PlayStation Its Time For A New Passengers System!

After long long time..after all the releases, after all these updates i think its time for Dovetail to work on a new passenger system...its already time..because customers paying so much money for this game. People flying around, staying in the rain like nothing happen, and all these funny memes we already saw and exploring, its time guys from Dovetail...

 

I agree 100%. I decided to try conductor mode in NY Trenton but as soon as I opened the doors, the train becomes completely empty which is definitely not realistic at 3:33PM at Penn Station. (Ironically the train wouldn't even move once the doors closed but that's another issue)

I don't understand why Dovetail has not sorted passenger behavior. Games like Bus Sim have decent passenger behavior yet this game does not. There are passengers that fall onto the tracks, passengers that all leave at the next stop past the terminal station. Too many passengers spawning at stations such as Island Park on the LIRR and Vincent Grade Acton on the Antelope Valley Line. They added the conductor mode but is largely useless when issues such as all passengers leaving the train at the first or second station exist.

I did create a thread about the issues with passengers last year and they did say that they would work on improvements for what we now know was TSW 5 but I'm not suprised that nothing was done

 

The problem that is they working on no sense for me things like so many same routes, livery editors, addings some map details that nobody cant find a point and all that thing with zooming etc, a not a simple map, with stations names, some mountain and lake details and that all...dont know who asking for things like that...and they didnt made a logic and normal and passenger system...

 

I agree to the point that DTG should find a fix for passengers standing on the rails or sitting creepy in the carriages of trains in a yard, heart attack moments ...

 

Yes. With priority to stopping “one unders” now endemic on many routes and as mentioned passengers remaining or already being on board empty stock trains.

But I fear this will be low down the priority list for whatever programmers are left at DTG actually working on TSW…

 

Is it a fundamental problem with the passenger system or just poor use of it by developers?

 

I really don't understand what's so hard about implementing an "all off" command at the last stop, so you aren't pulling a trainload of overzealous railfans into the depot for the night

 

You'd think this would be very high up on the priority list. If a licence holder found out their trains are running over the hopeless souls that are TSW passengers, I doubt they would be impressed...

 

Indeed, I put a thread in the Suggestions sub-forum recently about this. An 'all aboard' command at the start of a service, and 'everybody off' at the end.

 

I don't really understand how the issue with passengers in depots was fixed and then somehow broke again, so yes I'd like their weird tendencies to be fixed. Maybe some new character models too while they're at it

 

See this is why my feeling is that they need to stop adding more and more features with every yearly release.

I'm more than happy to pay for a 3 pack of routes for the price of 1 and a half every year with no new features as ai'm already hooked, but improvements/fixes to existing features to polish the game even more.

Once its stable then think about adding more features.

But passenger behaviour, PIS, texture issues, and the dynamic weather seriously need more work and I feel should have been priority over the updated map, and route hopping features.

But the core needs more work before we start adding more to it.

 

I think the passengers where never DTG focus because they were too busy getting their product off the ground about driving trains, as that is the main focus for the game. However, I think we can agree that TSW has more than launched or got off the ground, especially if Mattel want or are allowing their little tank engine to make an appearance (anybody know who started this Mattel or DTG?) The other problem other than all the issues with the passengers is that the problems with the passengers are not game breaking, a person can still drive a train or be a conductor and as far as I know the passenger system doesn't crash the game. This is where players need to decide if they want a new passenger system instead of getting a new route or loco, if DTG release TSW6 and they announce it will have an all new passenger system, how many players will ask "Yes, but what routes or locos does it come with?" and the shiny new bit is what players get excited about and that sells DLCs and versions of the game. If all players asked for a new passenger system I am sure DTG would do something, but players might have to put off getting something new for a while?

This tread needs to be for all platorms not just playstation, so players can give their view point.

 

You know, if they can't get passengers working right, have none at all.

Completely unrealistic and will most definitely ruin the immersion, but better than having passengers walk onto the tracks.

Then, in the meantime, work in the background on a fully functional passenger system until it is stable enough. Then add them in.

 

I completely get where you are coming from, but as you said it would completely break immersion.

Maybe the way to do it in the interim is put in settings an option to disable passengers - I think PC players might already be able to do this via Godmode??

Certainly agree they need to work in the background on a new fully functional stable passenger system though

 

The other thing that grinds my niggle, not just the one unders but the passengers spawned on fast line platforms including over the yellow safety line. On the modern railway these platforms are usually gated and fenced off as a suicide prevention measure and only opened when necessary under supervision of station staff. So locations like Tring, Hemel Hempstead etc. on WCMLS should not have passengers on these platforms at all.

