Simulator World 09 2013 Aerosoft Edition Eng

SIMULATOR WORLD 9/2013 1
Your free simulation games magazine! AEROSOFT Edition 9-2013

Industrial re brigade simulation
Flight Simulator X
Airbus X Extended
Train Simulator 2013
Three Country Corner Route
River Ship Simulator 2012
Inland Waterway Transport
Fire Brigade Simulator 2014
Inland Waterway Transport ........................................................................... 13
P. 13
VRInsight
MCP Combo Boeing ............................................................................ 10
P. 22
Train Simulator 2013 Flight Simulator X
P. 17
P. 26
Airbus X Extended ........................................................................... 17
Flight Simulator X
Along the Three Country Corner Route ................................................................................... 22
Editorial ................................................................................................................. 03
INDEX
Simulator-News ....................................................................................................... 04
Imprint/ Preview ............................................................................................. 30
Industrial re brigade ........................................................................... 26
EDITORIAL
Dear readers!
I am still the newbie here at simulator World and also
fairly new to the genre of simulators outside of ight
sims. But I am slowly nding my feet and getting to
know the different products available. The one thing
that surprises me the most is the huge variety of si-
mulator games available and what a huge array of
topics they cover.
For this issue alone I had to take control of a ship
and became a reman at an industrial estate. Of
course, we also cover the more common software
products such as FSX. I was asked to test Aerosofts
Airbus A320 Extended package. Not easy for some-
one who has spent many hours on Boeing ight
decks.
By being asked to test new software all the time I am
constantly being taken out of my comfort zone and
asked to learn new technical details and new skills.
This is probably the most enjoyable part of playing
simulators and if you are keen to widen your horizon
I would urge you to look at some products you might
not have considered before.
I certainly try to create a guideline for newcomers to
certain products and help them understand what is
involved. So if you like the sound of anything I write
about, dont be shy. Give it a go. So far I have always
had a great time.
Stefan Verjee-Lorenz
Editor Simulator WORLD
editors@simulatorworld.de
Simulator WORLD Edition 9
SIMULATOR-NEWS
OMSI Hamburg - Day & Night
OMSI HAMBURG DAY & NIGHT is an add-on for OMSI
- The Bus Simulator for PC. Drive your 40ft city bus
from the 1990s in multiple versions on the authentic
Hamburg bus line 109 and 688. Discover 9.3 miles (15
km) of road with more than 100 minutes driving time
while passing famous Hamburg tourist spots such as
the city hall, main station, St. Michaelis church and
the Reeperbahn in St. Pauli (take the night bus!) .
The timetable system and all technical details of the
buses have been specially created for this contempo-
rary scenario. The genuine experience is completed
by original sounds, photo textures, stop announce-
ments, new tickets, passenger sounds, modern Euro
money, up-to-date AI vehicles, many new color sche-
mes and licenses from the original trafc companies.
Features
Hamburg bus lines 109 and 688 including all re-
al-world buildings, streets, and for the rst time
ever altitude differences in the terrain
15 kilometres through the city and outskirts
(100 minutes of driving time altogether in the
schedule)
Hamburg town buses from 1993 and 1994 (various
variants and paintworks)
Discover sights such as Jungfernstieg, Michaelisl
and the Reeperbahn in the night bus
New, contemporary AI vehicles
Complete with digital ticket printer, Euro curren-
cy, new tickets and original announcements etc.
More information at www.simulation4u.com
More add-ons: www.aerosoft.com
Add-on for the Microsoft Flight Simulator X
LONDON-HEATROW
EXTENDED
ADD-ON
S
O
O
N

AVAILABLE!
AES - Version 2.32
AES (Airport Enhancement Services) is taking over the
complete control on of your aircraft on the ground
In Flight Simulator X. A follow me van will be wai-
ting for you that brings you to the gate or parking of
your choice. As you get close to the gate you will see
a 3d marshaller with detailed animation that guides
you to your location and even signs you to cut your
enigine(s). Then he plugs in his headphone and tells
you the blocks are in location. At the same moment
the jetway starts moving towards your aircraft and
will prfectly align to the door on your aircraft (any
aircraft). If the gate has dual jetways both will work.
Even the rubber seal that keeps out the rain is ani-
mated.
Airport Enhancement Services has just been updated
to version 2.32 and supports many new airports. Now
we assume you know this bestselling product alrea-
dy so let us share some things you might not know.
