Upcoming Release Frankfurt S-bahn: Coming Soon!

To be honest and with all due respect and kudos to the guys & gals that created and worked on the route, it looks great on the PS5 (and I am sure series X & S), but thats it. Theres nothing special about the route due to the timetable compared to the likes of Dresden - Riesa, Frankfurt Fulda, MSB or RSN, or any other German route The 430 looks great and its a nice addition for driving the ICE services but from my point of view, but its nothing special.

For those on Low end PC''s I would recommend the reduced timetable
For those on PS5 and Xbox series X/S I would definitly recommend that you DONT use Dynamic Weather.

But its your game you paid for it .....

Hentis

 

Appreciate your candour Anthony. It was always my fear apart from the different scenery in terms of gameplay this would bring little to the German urban driving experience we don’t already have on several other routes, notably RRO. Despite being keen, part of me is thinking now wait for at least 20% off in a sale. More of a £25 route than a £30 one.

 

I see that the reduced edition has changed to the standard timetable for consoles...... one word and the problem is actually solved

 

I think you misunderstand. The standard timetable IS the reduced timetable.

 

Get exactly what you mean. Guess there will be a last minute patch on PC claiming the "big" timetable is the Special or Enhanced one.

 

It's just for marketing purposes.
Why you would want to sell a product with a in-game feature labeled " reduced " ?
It's just the wording changed.. the timetable is still the reduced one.

 

But of course I understand that, that's why I mentioned it..... and that solves the problem with console players, now they can't say they have something "less"....

 

Standard? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or get angry. I know it will mean it’s the standard timetable for release but it’s the wrong word for it. Standard implies normality. It isn’t though. It is the normal timetable, one you would reasonably expect to appear in a TSW route with the available stock and reflecting the route’s reality, with things purposefully removed from it for performance reasons. It should have definitely still been called a reduced timetable because that is what it is and what it reflects compared to the reality of the route, a reduced amount of traffic and services. I really hate it when there’s obvious and misleading marketing used. Just call it what it really is. It turns out I did know whether to laugh or cry or get angry, it was the angry.

 

Typical.

 

To me it will always be a reduced timetable. I think you can almost call it a modern day Rapid Transit.
I dont understand why we cant even have 10 freight (apparently thats all that goes along the route) services in the timetable added? Surely its not that much of a timetable issue. I mean I was down to what 18fps approaching Frankfurt in the ICE but I am sure that the freight doesnt go all the way to Frankfurt does it? Else where along the route the FPS is decent.

Hentis

 

That would take time and effort, and time is money. Expect no updates to the timetable now.

 

I would tell you differently. There will be no full console schedule, no sales. No sales, no money.

 

I basically said that...

 

The only question is how many of us will have this opinion...... I think a lot of people will buy it anyway, they don't even have to be members of this forum......

 

Anyone who bought the HMA DLC on console will definitely not buy this DLC with the standard timetable. And anyone who does should enjoy the empty DLC without rail traffic.

 

I still think that even in this reduced version of the operation, the textures will be blurred, if only because there are Dostos there and they are always the first to have a problem and also according to various experiments they are one of the sources of the load, but I would like to be wrong... I am curious about the feedback in the feedback thread

 

The uncoupling doesn't work for me. I can connect the vehicles, but I can't separate them. I can insert and turn the uncoupling key, but nothing happens.

 

So far I havent seen one bit of blurry textures, TSW 5 both pre release and updated release version on PS5 installed on 2TB SSD. Even when I was streaming yesterday afternoon. Although having said that it did crash on me last week. This was when I accidentally forgot to take of dynamic weather and running an ICE service into Frankfurt it had started raining just before the turn off for Frankfurt Airport station. By the time I was on the outskirts of Frankfurst HBF it was the biblical type of heavy rain and Lightning and Thunder. Unfortunately my PS5's framerate hit about 5 on the entry into Frankfurt and went See ya later!! L:iterally I heard the playstation say See ya later!!

Lesson learnt. Although I did a run in my livestream yesterday afternoon in the ICE and not raining Custom weather and a wee bit of cloud and on entering the main station I was hitting 18fps (dont forget I was also streaming). And I still didnt see any blurry textures. Also looking at my mates stream from a few minuites ago I didnt see any sign of blurry textures (he was on a PS5 Slim).

