Spirit Of Steam Post Release Feedback. The Definitive Thread

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by chieflongshin, May 31, 2022.

  1. Kevinsim1046

    Kevinsim1046 Active Member

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    My feedback so far on PC with i5, 8GB Ram, GTX970 (Going to have to get a new PC when I have the money, my machine is struggling a bit at Crewe and in the large yards, otherwise it’s actually performing pretty well).

    I am writing this post as I play so that I can note things down as I come across them.

    1) Got to say I really do like the new introduction, short and to the point, nice way to get introduced into the route.

    2) Tutorial is really good, explains everything you need to know to get things moving. Great tutorial on the signals, though I feel they could have gone a little more in depth, especially with the large signals where when I look at them, I actually have no clue which line it’s for, and what it’s telling me.

    3) the sounds are fantastic, though…when you stick you head out the window, the sounds change to what you get in cab, you loose all the ‘running sounds’ so to speak. In the cab you get like a wind rushing sound and rattling, when you stick your head out, they stop, these are things you should definitely still hear.

    4) Again with sound, I’m not getting any brake application sounds. When I apply and release the brakes, I don’t hear any steam or anything.

    5) Once again with the sound…I don’t know if it’s just me, but the chuffing sound in the cab sounds extremely muffled. I feel like I’m sitting somewhere far away from the locomotive and hearing it in the distance while I’m actually in the cab.

    6) Sound….sigh…again….There is no sound on the regulator opening and closing, it’s completely silent, you should be able to hear the linkages and whatnot when you open and close it.

    6) No delay from opening the regulator to seeing pressure build up in the steam chest. I did mention this after the preview streams, but wanted to mention it again here.

    7) Lack of AI…enough already said on this topic, not going to go into it.

    8) The manual firing is terrible. I started a service, turned off automatic fireman, closed the rear damper as it should be closed when running forward, and my pressure just tanked! Turned the auto fireman back on and pressure just started skyrocketing! The firing (both auto and manual) need A LOT of work! Rear dampers being open when running forward should not make the pressure skyrocket.

    9) Love the fireman animations! Fantastic work DTG, really do like it. One thing though, it would be nice if the fireman would stop what he/she is doing and start shovelling when the firebox door is open, and continue to do it until you close it, would make close to perfect.

    10) No climbing animations onto the footplate. Again mentioned this after the streams, and putting it here as well.

    11) I really like the route. I feel there is a lot of detail and it looks fantastic!

    Played some tutorials, done a service and I feel like I can already sum it up…….I’m just not convinced.

    I was so excited when SOS was announced, just as excited when I saw CSX Heavy Haul for the first time being announced. Coming from a background in heritage rail in both workshop and footplate, spending 2 years on a footplate of 2 different types of locos on the mainline, and being 3 months away from qualifying as a fireman (unfortunately our club liquidated, so that flew out the window), I have somewhat of an idea of what the footplate experience is like, and I just don’t feel like this is it, it just feels wrong. Another aspect for me is, since not being able to experience the real thing anymore as our club is no more, and there is no active club anywhere kinda close to me, train simulator is my only way to experience these lovely machines, and so I really wanted to love this, and I really do want to love this, but after using JTs pro locos on TSC, and just the other day discovering VictoryWorks and Bossman games INCREDIBLE locos on TSC, for the first time in 2 years I actually felt like I was back on the footplate of a steam locomotive, and I just can’t get enough of them, I’m having so much fun with them. The locos on SOS on the other hand are a real let down for me and I’m really disappointed.

    I do feel like SOS could have been in dev for much longer. I know DTG have spent like 18 months on this, which is a long time, but I would have much rather waited another 18 months and gotten something that transported me (excuse the pun) into the game/sim and immersed me into the world of steam like the pro range locos in TSC. I just come away from SOS feeling like so much is missing and that the footplate experience is an anticlimax.

