We've all got our own top 5 biggest gripes with the game and things we'd like to see improving or fixing, so what is your top 5 which can be completed by the preservation team? So what is your personal top 5? For me my top 5 are (in no particular order) 1) Boston Sprinter - Incab signalling needs fixing 2) Sherman Hill - Train Length Counter needs implementing. 3) Raildriver functionality - standardised across all locos, implemented on the older locos and throttle fixed on BR612 ( & Arosa RhB GE 4/4 if this falls under their remit) 4) Numerous broken scenarios across all DLC. 5) BR612 headlights implemented across all German locos & modern UK locos. US locos to get a brighter version of the 612 headlights.
When the preservation crew is done with their current tasks, i think it would make sense to set priority like you listed. With Number 2 i agree half, instead i would replace it with "fix all the remaining broken sounds on the preservation routes". many players complain in tsw2020 the sounds were better on the now preserved route dlcs. So about train features: It would go that far and say if routes get updates, the rolling stock should too, and its not just the sd70. So ill extend here Point 5 and combine it with your Point 2 (below few examples) 5: Upgrade Locos with features / new standard (below few examples) - Headlight to a new standard (Br612, of course an old uk diesel is different, but still can updated) - Add features like a train lenght counter and slow speed control to Sd70 - Upgrade rolling stock in general (Class 09 to Class 08 standard --> The 09 lacks all features and its the reason i dont drive it) - Upgrade Wagons (The Wagons on older german routes should get the advanced Brake modes like the one in Dresden & Chemnitz Route) - Finally get rid of the GWE Cl66 and making 1 updated Eastcoast way version. (the path dtg takes with this is still a bit "halfbaked", when i think about the new railpool 185.6, which is based on a old model --> Somebody makes the work now twice, or probably not at all and it stays this way. In general i hope DTG starts to advance the uk signalling to a standard of the german routes. I think there is 1 Route which has the flashing double yellow, but not sure about that. Diversions with speed reductions are a "suicidial command" for no Hud drivers in its current stage.
Another task for the preservation crew which i suggest is to make the older routes more alive with a.i trains.
This is the most important update next to the in-cab signalling (not only Boston) and train length counters. Not only on cars, but also on the locos that do not have working GPR-selectors so far. Btw, since the end of the year stream I have been wondering: Which team actually is in charge of updating the in-cab signaling? Trains? Signaling? Preservation?
1. All locos on all routes updated to the newest versions eg BR 143 2. Timetable improvements eg AI scenery trains
Honestly these two should be just standard bugfixes, not the job of the preservation crew. Just because they have a preservation crew to clean up years after the original release, they shouldn't leave recently released routes like this.
1) All locos on all routes updated to the newest versions. 2) BR612 headlights implemented across all German locos & modern UK locos. US locos to get a brighter version of the 612 headlights. 3) Make the older routes more alive with AI scenery trains (like in the recent upgrade to WSR). 4) Fix AFB and LZB for the DB BR 187 (I understand this is Skyhooks responsibility and not DTG's preservation team but it's in my top 5). 5) Fix tunnel lighting in SEHS and use better fence assets like in this mod https://rail-sim.de/forum/filebase/entry/6605-dtg-southeastern-highspeed-zaun-lärmschutzwand-fix/
I think that DTG needs to consider looking into their QA team and flow first. They share the same QA team for TSW and their fishing games which leads to increased queue times for testing before release, including preservation crew updates. Not only the current QA system slows down releases but the staff might not be specialized enough for a genre in order to catch specific issues and see finesse details. I would also add another point, to stop using AI generated timetables as they put unrealistic time for players to keep up with.
TSW2 skies on all routes. This is something that really probably ought to have been done by now, particularly on something like ECW which has had a loco DLC and a preservation pass already! From the stream the other night this is on the agenda, but it can’t come soon enough IMHO.
For sure. I bought RSN and RRO in the recent Steam sale but I am waiting until the preservation updates are released before I touch them. I believe they are imminent.
