Berliners drive bus!

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by CCIP

I would love to get this, but for the moment I'm forced to boycott their products unfortunately. I bought their Berlin Subway simulator that I cannot get working on Win7. That requires a different .exe file than the one provided with the game, which will only work on XP - caused by the DRM system installed by aerosoft. On the support forums, the developers refuse to provide this file since the Win7 exe removes the DRM, instead asking players to contact Aerosoft support to request the file. Contacted Aerosoft support, twice... never a response

I loved the product when I got it to work on XP (at poor performance on my old, dying PC that has since been decommissioned), but unfortunately until they fix up that one, I have to say no to further titles. The looks of this are superb however - and I can vouch for the fact that this is an attention-minded developer

I have WOS2 as well, and when migrating from XP to W7 64bit, I had to replace the exe indeed. Short mail, with my activation number and a brief reference to the posting of their staff describing the problem, was enough. They sent me a link where to download the new exe, and I was done.

Explicitly refer to the staff posting, and give your acitvation code, or any proof of sale.

Hülsmann - the name rings a bell. Beep-soundtrack developer for the Amiga. Katakis.

However, OMSO is done by two guys who started this as a hobby, remembering their schooldays in Berlin in the 80s when they used to drive bus every day, when going to school. They have nothing to do with TLM, which is the developer of the train simulator module Berlin Subway, featuring the Line 2 and I think 5, and the standalone products of the Worl of Subway label.

The English Subway sim of theirs is making good progress. Visually, they are stunning, just with the speed limits on the track they have not taken it too serious, The signs and limiotations are their, but it has no consequence if you go racing. Physics are believable, however, the best I have seen in any train-related stuff. Looks are very nice, and the sounds as well.

Cannot say I am a fan of their aerosoft launcher system. Even the boxed CD version uses it to register and check for nupdate OMSI. Well, I do not have too much busioness with them anymore anyway, since I have all stuff for FS9 that I wanted, and do not buy anything for FSX, which I do not have.

P.S. If anyone gets it and wonders how to handle the menu, ask and I see if i can help. As I said, in that regard it is fully functional and offers all you can desire, but really: it is rough around the edges. One would have done it that way 10 or 15 years ago. I forgive it this time, it is just two hobbyist doing it, no studio.

Expect some occasional unfriendly language when you drive bad, Berliners are known for their constant unfriendliness. Also, the sim uses TrackIR. Many videos at youtube.

When the download version was opublished, the storm of the crowd was soo intense that they brought down and locked their servers for two days.

[Skybird]

Ah, and Oberon - this is for you and all you other train-riding Brits!

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Ah, and Oberon - this is for you and all you other train-riding Brits!

Yup, Stumbled across this last night, and my jaw hit the floor. It's wonderful. A few little niggles such as the door closing chimes being a bit short and the AI trains coming into stations a little bit too fast (they do come in fast in reality but not quite that fast). Also hearing the announcement from the AI train coming in...but really those are tiny niggles.
Would be pretty nifty if they could put in the OPO monitors on the platform end...but I think that would be rather hard to do. Would eliminate the need to open the doors and look down the train too.
But, seriously, I will be getting this.

[onelifecrisis]

Honestly, you Germans!

[Skybird]

I use to think of train sims as something like animated email-postcards - the gaming value is not staellar, but if you know the places, you will like it due to the memories. It also is 1/2-1 hour of very relaxed, laid-back gaming. Occasionally, that is nice.

[Oberon]

Periodically I'll load up Railworks and just do some shunting with a little tank engine. It's nice and relaxing.

[Skybird]

The OMSI community is already hacking away: many new bus skins, and even the first additional maps already are out.

Can't judge their quality, but it shows that the editors are functional, and tempting for mod-makers.

So far they all seem to use the Spandau city textures to create different places and towns as well, but these textures also can be replaced. Which means more work, of course.

I'm sure there will be quality addons being made sooner or later. This sim is too good, and many people out there are enthusiasts.

[CCIP]

RE: WoS - thanks to some help, I was able to obtain the new exe from Aerosoft. Hooray! This does, however, mean that I can put off this purchase for a bit while I explore another sort of Berlin transport.

Here's what I'm wondering now, if I had to choose between this and the coming TML Studios San Francisco Bus/Tram/Cablecar sim (which should be out this year)... What would you choose? It seems to me like the answer might well be "both" at the end, although it's hard to judge a piece of software that's not yet out...