 

Haha I like the Goblin line for that I just treat it like real life London cos people on the tracks unfortunately is all too common so i just E brake before the station and I quite like it but sometimes you're too far in platform and it counts as a terrible stop so I mean when I get penalised for hudless immersion.

Would be good to get extra points for stopping for a member of public falling on the track
As failure to do so would just be like a spad the game goes off.

Just don't know if people who'd been affected by these circumstances would handle it well

But for an Expert level simulation these real life incidents unfortunately do happen

 

Is that guy floating?

TSW passengers have superpowers it seems.

 

TSW passengers are like bananas, they come in bunches

They won't get off the train, they just stick together. Floating is one of their many superpowers, walking thru walls, train doors, sinking into the ground or platform....the list goes on.

 

The command is in the editor (using 'load percentage' and setting it to zero changes the 'unload' command to 'unload all'), but it seems the passenger system ignores this. Did it ever do what it was designed for and did some update break it? Or was the 'unload all' function never developed and did someone just modify the editor UI? We'll probably never know.

 

Passengers get off the train and are frozen to the spot at Stratford International.

 

Unfortunately this has been a bug for ages. Always leave Stratford slowly to avoid taking anyone with me!

 

Reminds me of that horror movie that you can't make noise or the monters get you

 

No chance

 

This is a "relative negative issue" on TSW!.
I wrote "relative", due to it is not about the train itself!

But despite of it, some improvements DTG were made to them - including more different and more colorful clothes, and carrying cell phones, or laptops - , the main problems about it are:

- At departure station: Usually lot of passengers leave the train, and no ones get in! - This is the main one!
Or even no one get inside.
Yesterday I run a Regio Dosto cab train departing at Frankfurt Hbf. That happened.
On the other platform there was a AI Dosto cab, ready for departing, and lot of passengers leave it!
- Several times they get stuck between them!.
- Some times they cross the tracks.

Special Note: Talking about Dostos... the never fixed problem about destination boards on the side of the passenger cars and Dosto Cab!
I can not define on which situations happens, but after driving the train, the displays become black.
I believe if you save the run, goes to the menu, and come back... they are not visible anymore.

 

I was doing a timetable service in a class 395 last night on SEHS and about halfway between Chatham and Rochester suddenly had about 10 people spawn in the sky and drop to the ground. I was in the external camera at the time and even had one passenger land on the roof of the train.

I've never had that happen before so something has definitely happened to have made that worse

 

You can move the weather slider to select raining people

 

I’ve had some passengers on top of the 710 overground and slowly going down, through the roof of the train, like they’re going down a staircase.

Another one would be, why don’t all passengers get off at terminal stations.

 

I've had this on Linke Rheinstrecke not long after that route released, so it's not a new bug, but seems to appear more often lately, based on the more frequent reports we see on the forums.

The "unload all" instruction is available in the editor, but doesn't function as one would expect. I guess this does work for freight, but someone forgot about this feature when developing the original passenger system and after this it became already so complex that it was deemed infeasible, especially since the conductor mode was added and probably doesn't take into account that every passenger should exit if the train terminates on the map (and should have a ticket for this destination).

A complete overhaul of the passenger system seems the best solution for this, but since this won't bring in new revenue, I'm not hoping too much.

(also: why does this topic have the "playstation" tag attached to it?)

 

I'm going to assume it's because the OP is 9j PlayStation.

 

Speaking of new systems they seem to already have a new one that arranges seating, probably for conductor mode. Unfortunately it do not do a good job on departures, especially when the service has only one further stop.

Also for SEHS:

There's no empty seats on the passenger-full mode for the Class 395. You can also see this issue with Class 710.

Classic route failure, where the destination is not reachable. Seen on many stations all over TSW.

 

I don't know if it needs a new passenger system but the current one definitely need some work done to the core. With each new game version they keep adding new clothing and animations and poses for the passengers, which is fine and adds variety, but when the passengers are doing these others wierd things you guys have mentioned they really need to sort that first.

I don't know how many times of late I've come to the end of a service and open the doors and not one passenger gets off. Doing a service on San Bernardino line going to the race track, ostensibly to transport race fans to a race, and not one person gets off the train. Surely they can do better than that.

