West Coast Main Line: Trent Valley From All Aboard Studios

I was quite happy to hear that this would be the last WCML route that was being made. While it's good you can drive from Euston to Crewe, I'd like to see the visual quality of All aboard's routes seen in other regions.

 

yeah i think they need to nail down a tutorial for that as none of them could figure it out. it didn't help that there's nothing to tell you whether it's actually on or not

hoping the usual controller shortcuts allow you to set/adjust it to save all that

 

Not just that, there are no Wild West ECS runs between Carnforth & Southall which particularly during the summer months run on Thursdays (south) and Monday/Tuesday (north). Would've been a great opportunity to just chuck in a few paths for the 47, 37 and even the 33 or kettle. Still, I guess that's what freeroam is for :/

 

Hopefully someone will go east soon as that’s a glaring omission from the game right now, either GEML or the Wherry lines would be nice. The excuse for GEML used to be no license but that hardly applies anymore with GBR.

 

Reasons why I decided to initially give it a miss.

No railtour services - I loved them on the Brum-Crewe route, but literally days after I bought the route they've gone. The 86 and 87 are from my favourite era and I've had loved to do some services on Trent Valley.

Yes, I could do free-roam, but no timetable means no fun, no timings to keep.

And if the number of paths on this route is similar to Brum-Crewe, it'll be pointless writing my own scenarios as on that route there were two platforms I could use at Crewe. Two!!! It sometimes feels the third parties care as less about scenario planning as DTG.

The emptiness now around Crewe on Brum-Crewe since the update leads me to expect it'll be the same on this one. Driving past empty sheds/sidings at Crewe is an immersion killer. Even during the middle of the day there's always something to see from passing trains in real life.

At some point - when it's fixed - I would like to get the Class 90 and this route would be ideal, but for a polite way to describe it, "politics" means it won't be included. Whatever, various parties think about each other, at the end of the day you're there for the players to get as much out of their routes and DLC as possible. Not forgetting the cross-sales element.

I will say however, the route looks fantastic, I love some of the stations and the detail gone into them. Only a few minor scenery issues from watching the stream.

I don't have any issue with the pricing as it's on a par with the almost as long Just Trains Preston to Carlisle route, but I'm happy to sit out this launch and wait for Just Trains' next instalment to come out.

 

I watched the stream last night. Without reading through all 17 pages the question I have that I don't think I saw answered in the stream chat is this.......

Are the TSR issues only sorted on this new route or have they been sorted full stop and Matt was using a future build of TSW not yet released to us mere mortals????

In case you don't know what I'm on about....... Whilst driving the route DTG Matt had a TSR on one of the runs that was 75mph and was for quite a distance (Not 40mph and for about 50yds as we all have currently in game).

 

Well, I watched the first and last hour or so of the preview stream. Man oh man was it boring or what. Where is the AI traffic? What timetable did they use? I mean, isn't this the West Coast Main Line? Shouldn't it be busy as all get out? ? Did they switch out all the layers to make it run better?

Oh well, don't see the $50 worth here. Maybe a half price sale at the tail end of the year? Not even sure I'll do that.

When I look at this route and B2C ( which I did buy ), I wonder if this developer is biting off more than it can chew.

Maybe try something half as long next time?

 

Yes, and very distracting too.
Thankfully, I gather, the keyboard works as usual for this.

 

I do hope so if not then I wouldn't bother it.

 

He had two TSRs like that.

 

Did he get a pre-run briefing about TSR's like was originally promised? Or are we to continue imagining the work crews just rushed out there in the 15 minutes since our train departed the station?

 

Certainly looked that way and not intuitive. Is it too much to hope that the functions of the TMS will be explained in a manual?

 

Technically, in which case they would need to be ESR's with the dalek boards put out

 

That's very useful information.
Now I know it's not worth it for me to buy it with very few freight services.
Eh... that's fine. The Crewe to Preston is coming up with plenty of freight stuff to do =-)
Not everything is for everyone.
To address the person posting above (fpriotto?) about focusing on timetables and not having "other movements".... well that's how passenger services work. It's a single, static train that just follows its route, making timed stops. That's literally a passenger service.
And most TSW players want passenger services (the majority in urban areas)
There ARE a few freight focused DLC out there, but you can't expect a game that is mostly urban passenger players is going to cater very often to the minority of players who don't do as much urban passenger stuff.
I'd suggest if you don't like this one, just wait for Crewe-Preston. You'll enjoy it more if the preview are anything like the route =-)

 

I'll just wait for the full fat timetable to come out later in the year from Fawx or someone

 

I am definitely looking forward to Trent Valley.

a nice, long and lengthy modern section of the WCML in TSW is very welcome.

AABS has once again made a very solid route here, however, will it have a rough release like Birmingham - Crewe? I guess time will tell.

 

Indeed, though personally I would much prefer the route set in the early 1990s with slam-door units. I believe the only Eastern region routes in game are Tees Valley Line and ECML so it would be nice to add another.

