Upcoming Release Br Class 90 Freight Loco - Coming March 30th

Discussion in 'Dovetail Live Article Discussion' started by DTG Harry, Mar 19, 2026 at 2:02 PM.

  1. operator#7940

    operator#7940 Well-Known Member

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    But again... you don't have to buy it or use it.
    Others (like myself and most casuals) would love the variety of options and don't know or care.
    That costs sales for no valid reason because the people who aren't going to use it won't be using it and it's a single player game.

    Regardless, "historical accuracy" doesn't appear to be the reasoning anyway.
    Given that the one route it runs on is the one that's managed by DTG only and not a third party that it has something to do with communication between third parties. However, no one has said that officially. Just a guess.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2026 at 1:02 PM
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  2. eMAyTeeTee

    eMAyTeeTee Well-Known Member

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    So should we go about putting Pendolino's and 350s on Spirit of Steam then?
     
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  3. operator#7940

    operator#7940 Well-Known Member

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    I know you're trying to be glib abnd entirely ignoring that the 90 was CALLED the 87/2 originally so they're VERY similar...but sure, let's go whole hog. If they're subbing in for something similar, make them substitute in. Again, you would never know and I'm not asking for whole timetable, just a simple substitution system based on capability. It would even reduce the cost of trains because you're ONLY making the trains, not spending time building whole new timetables and working on dependencies.
    If I could get a Class 90 that could sub in anywhere an 86 or 87 could go at 2/3 the cost.... that's a HUGE value to me and it'd be a Day One purchase. This one... pass. May be a nice train, but it's just not useful without anything to do with it.
     
  4. f__s_cw

    f__s_cw Well-Known Member

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    another late adjustment, starting to feel like it’s not an accident at this point
     
  5. f__s_cw

    f__s_cw Well-Known Member

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    agree, the original roadmap described ‘this first 90 pack’ plus it would be silly to not put it to more use
     
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  6. eMAyTeeTee

    eMAyTeeTee Well-Known Member

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    Trying to be glib? I don't even know what the hell that means (probably yank speak), but I'm just confused. If you're saying we sub a modern recreation of a 90 onto an 80s route, we may as well go all the way and put other examples, but you didn't even answer my question about that, probably because you realise how stupid it sounds
     
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  7. eMAyTeeTee

    eMAyTeeTee Well-Known Member

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    Another one for the ignore list me thinks
     
  8. CK95

    CK95 Well-Known Member

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    This is where the free roam or something similar needs to be upgraded. Just swap out the planned stock for whatever it is you want to use (TSC has a good community resource for something similar).

    Player only substitution within a timetable is fine mostly but I wouldn’t want to see pretty much every train I own in the menu for a route.
     
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  9. Jetset-James

    Jetset-James Well-Known Member

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    Another DisappoinTinG mess up, they should start selling circus tickets!
     
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  10. pedro#1852

    pedro#1852 Well-Known Member

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    eagerly awaiting the unconditional defenders of the DTG
     
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  11. operator#7940

    operator#7940 Well-Known Member

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    Glib imeans joking or silly, lighthearted, knowingly flippant.
    I was being nice.
    I already did respond. The 90 is based directly on the 87, being the 87/2.
    It's not hugely different.
    Going to extremes such as not listening to people just for discussing different "variants" of a model is just proving my point about purists vs casual players. Adhering to strict puritanical interpretations drives down sales, which reduces income, which reduces new content and increases costs because they sell to fewer people.
    It's a bad cycle if you're trying to keep a company going.

    You can argue your opinion on the historical purity yes, but as a paying player mine is also equally valid, and economically more so.
    I'm sorry if disagreement means you have to cut people out of your life rather than listen to their viewpoint, but that's your option if it makes you happy.

    I think if the Class 90 only runs on the WCMLS it'll flop badly.
    They will lose the majority of the potential sales not allowing it on the other routes.
    It not only hurts ATS not making sales, but the other route owners (JT, etc) will lose out on sales that might have happened if the Class 90 had been available to bundle with those routes too.
    That will be bad for TSW as a whole.
     
  12. Wilbnil

    Wilbnil Well-Known Member

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    I don't agree with the sentiment that the players who want to drive it on modern routes where it belongs shouldn't buy it because it substitutes in for 86 and 87 services on WCMLoS. Apart from that, you could uninstall it everytime you run it, but that gets tedious. The developers could make a separate timetable, but then you are back to my original point. It would be a poor allocation of resources to create a timetable for a route where it doesn't belong, rather than put it on more modern routes.

    But this is all hypothetical anyway, as I don't think ATS or JT would want to put the modern Class 90 in the original WCMLoS timetable.
     
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  13. marcsharp2

    marcsharp2 Well-Known Member

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    This is just unbelievable.... actually with DTG it's very believable. Just one mess after another. I feel sorry for the people that were looking forward to purchasing this next week.
     
