Feather River Canyon - Enhanced

The only complaint I have about this is that the older stuff needs some rework, the BNSF ES44C4 that came with Cajon was decent.

And TBH, the only real value I currently have with TSC is the official screenshot contests, so I cant touch anything that visually modifies "official" content.

Which is why it sucks when the default content isn't up to par.

 

Sale in a few days? You're gonna make me dip into my grocery budget for a couple of needed trains for stuff I found in the Workshop, aren't ya? Starting to find a heavy need for a Class 20 not created by JT, for starters...though I do have the JT one too...

 

Steam Sale Dates · When is the Next Steam Sale? · Countdown and History · SteamDB

14th March for seven days.

 

I don't see any point in a timetable for US freight. Creative scenarios and Freeroam are perfect, and QuickDrive creates random scenarios for you at selected start and date.

 

Oh. I see the opportunity here!
If I convince you to mod, then I will have better chances of winning!
So. Here it goes.

First, you should make up your mind. Do you want to contest, or enjoy the best content there is.
You say it's the first, but you still sound unhappy.
You can have both - iirc just clone your game folder, then mod the copy to your heart's desire.

Seen the discussion about the sounds.
I think as a community we should self-regulate. Make it a 50-50, what's good, what's not.
What I'm afraid about is, some developers will enter the stance of: "this community cannot be pleased, so whatever, just ignore them".
Alternatively, they just stop producing. I mean, apart from British, German and Run8 secret agents, I don't see the point of achieving this state.

 

I don't care for the Official Contest so I'm free to play the game as I like to

 

Worth nothing that all the scenarios in this pack are dreadful in terms of realism.

 

But does realism even matter anymore?

Isn't the reason for these routes is just content and fun?

Who cares about what the WP was like, we have loads of new trains to play with.

If ONLY HIS made green U30Bs

 

Some elaboration would be nice.

 

-While correct train symbols/names were used, the actual consists that are made for them are horrible. For starters, almost every single train is far too short, and in almost all the scenarios I've checked, the trains are not hauling what that train hauled or are horrible representations of what it hauled. For example, the "Ford Fast" scenario-
THIS is the ford fast, not 20 autoparts cars, 15ish autoracks, and a few boxcars tacked on.

In the "Climbing the Canyon" scenarios, the player train is the Golden Gate Merchandise, which in the scenario is mostly autoracks, TOFC, and boxcars. Here is a fairly typical consist for this train IRL
As you can see it is nothing what HIS represents it as, although the main reason for this may be the lack of any insulated boxcars or reefers barring the one that was included in the original route.

AI trains, such as the CPCW in the "HIgh Line Local" scenario are a laughably short length, and the ARPG in "Oroville Homeward Bound" is once again a bad consist for that train. Additionally, in this scenario the ARPG has empty auto racks, but in another one(can't remember which) it runs with loaded ones.

-The motive power shows a complete lack of understanding of WP's paint schemes. This is partly due to the terrible set of locomotives for a 1970s WP, since past 1972 there were 4 F-units, which spent quite literally 99% of their time of the first sub(Stockton-Oakland), occasionally going up to Oroville on the second sub, and extremely rarely ran up the canyon. I can't find any info on the Fab Four going to Portola, and doubt that it happened("Fab Four" scenario) The U30B as represented can be used from mid 1972-1978. What's funny about this is that they were all renumbered after the F-units had left the property, so they can't run with F-units relaistcy, and yet all three of the F-unit scenarios and the U30B scenario have each other about in about equal quantities. GP9s are decent, the main issue is their repeated use in road freights, which while it did happen occasionally in the 70s, it largely didn't happen in the canyon, and when it did, hot TOFC freights would not have been trains they subbed on. The GP40-2s were delivered in 1979, after the last U30B was repainted green, but they are used in tandem in multiple scenarios.
As BlacknRed said, if the U30B was green, or if a Pearlman Geep was given, literally all of these issues could have been fixed, but as such the included power has extremely little overlap, and thus given power consists suck. I don't understand why a GP35/40 wasn't included, since there were the main power during this timeframe.

-Operations of some of the scenarios is quite poor-this is most apparent in the "Ford Fast" scenario. This train is quite literally what kept the WP out of the red, and it was by far the hottest train on the line-it never stopped unless there was an emergency or some other unexpected circumstance, but you stop after an hour in that scenario. I understand that a scenario can't be 4 hours long, but it would be nice to have a real reason to stop it, instead of claiming that another train has priority, cause no, that didn't happen.

 

The great thing about this game is that you can easily create your own scenarios that feature the type of consists that you would like to see.

I thought it was pretty widely accepted that the scenarios DTG include with their routes are intended to be representative of the type of traffic you will see on any particular line, rather than a pinpoint accurate recreation of real life.

