Well, with the release of the Expert 101 the other month it would be great to see more expert locos with fully operational features. My suggestion would be an Electrostar... With this potential DLC we could see MOST 375/377/387s. These being all 375 variants, most are pretty much are the same... The 377s should realistically be all of them in an expert package but the ones in the game at the moment upgraded to proposed expert spec would be ok. The 387s should be be the 387/1 and the 387/2 (as of right now we don't need the 387/3) the 387/1 could be there for the GWE remaster, with this being non playable. It should just be a reskin. Features: - Functional GSM-R - Fully Working TMS, destination and whatever else is on there - Realistic Physics - Remastered sounds - Accurate recreations of each trains interior (the list goes on) If this ever became an add-on, we would need fully remastered timetabled (similar to the Expert 101s). Overall this add-on would be great, any better UK routes/units would be great. The current Electrostars are good, but, not great. (the cost of this would be 30 pound, like the Expert 101)
There are a few issues with the idea. Obviously a £30 pack with just Electrostars will be controversial, but looking past that it will still be complicated to do. Firstly, the Electrostars are not as similar as you think they are. Compatibility between classes is minimal, and there are important differences between subclasses, let alone the main classes. Here's some of the potential issues I thought of: Compatibility: With the exception of the 357s which can only work in multiple with the same class, every Electrostar can work in multiple with one using the same electrification, but only mechanically. Doors can't be unlocked between classes, among other issues. There has been one instance of a Class 375 running in multiple with a 376, but the train had to have two guards to unlock the doors. 377s and 387s have run in multiple before, as have 377s and 375s, but never in passenger service to my knowledge. Cabs: The cabs between the classes have differences, and I assume subclasses may have differing cab designs too. More work to do. Interiors: Despite many train enthusiasts believing all Electrostars are effectively the same internally, the variety of interiors is actually quite large. The Class 375 has three different interior variants, each with different seats. The Class 377s have quite a lot of variation. The /1 subclass has three interior designs IIRC, with the earlier ones still having Connex blue all over the place. The /2s have the same interior as the final batch of /1s, and the /4s and /5s share the same interior albeit with different branding in the /5s. The /3s have an interior closer to the first batch of /1s, but with smaller tables. This excludes former classmate 377342 which was a /4 with one of its coaches removed. The /6 and /7 have a completely different interior as well, which is closer to the 387s but has some differences. The Class 387 is closer when it comes to the interiors, but the GWR units use a slightly different base and the Heathrow Express units have quite a different interior. Secondly, where are you going to run them? The 375/3s and 377/3s have to be diagrammed separately, but the latter is used a lot on London suburban services on the Southern network. This is also true of the 377/6 and /7. 375/3s are almost exclusively used on branch lines, so there is the possibility of cutting it out but that would harm the value of the pack. GWR won't give a license so there isn't much of a chance of a GWR 387, and for it to run between Paddington and Hayes and Harlington would be a waste. And there isn't much point in making the Great Northern ones (that being an eclectic mix of ex-Thameslink, ex-c2c, ex-Gatwick Express and ex-GWR units) as almost all of them are going to be replaced with 379s, which will allow more 377s to be transferred to Southeastern to replace Networkers. Of course the hope of DTG doing it well is out of the question. The 377/1 in London to Brighton and the /2 from WCMLS are quite incorrect, with DTG assuming that they are identical internally to /4s when they are clearly not. The Southeastern white/yellow 375 is also completely incorrect, with the wrong moquette, wrong carpet and wrong cab.
Rancid things. The only thing good thing about them is the refurbed 375s are quite nice to travel in as they are all bays of 4 with tables.
Thank you for a lot of clarification! As I do say am not expecting 357s, 376s: Nothing that will have no place in the game. But I would expect some variants that could run in the game. Some people saying, "this will not be a good expert for something UK". I disagree, it is used across many UK routes and I feel like the ones now, aren't in depth enough..
The Southeastern 375s have always been nicer than the rest of them, but that's partly down to Southern's poor interior design. If every Electrostar was like a 375/6 inside, there would be half as many people complaining. The only train Southern made better internally were the 313s. Connex, while a terrible operator, we're great at specifying interiors. The lovely interior on the first batches of 375s and 377s was down to them, as was the interior in the Connex Express 319s which were easily the best of the bunch.
Even if they did remake the 387/1 it would be playable because the reskinned one is playable on the Hayes and Harlington shuttle
If I remember right, the /4s were on London to Brighton, all DTG did was added /1s with the same design to complete the timetable as there wasn't enough /4s. I do wonder why they didn't make those minor differences while they had the chance.
Yes, the /1 is just a renumbered /4. I don't blame them for doing it, but I do wish they'd gone a bit further with it. The final batch of 377/1s aren't that different to a /4, but I'm not sure if those would cover the extra trains they needed. The earlier batches are further from the /4s so I wouldn't expect them to do it. AP didn't bother, even if it meant almost every interior in their 375/377 EP was incorrect.
I think fully functional GSM-R shouldnt be in a expert pack, it should be something added to every train no matter what.
Not that completely fully functional GSMR would ever happen. AP's implementation of it is just signing in with the headcode and signal number and not much beyond that. I doubt DTG would be interest in adding an emergency call function and a dialogue tree with the signaller, for example.
Putting in the head code and signal number should be enough. The dispatcher could then (if it can), give us a proceed aspect on the signal.
why not? I am not so opposed to having them in expert as some ppl here are... it is a relatively simple thingie with chill ride... learning this should be a bit easier than mastering BR 101, which is a more complex beast... so again, why not? as if the only *legit* trains were these noisy, rumbling beasts with controls that would make Goro's hands twist and tangle (Mortal Kombat reference)... y know what? I enjoy both rumbling machines and some chill and silent ones too... why the need to use words like "rancid", "plastic one handle EMUs" (from MANY other threads) and such? how about enjoying trains for being... trains?