Hentis

 

Do I understand correctly that you had the S Bahn Frankfurt map in advance for testing? Try to focus on the white stripes on the Dostos car, it's usually always the first one there ......

 

The Route itself is very nice but it really lacks of variety of traffic on consoles. This is an Example what Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof looks in Reality. I hope DTG can optimise memory usage on consoles so that we can get the same timetable as PC.

 

Yep as an ambassador I get it early to create content, ready for the lifting of the embargo so you guys can see it usually the day before release..
I will keep an eye on the Dostos when I am on TSW next.

Hentis

 

The emergency solution is a custom scenario, I tried it on Frankfurt Fulda, but I encountered limited train routing options, practically one route Frankfurt Fulda with the possibility of boarding for passenger trains and then with the Darmstadt and Kassel portal it was possible to route freight trains a little, but really very limited...it was no longer possible to terminate the train in Wasterbach and send it back to Frankfurt etc.......or I have not discovered all the scenario planning options

 

We've now had two patches with performance improvements (which seem to have borne fruit at least for this PS5 player), with apparently more to come in TSW6.

Please then, please, can DTG look into releasing the full timetables for Gen 9 consoles. At least try. Remember that we can turn individual layers off now, and in TSW6 they will be off by default.

I really really want to play this route and get the full experience, and I can't be alone. If you're a console player and feel the same, or just support this, please like and/or signal boost this idea.

 

Very clear why they do not give all the layers for Gen9 as well. Its not to make fun of it and reduce the Gen9 as well its needed and for everyone who is asking why... There is the reality check!

 

It is possible to play GEN9 with the full timetable on the S Bahn by performing a certain technique, the result is that after 30 seconds the game will crash due to lack of memory. I can explain the methodology if you want

 

You need to have a PC with TSW5 via Xbox App PC, in the PC game you have to start the full timetable and then save the game. Now you just have to play on an Xbox S/X console connected to the same account as the PC to be able to load the save

 

This is exactly the reason DTG gave for not releasing this route for gen 9. Even with options to toggle layers on or off, you get instant (or very quick) crashes. Not just lower framerates or blurring. Mind you, I still don't like not having the full experience on PS5, but apparently it's just not possible.

Edit: also clear that DTG have chosen far less complex base routes for TSW6 compared to TSW6. Probably to prevent the issues they had with WCML and Frankfurt-Fulda (the latter still having quite some issues).

 

It's funny, but my potato PC (i5 13400f - 32gb DDR4 - RX6700XT 12gb) the route shows a fairly good level of performance in the full schedule - 70-100 fps, with delays only in Frankfurt when there is not enough 12 GB of video memory.

 

True, in general you can get much higher performance on a PC. But then you have to spend a multiple of the price of a console on the kit.

 

And yet it is strange that DTG could not fit into the 16 GB of console memory for the full schedule.

 

Maybe they still can't. But the game has improved. Frankfurt - Fulda, WCML, London - Commuter, all run better now, and this is before TSW6. The Koeln - Aachen timetable hasn't remotely been a problem.

So all I'm asking is: please try.

 

It was mentioned here that DTG chose simpler routes for TSW6, probably from a certain point of view yes, however I want to point out that on the map Dresden - Riesa there is blurring of textures on PS5, so I am curious whether there will be any improvement on the extended map Dresden - Leipzig, and I do not consider the solution that the layers will have to be turned off to avoid problems to be a very optimistic solution.

It is also mentioned here that the map Frankfurt S-Bahn would cause fatal crashes, I do not know, I do not own this map for the reasons mentioned above, i.e. the limited traffic. But I wonder what makes this map so much more demanding than, for example, Frankfurt Fulda, I do not experience crashes on FTF, only blurred textures .....

 

Pc has separate vram and memory. Console does not.

 

The hardest part of the route is Frankfurt main station. Lots of trains at the station and on the way to the station. Depot with standing trains next to the station. I haven't run the stripped down console schedule, but I suspect that's where things are severely stripped down. The rest of the route is content with 11GB of video memory and probably a dozen GB of RAM. At the same time, there are a lot of trees and buildings close to the tracks on the route. You are essentially driving through the city.

 

My layman's view rather tells me that the Frankfurt - Fulda route should be a bigger problem than the Frankfurt S-Bahn, but I could be wrong and I probably am...... but it's a shame that it's not possible to have a full timetable, but we can't do anything......