 

Here is a short video that I made. Railworks 2024 02 28 10 39 41 01 (youtube.com) When I play this video back it says it was recorded in HDR instead of HD. Yes, it was recorded in HDR as I'm running auto HDR. See here about Auto HDR. Use Auto HDR for better gaming in Windows - Microsoft Support

 

Not according to HIS, who developed this pack.

 

I cant use that.

 

I, for one, am sick of people posting mods when others pose problems with official, premium priced DLC. For something that I paid almost full price for having already owned the original, I should under no circumstance have to mod it to make it realistic or good. New content for this game shouldn't need enhancement packs and reskins to make it useable-content from 2009 needs that, and the idea of "oh but this mod exists, it makes the DLC worth it!" is total BS.

 

This article says nothing about train lengths. Announcing Feather River Canyon Enhanced! (dovetailgames.com)

 

Unfortunately, the masses speak, and most want these, eh just gotta sit back and deal with it I guess......

 

As much as I hate defending anything in Gary's scenarios, I do feel there are some addendums to be made. I've found that (at least to my personal tastes) it's frequently impossible to get the entirely right consists for US freight trains in TS1, we just don't have the stock. From my own perspective I'd much rather a train with the wrong cars if it at least gets the silhouette right, which can often (but not always) be accomplished even within the limits of what's available. I won't defend Mr. Dolzall's model railroad length consists though, while making realistic length manifests can be quite the pain in the ass, it's absolutely a worthwhile endeavor, and the fact he chooses not to do so in payware scenarios and scenario packs is questionable at best.

 

You can't use it in the official screenshot contest, but the unofficial ones don't have any restrictions on 3rd party content.

There was a 15% discount for owners of the original route, something that I think you even commented on at the time.
And you've now gone from saying the content is unrealistic to that it is unusable, which is an entirely different kettle of fish and something that does not seem to be supported by the other posters on this thread who have the route.

 

I don't want to take part in the unofficial contests for personal reasons.

 

And changing back to default sky is as simple as renaming the TimeOfDay folder, doesn't even require a game restart.

 

First off that post was not about realism, rather how dumb it is we have to mod our stuff-just because my previous post was about realism, doesn't mean that one was.

By "unusable" I refer to the horrendous DTM physics, sounds, and to a lesser extent in this one than previous ones, the textures.

Modded NA content is superior in every way-textures, features, physics, sounds, lights-to steam content, with the lone exceptions of the SS AC44 and Smokebox.
Even if you find the DTM stuff usable, the simple fact that people make free mods to existing content that is a stupid amount better than the payware is ridiculous. Hell, DSDGRR has the second best steam for NA, and his stuff is 100% free-sometime soon, LPM will release an SD70ACe that is easily a 100x better than whatever DTM copy/pastes up, and that will be free as well.

 

Sheesh, then put other engines on the route..... or don't buy it and move on.

The product is released and they won't swap out DTM stuff with other locos because nobody else made them.

 

I just wish DTM put more effort into his work....

 

I have completed almost all of these scenarios. Just 1 more to complete. Why is it thought that these cannot be completed?

Respectfully

 

I've seen slight improvements - but under the hood it is DTM and will stay DTM. But I'm judging route and stock separately. While stock is medium route is premium. And we can run any loco we like on the route (and I'm fairly stacked with US locos )

And for many non-US players, I can see it's great value for them having a variety of stock in this DLC, not knowing if each bolt is at its correct place. Perfectionism is usually not delivered in route but in single loco DLC. Because a perfect loco itself is worth $30.

 

Just 1 more to do and loving them - now all complete!

Which scenario cannot be done?
I have them ALL cataloged here.
https://sites.google.com/view/trainsimulatorcontent/na-routes/feather-river
Check out the final slide deck and you can peruse through all of the scenarios.

 

If only one could just buy one and not the other.

 

Best $36 I have spent in a long while. I really love chillin with these US diesels. Beautiful scenery. I'm taking Amtrak from Chicago through Glacier to Vancouver later this year followed by the train from Seward - Fairbanks via Denali. Got to love God's country (the Great USA!)

 

Buy it on sale then? I mean it's everyone's free decision. A product is offered and the customers can decide to buy it or not. In this case I'm saying better DTM than nothing.

And an official screenshot won't tell if you are using sound enhancement packs I mean AP made a business out of delivering accurate sounds because DTG cannot dive that deep for a route+stock without demanding fantasy prices for a game that's not having a Fortnite/CS customer base.

This whole DTG stuff only works combining official and freeware stuff. That's how it is. Could be much worse (see TSW).

