Compromise For Dtg To Implement Realistic Brake Physics

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by cwf.green, May 20, 2021.

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  1. Yes

    8 vote(s)
    66.7%
  2. No

    4 vote(s)
    33.3%
  1. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    TLDR: I wish for DTG to implement a feature in the timetable service selection where players can modify each vehicle in the consist in terms of it's weight (for example loaded or empty or in between) and in terms of brake force (brakes completely disabled or very strong brakes or somewhere in between).

    I've been badgering DTG for some time to fix the German (and North American) brake physics but my pleas has (ostensibly) fallen on deaf ears.

    I thought of a compromise that could be implemented which would improve gameplay aspects, variability as well as realism.

    When TSW2 was released DTG implemented the briefing page with service name, train length and train weight. This was (I assume) implemented to improve the realism. My idea is to add another feature either to the briefing page or the service selection screen.

    After selecting a service the players would get a screen of all the wagons and locomotives and with each wagon there would be a slider for the wagon weight that you could change between empty and loaded configuration.

    A second slider for each wagon would change the brake force. This value could be changed in some interval between a realistic minimum and a realistic maximum value.

    For German trains this brake force could either be in "fictious" units as Brake mass or simply brake force. The Brake mass value would have to be related to the real brake force by equations I have provided in previous threads but quite frankly it would probably be easier and preferred for DTG to simply leave it as brake force (Kilonewtons).

    Lastly, the player can just leave everything at a default setting which DTG has decided (this would be the configurations the services are in currently).

    What would this mean for the player?
    1. The player can now decide which wagons will be empty or loaded, giving each service a vast number of possible trains. If you want to run a light quick service you can set all wagons to empty, if you want to run a heavy challenging service you can set all wagons to loaded. Or you can create some nasty mix of loaded and empty wagons, perhaps with the empty wagons first to cause a lot of slack action.

    2. The player can now decide the brake force of the wagons. The player can leave some wagons fully unbraked to create exotic super challenging "special trains". Or they can increase the brake force to full for an ideal/optimal "unicorn" train (everything is working perfectly). Or some mix in between.

    3. The player can try to emulate real trains with known train weights and brake force (for German trains this would mean a known BrH which can be related to brake force by available formulas). For North American trains it would be related to the "net braking ratio".

    All in all this would vastly expand the replayability, "gaminess" and realism for players.
    The challenges that some users on this forum have created could now be enhanced by prescribing special train sets that other players can test their skills against.

    What would this mean for DTG?
    1.All of this information is already available to DTG, it's just hidden from the player. This feature could therefor be implemented with a difficulty/time investment somewhere in-between the briefing screen and the scenario designer (probably closer to the former). So it is a feature that has relatively big "bang for the buck".

    2.It would reduce the pressure on DTG to get things perfectly right in terms of brake physics, weights etc since players can modify the trains to their liking, whether that is realism or more arcade elements.

    3. Again: replayability! Every single timetable service could now be divided into a nearly unlimited number of variations. At least 2 or 3 scenarios for every timetable service would provide players with distinct differences in gameplay. You are basically scaling the number of hours of content by a factor of 2-3+!

    TrainSim-Matt What do you say? ;)
     
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  2. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Not sure how this would affect timings / points / rewards. Obviously if someone can make the train lighter and the brakes mroe effective this means you can cane the butt off everything and definitely keep to time, but this could also spoil predetermined interactions.
     
  3. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    I support the possibility of changing the load level on wagons \o/ Run8 style would be OK :)
     
  4. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    I think this issue can be solved by having points/medals tied to only the default configuration. So if you change anything you only get the general experience points (i.e. as if you made a scenario in the scenario planner and finished it).
     
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