Route Tadami Line: Aizu-wakamatsu - Tadami - Feedback Thread

Something that I picked up from some of the Ambassadors preview video's which was pointed out, is the low resolution station signs, that seem to exist throughout.

 

Seems to have enhanced lighting on console, however don’t fix this as it works perfectly fine, and doesn’t hamper performance

 

What I took from the Ambassador streams and why after watching them I decided not to buy as I guess that is valid feedback as well.

1. There were cars stopped on the road and other cars drove straight through them.
2. In one of the tunnels there are artifacts poking through the roof that the train just drives through
3. The sound of the motors did not noticeably change as you moved around the train. Normally it should get louder the closer you are to the motor, but it didn't seem to.
4. The motor sound did not appear to change under acceleration.
5. There were instances of the vegetation passing through the cab.

I'd normally buy the route to try something different, but there is no point when the above things are going to annoy me every time I see / hear them.

Not even a sale purchase in this state. Waiting to see the approach to fixes, but won't be holding my breath given the time it's been in development.

There were some positives. Some of be scenery looked beautiful, but this one just isn't for me I'm planning to go to Japan as a big holiday before I retire in 5 years time. I really wanted this to be good.

 

How is the route performing on consoles ?

 

The tutorials you can’t even achieve any types of medals at all PS5

 

PS5 Pro. All DLCs owned and installed. Played only first scenario (45min) so far. Overal performance is ok - no blurries, no stutters.
But the general impresion from the route is a bit sad: graphics is at the TSC level, buildings and fields are too "simple", mess with the passengers' behaviour etc

 

Platform: PS5 Pro

My very early first impressions after only playing the route intro, KiHa tutorial, and one service:

1. Journey chapters are locked. We stopped doing this because all too often a broken service/scenario would prevent journey progress. These locks should be done away with altogether. (EDIT: All the chapters unlock after completing the intro and tutorial, so this doesn't really apply to this route.)
2. There are only 13 tasks in journey mode. Even if the services are repetitive, the journey mode should be a bit longer than this.
3. The route seems to be lacking improved track shadows.
4. I have not noticed any negative performance issues thus far.

Despite these issues, I am enjoying the route and the KiHa. It looks great to my old eyes so far!

 

When providing feedback, please always add the following details if possible:

• Platform (PC, Steam)
• Service/Scenario Training.
• Repeatability. Yes
• Images/Videos of the issue occurring.

13000 Pts for Training? Rly?

 

I just tried it. Looks decent, but there are some graphics issues. 1 can think of is ponds showing up as dirt patches, then turning into ponds when you get close.
Also the doors wouldn't close after the 1st stop so I couldn't complete the service.
Plays a bit choppy. Not that bad, but noticeable. I'd probably rather spend time on a different route.

 

Quite a few level crossings are playing up. They either don’t close at all, or they open too early!
Where, please, are the switches to turn on the ceiling fans in the passenger compartment? Is there an engine stop switch on the KIHA40? There is an engine start switch, but I haven’t found an engine stop switch. Incidentally, the ceiling fan in the KIHA driver’s cab doesn’t work either.

 

GPU usage simply because it's on the tadami station
I think that speaks for itself

edit: this also occurs on various parts of the route map

it would be good if they add suspension to the kiha and also optimize this damn route

 

Performance on this one seems pretty woeful compared to other routes with same settings (epic / DLSS ultra quality)

 

PC / Steam
Positive Points

• The atmosphere of the towns feels reasonably convincing.
• The passenger interiors of the rolling stock, at least from the vestibule inward, also give a fairly authentic impression.

Issues / Areas for Improvement

• ATS warning at Aizu-Miyashita
  When operating the following service in Walk Mode, the ATS warning did not sound when passing the Caution aspect of the station approach signal at Aizu-Miyashita, despite ATS being switched on.
  I am currently investigating whether this is an isolated case or a more general issue. I will add further examples if I find any.
  
  
• Side indicator lights
  As mentioned in the Official Discussions, the second indicator light on the side normally does not remain illuminated.
  I could understand it being illuminated momentarily while starting the engine, but I honestly do not understand what reference was used to decide that this light should remain illuminated continuously.
  
  
• No passenger boarding phase at the first station in Timetable Mode
  There is no passenger boarding phase at the starting station in Timetable Mode, so AI trains simply depart without opening their doors.
  
  
• Doors opening beyond the platform
  When a train stops with part of the train extending beyond the platform, the doors on the cars beyond the platform should be locked out. However, in the game, these doors open fully.
  Furthermore, between Aizu-Kawaguchi and Tadami, at intermediate stations, it is known that only the doors of the leading car are opened. This operational detail should also be represented.
  
  
• KiHa 40 engine sound
  The engine sound of the KiHa 40 is extremely different from the original engine fitted to the actual vehicles.
  In particular, the characteristic turbocharger sound is missing, and the engine sound remains monotonous even as the train accelerates.
  If this were simply a case of accidentally assigning the sound of a later replacement engine to a vehicle equipped with the original engine, I could understand it as a development mistake. However, the difference is so substantial that I genuinely have difficulty understanding how this particular sound was selected for the KiHa 40.
  To make the difference easier to understand, I have prepared a comparison clip. The actual train and the in-game engine sound are played simultaneously from the left and right channels, respectively, so headphones are strongly recommended.

