Open BVE PC Train Simulator Gets Overhauled
Now, please excuse my ignorance.
I know many people have model railways in their attic and many a child grows up wanting to be a train driver – heck I even know someone that drives on the London Underground!
I did not realise, however, the difficulty in actually driving one of these things until checking out OpenBVE.
Better still this has recently undergone some tweaking…..well…..actually it has been rewritten from scratch with improvements including finer physics, external views (BVE is strictly cab-based) and animated scenery have all been engineered with the first non-beta version going live today.
Don’t expect this to be an easy ride!
The scenery isn’t up to the likes of Crysis but there is a truly gripping sense of realism in the cab (not that I’ve ever driven a train).
It’s harder than I thought to keep to speed limits and even stopping at the right point in stations is a task in itself. Apparently it doesn’t get any easier as you have to learn how to control different engines and multiple-units.
Be warned – most trains will die every five minutes unless you heed those ATS alarms!
It is well advised to print off all those basic key commands and learning the start-up procedure – there are hints on the right side of the cab (use Ctrl + R to deactivate camera restriction if panning is impossible).
It’s good fun but a definite challange if you’ve never had a go at one of these before!
Check out the video below showing the Watford Junction to Rugby route 🙂
