What Smaller Features Would You Like To See For Realism?

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by cyrill.kroonstuiver, Oct 8, 2021.

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  1. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    Hey all!

    So I've been thinking and there's plenty of small little details that are often missing in trains or around the stations that may be small, but may add a lot of realism.
    I have my own little things I wanna see, but I'm curious, what kinds of features that you think don't require too much work would you like to see? Specifically the smaller things, so I'm not talking about multiplayer or guard mode or something like that here necessarily.

    Simply put, there's a lot of small details I feel like DTG neglects that if incorporated could go a long way making the game far more immersive. Small details make a big difference.
    Sometimes too, a feature may hinder a little bit like I can imagine my first one will in my list below, but at the same time it will help sell people the idea that it's actually the train they know and love.

    For me personally there's the following few things I'd really like to see more focus on.

    • Locked doors are locked.
      It's always bothered me how on some trains you can always open and close doors no matter if they're locked. At least with trains here in NL and I believe it's actually similar to a lot of trains already in TSW2, the driver only unlocks the door. Now I understand that because passenger's can't interact with anything it's better to also prompt all doors to open automatically when you do this because otherwise no train in-game would ever have open passenger doors, but if they're not unlocked, you really shouldn't be able to open them I feel like.


    • Toilets, conductor's cabin and café cars should be opened or openable even if the buffet is unmanned.
      This one I feel like speaks for itself. There's no reason other than time saved modelling the space why the toilet or buffet shouldn't be open. Even if the buffet is left unattended, at least being able to open and view the space would be far more immersive.


    • More emphasis on signal turning green before closing the doors if appropriate on that line.
      This has bothered me and I believe a lot of players for quite a while. To some routes/regions this is unrealistic and it forces you to play with HUD on too. But mostly, some systems require the signal be turned yellow or green first before even being allowed to close the door. That immersion is simply not possible on a lot of routes in TSW2.


    • Being able to use every button even if it doesn't have any effect.
      No more duds! I get that it's very time consuming to program in every little effect that can happen in a cab, but some small things like a heater for example should always be toggleable even if it has absolutely no effect on anything other than having turned the button on. You still feel like you're able to play with it, which boosts immersiveness, which is TSW2's whole selling point over other rail simulators.


    • Having the "give up control" be a toggleable button in the menu rather than a prompt.
      Sometimes you just wanna leave your service but can't cause the button isn't showing up yet, or the flipside, it keeps spamming the question and you almost click "yes" on accident an hour or so in.


    • More interactive elements on train stations such as sittable seats.
      As with the feeling of immersiveness, I feel like train stations are far too static currently in the game.
      Similar to on-board things like the toilet, just the ability to sit in chairs on the station and other minor interactive things despite being a small detail goes a long way in selling the idea that you're there.


    • Modeling the train station further out and being able to see the exterior.
      While we're on the topic of train stations I myself would also really prefer them to be build farther out so you can walk just outside of them too at least just outside of the main entrance. Some stations are such a spectacular view to walk up to from the outside, I want more of that!

      It's such a shame to have stations like Amsterdam Centraal with an entrance like this:[​IMG][​IMG]

      But then all you get in-game is this part:
      [​IMG]
      Still beautiful, and I wanna see Amsterdam Centraal as well as a Dutch route very much, but it's not the full experience of such a wonderful station, and there's many stations that could be better like that I feel in TSW2.

    Anyway, these are some of the things I'd like to see more attention to in TSW2!
    I hope to hear what other features you can all think of! :D
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2021
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  2. Purno

    Purno Well-Known Member

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    This one please. It's been decreasing my immersion for a while. Feels so unnatural to close the doors when the signal is still at danger.
     
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  3. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    Yeah that's really annoying yeah. In a game which has as a premise that it's supposed to be the most realistic rail simulator when it comes to actual on-the-ground happenings to set it apart from other rail simulators, there's really a few things still lacking.
     
