a computer game idea

[jettrainfan]

A couple days ago i was texting a friend and he complained that he didn't know what to play.... so i just said play railfanner. all i got was "...?" it was just a random thing because i happened to be railfanning. Lately, i was thinking this could actually be a good game. So far i came up with you choose an area to railfan... like horse shoe curve, Tennessee valley railroad, berea ohio, Etc. and you can either do sandbox mode (which is basically free play) or you can do missions to film/photograph trains and chase them. You get money from the pictures you take, then you can buy bikes, cars, tripods, scanners, more missions, and so on. bikes and cars would be transportation to chase trains, tripods improve your shots and scanners just help with letting you know a train is coming. Now, the thing is, the game has to be real, not random ATSF, CSX & NS all on the same line then a steam engine comes out of no where, it would be based off actual railfanning in that area. The obstacles would be speed limits, trespassing, etc.

I thought it was a good idea and thought I'd share it... who knows, maybe so computer game maker will actually work on it, and people can make their own town's railfanning, sort of like Microsoft train simulator

[BillD53A]

You can use Google Earth to chase trains.

[Doneldon]

jtf-

There is a train computer game called Railroad Tycoon or
something like that. My grandsons love it.
                                                               -- D

[jward]

there is also a computer game called train dispatcher that lets you actually run the railroad. some territories are easy, other will have you pulling your hair out. in addition to having to get the trains over the road without too much delay, you also have to deal with trains going dead when they hit their 12 hour limit, trains that are too long to pass each other because the sidings are too short, trains that stall on the mountain because you forgot to give them a helper, etc.

[jettrainfan]

Bill, i'll keep that in mind... might come in handy

doneldon, i own railroad tycoon 3, nice game but my computer doesn't like using it past half an hour... used to know some cool tricks for it, but its been so long i forgot most of them.

Jward, i'll check that out when i get the chance... but i was focusing more on railfanning, mainly because theres a lot of games similar to running a railroad, or running trains, nothing really to railfanning.