Medway Valley Line Discussion Thread

DTG on the latest preview streams told console players to expect the texture issue going forward, so yes it seems the official stance is for us to ‘deal with it’.

It’s a shame because overall, even if you don’t like the route choice, this is a great project & really nails in on a few things TSW has needed, so props for that.

The thing is though I’m absolutely not going to supply any money to a publisher & it’s developers whilst they’re knowingly selling content that isn’t fit for purpose, especially to a market base which is what makes TSW viable in the first place.

 

Unfortunately this will undoubtedly be another blurfest on consoles

 

I’m not a PC guy, even though I own a fairly respectable build (4090ti, 16GB ram, Ryzen 7 cpu). I prefer the comfort of my PS5 on my big 65” tv.
Next 10th gen consoles will be almost equivalent to high end PC’s. I doubt PC software is going to advance that much within the next 2 years.

For me, the fps takes a hit, probably as low as 20fps on PS5. Once you depart Frankfurt the fps starts improving then gradually to 50-60fps mark.
People say if you disable layers it improves the fps, haven’t tried this myself as I like a busy Frankfurt.
I might have problems at Fulda too honestly been so long since I played that route. If you have problems, then I certainly do.

 

That's because it was an extension of the original Chatham Main Line route

 

Just putting this here for those wondering about Gen 9 performance

 

i cant remeber where did someone post an image of guard mode on the new 375 variants...
but damn guess STILL no guard modes on electrostars that are already in game :/

 

Certainly a good start, but AAS also stated that there wasn’t any console issues prior to release.

I genuinely hope this route does come out well for all platforms, just looking at the overall scope it ticks a lot of boxes for where I’d like to see TSW go, aswell as leaning into genuine authenticity & attention to the simulation aspect.

 

"use across a 2025-era timetable".. that's music to my ears and it sounds so lovely! Really looking forward to this one and will probably one of my only day 1 purchases!

Southeastern Network: v.2.1 mod in TSC is one of my favourites still to this day, so I am glad to see more of this network being included into TSW,

While the SEHS DLC is a decent TT, hoping that maybe that might get a 2025 overhaul so that this will now layer into that with the new variants as well as service continuation availability through route hopping, along with anything else it can..

Would like to start seeing more layering into all DLC past and present even if the trains have to be unbranded to really fill those TTs either drivable or AI! some DLC just look sparse knowing something we have can be used or go into it!

 

Below is my personal opinion and I’m speaking only for myself here;

There is a streaming pool limit for consoles and all we can tell you is that in testing (admittedly on PC), we are comfortably within that limit. When the streaming pool limit is exceeded I believe that is where the blurry textures happen. I understand at the moment the only time this limit has been known to have got close is when a 395 is visible.

You have to understand though, there is only so much we can do. In almost all circumstances no default textures in TSW are what I would call ‘big’, or even particularly high resolution. In FS24 4K PBR texturing is pretty standard and many assets, aircraft and so on use 8K textures. By comparison, no texture on MVL (default or custom) is bigger than 2K with many, where possible (and without losing detail), even 1K. In addition, we’ve been doing a fair bit of work to reduce draw calls etc. so are doing what we can. However, people are doubtless aware that the Series S has just 10GB of memory to be shared between RAM and VRAM, it really isn’t much at all. I understand 8GB of that is given over to VRAM (which on the face of it isn’t terrible), but the bandwidth of the memory is half that of the Series X and the PS5, so there’s not much of it and it’s slow.

FWIW I think TSW is actually running the best it ever has. I’m not just saying this because of where we are now, but the work DTG are doing is clearly making a difference and for me at least, the game is much much smoother than it ever has been. No one is a miracle worker however, and 10GB memory is 10GB memory, however you try to slice it. There really is a limit, and you cannot shovel 10lbs of anything into a 5lb bag

 

So with Tonbridge Yard in can we say we could see some GBRF variant class 66's or maybe a 69 or 73? Or will it be DB as booked. Lets just hope you allow 66's with CC liveries.onto the route.

Looks a nice route to be fair, but dissapointed if there is no GBRF blue about the place and just DB red.

Hentis

 

There’s no licence for GBRF I believe

 

Who really cares about guard mode in general, waste of resources

 

Would be nice to see Southeastern Highspeed get a remake/Remaster need updating

 

This is probably the closest we will get to a “community” built route. Built by people we know and who are people that know what they are doing.

