So.... we Have CDQ-CDB, a five minute journey. The City Line which is like 40 ish minute stop start, same with the Coryton line... The Penarth Line is three stops. It's hardly much variety, much less does it provide the player with the choice that they made out. This is just my opinion that DTG have over-sold the route. If it is perfect for you, then so be it I just feel people need to cater their expectations a little bit.
If they one day done a Valleys Lines DLC, I would like to see the 231/756. They would likely need to do the 398 too, depending on which line(s) they select. If they chose the mainline, north or south then I'd expect a 197.
The success or failure of this DLC will be on the Timetable I reckon. If we get a realistic timetable based on reality, it'll work. If we get a cut down one with large gaps between services it'll be a disaster.
I think the 197 would layer on nicely to Manchester airport commuter. I would also like to see a dlc maybe to Pembroke dock or Milford haven
I'll admit that not having full runs is a bit disappointing, but if the timetable and scenery are done right, and if it actually feels like a network, it'll do me. After all, they've got to start somewhere. Hopefully in the future its full potential is realised, or other network routes come along and do better.
There are atleast two full runs I’m pretty sure however I have no idea when this route timetable is set as in some of the screenshots I’m pretty sure you can see trains terminating at Radyr, so I don’t know if that suggests no off-route destinations or when the timetable is set.
I think there are three full runs, just the route lengths individually are quite short. Cathcart was the first network route I think and that seems reasonably popular. Hopefully some more ambitious network routes are developed in the future but I think this should be adequate if the timetable is as per real life. The trains are what interest me the most.
All this talk of a network is simply hot air. TSW does branches, not networks. The only routes that come close are Cathcart ( a stretch ) and LIRR, which is a network missing several parts.
Again, this is solely my opinion. I just really feel like they've overpromised and I hope I am wrong.
If I'm reading the map layout correctly, both Cogan and Heath High Level won't be included despite the track layouts are in place for it. I'm curious to know what would be the explanation for not including both stations. I also think DTG really missed the shot of not having the route extended to Caerphilly. One of the reasons why previous network routes like Cathcart Circle had the appeal to many was the satisfaction of driving a route end to end, by not being able to drive a service fully as in the Penarth to Caerphilly service is really unsatisfactory. It's only 5 extra miles and 4 extra stations to model, something wouldn't be a big hassle in a post release update, but again knowing DTG this route will be bound to be neglected once more the second a new DLC of there's come out unless a third party developer is willing to put efforts for this.
A series of lines which intersect at regular intervals, so that passengers can travel on the network in several directions, e.g. London Underground. Two or three lines radiating from a central node is not a network.
Or something like Tyne and Wear pre Metro. You had the Tynemouth Loop in both directions plus the Riverside branch. The line out to South Shields and to Sunderland with the hourly service going on to Teeside. Merseyrail is a network, but only if we got the whole system and 502’s and 503’s!
I'll probably only get this for the new rolling stock to build my collection of traction in TSW. So I'll wait for the first sale. I like the network idea but not if it includes lots of incomplete runs. One of the lines up into the valleys would have really sold this to me. The North London Line just about works as an incomplete line because most of the driver change-overs happen at Willesden Junction where the DLC ends and there are already rumours it will be extended. For our Welsh train enthusiasts I hope this Cardiff release is the start of something bigger (I think most here, even us lot of the other side of the Severn Estuary would be delighted with a Valley Lines extension).
This route has three complete services I believe? Do drivers change at Willesden Junction on every service?
I doubt it. A Willesden driver would likely do 2 round trips of the whole line before their meal break then either another two on the NLL or, if they're signed to other routes/traction a couple of round trips on either the DC Euston route or GOBLIN. All I was saying was that at least it's a changeover point where you can wait on the platform for the next service to Stratford then take it over. Some routes like the ECML for example suffer because drivers do London to York and back so neither end station is a typical place for a crew change. When NLL comes out I'll do a return to Stratford, then a complete round trip on either GOBLIN or the DC Euston line to make it feel like a proper, realistic shift.