AES now supports 401 airports for FS2004 and 260
for FSX. For 111 airports in FS2004 and 57 airports in
FSX you do not need ANY credits thus are totally free
of charge for the user. And for sure we do support
freeware as 55 of the supported airports are freewa-
re. Get the latest AES version now!
You can nd more information at www.aerosoft.de
SIMULATOR-NEWS
Berlin-Wittenberg Route Train Simulator 2013
More than 150 years after its opening the Anhalt
Railway presents itself as a modern trafc carrier
with travelling speeds up to 200 km/h.
Despite all modernity, traces of the past are obvious
left and right of the tracks such as signal boxes, sta-
tion buildings, old locomotive depots. The developer
tried to capture this atmosphere in the add-on Ber-
lin-Wittenberg.
Experience 118 km of electried main line, the line to
the new Berlin Airport BBI, 12 km of Berlin tramway.
Pass through the Berlin city tunnel, the Southern
suburbs of Berlin, along the Sdgelnde, Lichterfel-
de-Ost station where the worlds rst electric tram-
way started, through the Nuthe-Urstromtal, via the
Flming Heath to the Elbe where Luther once posted
his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church of Wit-
tenberg.
With this add-on you can explore cities, landsca-
pes, enchanting nights and a great sky above Berlin,
Brandenburg and Saxony/Anhalt on one of Germa-
nys most important railway lines.
Features 115 km twin-track, electried main line from
Berlin Central Station (low level) to Berlin Branden-
burg Airport (which obviously is not yet the case in
real life) and to Lutherstadt Wittenberg. 12 km tram-
way line (Line S25 from Teltow Stadt to Potsdamer
Platz) with third rail and specic signalling, rolling
stock double-decker coach RE160 with matrix display
and10 scenarios.
More information at www.train-world.com
SIMULATOR-NEWS
Airport Ground Crew Simulation
Airport Ground Crew Simulation is an exciting pro-
fession and technology simulation where you join a
team of airport ground control workers to experien-
ce the important daily routine of servicing aircraft
when they are parked at the terminal stand in readi-
ness for take off or immediately after landing.
As a member of the airport ground Control crew
youll need to operate a selection of vehicles that will
prepare aircraft for their long ights around the wor-
ld. Whether they are heading to the sunny shores of
Florida or to the brisk wintery areas of Switzerland,
all that matters to is to make sure that these planes
have all requirements met before they take off.
Planes will need to be refuelled, catering will need
to be stocked up and cargo will need to be loaded.
Of course youll also need to operate the jet bridge
to allow customers onto the jet and begin their ho-
lidays!
However there are also other jobs that will need to
be completed in order to maintain a successful air-
port and the safety of your aircraft and its passen-
gers. This includes using the de-icer to remove ice
from the wings of aircraft and using the pushback
tractor to place the aircraft in a position to begin ta-
ke-off procedures.
Youll be responsible for maintaining the airport so
that it provides efcient and safe preparations. Once
these planes are in the sky, itll be difcult for them
to refuel! Can you handle the pressure of several shift
work as planes take off and land at your airport?
More information at www.excalibur-publishing.com
SIMULATOR-NEWS
www.excalibur-publishing.com
D
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!
Driving Simulator 2013
The ultimate driving package is back! Driving Simula-
tor 2013 lets you get behind the wheel of several dif-
ferent vehicles each with their own special missions
for you to complete.
Whether you want to chase down criminals in the
police squad car, set the best track in the sports car or
cruise down the motorway in the camper van, youll
nd a vehicle right for you.
Driving Simulator 2013 returns, become a master of
the road as you complete vehicle specic missions
ranging from using a tow truck to setting the best
times in an off road track. With a eet of vehicles
to choose from, youll be able to drive the way you
want whenever you want.
Set across three cities, youll have the chance to dis-
play your driving prowess by avoiding oncoming ve-
hicles and being cautious of trafc violations. Howe-
ver if youre not yet a master, you can participate in
the brand new driving school where youll take on a
great selection of missions that will train you to the
highest level.
