Train shifting direction!

[Customizer171]

When I am about to attack a train it often change direction very fast.

If I attack from behind and then do a quick 180 , the train has changed direction and I have to attack from behind again.

I understand that trains can change direction, but not this fast, from full speed in one way, and 10 seconds later, full speed in the opposite direction!

Do you also experience this?

[40plus]

This has always happened particularly in the QMB

[76IAP-Black]

Yes on nearly every map. Mostly kuban, Rheinland 

[Customizer171]

8 hours ago, 40plus said:

This has always happened particularly in the QMB

 

7 hours ago, 76IAP-Black said:

Yes on nearly every map. Mostly kuban, Rheinland 

 

Thanks, now I know it's not only in my game.

[IckyATLAS]

Never seen this happening in all the missions I made on the Kuban map. Behavior is corresponding to what it has been programmed for. 

 

[Zooropa_Fly]

If a train is programmed for a 'return journey', whipping around like that is the only way it happens - after reaching the furthest waypoint.

I'll often make sure it's far out of the way and stopped at a station while this happens in any of my missions.

 

It's just how it does it, was the same in RoF (practically the same editor).

And to be fair I'm not sure how else you'd hope to see a train change direction without the devs having to write new routines and commands.

Which presumably nobody would want them spending any time doing..

 

S!

[IckyATLAS]

29 minutes ago, Zooropa_Fly said:

If a train is programmed for a 'return journey', whipping around like that is the only way it happens - after reaching the furthest waypoint.

I'll often make sure it's far out of the way and stopped at a station while this happens in any of my missions.

 

It's just how it does it, was the same in RoF (practically the same editor).

And to be fair I'm not sure how else you'd hope to see a train change direction without the devs having to write new routines and commands.

Which presumably nobody would want them spending any time doing..

 

S!

Sorry if there has been a misunderstanding. I wanted to mention that there was no sudden "unwanted" direction changes, happening by surprise. I do program in my missions direction changes for trains as much as possible in places where it is plausible to happen. And in that case yes the train abruptly gets reversed. But this is done after stopping the train give it some realistic time to reversion and then having it reversed and after some time to restart it in motion. 

Now how can one avoid to have the player see this happening which is weird.

A player flying and attacking the train or simply put flying around a given area where the train is planned to reverse direction, would indeed be surprised to see the train get reversed in front of his eyes. In that case the timer that is used before reversing can be stopped as long as the plane friendly or enemy is the the area and if the train is not destroyed (in case of an attack) then after the plane has left the train reversal area, the timer can be reset and restarted. In this way a player flying a plane will never see a train change direction. It will happen outside of its view. But this means detailed programming, not too complex though. Probably this kind of approach has not been implemented in the QMB where behaviors are programmed in a much simpler way, and so when train reach a given position they start the other way round independently of what happens around them even maybe without stopping.

 

 

[Zooropa_Fly]

Great idea there Icky, amazing the flexibility the ME has (sometimes !).

 

My reply was really for the opening poster.. I'd never dare try and educate you about anything ME related

 

S!

[IckyATLAS]

1 hour ago, Zooropa_Fly said:

Great idea there Icky, amazing the flexibility the ME has (sometimes !).

 

My reply was really for the opening poster.. I'd never dare try and educate you about anything ME related

 

S!

Thanks but I still have soo much to learn. This editor has a lot of issues and limitations but at the same time is an incredible tool.

I wonder by the way what are its origin and how it came to be as per today. Surely a very interesting story.

[76IAP-Black]

The Train shift happens ony my end with the QMB / AQMB, the shifting points are sometimes just a few hundred meters apart. 

Have not tested it in the career missions

Edited August 10, 2022 by 76IAP-Black

[Avimimus]

6 hours ago, Zooropa_Fly said:

It's just how it does it, was the same in RoF (practically the same editor).

And to be fair I'm not sure how else you'd hope to see a train change direction without the devs having to write new routines and commands.

Which presumably nobody would want them spending any time doing..

 

Some of us like trains a little too much though. I'd be fine with them implementing switches, turntables etc. But I agree there are a lot of higher priorities.

 

IMHO, it'd be good to model derailments though... or at least enhance the damage models with a few more hitboxes and a distinguishing between AP and HE damage to components (i.e. AP rounds should have an edge at damaging boilers and wheels/axles, while HE rounds should be able to do more damage to the actual contents of the rail-cars/light fires - both have a place, but much as with ships, HE rounds are basically always more effective against ground targets relative to AP rounds).