Course not & even when they do, it’s not to swap before the train continues 10 minutes upto Richmond & again when it comes back to Willesden. I know the usual line is that they need to cut the route somewhere & I agree, with something like WCML or SEHS etc, but here we’re talking about 4ish miles of suburban area. I appreciate that one person did the bulk of the work here, but this was a huge swing & a miss at a route that should have just had the extra time put in.
Guys you know this is the Cardiff City Line discussion not the North London one. DTG Alex I don't want to Mini mod so I will @ you
Hi! I predict the Cardiff routes release date will be announced in the upcoming March roadmap. And if it does I am stuck between which route I should purchase. Cardiff or Mildmay? I live near Cardiff and we have been waiting for a Welsh route for quite sometime so it’ll be interesting, but Johannas has done such a good job with Mildmay and it looks so well done…
Yes I agree with your last point, I find ECML and MML particularly irritating regarding start and end points. I'm not in a particular TSW DLC buying mood atm so will sit this one (Mildmay) out and see if something concrete is mentioned re an extension. It does look good and I like that the 378 will layer in on WCMLs. Out of the Cardiff and Mildmay route I would go for Cardiff as I am sure it has full journeys and Sprinters are more interesting to me than Electrostars.
I would personally depend on it on if DTG fixed the broken sounds of the 150 and let's not forget, the showcase of the route. The fact many suggested here the lightings at Cardiff Central are wrong doesn't look promising so far...
So excited for the preview stream but man I hope Dovetail done this right and again Rivet rumoured to of been the dev helping this route just sounds excruciating… But people saying lighting is wrong.. oh know. When I was speaking to Matt he said he is loving the route and made me jealous, So for now it’s a Dovetail route and just hope it is released in outstanding quality!
To be fair, that mostly comes back to stuff in TSW looking far too clean. As usual I’d expect the general shape of the area to mostly match, but the textures & lighting will be the usual clinical, oversaturated stuff we normally get.
To be fair, and with no disrespect intended to Matt, they all bigged up WCMLS months before its release. Overly bigged it up too... And what we got was a very deflated release that did not live upto the hype. Take it all with a pinch of salt. It's a shame that's the way things are at the moment.
WCML keeps going Backwards and Forwards. Every update seem to break something and it is taking the mick atm.
What does make me a little more excited is the fact that Matt actually said himself, in the February roadmap stream, that he is personally really looking to it and it is going along really well, which kind of gives me some reassurance…
I don't mean this in a mean way, but he's not likely to say "The route is overbudget and delayed by months, and to be honest I really hate it so I don't care how it comes out."
And we have seen previous enthusiasm around Spirit Of Steam, Peak Forest etc. all of which fizzled out pretty much once the product hit the market and met the initial sales expectations.
I was never excited about that route in the first place but I watched the livestream hoping it would change my mind. What I saw convinced me not to bother purchasing it and so on release day I got the free pack only. After getting some gift cards for my birthday I got the route and was so thankful I didn't spend any of my own money on it.
I think the “oh no” comment about Centrals lighting is unfair. Cardiff has extremely harsh yellow lighting at night, it’s literally such a basic thing that they’ve gotten so wrong. Not my photo, but just for some context….
That’s the thing. It hasn’t changed since I’ve been alive. It’s always been a harsh yellow. That photo is a good few years old too.
It is, but I can assure you that it isn't much different today. If I can get a photo when I return to work I will.
In fact... this showed up on Threads, which is a relatively (again, not mine) modern photo. Within the last year or two at least...
LEDs aren't inherently bad. The issue with LED headlights are when people typically retrofit them to light clusters that aren't designed for them and are thus, non-road legal. That being said, you can get warmer LED lights that emit a yellower light. I'm not sure if CDF has LEDs fitted or not, and I'm not sure why the yellow is still so in your face. It ruins night time photos for sure.
I was meaning that the photo must have been taken 6 years ago because it’s an ariva DVT but yes the lighting looks the same all these years later
My bad ^ yeah, MK3 rake that. Cardiff has changed significantly over the years, but the lights remain a constant for better or for worse.