More information at www.excalibur-publishing.com
SIMULATOR-NEWS
VRInsight MCP Combo Boeing
Control panel for Flight Simulator
The MCP (Mode Control Unit) is one of the key com-
ponents on a modern aircraft and used on each and
every ight. So when I was asked to test VRInsights
MCP Combo panel I was very excited. After all, the
way ight sim pilots are expected to interact with
the virtual aircraft has often bothered me. Could this
unit spell the end of clumsy mouse wheel adjust-
ments and hunting for click spots?
The concept
The idea behind this product is actually quite clever.
The unit is not just an MCP but consists of and EFIS,
MCP and COMM/Nav part. Commands like gear up/
down and aps up/down are also mapped to the de-
vice. I guess the idea is to only have to use this one
unit.
Combined with a yoke, thrust levers and pedals this
would mean that during a ight, the keyboard and
mouse would just sit idle. So really it is all there to
make the customers life as easy as possible. But does
it?
In-ight
Once you are on the ight deck with everything set-
up it all works quite well. I gave myself some radar
vectors for an approach. Change of altitude and
speed are very easy to set. The unit reacts a bit diffe-
rently to the real world MCPs so it took me a while
to get used to it, but once you get the hang of it, it
all works ne.
Also changing frequencies and switching between
different navaids is very easy and comfortable. No
more using the hat button to look down and hunt
for that tiny switch somewhere on the centre conso-
le. So, it really does make ones life a lot easier, right?
I am afraid not.
User friendliness
As I said before, once set up it all works ne. But to
get there you will need a lot of time and patience.
And every time you decide to swap aircraft you will
need some more of the same.
The unit comes with a DVD which includes a myriad
of installers and manuals. Once you have found what
you need it is time to work your way through several
pieces of software to set up the MCP. None of them
are user friendly and the included manuals are less
than helpful.
It took me no less than two hours (and the friendly
help of some people online) before I could connect
the unit to the default FSX 737. The set-up software
refused to nd any other aircraft. Once it did but af-
ter linking the unit to the PMDG 737NGX the unit its-
elf could not be found anymore. So the default 737
is all I got.
The manual claimed that there should be a device
specic module I have to install. I looked for it on-
line and on the DVD without success.
VRInsight MCP
VRInsight MCP
On the left side you will
nd an EFIS panel. The MCP
combo comes ready for seve-
ral add-on aircraft including
the PMDG 737NGX.
The mid section replicates a
real world MCP and allows
the player to set things like
altitudes, speeds or headings
and of course choose the
mode the FMS should y in.
On the right side there is a
combined COMM/NAV pa-
nel. This makes choosing
frequencies a lot quicker and
easier than with the mouse.
Because I have deadlines to meet I was left with a li-
mited test using only the MCP/and NAV/COMMs part
of the panel. And I think this is a shame because I
could see great potential in this product.
The idea to never have to use the mouse or the key-
board again and to make all selections from a stylish
looking piece of hardware really excites me. But if it
takes almost as long to set up as it would to conduct
a ight it is not really achieving what it set out to do.
There are other things too. Changing the contrast
and illumination of the MCP panel is something that
takes about 1 2 seconds in the real world by turning
a knob. For this unit you actually have to get a micro
screwdriver (really?), put it into a small whole and
turn a small screw inside into the right direction.
Conclusion
This could be the best piece of hardware on the mar-
ket and really worth its price. It could transform the
way we interact with our ight sims and save us time
and nerves.
I love the concept of having all this functionality com-
bined into one neat panel and it looks really good
too. But for me the hardware does not achieve what
it has set out to do due to very clumsy set up tools
and some not very user friendly design features.
The people I came across online that managed to set
it all up were really happy with this product and I
am sure so would I have been. But a product that is
as complicated and convoluted to setup as this one
is just not my cup of tea. Id rather spend my time
ying.

Infobox
S y y t e m s p e c i f i c a t i o n s
Compatible with Microsofts Flight Simulator X
and 2004 Original Boeing (FSX & FS2004), Ori-
ginal Airbus (FSX & FS2004), Level-D 737-600,
PMDG 737 & 747
Compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista
and Windows 7
USB 2.0 compliant connection for control inter-
face
Power source : D.C 5V (D.C 5V adaptor is inclu-
ded in the package)
Info: www.aerosoft.com
VRInsight MCP
Inland Waterway Transport
In this article I will be looking at a ship simulator.
