This is a poll to see which choice is the most popular and where DTG could better focus their efforts. I rarely play scenarios because they often lack realism and aren't designed with replay value in mind. If you feel the same, please respond maybe then DTG will take a closer look at how they’re currently implementing this in the game.
I obviously cannot go into specifics, but I can tell you now that Timetables already receive maximum effort, as do scenarios and journey mode. We try not to (nowadays, at least) do A-B scenarios. Journey modes are something we could probably look at getting community feedback on as to what they prefer weather-wise, etc.
KTL_Rob Powell Rob, thanks for this response as a developer, and it's great that this is now a point of attention. In reality, the gap is still a bit too big for me between the other modes and timetable mode.
Gonna discount journey mode because it isn't really a mode - rather just a curated selection of tasks to do. Timetable mode definitely. The problem with a lot of scenarios is either that they can be a little tedious, and in some cases are entirely uncompletable due to a bugged ai train getting in the way or a bugged signal.
I'll have a word with the community team when I return from Annual Leave and discuss with them and Matt the possibility of creating a journey mode master thread to gather ideas and suggestions for improvements to that mode. - No promises, mind you, I'm just a gameplay Dev (And I'm always looking out for feedback, good or bad, even if I don't reply to everything. Feedback done constructively is always invaluable, whether it's praising or bemoaning something )
KTL_Rob Powell Very good to hear. It really needs some prioritization. I imagine creating a scenario is more work, but in my opinion, it also offers a lot of opportunities. There’s a lot of potential that, unfortunately, isn’t being tapped into at the moment.
Indeed, it includes many elements of timetable mode, but scenarios are also incorporated into it. I think it deserves a spot on the list, since it's also about what players prefer something the developers can work with.
Timetable is the raison d'etre of TSW but as I've said elsewhere a few times recently and I don't know how much clout you have with Matt etc. to push the issue, but we absolutely must get the service chaining working properly with and without saving the game as you go. The appeal of TSW should be the ability to take the train back out on the next working or make your way across to another train and take that over after returning to free roam, but impossible at present as you lose timetable data and in the case of the save game, the objectives on subsequent runs totally vanish.
I actually like timetable mode but I wish you could have an option to use in an unknown occurance..track closure etc just to throw in a little more real life.
In my case... despite I use most of them, I voted for Free Roam. The less one I uses is Scenario. Due to normally you need more time to run it. Timetable is my second one. But after any new route appears, after doing some timetables, I like to create a "Free roam" one. Mainly because you have other traffic around, and you can do several changes about which on which tracks I drive. One type of Free Roam for me is: - Select a locomotive / train of the time table. - Then I add another train with free roam tool, which will be the one I will drive. So I will ensure to have yellows and reds ahead, to make the drive more interesting.
I voted for the timetable mode because it's the one I played most often, but that's not why I preferred it... Timetable: I have all the routes and vehicles and always drive according to my mood. I adjust the time and weather accordingly, depending on where I am at the time. That's very important to me. Although I try to avoid night trips because of the poor lighting. Journey: I'm torn! They often seem inconsistent and arbitrary to me and rarely reflect what I imagine a journey to be. It's not a bad idea to include scenarios with tasks that spice up the journey. A journey should be somewhat understandable to be engaging. Scenarios: Scenarios are great because they allow you to do things that wouldn't otherwise occur, and you can really make the most of TSW's capabilities! Sometimes, though, they seem a bit strange or unsatisfying to me. There would be many more options here... Freeroam: I honestly haven't tried it yet. But that's more due to the convenience of the timetable and a lack of knowledge about what options are available to me. It's been requested frequently, but hardly ever used? Maybe because people just don't know exactly what it can offer? One mode is still missing - Guard Mode: I find it quite interesting, as I also like to travel as a passenger, and playing conductor isn't a bad idea. But as already mentioned, it needs to be revised to fulfill its purpose and appeal. One mode I'm also still missing here is "quick play": It should refer exclusively to the timetable and have a filter for additional options. I would use this mode all the time if I weren't constantly being offered scenarios! I want a ride - not a scenario! I choose these deliberately or they are integrated into the journey! In the end, I think the timetable mode should be left as it is. It would actually make things worse. Then it would be better to work on the other modes that offer exactly that. All in all, all these modes have their place, which is what makes TSW so interesting and varied! But here, one needs some reworking.
Timetable mode for sure. I've been playing since CSX Heavy Haul, and I can count on one hand the number of times I've played a scenario. I'm not even too sure what journey mode is, and the only time I've ventured onto free roam is when there is an error with a custom timetable mod, and the timetable won't load correctly. For me, Train Sim World is defined by the timetable mode.
Always timetable mode, although if I'm in the mood for something different, or out of the ordinary, I'll choose Journey Mode.
I play journey mainly to help with picking of services. I do wish more thought was put into journey mode - for instance clinchfields day in the life style mode was excellent! timetable is then a close second.
Journey is or should be the “Editor’s Choice” of what the route has to offer. Of course that doesn’t always play out and in some cases it’s just a randomly strung together sequence of timetable runs in the most appalling weather. Another potential of Journey is to actually build a typical driver’s day or shift on the route, but we rarely see this.
Freeroam as selected from the menu gives you a completely empty map, no services running at all and you can (or should be able to) place trains at will, available memory permitting. However you can't set routes for any of them besides the one you are sitting in and controlling. Its a means to simply wander around the map in whatever fashion you choose without anything getting in your way (besides the dispatcher)
I deliberately did not add that because in the game you go to the timetable section and then you choose to drive or be a conductor. I do not see that as a special version that you can choose. Conductor mode is also in a timetable. But i will add this Quick mode i will add this! Good point..
Free roam. I can do ECS moves, special services, freight runs from the south to north and vice versa. Spawn a freight train and slot into some busy timetables, be held at signals, moved into sidings to let other services past etc.
I play timetable mode pretty much exclusively. Free Roam sounds nice, but it's too much of a hassle to set up a train with multiple objectives like a stopping service unfortunately. I also like the predictability of Timetable mode. Trains are always set up exactly the same so you know which steps to do to prepare the train. Objectives are simple. Scenarios have the habit of introducing annoying objectives like switching a lever you don't know where it is (so you need to turn on objective marker just for this) or walk to a specific point (and again, you need to turn on objective marker purely to know where you're supposed to go). Always hate that in scenarios.
I'd say a healthy mix of weather and seasons in every journey. There's been journeys focused purely on winter with bad visibility, that gets boring quickly. But there's also been journey modes with sunny weather almost exclusively, which also gets boring.
I'm almost exclusively timetable mode. I believe it's one of the crowning jewels of TSW that we can have busy timetables across a 24 hour span (dispatcher/signaller issues aside). I occasionally dip into Free Roam just to run trains where not normally supported (like running a 390 up the WCMLoS). Journey mode is a bit of a nothing for me, too - I tend to pick a timetable service then match the weather to the real-life conditions at the time I'm playing. This means I get a good variety of play over the course of a year.
I mostly play scenarios. They feel more engaging than timetable. timetable gets boring overtime because it is essentially the same thing back and forth. i may have played free roam a couple of times. Haven't tried conductor mode. i don't bother with journey mode as it is essentially timetable mode in a specific order and with specific weather.
It’s really hard to vote because I enjoy several aspects, the choice of scenarios and TT is important, I wouldn’t like a game with just one or the other tbh.
Timetable is my go-to option. I occasionally play a scenario, like last night, but get put off because it always seems to rain, even when the scenario itself isn't about 'battling through bad weather'.
