I’ve been following Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor and wanted to suggest a feature idea that I think fans would really enjoy. A cosmetic skin/livery system for the engines could work really well as a small DLC update. Because the base engine models already exist, it wouldn’t require rebuilding or creating entirely new engines from scratch. It seems like it could be a relatively quick and simple addition while still adding a lot of replay value and fan excitement. Each character could start with one extra skin, with additional skins unlocked through gameplay objectives and challenges. Examples: Percy: Ghost Percy, Woolly Bear Percy James: Black James, Bumblebee James, Pink James Thomas: LBSC Green, Streamlined Thomas, damaged Thomas Gordon: Shooting Star Gordon, muddy Gordon Emily: Number 12 version, Great Railway Show livery Diesel variants doubling as Paxton, Arry and Bert I think long-time Thomas fans would love the nostalgia and references to classic episodes and special appearances. It also feels like the kind of feature that could work very well as a low-cost cosmetic DLC (£2.99 style pricing) and bring in easy extra revenue while keeping players engaged with unlock challenges. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and good luck with the game.
Thomas' LBSC green livery is already available for the TSW Thomas DLC so I'd imagine we'll get it for WoS at some point (I've tried importing it, you can't). It was released for the 80th anniversary with a couple of extra scenarios and sold for £9.99 (currently £3.99). I'd be surprised if we didn't rapidly get a few more livery and scenario packs, with James and one of his special liveries and maybe Thomas and his blue snowplough from the TV series, etc. We've already had the first patch so some DLCs will no doubt be on their way over the summer. JB
Little touches like this would be a fun additional extra, once all the locos and locations are released...
I think Paxton, Arry & Bert will work better as their own locomotives. Although if the Mainland Class 08 diesels from "The Great Race" are unlikely to appear, then Diesel could have their red & yellow scheme as a cosmetic.