There are a few different ones available but this par-
ticular one only deals with shipping on one specic
river, which is the river Rhine. So lets put our cap-
tains hat on and take command of one of the seven
included ships. The player map starts in Frankfurt
and ends at the border to the Netherlands. This me-
ans that steering a ship from one end of the map to
the other will take several hours. But lets not get
hasty. Before you get to go anywhere there is stuff
to do.
Getting your feet wet
I dont know anything about ships and so I decided
to play through the tutorial rst. A good idea as it
turned out because there are quite a few things to
learn. You start off with your own cargo ship and the
aim is to collect points in order to unlock other ships.
Before you start you need to open your logbook and
have a look at all the assignments that are available.
Once you have chosen one and conrmed that you
will take over that shipment you must nd the cor-
rect loading station and load your ship. If you haul
sand you will end up next to a large crane. Whilst
the crane can load your ship automatically you also
have the option to have a go at the controls and try
to load the ship yourself. It sounds easy, but it isnt.
Once the ship is loaded you have to raise the anchor
and set off. As mentioned above the map is huge and
with speeds of no more than 15 kph you will have to
get used to some very long journeys. If that sounds
rather tedious dont worry. The developers have in-
cluded several tools to accelerate your journey. You
can either speed up the simulation up to 10 times the
normal speed, or you can open the map, choose a
port closer to your nal destination and simply move
the ship there. Of course these actions wont result in
as many experience points and your overall progress
will be slower.
So slowly cruising along the river is really the best
way to get points. It may sound boring. But actual-
ly it isnt really that bad. The landscape surrounding
the river looks very nice and there is plenty of trafc
to keep you busy. The river also has shipping lanes
which you should stick to in order to stay safe.
Controlling a ship
It all sounds very nice and easy going. And it has to
be said that the general feel of the game is some-
what relaxed. This changes however when the player
has to manoeuvre the ship into tight harbours and
dock it right next to a crane. The inertia of objects in
a free owing medium is huge and given the large
weight of these ships they take a very long time to
react to any kind of input. You really need to think
ahead and plan how to get into some of the tighter
spots. Also when reversing some controls are rever-
sed so it can get a bit confusing. But with a little bit
of practice and some patience it starts to become ea-
Speeding along! Whilst the
focus of the game lies in the
heavy transport ships there
is also time for some fun
activities such as zooming
about in a small speed boat.
There is plenty of trafc to
keep you busy. Also the river
has quite a few sharp bends.
The scenery and the graphics
are very well designed and
create a great atmosphere.
sier over time. A perfectly aligned ship right next to
the docking point at zero speed feels like quite an
accomplishment. After you have docked at your des-
tination you will have to take care of the unloading
again. Once completed you are ready for your next
task. As you progress you will get several different
types of ships and so your tasks will change too. You
may have to ferry cars or passengers or even liquid
cargo later on.
As you drive along the river you can change the en-
vironment by selecting different weather and time
of day. Generally it has to be said that the graphics
are very nice indeed. The water looks very realistic
and so do the wave effects caused by the ships. If you
are more interested in technicalities than landscapes
you can of course enter the bridge of the ship and
steer it from there. There are lots and lots of fun-
ctioning controls and it may seem daunting at the
beginning. To help newcomers like me the game de-
velopers have added a small ? symbol. If selected,
every control item on the bridge that can be used is
marked with a small question mark and by clicking
on it players can read up on what it does.
Additional content
It is pretty much standard now that simulator games
such as this one come with a modding tool that al-
lows eager customers to create their own ships and
share them with the community. After a short search
online I found some new ships and even some super-
fast speedboats. Installation is very easy and before
I knew it I had a whole long list of ships to choose
from. This opens a whole lot of options to the player.
From chasing other trafc on the river with a fast
speed boat to taking control of real monster sized
ships.
Conclusion
If you are used to ying fast planes or driving high
speed trains within the genre of simulators then
this will be a bit of a shock for you. But not in a bad
way. The gentle swaying of the boats and ships, the
birds ying around and the beautiful scenery slowly
moving by, all create a very nice and relaxing atmo-
sphere. You can hear the water splashing against the
ships hull and see towns, castles and harbours slowly
going by. The docking or turning around of large,
heavy ships is a real challenge and should keep most
customers busy at the end of every long journey. So
if you want some relaxing time after a long day at
work this is actually pretty perfect. A nice and pretty
part of Germany seen from a ship.
