PlayStation What Is The Easiest Train/route And Settings For A 9 Year Old

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by Gav, Mar 26, 2020.

  1. Gav

    Gav Active Member

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    Hi guys, my son who is 9 years old really wants to play this game, and I allowed him to play it but its complicated for him and he can just about get the train moving, I told him its a bit too difficult because its a simulator, but he won't listen, he wants to play it so much, and we are all in lockdown because of the coronavirus and his school is shut so he has to stay home.

    I have most of the routes and trains, what would be the best route to let him play on? a train that is very simple to get moving (without having to do lots of things) and is very easy to stop?.

    I know its a bit too complicated for a 9 year old, but he won't listen and wants to play because he thinks its so cool to drive a train. What should I change in the settings to make it as easy as possible??? what what route and train?? thank you very much guys..
     
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  2. MillerPC

    MillerPC Active Member

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    LIRR would be easy to get going since all you need to do set the train up then either add acceleration. Braking is pretty easy so long as you aren't flying across the map lol
     
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  3. Gav

    Gav Active Member

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    Thank you, I will let him start on long island railroad, much appreciated :)
     
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  4. Olaf the Snowman

    Olaf the Snowman Well-Known Member

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    By far the Class 166 on the Great Western Express route. Very easy to operate:
    1. Combined power-brake controller. So only 1 controller to be able to accelerate and stop the train which will avoid any confusion as some trains can have several controllers.
    2. Electropneumatic braking. Brake response is instantaneous so is easy to operate.
    3. Only 3 steps of brake. Again, making it very easy to operate as you only have 3 choices of brake with each progressive brake step being heavier than the previous.
    4. Incredibly easy cab set up. All you have to do is insert key, select forward, ensure doors are closed and off you go.
    5. A very good view out of the cab and less ‘clutter’ in the cab. By clutter, I mean screens, buttons and indications which can all be quite intimidating when you’re learning to operate a train for the first time. Even if most buttons, indications and screens are not functional, it can still be daunting!
    6. Can’t go wrong and don’t have to worry about ‘messing’ up the train and having to restart because you don’t know how to fix the cab. As I said before, there is no ‘clutter’ so no buttons you can press which will stop the train moving. You can’t select the emergency plunger without physically clicking on it and if you selected emergency on the controller, you can easily come out of emergency without even coming to a stop. A lot of trains, if you select emergency, you will come to a stop before you are able to release.

    The Class 377 on the East Coastway is very similar. The only thing though is that it falls foul of point 6. Due to the gangway, the cab is quite small and there are loads of buttons, indications and screens which can be distracting. This is no surprise as the Class 377 is a much more modern train compared to the Class 166.

    The LIRR is probably the next level up and so I wouldn’t use it as a first train. (And the BR 142 on the rapid transit route)
    1. The variable (infinite) brake controller can be confusing compared to just having to chose between 3 steps on the Class 166
    2. Like the Class 377, the cab is small and there are lots of buttons and indications.
    3. Setting the cab up isn’t easy (for a new player) because you have to charge the brake pipe. Not hard but the Class 166 is much simpler.
    4. Would fall foul of point 6 above because if you accidentally select emergency on the controller, you have to recharge the brake pipe. I could image a scenario where a new player just restarts the game thinking that it is a fault with the game because they can’t, or rather don’t know how to, release the brakes.

    Edited to add that’s before you even compare signalling systems between American and British signalling. Aside from the signalling on GWE being very simple and clear (at least in my opinion), there are stations on the LIRR where you are stopping against a red signal. E.g. Jamaica, you have to stop within a few yards of the red signal before it will clear. Again, I can imagine a new player overrunning that because they’ve misjudged their braking and being extremely frustrated when they see that is the end of the scenario (as you’ve passed a signal at danger) and having to restart.

    But I would agree out of all the trains in TSW, the LIRR train is one of the easier ones to operate so is the next step up once he has mastered the Class 166.

    Note: For all the pedants, probably should have said Brake Supply Reservoir instead of where I said Brake Pipe for the LIRR train.
     
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2020
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  5. synthetic.angel

    synthetic.angel Well-Known Member

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    Yeah - I'd agree with Olaf - the Class 166 is the easiest. Then the LIRR, which sometimes needs to have a reset of brake/reverser.... But there are also a lot of services/scenarios that start in a way that's ready to go. Also - don't forget some of the mini services, like rolling stock movements - this one, with the 166, in the very very early morning in the freezing snow... is quite good fun/atmospheric/educational:

    166 at 206am.jpg

    One last point I would add is - do not let the kids know about trophies or steam achievements... because they will get disappointed when the trophies don't come - a "minor" thing that the developer doesn't care about much, but nine year-olds really care about.
     
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2020
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  6. OnlyMe1909

    OnlyMe1909 Well-Known Member

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    Agree with what has been said. Easiest would be 166 and a 377 and the LIRR. If he gets used to that maybe try a DB143 without safety systems
     
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  7. DK12345

    DK12345 Active Member

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    I agree with 166 being easiest, but (once set up) I think that the Talent 2 on Rapid Transit would be easier to use than the M7 as you don't have to charge the brakes following an emergency stop. Door operation is also easier in the Talent 2 if you use the in-cab controls.
     
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  8. Rob39

    Rob39 Well-Known Member

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    Id say Great Western Express full hud and safety systems off. start with the 166 then hst. Then perhaps introduce dsd then aws.
     
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