Must admit I didn’t pick up on first glance that Tonbridge was also included, along with the “bus stop” D) section from SEHS. So that’s a nice little bonus again.

So this is definitely a project I will be supporting with a Day One purchase.

Just one thing though aimed firmly at DTG, yet another route where we might want to keep going via returning to free roam and taking over the next/another train but rendered impractical due to the save game not retaining/restoring the objective data. Sorry for ping, but DTG Matt high time this was placed at the top of the priority list. We have so many routes now that could sustain this type of gameplay it really does need sorting.

 

https://www.locomaster.co.uk/medway_crompton.htm

Above a link to the previously mentioned cab ride DVD.

 

I didn't realize who the developer was at first glance! Definitely a day 1 purchase. Probably going to be the first purchase since tsw 5.

Looking very good, the gsm and CCTV is a really nice touch.

Can't wait to drive another home route in tsw.

 

Are you going to model all the yobs on the line terrorising all the locals ?

 

Already had one so it doesn’t, maybe new timetable but not a full remake or remaster

 

I think this is an amazing announcement, as i personally really want to see more 'backwater' British routes coming to TSW6, by which i mean routes that are a little off the beaten track, not massively obvious like the mainline routes, and this fits that remit perfectly.

The team behind this are obviously incredibly skilled, and as a PS5 player it will be really nice to experience what PC players often experience with mod enhancements.

Overall this is the most i've looked forward to a new route for a while (and i say that as a northern girl who knows practically nothing about this route in real life), i really hope this is the start of us seeing more routes that are a little different, a bit of a throwback.. i hope this is the start of us seeing more of the backwaters and lesser known and hidden gems of the UK rail network!

 

Never say never, Dresden had two remaster/remakes

 

Unless everyone is wearing a hoodie it won’t be realistic

This is one of my favourite routes to play on TSC, although TSC we get London Victoria to Sevenoaks, still I’m not complaining. I’m happy to see my local route/train company represented more.
I would love to see the Bexley or Greenwich lines done next, if the developer is focused on this particular area of the railway.

 

It's about time we got a UK route that isn't the West Coast Mainline...

 

Until it is released they can’t be sure it won’t have blurry textures as we all learned with the AABs release do some testing isn’t really a thing. I would advise ALL console users to not throw money at this until it’s released. If the ambassadors are told not to show it on consoles again like the AABS route and Matt does the preview stream with fog on again then alarm bells should be ringing

 

After Birmingham to Crewe debacle and even the TfW Pacer bringing blurs to Cardiff I'm no longer buying anything on release anymore.
I'll buy this if reports from the console beta testers,, err, I mean other users, are good on that front. If not, I'll happily keep my money

 

I hope you’re not under the impression that you speak for everyone. I, like many others really enjoy guard mode as it provides a very different way of playing tsw, and is also incredibly relaxing. It still needs lots of work, but it is undoubtedly my favourite core feature since tsw3

 

Well, having read this entire thread, I have to say the overwhelming enthusiasm for this upcoming route and train leads me to the inevitable conclusion that TSW has morphed into CSW ( Commuter Sim World ) and this is the future of the game. The players have spoken very clearly.

Except for the occasional exception from the likes of Just Trains, we will never again see steam, freight or even loco- hauled passenger trains in TSW.

I just can't absorb any more of these UK bus stops or German red box routes into my collection. This is the prison- windowed electrostar that would break the camel's back.

Good luck to the guys at Firefly though, they've earned our respect in the last few years. They deserve to make a little moolah.

 

To be fair it’s been this way for as long as I can remember, at least this route gets us away from the WCML, though it is a shame it takes us right into essentially the same are we’ve already seen - especially whilst large swathes of the UK haven’t been touched.

Variety in terms of modern UK railways are fairly difficult to find overall, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to be seen.

 

very interesting reading and great feedback btw. I guess if a new area is done and it only has one loco plus a 66, would players then say route feels empty. If I remember correctly that was the feedback when first cross city was released. I don't envy the devs on trying to figure out these things

 

I didn't say that at all. Performance has been a key thing we have been aiming for since literally day one, making all the optimisations we can. It is running VERY well on all forms of PC hardware currently. It's actually running better than SEHS does. It hasn't gone into console testing yet, so I can't say 100% it runs well there, but every indication is it should as it does on weaker PC hardware, and if it doesn't, we will make it run well there. Gen 9 consoles have definitely been a focus for us, I own a PS5 myself.