Simmarket_f8
Aerosoft Airbus X Extended
Aircraft add-on for Flight Simulator
Some time ago I was asked by a friend of mine if I
would want to join him on a training session on the
A320. I gladly accepted and so we drove to a trai-
ning centre of one of Europes largest airlines. After
sitting in the jump seat and watching the session un-
fold the instructor told me that there was an emp-
ty slot before the next crew would be coming in.
And so I was given a quick crash course on the A320
ight-deck to get rid of some Boeing habits and the
chance to spend some time hand ying the bus.
One could argue that that doesnt make me the most
experienced Airbus pilot (and they would be correct),
but at least I was able to get a feel for the plane and
experience rst-hand what it is like to y an A320. I
will try to re-visit a lot of those experiences now as
I am testing Aerosofts Airbus X Extended package.
The package
This package contains the Airbus A320 and A321 se-
ries aircraft. There are several different versions in-
cluded, most notably the A320 with CFM engines and
sharklets. The list of liveries is extensive and covers 21
different aircraft with many more available for free
on-line.
Also included is an aircraft congurator, a fuel plan-
ner and route editor. In many ways I have to say this
is probably the most complete and extensive aircraft
package I have come across so far.
But quantity often means less quality, so how does
this product stack up?
Flying the bus
Flying a modern y-by-wire aircraft often means ma-
naging systems. This applies especially to the modern
airbus eet. And so, in order to get the most out of
this product I had to study many pages of documents,
study the checklists and read up on some airbus spe-
cic information.
That alone should already tell you that this is a highly
complex add-on. All the systems have been carefully
re-created and everything works just like it should.
One thing I was very keen on testing was the ight
envelope protection which was something of a no-
velty when the A320 was launched.
After trying to stall the aircraft, over speeding and
overbanking I quickly realised that the autopilot
is indeed always watching and will stop you from
doing something stupid. My worries of how this sys-
tem would react in FSX where all unfounded. Even
when close to a stall the aircraft applies corrections
authoritatively but smoothly and never overreacts.
The auto trim is also very nicely modelled and when
you put the aircraft in a climb and at a specic bank
angle and let go of the controls it will hold it for you.
Just like the real plane does.
Flight Simulator X
An actual passenger ight from A to B of course has
no such thrills. It is all about checklists and following
procedures. If all that sounds a bit daunting I have
good news for you. Aerosoft decided to include two
virtual pilots.
You can decide how much work load they take away
from you and if you wish they will even work their
way through all the checklists pushing all the right
buttons whilst you just watch and relax.
This feature can be toggled on and off on the right-
hand MCDU. Unlike on real aircraft the right MCDU is
there to change settings on the aircraft. It may seem
unrealistic but it is actually a very clever idea. Instead
of opening a menu and looking for the settings you
want to change you can do it all from the comfort of
the ight deck.
Flying-wise it really feels like I remember the A320
to be. I had lots of oh yes, I remember that mo-
ments. Particularly during the landing which is quite
different from a 737.
The aircraft is very stable and very nice and easy to
hand y. Switching off the autopilot at 15,000ft and
ying an aircraft all the way down to the runway by
hand has never been so much fun.
Looking good
Looks are of course a matter of personal taste, but
I have always thought that Airbus builds very be-
autiful aeroplanes. That was, until the A380 came
along, but that is a different story.
The outside model of this aircraft is simply stunning.
A great deal of effort went into all the animations
and the textures included are simply great. General-
ly the whole appearance of the aircraft inside and
out is just beautiful. The textures on the virtual ight
deck are crisp and easy to read.
The product also comes with a range of pre-program-
med views that can be selected by an optional menu
at the top of the screen. Clearly a lot of thought went
not only into all the systems and appearance but also
into user friendliness.
Sounding too good?
I guess by now we have established that I really like
this add-on, but there is one problem. And that
problem is the sound. I installed something called
the sound enhancement patch which I presumed
would really take me back onto the A320 ight deck.
But this was not the case.
Flight Simulator X
Included in the package are
the A320 and A321 series
with different engine vari-
ants. Also included are mo-
dels with the new sharklets.
The panel is crisp and clear
and looks great at night. Air-
bus really has designed some
very user friendly ightdecks
and Aerosoft has replicated
this to a very high standard.
Pretty much all switches and
buttons on the ightdeck
work and do what you would
expect them to do. With the
night lighting switched on
this Airbus is a joy to y in
the dark.