Apparently, 612-style headlights are a HELL of a lot of work and very difficult to do. It would basically require assigning a dev to do nothing but headlight upgrades as a full-time gig. ___________________________________________________________ My own list (not counting fixing the broken Save system) Fix the ACS in Boston and LIRR (and Sherman Hill, but it's not as crucial) ALL US freight locos* (not just Sherman Hill): Working train-length counter and EOTD. I want to know what the brake pressure and acceleration are back there. The programming already exists in the GP38- just copy it. Ditto: initial brake reduction corrected to an accurate 6psi, not the game's current 10 psi Clinchfield: Banking comms!!!!! Also, correct the pathing so northbounds are no longer routed through sidings if there is no meeting. And make the "restricting" signals work. US routes (all but Sand Patch and Pen Corr): add whistleposts Move stop markers back away from signals/buffers Eliminate all on-or-over stop markers, replace with "within X yards" markers Implementation of LondonMidland's skies. Livery Designer compatibility INCLUDING pre-Hamburg German rolling stock OR, better yet (if possible) simply replace the rolling stock in older routes, especially freight wagons, with the DRA versions that have operable brake settings (and LD compatibility). Get rid of leafy trees in winter Get rid of fakey-looking white 2D trees in winter *Clinchfield excepted, of course
Are they though? I mean I don't know much about it, and surely they're more effort than simple UE spotlights, but there are countless of games that feature realistic looking headlights or even just torchlights with realistic patterns. I don't know if all of these use EIS lights or some other method, but the point is, most games don't have a struggle with lightsources, so it begs the question, why does TSW? Anyway, at worst case, couldn't they just copy and paste the BR612's headlight effects and at most change the size or light intensity? I mean there is no need for a separate EIS lightmap for every train, a basic universal one could do that could be easily copied over to every train with minor adjustements.
Connect the "perfect" stop position with the tip of the train, not the driver's position (while we are at it)
Even in that video, the illumination is all coming from the ditch lights; the headlights proper aren't lighting anything up.
Hmm. Well, if you have Sand Patch Grade, just take a look back. If DTG could do it then, several years ago, why can't they do it now. Whoever did the lighting and headlights back then, must have moved on and not been replaced, I guess.
Hard to know where to start really but anyway... All routes to be thoroughly snagged so far as missing items are concerned, grass and shrubs over track etc. Even the latest, greatest Chemnitz route suffers from this. Not sure what they're going to do with West Cornwall (if that's even on the remit), other than push the nuclear button and start over. In addition to substitutions and layering, look at having traction Journey Modes for each route, similar to what was done with the 20 and 31 on TVL. For goodness sake give us a bit of track rattle going over bridges (especially metal ones) and some reverb in tunnels, under bridges and close cutting walls. Maybe not to the rather overdone extreme of the Chemnitz route, but add a bit more flange squeal and grind going round sharp curves. Boost the traction noise on units such as the Electrostars, make them more interesting to drive. Pretty much agree with all the rest, especially the EOTD for the American freight stuff. You absolutely need to know what situation the brakes are in at the rear of the train.
True, but at least it's lit. I wonder if locomotives in TSW2 even have separate light sources for the main headlights and the ditch/marker lights, or if it's just one light source chaning intensity depedning on mid or bright settings. I mean there is no issue with having only one light source, but then use some technique, like EIS lights, to simulate a shape that looks like all headlights casting light (like most car games do, I would suppose). Edit: Also, can we just talk about those light flare effects from the headlights? Much better and more fitting for trains than anything we've ever had in TSW2. Seriously, what the hell happened? Does noone from the dev team look back at these and say "hey, this looked much better"?