DW

 

It has been like this for years sadly, I have complete several timetable services where I put the train to bed for the night, I park it up in the train depot and it is full of passengers. I have lost count the amount of times I go through the carrages asking "don't you people have homes?" Doesn't work, they still sleep in the train overnight, but are gone by morning when I start the next shift? You need like a ticket conductor type of interface that would allow you to speak with the passengers and select get off my train at the end of the line or an anouncement that could be made from the drivers cab to get passengers to leave, which could discuse the command passengers count 0 the train. Maybe in TSW 17 DTG might fix it...?

 

Well considered the fact that It's flawed on every single level there is, yeah..

 

That lady at North Queensferry stepping off the platform and then suspended above the track makes me want to have a smoke, but the safety announcement forbids it

 

There was a lady standing on top of a trackside cabinet yesterday. Had a good look around the floor for rats or mice but didn't see any!

 

NYT. New Brunswick station. 19 passengers on the platform. 1 embark. The others just walking or spinning or staring at the train.

 

It could be better but it’s not so bad as it stops me playing. I think a new passenger system might mean a new game engine, they’ve probably hit the buffers with this one in what it can be programmed to do.
I don’t notice it too much as when I’m driving I’m in the real sim groove and not faffing around spying on passengers antics. Only time I might notice it is in photo mode, also when I’m returning an empty train to the depot and there like all these rough sleepers behind me lol.

 

That's pretty realistic behaviour for the modern public round slam door stock though!

 

It's absolutely dreadful and feels broken beyond repair (in this version at least).

Bad enough that 3/4 of the passengers on any one train at a time are all identical twins. However, their behaviour just makes no sense whatsoever. One good example is arriving at Blackpool North - end of the line - and not one soul gets off. Of course it doesn't spoil the drive there, but takes away any realism from what is, after all, supposed to be a Simulator.

 

That is my biggest gripe, passengers not getting off at the end of the line or before the depot, aside from that I can live with it. I think the umbrellas are a nice touch - just for a smidge of positivity in a generally moany thread!

 

The question isn't "can it be better" as a vague open ended abstract concept.
The true question is... how could it improved in detail and what sacrifice would you make to get that specific improvement?
If "better animated passengers with improved AI" or even "more NPC passengers" for example meant lower frame rates or higher development cost.... would you want that tradeoff?
I'm happy with what we have for what it is because it works well enough.
In fact, I'd go back and accept less "active" or "realistic" passengers if it improved performance significantly.
If the train just loaded and they appeared on the train seated, it wouldn't ruin the game. It would improve it if coming into a station wasn't met with a noticeable drop in frame rates because of all the extra assets (mostly AI NPC walking around)
But as a compromise, the current system is fine as is.
I think demanding too much more resources will just lead to higher cost and worsening the "Frankfurt effect."

 

The real question is: Why isn't it better after 8 years of " development " ? It certainly shouldn't be a trade-off between realistic NPC behavior and game performance.

I think we have to assume that better NPC behavior is beyond the technical capability of the developer, otherwise it would surely have been incrementally improved over the years, if for no other reason than the impression it gives to railroad companies, let alone new players, both of whom must be amused or maybe astounded by the sight of passengers standing on the tracks in front of express trains, ascending into the heavens, sinking through concrete and remaining on trains when they're going out of service.

And don't tell me " it's just not a priority ". That's just dissembling.

 

Dragged a train full of Mk2s off the back of a 47 into Blackpool North sidings the other day. Only when I ran around it did I realise it was full...

 

Assuming they care as much as you do about that detail.

 

It's a bit like the weather, totally random behaviour. There's no sense to it at all. I set off and my train is full, at the next station everyone gets off and the train is empty. I continue my journey, terminate my train, get taken back to the menu. Then and when I return and take my train to the depot it's full again.

I thought by now passenger behaviour would be scripted to the area, not just random. I mean, some stations in real life hardly see any passengers, yet on tsw it's party time! Then when you get to a busy terminus, ghost town!

 

They clearly don't, which is why I don't care to spend any more money on product(s) that keep getting worse and worse.

 

That's fair.
It's your money.
Hope you find something else you enjoy more to spend it on.

 

Sadly that seems to be the case with several issues that have been referred to “engineering”.
More save game slots or sorting out chained run saves suddenly became, “not a priority “.
Steam physics and lack of steam AI sound went the same way.
As mentioned above, broken dynamic weather.
And much, much more.

One does begin to wonder what “Engineering” at DTG actually do all day! Yes we know there are the core performance issues (which changes they made broke it in the first place) but you do begin to wonder whether they are actually capable of fixing anything.

 

Compare Cheddington & Euston.