Upcoming Games

No games to display

Full list
Add a game

Upcoming Events

No events to display

Failures and delays

You are here: Home > Forum > Simulations > Released > Marylebone IECC > Failures and delays

Page 1 of 2

Failures and delays 04/07/2013 at 09:48 #46402
Jan
Avatar
889 posts
Whenever you're starting a new simulation, it looks like the failure and delay settings default to zero. So far, so good, but the annoying thing is that when you modify these settings, after saving and reloading a simulation they revert back to the default settings of zero for everything.

Second problem: After saving and reloading a simulation, failures don't clear any more. When you first save the simulation, the failure duly gets recorded in the SSG file in the <Failure> section, but after reloading that save file, the failure never clears up and when you save the simulation again, the <Failure> section remains empty. And the Incident log doesn't get saved at all.
Similarly, trains delayed at a location just move off after reloading a game.
And I'm not absolutely sure about this last point, but I think trains which have been told not to phone back until their departure time will forget that instruction as well, and phone in again after reloading the simulation.

Edit: It looks like the Incident report does get saved after all, but it still vanishes once you reload.

Two million people attempt to use Birmingham's magnificent rail network every year, with just over a million of them managing to get further than Smethwick.
Last edited: 04/07/2013 at 18:19 by Jan
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 04/07/2013 at 19:02 #46461
Danny252
Avatar
1461 posts
As this occurs on LivSt as well, is it a loader-related bug?
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 04/07/2013 at 20:10 #46463
headshot119
Avatar
4869 posts
It is possible that the loader may be a cause, however I've known .exe versions of sims to exhibit the same problem, so it may be completely unrelated.
"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 04/07/2013 at 20:19 #46466
Jan
Avatar
889 posts
It's probably both. On Lancing, selecting "Standard" or "Difficult" scale of problems launches the sim with non-zero delay/failure settings, so it's simulation-specific as well, however loading a save game resets everything back to zero as well.
Two million people attempt to use Birmingham's magnificent rail network every year, with just over a million of them managing to get further than Smethwick.
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 04/07/2013 at 20:24 #46467
Peter Bennet
Avatar
5354 posts
Issue logged on bugboard.

Peter

I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs!
Log in to reply
The following user said thank you: Jan
Failures and delays 04/07/2013 at 21:17 #46470
Danny252
Avatar
1461 posts
" said:
It is possible that the loader may be a cause, however I've known .exe versions of sims to exhibit the same problem, so it may be completely unrelated.
But only the very oldest versions (e.g. old LivSt or NLL), not the nice shiny new ones.

Log in to reply
Failures and delays 04/07/2013 at 21:22 #46472
headshot119
Avatar
4869 posts
" said:
" said:
It is possible that the loader may be a cause, however I've known .exe versions of sims to exhibit the same problem, so it may be completely unrelated.
But only the very oldest versions (e.g. old LivSt or NLL), not the nice shiny new ones.
It's also happened to me when building the North Wales Coast sim, as well as another project I have under development.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 04/07/2013 at 22:45 #46477
Danny252
Avatar
1461 posts
" said:
" said:
" said:
It is possible that the loader may be a cause, however I've known .exe versions of sims to exhibit the same problem, so it may be completely unrelated.
But only the very oldest versions (e.g. old LivSt or NLL), not the nice shiny new ones.
It's also happened to me when building the North Wales Coast sim, as well as another project I have under development.
Huh, really? Go figure!

Log in to reply
Failures and delays 05/07/2013 at 11:02 #46517
clive
Avatar
2736 posts
" said:
It is possible that the loader may be a cause, however I've known .exe versions of sims to exhibit the same problem, so it may be completely unrelated.
98% of the loader code is identical to the core code used in exe sims. The difference is basically that the exe has a load of code that calls the functions to create the objects making up the sim using constant arguments, while the loader reads instructions from the sim file and calls the same creation functions.