 

There are undoubtedly more "exciting" routes. It is a good idea to start smaller I imagine and it is a self contained route which I do enjoy. It's also a very pleasant part of the country.

I would have preferred to have seen it set 30 years ago with semaphores and slam door EMU's but if it is well made with immersive sounds then I'll enjoy it as I enjoy driving trains.

 

Im not sure that’s an entirely plausible point to raise in defence of a route that is both bringing us back to the same area of trackage we’ve seen before & delivering 2 subclasses of a train we’ve seen multiple times.

Personally, the rolling stock & geography aren’t really an issue for me, though I’d certainly rather have seen it further back in time with different rolling stock.

 

26 new miles of track through a picturesque valley landscape, it’ll be worth having.

 

It means going back in time which, apart from JT, DTG and its 3P's show no inclination to do.

You know they can say older stuff doesn't sell till they're blue in the face. But what about caring about railways and their history? As the only viable train sim in the market, don't they owe us enthusiasts a few crumbs here and there? How about risking a few dollars to diversify the game we support. Can they call themselves a true railway simulator anymore? I would say an emphatic NO.

 

Yeah I think JT have done more than enough at this point to disprove the theory that BR doesn’t sell, I don’t see them sticking to producing 1 or 2 things a year when it isn’t selling.

The problem from DTGs end is they’re way too obsessed with making as much money as they can & we obviously are yet to see another third party interested in development for that era.

 

Yeah so let’s go the other way and have a southern 3rd rail route because we don’t have enough of them already

 

I have both just trains routes already and the Cardiff pacer pack (ngl the pacer pack is a disappointment? I won’t be buying just trains next route because to me we have more than enough of this era already and it basically offers no new stock that will appeal to me so sadly as much as I love just trains I won’t be buying the next route.

 

Well to be fair it’s a few years since DTG declared their hiatus on third rail content, following the extended SEHS release. Though of course we could do with the South Western “Division” representing at some stage. Though my preference there most definitely Southampton to Weymouth in 1978. 4REP’s and 4TC’s to Bournemouth with the push/pull 33/1’s taking over to Weymouth. The Quay Line at Weymouth still open for seasonal business. Oh and 4VEP’s on the semi fasts and stoppers.

 

If we have more than enough of that era, I’d love to know what the level of modern era content is quantified as.

 

Modern era sells that’s where the money is. The younger members won’t be interested in older stock and learning it. They all want the modern plastic push pull trains we have today.

 

I would say we are sorely lacking in routes of the BR era.

 

Plenty of young people volunteer on the Severn Valley railway. I wasn't around during steam days but am very interested in that era.

 

We are however they don’t sell as much as the modern day stuff. Hence why you have countless mod timetables available for the older routes so people can drive the modern stock in them. The download numbers for said mods speak for themselves and that’s only pc users

 

Well JT are soon to release their third presumably the previous two have done okay. I don't see that one a year is going to be an impediment to those who only like modern content.

 

I’m conscious as to veering from the thread subject but im not necessarily disputing that modern content is what the majority seems to be interested in & certainly the amount of that content available well overshadows BR era content.

In any case we simply don’t have the numbers of say JT’s sales figures vs other routes, so whether we can accurately say it’s less popular is up for debate.

 

It certainly is.
One good thing about the sim. It caters to everyone and of users have the advantage of mods and timetables to adapt routes via the TSC website.

 

Yes I realize that it's all about maximizing profit and what that means in terms of content.

I guess I just like pissing in the wind, but I'll keep pushing for something better from DTG as long as I can.

 

One thing I think needs to be said, at least from a third party point of view, people make what they want to make. While I do like historic content (Steam especially, and everyone knows my first timetable was Tees Valley, and it is still my favourite route, and the class 37 is my favourite loco), not all developers do. At least at Firefly we come to a consensus on what content we want to make as individuals, and then make that.

 

Very true. We have no South West third rail routes, as well as no faithful recreation of the Windsor lines in TSC, let alone TSW. There's also no route at which the class 465 is truly at home, not to mention the lack of routes where the class 700 can be run (although that unit can run on OHLE as well)

 

I hate the modern electric bus routes myself but I will say the medway valley line is far from it.
Every time I travel on the line it feels like taking a step back in time on some parts of it.
You travel through some of the most beautiful countryside in Kent, along parts of the river medway, arriving at stations that don't look much different from the day they were built.

I think it was a brilliant choice for a route.


I

 

OK, I hope you're right and will wait to see reviews, with a hopeful purchase after.