PC Stop What Where?

While I'm really enjoying the activities packaged with the DB G6 shunter, some of the "stop at" instructions require a bit of head-scratching. For instance, ...

here, where the "stop at" marker reads 613 m but there's a red signal 35m away and paging the dispatcher does no good. Yes, as an experienced TSW2 driver the solution is obvious: the "stop at" order applies to the train's last wagon, not the engine; but when the same instruction frequently applies to the locomotive as well, what's a novice driver to do?

What's needed are "stop at" instructions that clearly indicate which end of a train must stop there.

Is this a major issue? No ... but it is an issue.

 

As a Non-HUD Player, I do find these "Stop at" Markers to be a major issue as I cannot predict where exactly the Game wants me to stop on it's pinpoint invisible marker.

These Objectives should be more within the TS20xx style where it is within a certain length along a particular Track, allowing me as the Driver to judge whether I'm clear of all Signals and Junctions.

The way some of these Features have been set out in TSW2 seem to be more in the favor of having the HUD and these immersion breaking objective markers showing, just so I can complete an objective.

 

In all cases - I have never seen an exception - the stop marker is for the lead element in the consist, "lead" defined by current direction of movement. In a reversing move that means the frontmost wagon.

 

I thought the stop markers were for the drivers position and not for the loco.
This is why markers show longer distances when reversing/shunting because it is reading the distance from your seating position and not the front or rear of the consist.

 

Which is simply poor game design. Trust me- try a few shunting services at Cumberland yard. Trying to put your seat on the marker will hang the end of your train out on the main line.

Better yet, try the Clinchfield scenario Limited Power...

 

Well --- you've completely missed the point I'm trying to make.

 

I'm curious: without a HUD, how often do you run past a red signal or exceed the speed limit? I'm not criticizing your preference, just wondering about its effects.

 

Well, I'm not NQuarter, but I play without most of the HUD. I've only got the top left on (clock and next station) and the distance to the upcoming speed restrictions since those pieces of information would usually be available on the EBuLa anyways.

I don't speed anymore or miss any more signals than I did when I still had the HUD on. In fact, I might actually do a little less of both now. Your way of driving simply changes to adapt to the lack of precise information like the HUD offers. I tend to stay somewhere a little less than 5km/h under the speed limit and brake harder than I used to when facing adverse signals since I'll have to stop on sight. The distance left to a signal (when in sight) compared to how hard you need to brake to not pass it is something you get used to and learn to gauge without a distance counter. You'll be very cautious at first and then get more confident the more used you grow to the loco and different train weights. If you're considering it, I can recommend turning some or all of the HUD off. It's a much more immersive experience that way.

 

How often do I run past a Red Signal?
Very rarely, and only cases where I do is when I'm looking at my Phone lol. In all honestly that's true. When playing without the HUD you need to be aware of your surroundings and understand what Signals mean, and obey them. Taking UK Signals for instance, Double Yellows I would barely slow down, a Single Yellow I would slow down to a Speed I'm comfortable with that I would stop on time once seeing a Red up ahead.

How often do I exceed the Speed Limit?
Depends on the Loco, and how experienced I am with the Loco [also looking at the phone]. As Lamplight said though, it's not about driving to the exact Speed Limit, and you should always have that buffer. At the end of the day this isn't a Race, and I certainly don't care for points to be trying to get the fastest finish possible, so having that buffer will result in having reaction time for grade changes.

No HUD is a difficult one though unless your serious about it. Main reasoning is that DTG or any 3rd Party Dev's don't provide any information to help in this regards. RL drivers would have Manuals and Maps, as well simply learning their area. However for me personally, I'm not a Rail Enthusiast, but a Sim Enthusiast so I don't "favor" certain Routes to learn them off the top of my noggin', so I'll move around Route to Route very frequently.

Being into Sims in general means I'm more concerned about trying to find realism as much as possible, and this also entails ways for me to try and bring this to life in TS20xx and TSW2. Unfortunately it's a tedious process as I physically Map out the Routes with their Signals and Speeds.

Back in the day, these were very rough drafts, but over time I found when I went back to them, I couldn't even understand my own scribble. Since I've been playing TSW2 though [which isn't that long], I've been creating Route Maps which I can now easily go back to Months or even Years later and still understand, allowing me to instantly play a Service without the HUD [minus the pinpoint stopping Markers in some circumstances].

I've only recently started doing these so don't have all Routes done, or even any 100% complete as I'm still doing Trial and Error with methods and what not, but probably the most Completed one so far I have as an example would be West Cornwall Line;

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/lin...7f0944d-7942-4c92-8849-52e8a0a79a28#pageNum=1

The Map shows the Speed Boards, Signal ID's, and will also be adding Distance to Stations as it can be hard to judge a Distance from the Map. Even though West Cornwall Line is basically a Single Track so it's easy to read, even something like London Commuter which I've also almost finished, has all Signals and Speed Boards in the Single Map, which allows me to choose any Service on either the Slow or Fast Line and still be able to go HUDless straight away.

Such as this Video I did for a Service on London Commuter, even though I didn't get a Medal at the end [probably bug or I didn't get enough points -shrug-] but I haven't ever played that Service, literally came across it from a Forum Post here and made a Video on it without the HUD.



This however does require you to be paying attention to whats out the Window, location, location, location, which is why it's not always for everyone as people will either find it overwhelming, and are just there for a relaxing time.

Another thing that really helps is Timetables that Trenomarcus most kindly puts together for our use - https://smtimetables.herokuapp.com/ - without his work, my work becomes a lot harder to enjoy what I enjoy doing.

Anyway, sorry for the Novel. Hope this helps =]

NQ