PlayStation Shs 2nd Stream Feedback

I think it’s great that DTG has listened and, in a relatively short space of time, introduced a number of improvements to the SHS route. I’ll definitely be buying on Thursday and I’ll provide my final thoughts after playing, but having watched the second stream, I noticed ...

1. The distance to next station (Upper Left HUD) between St Pancras and Ebbsfleet is shown in miles, despite this part of the route being metric.
2. Noticeable fence pop in at Gravesend.
3. No wiper sound.
4. Instrument lights not working.
5. Journey button not working.
6. KVB ‘P’ stuck on display.
7. Train interior still seems overly bright.
8. Old Rochester Station platforms still look brand new and cared for.
9. Crossing gates seem really fast, but are super fun.
10. Blurry/Fuzzy 375 at Rainham.
11. 375 destination screen text still too big.
12. The 375 doesn’t know where it is going - missing destinations.
13. We desperately need high/low horn function on PS4/Xbox controller. So many Whistle boards to have fun with, but with only one horn sound.
14. No footstep sounds.

 

I thought the route was a lot better than the 1st stream. Hat's off to DTG for the quick fixes and the open stance with regards to more is coming in a patch after release. Happy to have seen the expectations managed properly for the people that wanted the changes, I'm sure they will comment they still aren't happy, but I see this as a step in the right direction.

Just query a few of the above points you've picked up on and what I heard Matt and Sam state, and also previous work arounds.

1.) That's because the route is in miles, that's how the UK railway network is measured. Miles and chains. Speed is only measured in kilometers on HS1, but is still measured in miles in the sectional appendix (with notices to advise of speeds shown in kilometers).
3.) They said that it was working earlier in the day, but not on stream, Matt was going to try off stream, and speak to team member who was working on wipers.
4.) They said that was also working and has been broken, but was being investigated.
6.) Was mentioned as being a known issue, and fix inbound.
13.) You should only be using the low horn at a whistle board (rulebook instruction), if you want high low, use the in cab lever as this route is immersion controls (unless you change it to classic).

 

Looking at what they've done, I'll also buy, however they do need to sort out the tunnel lighting, they really made a meal out of trying to improve it.

I really want a 395, so that is probably the most attractive thing about this DLC for me, but i'd like to say a big well done for the almost 100 additional services, especially the loco hauls and freight.

Ballast? honestly surprised they changed it, hats off to them, makes the route look more real.

The fences at the exit to LT2 however, I think someone at DTG was trying to make a point when they put the great wall of bloody China in there.

Overall, I think they've done a pretty good improvement, the route now looks better & has more life.

 

The sound proofing wall is 12ft tall in real life at Rainham (Essex)!

Matt P did say the tunnel lighting took them a while to figure it out why it was broken, they had a breakthrough today and can now rapidly fix it.

 

It’s a good job there are no cars on the road as they would have no chance of stopping with the sequence that’s been put in to these crossings. It’s totally wrong and far too quick. The alarms should be going on for a long time before the gates come down, amongst other things.

I forgot to look in this stream but are the rails still sticking up out of the level crossings instead of being erm, level with the road? They were in the last stream. Would burst a car’s tyres going over them.

 

Honestly it made me laugh, and it still looks better than before, at least infrastructure is in place, but yeah Matt sounded pretty confident about a post release update, so hopefully that static looking light leak gets sorted.

 

The U.K. route is in miles, but with the rest of the HUD showing metric during the St Pancras to Ebbsfleet section, you can’t easily determine if you are on time as you can’t easily compare the speed to the distance. It just seems odd to have that mismatch during that section of track.

I’ve seen lots of cab ride videos where the low and high horn is used at Whistle boards. I know you can use the horn lever in cab to sound the horn, but that forces you to take your eyes off the track, which a driver in real life wouldn’t have to do.

 

Can you not use the PS chatpad to enable the high low tones?

 

I don’t have one of those so I don’t know if it would work. Buying a PS5 (when I can eventually get my hands on one) and I don’t think that has the chat pad for the new controller design.

 

Cheeky mini usb keyboard? Mini wireless keyboard

 

I’d rather have the functionality in the controller. I’ve made a few threads on how the controls can be expanded on PS4/Xbox to provide players with enhanced functionality to deepen immersion. Unless using a keyboard, with a controller, there are too many tasks that require you to take your eyes off the rails. The controllers have a lot of potential which is currently being missed.

 

Yeah this is the best alternative, a keyboard really lets you take advantage of a lot of key-binds you don't normally get.

 

Some of the functions on that keyboard, page up and down, for example would require you to place the controller down to use them. You need to hold function to get access to those functions. It’s too much of a faff.

 

Not a huge deal but the level crossing at Gillingham has pedestrian stop lights under the main vehicle hazard warnings. Don't know if these get used elsewhere in the UK but might be an asset worth looking into
Going back through the google streetview timeline they were installed in 2014/15 and they're a red hand that flashes in time with the two main red lights above

***Edit, after watching the video it appears they DON'T flash in time, but they do flash***

 

Good video of it here.

As you can see there are lights on all four corners for pedestrians

 

The gates are down a really long time too. No wonder people get impatient.

 

The track is still raised and I noticed no box junction painted either, but the box junction is a minor detail.

 

Not that bad for that crossing. With Gillingham depot just to the right of that shot, and trains often going from GIllingham station into depot at slow speed I've known the gates to be down for much longer, especially with multiple trains going through. Makes going to the Sainsbury's local just up the road a bit of a nightmare if you're in a hurry.
Luckily since the 465s stopped running the local services on the NK lines there are far fewer depot moves

 

I'm pretty sure you won't get that functionality for at least 12 months if at all on your controller.

 

Probably not, but I’m going to continue championing the idea. I think it’s something DTG should really consider and I really hope they do (at some point).

 

I wish cars would go through there though. Maybe in a post patch update

 

They did say in the stream that they'd have to alter the vehicle settings to allow cars to perform other behaviours. They also said that they might look into it at a later date.

 

I'll be honest I NEVER buy new routes when they come out because there is always so many bugs and problems, I'm sick and tired of it. Never known a game with so many issues all the time.

I do buy the DLC routes but only after 8-10 months of them being released as by that time more often than not the patches are available and the route is semi playable.

I'd suggest waiting for a while before you buy it, simply because you will get a much better product if you just wait. It saves on the frustration levels and pocket.

 

You do have a fair point

 

Semi playable, really..? I agree with you on the hold off and wait view, you get a better product at a cheaper rate, It's a win-win but to say it would still be semi playable is a little extreme imo and if that's the case why did you still buy it?

 

8-10 months is an extreme amount of time to wait, unless you are hunting for the best discount you will get on a route in a sale. I've bought many DLCs on day 1 and never come across anything so unplayable I'd rather have waited 10 months for it, indeed something like LGV came out pretty much bang on. If nothing else, TSW2 itself is not even 8 months old, so if we all applied the logic above what would be the point of any of us being here discussing the game?

 

I wonder if this tunnel lighting issue is related to the very short section on GWE on approach/departure at Reading (almost a mile east) where you get a noticeable change in cab lighting even though there is no tunnel, bridge or other structure that should cause this?

 

how would you bind the keys to the train?

 

They already exist in game, all you need is the appropriate peripheral to access them.

 

Always bugged me that issue, the cab goes dark for a few seconds for no reason whatsoever.

 

From my experience of hanging around Truro train station and Long Rock depot- I know the opposite end of the country- the barriers come down 4-5 minutes before the train comes through...