    Looks like I’ll be going back to the engines in TSC for a little while longer…
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2022
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  2. Quentin

    Quentin Well-Known Member

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    I was a little concerned with the initial introductory 'video', as it played at about 10fps, but I actually get quite good frame rates playing the game - better than Sherman Hill, at least. Even if you stick your 'head' into the steam and smoke (which used to be a frame rate killer going back to MSTS days), it's not bad at all.
     
  3. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I have very mixed feelings about the route. I haven't driven much so far, mainly explored on foot and had a couple of train rides.

    I do quite like options for the fireman although the annoying safety valves seem to be the one set of sounds which are adequate. It doesn't feel quite loud enough on the footplate, overall I like the driving experience, especially the view forward from the footplate, something TSW does much better then TSC.

    I have read comments that the route is bare, for me it is fine, it has some lovely details, the railway infrastructure especially but even the neighbouring houses with their back gardens. I had a wander around Runcorn and it is extremely well modelled and very lovely. Liverpool and Crewe are very well modelled. The countryside sections capture the area very well and are very realistic.

    I did enjoy some of the loco movements around Liverpool.

    The route is too quiet, the chances are if you spawn on foot at Crewe you could often wait 30 minutes from what I can make out before you see a train. Even at the Liverpool end there is too little traffic. There looks like a lot of services but many of these are light engine movements. It seriously needs some DLC, two or three new loco's I would say would make so much difference and some different carriages. Without it the route will end up getting forgotten and that will be a shame as so much work has gone into it.

    My main bugbear so far is the sounds, we know about the track joint sounds which it seems may be fixed soon.

    The cab sounds are not loud enough in my opinion but the AI sounds are quite frankly terrible and immersion breaking.

    Sitting in the front coach of a heavy train leaving Liverpool up the gradient. I could have been on a Pendolino, you could not hear the engine at all, no sounds of it working hard up the gradient or the exhaust beat echoing off the cutting walls. Even going to the door and opening the window seem to barely improve things.

    I alighted at Runcorn and decided to watch and listen to the spectacle of the train leaving, well what a let down that was. No chuffing sounds at all, it could have been a class 90 at the front of the train, although even one of those would make more noise. Hardly any smoke from the exhaust either. TSC can manage decent AI sounds so why not TSW.

    Running at speed, you get the run sounds which sound very nice but barely anything else.

    So to summarise, looks lovely, both route and stock and all credit to the developers and it does ooze atmosphere in the most part. It does need more traffic and more variety but obviously it is very early days yet. However the sounds, particularly the AI sounds, are a huge disappointment, if this is what steam is going to be like on TSW I will continue to stick to TS Classic. Running the Victory Works County on the Riviera 50's line earlier was so much more immersive, especially on the sound front.

    If DTG can get the sounds to a much more realistic level both for driving and the AI then it could become the complete package for steam as far as I am concerned.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2022
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  4. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    I am getting the definite vibe this needed another month or three of work. Until at least some of the sound issues are fixed, I won't even contemplate purchasing this. As theorganist says, running steam in TSC is just so much more immersive and even on the oldest route - Somerset & Dorset - you are getting some lovely reverb from Clan Line as you pass through tunnels, under bridges and over structures. I did ask a few weeks ago if the opportunity had been taken to finally bring reverb to the game, silence at the time from DTG - now we seem to have an answer. Why is it a game which started out life in 2006 as Rail Simulator has such superior sound support to the so called "next gen" sim? The lack of sounds from the AI is also a huge omission. I begin to wonder if anyone at DTG actually understands or has first hand experience of what a train, particularly an old steam (or diesel) sounds like up close or as a passenger in a Mark One coach on B1 bogies running at speed.
     
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  5. chieflongshin

    chieflongshin Well-Known Member

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    I too struggle to compute how knowing the feature rich environment of tsc they replace bad graphics with good ones in TSW but then omit loads of the immersion
     
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  6. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I meant to mention the lack of reverb sounds too, something I have been moaning about for a few years now.