Flight Simulator X
Before becoming a pilot I worked as cabin crew for
many years. During this time I was trained on the A320
series as well as the A330/40 series. As such I have ex-
perienced hundreds and hundreds of take-offs from
the forward jump seat. The A320 is quiet, but not
that quiet. The roaring sound during take-off is very
pronounced in the forward part of the cabin and I
remember when the company I ew for introduced
the type, there were actually complaints from busi-
ness class passengers about the noise level during ta-
ke-off.
Personally it never bothered me but, yes there is a
rather mighty rumble going on in the front until
the aircraft reaches about 250 kts. This is completely
absent in this add-on and the aircraft just whispers
down the runway. In my opinion it is a real shame
because it somewhat spoils the atmosphere a little
bit. But then we are talking about something that
only affects the rst two to three minutes of the
whole ight, so I guess one could gloss over it.
Conclusion
Lets face it. Airbus fans have not had a great deal of
choice when it came to FSX add-ons. Certainly people
that enjoy highly realistic products such as the PMDG
range had to wait a long time for something Airbus
based to come along. It seems that Aerosoft has hit
the nail on the head with this one and if you would
like to nd out what ying an A320 is all about, then
this is the only add-on I would recommend right now.
Yes, it could do with a better sound set, but apart
from that it is simply great.
My hope is that Aerosoft will bring us the rest of the
Airbus family with the same systems depth and at-
tention to detail. There is still a rather big gap in the
FSX hangars around the world when it comes to the
Airbus family and I couldnt think of a better product
to ll it than the Airbus X Extended range.
Infobox
S y s t e m s p e c i f i c a t i o n s
Flight Simulator X or Prepar3D
Windows XP, VISTA, 7, 8
2 GB RAM
3,0 GHz processor
3D Graphics Card with minimal 512 MB
Harddisk1.8 GB
Mouse with mouse wheel
Control unit with throttle and rudder control
Info: www.aerosoft.com
Flight Simulator X
Accurate 1:1 scaled Cessna yoke
Full 180 degree turn radius
Stainless steel shaft with precision bearings
Quadrant with throttle, flaps, mixture & prop. pitch control
CESSNA

YOKE SYSTEM
YOKE FEATURE SET
Authentic Cessna pedal design
Self-cantering pedals with adjustable damping
Independent left & right brake axes
Tension adjustment dial
CESSNA RUDDER PEDALS
RUDDER PEDAL FEATURE SET
Designed after the real Cessna Trim Wheel
9 turns of revolution
Multi-point desktop mount
CESSNA

TRIM WHEEL
TRIM WHEEL FEATURE SET
CLOSER TO REALITY
madcatz.com
Cessna emblems, logos, and body designs are trademarks of Textron Innovations Inc. and are used under license by Mad Catz Interactive, Inc.
2013 Mad Catz, Inc. Mad Catz, Saitek, and the Mad Catz and Saitek logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates.
All rights reserved. Product features, appearance and specifications may be subject to change without notice.
Official Licensed Product
SAITEK.COM
magazine ad Saitek Cessna Products
NA 14DEC12 DH Sabrina 01.00
size : 8.3 x 11.7" (210x297mm), A4 full page ad
color : cmyk
dpi : 300dpi
100% scale
Along the Three Country Corner Route
With Taurus and co.
In this article about the JustTrains Three Country
Corner Route we will look at how a typical scenario
is put together along this route and what players
can expect when they enter a cab to start their jour-
ney.The route comes with 10 scenarios, 5 free roam
scenarios plus a quick drive option.
Because these scenarios have to work for all poten-
tial customers they all use default rolling stock. So
most of the time players will be driving the BR101
with German carriages.
Alternative Scenarios
Since the default rolling stock does not replicate the
real world the team that developed this route deci-
ded to create an alternative.
The same 10 scenarios that are included in the route
were cloned and given a new name so that they will
not interfere with the original scenarios. Then they
were equipped with more realistic rolling stock.
In order for these scenarios to work the customer has
to have the required rolling stock installed. The le
includes a .pdf le which lists all the required rolling
stock with links to the download sites.
Two of the locos are payware, but the rest is all free-
ware. The scenario-pack itself is free.
This scenario package is availabe at www.railsim.de
and was released on the same day as the route.