However I am still yearning for my fix of the South-Western division of the Southern region. I feel a stretch of the main line perhaps from Basingstoke to Bournemouth or Poole would be great. Given that Sam at all aboard did such a decent job at the 350 sounds I'd love to see the SW desiros taken on. Not to mention the rolling stock already in game that could appear, such as the class 220 and their upcoming class 70.

 

Basingstoke to Bournemouth would be a cracking route, get in Eastleigh TCD, both FLT Intermodal Yards at Southampton and the DB Terminal as well.

 

Not me! Being able to experience previous eras that don't exist anymore gets me far more hyped than modern era content. Steam era, if done properly, would be the absolute peak of TSW

 

I lean to more modern-ish routes myself, and i'm no diehard BR blue enthusiast, but the thought of the GEML being wasted with today's silent class 720 units haunts me!

The older electrics make a lot more noise which for me gives them a much more interesting drive. On top of that, there are no slam-door electric units yet so it'd be a totally unique experience for TSW.

 

I agree with your statement about experiencing earlier eras, especially slam door trains. I was a young boy when they were going out of fashion and being replaced by the 465’s where I’m from.

When it comes to steam trains though, one of the most uninteresting things to drive in TSW for me. It’s complete chaos getting the valves at the right balance to get the train moving. It’s more of a chore than anything else. That alone just makes me fed up and want to turn off the game.
If I happen to see a passing steam train on my travels IRL that would be an amazing sight. Playing with one in the game though. Hard pass!

 

I’d be happy with any of those especially slam doors, something that’s totally absent from the game. The GEML is also very interesting in the early 2020’s with a great variety of rolling stock.
SWR would be nice but not 450’s as too similar to 350’s which we’ve had an awful lot of latterly. A 455 or Arterio would be nice.

 

I can definitely live without pre-run briefings if we actually get TSRs that are anything other than 40mph and around 25m in length!!!!!

 

London Liverpool Street to Norwich with the FLIRTS come clutch. More realistically to Ipswich but that would be a tad disappointing, given the standards we are seeing AABS pushing with 108 miles. Then again if they add the Stansted Express run I could look past that.

 

Swear to god people set the lowest bar for DTG, and when they trip anyway, no problem, just means we need to lower it even more.

We're 9 months out from launch and TSR's are just now getting a slight improvement to what was supposed to be core feature.

When's last time DTG came out with a feature that wasn't half-baked?

Announcements, suspension, improved track shadows, rush hour passengers- literally none of these has been implemented fully and consistently across the game.

 

Trick question - it’s never happened.

 

You’re right & IMO they’ve put themselves into a position they aren’t going to recover from.

They realised how much money a ‘new’ version is making them every 12 months & to help sell it they’re making new features within that title. They aren’t wrong with the logic because of course we should be seeing new features added over time.

The problem then arises in how DTG simultaneously treats every single route as its own standalone game, everything within the route usually not playing nice with other routes, hence the problems we’ve had over the years with PIS, passengers & other route specific features. Never mind the whole duplication of rolling stock issue.

That problem then compounds itself further when DTG don’t even have the time to try and make content regardless of the number of features removed, of sound quality, because they’re having to meet back with the same release deadline every 12 months. This is then resulting in content being treated as ‘legacy’ just a few weeks after release.

The last 2 years we’ve added a new factor in which is DTG scrambling to release everything they can before the end of each financial year, meaning even more stuff gets cut, less time making sure it’s of acceptable quality & by this point the idea of adding or improving things that aren’t directly making money, is long gone.

Personally I didn’t mind the yearly release as it presented good value relative to stand alone DLC’s, but TSW6 marked the first time for me where that value wasn’t shown. There was basically no saving to be made unless you were going to buy all 3 routes anyway, which isn’t something I find likely anymore.

At this point I don’t think it would be for the sake of improving quality, but simply preventing further degradation, if DTG were to realise they need to stop with the obviously untenable release cycle. Only after we’ve gotten past that can we really hope to see actual improvement in quality & refinement of existing features.

 

Ah but problem is the current trains in real life are boring as hell so when they only focus on them it causes the game to be boring as hell

and asides modern routes are overrated with zero challenge

 

When it comes to the current steam physics, get moving with full reverser and then stick it into 25% once moving and adjust power with the regulator. Keep the small ejector open at all times and only use the cylinder drains (drains because the other word would get me in trouble on here!) when at a stop, turn them off once you get up to 5mph. Completely ignore the boiler pressure, it comes back as you drive and the auto fireman wakes up. Ignore manual firing unless you want to experiment with it, implementation isn't complete whatsoever.

The current state of steam isn't as complicated as the cab looks, the above method will get anyone moving no problem Braking to a smooth stop is the part that really requires practice.

I'm looking forward to the new TSG updates and seeing how they improve the experience.

 

TSW4 spawn into timetable

 

It's just your opinion that current trains are boring. That opinion is allowed of course, but it's not my opinion. It's also your opinion that it makes the game boring and also your opinion that modern routes are overrated.

I like to drive modern trains, especially emu's on commuter services like S-bahn, with a lot of stops. I do not have much interest in ICE, IC or other high speed trains, as that's rather boring for me.