This whole "If only / they should" will only make yourself sick. I know what I'm talking about, had a breakdown because of the whole world not being as I thought it should be. Be pragmatic - see what's offered - see what the community improved for you - and make your own custom TSC out of that. My TSC has around 4000 modified files and runs well. And due to the brilliant introduction of .ap files in TS2014, you can revert all mods by simply removing everything except the .ap from the folders.

 

Gonna be a long wait till it gets to a price I'm comfortable paying, probably at least half a year or more. (Based on Steam DB charts for Saluda)

This is why I didn't have any gripes with Boston Albany, as it released at a decent price. ($27 USD after 10% off from it's original $29.99 price)

 

That's your personal decision.

I am admitting I had to buy it on release (reading the names Michael Stephan and Rick Grout was enough to convince me )

And as I'm getting the most satisfaction out of US routes/locos, it was a no brainer. Four packs of smokes for something I'll be enjoying for a long time (as I am, still playing 2013's Stevens Pass, my #1 TSC route)

And the DTG FR was - underwhelming and bland.

 

Fine, then Ill guess Ill just throw money at them then.

$100+ at steam, not like I care about my personal finances.

I don't even get the owners discount anymore.

Guess Ill mod stuff to while I'm at it.

 

Dang this is a gorgeous route

 

Blacknred81 DM me for the "old" Clio Trestle.

I don't want to post it to avoid people telling me how wrong it is

 

Just passed over it on my last scenario of the DLC: Western Pacific’s ‘Ford Fast’ EMD GP40

 

:/

I feel terrible now...

 

All done. DLC is 100% doable. To run these routes requires knowledge on how to use the Dynamic and Auto/Locomotive brake. It is possible that there are folks who are not familiar how to use both together.

Respectfully

 

How many of you have bought a perfect route that you never made any changes to?

 

I've bought a number of them, hi line, mml, mml dnl, mml nl, mml hv, wherry lines, stainmore, Muenster Bremen, mitten durch berlin, konstanz-villingen, and ikb3. It's almost like routes for other countries are built to a higher standard ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

For US content, RGS, Shasta, Arizona Divide, Hi-line, and Sac Northern are near perfect as is, stock forgoing. But I would agree with DocTrench-the rest of the world gets amazing routes, while US routes are rather lackluster in comparison.

 

Okay already. As explained earlier in the thread I was simply referencing what someone else had stated in another thread and asking if it was true. I haven’t actually bought the bloody route myself yet.

 

It's entirely possible to voice an opinion about thinking a product isn't worth the money it's listed at without being dramatic. I think the cited reasons of mfeets, DocTrench around the included stock and scenarios are valid discussions to have.

The package *does* charge a premium and articles for it do, as is typical, paint a picture of "realistic", "realism", etc while not necessarily delivering. Realism isn't something that's exactly a subjective matter, especially not against a backdrop of other content in the game that actually delivers, but as Spikee and others have said, one can just wait for a sale or not buy it at all instead of making it a repeat gripe, instead of a one time statement/discussion and moving on.

 

You are lucky that it isn't like this.

 

Strange things can happen. While playing London to Brighton, I had a train that derailed during one official scenario while entering East Croydon, and another time (in the same scenario) I had a train not move from its starting point at Norwood Junction and had to watch train #16 plow into it trying to exit the map. Those errors did not repeat on a future run and that Norwood train, coincidentally, was the one I actually parked next to at the end of the scenario.

There is one train DLC on Sherman Hill that can have a startup error and fail the scenario immediately. This failure looks like a player error, but it's designed to show that the train can have issues and is a very rare chance (maybe 0.01%). If you see it, go buy a lottery ticket.

So yes, sometimes funny things can happen without your causing them. If they repeat, even after clearing cache and such, then you can believe they are bugs. I did not have to report my BML issues because they did not repeat. On the other hand, one scenario, you cannot save because the red signal at Victoria will not change for you. That is repeated, and that is a bug.

 

Spring Sale 20% off
https://store.steampowered.com/app/...ther_River_Canyon_Enhanced_Oroville__Portola/

 

surprising that it's already on sale

 

I feel so valued as an original owner right now! 15% off upon release, same as release discounts have been for other routes, okay, that’s fine I guess, not like it’ll be on any significant sale within a year. And now, just 4 weeks after release, a 20% off sale? Brilliant!

 

It is a shame. The route is much better than the review by a certain person on YouTube who has an underlying grudge against the developer. This was a calculated hit job. His fanboies also didn't help either by instigating group bashing and parroting the reviewer's views. Unfortunately, this has probably affected sales and as such an early discount. I do not feal slighted by this, $5 or $6 is no big deal. I wanted it, enjoy it, I have modified it to my tastes. They all could have bought it and tried it and received a refund if they didn't like it, A review from a person who has actually purchased something I respect, but not a bunch of parrots.