There's a new operating mode for coasters. Along with "continuous circuit mode" there's a new mode called "continuous circuit block sectioned mode". Naturally, there''s no mention of this in the manual  .

You can construct your tracks with special segments called "block brackes". This is in addition to the familiar "brakes" piece. If you split up your track into segments separated by these "block brakes", then "continuous circuit block sectioned mode" will hold a train at the block brakes until the section ahead is clear. If you run in the old "continuous circuit" mode, these block brakes are ignored and the trains will pass right through whether or not another train is in the section ahead. This is a nice feature that should prevent massive pileups when there's an accident.

Unfortunately, there's a new "feature" that I don't like. You used to be able to double-click on the stoplight in the ride construction window to competely stop a ride and return the trains to the station. The peeps would leave the ride as well. You can still shut down a ride like this, but you can't double-click on the stoplight to do it anymore. It's been replaced by a flag that cycles from red to yellow to green. Once a ride has been tested, the yellow setting disappears and the flag then cycles red-green-red-green etc. So if a ride is operating and the flag is green, if you double-click on it the ride doesn't shut down. It goes to green again. You have to click on the flag, hold the button down, and then manually move the pointer to "close" again. What a pain. 

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Ya, I noticed that too. You can also block chain lift. I saw on a woodie that one of the trains stopped while the other caught up so they could both go through interlocking loops. And I also just say on the Giga Coaster... instead of a chain lift there is a pulley that bring the train to the top of the track faster. 

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Yes! The d/c emergency stop has prevented many fatal accidents in my parks. It's very tough now to do a HOLY CRAP! emergency stop on a ride.

The block mode is interesting. Before you ever put in a section of block brakes, you have 2 block sections already. The lift hill is one and everything else is the other. The station pieces are considered to be in the last block. You don't need to make your station longer than the length of 1 train because the block brakes will make sure there's never more than 1 train in the station at a time. This can be put to good use. You can run lots of trains and not worry about the station having to be 15 squares long. On the other hand, be careful that if you do this you don't accidentally switch back to "continuous circuit" mode!

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For the giga coaster..you can make a steep lift hill. just dont use a chain, make normal track and attach a cable lift at the top. easy and effective. works too!  

But, Takes longer, because the "grabber" has to get the train.  

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I have been testing the new "Continuous circuit block sectioned mode" and have made these observations:

Continuous circuit block sectioned mode is not available for all rides. Stations are included in the block sections count. If the ride allows more than one station, you can build up to four (same as RCT1). Station platform length is limited to 12 consecutive squares (same as RCT1). Their does not seem to be a limit as to how many block brakes you can include in a track. Block brakes can not be used directly after each other or directly after a station platform, but you can place a block brake directly BEFORE a station platform. 

Train length is limited by station length of the shortest station on the track (same as RCT1). The ride will fail to operate unless you run just one train of any length [when running one train, cars can straddle multiple block brakes], OR if using more than one train the train length being used is equal or smaller than the smallest separation between block brakes. Total number of trains that can be operated simultaniously is one less than the total number of blocks, to a maximum of 31 [minimum is always 1].

If multiple stations are allowed in a track, the check box "Leave if another train arrives at station" will appear under the mechanics tab (same as RCT1). Stations are numbered from 1 to 4, with station 1 being the station from which the first train will leave (same as RCT1). The oldest station built that still exists in the track is station 1, so consider its location carefully (same as RCT1). Stations 2 to 4 can be left unconnected to the main body of the track, but in this situation they will never recieve a train (same as RCT1). 

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New to the game is how entrances/exits are handled. A track must have at least one Entrance AND one Exit. Also, all stations must have either an entrance or an exit. They can always have both, but they do not HAVE to have both.

Tested example 1:
Track has two stations. Station 1 has an Entrance and Exit, station 2 has just an Entrance:
Train leaves station one partially filled. When it arrives at station two the peeps stay onboard, and new peeps climb inside to fill up the empty seats. Train leaves station two and arrives at station one, where everyone gets off.

So far so good. But if later trains arrive at station two filled, then no one at station two can get on and the peeps standing in line at station two start getting mad. Of course you don't have to have an entrance path leading to the station two entrance, but then what is the point? This scenario is therefore useful only if you have sporatic and unbalanced peep patronage combined with very short station wait times (highly unlikely).