    As you say the S&D route going back to 2007 or so has more immersive sounds so why doesn't TSW!

    I can't speak highly enough of the actual route building and the stock, I did like the slam door sounds btw. But, it is pointless if the immersion is broken by the quality of the sounds.

    Looking pretty isn't enough, I will happily trade the less beautiful graphics of TSC for the more immersive experience, not that the graphics are that awful anyway.
     
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  7. Mr JMB

    Mr JMB Well-Known Member

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    Matt's SPAD tonight - 5 yards infront of the signal when it triggered...
    upload_2022-5-31_21-49-59.png
     
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  8. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    I don't like:

    1. Invisible coal boy (known issue).
    2. A strange film covering textures here and there. I don't understand the artistic concept behind it >> link

    I like:

    1. Sounds <3.
    2. Introduced gameplay mechanics.
    3. The mood. In-cab no-HUD experience is ecstatic.

    Overall, super-good and far better than I expected. Bravo.
     
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  9. Scorpion71

    Scorpion71 Well-Known Member

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    Yes, the AI is poor, very poor. I guess it's because AI doesn't use simugraph. As you say, may as well be an electric loco hauling you whilst in passenger mode, no chuffing sounds and no smoke whilst at speed, it's just like a diesel idling.
     
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  10. DTG JD

    DTG JD Director of Community Staff Member

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    The fireman invisibility is known and will be investigated (planning an improvement in the first post-release patch). It's still operational, but invisible.
     
  11. Clumsy Pacer

    Clumsy Pacer Well-Known Member

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    I was going to praise the Worst Winter of All scenario but clearly I'm in the minority for liking this what is apparently a steaming (no pun intended) pile of elephant feces.
     
  12. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

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    I’m loving it so far. Getting to run steam engines for the first time is lovely and the route is very atmospheric. The sounds are good as well. That being said, I do have two issues:
    1. The bloody safety valve. I feel like I’m spending round 80% of the time just listening to that. Here’s hoping that the manual firing update will bring much needed improvements to the AI fireman.
    2. Red light issue at the end of the reliable rescue scenario. I’ll likely try again tomorrow but that was an unfortunate end to an otherwise cool scenario.
     
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  13. Class156

    Class156 Well-Known Member

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    I’m going to defend this DLC. Personally, I’m really enjoying it. There are some things that could be better but stick the Jubilee on the WSR and it’s great fun. Two things: this will not replace real life. If you want that, go and ride on the footplate on a preserved railway or else volunteer. Secondly, as I have no idea how to programme my Sat Nav, this development of Steam to me is remarkable. I’m sure many of you could do better though and I look forward to seeing your attempts!

    I have been the first to criticise DTG when there have been serious issues, however this is a major step in the right direction.
     
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  14. LeadCatcher

    LeadCatcher Well-Known Member

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    I am really enjoying the route, the track work is spectacular… very few routes even in TSC come close to the complexities throughout this route. Sure they are a few niggles here and there, but nothing game breaking in my book. Having run Steam for nearly the past decade in TSC, it is definitely a great start. Nothing beats driving a kettle in my book and look forward to be able to doing the firing myself as I do in TSC. The usuals have their complaints which I am sure are valid to them, but I am pleased with this as a first steam route and feel confident that it will continually show improvement, especially with additional DLC that will come in the future
     
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  15. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I did wonder if that would be the reason, I can understand it would probably make the game unstable if all the AI used the same physics as the player services, however what is the point of having a passenger mode if it doesn't convey the same level of realism.

    I have just walked from Edge Hill to Allerton and the route is extremely well detailed, I love the different varieties of houses along the way, the boarded up station, the clutter here and there, there is so much to explore, the route is a credit to the builders, but in my opinion (and I don't consider myself one of the "usuals") the sounds aren't quite as good as I hoped.

