While their humour is appreciated, once the time for April Fools is over, the description should have been reverted to the actual requirement.
Well, there you go. I actually believed it, although I could have completed scenarios on the Czech route for route mastery...
And... done. That really was the most underwhelming episode of the Monthly Mastery since I started doing it. 10 timetable services without a mileage quota polished off with two round trips on the Cardiff Bay shuttle and a few short ECS moves. Zero challenge or excitement. Please give us something to get our teeth into next month as my attention now likely to wander over to SimRail, Farming Sim 25, Snowrunner and even The Bus as a result.
Now that April Fools is over, the challenges have updated to have their actual descriptions; Tier 1 Drive 25 miles / 40 km Exceed 100 mph / 160kph Tier 2 Collect 6 Collectables Complete 10 timetables with a temperature above 10⁰C / 50⁰F Complete 3 scenarios
Doesn’t that say more about you having a variety of games to play, if you need a bigger mastery challenge to make you play? Besides there are plenty of individual route masteries if you want virtual achievements while driving trains. I'm quite happy with masteries that need some time but not too much, precisely because I've got other games to play. No thanks, I don’t want any game becoming a chore. If you want to do a lot of mileage, then do it anyway.
Oh I’m quite capable of picking or choosing whether I play TSW or wander off to do something else whatever the Mastery is. I played quite a lot on the Czech route and Medway Valley when they came out long after completing the March Mastery. The point is though, having something to aim for in the overall game removes the at times abstract nature of the gameplay. That’s why I also do the ETS2 challenges when they are on. As regards the route masteries, well most are fairly quick and simple and rarely distance travelled related. Journey mode has its appeal but gives no recognition of completion when you finish it. So, as posted in the OT section, with the fantastic looking Witcombe Park Farm (free) map for FS25 looking likely to hit at the end of April, DTG will need to come up with something quite compelling to keep me away from that!
I don't know, the issue with TSW is the only way you really can add challenge is via stupidly long grinding, which frankly doesn't say all that much on how skilled you are. I'm just saying, I've made it on leaderboards over much more skill people just because I had much more time to waste on the game. TSW just has a really low skill celling, which is fine on its own, but when DTG try and keeps leaning into high score nonsense it really does hurt that when the game's not got enough skill expression to make replaying things fun. To give a contrast I've playing Mario Wonder's Switch 2 DLC, and I really love the challenge mode they did for that. They're short in theory, but it's kind of addicting at points to redo challenges for better times, because Mario's got such fine control and you can do micro optimizations constantly. You can also experiment a bit with badges to see what abilities can help clear them faster. Furthermore you can see other people playing the game in real time, so you can also take notes of what they're doing and use that to help your own runs. Plus while doing them you're earning water on the side to help decorate your little park, giving you something to aim for. I know it's a odd comparison, but I just bring that up as a game I've played recently with a solid challenge mode. And I do think it's remarkable how well designed that is compared to TSW's efforts here.
Pleading with a game designer to not make their mastery challenges too hard so you have the time to play other games than theirs? Does that make sense?
...Yes? People critique games in this manner all the time, most people hate old NES games all the time for need grind and/or the absurd arcade like difficulty for example. Or in more recent times, people complaining about live service games drawing out things for the benefit of nobody but their pocket book. Speaking for myself, lot of my favorite games actually aren't all that long. Metroid Dread & Pikmin 3 are probably my favorite 8th & 9th gen titles respectively, and they're also games that are pretty short. I don't see how anything the person you replied to is particular weird. Lot of games, even great ones, end up hurting the experience with all sorts of needless grinding. Much as I think a lot of the challenges in this game are overly basic, I'd take that over the alternative of something that requires hundreds of hours of grinding, like that one achievement which needs you to complete the whole Rapid Transit timetable, as one example.
I checked the achievement list in TSW2 for curiosity sake, it's this one. RT: German Legend: Complete all of the available services. Also looking though the list there's actually SEHS & Rhein-Ruhr Osten achievements for completing 100 services on both routes, which I mean, isn't as bad as a whole timetable, but still.
I just don't agree with you both and you're entitled to your opinion. No need to spend any more words on that.
You're on a forum, if you don't want people discussing your ideas then don't say them, you could also just as easily have said nothing about either of us too. And frankly I find it weird when people comment on public places expecting no sort of reply, especially when the replies in question aren't even being hostile, just stating their own opinions.
Oh congrats! That's a actual achievement as far as I'm concerned, even to have even just done one of them,
That's a super awesome effort, i think the only route ive come close to doing anything close was the Edinburgh to Glasgow.... and then my services reset with the SR158 announcment update.... aaaaannd i couldnt be arsed to do them all again
Eh? I was replying to you literally pleading. Specifically, "pleading for a big mileage or AP goal in tier 2". I wasn't pleading for anything, just disagreeing with you because I'm happy with the time sink as it is. I wasn't even asking for things to be made easier, so please don't put words in my mouth, thank you.
I'm just about to see what the Clinchfield Mastery is! If I'm close to getting it, might spend a few days grinding it out... Well actually looks like it only has one tier and typical DTG fashion is still shown in progress even though all objectives are complete!
I never said I wasn't pleading myself. Because I was. And I will do it again if needed. I just didn't agree with you.
That’s a shame as it would have compensated for the low level Monthly challenge. Anyhow after watching a couple of British Ace’s The Bus videos, think an electric Solaris on the TXL beckons later!
Yes, only it's the same as the last few years, and if you complete it the easter eggs are available at all times. So its added value is minimal.
They really are running on empty as regards ideas for the Mastery… A one minute ECS run from Peterborough Sidings to the station will take care of that. Could at least have popped a 50 miles driven requirement in there.