Tested example 2:
Track has three stations. Station one has an Entrance and Exit. Station two has an Exit only. Station three has an entrance only:
Peeps climb on train at station one and go to station two. At station two everyone gets off. Empty train moves to station three. At station three new peeps climb onboard then travel forward to station one. At station one all peeps get off and new peeps climb on. Note that because there is no Entrance at station two no peeps can come onboard, so do NOT checkmark the "Wait for ... load" setting or the train will never leave station two.

This would be useful in a transportaion ride where you want to move peeps between two locations but not a third. Another example is where one segment of the track circuit has a long boring lift hill that you don't want people to have to sit through. Just dump them off before the hill and take on new peeps after it. 

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I'd like to add my example.

Station 1 has an entrance only, station 2 has an exit only. Track is a monorail operating in 'Shuttle Mode' (not block mode), so does not need to be a complete circuit.

Peeps get on at station 1 and off at station 2.

A good way of using this would be to take guests from the park gate to the back of the park quickly, forcing them to walk back to the park entrance past all your attractions. 

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After reading this topic I got a great idea of adding a FastPass system for coasters, i did'n try it yet, but i will once I'm home from work. It just consist of two stations. Station 1 is the first station a train wil come in to after the ride, station 2 is the second, and after this the ride begins. If you have an exit and an entrance on station 1, and do not have a queue or just a 1 square queue at it's entrance only a few people wil get on the ride, but very fast (e.g. FastPass). On the scond station you only have an entrance so the peeps without a FastPass can get on the train. They all get off at station 1 after the ride. Seems like a great idea to me, what do you think 

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Hey, that's a great idea Ixus! 

Added realism: Peeps that attempt to use the Fastpass queue when it is full have missed their Fastpass time slot! Sorry Lisa W. you are late, you need to go to the other queue and wait in that hour line. LOL! Just like in real life.

I wonder if the Peeps AI is smart enough to use the other queue? If a peep is in "Heading for Ride X" mode and attempts to go to the small queue (Fastpass queue), which is full, will that peep then head for the second queue for the same ride?

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QUOTE (KaiBueno Coasters @ Oct 20 2002, 01:43 PM) 
I was thinking, and it sound like you should put regular brakes before the block brakes... I've not fiddled too much with block brakes yet to know how they work or how big they are, but it might help ease the slowdown before the 4 mph blocks..

You're the expert though, not me, so best of luck with the tracks Steve.

Kai  

The problem is that Mr. Sawyer defaults the block brakes to 4mph. Normally, block brakes will allow a train to pass by unaffected if the block ahead is clear, or slow the second to maintain distance with the first, or stop the train entirely.

Now my simulated block brakes that occur on my woodies, for instance, trim the trains down to 18 mph on the turnarounds. With Sawyer's block brakes, my trains will now drag along the turnaround unrealistically at 4mph, and seriously affect the train's performance along the return trip to the station.

He should have allowed us to set the block brake speeds between 4mph to 18 mph (or higher) to give us maximum realism and effect.

They may come in handy as the very last brake in the final brake run before the station platform. With a train already in the station it will, in effect turn the brake run into a holding track just like on the actual coasters. 

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Steve 

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The problem is that block brakes should not affect the train at all unless they are purposely set to some trim speed by the main control computer. Mr. Sawyer defaulted them to 4 mph. He should have left it to us to set the passing speed within a range. 

For instance, with my Cannonball @ Lake Winnie, right now my trains pass over the turnaround at 18 mph. The block brake on the turnaround is merely simulated in the RCT/LL/Gold version but the brake does trim the speed to 18 mph. Now if I introduce Mr. Sawyer's new block brake, my trains slow down to a crawl of 4 mph on that turnaround. This also mars the performance of the trains on their return course back to the station. The point is not how gently braked the trains but that they are forced down to a default 4 mph. 

I also experimented with the idea of converting the Cannonball's brakerun into a holding track if a train is already in the station, but just created potential train stoppages on the anti-rollback also on the far end turnaround (placed for visual effect). It sees this bit of track as a lift and ,therefore, a block section. Its just a mess. 

Some recreations may lend themselves well to Mr. Sawyer's new block brakes, but not many since the 4 mph default is too costly a compromise for operations. 

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Steve 

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QUOTE (The Judge @ Oct 25 2002, 03:52 AM) 
I to havent dled much of your tracks...  
But for woodies that need the speed to make it back to the station i have found out that you can use a small chainlift peice at the creat of a hill. It will stop the train if the section befor it is not clear but other wise it passes right on thru... 

I was the first to incorporate short bits of lift track on strategic hills to simulate actual anti-rollback racks on wooden coasters. They are there strictly for visuall effect, but its a concept that I've used for more than 3 years on my recreations. 

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Steve 