[Skybird]

By what I see on youtube, the NY bus title by TLM is not the one I would choose over OMSI. I think - and feedback in German forums seems to support that - that OMSI is the better sim. However, let'S see what TLM does in SF. They seem to create the bigger game world. Whether or not that translates into better gaming value, remains to be seen. For the time being, I recommend OMSI. The driving model and traffic model simply is so very very convincing. And I really like the looks of it. Especially dawn/sunset combined with fog/bad weather, is atmospheric. And needing to manipulate the buttons on the cashdesk automat and calculate the change correctly, makes me giggle all ride long.

"Junga Mann, wo hamse den bloß fahren jelernt, eh?"
"Boah, fährt der Scheiße!"
(both original quotes )

[Skybird]

I am totally hooked. For the past weeks, I have driven this simulation excessively, something in it is totally addicitve. The attention to detail in driving behavior and system simulation is excellent, even the smallest technical nuances and differences in acceleration and breaking behaviour of the several bus types are modelled, from physics down to sound. For the time being this simulation has brought my interest for any other racing, driving of flying sim practically to a full halt.

Users at German and British Amazon give it just excellent marks. There as well as in German forums, several bus drivers described how incredibly close the physics and system simulation are to reality, under all driving conditions.

The sound is awesome - practially identical to reality in all details and nuances, really! And the bus models also vary in details. They all sound 100% identical to reality. Sound even changes when you open the windows. Especially regarding sound, this simulation to me is now my official benchmark for reproducing reality. I cannot remember any other cockpit simulation doing such a perfect job in this regard.

I want to point out that there is also plenty of atmosphere if you combined heavy weather (rain and snow) with darker time of day, or even night, the graphics they have implemented are excellent, but do shine best when using them not in clear bright spring weather.

It's a bit surprising for myself that thgis fascinates me for so long time now.

By subject, this might not be the most complex of all simulations, but it is difficult nevertheless, and what it does it does unbelievably good. For that reason, I now see this as a truly hardcore simulation. I even learned to love the menu interface which at first is a bit rough around the egdes - but quite powerful.

Meanwhile, several additional tracks have been released by the community. But I have not checked them.

Meanwhile many videos have been released at youtube. Esoecially those focussing on bad weather and night rides should catch your attention.

For newcomers, I recommend to drive not in the rush hours, there is much more traffic, and many trucks, making your lanes at some parts stressfully narrow. Traffic density and pedestrian density vary with time of day.
Currently no other cockpit-simulation of any kind in use over here. And this due to a bus driving sim!

If you have a general interest in vehicle simulation, consider this to be a must-buy. Prefer it to any train simulation, subway simulator and any other bus game there is. This is a true gem under an unconspicious surface.

If your rig allows, increase the default density for cars and passengers. When the traffic density mimics the real traffic you meet in Berlin - that is when the challenge starts!

[Skybird]

English Tutorial 1 + 2



Control of the IBIS, automatic route signs and ticket printer :

There are also older machines. You even need to handle the coin chipper in the cashdesk.

For some reason, the guy choosed the alternative track, fictional Grundorf, not the full track from real Spandau, which is much more detailed.

[Skybird]

I have checked their forum and have chosen several tracks map-makers have composed. While I did not expect too much, I was surprised again of how soon some maps have been brought out that can equal the quality of the original Spandau map, and/or chnage the feeling of the whole sim by adding hills, short overland trips with villages, and several settlements in loose order that look and drive quite differently. Very, very nice, and adding to the challenge when doing hillclimb on snowy road with many tight twists and turns, and very differently feeling driving experiences in different locations.

If you are stopped from testing this sim because it only includes one realistic Spandau track and a smal fictional training town, don't worry any longer, some maps at least are already out that will complement the default track very nicely, varying difficulty and the overall experience. The Spandau track consits of many quite straight streets, but it is also much fun to manover in a small oldtown with tight roads, or the gentle sways of a German "Landstrasse".

I can't stop to be amazed. Even the many different breaking types the bus models include, now pay off, helping you when going up- or downhill including ABS... One can only say thank you to the two guys putting the physics packlage together so competently. They needed 4 years for this sim and are still in the middle of their university studies. They did it because they remembered their shared experience of riding the bus to school every day just some years ago.

The addon maps real "Duisburg", and fictional "Kulmnock" and "Bad Kienzau" I liked best so far, in this order. Especially the first two could have been put into the sim release without giving away that they were not done by the programmers.