    Having said that a goods train passed me and the sounds of the wagons did sound very good, someone said they could hear Kuju sounds within them, well I certainly couldn't.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2022
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  16. Monder

    Monder Well-Known Member

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    This DLC is a bit of a bizarre existence, you can see an insane amount of work went into so many things (Jubilees even have different builder plates, nice), sound overall is on the good side, etc. Lots of very cool elements throughout...

    YET...

    ...it is so easy to spot the bad things, that it significantly hinders the whole experience. Fireman is a disaster, no matter what settings you use. I tried manual, actively did everything to keep the fire to the minimum... aaand still easily hit the safety trigger pressure. That then muffles all other sounds and becomes a significant annoyance. And somebody said that's fine.

    Played some scenarios - that should be super tested flawless experience... in the rescue scenario, the KO loco opens the large ejector and fights you for brake control to a point where you will zoom through a red light no matter what you do... doubt anyone tested this.

    It seems to me like the last Bond movie - supposedly it reached a point where they had to release no matter what because of marketing costs etc. This needed a couple more touches. Hopefully, fixes and improvements will come sooner rather than later and the next steam releases really hit 9-10/10. I don't regret getting the route, but for such a large project it could've done without some of the problems it has.

    Sidenote: This is a true nitpick but for supposedly the most advanced rail simulator... I am not super thrilled by the models. Don't get me wrong, they're fine... but they're only fine. I like to check the models from all angles - the underside is... meh... and all the rods are only modelled from the outside, so if you get an angle looking through the loco to the other side, you will see through them.
     
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  17. LargeInjector

    LargeInjector Active Member

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    I wouldn't worry. It shows the differences people have in what they look for in a train sim. I don't think there will ever be a product that pleases everyone.
     
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  18. trigzd

    trigzd Active Member

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    From what I've seen I'm personally enjoying it more than I expected (completed the tutorials, a scenario and 2 timetabled services at this point). There are of course things that could be improved but there are some real positives here which is nice.

    Firstly the trackwork is excellent, it's chaotic and messy and oh so British Rail but equally for all of the trackwork, we don't get all of the trains. In fact we don't get a great deal of trains which makes the trackwork feel frankly sillier than it was.
    The pop-in for sleepers and other little details becomes all too obvious when you're surrounded by said trackwork with nothing on it too, that said there are perhaps obvious optimisation reasons for this which I'm guessing as a trade-off isn't the most heinous of crimes, it's just a little weird to see all this sleeper-less track off 20 yards away from me.

    Personally for me the sound is probably the best we've had for a DLC so far, yes there's improvements to be made and no it's not identical to real life but a huge step in the right direction on previous attempts. Whilst we're discussing the excellent I'll also say that the steam effects on the whole are pretty good too in terms of particle effects and animation in general.

    My favourite thing about this DLC is honestly the camera shake, except it's not just the camera because the trains clearly wobble along the excellently constructed British Rail track and I think it adds so much to the whole experience. You know you're rocking when you fly along at 80+MPH wobbling from side to side to the music of chuffs!

    There is a lot of good stuff here, most of it leading to an exceptionally enjoyable experience.

    BUT like so many point out, if there are known bugs and you have an update that will be coming out within a week or two of release...why not delay the release? Perhaps it's naïve to suggest such a thing but surely by now DTG we have figured out that releasing things a little undercooked is significantly worse than waiting for it to cook properly!
    The basic things that yet again rear their ugly heads:
    • Mahoosive frame drops (fortunately for me not very common here, but still noticeable when it happens)
    • AI with red lanterns when going forwards
    • Skyboxes - I had flashing clouds in one of the tutorials (I'm afraid I forget which)
    • Broken passengers (I know you're aware of this but see the above para...why not just wait)
    and more original additions:
    • Missing fireman (again I know you're aware)
    • Currently have two red lanterns on the back of coaches, which I don't think is correct?
    • If you bury your camera in the smoke you can still see windows? It's quite odd
    • The fireman generally doing odd things
    It's lacking rolling stock/wagons/locos/any real depth on this front - but actually everything else is pretty darn close for my liking. Fix the bugs, bring in true manual firing and hopefully your hard work will have paid off.
     
