Hi all, In my recent suggestion "Köln-Wuppertal" I suggested a new way of allowing services to span multiple routes, and I'd like to give it a seperate forum suggestion The idea is quite simple, I'm not suggesting adding routes into one big route, as it might be technically impossible, and it would not make economic sense for Dovetail to add DLC to DLC. Therefore I'd suggest "simply" adding a pop up at the end of the route, that asks 'would you like to continue this service on the next route?'. For example, when you drive a freight service from Finnentrop to Hagen on RSN, and you stop at Hagen Freight yard, a pop up pops into screen once you stopped in front of the red light. 'would you like to continue this service on Rhein-Ruhr Osten'. If you then click no you simply continue to the usual menu. If you click yes, Rhein-Ruhr Osten loads in, with the same service, onwards to Wuppertal. In effect, it's just a shortcut, that makes it so that you can skip going back to the menu, selecting a different route and finding the same service. This means that you may have to set some things like destination, AFB/PZB/LZB/SIFA, and lights again, but would be simpler then joining posibilly incompatible routes togheter. I think this would be the easiest way to allow longer services on connected routes without going through the process of actually joining them. This way of connecting routes does require matching timetables, which previously were hard to achieve. Luckily solicitr suggested to use the new 'additional timetable-mechanic' added with DLGW, which would allow for the creation of matching timetables without disturbing the original ones. This is a great idea, and the last missing puzzle piece in making this suggestion possible. If you're on foot, there could be an object (like a door or a chair) you can click on to load in the next route. Alternatively you can have a marker which asks you if you want to change routes when you stand on it (like the start scenario markers on some platforms currently). This is not a perfect solution, and I'm no expert on game developement, so feel free to suggest changes to my suggestion. I have no idea if this is actually as simple to build as it sounds. Note: I have made another suggestion for merging routes using loco + route merger packs, this suggestion does propose actual physical mergers, as Matt's comments about it in a roadmap stream a while back made it sound like a possibility.
I wish they would do LOVE like this I even had my own idea of how they could do it which is kinda like your idea but more seamless so basically we will take your suggested routes. we get about a 3 miles from Hagen Hauptbahnhof in Rhein Ruhr Osten said route begins to unload not to fast as to cause to much lag but not to slow to have it very noticeable by 2 miles near Hagen RRO is mostly unloaded except 2 miles of it from Hagen but 2 miles of Ruhr Sieg Nord is loaded as you go through to the RSN side, RSN is loaded by the time you get about 3 miles from Hagen on the RSN side and RRO is unloaded. It maybe a little complicated and confusing but I hope you get my point
Joining routes is not impossible. It's actually been done before with NEC and LIRR and RRO and RSN by a member of the community
I added an extra bit to the suggestion, with options for changing routes when you're on foot. For example with a marker or a clickable object.
The other option is like this have one train from the new DLC be compatible with an Existing DLC route then from the last Current DLC station it will load up the new one. Best route for this should be LGV Mediterranean Line Avignon-Marsellie and a future DLC LGV Perpignan-Barcelona. The last station for the two routes are Avignon if the TGV Duplex 4700 series is coming in from Paris to Barcelona via Perpignan-Figueres while on the Marseille end it will be an Ave S100. If you're walking at either Marseille or Provence TGV stations then you walk up to the Parked S100 do you wish to operate this train to Barcelona yes or no if the future proposed LGV Perpignan-Barcelona dlc is made. If the DLC is missing or not purchased then it should say you don't have the authorization to operate this service.
That's a great idea! Maybe after they get hold of joining routes together, it could be a seamless transition. But for now, this is the most realistic idea. Have an awesome day
Ok then for sister game Train Sim 21 there's the Northern Extension to Lyon LGV Rhone Alps line. While for this game it can be either LGV Perpignan-Barcelona or port the Lyon Avignon LGV Rhone Alps from Train Sim 21 to Train Sim World. The first option Perpignan-Barcelona might be the better choice because it's 180 km 110mi length which is suited for HSR operations and can be bundled with LGV Mediterranean Avignon-Marsellie as the Mediterranean Sea High Speed line for $29.99 if sale its $24.99.
It's an interesting idea. The condition is that the two DLCs connected in this way would have to have a common 24-hour timetable. A train that ends in the first DLC must start in the second DLC. DTG would have to adapt the timetables and that would be a lot of work.
Yes, not doing it in the first place is a lack of foresight by DTG. On the other hand, this option wouldn't require the creation of new paths, which they mentioned in a stream as the most complicated and time consuming aspect of joining routes.
I do own the ts2021 version of the lgv route including the extension and the routes you suggested for joining lgv would be a good idea
Thanks for telling me about it both of them to make sense because if you were standing at Marseille Saint Charles station you're going to see the TGV Duplex 200 series to Paris 4700 Euroduplex to Frankfurt via Appenweier Strasbourg railway and the AVE S100 to Madrid via LGV Perpignan-Figueres-Barcelona. That way you have the option of booting up DLC routes. If you don't own Appenweier Strasbourg-Offenburg/Karlsruhe route the 4700 Euroduplex can't be operated while the S100 requires LGV Perpignan-Barcelona in order to be operated.
I see. It would also give more game time to players because a 30 minute blast gets boring quite quickly.
Exactly and here's a passenger view of the LGV Perpignan-Barcelona line the train is a TGV Duplex duration is 1hr 30 min. This train starts in Paris Gare De Lyon via Lyon Avignon & Nimes. If done LGV Perpignan Barcelona will play like SEHS due to the 1hr 30 playtime & Clinchfield route 60 mi 100 km.
If they make new services and timetables like they did for GWE but they did this, I would totally buy it.
If redoing the timetables is too much work to do for free, merger packs that come with a loco could be an option. For example joining RRO and my Köln-Wuppertal suggestion, and selling that merger with the IC2. The best option would still be to do it for free though, as it would give players more reasons to buy the connecting routes, which means more sales for DTG.
Absolutely, but clearly the GWE diesel pack was a way to gauge interest in this kind of stuff. I am not sure how well it went, personally I didn't buy it because the route was not changed and had electrified lines and stuff which would not be the case in the 70s. But for the IC scenario they don't have to do any changes to the route, but the work is similar to what they did there. so if they expect to make money, I would have no regrets paying for it.
I think that this is an excellent idea. If we had DLCs that spanned an entire railway company´s line, then this would be a great way to allow long distant services. This might also encourage the sale of more DLCs as people would have to buy all the routes to have them connected. Naturally, if someone from the community figures out how to make it happen, it will only be available for PC users.
I think they'd only have to adjust the timetable of the new Route to the existing one, but the timetable on RRO is still quite close to the real thing. And because there are no direct passenger services from SKA to Wuppertal, only a few freight Trains eastbound would need new times.
Yes! I really think it can be done short-term, and for me this would be a smooth enough transition to feel realistic-ish.
Solicitr came up with a very good suggestion for overcoming the issues with creating matching timetables. He proposes to use the new 'additional timetable-mechanic' that came with DLGW. This would avoid having to mess with the original timetables. I have also mentioned this in the original post now.
