3010 South, and apparently it still isn't fixed....
     
  19. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

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    It was more or less confirmed by Matt that it’ll never be fixed. It may be fixed when Adam’s team give it a one-over, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
     
  20. david-bright184169

    david-bright184169 Active Member

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    Sorry Matt, but this post is dated April 2021
    I have just tried this run in January 2022 (Xbox Series S) and it's still not fixed.
    That's 10 months
     
  21. Stephen Crofts

    Stephen Crofts Well-Known Member

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    These issues make the game company name somewhat meaningless. I don’t get the sense that things in game join up in a perfect match, and it seems internal team comms are far from that too. Clinchfield Definitely needs more love, Distributed power is a central part of the route’s experience, not something small like a wrong speed board.
     
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  22. chieflongshin

    chieflongshin Well-Known Member

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    I didn’t realise it was broken. I’ve had fun on a few of these, 3 cam near the bogey. The hill start tutorial on Sherman I realised was what I was doing on clinchfield. It takes a little to get it moving but when you get that sweet spot of independent brake vs throttle it’s not too bad. In the snow, it’s a heck of a challenge but it normally gets bit easier at about 8mph as long as you don’t think”we’re there now, I’ll grip it and rip it”
     
  23. frank1116

    frank1116 Well-Known Member

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    :D so true...
     
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  24. pveezy

    pveezy Well-Known Member

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    It’s pretty crazy that something this big hasn’t been fixed in almost a year of patches and new DLC.
     
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  25. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    Amen. Preach it, brother.
     
  26. LWDAdnane

    LWDAdnane Well-Known Member

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    August 2022. Still not fixed. Embarassing tbh.
     
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  27. thundakid23

    thundakid23 Member

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    its not ok that its not been fixed at all as mention above i agree its not on loads of patches and dlcs came out and this hasnt been in any of them come on dovetail its not on at all
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2022
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  28. Stockton Rails

    Stockton Rails Well-Known Member

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    Just had to respond to this thread- and to the banking functionality that I guess has never been addressed in this scenario (unknown if this same issue also affects multiple scenarios in this route).

    My advice is this: demand better, make sure you’re getting everything you’ve paid for! And if any feature that needs to be working in order to complete a scenario, etc- and it doesn’t actually work- then continue to push for a *real* fix for the issue (and don’t settle for band-aids). That’s my take anyway… good luck.
     
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  29. thundakid23

    thundakid23 Member

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    i fully agree were paying for this dlc and other dlc so we expect it to be the best it can be
     
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  30. summersy

    summersy Active Member

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    Uh, so is anything going to happen about this? Oh let's just sack off all the content we already made that's broken and make brand new content yay to make more money. I'm starting to get annoyed with this DTG, I take it you never revisit any dlc, once it's out its out. I wonder if we'll get a reply on this thread from any of them? It's all well and good saying we'll get it next time but what about this time, the one all your customers have already paid for yano? When I just read though this and read to do it through the window I was gobsmacked. Not been playing train sim world for long but I'm quickly starting to realise a few things that make me think why should I bother carrying on buying these dlc
     
  31. rennekton#1349

    rennekton#1349 Well-Known Member

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    Unlikely. Hasn't been updated for a year. The f7 for the loco bundle had the radio removed completely (I'm assuming that's how it is in real life loco) so there was no banking comm for that. Might have to wait until the next f7 release to see a banking comm for that. There's more important, game breaking issues dtg are focusing on such as red lights, derailing, crashing so this is less of a priority.
     
  32. stevegad

    stevegad Member

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    Late September 2023 (Not back in '63) and I ask politely, has this been fixed yet? I'm in an SD-40 with an uphill start - at night in a snow storm. A little DPU help would be good, but after looking around the cab for ten minutes, I can't see the 'Banking Com' button. Can anyone shine a light on this for me? Many thanks in advance.
     
  33. rennekton#1349

    rennekton#1349 Well-Known Member

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    No. You will have to manually do it. Or you could cheat and disconnect the freight cars
     
  34. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

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    Hasn’t been fixed and likely never will be.
     
  35. Spikee1975

    Spikee1975 Well-Known Member

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    Sorry to say this Matt, but this reads like you called a meeting and nobody showed up... :(
     

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