  19. Clumsy Pacer

    Clumsy Pacer Well-Known Member

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    I believe they did at one point use simugraph for AI and quickly realised that was a terrible idea because the frame rate was through the floor.
     
  20. VictoryWorks

    VictoryWorks Well-Known Member

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    Nobody expects it to replace real life.. but wanting it to improve on a 14 year old game beyond just graphics doesn't seem like a huge ask.
    Secondly... enjoy my "attempts" :cool:
    https://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Victory Works
    https://steamsoundssupreme.com/victory-works.html
     
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  21. jayarrbee36

    jayarrbee36 Member

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    I've played through all the tutorials and can honestly say that I'm chuffed with Spirit of Steam.

    The tutorials were useful. The signalling one feels a bit bare-bones but I suppose it tells what you need to know. Performance has been good so far on my PC, no obvious difference from other routes. Visually I'm pleased, certainly the locos and stations are impressive and overall it feels appropriately atmospheric. Known issues aside, the audio we do have is nice.

    In terms of traffic, it does feel a bit sparse. But this is just the start, hopefully DTG will release appropriate content in the future that can be layered in.

    I haven't observed any bugs that haven't already been reported. I had the derailment when coupling but just driving more slowly cured that.

    Thanks to DTG for their hard work on this route. It should be a lot of fun.
     
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  22. LeadCatcher

    LeadCatcher Well-Known Member

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    I was wondering when/if you are going to apply your skills to developing a TSW locomotive. TSC steamers we’re just ok until but you and additionally Smokebox provided that sim with some great products. I would hope you would take the leap like TSG and bring your considerable skills to TSW,
     
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  23. Kangaroo Conductor

    Kangaroo Conductor Well-Known Member

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    After playing a full run, "The Manxman", and a quick freight run that lasted about half an hour, I can only say good things so far:

    The first one being that I am absolutely flashed by this dlc. The amount of detail and care alone amazes me already. I've never seen a shed or siding in this game with so much detail and additional work as on this route.
    20220531193809_1.jpg
    20220531195817_1.jpg

    The route itself as a whole looks absolutely stunning. The cities, the road traffic, the stations, the yards; everything supports the atmosphere and since everything is made new for this DLC and it's time period, the devs had the chance to tailor them all to fit into the route, and it showes. I've never felt so immersed in a route before.
    20220531194914_1.jpg
    A big portion of that immersion comes from driving the locos itself. The shaking cab, the noise of the wind rushing by, the hissing and chuffing of the cylinders; driving this feels considerably different to anything previously released, and looking back at the very first news article that described their vision of how it should feel to drive and be close to such an engine in game, I can clearly say that they nailed it. I've never been so pleased with content for this game before, and for me, personally, it set a new standard.
    20220531195536_1.jpg
    This is the first time I quit the game after a very joyful ride and really crave more of the same. For me, this is what I expected from the release and I am very much looking forward to more of it, but will happily enjoy what we got until that happens. 20220531194931_1.jpg
     
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  24. Yerolo

    Yerolo Well-Known Member

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    I think the most disappointing aspect of SoS for me so far is the sound. If you have ever stood at a platform in real life and witnessed a steam train pulling in, it sounds nothing like it is depicted here....it is way too quiet

    Hopefully sound mods will be released :)
     
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  25. Mattty May

    Mattty May Guest

    I haven’t bought the route yet, been busy with work. Seems to be a definite mixed bag, feedback wise. I’m not sure if I want to jump into right now or wait a bit longer :|
     
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  26. BlackSkyuk

    BlackSkyuk Active Member

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    Well I'v just spent two hour doing the passenger timetable and it's one of the worse I'v seen!