 

I was watching Richy Rail's video on YouTube with AAS and now just realised that i need to buy the 805, a train that i dont want, just so i can do the full Euston to Crewe run with the 807 when Trent valley comes out. Is this correct?

 

unfortunately yes, the 807 will only be layering onto the evero timetables

 

The problem with modern trains, at least UK ones, is they are not very entertaining. Traction sounds are subdued or non existent in the case of IET’s as the real thing has unpowered end cars. Modern commuter EMU’s lack that full blooded AC or DC rise and fall electrical whine, though with the caveat of course that some of the types we fondly remember like the Class 310’s or CIG’s and VEP’s technically had the motor car in the middle of the set and the driving ends were actually trailers. The exception perhaps is modern diesel locos, while the Class 66 is overcooked in TSW the forthcoming Class 70 from AABS promises to be hellfire and I join with the many who want to see and hear a Class 68 in game,

 

I can agree with you on the part the modern UK EMU's are not very entertaining. The sounds of the Siemens ones are just annoying, then we have the annoying small cab windows like on the Class 450 and a lot of routes just have the same trains (3 types of class 450 doesn't help). But there are still a lot of trains missing, I really would love to see the class 195 and class 331 and the class 745 for example.

There are still some nice EMU's in game, like the class 323, class 166 and class 465, however those are not really new.

 

Wait what? You get a train with the route, but you can't use it to the full potential (or not at all?) unless you buy another DLC? Well, I'm offboard All Aboard Studios

 

Before you go and spend $60 odd on a brand new piece of train sim world DLC, remember that Dovetail still think the Class 90 is worth $26 and it is still for sale, at full price, on all the various store fronts. Does Dovetail really deserve a cut from more DLC sales?

 

I would have expected them to natively include the existing Evero WCML timetables with this DLC, so that those who don't have the 805 can still use the 807 on other WCML routes. Has there been any confirmation that it won't be the case?

 

Yes, this DLC is made by All Aboard, but what else does it take to "be enough" - DTG makes money from every sale, and like many people in this world it seems the only way that they will learn is by suffering a financial cost. and if third parties are also suffering then all the more pressure on DTG to actually do something different

 

Knowing what we know about how about layers and dlc work why does the 807 only being used on AABS content surprise people?

 

Yes. This is exactly what you can expect. That the 807 only layers on Birmingham Crewe and the 805 timetable for EMK. Hardly surprising.

 

I just go to timetable mode on foot at Crewe or Stafford or wherever, then spawn an 86+coaches wherever it'll let me, then set a path to wherever I want to go and it all seems to work happily enough with whatever's running in the normal timetable.

 

It is unfortunate, i am excited for and looking forwards to the Preston to Crewe from Just Trains, which is odd as i am not usually the biggest fan of the BR era. but as much as people talk about 'voting with your wallet' and as much as i agree with the sentiments, DTG make money on every sale from every thing, and as long as theyre making money there is no incentive to actually change.

A bunch of customers not buying one DLC means diddly squat if we continue to buy anything and DTG keeps making money. DTG win no matter how you look at it, which is why not buying other developers content might make those dev's put pressure on DTG also

 

Watched a bit more of the stream skipping forward to the 807 from MKC to Rugby. Not sure why Matt was faffing about so much with the cruise control. Seemed more trouble than it was worth particularly on the Weedon stretch where the limits are constantly changing. Best just to actually drive the train...

On the subject of which, as feared from the cab view the 807 is as deathly quiet as all the rest of the 8xx fleet. Zero fun to drive really, just into Notch 4 then power back approaching line speed. So while the locations and scenery might be slightly different, other than the stopping services not much different to what we can already experience on ECML. I suppose we have got the slightly more tactile Pendolino, though it's still no real challenge as regards driving.

So once again wavering about a full price week one purchase. If only this route had been a continuation of the JT 80's paradigm, but as it is we don't even get an 86 or 87 railtour this time round.

 

Yes, but as I said, no timetable to keep, so it's not any fun.

 

And no AP in free roam either.

 

That would be a problem with how TSW is set up in general, a timetable is in one .pak file with the 805, so they would have to include the timetable in TVL .pak as well, which as a result will duplicate the timetable and you will have two of each if you own both DLCs.

Obviously making stuff like that separate from the route or train would be welcome change and would simplify some things, also if trains were shipped separately from routes it would also improve a lot of things (Especially if this way we could have one file for each unique train and the improvements made to those with newer content would apply for all the same rolling stock, this way we wouldn't have such a large amount of class 66's in the menu, only the unique ones would be there, so no duplicates: EWS, EWS dirty, DB, DB large logo, DRS, ONE. Much cleaner isn't it?), but it's kinda too late for that.

 

Ah... misunderstood you - I read it as "no timetable" (as in, no other services running and a "dead" route) - ignore me, just having a senior moment

 

Yes please, especially for the 195.. doing this WCMLOS 2026TT its a little frustrating constantly having to use the 158 as its sub!

 

At 2.02.12 in the video.. .looks like they didn't implement approach control for this junction approaching Rugby? Was 115 to 40mph with only double yellow to single yellow with feather? Surely should be more restrictive?