Trainz
train simulator video game series
Trainz is an ongoing series of 3D train simulator video games produced by the Australian studio N3V Games (formerly Auran), the first installment being released in October 2001. Each installment of the series implements realistic or fictional simulated railway operations (Driver) alongside the ability to create custom maps (Surveyor) and contains a vast collection of real-life rolling stock for the user to drive in their maps. The games are known for their support for user-created custom content (trains, scenery, maps). The ability to use custom content was originally introduced in Trainz 1.1.1, but was not officially implemented until the release of Ultimate Trainz Collection.
Gameplay
In the route editor, Surveyor, the user can shape the landscape, paint with ground textures, lay tracks, and place buildings and roads. The user then operates the trains in Driver, either in free play, or according to a scenario called a Driver Session (previously called Scenarios in the early versions of Trainz, Ultimate Trainz Collection, and TRS2004) which can range in difficulty from beginner to expert. In CAB (cabin) mode the train physics are more sophisticated than in DCC mode; adding real-life considerations such as wheel slip on the rails; how the weight of the consist slows acceleration and deceleration. Any train can be given directions to be driven by the computer.
Other software
The simulators are supported by a large library of freeware assets which can be downloaded from the N3V servers, referred to as the Download Station (DLS). Unless users purchase a First Class Ticket with real money, download speeds for the DLS (both in Content Manager and directly through File Transfer Protocol on the Trainz website) are throttled.
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This entry incorporates text from “Trainz” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.