    Examples :-
    First train from Crewe to Liverpool is 05:31, the next not till 09:20.
    Late train from Crewe to Liverpool is 16:10, the next not till 21:10.
    Late train from Liverpool to Cewe 17:20, the next 22:10.
     
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  27. highland beastie

    highland beastie Well-Known Member

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    Same here, I was orginaly planning on buying the route immediately, but now I'm not sure if I should or not, with lots of people saying its amazing and lots sating it's terrible.
     
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  28. FD1003

    FD1003 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for all the lovely feedback, not only seems to be helpful to the DTG staff which seemed to be laser focused on every thread about SoS, but it's also helping me out in figuring whether it's worth a purchase.

    My only question that I haven't seen talked about is, how fun or challenging is the route?

    I get that steam locomotives are more challenging than diesel and electrics, but do you envisage this DLC remaining fun to run even after you master driving steam traction (or if you were already good from previous experience)? I remember from the stream that about 1/3 of the route was just a GWE-like thing of go as fast as you can on a set of straight tracks, do you see that becoming boring after you figure out how to drive a steam engine?

    Is freight with the 8F challenging outside of those 1 or 2 "critical" points that were identified in the first two preview streams (some set of ramps and passes to get to the yards IIRC)?

    To draw a parallel, is this route a Köln-Aachen or a Dresden-Chemnitz?
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2022
  29. royalscot#3684

    royalscot#3684 Well-Known Member

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    It is a mess because they haven't timetabled class 2 passenger services between Liverpool and Crewe or locals to Manchester and Preston. These would have been in the hands of something like a Fairbairn or Standard 4 - or possibly even DMUs by the end of 1958. The freight services also exclude all the local trip freights of the period. Basically only about 20 per cent of real services are modelled - that's why it's so empty.

    Many of us said they would have been better to produce a secondary main line like the GCR. Yards there were smaller so less problem with frame rates plus you could model most services with three or four engines by 1964. They've just bitten off more they can chew with the WCML - the game engine and mainstream PC hardware isn't up to it so they've had to make far too many compromises.
     
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  30. tallboy7648

    tallboy7648 Well-Known Member

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    Simple answer really. It's money. People would've bought it regardless of the condition and so dtg gets what they want in the end. $$$$$
     
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  31. chieflongshin

    chieflongshin Well-Known Member

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    Some really nice shots here, there’s some real beauty hidden in the route, I just wish it grabbed me with gameplay more. I think personally for me I’ll consider it again once patched, dlc available, mods have caught it and it’s on sale.
     
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  32. Ben_Broomfield

    Ben_Broomfield Well-Known Member

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    After playing for i while I thought I’d give some of my views!

    First off, really enjoying Spirit of Steam. So glad we have steam finally and a great job overall has been done.

    First off, Sounds! Actually a really good job mostly. They sound like the real deal and only occasionally it sounds out of beat compared to what the loco is doing.

    My only gripe with the sounds are the sudden difference in what you can hear when inside the cab & when at the window (a difference of not that far!). Seems to be no real balance between them sadly. Also seems to be a few key sounds missing, such as the sound of steam entering the cylinders when the regulator is first opened and no real fade in the exhaust sounds when the regulator is shut and the steam chest is emptied, just a simple sudden cutoff. Also the safety valves do completely obliterate the sounds when set-off (I understand they can be ear piercing but not remove 95% of the other sounds).

    Physics wise I’m quite happy with the overall performance & handling of the locomotives. They’re nice to drive and feel like a steam locomotive. However I think there needs to be a bigger delay to the steam chest simulation. Seems far too short (or non-existent) and instant compared to the lights of content produced by BMG for TS.

    Physics on the wagons are great! You can physically see the tension on the couplings which is a great touch!

    Aswell as that I think there still needs to be a bit of polishing to the steam producing rate/fireman. Seems like it steams too quickly after losing lots of pressure, with the fireman constantly wanting to ensure the locomotive blows-off. Instead I think the fireman should be looking at trying to build steam up to a certain point (not the red line) and prevent the locomotive from blowing off, like in real life (where possible).

