To avoid another thread titled “TSW7” yes it’s inevitable but that’s not this threads point it’s just regarding something specific what I think may be looking more obvious now is it just me or is things pointing to next years U.K. Route being WCML extended from Milton Keynes to Birmingham, i say this as it’s gonna be the only section between Crewe and London missing, I think it will be too far for TSW standards to connect it all, but across 2 routes seems likely especially given how Reisa Dresden was extended and reused twice. Will they shy away reusing an already existing route as their flagship or is it an opportunity too silly to miss. what do you think ? No ? Possible ? A yes I see that aswell ?
Personally I think you are looking for the answer you want to find and will then convince yourself and probably others that this is solid fact. Then will come the mass grabbing of pitchforks and sharp sticks because you were all definitely certain you were going to get what you wanted, and the protests will start, government petitions will get slapped about, and this will just be a normal boring day in these virtual halls.....
Well, let's think logically. If DTG were going to make a Milton Keynes to Birmingham route, they would probably want to use the updated Birmingham New Street station from All Aboard studio's Birmingham to Crewe route, so they would have to have negotiations with that team. DTG themselves have shown no interest in fixing their own version of Birmingham New Street station on the BCC route, even when Rivet Games released the XC / WMR class 170 DLC and timetable update, so I don't believe the WCML is on their radar right now. As DTG are so focused on the GWR licence, HST Farewell DLC and GWR Express remaster right now, I would bet my money on the TSW7 core route being either GWR Reading to Bristol, Cardiff to Bristol, or Exeter to Bristol.
Technically the pure WCML would be extending from Milton Keynes to Rugby then via the Trent Valley to meet up with the AAB route at Stafford. Though Birmingham would be nice as well. Not to mention you can’t really ignore the Northampton Loop or the back road from Stechford via Bescot to Portobello Jn.
I use this map, that shows all the UK routes in game so far. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...ll=53.332528780883386,-1.6239091376516324&z=8 it really illustrates the routes that need to be added to the game as the gaps are obvious (and desired). The OP post is spot on for the MK to B'ham. The big focal point would be a MK to Northampton to Coventry to B'hm. That way it could link up to Peterborough (Doncaster ECML) and Leicester (MML) too. It would be one hell of an expansion and I think we would all lose our cool over it There are also some other spots that stand out. I'm betting (demanding) these: Crewe to Liverpool (modern) Manchester Airport to Crewe as an extension by AT York (with links to Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster Hull) Carlisle to Newcastle Sheffield to Manchester Brighton to Bournemouth Cardiff to Gloucester to B'ham.
Is Dresden - Leipzig received that well by players? The extension don't look to bad, but it's also not exciting new and you also don't get new rolling stock. If the route is not that populair, big chance DTG won't do such a thing again.
There's so much WCML at the point that I hope it gets given a break after Birmingham to Crewe and Crewe to Preston
I am hoping the ECML gets some attention next. It’s kind of been kicked to the curb since the P’boro to Doncaster route.
Completing the WCML seems somewhat pointless to me as you can't do the whole stretch without having to load in to the next map at Milton Keynes and then Birmingham. I understand it's impossible to have a route that long, but if DTG allowed you to seamlessly load into the next map, still cut-in to the controls with AI traffic in the same place by giving a pop-up option to "continue service on Milton Keynes to Birmingham route?" then I'd be fine with that. However, we all know you'll complete your run to Milton Keynes, have to back out to the menu, select the next route and the same service, load-in, cut in to the train that you were previously already cut-in to once more, set up AWS again, just to carry on the service, making for a super unrealistic and jarring experience.
I agree that a proper route hopping would be great, Bakerloo line springs to mind in that there is no way I want to drive the old section from Queens Park to Harrow & Wealdstone - if you use the route hopping, it's probably left Queens Park even before you get back down to the Platform - as you say, the do you want to continue the service would work well - only slight worry with longer services is that the game may then dump before you reach the end destination. But in terms of the overall thread, let's enjoy what is coming out first, but filling in the gap on the WCML would certainly be magnificent and we would then have at least a modern day full run between Euston and Crewe (probably adding in the Trent Valley and the Northampton loop are probably too much to ask at this stage).