  4. PegasusLeosRailwayFanatix

    PegasusLeosRailwayFanatix Well-Known Member

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    I totally agree with the last 4 ideas you have, Hopefully its coming in the Near Future
    • Being able to use every button even if it doesn't have any effect.
      No more duds! I get that it's very time consuming to program in every little effect that can happen in a cab, but some small things like a heater for example should always be toggleable even if it has absolutely no effect on anything other than having turned the button on. You still feel like you're able to play with it, which boosts immersiveness, which is TSW2's whole selling point over other rail simulators.


    • Having the "give up control" be a toggleable button in the menu rather than a prompt.
      Sometimes you just wanna leave your service but can't cause the button isn't showing up yet, or the flipside, it keeps spamming the question and you almost click "yes" on accident an hour or so in.


    • More interactive elements on train stations such as sittable seats.
      As with the feeling of immersiveness, I feel like train stations are far too static currently in the game.
      Similar to on-board things like the toilet, just the ability to sit in chairs on the station and other minor interactive things despite being a small detail goes a long way in selling the idea that you're there.


    • Modeling the train station further out and being able to see the exterior.
      While we're on the topic of train stations I myself would also really prefer them to be build farther out so you can walk just outside of them too at least just outside of the main entrance. Some stations are such a spectacular view to walk up to from the outside, I want more of that!
     
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  5. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    Agreed, they're all very important points to a more immersive experience.
    The easiest point and most important one for the short term to fix is probably the "give up control" prompt menu as it's just so incredibly annoying, but also never there when you actually want it.

    I will say though that to my last point, although it's not what I want yet by far from DTG when it comes to station building, I have noticed that especially with the Rush Hour routes the station underpass tunnels and such have become a bit more detailed rather than the simple copy-paste generic station underpasses especially German routes suffer from. So there's that.
     
  6. jackthelad258

    jackthelad258 Active Member

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    For me:

    • On board and/or station passenger announcements
    • Be able to explore more parts of a station as opposed to be restricted to barrier side
    • The occasional problem along a line i.e. something blocking a line, engineering works causing services to be diverted or curtailed in Timetable mode
    • Selective Door Operation functioning properly
    • Be able to use the DOO cameras on the 377/387

    These are some smaller features I’d like to see incorporated into the game. I also agree with some other features listed above.
     
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  7. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    For me it's Station and train announcements. All the German routes in game have Ingo Ruff announcements Rhein-Ruhr Osten S8
    Schnellfahrstrecke Köln-Aachen RE9
     
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  8. antwerpcentral

    antwerpcentral Well-Known Member

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    Passenger complaints: There are a few Karen's in the game that will not always be on your train but if they are they will post complaints on social media when your doors are not aligned with the platform and when you are speeding or too brute braking. These complaints will appear at the end of your service.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2021
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  9. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    I know it's not an entirely serious proposal probably, but it'd still be absolutely hilarious, and it would put some feeling of immersion in a real world into the game.
     
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  10. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    Imagine professor Matt's or Sam's post-service reviews after having overshot a full station :D
     
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  11. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Matt calls that a Knebworth
     
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  12. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    Could be a fun easter egg in such a system, and also why isn't "Kenbworth" an achievement yet for overshooting a station with over 64.2m/h or more?! :(
    TrainSim-Matt are you listening?! We need a "Knebworth" achievement! :D
     
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  13. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    I would like to add one other feature to my original list of features that would really help.

    • Additionally to the "give up control" menu button, add a "wait" button while you're on foot.
      So earlier I was running a service back to back and I had it all set up perfectly, but after terminating at one end I had to wait close to 20 minutes or so before leaving again, and while I could just go out and load up the next service back, that doesn't really feel like a continuous play. Simply adding a "wait" option which only updates timetable positions but keeps trains that are unmoved untouched that would feel much more like it's still the same service while just having skipped the 20 minutes of loitering around waiting for it.
     
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  14. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    Exactly and in the community it's used by the streamers for overshooting a station. In Xbox Live Xbox Series X/S One users that one is a 10 or 15G PlayStation users bronze trophy. That one can come in if TSW2 Gets ECML South or A Dutch route.
     
