Hello Dovetail Games and the entire community! I love Train Sim World 6 for its authenticity to train driving, but I believe the rail simulation experience could be significantly expanded by introducing a dedicated "Command Center Mode." This mode would offer a completely new and complementary gameplay perspective, putting players in the shoes of a Dispatcher or Traffic Controller. How would Switchboard Mode work? This mode would focus on traffic management on a selected route, leaving the actual driving to the AI-controlled trains. Control Interface (Panel Simulation): 1) Switchboard Screen: The main screen would be a realistic (or stylized depending on the route) representation of the line control panel (e.g., a modern ACEI or an older light block system). 2)Route View: A synoptic map would show the real-time position of all trains, the status of switches, and the appearance of signals. 3)Traffic Management: The main interaction would be clicking or dragging to set routes, changing the direction of switches and clearing signals for incoming trains. Objective of the Game: Punctuality and Safety 1) Schedules: At the start of the day (or shift), the player would receive a timetable listing all scheduled services for that route. 2) Score/Objective: The primary objective would be to operate trains safely and, above all, on time, managing intersections, right-of-way, and merges. 3) Unexpected Events: To increase the challenge, the game would introduce random events (e.g., train malfunctions, unexpected delays, signal failures, adverse weather conditions) that would force the Regulator to make quick decisions to mitigate the impact on the network. Interaction with Trains: 1) Communications: Players should be able to "communicate" with AI drivers (e.g. by giving orders to slow down, stop, jump start, or give priority). 2) Conflict Resolution: The core of the gameplay would be the ability to prevent or resolve route conflicts and intersections by choosing which train to let pass first. Why this mode would be a fantastic addition 1) New Perspective: It would offer a completely different simulation experience than driving, broadening TSW's audience. 2) Replayability: The complexity and variety of traffic would make each session unique. Managing a dense commuter network (like the Morristown Line or the German S-Bahn) would require strong nerves and excellent strategy. 3) Learning: It would allow players to better understand the logic and intricacies of rail traffic management in a simulated environment, which is a crucial part of the rail experience. I hope Dovetail Games seriously considers implementing a Command Center mode. It would bring unprecedented strategic depth to the Train Sim World series! What do you think? Would you add this mode?
It would be great if this was a free mobile app or one that costs no more than $2 to kill time while traveling. Paying tens of dollars for this doesn't make any sense.
The problem with real time signalling, as experienced in SimRail, is that depending on the location there’s either long intervals of nothing to do, or impossibly frantic busy spells. That’s why signalling ganes like SimSig or the old DOS SIAM Traffic Control games allow you to run in speeded up time when not much is going on. And again drawing on SimRail, unless you are at a junction box it’s basically just a question of running the trains left to right and right to left, maybe occasionally looping the odd freight or stopping passenger service to get a faster train by.
