Train GOTO Station Change

[zanven]

Currently when a train is in Manual mode if a goto station command is issued the train flips to automatic mode to do the command but stays in Automatic mode on arrival. I feel that functionality breaks expected behaviour where one would think the train should stay in manual mode when you issue the command with the train set in manual mode. I understand behind the scenes its toggled to perform the action but to the user's gui it should still say manual and be returned to manual operation on arrival at destination.

More often then not someone would be wanting to do manual train movements on command more than toggling between automatic and manual

the current work around to achieve the same thing is something like fish > 200 on every stop to achieve the same result so its not something at all highly needed but i feel the behaviour currently breaks expected functionality, let me know what you think of the idea .

[ssilk]

Well. I would find it quite irritating, if the trains would stop working, just because I started automation. That button has an important use-case, and I would not like to remove that use-case.

But what I see is that between "manual" and "automatic" are more train modes. And that the switching between the modes could be made a lot more intuitive. For example: If train is in automatic mode and stopped and you jump in and try to move hectical forward/backward then the train should switch to manual mode itself.

There is a lot more to say to this, but I'll leave it till here.

[MindChanger]

My proposition is:

Code: Select all

commandGoToTheStation(name){
 previousState = train.getCurrentMode;
goToTheStation(name)
}

onTrainArrived(){
if(previousState = "manual"){
train.setMode("manual");
}
}

I think it would be more expectable from the player and in automatic mode it wouldn't change. But I don't know code of the game, maybe this solution would be hard to implement or would cause problems.

[ssilk]

No, and you are not thinking it through, cause that might work for your setup, but not for everyone. Let's say you have a schedule for the train of 3 stations: Iron1, Iron2 and IronUnload. Now I'm at Iron1 and want to use the train to go fast as possible to IronUnload. So I click to "IronUnload" and then "GoTo station". I await, that the train then continues with it's schedule. I would NEVER await, that the train stops the schedule then.

What you want is an extra button for this and a clear separation between "automatic mode" and (not yet existing) "semi automatic mode".

[MindChanger]

No, and you are not thinking it through, cause that might work for your setup, but not for everyone. Let's say you have a schedule for the train of 3 stations: Iron1, Iron2 and IronUnload. Now I'm at Iron1 and want to use the train to go fast as possible to IronUnload. So I click to "IronUnload" and then "GoTo station". I await, that the train then continues with it's schedule. I would NEVER await, that the train stops the schedule then.

I don't know if I understand enough the situation or I wasn't clear enough.

If train during clicking "GoTo station" had "automatic mode" my code example wouldn't change it's state, because previousState would be "automatic" and then if(previousState = "manual") would get false, so it wouldn't change mode to manual. So in the end if it was scheduled train then GoTo will not change state (stays automatic). If it was in manual mode after clicking GoTo it will stay as manual after arriving the station.

[ssilk]

That's clear.
My problem with this is, that it not obvious how it works (it's functionality is hidden cause it depends on non-related mode), while other possibilities much more useful

[zanven]

Sorry was asleep (Australian.) Yeah that was my only personal concern with this change but after thinking about it alot it seems weird though if the train is in manual mode it is intentional but is changed by issuing goto which I feel shouldn't alter the train past its intended functionality which is to go to a station and not alter a trains mode of operation from auto to manual or vise versa. I know it's a very minor issue just something I feel does not act as expected and does more than it should for its label.

Edit: I feel the player should have to do that extra click once to change the train between modes and I currently like the fact I can't accidently break the train out of auto by pressing key's

Edit edit: i wouldnt pass around strings for efficiency reasons if possible use a enum if labels desired if lua supports them or a bool instead. also your equal does an assign not a check use == to do if checks.

[MindChanger]

true, it was pseudocode tho :p