A look at the scenarios
All scenarios are numbered. Customers should play
at least the rst three in the correct order. The rst
two scenarios are introductions to the route. In the
rst one the player drives a REX (Regional Express)
train from Lindau to Bludenz.
There is an experienced driver in the cab who will
point out many interesting things about the route
and give some helpful tips. In the second scenario the
same experienced driver will accompany the player
up the steep and windy mountain pass. Like the rst
scenario, it is all made very easy and there is lots to
learn and to see.
From scenario four onwards things get a bit more
complex. In scenarios nine and ten the player will be
required to have good knowledge about the four si-
gnalling systems and be able to stick to tight time
tables.
If customers decide to download the above menti-
oned alternative scenario pack they will be confron-
ted with an extra task. Whenever the Taurus loco
crosses the border between Austria and Switzerland
the driver has to change from one electrical system
to another which means switching off the mains and
changing the pantographs.
The alternative scenarios also make use of the BR218.
In scenario number 7 the player is asked to pick up
some wagons from a quarry and take them to Wol-
furt.
Sounds easy enough but all other trafc has right of
way and so watching the signals becomes vital.
Along the Austrian and German part of the route
there is a PZB system included which was specially
developed for this route.
Default stock as well as most payware locos will react
to this system. If the player chooses to ignore speed
limits or signals it will trigger an emergency brake.
Highlights
Once the player has gotten used to all the technical
details and all the signals it is a good idea to stick
their head out of the window to take in a bit of the
landscape.
Between the German border and the station of Bre-
genz the route follows the shores of Lake Constance.
In Bregenz there is also a pretty harbour right next
to the tracks.
The station of Lindau is actually on an island and to
get there trains have to navigate a specially built rail-
way dam. The trains roll slowly past the boats, peo-
ple go for walks and there is lots of nice greenery
across the water.
Whilst driving along the pass it is always worth loo-
king outside for a bit. The most beautiful stretch is
probably from Hintergasse to Wald am Arlberg. Here
the route runs high above the valleys below and
across many bridges and viaducts and through some
short tunnels.
In scenario number 4 the player has to drive a special
train for the Lake Constance shipping Company jubi-
lee. In the alternative scenario pack the BR218 in TEE
colours is used.
Along the ride there are lots of train spotters along
the tracks and many more people in the harbours en-
joying the beautiful day.
Unfortunately there are no real shunting activities in-
cluded in the route. This is despite the fact that the-
re are many larger railway stations included in the
route where shunting is part of the daily business. In
Switzerland there is St. Margrethen and Rorschach,
in Germany there is Lindau and Reutin and in Austria
there is Feldkirch, Bludenz and Wolfurt.
In Feldkirch there is also a car loading station. It is
quite common in Austria for people to board an in-
tercity train and to take their car with them.
A special train pulled by the
BR218 is used in the scena-
rio From port to port.
The Taurus loco is the true
workhorse along this route
and can be seen very fre-
quently.
There is also lots to do away
from the main route. Here a
BR218 picks up some wa-
gons from the quarry near
Hohenems.
By far the longest scenario is called Down we go.
It is 70 minutes long and requires the player to drive
a very long and heavy freight train from St. Anton
down the pass to Wolfurt. There is lots of snow and
it is very cold. The loco has a tendency to slip and has
to be handled with care.
The included scenarios are good but dont seem to
make full use of the potential the route offers. There
hasnt been any word yet on whether JustTrains will
release any scenario packs.
In the meantime it is down to the community to pro-
vide the players with many more hours of fun in the
form of new and imaginative scenarios.
Plant Fire Brigade Simulator 2014
Everyday life of an industrial re brigade
There is a rising number of simulators available that
revolve around the world of the emergency services.
I guess it makes sense. After all you can have a nice
combination of the typical simulator features com-
bined with some action packed events that further
your career.
This time I will be looking at the Plant Fire Brigade
Simulator. A rather specic simulator, but dont let
that fool you. It comes with quite a lot to do.
The Storyline
As with all sims, you start off somewhere at the bot-
tom. In this case as an apprentice at a re station
located on a large industrial estate. The day starts
with a brieng where you will be assigned a vehicle.
It is your responsibility to keep all the equipment in
order and all water and fuel tanks full. You must also
clean the car from time to time otherwise your boss
gets a bit antsy.
