Train Driving Simulation (Concept)

Train Driving Simulation

CONCEPT

A sub-genre of simulation games focusing on driving a train along the rail line, usually from a first-person cab-view perspective.

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Overview

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Train Driving Simulation (often known simply as "Train Simulator", also known as "Rail Driving Simulator" and "Unten Simulator") is a sub-genre of simulation games that focus solely on driving rail vehicles (mainly trains) along a rail line, usually in a first-person perspective from the train's cab. This is not to be confused with industrial train simulators (which are not sold as "games", but rather training tools) and railway management games (such as the A-Train, Transport Tycoon (Game), and Railroad Tycoon (Franchise) series).

Unlike other vehicle simulation games, train driving simulators has a limited amount of controllability as there is no direct steering involved, with controls usually limited to controlling the train's throttle and brakes, both in multiple granual stages. Much of the gameplay aspect is going from station-to-station, following the rail line's rules (such as speed limits, train signals, and use of the train horn). Some series build upon this concept in multiple ways:

Most Japanese games of the genre focus on commuter travel and tend to have an "arcade" feel, often including game modes where players are graded based on following both the speed limits and the tight timetables. Much of these games also focus on precise parking at each station, with one nickname for these games being "Braking Simulators". Some of these games also utilize real-life footage as full-motion video for the cab window, which adjusts the video playback speed depending on the train's speed.
Most games developed outside of Japan tend to focus on authentically recreating the train driving experience in both commuter and freight scenarios, with players able to control various train actions (such as coupling). Some of these games are fully-immersive, allowing players to roam around the envrionment (inside and outside of the train) in a first-person perspective.

This kind of game is somewhat popular in Japan, as rail transport is the primary form of travel for most of its citizens. Worldwide, it is usually popular with multiple types of rail enthusiasts ("railfans"). Some of the more popular games, such as BVE Trainsim and Microsoft Train Simulator (Game), include modability support for custom routes, trains, and scenarios.

There have been some dedicated "cab controllers" for the sub-genre, which mimic real locomotive controls using throttle and brake levers. Multiple controllers have been sold for consoles in Japan for the Densha de Go! series, with some supporting the PS2 Train Simulator (Franchise) series. Overseas, the most common controller found is the RailDriver, which has been sold since 2003, supports a multitude of PC games, and features numerous programmable buttons, joysticks, and levers for more accurate simulation.

Notable Games and Game Series

Southern Belle (1985) - The first known first-person train driving simulator, which was developed by Hewson Consultants for European microcomputers and used wireframe graphics to simulate the driving of a steam locomotive on the Brighton Main Line in England (Location). It later received a sequel in 1987, known as Evening Star (Game).
Train Simulator series (1995-2007) - One of the earliest Japanese examples of the genre, and the pioneer of using real-life footage as full-motion video for the train cab's window. It was developed by Ongakukan (Company) (who later focused on industrial train simulators), with earlier games released on Windows PCs and Macintosh computers and later games released on multiple PlayStation consoles. Most of the games were released exclusively in Japan, with each of the 29 games focused on particular rail lines (most of which are in Japan). Also known as "Railfan".
Densha de Go! series (1996-present) - The most well-known Japanese train driving simulator series and the one prominently released in arcades. Developed by Taito, it recreates real Japanese train lines with fully-rendered 3D textured graphics and is a pioneer of the "arcade"-style train simulator, where players are scored on their performance and have a limited amount of penalty points before their credit ends. Numerous games were developed for both arcade and home consoles, all of which focus on Japanese trains and routes.
Mechanik: Symulator Pociągu EN57 (1997) - An obscure freeware Polish game in the genre for MS-DOS PCs, allowing players to drive a EN57 electric train. It is an early example of the genre, and had limited modding support.
Plarail series (1998-2010) - Most of the games based on Tomy's Plarail line of Japanese electric toy train sets are simple train simulation games for children. It also received some plug-and-play games (including Nihon'isshū Boku wa Plarail Unten-shi and Boku wa Plarail Unten-shi: Shinkansen de Ikou! Plus).
BVE Trainsim (2000-present) - One of the most well-known freeware Japanese games in the genre, known for its extensive modding support and continual development. An original open-source project, known as OpenBVE (Game), was later created to support the custom content used by earlier versions of BVE Trainsim.
Microsoft Train Simulator (Game) (2001) - Developed by the British studio Kuju and seen as a sibling to the Microsoft Flight Simulator (Franchise) series. It focuses on the simulation aspects of the genre, features numerous routes worldwide (both modern and historical), and includes modding support. Numerous third-party add-ons were sold for the game. An original open-source project, known as Open Rails (Game), was later created to support the custom content used by Microsoft Train Simulator.
Trainz series (2001-present) - Originally developed by the Australian studio Auran, then by N3V Games. Along with standard driving, the series also focuses on creating railroads using the built-in "Surveyor" mode.
Rail Simulator (Game) (2007), Train Simulator Classic (2009-present), & Train Sim World series (2018-present) - A spiritual successor to Microsoft Train Simulator, with the original game developed by the original MTS studio. After the studio's closure, development continued with new British studio Rail Simulator Developments (later renamed Railsimulator.com, then Dovetail Games) with a continually-updated game released on Steam (Concept). The sequel is known for its yearly major updates with name changes (first under the name "RailWorks", then as "Train Simulator", then as "Train Simulator Classic"), each of which were also sold in retail format, and is infamous for its sheer amount of DLC add-ons added over the years (totaling over $10,000). The sequel series, "Train Sim World", had each release sold as separate games (with players able to bring content forward) and is one of the few games of the genre to be released on modern PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Train Drive ATS series (2012-2019) - A Japanese indie series for smartphones, with each game using officially-licensed trains from a specific railway company on a route based on one of the railway's lines. It is unique for its interactions with computer-controlled trains, as all trains in the player's game run on their own timetable and can influence other timetables with switch rails and signals.
Run 8 Train Simulator (Game) (2012-present) - A continually-updating train driving simulator by American studio Run 8, focused on freight operations throughout the United States. Along with its significant complexity and authenticity, it features online multiplayer with players able to fulfill multiple roles (such as conductors, dispatchers, and yardmasters).
Japanese Rail Sim series (2013-present) - A Japanese series by Sonic Powered that is mainly focused towards Nintendo handhelds (namely the 3DS and Switch) and uses the full-motion video technique from the Train Simulator series. Also known as "Tetsudou Nippon!" and "Japanese Rail Sim 3D".
Hmmsim series (2015-present) - An indie Korean series, focused on multiple subway lines from Seoul Metro. Its earlier mobile games are notable for supporting BVE Trainsim add-ons.
Derail Valley (Game) (2019-present) - An indie game notable for being the earliest-known game in the genre to be built with VR full-body controls in mind. It is also known for focusing on open-world career play in a purely-fictional environment.

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