West Coast Main Line: Trent Valley From All Aboard Studios

It’s already been confirmed Vern by Dan in his interview with TSS that all the projects they are currently working on are considerably shorter than this and that we will see quite different content from them over the next year or so. This is because shorter and better performing is what the overwhelming majority of the community want.

Personally I am disappointed at this, but I completely understand. To have your name dragged through the mud by lower console users because you are trying to push to the limits of the technology must be very frustrating.

I also think that route length wouldn’t be an issue if DTG sorted out the route hopping system. If they either made some sort of link between services so you can guarantee to load into the same service you came from, or if they implemented some sort of journey like series of services then we wouldn’t need 100 mile long routes across the board.

 

Before the recent patch today the 150 didn’t crash at Crewe, that definitely makes my previous comment look silly. A wise man probably wouldn’t have mentioned the bug in the first place though, in fear of being responded to by a “gotcha moment”.

When it comes to upcoming content, what’s your stance? Are you going to avoid purchasing new content going forward. The situation isn’t going away anytime soon.
I’m not having a dig at you or anything, just curious.

 

Thank you for the information, now the Mastery can be completed
I was sad becuase I was unable to complete a Mastery

 

Well never say never, but as a former route builder in the older sims I know all about burn out to the point where even just doing a model railway scaled up gives nightmares!

Hopefully after a rest and a couple of shorter projects they may once again consider something more extensive.

 

This having to reopen doors at every station drives me absolutely mental. Why? It’s so annoying not being able to have the doors closed and ready to leave at departure time.

 

Xbox Series X
I have to say the reduced timetable is very well optimised. I had 0 blur on a full length run from Crewe to MKC. The route wasn’t particularly quiet either.

 

On PS5 Pro, the reduced timetable is working great so far ...... however, within the full timetable, many more Pendolino trains are implemented, which practically just pass by ... at least that's my personal experience so far .......

 

The only problem that I found, and it is for all the train 802, 805, 807, is that the security sound are barely audible

Otherwise the trainset is very good

PS for all the 802, 805 807, the only way to hear the security sounds, is by looking at 90 degres from the direction of movement of the train

 

The reduced timetable is definitely my preferred method right now, feels very smooth and stable. Would recommend any Xbox players use this ahead of the full timetable until the crashes are sorted.

 

For buying content going forward I’ll be continuing to monitor feedback, both on the individual DLC I’m interested in and for the game overall. I’ve gone from just buying things either at release if it’s something I’m really eager to get, or the first time it’s in a sale, to looking more closely at feedback and that’ll continue now. I haven’t given up on TSW altogether.

I have got fed up with how I’ve experienced the game over the past year or so and how there’s the definite divide for PC and console experience in feedback now but I also see that DTG and third parties have started improving things so I hope they’ll get there. I’ll start buying again once I see better things but I’m staying cautious for now. I might buy JT’s route early doors if the feedback isn’t really bad because that’s BR blue stuff and JT were already doing better with optimising their content although there are a few more train types being added again.

I’ll just have to see how it goes.

 

When was I pretending I had bought the content? I said quite clearly that I don't own it. I also never said that they were the worst studio to exist. I've only criticised their poor optimisation, something that I don't have to own the route to be able clearly see and I did literally say that the quality of their content is amazing, other than the poor optimisation. It really does seem like people are skim reading my comments then replying.

 

Some further feedback from my earlier post.

I've now down 3 runs in total. 1x Run in a 390, 1x Run in a 807, & 1x Run in a 350... Now this is quite interesting.

The 390 & 807 runs were pretty silk smooth without anything of significance to report back. But on my final run on the 350/4, major blurring on and off happened throughout the entire run. I made sure I done the whole run regardless of the blurring to see where and when it occured. It began after departing Stafford and then didn't shift, and most annoyingly the TSW stopped working and crashed as I pulled into Milton Keynes! So there is something to do with the 350/4 that was the issue. And just to note, each run I have done, has been done completely separate to each other (turning the console off and then turning it back on later and starting a new session) and not back to back runs.

The 807 & 390 runs were pretty silk smooth with no issues at all... Hopefully this is something that can be investigated further, as it would appear it's something with the 350, as the route performs absolutely fine on the 807 and 390 for me on PS5.

What I will say from my 350/4 as negative as it was with blurring, the new running sounds in the cab are tremendous! So until a patch is out for the 350 I'll be sticking to the InterCity stock which suits me as the Pendolino just feels at home on this route.