 

I understand that. But on consoles, you can lower the graphics quality settings and/or resolution to fit into the limited memory. Many developers do this for console versions of games.

 

This report is outdated. For me (PS5pro) I haven't had a single crash on that route/at that area since the last Updates. The full timetable on Gen9 consoles is overdue!

 

There is a reason for that.... You did not have the full timetable so its very likely that that is saving you from trouble.

 

I just can't accept the reduced timetable on next gen consoles, so this route will remain unbuyed for me until they try at least to increase the number of layers and services

 

Gianluca For sure if you did not like it you should not buy it but this whole layer thing will not fix i doubt. Maybe it will happen in the future again that they have to reduce layers on Gen9. A console is not that strong enough to run it and they do not choose it to make fun but it will bring serious issues if they enable it. Its one of the borders that they touch and they where very honest about it.

 

Didn't DTG Matt say something about looking into it?

I heard about progress, but I wonder if TSW 6 improved performance, so that there is a great chance of getting the full timetable some day.

 

Only he told was that there is some progress in performance and it will take a long time but he did not say we can bring the full timetable to Gen9.... Better you not hoping for it its not fair to do for yourself....

 

Just drove in full schedule mode on PC. The game on this route consumed 8GB of RAM and 11GB of VRAM. Near Frankfurt station almost 10GB of RAM and 12GB of VRAM. The PS5 has 16GB of total RAM and video memory. I doubt that DTG will perform a miracle and reduce memory consumption by 50% without degrading graphics to the level of a potato.

 

I'd be disheartened if the performance and blurriness hasnt been fixed. While features like announcements etc are good and all, I'd like to think the main priority was performance as large parts of routes have been more or less unplayable for console users.

 

Correct thats not fair to expect. The best way to reduce such problems should be by the beginning of building a route. Afterwards repairing is not a best way to avoid problems.

 

That last part is really not my experience (on PS5). Most routes are perfectly playable. Only some slight problems on a few routes (mostly some stutters in busy places, esp Frankfurt-Fulda and Mildmay), but really not 'unplayable'.

I got Frankfurt S-bahn for 20% off in a sale, to offset the reduced timetable (would have otherwise gotten it day one at full price).

 

Personally I think a route turning to 480p mush makes it unplayable. That fact that it happens on a few doesn’t make it any better. 2 of the core routes from TSW5 suffer from the issue, another route (Mildmay) is so overwhelmed by the issue I’m surprised it’s still being sold on console. The other routes it randomly plagues will just ruin a run for you when you can’t make out your cab screens & buttons, never mind the way it makes trains & scenery look.

You may not see the issue with it now, but whilst DTG is busy adding more & more feature sets into the core, it’s only going make the problem worse as the game tries to do more & more. Eventually it’s going to result in more scenarios such as Frankfurt S Bahn where Gen9 gets restricted DLC’s, or we’ll just have to put up with the problem.

 

Exactly as you say, I'm really curious with the new "features" and also the expanded version of Dresden-Ries-(Leipzig), what will happen on PS5 .... because as I mentioned, the current build is completely satisfactory, it doesn't crash, but especially around Dresden-Neustadt it gets blurry... then saving and reloading helps, resuscitating some train settings and you can continue, but that probably wasn't the original intention of playing ... but maybe TSW6 has a completely different engine, I don't know, and everything will run completely smoothly ... finally, let's expect the unexpected

 

The route is very detailed and goes, in fact, through the city, and not through forests and fields, as is usually the case on other routes. And there are always a lot of trains around you. It seems to me that this is one of the most intense routes, if not the most intense. DTG did everything they could to launch it on outdated, albeit current generation of consoles, IMHO. On PC, where no one guarantees the level of performance, all the features are available. The only problem is the weakness of consoles

 

Its more the problem in the amount of trains if i understand Matt correct. The route it self is not a issue. TSW has not a problem with extremely amount of the same unit like Brighton Mainline its more how many different traintypes are running on a route. So Frankfurt S Bahn has in the full pc timetable around 10/15 different train types and that burning the CPU and RAM on a console include Gen9. Turn of layers does not fix this problem the trains are loading in the background via the timetable al dough they are not visible.