Hello everyone! This is the official Q&A thread for Rivet Games' Southern BR Class 171 & BR Class 377/3. The livestream preview will be taking place on YouTube and Twitch 19th February at 7pm UTC. Be sure to check out the Coming Soon Article for further details and discussion. Please keep all questions related to the Southern BR Class 171 & BR Class 377/3 Add-on. Thank you, and see you tomorrow!
No release date currently but we're hoping to release in Feb! Pricing is listed on the coming soon article but it's: £12.99/€15.99/$16.99
Is the preview stream going to show progress on the remaster alongside the new Rivet timetable/locos or are we just going to see the new timetable/locos?
Will the sound improvments for the SR 170 be backdated at launch or is this is a planed post release update to the Fife 170? Thankyou
"since the timetable is set in 2017-2018, we are including the two-car 171/7 and the four-car 171/8 exclusively as part of this Add-on" From the article.
Again, re the 170 Fife sounds. Can we have an assurance this will be backdated before or when the pack releases and not just kicked down the road again? Why did Rivet pick the low hanging fruit with the all too common TSW tendency to recycle an existing train and squeeze more money out of it, rather than bringing something new? A Thumper DEMU alongside a 4 CIG (BIG) with a retro timetable would have sold like hot cakes. As it is, hot on the heels of the 805, we are being asked to pay £13 for another glorified reskin.
I'm very pleased with the news that all rolling stock on the route will receive new features. Can we hope that after the Class 313 gets the suspension feature, the Class 314 on the Cathcart Circle Line will also receive this upgrade?
The main question from me is regarding the Fife Circle and BCC 170s, will the improvements to the Class 171 also be available to the aforementioned trains on launch or in future update?
- Regarding layers from the DTG article, why is the Class 377/2 (from WCML South) not included? While obviously it has a pantograph, the /2s are still used across the whole Southern network coupled with /1 and /4s. It would just add a bit more variety and realism overall. - Why choose to do the Class 377/3 instead of the /1, especially considering we already have the 313? In my opinion, having a proper /1 would've been better overall and could be used for other routes like BML etc.
Are there 2 new ones? I believe 1 new with the class 170/377 and 1 old one with the class 313.... Or i'm wrong?
You have default and 313 timetable with the base route, those would stay the same. With the gameplay pack you get two new timetables, one with class 377/3 doing Seaford services and one with 313 doing them, same timetables apart from that, so kinda like what happened with default timetable.
Will the the 377/3 and the original 377 from East Coastway be getting updated PIS? Will the AI class 700s be extended to 12 car formations?
Has the original ECW 377 been updated so it has the same standards as the BML 377? (For example, has the PIS screens, sounds, physics been updated to match?) And one cheeky question, although not important to the DLC... Will the 171 have a place on the BML timetable for ECS runs upto Selhurst? (Not important but more of a curiosity)
DTG Harry Will the release date be announced during the stream or tomorrow? If it’s a February release it has to be Tuesday 24th or Thursday 26th as March begins the following Sunday!!
Which still comes under remake at best, at worst putting what should have ben there in the first place...
Have you fixed the speed restriction at the top of the Seaford Branch where there is a speed reduction warning panel but no actual speed restriction? Will there be any 313 services at all in the 377/3 timetable and vice versa?
And though it's technically a different train. The 805 was essentially a reskin too. Yes there were improvements, but there are also improvements with these aswell
Just finished watching the stream, but didn't look like the 387 was used for any normal services between Brighton and Eastbourne. While the timetable is 2018, 387s have been quite common on the ECW in more recent years so would have been nice to see some extra variety regardless. So, my question, why can't you substitute the 387 for some of the 377 services?
I’m thinking this is just more a lack of knowledge than much else. Really appreciate what Tyler has done for routes so far, really transformed how BCC plays & the sort of route it is, it’s looking the same for ECW too. I do think though, that a little more research here would have helped.
It's probably technically ready for release, they just want to make sure they can launch on all platforms simultaneously. Especially since they want the remaster of the route and the DLC pack to release on the same day.
probably next tuesday or thursday, and release date will be announced if not today, then next monday the remaster and new dlc will probably come on the same day
No, means you can select to use it but it won't be seen as AI similar to how you can choose to use the 465 instead of the 375 on the upcoming Medway Valley line but it won't be seen as AI
I believe the 387s only came onto the southern service once/as the 313s were retired (2023ish?) as Southern didn't have enough stock to replace the 313s they got rid of so ended up borrowing some from GX. I certainly can't recall seeing them on Southern ECW or WCW services that early. Although I did manage a few coincidental trips on a GWE 158 into Brighton a few times before that was axed. Although I know Tyler said some of the 700 services divert through Lewes early in the morning simulating late running work on BML so maybe the 387 does some of those?
But that's just GX 387 that we already have, I doubt that the 387 pack will give us another one, more likely is that there will be some ex-GN SN 387s that they got. It is unsuitable for the era, thus not substituting for AI services, while allowing players to use it to get more value out of the pack.
Yes, while 387s have been quite common on the ECW in more recent years, personally I'd be happy to have them as more gameplay variety in favour of a slightly less realistic timetable to "represent" more of a wider time period if that makes sense. Anyway, having the specific 377/3 timetable set in 2018 doesn't really make sense either because it was only the 313 then - isn't it ironic that the 313 replaced the 377/3 in 2010 for East Coastway etc only to be replaced by the same units that it replaced thirteen years later! Perhaps too much work, but I think maybe Rivet missed an opportunity with the two timetables. Have the 313 timetable as the regular, and the 377/3 as a 'more modern' example featuring 387s etc - obviously, the latter timetable wouldn't have the 171 though, only going as far as Eastbourne nowadays.
Completely agree. I do think perhaps there was maybe a missed opportunity with having the two timetables in bolstering gameplay variety to represent a larger time period. You could have the 313 timetable (if you own that DLC of course) which would also feature the 171 to Brighton. But, then have the 377/3 timetable as "more modern" featuring 387s etc - obviously, the latter timetable wouldn't have the 171 though except as AI, only going as far as Eastbourne nowadays. Obviously, the elephant in the room with the 377/3 timetable being 2018 - which doesn't make much sense anyway considering the 377/3s to Seaford etc would either have to be pre-2010 or post-2023. But yes, echo your comments and very much appreciate Tyler's work - long may that continue. Just to add, I'm certainly not criticising, just constructive discussion and debate.
Yes I mentioned the 377/3 ironically being the odd one out in the new TT, despite it being the paid add in. It’s funny for me as I would take a Turbostar any day over the Electrostars, but if I do use the latter it would be a 387. I think a good compromise here would have been to make the 387 a player only sub for the 377’s - similar to what Liam will offer with the GWR version (though even that is going to be on the handful of diverted 387 runs).