[CUJO_1970]

Happens constantly in QMB - trains travels 1-2km and then BAM! it's going the opposite direction. Typically happens right as you are setting up for a bombing or strafing run.

 

Annoying as literal hell.

[Customizer171]

9 hours ago, Zooropa_Fly said:

If a train is programmed for a 'return journey', whipping around like that is the only way it happens - after reaching the furthest waypoint.

I'll often make sure it's far out of the way and stopped at a station while this happens in any of my missions.

 

It's just how it does it, was the same in RoF (practically the same editor).

And to be fair I'm not sure how else you'd hope to see a train change direction without the devs having to write new routines and commands.

Which presumably nobody would want them spending any time doing..

 

S!

 

I have experienced this many times in QMB. Unfortunately, I am not good enough with computers to make my own missions.

I would be nice if they slowed down, come to a stop and then slowly start moving in the other direction.

What I have seen now is full speed in one direction and the next second, full speed in the opposite direction.

I know nothing about programing so maybe this is hard to do but it would indeed be very nice!

6 hours ago, 76IAP-Black said:

The Train shift happens ony my end with the QMB / AQMB, the shifting points are sometimes just a few hundred meters apart. 

Have not tested it in the career missions

 

This is exactly what I have experienced too.

2 hours ago, Avimimus said:

IMHO, it'd be good to model derailments though...

I thought that was implemented, because when I fly on the Veluki map, there's often a train with the wagons beside the rails. I thought it was derailed, but maybe I was wrong, hahaha.

1 hour ago, CUJO_1970 said:

Happens constantly in QMB - trains travels 1-2km and then BAM! it's going the opposite direction. Typically happens right as you are setting up for a bombing or strafing run.

 

Annoying as literal hell.

Exactly, and it can be a bit frustrating, hahaha.

[Rjel]

This is maybe the shortest route I've ever seen. This was in QMB also.

 

 

[Noisemaker]

Simple solution:  Destroy the locomotive, and that train isn't going anywhere. 

 

Speaking of which, we need more rolling stock on proper train yards to bomb.  The tiny stations we are presented with as targets are nothing like the large train yards that existed (and still exist) in Europe at the time.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Noisemaker
Further thoughts.

[jollyjack]

Rjel, did you save that QMB mission? Curious about the train waypoints generated ...

[Rjel]

2 hours ago, jollyjack said:

Rjel, did you save that QMB mission? Curious about the train waypoints generated ...

Sorry no. It's been so long ago when I recorded that I don't even remember where on the map that took place.

[Customizer171]

On 8/17/2022 at 9:47 PM, Noisemaker said:

Simple solution:  Destroy the locomotive, and that train isn't going anywhere. 

 

I tried that yesterday. I had lined up from behind, really nice and was in a shallow dive. Aiming a bit in front of the train to compensate for the time it takes for the bomb to arrive, it felt very good. I let the bomb go and made a turn so I could watch the explosion. 

To my big surprise, the train was now going in the opposite direction and I obviously missed! ?

[Noisemaker]

40 minutes ago, Customizer171 said:

 

I tried that yesterday. I had lined up from behind, really nice and was in a shallow dive. Aiming a bit in front of the train to compensate for the time it takes for the bomb to arrive, it felt very good. I let the bomb go and made a turn so I could watch the explosion. 

To my big surprise, the train was now going in the opposite direction and I obviously missed! ?

Simple solution, drop a bomb on each end of the train. 

That said, trains should derail if we drop a 500Lb bomb directly on the tracks, and not just keep going.  Something for the new damage model, perhaps?

[Customizer171]

48 minutes ago, Noisemaker said:

Simple solution, drop a bomb on each end of the train. 

That said, trains should derail if we drop a 500Lb bomb directly on the tracks, and not just keep going.  Something for the new damage model, perhaps?

 

You are right, I need to bring more bombs!!!

It's actually quite satisfying to bomb a bridge in front of the train and watch it go over the edge ?

[Noisemaker]

59 minutes ago, Customizer171 said:

 

You are right, I need to bring more bombs!!!

It's actually quite satisfying to bomb a bridge in front of the train and watch it go over the edge ?

Did that with a tank column attack in BoBP, and got the mission complete by bombing the bridge, while my fellow spitfires uselessly attacked the tank column (well, the AA to be fair).  Saved a few GI's on the ground, I guess, even if the brass wanted to keep that bridge open.  I'm pretty sure I got a medal for that mission, as well.