As the title clearly suggests why do we think there is a lack of 1990s UK routes? Do we not have enough millenials playing the sim? The pre- or early privatisation years would have so many interesting liveries to use (Sectorisation + Regions + Mainline/ Loadhaul/ Transrail + Intercity) I can’t quite believe we don’t have an intercity valenta hst in the game!! Maybe I’m just misty eyed for the days when I used to sit on the end of the platform with my notebook, but seems like a bit of an untapped market to me…
Numerous suggestions have been made, but DTG seem firmly invested in the post 2010 period. With the exception of JT the third parties seem to be following suit. Part of the issue is perhaps reference material and research. If you’re building a current day route you can grab the latest sectional appendix and signalling diagrams. Google Street View gives you up to date information on what the area looks like as does a site visit with the old Mk1 eyeballs and ears. In contrast, a historic (even the 80’s are regarded thus now), means trying to find mapping data that tells you what the area looked like 40 - 50 years ago. The track plan was different, take Newton Abbot as an example - the station area is now a shadow of what it was even in the early 80’s. You are relying on photographic evidence at a time when most of us were wandering around with 35mm SLR cameras, trying to squeeze 38 pictures onto a 36 roll of film and then waiting a week in the hope that Boots or BonusPrint hadn’t beggared up our pictures. Train audio is another big challenge. I fully recall in my head how a Swindon Class 120 DMU sounded, or a Class 26 thrashing away on the Far North line. But what recordings of the time that do exist may not be of sufficient quality to mix in a sim. So the easy answer is to churn out a route with another AT300 version or Electrostar, though I am eager to hear what Firefly have done with the sounds for MV.
I’m guessing one of the reasons why DTG haven’t touched the ‘Britpop’ era is that, for many people, this time period just whizzed past in a Blur
I think Licensing may be an issue as well, Intercity, Regional Railways, Network Southeast, Scotrail etc etc may all be owned. Personally I'd love a late sectorisation/ early Privatisation era Route. Especially an Intercity HST, Matt has said a few times he'd love a Valenta powered HST.
We already do have Intercity, RR and NSE - ScotRail could probably follow (regardless of if it's ScotGov or DfT who own it) - so that won't be much of an issue. My guess would just be that the experience would feel relatively similar to a modern route (depending on where) and thus they'd probably just rather be able to refer to the route as it is currently - with the bonus of being able to work with TOCs.
