Evening all. Just finished a night time run from Strood to Maidstone West. Continue to love this route and it looks amazing at night. Is it just me though or are the signals not as red as they should be? The greens and yellows are clear from yards away but the red seems more washed out to me. Don't know if its my eyes, my screen or a thing?
Actually I find this to be the case on some routes across the game in general. I often have to check the HUD to make sure I'm looking at a red rather than a yellow. It's especially an issue when approaching a signal at a distance. I'm sure there's a mod for this.
I've been doing a few Networker runs in the 465/9... I've previously mentioned this, but I think it's worth mentioning again, I love how I feel I got 3 units for the price of one. MVL has really given life on a end to end route for the 465/9... I was always looking for the rarer summer services to drive the Dartford to Faversham runs on SEHS to stretch the 465s legs, but having it on MVL has really given it a good end to end run a bit of old life in the girl. I believe the MVL is roughly the same mileage as Charing Cross to Sevenoaks (a route dominated by the BREL/ABB variants in real life), so having a similar length run gives you a taste of a 465 on a full end to end service not just a partial one that doesn't fulfil your Networker needs (if there's such a thing!) which I sometimes get with SEHS. Also really appreciating the updates SEHS rolling stock has gotten, which has breathed life into the 465/9, 375/9, and the 395s and brought them up to current standards.
JetWash Hi. Is there anything you guys are able to to do re the red signals being so washed out? I appreciate it may be a core issue. I note the aviation lights on top of a chimney, are bright red so I don’t think it’s my screen or eyes.
Already tweaked slightly for the patch, but the signals and the lights on the chimney were/are virtually identical colours. The mesh/material is different but the colour is the same
Still loving the route! Just as some feedback, as a completionist. The Medway intro and 375 training doesn’t have a score attached some can’t score platinum for the journey mode.
Had a run last night and saw 4 hot air balloons. Such a lovely touch to add to a route. The fact that they are randomly spawned (?) so you don't always see them is cool too.
I have question there is an early morning job from Gillingham to tonbridge. Why was it split into part 1 and part 2 why not just do a as one job.
The train has to reverse at Strood. To make sure AI drivers occupy the right cab, these services have to be split in two parts. You see the same thing on Glossop, with the two cab changes at Glossop and Hadfield.
When will MVL receive an update? It’s been out for over 2 months now so I thought it would’ve received a patch by now (considering other routes releases at a similar time have received updates, for example the New York route received a patch a few weeks ago). Is it a case of waiting for DTG to push the update or are firefly still working on it? Thanks .
There’s probably a few house keeping bits and pieces but not really fair if these have been discarded in favour of what did get pushed.
The Medway is still empty at times around the Teston level crossing area. It’s been reported and acknowledged so hopefully that’ll be fixed soon.
Do you mean the actual river? If so there is nothing we can do as it is not reproducible, believe me we’ve tried. We cannot make it happen in the editor or on PC so it makes it impossible to fix. I believe we’ve broken the water up into smaller pieces in the hope that might do something but we’ve no idea if it will or not.
I don’t want to detract from your more important tasks (like creating the South Eastern Main Line DLC, or the Hastings Line DLC, ha ha ha), but it’s the details that make your first DLC so special. I know the AC knob is just a dummy, but I still always adjust the setting in the cab and enjoy hearing the difference in how the ventilation works. The working toilet in the passenger compartment didn’t really add anything to the game, but I’m sure you noticed that it gave us a lot of fun. The same goes for opening the door with the proper lever instead of clicking on the door, and all the other little touches. So I’m sure the additional features in the TMS screen will also be warmly received. In TS, I enjoyed using it in the Class 375/377 Enhancement Pack from Armstrong Powerhouse.
Im not sure if there’s been crossed wires there, but there’s no plan to add anymore functionality to the TMS at this point. I won’t say it won’t ever happen, but it’s certainly not planned for the foreseeable future.
To be completely honest the TMS screen (the one in the cab right?), functions as much as I need it for use in the game, and adding any more features wouldn't really add to gameplay for me personally. I use it to watch the doors are locked and ready to receive the 'Ding Ding' and away signal, changing the destination, and turning off the interior lighting. Outside of that if it serves no functional purpose I'd much rather the Devs focus their energy on things I would actually use... We've got functional guard CCTV and authentically modelled toilet with sounds, I don't think there is anything more you could milk out of the 375 at this point!
Functioning side of the train CCTV in the cab would be nice for any DOO services, but I have no idea how you'd go about doing that, if it was indeed even possible.
rainbows and dispatcher mode at tonbridge will both be added in the next patch. at around 41:20 in the stream it’s showcased
Will the update for MVL still be dropping today? I heard someone say it’s been delayed until tomorrow?
