What Do You Think Is Next For Ats

What Do You Think Alan Thompson Simulation Will Do After The Class 90 DLC

 

Who knows.

They tried a route which internally at least, was a shitstorm. Never say never, but I wouldn’t put money on them trying it again soon.

As for rolling stock we’ll have to see how the 90 goes for them. It’ll be interesting to see the pricing for it, ATS isn’t exactly known for cheap stock - their TSC stock packs go for as high as £40.

If they can deliver genuinely good & genuinely different stock, I won’t mind higher pricing, but if they go the route of the current UK devs for TSW & stick to releasing the same family of trains over & over, they won’t get my money & I don’t see them sticking with TSW unless they get a good return from it.

 

I remember I was scrolling through a past stream of Alan's in 2025 (pretty sure the stream itself occurred a few weeks after MAC released), and he was talking about exploring paid upgrades to routes. I'd assume it would basically be the same as what Liam did to GWE. He didn't confirm it, just floated around the idea.

Loco DLCs seem pretty viable as they have a good modeller on speed dial (Imbue) and I know Alan himself has good relations with Richard from AP (good source of audio potentially), so along with the rest of the development team they could churn out a few high quality loco DLCs.

I don't see ATS ever revisiting full on route building with the whole MAC fiasco. I'd be glady surprised if I'm wrong though.

 

There was mention in one of the early Class 90 blurbs about "this first DLC will focus of freight operations" or something to that effect. I wonder if ATS might be getting a passenger DLC for the 90 (or even a 91 DLC).

There might be something in the Class 156 layer on MAC and we could see it or a 331

 

I'm pretty sure I read that there will be a second Class 90 pack for passenger services. However, aside from railtours, a passenger set with a DVT doesn't have an era-specific home on any TSW routes. So maybe there's either another WCML DLC on the way, this time for the Intercity or early Virgin Trains era or another line that had passenger services hauled by Class 90s/DVTs.

I can only think of one non-WCML route that kept a fleet of 90s for passengers though.

 

It’s a shame because the quality of the route was exceptionally high, but was too dam short!. I’d love them to have a crack at a class 37 as that would be viable across multiple routes and eras. It’s long overdue a rework along with many of the UK diesels.

 

They need to get that hole between Alderley Edge and Crewe filled! It's even worst now we have routes from Crewe all the way to Euston (once TV is released). Class 90 with DVT and 1990s based timetables for the WCML JT routes?

 

Their Manchester route is definitely one of the best quality routes. I just find it unfulfilling though. I would love to see them extend it to Crewe.

I fear they might not build any more routes, I feel that ATS is still very TSC centric and I think that is by far their favourite platform.

Maybe we might see more locos. A Intercity Swallow pack for Shap would work.

 

Agreed, definitely one of my favourite routes, the detail is excellent. Just wish they'd fix those few dodgy signals though, spoils it a bit for me. Extension to Crewe would be perfect.

 

they have already said a new route is in the works, and the mess at launch was a DTG mistake.

 

The launch issue was separate to the route building & I don’t think that be flatly blamed on DTG, even within the launch there were several separate issues which had nothing to do with the core asset problem.

 

Well, it was their first route. And technically not even their’s - it was in far worse of a state when they first received it (Alan has explained this many times on stream).

 

Of course, which is why I didn’t assign any blame in my comment, just that it wasn’t a smooth experience & I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see a new route from them anytime soon.

 

When i don’t know, but I’m fairly sure Alan has said they are working on one - might be wrong though. I guess the 90 is the main focus right now

 

I don’t watch any ATS streams so have no idea what they talk about or what they have said about their plans for TSW stuff. I’d like to see more routes from them if they can release high quality content. MAC is a lovely route and apart from its cut down length and the dodgy junction where all the passengers spill their beer/coffee/cola it’s well made.

 

Well everyone forgets that the Class 90s ran on the Great Eastern mainline with DVT's for a while.

Matt P has said he would love to see Felixstowe and Ipswich to London Liverpool Street at some point.

Imagine if someone built that route in the early Greater Anglia days with Class 90 hauled express trains, Class 66 intermodal and stone trains and Class 321's on the commuter trains. Would be an absolute best seller for sure.

 

I would be happy with that for certain. Always liked the route on TSC.

 

Oh….yay….another bloody 321, I mean I like it but it’s a bit overused (damn it I did again and mess up the locos)

 

Think you're confusing the 321 with the 323.... Completely different EMU's.

 

Yeah…,. I really need coffee….. sorry about that I always get the modern emus mixed up with each other

 

They were built in the 80’s.

 

Even the 323s were made in the 90s. I wouldn't call either of them modern considering both are 30+ years old.

 

there has been some work from ATS that has been done with the intro of temp speed restrictions on MAC. not sure if they came on an update this morning, but i had my first one this morning.

 

321’s would be nice. They still had a pretty much traditional AC EMU sound (not dissimilar to the much loved AM10’s) for which AP have a superb sound set on TSC.

 

the man airport route is one of the top routes for train sim world always ranks high in people’s top played routes so you are wrong with your claim

what TSC train do they sell that is £40 ????

seems like you just have an axe to grind and will spout anything to post a negative comment.

 

Incorrect you said and I quote from your very own post “They tried a route which internally at least, was a shitstorm. ” that is you pointing the blame at them internally IE ATS

 

What 321 do we have in TSW I have clearly missed a release

 

Assuming you’re implying I stated it didn’t sell well, or customers are displeased with it, please do quote that.

Their 745 & 755 are £37.99 each. You could have looked that up though.

Seems like you could do with brushing up on your reading & general comprehension, aswell as calming down.