  15. paulc

    paulc Well-Known Member

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    The game needs more randomness, things always run like clockwork everytime you run a service, you know the signals will be green & there will be no delays or diversions.

    Maybe throw in a few technical failures.
     
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  16. Cramnor

    Cramnor Well-Known Member

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    +1
    Super annoying and unrealistic. It has improved, but both on Dresden and BML are still signals that only turn green once the passenger loading script is completed :(
     
  17. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    NOTE: These only really apply to modern US freight routes...

    -Longer US Freight Trains, and more subbing of rolling stock from other routes. Oakville Subdivision is really the only route that takes advantage of this feature, and its a shame it isn't used on SPG, CC or most likely the upcoming SH and HSC routes.

    Also, more random consist formations and lengths for service mode trains.
     
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  18. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    NOTE: These only really apply to modern US freight routes...

    -Longer US Freight Trains, and more subbing of rolling stock from other routes. Oakville Subdivision is really the only route that takes advantage of this feature, and its a shame it isn't used on SPG, CC or most likely the upcoming SH and HSC routes.

    Also, more random consist formations and lengths for service mode trains.
     
  19. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    I don't entirely get what you mean with the subbing part. Is that realistic? Considering the fact that they're all different rolling stock operators, so seeing a CSX rolling around in San Francisco Bay Area isn't wrong?

    I do notice the part of freight trains looking oddly familiar in consists a bit often though yeah.
    Especially the 3 tankers at the end of German freight trains so often.
    Used to be back in TSW2020 on HRR that there was occasionally a passenger car among the mixed freight services.
    Now, this happened a bit much of course, but I always found it quite fun, especially because I have seen that in real life a few times, a passenger car, empty or for repair, attached to a freight consist, so I'm somewhat disappointed this got completely patched out. A small, maybe 1/5 chance or so for specifically mixed freight only it would be quite funny to see that still.
     
  20. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    Yes, here in NA is isn't uncommon to see rolling stock from one railroad on anothers line, especially when a load has to go from one end of the country to the other.

    For example here is a Norfolk Southern autorack train with Autotacks owned by CN, CSX, and UP.
    7192379j90961820318.jpg

    I live next to a UP mainline, and have seen cars from CP, CN, BNSF, CSX, FEC, KCS, NS, even some Ferromex boxcars.

    It would also help with the variety of freightcars in manifest trains, for example, since the center beam car never came with Sandpatch, allowing it to sub from Peninsula Corridor to SPG would help add the common car to SPG. Same thing with the 4750 covered hopper from Cane Creek.
     
  21. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    That does sound nice.
    I do indeed agree that the whole substitution mechanics in the game probably need a bit of an upgrade on a whole.
    Even with German routes which uses it by far the most it does sometimes leave a lot to be desired.

    For example, the red passenger DB BR182 variant is other than in its parent route, RT, only usable as a passenger loc on the newest German route, Dresden-Riesa, which is a real shame if you ask me.
    Also there's the fact that there's 5 different dosto subs and choosing a modified dosto livery only changes the lead dosto without guarantee the following passenger cars are also modified. So livery subbing needs a lot of improvement done as well.

    On the topic of liveries subbing in, there should also be an option to turn off certain liveries from showing up I think.
    Sometimes I just like to kind of try something in the livery designer, or leave something to finish it later, but then those unfinished or non serious projects start showing on routes and it bugs me cause they aren't meant to.
     
  22. antwerpcentral

    antwerpcentral Well-Known Member

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    Yes more randomness. Make the passenger loading time random for example.