    Now here’s where my main issues with Spirit of Steam are, in the signalling!

    In a whole it’s okay, but still we are seeing the same issues from previous releases being transferred over or silly bugs where players could easily SPAD and ultimately lose progress from a 40 min scenario, just because signals where not showing the correct sequence!

    I’ve found it to be predominantly with the colour light signals, especially areas where it changes from 3-aspect to 2-aspect signalling or in big areas such as Crewe, where we get Greens and then suddenly a Red?!

    As well as that, we still have the horrible immersion breaking ‘close doors on red feature’ when stopped at some stations, where closing the doors initiate the signal to step-up from red. Why is this still present especially in new content?

    Also I’ve yet to see signalling where your cautioned down to a diverging junction followed with approach release. On many occasions I’ve been thrown from side to side going over a junction at 90mph (where I should of been doing 15mph!) with no indication from the signalling until last minute, unable to slow down in time. Probably because i drive with no HUD or lack route knowledge; although would assume you’d get cautioned down on approach to a diverging route!


    Terms of scenery, there’s bits where it looks great and the other 45% of it looks like someone’s turned scenery density down to 0!

    That’s really my initial impressions of the route so far!
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2022
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  33. Suryaaji#2369

    Suryaaji#2369 Well-Known Member

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    So far so good for me. A nice refreshment after spending hundreds of hour on AC400CW and SD70ACe. Cheers
    [​IMG]
     
  34. highland beastie

    highland beastie Well-Known Member

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    Decided to buy it, I have it downloading now, I hope I don't regret it...
     
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  35. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    Well hopefully they will find a compromise somehow. When a train arrives behind you and you don't even notice, and when it pulls away, gliding with barely a whimper and with no discernible change to the smoke effects, it is very immersion breaking.

    Even a 14xx and autocoach makes quite a din, a Jubilee with ten mark 1's pulling a train out of Liverpool Lime Street should leave the speakers shaking!

    Obviously we aren't going to get that completely but I hope they can find some way of making the AI actually sound like a steam hauled train!

    Otherwise very impressed with the route but if the AI sound isn't improved I can't see me investing in any more TSW steam as I do enjoy the passenger mode almost as much as driving.
     
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  36. Class156

    Class156 Well-Known Member

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    These look awesome! I very much look forward to you working with DTG at some point and equipping them with your expertise! As someone who doesn’t use TSC that much, maybe I should jump back in!
     
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  37. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

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    Obviously, I don’t have a whole lot of experience yet but I’d say it’s closer to a more challenging Köln-Aachen than Dresden-Chemnitz. A lot of the route is “high-speed” straights but with rather challenging gradients (often around 1%). I haven’t done an end-to-end run with 8F yet, so I can’t tell you how challenging freight is throughout. That being said, I think one of the main challenges of the route is the signalling. Playing without the signal HUD, you really have to watch out and make sure you catch every distant signal or else you’re in for a nasty surprise.
     
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  38. peterchambers

    peterchambers Active Member

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    Very sadly I am reverting solely to to TSC until TSW2 gets its act together. I am probably too old to see TSW2 blossom into what it could be. I was so looking forward to Liverpool Crewe and the engines but they have fallen short as already recorded. I also thought that The Arosa Line could be something special but it is better on TSC, even graphically. TSC simply gives a better and more satisfying experience than TSW2 for me, especially since the advent of RW Enhancer 2. Sound is crucial to my enjoyment and the evocation of being on the railway. I have gained a lot from forum members on here, both mods and advice, for which I thank you all.
     
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  39. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    There are several channels for reporting bugs so maybe it's more a case of "We've heard this elsewhere today" rather than "We knew about this last week but thought we'd chuck it out anyway"?
     