Since you are on a large industrial estate it means
that the variety of things you have to deal with is
very large. From oil spills to car accidents and from
faulty re alarms to actual res in warehouses.
It is all in a days work for you. In between you must
look after yourself and your equipment. You will
have to make time to eat, drink and work out. All
this will have an impact on your performance.
Gameplay
This is the rst simulator game I have come across
that is set up like a rst person shooter game. Ever-
ything you see is from your characters perspective.
So, regardless of whether you are on the toilet, lif-
ting weights or driving a vehicle, you only ever get
to see your hands.
Whenever you walk towards an object or an area
where you can manipulate something, a small icon
with a symbol will appear. Clicking on it will activate
the action.
Whilst driving vehicles you will see a small dash-
board at the bottom which will allow you to do all
the things you would expect to be able to do in a car.
On the left there is a small map which helps you nd
your way around the estate.
It is a pretty large area so the map is crucial to get to
incidents in a timely manner.
This rst person approach to the game also allows
you to roam around freely wherever and whene-
ver you please. You can leave your vehicle and just
wander about. You can also explore the three stories
high re brigade building which is full of rooms and
things to discover.
Into the action
So how does all this come together?
After the brieng at the beginning of my shift I would
normally drive my vehicle to the workshop and clean
it.
I was forever being told off about the state of my
cars. I checked that everything was in order before
returning the car to the garage and grabbing a drink
and something to eat.
The incidents are random so you never know what is
going to happen and when. Sometimes I had to dash
out of the kitchen, run down the stairs and jump into
the car to set off. Oh, dont forget to open the gara-
ge doors before you jump into the car. That can get
embarrassing.
When the alarm sounds you get a brief description of
what has happened. Depending on that description
you will either drive on your own or with other ve-
hicles to the scene. Once you have arrived, you need
to assess the situation and decide what to do about
it.
In many cases it is also your responsibility to decide
when an area can be declared clear again. This has to
be done with caution. On a few occasions I thought I
had extinguished all res in a building and declared
it safe only to nd that I had missed something.
As a result I had a substantial number of collected
points deducted and in one instance was even demo-
ted.
So taking your time and being thorough is vital. The
only time when you shouldnt hang around is when
you are driving to the scene.
There is a time limit of how long you can take to get
there. Whenever an alarm sounds a stopwatch will
start at the top of your screen counting down the
seconds you have to get to incident site.
Positives and negatives
The rst person viewpoint is great and really makes
this game much more immersive than others I have
seen. It is also a game that never gets boring as there
is always something to do.
You may just be half way through washing the car
when the alarm sounds. When you come back you
notice that the water levels or fuel levels are low so
you need to take care of that before washing the rest
of the caroh and the stomach is rumbling as well.
The one thing I found a bit annoying was the way the
vehicles behave. I do not expect a highly realistic ve-
hicle simulator but rst of all you can only drive them
using the keyboard and secondly they are incredibly
difcult to manoeuvre, especially in tight places.
This is where you will nd
your vehicles. Make sure you
look after them and keep all
tanks lled up.
After a visit in a dark
warehouse we can report
that there was a false alarm.
Getting ready for the next
adventure. You can also
use your spare time to train
yourself on different types of
equipment.
There are also some other vehicles driving around.
I dont know whether there is a bug that needs to be
ironed out, but they seem to crash into each other a
lot.
They also drive in the middle of the road making it
difcult to overtake. None of them react to sirens
and the blue lights.
Also a pop up map would be great. The small map
in the corner can be zoomed out of but often it will
not zoom enough to show you the site you need to
get to.
The graphics on the map are also a bit ambiguous
and you never know whether you are approaching a
building or a wide open space as they are depicted
in the same colour. This can be a problem, especially
at night.
Conclusion
There are a few rough edges here and there but
apart from that this is a very enjoyable game. It is
very immersive and has a lot of depth to it.
The area the player has to look after is very large
and hosts everything from train stations to chemical
plants. The emergencies I came across were very va-
ried and increased in difculty as I progressed.
The graphics look good too with some nice effects
such as oil spills and explosions whilst ghting res.
If the developers could make driving and navigating
a bit easier (and maybe teach those other drivers
some manners) then this could be a winner.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 - Going East Add-On
Railroad X - successor of EEP 9.0
Preview EDITION 10/2013
Imprint
SIMULATOR WORLD
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email: moellenhof@simulatorworld.de

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