    It might not sound a serious proposal but it is. It's not intrusive and makes your passengers feel more lively without adding a memory draining system to the game. I never feel the need to stop my train correctly. The only objective is to get to the platform so that's what I do. In the beginning I felt bad for the passengers who had to descent the train next to the platform. But they never complain so I gave up caring :D
     
  23. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    I get what you're saying. I think the biggest problem for DTG would indeed be the processes running in the background maybe, but it would indeed be a very good feature.
    I remember in TS20xx a score at the end of % of passenger and freight comfort and that's a really nice touch. Doing it your way, at least for passenger since I doubt freight has social media, it does indeed bring the world more to life.
    And there they were trying to be nice and not say anything, but you just gave up on them :(
     
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  24. PegasusLeosRailwayFanatix

    PegasusLeosRailwayFanatix Well-Known Member

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    These features as well, they should also give up the option of different job modes, like being a train guard, being a train conductor, station guard, as well as control tower where we dispatch the train.
     
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  25. finntd#7891

    finntd#7891 Well-Known Member

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    I Personally wanna See Randomized Consists, mostly like some cars of a Consist to be Made so that it can randomly spawn from a Preselected List, like maybe one car could be a BR MK1 or a MK2, maybe a Tanker on one services could spawn as a Boxcar when reloading the service, it could add more Possible Layer opportunities and I feel it would make the game just a little better
     
  26. davidh0501

    davidh0501 Well-Known Member

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    I want more static figures in the landscape.

    People leaning on a fence watching the train go by.
    Someone walking a dog near the line.
    Two people standing by a car talking.

    They don’t have to be detailed or animated as the train will be in motion.
    This more than anything would bring the world to life.
    Not just parked tractors, diggers or cement lorries.

    Ages ago this was done in the Ts route Portland Terminal, which made the street running so enjoyable.
     
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  27. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    I get that absolutely.
    I think the biggest problem for that would be the framerate, but if they make the fenceleaning trainspotter the same as the diorama's on the station that could work perfectly with minimal loss of frames and it'd even make them varied so sometimes they're there and sometimes they're not.
    The walking dog thing I don't think could work though cause that would very much take up a new NPC to load and with that the loss of framerates, unless the dog is just a static "statue" and the owner another still diorama. The car though could work as a 100% stationary thing.

    Personally, something I'd like to see that's similar to this is when there's a branch line going off the map halfway through the route that has no traffic going in or out they put down some trucks working on the overhead wires or something. Something that can easily be removed too if they change their minds and later and that branch is used again with a new loco DLC or something.
    Same with unused tracks next to the route line such as the mainline behind Norton Fitzwarren yard on West Somerset.
    Nothing big or permanent and of course it shouldn't be done too often, but it would help in both making the route feel more alive as well as give a believable explanation as to why there's no traffic in some part of the route other than "it's just not programmed in and the area's off the map".
     
  28. mlouie100

    mlouie100 Well-Known Member

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    In train and station Annoucments, AI Conductor and conductor mode, and cars stopping at and driving across railroad crossings
     
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  29. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    I agree and for German routes, you get Ingo Ruff Here's RRO S8 SKA RE9 For His NYC Subway Version it's Catherine Cowdry B, D, E, G, J, L, M, N, Q, R, W V & Z trains followed by Kathleen Campion A,C, F & IND/BMT Shuttles Dianne Thompson IRT West Side Line Transfers IRT Lines Only Charlie Pellett including stand clear of the closing doors, please. One more message he does is Ladies and Gentlemen This train is momentarily held by the train dispatcher due to High Train traffic ahead.
     
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  30. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    Had another one in mind today that I think is very small, not much of a mechanic, but something I think DTG could easily implement.

    • When a train reverses directions, e.g. at a depot like Shields on CCC, make sure the AI takes time before it actually starts driving back instead of "bouncing" from one direction right back. This creates realism as it feels like the driver actually has to go and change ends.
      Also, if you do it realistically and just walk from end to end and set up the other cab as you would and should in real life, you're going to be very late cause the timetable doesn't account for that.

      This isn't really a feature in term of being a mechanic, but by simply taking the time taken to change ends into account on timetables both for AI as for your own ETA it makes the game more realistic.
     
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  31. antwerpcentral

    antwerpcentral Well-Known Member

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    And make the ones that are there now appear randomly. I noticed there are many non-working railway workers standing by the side of the track on the Boston route but because they are always there doing nothing you have the illusion they are very lazy. :D
     

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