What's Your Thoughts On The Extension Pack Sneak Peak?

For those who saw Matts & Nats stream tonight, what's your thoughts so far?

For me the additional timetable on Koln Aachen are going to be enough to make this a day 1 purchase for me as long as the price is right.

I also love the look of the SPG expansion loco, not to mention the rail fans?? But I am slightly disappointed that the time table hasn't been expanded and there's only the additional 3 scenarios included. I get that it's going to be a different driving experience to what we've already got in SPG so Im probably just being greedy.

 

The additional timetable on Köln with the correct s-bahn, 425 services and the 101 services makes the expansion pack a day one purchase for me. I don't enjoy American freight that much so I probably wont be using the sd40 that much, but the railfans look great. Also excited to see what they do for bakerloo and the new livery for the 1972 stock.

 

Instant buy for me. I like the idea of adding new liveries, new services and scenarios in one pack.

My opinion is, this way a lot of routes which have empty stations now can get busier and dtg has a reason to do it with an actual dlc pack.
I could also immagine such packs without liveries and focused on routes and timetable enhancement.
Or a pack which adds new wagons, hoppers or coaches in addition with services.

Well this one is a nice combination of all, glad dtg is doing that.

 

I'm a little afraid that my Series S won't be able to handle this new Timetable. The 101 and ICE together on one Route is apparently too much for the S, see Dresden-Riesa.

I hope that the new Layer System will help a bit.

 

I hope they fix the wrong stopping points at willesden junction and north wembley. Both northbound. All a.i services are affected, they stop half way the platform distance.

 

I have not been able to see the stream but from everything you are commenting here I will almost certainly buy it. I admit I have a weakness: if there is anything related to BR 101 my wallet opens up immediately

 

Comment for DTG - hope you see it Nat, please feedback that it would be nuts for this pack to release (at least on Koln) without the Pres Crew route upgrade. New passengers, new PIS, new skies... all stuff that would go hand in hand with a new, beefed up timetable. I really hope that they can release together. Thanks

 

Yes another Day 1 purchase for me too. I saw about 650 services for the Koln expansion thats alot of services so going to be alot of game play. Looking forward to this Expansion pack.

 

I think the rush hour passengers are already on SKA and BKL routes, I am sure they released well before Christmas. There are also mods which put the PIS on the platforms, the 101 on the SKA as well as the 423 on the SKA in place of the 425, so this is an interesting pack as it removes the need for these mods or alternatively makes these things available to console players.

 

It’ll depend on the price for me. The improvements to SKA are the only thing that really interests me. I couldn’t care less about Bakerloo (nothing against anyone liking it, it’s just not my cup of tea) and I always thought the CSX stripe livery was exceptionally ugly, so that’s of little interest to me as well.

 

I wonder if dtg will perhaps give players the option to buy a expansion pack individually like how they did with rush hour because i'm only really interested for the koln aachen expansion. I rarely play spg and i am not interested in the Bakerloo expansion so I don't want to buy a three route expansion pack when I am only interested in the koln expansion

 

It looks likes the csx sd40 has a wrong number font or is it still work in progress?

 

I'm pretty much where you are. The load of new SKA services is very nice, and I'm bummed that no new services are added to Sand Patch but like the new decorations.

 

They didn't rework the numbering system from the Clinchfield original, neither font nor number series (which should be easy to change, it's just a text file). In reality the CRR 3000-series SD40s were renumbered in the 8000s when Seaboard took over and carried those numbers into CSX service; all CSX's SD40s, 40-2s and 40-3s have numbers in the 8000s. Their 3000s are ES44s.

Pinging TrainSim-Matt, because this should be a really easy, quick fix (again, just change the number range in the randomized road number file)

 

SD40 horn: fantastic! What US horns always should have been! Except still not loud enough....
Also, banking comms on this one, and (sooner or later) on the CRR version is great news.
Too bad they couldn't make the airflow meter work.
---------------------------
SKA: I don't drive much S-Bahn, but the increase in AI traffic alone makes it worth it. Also the 101/IC.

 

This partnership with the American horn collector is paying off for DTG.

 

That horn did sound very good, impressed with what I heard.

 

Sure is!

 

So Far the Expansion Pack is really good, with all the new improvements especially new assets, and more timetable for us to enjoy Just wondering how much they will be charging us, hopefully, the same price as a regular route pack, which is expensive, hopefully around $10.00

 

Matt hinted the price to be around a loco pack price not a route price.

 

For me the best thing is the massively upgraded timetable, and that there are finally trains in the depot in cologne.