Log in to reply
Failures and delays 05/07/2013 at 12:31 #46523
Albert
Avatar
1313 posts
I also have this on the new Liverpool Street indeed. When I choose the standard scenario, no failures are enabled - and when I set the failures myself, they are restored to zero when loading a saved game. I seem to recall the old Liverpool Street did this too, but apparently that is unrelated.
AJP in games
Last edited: 05/07/2013 at 12:35 by Albert
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 11/07/2013 at 09:29 #46978
Albert
Avatar
1313 posts
I have just looked into an SSG file: the probability of points, signal and track circuit failures is saved in the file, but not read from it when loading a game. The max. number of failures is set to 0 while saving.
AJP in games
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 26/07/2013 at 19:20 #47613
Andy174
Avatar
89 posts
Got the same problem, a saved scenario when reloaded doesn't ultimately clear the original failiures just adds more to them.
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 06:10 #47991
John 23
Avatar
173 posts
I've now loaded the new version. The settings for failures and delays will "carry forward" into a saved and reloaded sim, but the issue of them not clearing remains.
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 11:13 #48010
Jan
Avatar
889 posts
And delayed trains still don't remember the fact that they have been delayed.
I don't know whether that happened in the previous version as well, but in Liverpool Street I've now had a driver phoning in that his train would be delayed. After saving and reloading, the train immediately sent TRTS, even though it wasn't due to depart for another eight minutes.

Two million people attempt to use Birmingham's magnificent rail network every year, with just over a million of them managing to get further than Smethwick.
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 12:44 #48014
Haraubrad
Avatar
103 posts
Hi There, I had TBN track fail at Banbury North. 1R11 was in platform 1 ready to start and BN4 signal was showing a proceed aspect. I had set the route from BN9 through the TC failure to BN48. 1R11 rang standing at BN4 although the signal was proceed. On instructing the driver to pass signal at danger, as soon as I rang off he rang again with the same message. the only way I could get him to move was to set BN9 along the UGL so of course he rang then to accept route.
Aubrey

Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 16:02 #48027
GeoffM
Avatar
6274 posts
" said:
And delayed trains still don't remember the fact that they have been delayed.
That is by design, to prevent ground hog day when running from a saved simulation.

I'll have a look at the other issues raised.

SimSig Boss
Log in to reply
The following user said thank you: John 23
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 17:56 #48033
Jan
Avatar
889 posts
I have to admit that I'm a bit puzzled about what you're meaning by ground hog day - the driver phoning in and bursting into a spontaneous rendition of "I Got You Babe"?
On a more serious note, in pre-loader sims, delays* were always carried across saves and subsequent reloads, and I cannot remember ever having any problems or strange effects because of that. I'd just load the saved simulation and find everything the way it was when I departed.

* Just to make sure what we're talking about, I mean those of the "1N02 delayed at Southwick due to door problems, expected to depart at about 08:00" type.

Two million people attempt to use Birmingham's magnificent rail network every year, with just over a million of them managing to get further than Smethwick.
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 19:16 #48041
GeoffM
Avatar
6274 posts
" said:
I have to admit that I'm a bit puzzled about what you're meaning by ground hog day - the driver phoning in and bursting into a spontaneous rendition of "I Got You Babe"?
On a more serious note, in pre-loader sims, delays* were always carried across saves and subsequent reloads, and I cannot remember ever having any problems or strange effects because of that. I'd just load the saved simulation and find everything the way it was when I departed.

* Just to make sure what we're talking about, I mean those of the "1N02 delayed at Southwick due to door problems, expected to depart at about 08:00" type.
"Groundhog day" is when you have the same thing over and over again. The intention is to have some variation upon a reload, though departing early is obviously wrong. Nothing has knowingly been changed in the train delay parameters though something could have crept in, like the equipment failure issues.

SimSig Boss
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 19:17 #48042
greatkingrat
Avatar
74 posts
" said:
" said:
And delayed trains still don't remember the fact that they have been delayed.
That is by design, to prevent ground hog day when running from a saved simulation.

I'll have a look at the other issues raised.
In that case I think it is a very bad design decision. Surely the whole point of saving a game is that you want to resume it later from the same point, not with all the delays magically disappeared.

Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 19:25 #48045
GeoffM
Avatar
6274 posts
" said:
" said:
" said:
And delayed trains still don't remember the fact that they have been delayed.
That is by design, to prevent ground hog day when running from a saved simulation.

I'll have a look at the other issues raised.
In that case I think it is a very bad design decision. Surely the whole point of saving a game is that you want to resume it later from the same point, not with all the delays magically disappeared.
It's fine to have a different opinion but don't call it mine bad just because your opinion is different. There was a small discussion amongst some of the testers a while ago with some in your camp, some in mine. It's one of those things where you'll never please everybody all the time. If I resume from a saved game more than once then I want the second/third/fourth attempt to be different from the first, not exactly the same.

SimSig Boss
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 20:05 #48048
Jan
Avatar
889 posts
Okay, now I understand what you mean.
Nevertheless, personally I think there should be a distinction between things that have already happened, respectively are in progress in the moment, and anything else that might happen in the future.

I have no problem with the fact that if you load the same saved simulation 100 times, and then let it run for fifteen minutes, different things happen each time.
Or, a more specific example, I save the simulation and five seconds later I get a call from a driver saying he'll be delayed. I have no problem with the fact that when I reload the situation, something totally different might happen. Maybe a different train gets delayed, or some track circuit fails instead, or maybe nothing at all happens during the next minutes.

But, big but, this shouldn't affect things that have already happened. When I save a simulation five seconds after the driver has called in, I fully expect that train to continue being delayed even after reloading. Otherwise, by the same logic, all track circuit/points/signal lamp failures ought to magically clear themselves as well after a save/reload cycle.

" said:
It's one of those things where you'll never please everybody all the time. If I resume from a saved game more than once then I want the second/third/fourth attempt to be different from the first, not exactly the same.
Wasn't that already the case under the old system? I've occasionally used a save game to get out of a particularly bad decision on my side, only to be "penalised" by some nasty track circuit or points failure, which didn't happened the first time. Likewise freight trains, where the randomised entry times are particularly noticeable, would enter with differing amounts of delay upon reloading.

Two million people attempt to use Birmingham's magnificent rail network every year, with just over a million of them managing to get further than Smethwick.
Last edited: 06/08/2013 at 20:06 by Jan
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 20:10 #48049
GeoffM
Avatar
6274 posts
We'll look into how it can be improved. Categorising it into the "past", "present", and "future" is a good concept.

Possibly an option upon loading a save that asks whether re-randomisation should occur would go some way towards this.

SimSig Boss
Last edited: 06/08/2013 at 20:15 by GeoffM
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 20:13 #48050
postal
Avatar
5189 posts
Online
I have to confess that the current "re-randomisation" when you load a saved game does make it harder when you are in the throes of testing a sim or a TT. For example you suspect that something is not working properly because of a particular set of circumstances. When you reload from your last saved snapshot, things are not replicated exactly as you left them which means that you sometimes don't get the same circumstances and so have no way of checking out your suspicion that something hasn't worked properly.

It does make it very frustrating sometimes.

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 20:34 #48051
Steamer
Avatar
3913 posts
How about if delays in the Incident Report stay the same, as do all entry point delays that will affect the next x minutes after re-loading, after which re-randomisation will occur?
"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
Log in to reply
Failures and delays 06/08/2013 at 21:50 #48056
greatkingrat
Avatar
74 posts
" said:

It's fine to have a different opinion but don't call it mine bad just because your opinion is different. There was a small discussion amongst some of the testers a while ago with some in your camp, some in mine. It's one of those things where you'll never please everybody all the time. If I resume from a saved game more than once then I want the second/third/fourth attempt to be different from the first, not exactly the same.
I think we may be talking at cross purposes here. I am referring to the following example sequence of events

0500 - receive telephone call that the 0520 from Marylebone will be delayed until 0530
0510 - game saved

Then when you reload the 0510 saved game, not only does the 0520 forget that it was delayed, it will actually try and depart straight away, 10 minutes early! Are you seriously saying that is deliberate?

Log in to reply