Time for an update. Let's get to it!

LNE Pack:

The BLW LNE Pack is complete, the BLW page and LNE Pack pages are up at the VSC website, sans purchase button. Very few items remain to attend to before we can release. Perhaps it can be released on/before this coming Monday? We shall see!

Ozark Northern:

Amid the LNE Pack work and some minor testing of our first upcoming sound pack, I have managed to fit in some work on the Ozark Northern. One of the things that had me extremely concerned was the way the object count was getting out of hand at an early stage on key tiles. The main culprits were trees. Ooodles and ooodles of trees where suitable valleys exist. I have created a new "tree group" shape that is dramatically cutting the object count where ever it can be used. On a couple of tiles, I was able to remove 100-150 objects and ended up with thicker forests to boot! Below is a pan shot to illustrate... note the object count for that tile!

Well, all for now!

Hi Andre!

Nice pic and great technique! Every week a new trick of
Great Poobah we can learn!
Just awaiting the Ozark-Northern to come!
If there`s a method to preorder it, tell me
BTW: As there are some new rail-simulators in sight,
a "Railsimulator" by Kuju and "Train Master Trainsimulatur"
etc, do you`ve already plans for the time after MSTS?!
TMTS seems to be the best one as we could use all our "old"
routes with it
...also the "old" development-tools would still fit for TMTS and
MSTS routes can be converted to it. Ok at least the developers
mailed this to me.
To much talk everywhere about this new sims, nothing fix, just
announcments and some very rare information about their
proceeding...

Christian

Hello Christian!

Glad you liked the pic.

As for life after MSTS, I am of the opinion that MSTS will still be around for quite some time yet.

TMTS is sounding promising, but much remains to be seen as to how the tools will be supplied, used, etc. There will be losses. (Activities, for example.)

KUJU's new sim is also a huge question mark.

So little is accurately and factually known at this point about either sim.

It could very well be that MSTS will be a viable medium for some time to come. Though many have maligned MSTS, I'm still quite impressed with its versatility and ability to create good scenes.

We shall see?

Hi Andre,

I`ve just the same opinion. Kuju is just beginning right now
and TMTS is still under constuction no date of release known..

So lets see

Looking already forward to get the 1st LNE-pack in the looooong
Xmas queue infront of VSC-doors

Christian

Another quick forest scene from RE. The forests won't be this thick throughout the entire route, but where practical, I'm taking advantage of it.

Okay... break's over: Back to the Ozarks for more work!

Andre, those woods are just the job - doesn't need to be overall coverage to give the impression. Rich has hit the mark in the Grove extension of Canton, where he has been able to give a good account of woodland with clumps, open space and billboards in the distance. Looks like open farmland/glades etc. The main thing is that it breaks up the continuity of billboards.

Excellent.

Rodster

Hi Andre!

Some ON-news to announce short before Xmas?

Christian

Christian:

The Ozark Northern is slowly getting worked on as time/mood permits. Due to our Christmas Holiday season, each evening has had a schedule to attend for the past 1 1/2 weeks or more. Tonight is scheduled, as well as tomorrow, etc.

I will say that I'm at the point that the basic scenery is in place on at least 90% of the route. Next will be detail placement/fill-in along with constructing and placing any remaining specific structures/objects.

After that will be terrtex modifications.

Then will come interactive object placements.

Lastly will be activities.

Below you will find a few pics of basic scenes...

another...

Last one for now...

Andre, the route has come on a long ways. As I said above, the vegetation placement is excellent and is going to give a good atmosphere to the route. Plenty of hidden surprises, which is always good.

I think the really good thing is that this is not simply the StL&NA reborn under a different guise. The terrain is very different, and as hard as Seligman Hill is, well, the climb to Fly Gap is going to cap that.

From what I have seen, there will be both a sense of the woods pressing in on the railroad in the valleys, and long vistas once the heights are gained - with those surprises around the corners

Marvellous, and all this with Jon's stock as well - now who couldn't love a TOC route?

Rodster

Hi Rodster!

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

Indeed, it is definitely not the StLNA under different guise. In fact, I hope that each of my route projects henceforth will offer significant differences from the others, so that each can stand (or fall) on its own merits.

IMHO, the singlemost challenge for the ON route is how to handle the large vistas that present themselves on the climb to Fly Gap. Trying to fill such large scenes with trees is out of the question. So, I'm still debating how to scenically handle that portion.

In the meantime, I'm busy with Christmas, family, etc. However, fitted among the busyness, I'm tinkering with the ON, as well as amassing resource material (spending $$!) for the "next one" (route) that I'm considering. I'm amassing resources so that once the Ozark Northern is released, I can commence on the route that is topping the next one's "maybe" list: The Rock Island's Hot Springs (Arkansas) branch.

In fact, I'm hoping to get away for a day off "soon" and head over to Hot Springs to explore, grasp a feel for the "lay of the land", etc. Also will be on the lookout for textures to photograph.

The Rock, put me on the list for that one

Oh, and I almost forgot, Merry Christmas

Hi Andre!

Thanks for the nice pics! Looks really great your route in progress! Wow!
Looking forward for it to come hauling my mixed´s and steam trains the grades up`n down....
I intend to repaint some Freeware Diesel-stock once your route is released. Especially the Zinc-traffic could`ve survived a bit longer ;-)

Some new stock-pics by John? Especially for the cars I would be very curious :-)

Great pics!

Looking also forward for the RI-branch hauling goods and people :-)

Christian

The Rock Island's Hot Springs (Arkansas) branch.

I'm in.

Christian:

I'll try to remember to take some pics of equipment next time I'm in the sim with a DLW train.

Rock Island Hot Springs Branch:

Remember, it will be after this route. I can't afford it time-wise or income-wise to divert my attention at this point.

Also, remember the target era will be the (late) sixties or so... passenger service on the Rock Island was long gone by that time. Think: Heavy industry and lots of switching using primarily RS3's and such.

Hi Andre!

Looking forward for the stock-pics :-) Already very cuious about the it!



Thats just what I want Switchers are my favourite diesels and I like nothing more than switching

Can still wait a bit for the RI-branch. Must 1st run up and down the ON a hundred times

Christian