I am interested to know when uk routes are announced what would the key criteria be • route • train • services • scenarios
I never play scenarios more than once so they aren't an issue for me. But routes, Trains and realistic services will determine how excited I am. One of the reasons I didn't buy Suffragette line for ages was because how unrealistically quiet London was and how empty Barking station is. You do one service with a 710 you've done them all as they are all the same, go from Barking Riverside to Gospel Oak and return. But something like Blackpool Branches or TVL line are more exciting as you can stand at a station and see all sorts of service, passenger,freight, empty coaching stock etc etc.
To be honest I will be very surprised if its anything other than a modern AC electric route, with a one handle EMU and the Class 66 doing freight.
Let's hope for something a bit more varied with some of the classes not yet included. Also, I hope that any routes that have connected branch lines actually have them included from launch unlike what happened with GWE, TVL and WCL where obvious omissions were inexplicably made.
Agree. Despite my tongue in cheek views above, one route I would like to see turned into a network is BCC. Add in Walsall, Coventry to Wolverhampton, maybe the line down from Bromsgrove into Worcester and on towards Malvern. That might get my interest.
I'll always throw a vote at my local Eastern Region which is so underused in the game thus far. But in all honesty I'll be happy with any region or timetable. My only criteria are a nice drive, varied service patterns and more than just one class running around. Bonus points if it's more than just A to B.
North Wales 1997 hourly 37s, 101s, 158s, HSTs, all doable within TSWs scope and would appeal to old and new traction fans. Instead we will probably get Watford Jcn to St Albans with a 730 or whatever one handle device is used.
I’m not sure what DTG’s stance is on southern DC routes at the moment but I’m still ruling out anything south of London. They’re obviously gonna be something modern and I think maybe it’s mostly likely be in London, the Midlands, North-west or Scotland based of previous releases.
I'm sure they'll return to DC routes at some point. While I'm looking for an AC network/sizeable route north of the Thames, if they were to fill in the gap between Rochester and the junction at Battersea Power Station giving us Victoria to Faversham and threw in a Class 411 and a 2001 timetable, I'd be very happy.
Could easily be another TfL Overground route considering they might be in a partnership with them now.
I say they should do Cardiff - Swansea in the late 60s with hymeks, westerns, duffs, 37s, gronks. But i somehow doubt that will happen
I am very pleased about the Eastern Region route we got with TSW4, but must admit I do think there is still a massive Eastern gap. Nothing in the whole of East Anglia, which although its a strange place and makes Lincolnshire look like the Himalayas, does have various railway lines which would be great to have in game, especially with the era kicked back a few years.
Still think Wherry Lines would be a good shout, but with the addition of the Sheringham branch. Set back when there was still a loco hauled relief and excursion presence to and from Yarmouth in a summer Saturday timetable and I’d be sold.
When it comes to seeing more routes in England I think Considering the (how to phrase it, it shouldn’t be difficult but it is) the north of England below the Scottish border is really underrepresented I think it would be a good area to build more into. DTG did say they wanted to switch focus to northern routes and that started with Birmingham Cross City (??? I guess baby steps is what it takes to move up) then after a few other routes they got really adventurous with a small route in Manchester (like I say baby steps ) before retreating back to London so yea I think it’s time to see northern routes.
I did have a crack at this and got a small section done, but It's currently on hold due to the old chestnuts of not enough time, the editor not being particularly friendly (having to search continually for advice and prob solving) and not having decent enough vegetation (that doesn't impact performance) available as of yet. Too much of a timesink for me for the quality of output I'm seeing. But I may revisit when time permits.
WCML would be nice, I don't really mind which part of it. Of course, it would rely on DTG getting the Avanti licence for the Class 390, and I don't think Focus Entertainment let DTG borrow the wallet anymore.
We need more northern diesel routes, maybe settle to carlisle or cumbrian coastline? Anything north of preston would be nice
The West country and Wessex needs some decent routes tbh, so far there is only West Somerset and a badly done Cornwall.
Avanti is a licence DTG hold, they have done for a while with TSW, not sure on its exact coverage mind though .
I’m sure the US route players would also have a similar debate on which US state they want to see next everyone who’s interested will have an idea to where they would like to lead it first considering you can’t go everywhere in one and it’s fair play to split it out more evenly.
