Project "Blue Tram" - Rathgeber M5.65

AUGUST 2022 UPDATE

Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. We have been so hard at work that we simply didn't have time to share with you anything. Until now!

This is by far the biggest and most important update on our oldtimer Rathgeber M5.65 that we have made. Here is a brief changelog:

- completely rewritten controller scripts. Finally, the controller is fully linked to the air brake and we can say that we have simulated an authentic M-wagen behaviour.

- completely rewritten acceleration and dynamic braking, which also includes a dynamic brake onset delay, in certain conditions.

- implemented wheel slip condition, which also depends on tram loading (more people = more wheel loading = more traction = less slipping). Enjoy the sardine pack on board our tram, during the wheel slip tests!

- hand brake operation, emergency brake operation and sand hoppers are in different stages of implementation.

As we said, the volume of August's update is simply huge, and the tram is getting closer and closer to the BETA launch. Unfortunately, our time is getting more limited by the day, as we have all started jobs / studies again. As such, we don't have an estimate yet for when the BETA release, but we have a clear plan going forward on what needs to be done, and we will not rush with this.

See you in early October with the next update!

SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE

Welcome to another very script-focused update. In September, we have worked mainly on fine tunings and bug-fixes. These take up a lot of time and require many test drives. However, each time the oldtimer Rathgeber M5.65 is more and more pleasurable to drive.

In summary, here are the improvements:

- enhanced air brake characteristics depending on tram velocity. The air brakes are tricky, and you must release some of the air in order to achieve a smooth stop;

- enhanced controller power and brake inputs, to match real life top speeds for series, parallel and shunt operation;

- enhanced compressor, which now considers power shortages over separators or bad wires, as well as engines shifting the balance of electrical loads. Compressive power is dynamically affected at every moment.

Stay tuned for the next update which will take place around the 1st of November. Until then, enjoy two photos from a moody evening.

FLASH NEWS

This morning we have been notified that our technical-works tram shall remain in the depot to undergo preparations for an event. Nothing else is known at this stage. We advise to check back later this evening, at 19:00 UTC, for more information. 🚧🚋

Join us for a spooky ride onboard our oldtimer Rathgeber M5.65, filled to the brim with Bavarian history, culture, and symbolism. Reconnect past with present in a new and unique way, remembering the closure of line 26 in München on the 22nd of May 1993, reminiscing the legendary "Ein Wagen von der Linie 8", or taking inspiration from the museum Fahrschulwagen 2924.

All this while showcasing the latest scripts, sounds, textures and geometries that have been implemented since we've last shown our M-wagen from OMSI 2 on camera. This time, we take over from our (ghostly) colleague, entering shift and continuing on to the end of the line - the final destination.

Halloween design elements by Ana Baldovin

Repaint composition by RomanianWorks

This is ALPHA footage, and anything that you see & hear on this tram may be subject to change for the future BETA early-access version (which will be published on our Patreon page) or for the FULL version (which will be published for free, online). We do not have any release dates for the BETA or the FULL version at this stage.

OCTOBER + NOVEMBER UPDATE (+ PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT)

Hello and welcome to the latest update for the project. Last month we treated you to a special video. This time we will talk more about the actual work invested behind the video.

The repaint template of this tram has been an endless debate within the RomanianWorks team. The original template was severely lacking, and we were very restricted in what we could show. On the exterior, the tram appeared in low quality in all aspects: paintjob, stickers, body characteristics, etc.

A few months ago, we've decided to take on the massive task of retexturing, remapping and remaking the tram template. Our philosophy is that a good beta tram must be able to provide the users with easy access to make this tram their own. And this is what we did. Besides remaking the paintjob to original RAL colour codes, we have also remade all stickers according to original dimensions. New stickers were also added to the tram, and all stickers are [setvar] adjustable. Of course, these high quality stickers will be kept for the V1 release.