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  14. operator#7940

    operator#7940 Well-Known Member

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    Misconceptions:
    They're not "putting" it in a timetable. It's an optional substitution. No effort is required for the route or changes to the timetable. You can use the Santa Fe SD-40-2 on Sand Patch Grade, but it didn't require any change to the timetable. It wasn't even planned, but happened through a simple substitution code.
    You also don't have to "uninstall" a whole route or pack. Since layer selection feature, that is not necessary.


    In any case, given the huge amount of people requesting the 90, we'll see by its sales figures if this fractional step is enough for people to buy it.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2026 at 2:07 PM
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  15. eMAyTeeTee

    eMAyTeeTee Well-Known Member

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    You ignored my question about whether we should also put the 390 and 350 on Spirit of Steam. We'll actually you responded, only to not actually answer that question.
    I only cut out people who I find to be entirely unsufferable
     
  16. Disintegration7

    Disintegration7 Well-Known Member

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    I'm with you on this one big time.

    Personally i think you should be able to drive any train you own in timetable mode- if you're unable to draw power, pull the consist, or keep to time, etc, then that's on the player to decide if it's enjoyable. It's not suited to be the default option but as a toggleable feature it would be fantastic imo. I'd use it all the time to drive "better" versions of stock that are gated to certain timetables that's for sure!

    Wrt out of place AI trains, as you said, that's EXACTLY what the layer selector is for! They could even have "unrealistic" layers turned off by default and players like us who want them could turn them on.

    This is a solvable issue!
     
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  17. operator#7940

    operator#7940 Well-Known Member

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    I answered that too.
    Did you read the part "Sure, if they're subbing in for something similar, make them substitute in?"
    Sorry but you have to follow your own personal rules to be taken seriously.
     
  18. operator#7940

    operator#7940 Well-Known Member

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    Agreed Disintegration7.
    I think people underestimate just now much more player base (and lower costs) you'd have if you allowed more custom options. They also require LESS work and don't affect others in a single player game so there's really no down side.
    Basically all you're doing is allowing subs (not requiring) and the effect is enabling an exponential amount of more gameplay value on existing assets meaning more sales, more income, less work for devs, and thus lower unit costs.

    Everything needed to do it is already in game.
    No players are FORCED to do anything.
    You'd have to actively buy the DLC, enable the layer, and then choose the train substitute to even do it.
    All voluntary steps by a person that don't impact anyone else.
    The only argument seems to be essentially "I don't want someone else to have the opportunity to use the game in ways I don't like."
     
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  19. Wilbnil

    Wilbnil Well-Known Member

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    Something along these lines would be the best solution for all players, but it would require some updates from DTG. I have previously suggested this, along with other improvements here. As for how it works now, my impression was that substitutions could not be enabled or disabled by the player, making the need for the developers to add a layer instead, which requires more work from my understanding.
     
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  20. Disintegration7

    Disintegration7 Well-Known Member

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    Yeah it would require some adjustment my DTG for sure. Maybe it could be a new feature for TSW7.
     
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  21. eMAyTeeTee

    eMAyTeeTee Well-Known Member

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    Not sure I tried to set any "personal rules" but sure
     
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  22. eldomtom2

    eldomtom2 Well-Known Member

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    You can disable all substitutions in the options menu, but can't disable them on a case-by-case basis.
     
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  23. Es4t

    Es4t Well-Known Member

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    Probably one of DTG’s worst weeks in a long time.
     
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  24. operator#7940

    operator#7940 Well-Known Member

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    "Worst" or "best" in money making? I can't think of any period where this much content came out in such a short time.
    However, having said that however, I can't help but thinking they are cannibalizing themselves by putting it ALL out there at once without a pay cycle to pass so people can restock their wallets =-)
     
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  25. CK95

    CK95 Well-Known Member

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    ATS is streaming a first look now on Twitch.

    Got to say it’s great to see a dev not afraid to weather a loco just because of licensing.

    • MAC layering will come in a future update.
    • Release features a new separate 2025 timetable for WCMLS. Pre Release build at least shows the 805 & 807 as being a layer, though when asked Alan said the 805 doesn’t layer.
    • Seems to be around 15-20 playable services including a few being short shunts. Includes doubled headed running.
    • Full length runs look to be in the early morning, later at night & a couple in the day time.
    • Sounds pretty good overall.

    Overall I’m undecided - it’s a nice looking train, really love the livery selection but having one release TT & having very few full runs within that (some of those being in the rather poor night lighting) limits the raw gameplay value quite a bit for me. Once the MAC TT releases I’ll likely grab it then. That being said, this is one of the very few DLC’s in TSW’s lifetime I’ve been genuinely undecided on, it’s really a shame about the lack of route layering as it’s the only thing holding me back.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2026 at 9:22 PM
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  26. iriv#7314

    iriv#7314 Well-Known Member

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    I wonder if they get the license for SNCB livery
     
  27. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Bring it on and for the class 90 will it actually run the entire West Coast Main Line dlcs
     

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