 

Their class 745 sells at £37 (on their site), though I think is the only pack that is that expensive

 

How? If I'm reading you right you're basically saying "People love the route, so it clearly can't have been a s___storm". Which sorry, that's not true to the point of being naive, lot of well loved and regarded titles have had absolutely horrid development stories. Off the top of my head Metroid Prime is one of the most acclaimed games of all time, it also famously had one of the most torturous development cycles of any game that's been made. With lots of overtime, high turnover rates, and lots of clashing over things as fundamental as if the game should be third or first person. Lot of big movies and games have had development issues like that, them being good doesn't suggest otherwise.

Nor for that matter does a game having a trouble free development cycle suggest it's gonna be great. Ironically if you read up on the most disliked Metroid title, Other M, ironically it actually had a pretty quick, largely stress-less development cycle... Which ironically is why a lot of bad ideas probably got though, there wasn't enough people questioning the people at the top as to if the ideas were actually good or not. Particularly it's why the game's infamously terrible controls and story made it out into the world.

Not really, something can be a mess internally for reasons outside of anyone's control. Also almost every game during COVID got heavily effected by that, hardly can pin that on bad management. You could also have cases where key figures get reassigned and have to do other projects for periods, see the recent Wonder of Sodor & Metro Rivals which clearly have impacted TSW development to some degree. No sane person "blames" someone for getting sick or being needed elsewhere.

Could also just be ATS underestimated how much development time and budget it took to make a TSW route. Which it's worth noting basically every gaming company has a hard time predicting, games are famously very hard to estimate dates for. Which frankly is why so many places, DTG notably included, don't like giving dates till pretty far in the development cycle.

 

thanks for that so not the £40 mentioned thanks.

 

Just to throw a little bit of a spanner in to the arguement.... A lot of the ATS development team for TSW, the software development isn't their main job. They do it in their spare time, so getting time to fix bugs and bring new top quality content might take a little bit longer than normal.

Alan and Hayden have said that they have fixed the majority of the signalling bugs and are waiting for DTG to release the update from what I can remember reading.

 

I remember that as well being mentioned and it will on the list I imagine DTG work through to check over things then pushing it for release which again takes time.

 

Great news, thanks for the update.

 

Wel to be fair £37 is a hairs breadth from £40.

 

I also seem to recall the 745 etc. came in for a bit of a pounding with regard to quality.

 

I believe it might have done. It's not a train I've been particularly interested in to be honest.

 

In any case as I said above, I wouldn’t have an issue with paying ‘more’ for better stock. Regarding ATS’ FLIRT’s, there were/are several factors surrounding their controversy outside of just the content quality, but there’s a whole thread on that over in the TSC forum if you’re interested.

My original point really was pertaining to the several comments & videos from ATS & the devs who worked on MAC, who made it pretty clear there were non ideal factors throughout the route’s development. ATS also operates their TSC content distribution quite differently to how it’s done with TSW & unlike TSC, there doesn’t seem to be much room to operate outside of the current publishing process.

They’re an interesting developer in terms of content & they did get a couple of things into TSC that I doubt we’d have ever seen otherwise, such as the GA FLIRT’s & TPE 185. With the upcoming 90 they took a pretty big step toward doing the same with TSW, announcing something which will be a first across several categories.

 

Not Related But I Didn't Expect More Than 30 Replies

 

Did you read the bottom part?

 

Which junction is that? Although I know one coming out of Piccadilly IRL (the switch between Stockport-bound lines near the Styal line junction) that is pretty much like that in real life. You could always spot the hardcore regulars on packed commuter trains with standing passengers as they'd be the ones grabbing onto something just as you got near.

 

It’s that junction but it is still too jerky. It’s not as bad as it was when it first released as the trains were colliding but it still isn’t right.

 

I thought a dusty bin had been released damm you lol

 

This is interesting, I played MAC for the first time in a long time yesterday and didn't notice any stuttering on the route at all.

Wondering if the PC Steam update we got yesterday with the ECWr had some core updates in it as well to help smooth out some issues.

 

not sure if these were there already but 323 now has in train announcements which im sure weren't there on release.

 

The first Class 90s to come over to Anglia were on hire from Freightliner in 2002 working with Mk2s (Mk3 buffet cars) and DBSOs at the "country end". There followed a period of around 3 years with mixed consists as Mk3s, DVTs and Class 90s migrated across from the WCML. The last Class 86/2 was withdrawn from NXEA (aka "One") in 2005 and a hand full of DBSOs clung on for a year working with 90s at the "London end".

If it's that golden First Great Eastern/Anglia Railways era, then we also have the option of either Class 360 Desiros or Class 312 Mk2 slamdoors. Or both, though the main transition period was short (Aug 2003 to Jan 2004) with only one Class 312 diagram continuing until the summer of 2004 when they were replaced by some very grubby and unloved 322s from WAGN.

Late 2003 was a brilliant time to be a railfan in East Anglia. 150/2s in the mix too before they were replaced by 156s in 2004/5. It would be the perfect era to capture on the GEML in TSW.

 

They were on release.

 

If they do another route, it needs to be bigger. Hate the fact I've done so many of the services already, even with the extra layers.

 

I'm rather hoping that Alan read my post above about a late 2003 GEML. ATS has done a lot of TSC content for East Anglia and I think it might be too big a route for the annual release cycle at DTG. I'd be surprised if Just Trains weren't also looking at new routes to use their 86/2 on for when the WCML TSW love-in reaches its conclusion. An ATS/JT collaboration would be great.

 

I'll try and give it a spin later, I haven't routed over that bit in a while.