Changes To The Next Destination/task Ui.

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by Reeonix, Apr 5, 2020.

  1. Reeonix

    Reeonix Member

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    I would like to suggest that an option is given to the player to remove the total distance to the next destination and ONLY show the destination name in the top left of the display. As I am aware you could remove the distance by pressing F1 to remove the HUD however that removes EVERYTHING off the screen (what if the player wants the speedometer shown?) and there is no way to know when the task has been completed - loading passengers for example - without pressing F1 to bring up the entire HUD again to show the progress. The same applies for unloading/loading goods.

    As an extension to this, some players are aware that when clicking CTRL+1 it switches between the distance being shown in the top left near the destination name, or an icon 'in the world' with the distance above it and a blue marker appearing on the track or path the player must go via. I would like to suggest an option is given to the player to ONLY show the marker on the track or path without the icon above it that appears from any distance with the distance.

    This would allow the player to learn the route - where to stop for example - without seeing the distance and having to completely remove the entire HUD.

    Also, regarding the blue marker appearing in the world without the distance or icon above it - My reasoning behind this suggestion is so players can, for example, see which siding and where in the siding the game wants them to proceed to but without cluttering up the display with an icon and distance.
    I have attached some images to this thread to demonstrate my talking points if I wasn't clear enough in writing.

    1. This is what the instructions look like when the player has pressed CTRL+1 to change between the distance appearing next to the task and the blue marker appearing in the world (demonstrated in 2.). I am suggesting an option for the task to look like the picture below WITHOUT the marker appearing in the world.
    upload_2020-4-5_1-3-7.png
    2. This is the blue marker in the world. I am suggesting an option is given to the player to remove the icon and distance shown above it.
    upload_2020-4-5_1-2-0.png
    I would like to add that the player options allow both of these situations in one scenario. For example, the player doesn't see the distance in the top left OR a marker in the world with the distance above it however they can see the blue outline on the track below the icon. For example, you travel to Leeds, the player doesn't know the distance to Leeds station however when they're in the area the marker appears on the ground to let them know where the game wants them to stop or go via.

    Thank you for taking the time to read my feature suggestion. I understand this is a long winded approach to ask for a feature however I wanted to make sure I was as clear as I could be.
     
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  2. Olaf the Snowman

    Olaf the Snowman Well-Known Member

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    Nice idea. (On consoles, it isn’t possible to remove the HUD at all.)

    With your idea, you’re able to learn the route and find your own braking points like in real life. Also, and more importantly, you’re able to practice stopping at stop boards accurately and smoothly by using your own judgement. I.e. having to physically look outside the cab, fixate yourself with the stop board and judge accordingly. As oppose to relying on ‘yards to x’ indicator which I have a feeling a lot of people use more than they should as you’re more focused on that than the stop board which isn’t right.
     
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  3. Trim

    Trim Active Member

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    Really? Oh!

    I hate the blue transporter beams and have them all turned off (till the game turns them back on in a tutorial), but you need stop positions in scenarios (unfortunately), so they would need to be marked somehow. Also, although on NTP (the route I play the most) some of the stop positions are, quite frankly, daft and are best ignored (Stalybridge when heading towards Manchester is a particularly good, or should I say poor example), there are occasions where you need to know which part of the platform you are meant to stop in. Many of the Leeds platforms have an "a" and a "b" end, as does Huddersfield (only applicable to short trains), and Manchester Victoria platform 11 has east and west ends.
     
  4. Olaf the Snowman

    Olaf the Snowman Well-Known Member

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    Sorry when I mean the HUD, I mean the speedometer and other details on the bottom right side of screen* which I think (?) you’re able to turn off on PC. You’re able to remove the blue beams, objective markers, stop positions, next signal/speed, etc... as normal via the pause menu on consoles

    That’s the one thing I don’t like about German and older British routes is that there aren’t (usually) any proper official stop boards. I have the HUD blue virtual stop board turned off and so I have to use the ‘yards to’ which I don’t like. Or I have a quick glance at the map to see roughly how far down the station the train needs to stop. There’s nothing more satisfying than stopping perfectly and smoothly with the stop board right outside your window which is why I like the modern British routes and American routes.

    * 6BA7D240-139C-4C5F-961E-FFC6E84F3267.jpeg
     
  5. Anthony Pecoraro

    Anthony Pecoraro Well-Known Member

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    Plug in a keyboard.
     
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  6. Reeonix

    Reeonix Member

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    I understand you were replying to Olaf the Snowman however if you wanted to keep parts of the HUD for example I like using the speedometer and next speed limit marker in the top right then plugging in a keyboard to press F1 doesn't help. I want to remove the distance from next to the next task/destination UI in the top left to introduce more of a challenge and help learn the route without the need for removing the entire UI.
    This is what appears as default in a new TSW game/profile or whatever. There will be a blue beam on the ground with an icon above it and the distance.
    [​IMG]

    If you press CTRL+1 on the keyboard/on PC, or on console enter the menu and change the setting you will remove this beam and icon from the world and only see the distance in the top left. I personally currently use this setting on my profile so that I don't clutter up the screen with an icons.
    [​IMG]

    If you were to press F1 to remove the HUD with the setting in the first picture active the blue beam on the ground still stays but unfortunately you've now removed every aspect of the UI/HUD. However, If I was at a station for example I wouldn't know when I could leave and when the passenger boarding task has completed since some locos don't have clocks and the game requires you to keep the doors open for X amount of time at stations and won't proceed onto the next task if you didn't keep the doors open long enough. I would like for this blue beam to appear on the ground when the HUD is enabled but without the distance above it and the HUD acting as it is in image 2(but without the distance next to the task in the top left). This will help with shunting for example where the player doesn't know which siding is which and could look for around for this beam in the particular siding the game wants the player to navigate too. It will also help with knowing where to stop at stations which don't have stop markers such as TVL and NTP but the player wouldn't know the distance to the next destination and this would introduce a challenge and possibly persuade a player to learn a route more.
    upload_2020-4-6_21-49-30.png

    Whilst you could plug in a keyboard to a console and press F1 to remove the HUD currently it should just be an option in the game settings so that players don't need to do this. But then again we don't even half measurement systems that automatically change to the route location yet so I wouldn't expect the HUD to change like in my request anytime soon.
     
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