• No change in sound when passing through tunnels or over bridges
  The sound does not change when the train passes through a tunnel or over a railway bridge, which makes the acoustic environment considerably less convincing.
  
  
• Gear-change / reverser switch sounds
  On the real KiHa 40, operating the transmission selector and reverser switch produces a relatively loud and distinctive “BAKON” mechanical sound.
  To give an idea of the sound, imagine the sound of operating a large electrical circuit breaker. These controls also require a noticeable amount of physical force to operate.
  In the game, however, these controls are almost completely silent. They sound more like pressing an electronic button than operating a substantial mechanical switch.
  
  
• Exterior modelling of the KiHa 40
  I have prepared a side-by-side comparison of the real vehicle and the in-game model.
  The real vehicle shown in the comparison is a KiHa 40-2000 series vehicle. Therefore, please keep in mind that some details differ from the KiHa 40s used on the Tadami Line, including the presence or absence and positioning of certain handrails, the position of the vertical rain gutters, and the position of the destination board.
  The vehicle in the photograph also has a protective grille fitted to the door window. This was added later to prevent the window from being damaged during tablet/token exchanges. This equipment was not present on the vehicles used on the Tadami Line.
  
  Even taking these differences into account, there are still several noticeable modelling issues:
  • Overall, the body contours appear considerably tighter than those of the real vehicle.
  • The paint finish appears excessively matte, giving the vehicle a much flatter appearance than the real thing.
  • The handrails and rubber window frames appear narrower than on the real vehicle, which noticeably changes the overall impression.
  • The area around the doors is particularly noticeable. The window dimensions are clearly different.
  • The KiHa 40's doors have a characteristic raised structure surrounding the window on the inside of the door. In the game, however, this area appears completely flat.

↑Comparison of the real train (left) and the game (right).
The trains are lined up with their orientations matched. The side with the gangway bellows is different, but since the real train occasionally had the gangway bellows on the opposite side, just like in the game, let’s cut them some slack.



↑ The area around the passenger door is the biggest difference. It’s a shame that this alone cuts the KiHa 40’s distinctive charm in half.

Final comment
I also went through the Japanese promotional material for this DLC. The emphasis seemed to be overwhelmingly on how “beautiful” the route is.

Of course, beautiful scenery is appreciated. However, the Japanese railway simulation community tends to place considerable emphasis on the authenticity of the rolling stock, vehicle behaviour, sounds, and operational details.
BVE is perhaps the clearest example: despite being free to play, it has developed a dedicated community partly because of the attention given to railway operations and vehicle behaviour.
The KiHa 40 is also one of the most recognizable diesel railcars from the Japanese National Railways era, and its performance, mechanisms, characteristics, and construction are well known among railway simulation enthusiasts.
For this reason, I believe that the train itself needs to be reproduced with a high degree of accuracy if this DLC is to be well received by the Japanese railway simulation community.
Beautiful scenery is certainly a plus, but for many Japanese railway simulation enthusiasts, the train itself is what they are here to experience.

 

I had been eagerly awaiting the release of this route and was convinced it would be TSW's next masterpiece. However, after taking a test run yesterday, here is my feedback:
1. DMU sound: Revamping this needs to be a top priority.
2. Lack of suspension simulation: A major drawback. For a rural, jointed-track narrow-gauge line, this feature is essential.
3. Textures: The textures in the cab, passenger cabin, and on the exterior bodywork should ideally be replaced with higher-quality ones.
4. Trackbed: In some places, the track assembly needs more ballast coverage and a dirtier (oily) texture.
5. Scenery and vegetation: These need improvement in certain areas—something many others have pointed out.
Addressing these issues would significantly boost my interest in the route. Right now, I feel disappointed; I even considered requesting a refund yesterday. I urge the developer to tackle these improvements immediately following the release. The route looks dated. Ideally, I would like to see a more extensive overhaul. I want it to shine with all the brilliance of Midway Valley.

 

I think this route is unique and different from any other route. I really like the dense foliage and that is why I bought it. I know its got some bugs and I hope they get fixed. Also I hope they add suspension physics. I definitely don't regret buying this route. (pc steam) Also I can compare it because I have just about every route.

 

Thanks for the comparison.
The modeling looks like something from the TSC era. The interior doesn't look right.
It seems like not enough research was done.

 

DTG Matt, DTG Alex

DTG, do you actually check the DLCs before you sell them?
Because judging by these pictures, I can’t see any checks being carried out before they’re sold.

 

Wow that's bad. I am soooooo against nit-picking stuff in the background or bashing things that you can't reasonably see from the cab, but this is very, very bad.

I think we are close to another Class 90 situation and it would be great, if DTG actually owned the post release communication regaring this and pronto. Come on, you claimed you learned something with that fiasco, so let's see it.

 

That's so bad

 

Its like its the temu version off Liberec - Stará Paka.

 

It’s really annoying that on PS5, the sound of the doors and the horn comes from the controller instead of the TV.

 

What? How? That’s not a thing that’s supposed to happen in TSW.

 

Journey mode seems to be often forgotten