We need anything but another England core route, like come on Scotland, Whales and Northern Ireland all exist and all would bring different experiences
We've not long had Cardiff City Network. DTG try not to cover same areas of the country in quick succession. Kings Cross to Peterborough is unlikely as it would just re-use trains we already have, which players go (rightly) crazy about.
Time for another third rail route next then! Waterloo to Weymouth anyone? Convert the 350 into a 450, job done!!
I’ll raise you… The Metropolitan Line Though if it was a chose out of Kings X to Peterborough or the Metropolitan Line. The ECML would win every time.
They do exist but the experience isn’t that much different and a flagship route is likely to be a busy route. I don’t know about Whales, that may get a bit soggy, but Wales is a small country with not much in the way of railways suitable for the flagship route. Possible but not likely. Scotland has a lot of mileage, is actually well represented in TSW already if you look at number of routes vs proportion of population living there, but the mainlines coming from Glasgow and Edinburgh into England would probably please a lot of players. So why is England represented so much? It may be down to population. There are almost as many people living in London as live in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland combined. Northern Ireland may never even get a DLC, let alone a flagship route. Their track gauge is different so it might be a slightly different experience but there isn’t much demand for it because the NI population is so tiny. DTG are playing to the crowd and the crowd is mainly in England, and it’s where the busiest railways are. Short of an ECML or WCML heading to Scotland I think the flagship UK route is always going to be in England.
Germany says hello though in all seriousness i think they would easily overlook that, people have complained about not getting new trains for ages then still get shocked when say an upcoming route (Birmi to Crewe perfect example) is on the way out. Not too mention their is still Lumo 805 and Class 91 still to use as their justfication for bringing out new stock. And personally I believe any other section of ECML is gonna prove very popular, especially Pete-Lond or Newc - Edin sections. edit: I would also say their is more routes to make than appropriate trains especially given the size of the routes to expect, it’s not always a bad thing to have the same train, their is an exception I would make to bringing out new trains should take priority if theirs still appropriate ones missing off the route but other than that I do often welcome a chance to use my collection across more than limited area of a route as per real life.
“Scotland has a lot of mileage, is actually well represented in TSW already“ you know Scotland isn’t just two cities right?, And also it’s just not a lot of mileage compared to England’s routes, hell both WCML are enough to match or be slightly higher than what we have for Scottish routes in game also last time I checked it’s not a requirement to be busy route to get a core route, just look at some of the us core routes, Also for the record they might as well pick up Japan if they want the busiest because I’m pretty that are way more busy than England (honestly this part not 100% sure but going off what I’ve seen it looks likely)
Throw in a class 68, some mk5s and Marylebone and I’m in (although that would probably cost about £200)
The problem is, so long as DTG's LAMPOIL is fixated on electric interurban routes with busy timetables (even if A to B and all the same type of traction unit), we are never going to see the likes of the Cambrian Coast, West Highland Line or even the Wherry Lines in TSW. They just seem to forget there is an audience for this type of route and there are things you can do to make a sparse timetable more interesting - have a weekday and maybe Saturday or Sunday variation, throw in a couple of Railtours maybe even do a timetable from a different period.
I do know that Scotland is more than two cities but I was saying what DTG are most likely to choose for a core route and outside of those two cities I don’t think they would. I don’t know how the US routes are relevant as there are different issues DTG have with making US content and it makes no difference to what UK players seem to want, which is busy routes. Japan would be a terrible choice for a core UK route for obvious reasons. Japan is not part of the UK. Very odd that you would bring that into the conversation. Judging by where you chopped off your quote of my post I can only assume you misunderstood my comments on mileage (I meant the actual mileage in Scotland, not what’s represented in TSW) and being well represented per capita (the second point in the sentence, which you chopped in half) and I think you would still not get it if I tried to explain it further so I’ll leave that, as it wasn’t the most important part of what I was saying.
