> Hello Andre..and the "Boys"
Hello Galen!
As the feller on whose desk the buck stops... I'll do my best to give you some answers to your questions. I will be candid, and if needed, somewhat lengthy. Besides, I feel it is the courteous and respectful thing to do in taking the time to provide answers to not only you, but also the others "out there": My supportive customers.
> 1. What every happened to the Colorado Midland Route? What a wonderful route
> this would be..especially after reading Dan Abbott's book, "Daylight Through the
> Divide"
Ah, the CM route. The nixing of the CM route came about because of several items. After my initial enthusiasm for the project wore off (as will happen on all route building projects), you are left with the realities of the huge task at hand. One must feel that those complications can be reasonably overcome, or it will never get finished. The complications were:
A. Insufficient track selections to create some of the needed track arrangements. (Such as was found at Manitou Iron Springs, for example.) Bear in mind that at the time the CM project was being explored, ScaleRail was only just begun, and XTracks still had a "no payware use" policy. (Since lifted.) As I tried to lay track and replicate the prototype using only the MSTS default track, I became very frustrated.
B. The challenge of appropriate photo textures. My texturing skills are based on the use of photo textures. I am not that talented or artistic in regards to hand-drawn textures, so I must rely on photo textures. I live about 18 hours drive time from the CM region. The textures available to me here are nowhere near what was needed for modeling the CM region. You would be amazed at how large a photo texture library is required to model a route.
C. Inability to field check track alignments and other key elements. When modeling a prototype, it is imperitive to try to get it as close as practical, especially with a well known and thoroughly documented prototype as the CM. Because of the distance, I couldn't do that.
D. The large amount of "signature" structures needed. Building many accurately proportioned, properly textured, "signature" structures is a tough assignment for a "one man band" route builder. If I had a team I could have assigned segments to, perhaps this obstacle could have been overcome.
All of the above lead me to the inevitable conclusion that I was in deep trouble with the CM project.
> 3. How about that Colorado Midland Pack?.. Boy would I love to get my hands on that!
I'm answering this out of sequence, however since it is related to the CM route, this seems to be the best place to address it.
The final (updated) models/textures were received from Jon Davis a few weeks ago. Now that the VSC Steam Sound pack is so close to release, I decided to ask Bill Hobbs if he would be willing to update all the CM eng/wag files to include optional sound addresses for the VSC Steam Sound pack. This will take another week or so. Once the final eng/wag files are in hand, I will need to create/test Helper and AI engines. From there, it's time to package and release. However, the CM Pack is (at long last) getting very close.
> 2. How about the Ozark Northern?..
I wish I had a definitive answer for you on this one. My mind tells me to "get this thing finished and released!", yet, my heart is currently not in the project. It is very difficult to MAKE yourself work in RE, TSM, Paint Shop, etc, when you're wore out.
No doubt, my odd vocational hours have complicated this issue. However, I also think there are a couple of major underlying reasons that have contributed to my current inability to discipline myself to finish it. They are:
A. The uncertainty of the commercial side of MSTS. It is an old program. It will be replaced, eventually. When? I don't know. Upcoming sim "carrots" are constantly being dangled before the consumer by developing sims that are on the horizon. (Though some have sailed off into the sunset.) However, the "carrots" are there... and because of that, meaningful hobby money is not being spent in this current MSTS hobby. I can't recall the times I've read "I'm going to wait for the next sim" comments in posts in regards to some upcoming MSTS commercial release. This has me discouraged in that I feel I've spent all this effort and given of my time for a route product that will be released to a quickly shrinking hobby.
B. My concern that an 1890's based route will compound the above issue of a shrinking market. I can't help but feel discourage when yet another modern engine that looks like so many others has been released and used on another barren western-type route that also looks like so many others... yet such subjects get "wows!" and "this is the GREATEST loco/route EVER!" types of accolades. True, I have no one to blame but myself, after all, I'm the one that chose to build an 1890's route set in the Ozarks. And, like it or not, "modern" and "west" seems to be where the remaining MSTS sales stem from the most. However, the lack of public enthusiasm/exposure that my products seem to generate tends to make me second guess myself and wonder if the sizable effort required to finish the route would be a prudent use of time. (Frankly, I make much more dependable and meaningful income faster by loaning-out to other subdivisions than through MSTS product sales.) The lack of exposure of my products inclines to me to think that my market share has shrunken to the point of insignificance. This underlying concern is very disheartening.
Thus, I have no definite plans for the Ozark Northern at this point. It is not officially declared "dead", but I also don't want to mislead anyone into thinking its release is "near", or that progress is being made. It is simply in suspended animation for now.
> I know Andre is busy railroading, I'm just curious about the progress.. Please don't
> "flame" me..
Nope, no flames!
However, the above may have been more information than you wanted to know, as well as not quite the type of information you were hoping for. However, at least I "shot from the hip" and gave you the straight "skinny", and that from the person upon which the responsibility falls.
Well, got to get off to bed, got to work in the morning.
Andre Ming
