A Timetable That Lets You Pick "other" Trains

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by Horizelux, Oct 18, 2021.

  1. Horizelux

    Horizelux Well-Known Member

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    Here's a peculiar one:

    This one's basically your typical timetable mode, in a particular route. Lets take London Commuter as an example. (Lets temporarily forget the layering, etc)

    So you pick a train, lets take the 377. A list of possible services show up. This is how it normally works. Now, what if, after picking the 377, we could enable off the rails and pick any train in the game that the user has?

    So I pick something like the 395 Javelin from SEHS, and when I click enter, it still shows me all the 377 services in London Brighton. The services do not change, its just the train I drive. (The AI services also do not change). Yes, this can and will be unrealistic(depending on how the user uses this function) but considering the hassle and limitations of the scenario planner, this is a neat option that requires very little effort from the player.

    It's basically just timetable mode, but you can choose whatever train you would like as your drivable service, without affecting other services in the world.


    Think of all the possibilities! Just plop down a 465 instead of a Gatwick express 387, and recreate a scenario! Tired of not having the DB BR 101 in Munich Augsburg? Just replace it with an IC service! I am aware there are some excellent mods about service replacements, but they aren't flexible and console users can't use them. So yeah, there you go.

    I would love to hear your opinions on this, your participation is encouraged. Thank you for your time.
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2021
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  2. 43050

    43050 Well-Known Member

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    This isn’t something I’d be interested in. But, if it was an option that was easily implemented then why not? We all play the game differently
     
  3. Horizelux

    Horizelux Well-Known Member

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    This suggestion's intentions are to simplify the often tedious process of creating scenarios, let alone adding multiple AI services. This option just allows the user to pick another train. After all, driving one train can become boring after a long while, so why not drive with other trains? I agree with your statement; it should hopefully be easily implemented. If it takes ages and/or multiple problems take place while in construction, then it's a smarter decision to move on and do more important projects.
     
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  4. paweuek

    paweuek Active Member

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    Great idea! +1 from me!
     
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  5. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    I think the main issue here is the signalling system and dispatcher. Say for instance you pick a 10 car javelin instead of a 4 car 377. This mean that the acceleration and braking would be different, so interactions with trains down the line would be different, so if you reach a junction 42 miles away 5 minutes ahead of the time you should do, does the dispatcher put you in front of the trains coming the other way or make you wait
    From what Matt says right now the signalling wouldn't be able to make this choice correctly in every instance (and if it fails this could lock up the entire route)

    Then you have to consider stopping points on stations, loop lengths for freight and so on

    So yes, it would be great to be able to choose any train from any route and put it in as any service, but the game isn't in the state to allow for this (not saying it SHOULDN'T be in that state, only that it IS not)
     
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  6. Horizelux

    Horizelux Well-Known Member

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    Good point, I'm sure if it was implemented, there would be limitations to the length of the trains, just like in the scenario planner. The point you've raised regarding the dispatcher is spot on, I predict that the speed limits would keep the train not too far in front, but the current dispatcher might need a complete revamp in order to accommodate this.
     
  7. Factor41

    Factor41 Well-Known Member

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    You'd have to pick the local train first to get the list of services (which naturally vary with each train on the route) and then enable off-the-rails to replace that specific train with the one you want to drive. Otherwise the route wouldn't know which part of the timetable you were trying to get in to.
     
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  8. Horizelux

    Horizelux Well-Known Member

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    Yes, apologies for the way I worded it. The game would go crazy if we didn't pick the local train first lol

    Edit: Changed the wording for people to better understand the sentence.
     
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  9. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    It also works both ways... Imagine swapping a 395 from St Pancras to Faversham with a BR Class 101...
     
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  10. Cramnor

    Cramnor Well-Known Member

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    Great idea, this is my hope for scenario planner 2.0, that we can import the timetable and just change a train to something different. If that would work, not sure, I guess this approach you are suggesting would be an easier solution, I totally support this idea!
     
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  11. paweuek

    paweuek Active Member

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    This exactly! I'm thinking of Class 33 somewhere else than WSR only...
     
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  12. elarthur

    elarthur Well-Known Member

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    This sounds like a great idea in theory. Would like to drive different trains on the routes I have without the longwinded scenario planner process. A Class 33 on BML would be fantastic. So many other options too.
     
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  13. gottabedarnell

    gottabedarnell Member

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  14. xihillitzxhingkha

    xihillitzxhingkha New Member

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  15. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    I like this idea honestly, and it would give a lot more utility to some good but underused rolling stock.
    I do have an important question though regarding the implementation of this.

    1. In selection, are you choosing the entire new consist? The way you do it in scenario editor I mean. Or only the loco?
      Like, if you want to use DB BR 155 to pull a Dosto, will you be replacing everything and so can only pull its freight consists? Or can you opt to only switch the normal loc for 155?

    2. Having played a little with scenario planner I have found that for example, the DB BR 204 by Rivet doesn't have the power to make it up the hill at Hagen when carrying even smaller amounts of freight. Should your choices in alternative rolling stock take that into account? Or is that just something you're gonna have to risk?

    3. Similar to 2, not all trains have the same couplers, even in the same country. And although for freight and loco's they're usually compatible, for EMU's e.g. BR 465 uses a buckeye coupler while others such as BR 387 uses scharfenberg couplers.
      Suppose you get a coupling instruction, is this also a risk you're just going to have to take?
      Especially if you put an American loc on a German route for some reason.
    I love the idea as it gives more freedom and gives more use out of some rolling stock and not just in the kind of plain Scenario Planner you can use it currently on. But I would love to hear more about how you'd like to see this implemented.
     
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  16. cyrill.kroonstuiver

    cyrill.kroonstuiver Well-Known Member

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    My own preferred option would be for DTG, now that there's the tech to have multiple different timetables on a route and switch between, like with Diesel Legends, Rapid Transit as of recently, and now Bakerloo with the 1938 tube stock, for them to release a timetable editor.
    Of course the official timetables should be untouchable by anyone other than the devs, but an option where we can copy and name our own timetable version of it which we can edit freely including an "off the rails" option. Of course with a disclaimer whenever you start editing your own timetable copy that any problems resulting in incompletable services or crashes are at your own risk if you decide to do that.
     
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  17. Purno

    Purno Well-Known Member

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    It's one step closer to a Quick Drive-alike feature, so I like it. The only downside I see is that you're still dependant on the available services. Can't do a stopping service that stops on all stations on London-Brighton, or a freight service from yard to yard, because the timetable doesn't offer any of such services.

    Ideally we'd get full flexibility and can run any train, from any point, to any point, stopping at any places, on any route, while not having to set up AI traffic manually.
     
  18. animatiker

    animatiker Active Member

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    One of my most wished features for TSW2. I often copied Scenarios in TS and swapped locos, and I would like to be able to do so in TSW2, too.
    That would offer so many possibilities, you could ride a 465 on the BML, or the Munich 423 on the SKA S-Bahn, or could even try how well a class 314 would perform on some German S-Bahn or RB-Service and vice versa.

    Really hope this feature will be available at some point.
     
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  19. MYG92

    MYG92 Well-Known Member

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    Removed by DTG Natster - Stop trolling.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 21, 2021

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