Railfan Technology > Run 8 Train Simulator?HELP.

I downloaded and installed the Run 8 Train Simulator Needles Sub add on to the Run 8 Train Simulator. And yes I did install the required Run 8 Train Simulator Mojave Sub first like I should have.It shows up in the routes folder ok but I can't seem to get it to show up on the routes menu to select the route. And I tried to look for an email address for support but I couldn't find one. Can any of you kind folks help me? Please and thank you.

I'll give you a quick answer for now while I look for further references to help you. The quick answer is that you must perform a merge process between the two routes, and then associate the various trains with them. This is, regrettably, not well documented. Run 8 has many strengths, but good documentation is not among them.

Once you have both the Mojave and Needles Subs, they must function together. Initially when Run 8 came out with the Needles Sub, there were some issues with it working together smoothly with the Mojave. They solved the issue by making an intermediate Barstow-Yermo route, which is grafted out of the other two and acts as a kind of a bridge or keystone between the Mojave and Needles Subs. There was a process for making this happen that I need to recall.

I'll get back to you further on this thread. Bear with me while I recall the process and perhaps find some references for you. It's been a while since I did it. Not difficult, but just something you need to do. Thanks.

MC
Columbia, Missouri



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/14 17:28 by ironmtn.

It looks like the process of installing the Needles Sub route and merging it with the Mojave Sub has been simplified somewhat, and is now handled through the update process. Go to the "Run 8 Basics - Installation, Registration, Single-Player, Dispatcher Screen, and Multi-Player" page at their site at this URL:

http://www.run8studios.com/overview.shtml

The page lists an order of installation. This is important. As someone who first installed the Mojave Sub within a couple of weeks of its first introduction, I have had downloads of many updates along the way, not including the various paid add-on equipment packages (and a couple of free ones). It was always important that those were installed in the correct order. I was never bothered by having to do that. I work in IT, and I know how updates can have sequential and referential dependencies to prior and subsequent updates, particularly when there are various options that might or might not be purchased, but for which there needs to be allowance.

I am pretty sure that now all of the various updates that I installed one-by-one as they became available have been rolled into three relatively cumulative update/upgrade packages dated 12/23/13 and 2/27/14, and 10/03/13 for the Needles Sub. There have been references to that fact previously as I have downloaded and installed various update/upgrade packages in the past.

I would suggest:

1) Downloading the two upgrade packages (12/23/13 and 2/27/14).
2) Downloading the Needles Sub upgrade 10/03/13. If memory serves, this upgrade is the one that did the real work of creating the Barstow-Yermo middle section out of the Mojave and Needles Subs.
3) Purchasing and downloading any of the additional paid or free equipment packages you might wish to have at this time (this is optional). The "free versions" of each are the actual models, but with Run 8 markings rather than railroad/shipper markings. This enables individuals who have not purchased an equipment package to participate in a multiplayer session, with the "beautiful" Run 8-marked cars substituting in trains instead of the railroad/shipper-marked equipment. Kind of a nifty solution, in my opinion. It works well, and keeps a multiplayer session from crashing because someone does not own the paid-content equipment which was included in a previously built train.

Be sure that you have installed the Microsoft XNA 3.1 Redistributable onto your system before you do anything else, as described on this page on their site. Extremely important. You may well have done that already as part of the original Mojave install.

Then install in the order given on their site. I copied the order and have it below for a reference example, but I'd recommend following it from the site just in case something did not copy over.

If you did not previously install the 12/23 and 2/27 upgrades before you installed the Needles Sub, or if you missed the Needles Sub upgrade 10/3/13 or did not install it in the correct order, you may wish to consider uninstalling the Mojave and Needles Subs, then proceeding with a reinstall in the order that they give --including especially the upgrades in their correct relative positions. I think that should help to keep all of the pieces in alignment. My recollection is that I had to do that with the Needles Sub, since I had missed one of the upgrade packages that I think have been rolled into the 12/23 or 2/27 upgrades. Or I may have installed the Needles 10/03/13 upgrade in the wrong order.

In any case, the order of installation is very important. The order from their website as an example reference (again recommend you actually follow the order there on their site in case something copied incorrectly here) is as follows:

Run8/BNSF_MojaveSub
12.23.2013 Upgrade
02.27.2014 Upgrade

===========================

BNSF_NeedlesSub (This is a route addon for Run8 and requires the BNSF Mojave Sub)
BNSF Needles Sub Upgrade 10.03.2013
Run8 Amtrak01 Trainsets (free Run8 default versions are also available)
Run8 Autoracks01 (free Run8 default versions are also available)
Run8 Piggybacks01 (free Run8 default versions are also available)
Run8 Free 57ft Mechanical Refrigerator Cars (free Run8 default versions are also available)
Run8 OpenHopper01 (free Run8 default versions are also available)
Run8 Refrigerator01 (free Run8 default versions are also available)
Run8 SD40-2_01 (free Run8 default versions are also available)
Run8 SD40-2_02 (free Run8 default versions are also available)

All of the updates are available on the Run 8 Updates Page.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask if you need any further assistance.

MC
Columbia, Missouri



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/14 19:12 by ironmtn.

What they really should have done to end the confusion was to create two different programs. One would been called the Mojave Sub edition. The other would have been called the Needles Sub edition so on so on and so forth. BTW. This thing has a real steep learning curve to it. It's hard but educating. Thanks a lot for all of your help.

msdgbar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What they really should have done to end the
> confusion was to create two different programs.
> One would been called the Mojave Sub edition. The
> other would have been called the Needles Sub
> edition so on so on and so forth. BTW. This thing
> has a real steep learning curve to it. It's hard
> but educating. Thanks a lot for all of your help.

go on the run8 dams forum or on the dams teamspeak server and ask for help. there is a link to the dams website on the run8 website. the run8 community on dams will give you all of the assistance you need. if you ever see me in the the dams teamspeak server contact me.

I am a computer dolt and have NO issues in having a realistic railroad experience in run8 thanks to all of the assistance provided to me by the run8 community.

good luck and hopefully I will see you running in a multi-player session.........

66

To ironmtm. Success success I tell you. Thank you so very much for all of your help. Now I shall now enjoy every moment of Running my Run 8 Train Simulator. Once again thank you so very much. WAHOO.

msdgbar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What they really should have done to end the
> confusion was to create two different programs.
> One would been called the Mojave Sub edition. The
> other would have been called the Needles Sub
> edition so on so on and so forth. BTW. This thing
> has a real steep learning curve to it. It's hard
> but educating. Thanks a lot for all of your help.

You are most welcome. Totally agree. This has confused a LOT of people. They need to do something to make it much more clear that the Mojave Sub is the base simulator (just call it Run 8 Railroad Simulator!), and you go on from there. Much better packaging of the progression needed. These guys are experienced from way back with MS TS in its earliest days and thereafter, but sometimes you wonder....

Glad to know it all worked out. And as noted by 66 in a previous post, I agree that the folks on DAMS are a great resource. Come to think of it, I'm overdue for some multiplayer time on the DAMS server. Maybe I'll see you there sometime soon. Enjoy Run 8!

MC
Columbia, Missouri

ironmtn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Glad to know it all worked out. And as noted by 66
> in a previous post, I agree that the folks on DAMS
> are a great resource. Come to think of it, I'm
> overdue for some multiplayer time on the DAMS
> server. Maybe I'll see you there sometime soon.
> Enjoy Run 8!
>
> MC
> Columbia, Missouri

there is a "calling all high seniority hoggers" session on the dams server this Saturday and they are great sessions to run in. all the info you need is in the dams forum under the "planned sessions" thread/section. enjoy.....

66