Route Thames Valley: Windsor, Henley & Marlow Branch Lines - Feedback Thread

Hey, thanks for the explanation. I thought that was just a generic "help line" number. I maintain that zero TSW players would probably call it ever, but railway safety doesn't start with "probably."

 

Vern,

With respect, I’ve seen some hyperbolic posts on this forum over time. But this is one of the worst.

Working in a Control myself, I completely get it and it is clumsy to have included it, but we are talking about a number that is already in the public domain by being on a sign that can be not only be viewed but potentially abused on a daily basis by any member of the public. There is absolutely nothing to stop, hundreds of people turning up and that location and calling that number. I’m sure it can be changed in an update.

 

I think the 166 brakes might be too low on GWE, haven't tried the 166 in your route though

 

This is exiting Slough on the Windsor Branch. The rails are misaligned and the ballast doesn't reach the ground (visible closer to the train).

It's the same train with the same physics. The new Class 165 stops about 1.5 times quicker than the 166.

 

Maybe a slight over reaction, but the inclusion is not just clumsy but incompetent and proves how little understanding of the real railways DTG actually have. I just hope that, behind the scenes, someone at DTG has gone, "Oh fudge..." and is making urgent arrangements to get it patched.

 

...Just a few more scenery issues (cont.) ...


Shiplake: Route board collectible needs repositioning out of shelter framework (yellow arrow).
An invisible barrier needs to close the gap indicated by the red arrow, and extend along the hedge. If the player continues walking towards and beyond the glass house, there is a set of stairs leading to the platform, but you can't access the platform because you're on the wrong side of the invisible wall there. Thames Valley Branches is a lovely route to explore, but a little frustrating at times because the player boundaries are not always clearly obvious.


Slough: A lot of floating objects (yellow arrows) as pointed out by Trainsim_TV's review. I'm pretty sure these objects were copied directly from GWE (not a criticism) as they are in the exact same position, but in GWE the underlying terrain is in fact slightly higher. Ideally it would be nice (so as to keep the continuity between route hops) to leave the assets where they are and lift the terrain up to suit. Also the steel fence (red arrow) could be moved slightly off the roadway.

The Marlow Donkey
What a great intro to a scenario, and a neat way for the player to get invested into the world that you've built. The following are some slight immersion breakers for the player walking along the Thames (starting from where the path begins)...


Fence not grounded correctly (shadow gives it away).


Boats have nothing to hold them up. I know if you lower them the rudders are further into the ground, but could they be chocked up with some timbers (maybe loose railway sleepers). Minor thing I know, but kind of drew my attention away from the river view.


The two boats with the boom lift in between (yellow arrow) really need a set of clipping planes around them to prevent the player walking through them. In relation to the green arrows, the stone walls and the paving above could do with collision detection. If the player walks from the carpark behind the building onto the "balcony" you just drop into the models and onto the terrain below.

to be con't ...

 

... a few more ...


A hole present below the bridge (yellow arrow) destroying the illusion things are "solid".
Also it's really unfortunate that fence splines have no way of terminating the ends with true vertical posts (red arrow). As a suggestion only I would have terminated the fence maybe 2 metres short and placed a small bush at the base as to disguise the amount of lean on the post.


Speed boat clips through bridge pier. I think the boats path at that location, would be better if moved somewhat towards the shore. If its placed on the other side (towards the center of the river) I think the speed boat could potentially pass the row boat way too closely for what would seem plausible.

In finishing this post, I must say I loved the walk along the river, the ambience and all the little details etc. Very nice indeed.

Regards

 

They barely work. 165 works great.

 

I just found this phone number at DIRFT should this have been removed.

 

Probably should have been redacted, yes.

DTG really need to send a briefing out to all 3P developers about this and ensure their own QA and testers are alerted to look for this type of thing. I’m fairly certain Google Streetview always redact telephone numbers when these would otherwise be visible.

 

They blurr it out.

 

He’s just having a casual conversation with his hand, I’ve seen this on a 700 a few times especially late at night when the late bars close

 

• Platform;: Xbox for PC
• Drop in performance after finishing a service, main menu will severe lag and have major drop in FPS
• Repeatability. Every time after finishing a route
• Images/Videos Currently at work, so I can't take any evidence but I can update this
  
  Another thing is if we have branch lines DLC's in future that reflect off a mainline (GWE) for example, those services on the branch need to reflect the services off the mainline so we don't loose immersion in the slightest, I'm okay for multiple timetables, but the primary timetable should reflect the services that in the GWE. There's no london bound/From london services services either (Which are peak services)
  
  Trains need to be a lot faster passing through the station.
  
  Also had a few AWS trips on the class 165 where my train will trip at Bourne end and stop and believe the AWS was the source of that problem then, however the train wouldn't really go into forward/in operable after tripping. I had a similar issue on a 350 at coming into Euston

 

Note for moderators and / or LewisThomas

Can you delete the image in the message. Whilst the number is in the public domain, there is a risk that showing it on the forum may compound the issue.

 

dtg_jan DTG Alex DTG Jamie Afternoon guys i dont mean to sound like a broken record but are getting a mastery for this route or not. Thanks

 

Blurred it now

 

Have done several rides up the Windsor and Marlow branch and they both seem excellent

 

I think Vern's right on this one. It's the difference between it being a public number on a sign where people are at and a number being displayed in front of people worldwide playing the game. I don't know if or how it's been handled elsewhere, but there's a reason phone numbers used in movies and TV shows here in the U.S. now use a standard 555 prefix--every one people saw or heard on screen got called, and the real people on the other end got annoyed. Now multiply that by how people behave behind the anonymity of the Internet.

And yes, emergency numbers are especially never to be messed with, period.

 

Various normally reliable online sources state the TPWS grids in terminal platforms are now set at 12.5 mph, prior to 2006 it was 10 mph. One source quotes a Network Rail technical document implementing the change but I can't find it in the public domain. If I find more I'll post here.

 

Not sure if anything can be done but the timetables on the Windsor / Henley on Thames branch whilst they have all the required services, they aren’t clockface all day, with some discrepancies between the real timetable, more so on the Henley branch.

On a more positive note, really pleased to have the “real” 165 layer onto GWE for use on the Greenford services especially!

 

Oh Vern.

 

Careful on the Metrolink trains it shows the actual numbers for customer service, safety and security and get this "gasp" 911.

Also Caltrain had actual numbers before the unbranding in the passenger cars as well.

So not sure why its an issue all of a sudden.

And why someone would take a number off the bridge and call for driving help in the 1st place.

Also prank calls are not as big with youngins as it was back in the day. Its easier to trace now.