I always aim to be as honest and transparent as I can. As I say, outside of that, the route itself is absolutely superb and the issue with the 350s doesn't take that away for me. Now it can be pin pointed I hope something can be done to iron the 350 issue out.

(standard PS5 here).

 

Has anything been said about adding route hopping from WCML South at MK? I may have missed it, but I just tried to do a full Pendo run from Euston to Manchester and had to exit to main menu at MK. Seems it's added to hop from Trent Valley, but not to it.

Edit: will add to feedback thread

 

Why are you making this about you?
I could be referring to anybody or any comment I’ve read. That’s why I put “mentioning no names” as I didn’t want to single someone out.

That’s good then, I’m glad you’re enjoying AABS content.

 

That’s probably the safest and smartest way to play it. That way you don’t feel like you’ve wasted your money day one.
That’s good, I hope you don’t give up on the game. Some 3PD’s value their customer base more than others. It’s just shuffling through the bad eggs. I’d easily name ATS a bad egg.

The Stamford NY routes falls into the same category for me. After seeing the atrocious fps at NY penn on the Series X preview (10-20fps) it really swayed me from buying it. Even now, seeing it in the PSN sale at £26 roughly, I still can’t force myself to part with my money. I know it’s had a couple of patches, but just how good are they? That’s something I need to investigate.

JT will knock it out of the park, they always do. That’s probably my next day one purchase too.
The Thames Valley Branches I’m on the fence still because of the replay ability and shortness of the lines. Hopefully the preview stream can change my mind

 

The Neo Geo

 

A little off topic, but I watched the TSS video and the 70 looks brilliant!! My only small gripe is that it seems a little too shiny, but I'm not sure if that's just me. Could anyone confirm?

 

Is there any difference in ai traffic between the two timetables.

 

I was looking forward to doing a full Crewe - London run in the 350, but changing over at Milton Keynes the service was under a different variant of the 350 and I suddenly had eight cars not four.

Also when I did a run north my Pendolino was sat in a different platform when I changed at Milton Keynes.

I thought these timetables might have linked up better but sadly not. That’s using the 2025 Evero timetable on WCMLS.

 

Getting dropped into random stations on route rather than in cab starting some services. Tried to run a northbound 390 service around 19:40 yesterday on the timetable (sorry can’t remember headcode). Got dropped in Tamworth. Similar happens on Manchester Airport with the 220 services.

 

I'm pleased they're doing something shorter next time. I much prefer end-to-end passenger services as it feels like a more realistic train driver simulation. It's why I still play Brighton Mainline, Edinburgh to Glasgow, East Coastway and Birmingham Cross City much more than other routes. If AABS can give us a shorter route that allows us to do a proper shift (even if that means doing local trains like on WCML South) with the longest runs being just over an hour I'll be delighted. Especially if it's on the Eastern Region.

 

Disappointing that PC players have to suffer a reduced timetable in Journey Mode, as I use this 90% of the time. I'm sure this isn't the first route where this has been done, but I do not understand why PC does not have its own JM settings? We were told way back when console support was added that this would not degrade the PC experience.

 

Were you not replying to my comments earlier? No matter who you are refering to I think it might be an idea to read people's comments fully before making up things that people have said.

 

From what I've been able to track down on PS5, most Pendolino trains (probably Evero too) are not in the reduced timetable, which are exclusively AI trains.

And not even the 350 that runs between Stafford and Crewe and uses the second line, meaning they leave the map after Stafford and then return to the map via the branch line in Crewe. They are also AI trains only
They are implemented under 350/1 in the full timetable

 

Perhaps this was true many years ago, but now consoles present a pathetic sight with the power of average hardware that is 5 years old.

 

And you believed them?

Honestly the PC experience has been getting nerfed for years for the sake of the consoles and yet when we mention it the console brigade start mouthing off, DTG themselves repeatedly lie saying that PC is unaffected but here we are yet again.

 

Hi all, how much of a game changer is the Engineering Express Pack? Do you get much more freight?

 

No theres no freight until the 70 comes

 

Ive just had a run in the 807 on it quite surprised how well it runs there was some blurry textures but it didnt stop me playing im on xbox series x to

 

You got have the dlc it was made for . For it to layer into routes.

 

There is freight on the route just not a lot and certain 66s have certain jobs.