 

how much would that be? More than $10.00 US

 

Sand patch

I like the new train and the rail fans. Interested in harder scenarios. For me , I’d like to see the route busier before it twilights into the distance. It’s a cracking route. I was genuinely pleased to see someone walking around the yard too. One small step for npc, one large for DTG

Koln

Anything that opens new track or makes an old a to b feel new is a win and anything again that pads a route out is a win. Looked good to me.

Bakerloo

I’ll hang fire on saying much here as I’ve not seen it, don’t care much for the train or route so it’s a hard sell, not the tube setting I don’t like, just prefer met line. Am I right though the extra services that were part of what I bought two years ago are bundled into this paid pack or have I got wrong end of stick?

 

The railfans was enough to sell me the expansion pack.

 

I like the idea in general, and the updated SKA timetable is definitively very interesting. However, I couldn't be less interested in the re-paints for the US and UK route, and the "new" 423 is honestly a 5 minute job it seems like, adding one decal and replacing München by Köln is in my opinion the wrong approach for this. Assuming this pack will be somewhere around the price of the Diesel legends pack, this is an easy one to skip. If the three parts are sold separately at maybe 3-5€ each I'd reconsider buying the SKA part, but otherwise I don't see any value in this pack

 

I see much value in the pack. Once I have done the journey the route is done for me. If I wanna play the route again I make a new profile and start the journey again.

 

I think this will be day one for me. Really just interested in the new timetable for Köln Aachen which looks really good. The Bakerloo livery and a couple of extra scenarios for that are an added bonus. So 2 out of 3 interest me and that’ll probably make it worth it for me.

 

Well, I can only really say I wasn't expecting it to be anywhere near as good as that.

 

Benefit of this is that your're able to get Schnellfahrstrecke Köln-Aachen collectibles on the S-Bahn track Düren to Köln Hbf.

 

So, is SKA the only route that gets new services?

Bit disappointed if so as i was hoping for new Sandpatch services.

SKA desperately needs them, though, so it's good in that regard.

Depends on final price for me i think.

 

Normal loco DLC is GBP£11.99, not sure what they sell for in USD, probably around $15?

 

I didn't think it would be much of interest to me, but after watching I was really excited by it. (And this is before we know anything about anything for the Bakerloo line I think other than that it probably won't include a loco).
I'd not really looked at the SD-40, it made me think of picking up Clinchfield while its on sale. I also be getting this pack I think.

I missed the details on the Koln route changes but that should be interesting as well.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't improving timetables a task that the perservation crew would do, and would fall under free updates?

Not saying the work done on the timetable isn't worth money, people need to be paid, but I'm trying to figure out what the line is between a free timetable update (like we got on RT and WSR) and a paid timetable update (of which I guess the best example would be Diesel Legends).

 

It would certainly sweeten the deal if one new item of traction or rolling stock was in the pack.

Sadly the cynic in me has to wonder if this is more the reason that Scenario Planner 2.0 has gone into hiatus. If DTG can mash up the consists between routes and sell a new timetable, why give end users the tools to do it for nowt?!

 

The paid update includes a reliveried trainset which definitely wouldn't fall under the PC. Plus from what I saw this isn't just additional layers it's a complete rework.

 

So were RT and WSR timetable updates.

And if I understand correctly, the additional layers for the BR101 are part of this paid expansion pack, while normally such a thing would be part of a free update for those who own both the route and the loco, wouldn't it?

 

For SPG, I had been hoping for additional services or wagons, something to bring a little interest back to it. The new loco is nice, but presumably won't work on the services that only really work with the AC4400, and since I've already played most of the rest, meh. However, I would also say that it is probably worth it just for the SKA improvements alone. But not what I was looking for.

 

One thing I'd like them to do much more is add some locos and cars along the way even if they are static - as they did in Dresden Hbf for Tharandter Rampe, and now in the upcoming pack for SKA. There are many areas along most routes that would benefit, even if it's just a shunter or two at a station. The Köln depot upgrade is the thing that will push me over the edge to buy the pack.

 

I will only comment on the SKA-part, as that is the only part that interests me:

Things I noticed:
-No line numbers on the BR423 (not added to the BR423, or timetable not adapted for it, as it does not show up on the station-PIS) will this be added?
-BR423-PIS should be in green, not in white, as the ones running on SKA are not refurbished.
-wrong placement of DB-logos on the side. The S-Bahn Köln-BR423 don't spot the big DB-logos on the side but only small ones next to the S-Bahn Köln-logo.
-missing DB-logos on the Doors
-wrong placement of pictograms and missing class designations between the windows. They are different in Köln, compared to Munich.
image to compare:
https://hellertal.startbilder.de/bi...433/354910/ein-kurzzug-der-baureihe-423-.html