Moreover, we have implemented a highly versatile arrangement for designing special plates (route plate, destination plate and front plate), so that the player can further customise each repaint with the help of setvars, then drive the tram with the desired plate configuration.

Last but not least, we have received full dimensions for body adverts. Thus, the player will have 100% authentic templates for the body & roof adverts upon BETA release. But that's not all! We will design these templates so that the adverts will be fully compatible with the V1 release too, preventing modders from working twice.

With all that being said, we have an announcement to make... unfortunately, the BETA cannot be released in 2022, as we were hoping. This is because we decided to do A LOT MORE work than we originally planned for the BETA. This work includes:

- all of the above notes;

- high quality exterior components;

- brand new systems built from scratch;

- interior rebuilds.

All these elements are being done at very high standards, and will then be imported onto the V1 version. This means that the BETA will be closer to the V1 in some aspects. We hope you will understand and allow us to continue working to release a BETA tram that will be far superior than originally planned.

See you next month with the next update!

Seasonal greetings! ❄️☃️🚋 It's that time of year again, when we roll out our ChristkindlTram. But after years of pandemics and restrictions, the oldtimer Rathgeber is now... a bit over-crowded! 🥶 (OR: the team is hard at work calibrating wheelslip condition in diverse weather and passenger loading scenarios)

Map: Gråkallbanen - Gråkallbanen (Norway) [Semi-Fictive] [BETA]

Genuine Bavarian 🇩🇪

💙 Today we present you some of the external details that make our oldtimer Rathgeber M5.65 a genuine Bavarian.

🖼️ Whether we're talking about the rivets on the K sign, the last overhaul date, or even the 13th century Monk, every sticker has been specially hand crafted for this tram.

🚋 Of course, all these stickers will be present on the future BETA release, as well as on the final V1 release.

DECEMBER + JANUARY (MEGA) UPDATE

🚋 It's been a hot minute since we've last posted a progress update, as we enjoyed our Christmas break. But part of the enjoyment comes from working on our dear oldtimer Rathgeber M5.65, so we've done so much in the past 2 months!

🏖️ Let's begin with the things you DON'T see in the photos. The tram has received sand: two tanks have been added over the two front wheels. One must be careful with this precious resource - spray too much, and you run out of sand.

💙 Combining the sand lever with the emergency brake button, we've unlocked yet another classic M-Wagen feature: when the driver commands the emergency brake (track brake), the sand lever drops and activates sand automatically. Thus, we now have fully functioning emergency brakes and sand dynamics.

🧮 The added weight on just the 2 front wheels was a good chance for us to re-write the wheel loading calculations for more realism.

🤖 Another big milestone was achieved last month, when we finished scripting the AI behaviour. The oldtimer is fully AI-capable and AI drives realistically, depending on weather conditions.

🖍️ And finally, the things you CAN see in the photos: the front coupler has been removed via [setvar], with the classic mask taking its place. But the biggest success that we've registered is the completion of the advertising templates, which is a huge win for the project because:

- they are very easy to work with, versatile, and highly customise-able, allowing for full creative control

- they follow original dimensions, obtained with the help of our German friends (whom we can't thank enough!)

- they will be fully compatible with the future V1 release, so any ads that modders do for the future BETA will not be lost

👣 What are the future steps: auxiliary driving post, cockpit heating console, radio station and the "Dozler" heating element.

⚠️ If you'd like to support this project and get a copy of the BETA version once it is released, you can join us on Patreon. Some of you have asked where can they download the tram, after joining Patreon. Please remember, the tram is not available yet. Anyone who has paid us a Patreon subscription before or after the BETA release, will have access to the tram, even if they are not on Patreon anymore, as long as the email address used on Patreon remains valid. We have a full list with those who contributed, so rest assured, we will find a way to contact you when the time comes, if you are no longer our Patron. And if you have any questions about the project, you can contact us too, on Facebook, YouTube, WebDisk, Patreon, etc. We'll do what we can to help (but we can't give you a release date yet!). See you soon!