As much as it was a placeholder I doubt the 'Avanti West Coast' slot in the Cathcart timetable is insignificant. Most trains that have had a place left for them have made in-game, and we know for sure they have an Avanti license (it's in the Livery Designer) so I wouldn't be overly surprised if it was, in some way, that. Just Trains WCML Over Shap + DTG WCML whatever = take my money
There have been heated debates on here, which I was referring to, where people counted up the routes in this tiny little nation of ours and then went to the lengths of arguments about what constituted north and what didn’t lol. It was bizarre. It makes no difference anyway, nobody asked for the Glossop Line. If pushed I would say there are many more Midlands, Northern and Scottish routes than in London and the South.
TSW has never always aimed for the most requested route, not sure what that had to do with the original topic though. As for the North/South debate, yep it will stay a debate as long as everyone doesn’t have the same answer, nothing can be done on that, it won’t change. London is the south, that’s not even debate, I can’t recall the exact count on routes in different parts of Britain but when you put 3-4 categories against 1 then 3-4 should be the in lead (as far as equal split is concerned), but if that 1 is any sort of competition ahead of all as a single category, it shows it is a majority.
And Goblin was a tangent skew to what people would have preferred - the North London Line. Much as I like Peak Forest, flawed steam experience notwithstanding, I don’t recall Derby to Manchester or, well Ambergate to Chinley being high on any wish list as opposed to (say) Somerset and Dorset for steam. Crewe to Liverpool was also fairly bizarre choice, though obviously driven by PJ’s mandate to produce something from his childhood or dealing with the sackings later.
Exactly, considering the love put into the vast network in Scotland which we now have, which I own and enjoy by the way (except FC), it almost seemed an insult to do a much requested route in the London Overground with just 13 measly miles!
Of course, why would ultimately one players request be the ultimate answer for something they don’t control.
I'd love to see Somerset and Dorset with Black Five's...I can take hope-ium...But I'd also love to see York to Newcastle proper, with clag monsters. There isn't enough clag in TSW. Class 55's etc.
I’d personally like to see a UK loco release on a par with the amazing TSG Br 218, that would be a real statement dlc that pleased a lot of people I think. I don’t care where it runs, just give us the wow factor again.
i personally thought the 700 was well done, probably one of the best in the U.K. since the 465, though i imagine it is down to personal perception.
TSW’s production cycle reaches a point where they can do a route to their time/work restriction but not one of good scenery and 40 maybe even above 25-60 miles usual route. Cathcart was it’s answer one year and Goblin for that cycle, suppose it does meet a lot of good criteria points like new train, whole line, new operator etc.
Yes it was nice, and is nice to drive because of the good view from the cab. But I think this game badly needs something that makes us go wow, like a Class 91 or a new current freight loco.
Personally, I don't see what all the fuss about the Class 91 is, as I live on the WCML and never been on one... I guess people just have nostalgia goggles on for that loco. I'd love any freight loco that isn't a class 59 or 66 though.
Oh. I know what the class 91 is, I remember the day it entered service. I just have no nostalgia for them. It's basically just a class 82 DVT with a pantograph.
I'd like to see a more historic take on Southern Region content. A NSE-era route out of Cannon Street or London Bridge, slam-door EMU stock, Class 73 for loco-hauled workings. Even something in the BR Green or Blue-Gray time period; it'd be nice to get away from single-lever controlled stock and explore something with different handling characteristics and personality.
Most definitely agree with you, I commuted on electric slam door stock for many years up to Victoria and they are a significant part of our heritage. They could do Victoria - Brighton in a different era even. Also the 205 “thumper” dmu’s, plenty around for DTG or whoever to go and look at, probably their closest one is a runner on the Spa Valley railway in Kent, so they can even ride it for the sound recordings.
The 91 would be a bit underwhelming for me, though there's no doubt ECML could do with one. The best thing about them was the Intercity Swallow livery (and the latest version of it) looks like it was made for the sets. Otherwise it's got that late eighties "Ford" design thing going on that also plagued the 60s, 90s, 321s and 322s. Very bland.
Just for the record, DVTs were not Class 82 as they are unpowered and are classified as coaching stock rather than locomotives.
Indeed, I've seen them irl running rail treatment services on the Brighton Mainline, they look well badass in action, especially when they're going along at 50mph spraying the rails down with water at high pressure
I think that King Charles visiting the Channel Islands, and watching 2 cows humping, means that we must now be in with a good chance of getting the Jersey Railway recreated in TSW4/5. After all what could be a better endorsement than "by Royal Appointment"?