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  40. chieflongshin

    chieflongshin Well-Known Member

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    I did notice also, when in the yards (high end) pc, all set on ultra that if you go on an external camera there’s minimal sleepers drawn around the train, it’s a distracting pop in when driving. I’m guessing this is optimisation due to high sleeper volumes, looks like tracks on mud.
    Some of the wagons seem really bleached out too.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2022
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  41. meridian#2659

    meridian#2659 Well-Known Member

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    Didnt have much time for the new Route it self by now, but i put the Jubille on the WSR, skipped all tutorials and drove down to minehead :). Well so far its a huge enjoyment for me. I hope DTG takes their time to add the manual firing part.

    TSW2_Meridian_1654078273_00.png

    TSW2_Meridian_1654076963_00.png
     
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  42. londonmidland

    londonmidland Well-Known Member

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    Regarding the shortcomings of sounds, this is something which was discussed heavily in a thread I made here

    It seems that DTG are actively trying to avoid the topic and discussion of sounds, as there hasn’t been a single response in the thread from anyone at DTG, despite the big popularity of the thread.

    How is it that we STILL haven’t got reverb sounds or track rumble sounds going over bridges, for example? An several year older game shouldn’t sound better than one that is running on a modern game engine. Sort it out DTG…
     
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  43. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    Yes the one thing that might persuade me to buy this (aside from the massive list of bugfixes) would be official layers, additional services or railtours on the other UK routes particularly but not limited to WSR, NTP and maybe BML. In fact this should have been in parallel planning with the primary release, but it seems DTG didn’t think outside the box on that one.
     
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  44. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I have never worked out why TSC has reverb sounds and has done since the early days and yet TSW hasn't unless it is due to the amount of sound channels. If this is the case maybe UE4 wasn't the best choice of engine for a simulator where there would be a requirement for many sounds.

    I was frankly astonished and disappointed that the AI steam trains had so little sound when moving, how anyone could hear that and think that is lifelike is beyond me. It is a shame as you can see so much work has gone into the rest of the add-on and there is very little else to complain about in my opinion. Sounds both on the player service and on AI is fundamental in a train simulator as far as I am concerned.
     
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  45. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    That’s probably an AI train passing a signal at danger somewhere else. Has happened to me on a couple of runs on PS5. It’ll be just a coincidence that Matt was so close to a signal when it occurred.
     
  46. BlackSkyuk

    BlackSkyuk Active Member

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  47. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    In Journey or in Timetable 'mode'?
    Journey 'mode' cause many many issues...
     
  48. Tigert1966

    Tigert1966 Well-Known Member

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    I wasn’t going to buy it as I don’t have much interest in the route and I don’t like Steam trains in TSC. But a combination or boredom and curiosity got the better of me after seeing some interesting stuff on creators club.

    I think last nights stream proved you can’t please everybody. Two very vocal people in the chat, both threatening to refund, one because it was too simplified and another because it was too difficult.

    I have to say, that for me it is just about right. I‘m probably a casual player compared to some on here, but it’s difficult enough to challenge me but, after the tutorials and watching some YouTube, easy enough to get started.

    I don’t mind the lack of AI traffic at the moment. I’m happy that they‘ve made a start on an ambitious route that has room for growth. If they release Loco DLC, this could become something special and much better than a quieter route with little option for growth.

    Altogether, I‘m really enjoying it so far which was most unexpected. It takes a lot to drag me away from red trains.

    I do of course, hope for the fixes and improvements already mentioned, but so far everything I’ve come across doesn’t actually stop me playing the game.

    So it’s a thumbs up from me, while at the same time giving a thumbs down for the preservation crew release for RT that came along at the same time. The good and the bad side of DTG in the space of 24 hours.
     
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  49. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    Timetable mode for me. I haven’t used Journey mode or any scenarios yet. Two spurious SPADS out of three runs.
     
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  50. 5cip

    5cip Active Member

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    i keep it short i like the new route a lot im impressed :D
    what i dont like so far is what already mentioned the sound of passing ai trains (to quiet) and the amount of the ai (could be a lot more)
     
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