This AI feature is very map specific and schedule specific and it's very hard for us to implement and test. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that we will make it.

Thanks for the suggestion, we'll see what we can do. 😃

FEBRUARY 2023 MEGA UPDATE + RW ANNIVERSARY

Today, the RomanianWorks community celebrates 3 years of content creation for OMSI 2! Unfortunately we are so busy that we barely have time to look at what we have achieved in these past years. Rocar De Simon V1 (Rocar De Simon U412-260 pack) has been downloaded more than 4.2k times, and the upcoming V2 release will transform it into a "virtual museum". Our dear oldtimer Rathgeber M5.65 is currently receiving tons of new geometry, textures, sounds and scripts, and is getting closer and closer to BETA release. So let's talk about what makes this project update so MEGA.

The heating console has been fully modelled, and the heating script is finalised and realistic. We used real life scenarios and estimations to determine how hot the tram would get, in order to size the heating power of each stage. But why is heating so important? Because it is a trademark of the Rathgeber M-Wagen. These trams have remained legendary for their powerful heating (among other things, of course!), that could sometimes even melt the soles of the shoes, stockings, dresses, plastic bags, etc.

The auxiliary post has been modelled, scripted and "sounded" (?!). The complex braking mechanism of the "Ra" ("Rangieren" = shunting) operation has been fully recreated, and the added authentic + high quality sounds make for a delightful "Ra" experience.

To make the "Ra" 100% genuine, we have scripted the "driver has key" feature, which says that the reverser key can only be in one location at any given time. This means that one always needs to remember where they left the key! We took the opportunity to rebuild everything related to the reverser, and the reverser key itself is now safely stowed away in the driver's cupboard.

What are the future steps: radio station, the geometry of the "Dozler" heating element and scripting the AI behaviour in "Ra" mode.

If you'd like to support this project and get a copy of the BETA version once it is released, you can join us on Patreon. Some of you have asked where can they download the tram, after joining Patreon. Please remember, the tram is not available yet. Anyone who has paid us a Patreon subscription before or after the BETA release, will have access to the tram, even if they are not on Patreon anymore, as long as the email address used on Patreon remains valid. If you have any questions about the project, you can contact us on Facebook, YouTube, WebDisk, Patreon, etc. We'll do what we can to help (but we can't give you a release date yet!). See you soon!

[Patreon]: https://www.patreon.com/roworksomsi
[Facebook]: https://www.facebook.com/roworksomsi
[YouTube]: https://www.youtube.com/@romanianworks

FROHE OSTERN!

The last month was quite hectic for us (job-wise, in principal), so we've done little work to the M5.65. We couldn't miss out Catholic Easter however.

We're very short on time but we'll try!

📢 We're joining forces with FMTM!

🚋 We're very happy to announce that we've partenered up with Freunde des Münchner Trambahnmuseums e.V. (FMTM) and our virtual Rathgeber M5.65 will come with 2 new and licensed liveries!

💡 Freunde des Münchner Trambahnmuseums e.V. (FMTM) is an association of tram enthusiasts from Munich. Founded in 1989, it has a large expertise in Munich's tram system, and is the guardian of its history. FMTM's main focus is on restoring and exhibiting the heritage fleet, maintaining the extensive archive, and publishing the "Trambahn-journal" several times a year.

💛 The first FMTM livery, is an exact replica of the heritage M-wagen 2668 from MVG Museum in Munich. The roof adverts are also the original ones, which were fitted in the late 1990s.

💛 The second livery is a FMTM special. In support of their fundraising campaign "Der Tatzelwurm soll wieder fahren", we have created this special (fictional) livery, to encourage you all to donate money for the restoration of a very special Rathgeber: the unique P1.65 double-articulated car. More details can be found here: https://www.trambahn.de/der-tatzelwurm-soll-wieder-fahren

🎨 For this repaint we've drawn inspiration from the current FMTM livery, plus photographs from the FMTM archive, and used the chronological motif to portray the evolution of "The Tatzelwurm". As you may already know, we are not just about fun & games, but we also like to use our work to support local culture, history & initiatives, as we've done in the past.