Edit: Timestamp is not working, so go to 1:28:10

+better timetable with correct trains
+trains stored in the depot now

. The Köln BR423 do not have LZB equipped irl, but I don't think you can see much difference, so I put this under neutral
. wrong interior for the BR423 running around Köln, but this was said from the beginning. Correct interior would of course have been better

Things not immediately touching the expansion pack, but I hope they will be addressed at the same time:
. correct the station directory, by correcting the station names (Düren not Duren) and using the German names (Köln not Cologne)
. set a speed limit for freight trains and RE-trains, so the AI does not drive them at 250 km/h
. S-Bahn-track next to Köln Hbf set to 60 mph speed-limit, instead of 60 km/h. Was still in there in the footage yesterday (speed-limit jumps to 97 km/h)

 

The must-have for me.
More trains, BR 101 involved. GG

 

The inclusion in the pack of new, or otherwise somehow reworked trains (in this case, reskins).

I was a bit disappointed to see a lack of line number on the destiantion display, particularly given the system is apparently based on the Munich one, which I think is static and therefore does include line numbers.

 

What is the new Layer System like?
Performance improvements?

 

DTG is planning to implement a new Layers System on Consoles, which will ensure that the Game only loads Layers that it currently needs for the Route. Which, according to Matt, should also improve performance

 

I think the main difference is the need for the upgrade. The preservation crew gets things up to date, and the original RT and WSR timetables were really lacking and definetely made these routes a lesser product.

For SKA it's more a case of 'the timetable was already up to spec, but we've decided to go the extra mile with it'. On SKA there was no desparate need for a timetable upgrade, though admittedly there was a lot of room for improvement (as indicated by all the improvement).

However, I also find this a blurry line. It also leads me to wonder about a timetable rework suggestion I did for MSB a while back. I suggested to overhaul the timetable, with new layers, more services (among which a few diverted IC and ICE services that would be playable, whereas most services are AI only). I layed out two ways of introducing such a new timetable. It could either (A) be a free upgrade as part of the preservation crew update or (B) be part of an expansion pack that would also include the BR 111 and Modus-Wagen.

I truly wonder if DTG would go for option A or B (assuming they'd even consider, which they very well might not). I'd personally be very interested in loco packs that come with extensive timetable upgrades, though those loco packs would include a fully new loco (as opposed to a repainted one), making me wonder if DTG would consider doing them.

 

I was sold as soon as they said, “Timetable by Joe.” And then they blew the horn on the SD - 40!

Improving gameplay with additional services and scenarios is always a win for me. The S Bahn on SKA should be crazy fun with all that single track, especially if you are a bit late.

 

Your post has certainly given me food for thought. Everything you question makes a lot of sense and I too would like to see the lines of the playing field better defined, because right now they are very blurred.
Especially when we've been waiting for months for those updates from the preservation crew, which we've been told so many times are finished but never get released, apparently due to extensive testing that they have to go through.
On the other hand, when it is a paid product, it miraculously passes all the quality controls very quickly.

That is why I would like to know what exactly we are playing at and the rules of the game.

 

I agree that it is a backwards way to do it. If the delay in releasing Pres Crew work is in the testing phase then it’s odd that this has overtaken it in the QA department. I’d be inclined to wait until the update was ready to release this or if planning was my strong point I’d ensure that the Pres Crew work was scheduled in the testing in time for the pack’s release. SKA is the best bit of the expansion pack though by the looks of it.

Another wagon type would be a good idea and the timetable certainly has enough space in it for new services. The substitution of locos in your drivable services, how you can only choose the lead loco and not your multiple unit partners, is quite an issue in SPG too. Introducing another underpowered loco into the mix seems like it may make that issue worse. If a paid or unpaid upgrade was to allow you to choose all of your locos in your consist as a quality of life improvement I would say that it would be a good move. Currently this part of the expansion pack seems a bit like a non-event, although there are new scenarios to look forward to.

 

One comment on the SPG section: there was talk of removing the UP locos from the timetable as substitutions. This would disappoint me.

A highlight of SPG is the challenge of proper train handling on the challenging grades.

The improved physics of the SD 70ACe is needed to fully appreciate that. It would be a shame if that loco couldn’t be driven in timetable mode on SPG.

The SD 70 braking, beginning with the appropriate initial reduction of 6psi, is a major improvement compared to the CSX stock on SPG.

 

I am also glad that older content is being improved. I am happy to pay for such changes.

 

Like what I saw about SKA new timetable with 400 plus services will definitely purchase also saw a comment about purchasing the packs individually which I agree. Bakerloo and Sand Patch never played those routes. Hopefully in the future we'll get individual packs