Not all addon maps are worthwhile to download. Check forum entries and feedback before choosing, it is obvious that some are unfinished works or were done for testing the editor. All in all it seems you can find and pick 3-4 dozen additional maps until today in various different, international forums.

[Skybird]

For the last couple of months I somehow lost OMSI out of sight - and now finding out the sim is healthier and more alive than before.

There always was much solid track-making going on, with the fictional city of Kulmnock being probably my favourite mod-track. Also, plenty of bus-skins and new-bus making. OMSI 2 is in he making. But this summer also has seen 3 commercial addons being released. I could not resist - I bit all those three baits.

First, there is Hamburg Day&Night, a recreation of the lines 109 and 688 (not improved, no...) with a total track length of 15 km. It installs new buildings and -skins, new car models (modern ones), new Hamburg Ciuty busses from the years 1993 and 1994, and a wonderful constuction of the city along the tracks, very diverse, very different in feeling to Berlin Spandau, a joy to drive, really. The total length of the lines in regular service consumes around 100 minutes in real time. For comparison. I think the Spandau default track was 13 km in length, but I am not sure. Physics and souinds are again benchmark quality, this simulation always was doing a fanatstic job in these regards.

Then there is Vienna, "Wien - Hochflurbus LU200", coming with new bus models around the type LU200-M11, bus line 24A as it was in 2005, original announcer recordings from Vienna Stadtwerke, new and original buildings along the track to recreate a realistic impression of the city looks, and the Vienna trolley line and subway . Again, great job done with much of different city flavour, although the track is shorter, it really is high quality stuff in the OMSI world.

Finally there is "Stadtbus O305", modelling the most iconic standard bus in Germany there ever has been and which serviced all across Germany and in all cities in the 70s. It comes with a fictional small city called Neuendorf, which is not too big, but features nevertheless several variations to the bus lines and several city districts of different looks and feelings. This addon also features the first official manual-gears bus in the OMSI world, as far as I know.

All these addons come from Aerosoft, and since it was said early that OMSI 2 shall be compatible with addons for OMSI-1, I am confident that the investment is not short-lived (even more so since you can operate Omsi 1 and 2 parallel to each other). There are many free community-addons, I know, but only few of them for me ran flawlessly and without obvious bugs, also demanded with each version released more additional mods being installed for traffic signs, AI traffic logic, and som much more, so I stopped to care for the hassle of keeping all thes elibrariewrs updated and install always new preconditions for the latest versiuons of the tracks I downloaded. An exception is Kulmnock, which really is a very well-dine job, I liked it from its first (limited) incarnation on.

I end with some video links, and the advise I always give on OMSI: do not compare this simulation with the other little bus games out there, for it does not compare. This one is real world physics, real world sounds, very well done vehicles looks and good looking cities with best traffic routines I have ever seen in any driving simulation, generally speaking (though not perfect). There is a reason why I am loyal to this simulation since so long time now, and when I previously called its sounds "benchmark" quality, then I mean it. Busses cannot sound more realistic in a sim, currently. And I compared to probably most if not all other commercial bus games there are.







There are many Let'S play videos on all titles available. Aerosoft's product pages also hold ready many screenshots.

I forgot to mention: all bus cockpits again shine with great realism and photorealistic looks.

[Skybird]

I have driven deep into the Hamburg package, and it probably is the best track I have seen for OMSI so far. Of the three packs mentioned beofre, Hamburg is the one to choose. I can understand that some people say they like it even better than Spandau from default-OMSI. Not only does it look different and gives a different atmosphere - the track also is challenging to drive at times, due to some really narrow passages (that are like that in reality).

The Bus for Hamburg also has a completely nerw sound pack. One must get used to it, it spounds different and for itself: very good, but I am not certain that it is as subtly modelled as the default sounds, somehow it is muted. But it has a different announcement system as well, and a very modern one, quite some things different with that bus. Very good combo, this map and this bus! I have spent more on some FSX addons and got much less!

The City Bus pack o305 I rate second place of the three, that map becomes a hidden love of mine. Vienna is third.

Somehow, Vienna makes me depressive. Very strange emotional reaction it triggers in me. I must find out the suicide rates they have there. I should not play this too often, to prevent boosting the number by one.

[Schroeder]

With all the bad news you constantly post on this forum I'm really surprised that something can depress you.