 

Have you seen Steams hardware surveys?

I always find it interesting that people bring up the age of console hardware, when those hardware surveys consistently show that the most common PC specs are on par, or even worse than gen9 spec.

The problem in its entirety is that DTG purely depends on using hard power to run its software, even with their ‘optimisation’ efforts they’re displaying that their understanding of it is to just reduce quality or number of assets - they have no idea how to actually streamline things.

You can even see this flawed philosophy in Matt & Chris’ comments & replies around RunningTrain, making remarks over techniques used to produce a great looking environment that delivers smooth performance & excellent fidelity, insinuating it’s incorrect in some way.

Just look at the crux of the texture problem, they’re just slapping 4K textures on top of 4K textures & then are seemingly amazed that’s caused memory problems. Amateur doesn’t even begin to describe that sort of development process.

 

Oh right fair enough

 

A daft question but what are the main differences between this 800 class loco and the one on Birmingham to crewe and why can this routes class go to 120 mph and not the Birmingham version one?

 

I done a Class 807 non stop run all the way down to Milton Keynes, before going to the WCMLS Evero TT and finding the exact same service to continue down to Euston...

A piece of constructive feedback not just for WCMLS TVL, but across the game, is I'd like to see a more streamlined route hoping option. For example when a service ends, and it goes to the score and menu, I'd like a route hop option added to the menu, where you select a 'Route Hop Same Service?', select that option, and the game route hops to the relevant DLC (obviously only where optional like WCMLS, WCML TVL, & WCMLS B2C) and same unit number you were driving and already setup spawn across and continue your drive relatively undisrupted and maintaining a new level of immersion. Is it possible to engineer that into the game like a 'Save' option?

Would be pretty cool and add a new dimension to the game if we could!

 

I just bought the route today myself to test and while it's a very scenic route I think perhaps that's also the reason why blurry textures keep appearing. I'm seeing thousands of 2D trees that are miles away from the track that don't really need to be there and I can imagine that's draining a lot of memory. I think that by scaling down the scenery in the furthest areas away from the track, we could see noticeable improvements.

Like with Birmingham to Crewe it's a very well-crafted route so I wouldn't want to see all this effort go to waste because of the texture issues.

I think MVL is the perfect balance between distant scenery and optimisation.

 

The 805 is a bimode 5 car unit able to run via overhead lines & on diesel engines, as it’s a replacement for the voyager sets which serve the un-electrified lines beyond Crewe upto Anglesey.

The 807 is a 7 car AC only EMU, which mostly supplements the 390 fleet on services between Euston & Liverpool.

The speed differences come down to IRL, the MU speeds (which is what the 805 & 807 have to abide by, unlike the 390 which uses EPS), were increased after the everos were put into service, in game it seems they haven’t updated the 805 to reflect it, but they did on the 807.

 

Sorry if already posted, but has anyone identified what, if any, Class 390 services are non stop from MKC to Crewe an vice versa?

 

I done one last vern I think was around 9pm im sure I have a look later for you if you wan.

 

Thanks. I probably will do a 350/4 run next, just doing that introductory scenario with the 807 from Rugby to Stafford

 

I’ll say this, WCMLS Milton Keynes and AABS Milton Keynes really shows the stark difference in route quality between both routes. The current WCMLS looks like a TSW3 route in comparison to Trent valley. And it’s poor considering this route is supposed to be a flagship DTG product

 

Im actually surprised how well it runs on my series x there was a bit of stuttering but nothing major few blurry textures just after Nuneaton but overall its not bad

 

I agree, it's a little immersion breaking to have to either find the route hop marker or go to the menus again.

What would be good would be to an configure the route hop to load soon after the doors open at the final destination, a short loading screen may be ok here.

 

Could anyone locate this bridge ingame?
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/n...orth-bridge-collapse-live-trains-34106905.amp

 

I’m gonna keep saying it, they already have this tech in journey mode!

 

Yes, I've seen it. The 32GB/16GB RAM/VRAM configuration is very common. Even the outdated 16GB/8GB configuration still has more memory combined than consoles.

 

The Engineering Pack does all the DRS 66 workings, which I think adds roughly 15-20 services (including shunts at Daventry) but I don't own the route yet so not 100% sure

 

Sorry if asked already why is there no rail tours on this route.

 

I was just thinking the same tbf i saw the flying scotsman as AI strange theres no railtours