I'd like to take the opportunity to share the full list of patch notes for Medway Valley as a fair amount of information is missing from the article. Some of these maybe technical but this is it, warts and all; Changelog for Medway Valley Post Release Patch ============================================== Additions New Rainbow feature added to the sky/route. Rainbow's show very occasionally under specific weather conditions and the 'Looking for Trouble' scenario has been updated with 100% chance of a rainbow appearing Completely new and unique 'Dispatcher' game mode at Tonbridge Station Added interiors to remaining signal boxes (East Farleigh, Aylesford, Snodland) Maidstone West signal box is now accessible Track diagrams added to all signal box interiors Added feature lights to Rochester Bridge, timed per reality. White lights appear Sunday through Thursday and coloured lights Friday and Saturday nights, illuminating 1800-0000 (https://rbt.org.uk/bridges/current-bridges/the-old-bridge/old-bridge-enhancement-lighting/) Additional vegetation/weeds/plants in many fields across the route Seasonal hay rolls added in certain fields June through September Added "Do not lean out of the window" signs at Rochester rail bridge Added Christmas Tree seasonal scenery (December only) Beeping audio added to some pedestrian crossings Fictional branding added to mail assets Added animated pedestrians to some riverside paths Added cabling to telegraph poles Added static image to the office computer screen Improvements and fixes Environment Lighting redesigned/adjusted to achieve a better balance across all times of day and seasons Console lighting and sky setup now matches PC identically Changed 3D sleeper appearance to stop the 3D ballast poking through sleepers close-in to the player Changed textures of Rainham Signal box to match current real life state Changed amber warning light on level crossing wigwams to be TOD4 compliant. Now shows the amber warning as intended Adjusted flashing yellow signal aspect setup Removed grass sitting on top of wooden lineside fences between Snodland and New Hythe Flattened terrain spikes when zooming camera whilst facing west at Aylesford Scenery around Cuxton crossing edited to better reflect real world Flats adjacent to Maidstone West colour changed to match 2025 state Tweak to grass patch colour Adjustments to signal head lighting to improve visibility Increased resolution of certain poster textures All tunnels re-baked from scratch with significant improvements Platform lights at Rochester disused station fixed as the emissives were broken in the release build Adjusted terrain west of Paddock Wood next to tracks as disused tracks were floating Corrected line-speeds at Tonbridge West Jn from 50mph to 30mph then 85mph on the Redhill line Rebuilt Tonbridge Mail depot platform and canopies Localisation removed from some level crossing signs to prevent them being incorrectly translated to German Issue with a duplicate collectible ID fixed allowing 100/100 collectibles to be attained Numerous improvements, fixes and additions to scenery across the route Fix for NPC feet being visible through the Cuxton station pedestrian bridge Improved clutter modelling on the 'Distribution Centre' roof at Aylesford Added missing rail joint bonds route wide Technical Altered mesh on 'Medway' station signs to prevent text floating Small geometry fixes to Aylesford Signal box Changed collision at Jubilee bridge over Tonbridge West Yard to enable player access Double-sided materials will now show correctly oriented normals on both sides Fixed collision at Rainham overbridge to enable NPCs Rebuilt nav at Rainham as NPCs leaving trains on Platform 1 were not walking away from the train Changed track adhesion and unevenness settings at Rainham. Area was using old TSW3 weather adhesion settings, and unevenness value was set to be too rough Gillingham signal: Added missing F4 and F5 positions. Approach control, call on enabled MS5R & MS111R '3 aspect distant' signals fixed so can show G/YY/Y as per reality Localised text turned off on station signage (BR signs on posts) Route hop added to Tonbridge to hop to Redhill on BML Fixed LOD issue with statue at Maidstone West and with the CML bridge at Strood Optimisations primarily around DHL and Tesco depots but across the route Fixed tunnel reverb in Fort-Pitt tunnel Fix for TPWS fake activation on a yellow at AD184 Paddock Wood Fix for wrong rail type at Hoo Yard ================================================================================================ Medway Valley Gameplay: Dispatch beyond added to 2Kxx services at Gillingham towards Chatham Dispatch beyond added to services leaving Tonbridge towards the west Added rainbow to Scenario 5 (Looking For Trouble) as above Adding missing element of 5T72 in chapter 5 of Journey Mode ================================================================================================== Class 375/3 and /6: Added interlock lights to guard panel close door buttons Fixed the GSM-R camera view so that console controllers can more easily press GSM-R buttons (mouse not required) Boosted emissive on headlights when train is used on non-TOD4 routes Fixed track camera from spawning when uncoupling units Fixed TPWS override switch: text was reversed Added axle and bogie sockets to TSOL SK files Attenuation/ambience and concurrency fixes for cab door handle and transformer so not audible inside other trains. PTSOL bogies - added missing bogie audio, joints and flange sounds Announcements: Compatibility is now determined by route rather than timetable Tweak to in-cab button night lighting
Take it easy. It's not like they are fixing stuff that is broken, it's perfectly playable as it is. Have some patience.
That was my initial reaction as well, but then I read the change log and saw that the update for PS would have got rid of the updated Audio files. So it would have gone back to how it was upon release. So as annoying as it is, I think it is the right decision.
This is exactly how patch notes should be. This is all the community and player base wants. Communication, transparency and consistency.
Great work, especially impressed that certain signals have been fixed, shows it can be done fairly quickly.
Yes. THIS is how you do patch notes. DTG take note. If anything, it shows the full extent of the work that has gone on behind the scenes, whilst leaving us in no doubt what has changed. Win Win
Quick question for the route signalling experts, could this be applied to AF1 and AF3 as well (New Hythe area)?
Those are 2 aspect repeaters (Y/G) followed by 3 aspect signalling. Until quite recently the blueprints for AWS 'read through' the distant to the next main aspect, so you'd get a horn instead of a bell at those locations on MVL: AWS Horn > Distant=Green > 3A Yellow > 3A Red. These were changed by DTG in core, but MVL had to use SEH derived signals. We made the decision late in the day to use a work-around to make the AWS give the right code. As such those two signals were set up to give a failsafe aspect.
Many thanks for the explanation, good to see that accurate signalling is being employed as best as the sim allows.
Hello I don't enjoy playing this route because of the sound of a rail joint at every track circuit. There is an actual gap in the rail but there is an insulator that fills this gap, so smooth ride no clickery clack.
Unfortunately Networkers doesn't seem to like Dispatchers very much, they would just close the doors and go off without permission. Seen for the 10:08 service. Also after this happens an electrostar pulls into the platform and refuse to leave after closing the doors and giving signal.
It was in the release notes it would not work with networkers in dispatcher mode, only the two 375 variants that come with the route.
Any idea when the update patch for the ps5 is expected to go live, happy they didn’t just push it out and break stuff, good call on the devs