💛 Last but not least, we thank FMTM for their kindness and crucial support to our project.

📢 [EN] [Blue Tram Project]: MAY 2023 PROGRESS UPDATE + IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

🚋 We know we've been a bit quiet with the project recently, as we've been very busy with our jobs or studies. Not to worry though! Our oldtimer Rathgeber M5.65 is still rolling forward and we can finally provide a preliminary release date.

⚙️ As the BETA is getting closer & closer to completion, the work becomes less interesting or visible. Improvements here, bugfixes there, additions that make the tram more user-friendly, etc.. At the moment, the last big work package is the metre gauge truck, after we sadly discovered that the radio station "Telefunken" cannot fit into the BETA cockpit and will have to be postponed for a future iteration of the project. Once again, huge thanks go to our German friends, who have been pillars of this project and have been helping us out constantly.

🏁 And now, saving the best for the last, we are pushing for a Patreon BETA release in the second half of July 2023, as a preliminary date. We will give you more precise information as we get closer to the finish line. See you soon! Until then, enjoy this photo of a high-speed chase.

JUNE 2023 UPDATE

Hi guys and welcome to our last monthly project update before the BETA release on Patreon! Over the last month, we have been very busy doing all sorts of adjustments, improvements or optimisations around the tram.

Let's see the main work packages that are now complete:

- the windshield wiper is now fully functional, both in automatic mode (2 speed settings) and in manual mode (moved by hand);

- flat wheel condition - for the first time in OMSI 2, a badly maintained tram will develop a flat wheel (essentially, a soundpack dependent on the maintenance condition set by the player). This will not affect the performance of the tram, however, the ride will be much, much noisier;

- Eberlinsee & Schoenau repaint & hof pack has been finalised, and we could not resist a celebratory photoshoot to mark (and test) the progress;

- new [SETVAR] options for placing the fleet numbers and for the disappearance of the shift number box have been added for more modding flexibility;

- new & high quality motor ventilation grilles have been added, thanks to our German friends who have been most helpful;

- we've implemented a new set of sounds for application and release of the air brakes, which adds to the immersive experience, together with improved compressor sounds;

- we have started writing a detailed driver's manual for our #Mwagen, which will be essential to correctly operate all its complex functions.

Last but not least, we are aiming for a BETA release around the date of July 15th, 2023. We will keep you updated as we go along.

See you soon!

[VIDEO]: "Cold start" Procedure

https://youtu.be/5uVyOBLj6VU

We are roughly one week away from BETA phase release, and we are hard at work, writing handbooks and making tutorial videos, for you guys to be able to learn how to drive and enjoy our oldtimer tram to its full potential.

Join us for a quick warm-up video, in which we learn how to start up the tram, in the early hours of the morning.

Metre Gauge Pack

🛠️ We have one last surprise-update before the release, as this has just been finished. The oldtimer Rathgeber M5.65 has finally been adjusted for metre gauge operation. This work package was more complex than narrowing down the 3-axis truck, as we tried to make it as realistic as possible.

⚙️ To do that, we modelled the square wheel extrudes (which so far were simply 2D textures), and the middle-axis flap, which is pushed out by the wheel when the curves are tight. Of course, these are trademark features of the M-Wagen, so we couldn't miss them for the BETA release. All this was possible thanks to our friends from Germany, who helped us with measurements to make everything up to scale!

🎨 This feature-pack is [setvar] adjustable, so if you want your repaints to be configured for metre gauge operation, the truck is narrowed, and the square extrudes together with the middle flap disappear. This is realistic, as we took inspiration from Augsburg, which operated similar trams built by MAN. Last but not least, we couldn't resist recreating the Augsburg historic liveries on our M5.65, because they look so cool and fitting!