Test the work that was done in 2021 Test it again to make sure Release the work that's already been done Get all the basics (working level crossings, platform climbs and basic PIS functions, skybox etc) done on all routes and release them Get rid of the duplication of units and bring all of the "doubles" up to a single standard, then put that across all relevant routes (ie class 66, 377 etc)
1. LIRR M7 audio fix. The audio on that train is broken since you can't hear the motor audio killing immersion and making the route for some including myself unplayable. The fact that this has been an issue for a year is ridiculous in my opinion 2. LIRR PIS. The pis on lirr is completely inaccurate to the system used in real life. The team did do the artwork for the real life system but didn't implement it for the first update due to self imposed deadlines. 3. Improving the HS1 scenery on SEHS. The laziness that went to making that part of the line is unbelievable to be honest. 4. Adding rush hour passengers to every passenger route. It feels weird playing BKL with all the rush hour passengers but then I jump to HMA or sehs and stations are effectively ghost towns all day. 5. LIRR M3 audio improvements
Think that the passengers are vacationing and they are missing on some routes because they went to visit other places.
So many good ideas here. To this I would just like to add fixing the grass assets in Sherman Hill so that they allow for better frame rates. I have a pretty good PC set up and can run every other route on ultra. Sherman Hill grass drops me into single digit FPS, even when I lower the sliders for foliage quality and overall performance.
So far I only have two that the team should work on which are the red bug signal that still happens on some of the routes, and also the headlight, especially the headlight. They need to have a better headlight, especially when you are driving in the dark. Also FPS, the performance on the route still lag once in a while. It needs to have stable FPS on all routes. Also, the sound is another issue, on some trains, the sound is just cut off and then come back on which may the realistic driving experience be thrown off and some train sounds such as the alert sound or horn is too soft and not loud, especially when inside cab.
Yup, still waiting for that post-release patch to fix the grass. I would like to go back to the route but it is really annoying to have to adjust grass density settings specifically to play one route. Cheers
Why does it look like the signal light, and the headlight was really good in TSW but not TSW 2, it just crazy how they can't do the same for TSW2, and so is their night mode, it just looks so much better.
Good point! Same with the features, where they get cutted out for new routes. (The sd70 display is a joke compared to the sandpatch 4400cw). As much i support dtg & like the new improvements, there is really no excuse in this. My simple customer perspective is: once we have a feature in tsw, no matter headlights, slowspeed control, etc, it should be used for future dlcs. Again, no excuse in this topic for having improvements 3 years ago, which got cutted out by now.
I'd mainly like them to revisit old timetables, layers and substitution. I have the feeling there's much more potential for newer locomotives to be used on older routes. Some locomotives are very restricted on which routes they can be used on.
- Standardise locos e.g BRD versions should replace the older versions (only difference should be liveries) - Standardise routes with working level crossings, skyboxes, platform climb up etc, fix misc scenery issues - Update timetables so there is more life including additional layers for subsequently released locos and stock - Improve night lighting - Make all PIS systems up to the most recent version both on train and on station, preferably with ability to manually adjust.
This is a complete rebuild of the PIS on each route, so possibly more than a simple thing for the pres crew... The PIS system in each route is independent of the rest
I thought that the most up-to-date version is a) train - reads from the timetable b) station - reads from the timetable, but knows when the trains are late I guess it is b) that is different across routes?
I agree, but keep in mind that it's not quite as simple as first appears. For instance, Tutorials would have to be re-done- at least for German trains, because the old versions don't have removable reverser handles and without that step new users would be mystified. Also, one particular service/scenario for the 66 in GWE can't be done with the ECW version, because that loco doesn't have a working fuel tank.
The mostest recent version is a1) train - reads from timetable but driver has manual override. Introduced with Brighton.
As a dev, dtg should be capable of copy the tutorial instructions and adapt just the new locations. Dtgs process of creating content need also imrovement. Probably they are, but its only efficient if the loco version is independend of the service. The tons of different versions of the same loco is ending in a rabbit hole. Dtg has to solve that. The preserved crew spends time to update routes. Same should happen with the rolling stock.
I'm afraid this is DTG's concern, not ours. In my work, my clients have never asked if something is too hard for me. Exactly.
Matt talked in the Q&A stream about creating a baseline feature set for routes, the same should apply to rolling stock
But they presumably ask how much you'll charge (or equivalently, how much effort will be needed). My conversations often (used to) run: Client: We'd like X. Me: That will take 100 man-days, but you can have Y for 20 man-days and it will deliver 80% of the benefits of X. (You can tell I never worked for a big consultancy ) [edit] ... or government
