earlier this morning i found this in the comments of a recent ats video: now i’m not looking at this as any sort of guarantee, of course, nor am i treating it as confirmation that they’re actively exploring that possibility. but is this a sign that the route could be extended and ultimately finished eventually, even though it would likely come at least 2 years after the original route released?
I really hope that Alan and his team will return to this development in the near future. This project is at the top of my list of expectations and will make me happy when it's completed and we see the final version of the route. After all, this section is an integral part of the West Coast Main Line, which will offer exciting gameplay.
The fact the route didnt even go to Crewe in the first place is baffling, but I guess we go with the flow. I would absolutely welcome the route being extended to crewe, but ideally, it should have went to Crewe when it released.
I think now that we have the two Crewe routes from AAS it's an absolute sitter that needs to be taken. It was tolerable prior to that but it now forms a very noticable gap in an otherwise mostly completed WCML.
I'm sure there is a post on this forum somewhere, maybe the MAC feedback thread? from someone at ATS saying they are looking at ways to do the extension. Hopefully they find a way to do it, especially as Crewe going south is now in the game and it does feel like a hole in the map.
Well Crewe would be very cool, but I have various concerns about the performance, as it is like now, WCMLS and MAC are the two routes that crashes the most of all. And I hope they could maybe rework this depot section in manchester, cause there I have like 5fps or so.
It wasn't fantastic to cut it back at Alderly Edge... But I'm willing to turn a blind eye to it because A) The ongoing behind the scenes issues (no need to go into that detail it's out there already for those who wish to know), and B) being their first product. One thing I will say is, one thing I've grown to like about ATS is that they are potentially willing to revisit their product and extend it to Crewe, and if they do it would really give me confidence in products going forward. The Class 90 didn't release in the perfect condition, and I don't think that entirely ATS fault. But if they are willing to revisit MAC and extend it to Crewe, it would be appreciated by everyone in the community, plus it would give me confidence in all their future content that they look after their content. Let's just keep our fingers crossed though and get ECML out... I have high hopes for ECML. I'm just hoping it's full scope can be enjoyed.
All we need is to have the extension to Crewe done, and then the line via Stoke-On-Trent, and asides from the Glasgow stretch at the north end we'll have the WCML complete. Full end to end runs from Euston to Manchester. Liverpool would have been nice too but that would mean entirely replacing SOS route wise which TSW doesn't seem to do.
And I expect the SHG 158 Overshap TT to be based on the JT 86 era scenery unless they are doing something with it? At least on PC we get Preston to Carlisle in a more "modernisation" state with the relocation of Morecambe station.. Unfortunately that person wont be doing Crewe - Preston but never say never at that being done at some point in the future!
I'd be surprised if they did. Someone asked this to Alan on the TSC server yesterday (01/09) and this is what he said: "Not likely for the foreseeable future sadly the route would need a massive rework as it’s not optimised well at all as it was our first route"
The disappointing point for me is that they clearly don't want to say no, but it may be the best part of a year before ECML South is released - so you start to wonder whether this will ever be a realistic possibility - appreciate MAC was their first route, but surely optimising has to be a priority, you cannot just say it was their first route and imply that they aren't going to sort this !! (and that's aside from potentially extending), have my doubts on this.
Bottom line, it’s another sawn off stub of a TSW route like many before and still to come. Realistically the odds of it getting finished are pretty slim, particularly if the route builders for ATS are working on new - seen as more lucrative - projects.
whilst their upcoming project in ecmls is indeed more lucrative, i can imagine they’d get lots of sales by making a new timetable including the 331 with the updated route to crewe, i waited to get the route on sale (cost me £18 iirc), but i suspect a decent number of people would be willing to pay full price for the complete route
Given how much Crewe seems to hammer performance in all its guises bar Spirit of Steam, it’s probably for the best leaving MAC as it is.
