Been playing through some of the Journey Mode listings and while generally good there are a few niggling issues: First off, can someone please notify whoever puts the consists together, that all trains formed of coaching stock used in passenger service on UK railways, must have a brake vehicle of some description. It can be a full brake (BG) or part (BSO, BSK, BFK etc.) but it is a railway operating requirement. Makes me wince to see the rakes running around without. The air brake pipe pressure on the Class 52 keeps dropping, according to the HUD. In the scenario where you have to take the Gronk (08) out to rescue a failure on the main line, there should really be something to simulate going across the detonator protection - bang, bang BANG! - as you approach the failed train.
I really wanted to get this but having a class 101 in 1980's guise and diesels in their post headcode condition running alongside Westerns was too off putting, shame as it looks like it has a varied and comprehensive timetable. The coaching stock formations were the final straw, passengers can't even partake of a BR sandwich as apparently BR didn't have buffet cars on trains then either. But then I read somewhere that it wasn't intended to be realistic!
Yeah, it was apparently intended a) as an experiment and b) to give people a timetable in which to thrash and max-out the diesels - both of which I'd say it's successful in. The timetable I thought was a bit quiet for a mainline - every service is hourly, for example, and there's no extra peak-time services. I don't have access to my '77-'78 timetable, but I find it doubtful.
I was being slightly tongue in cheek as it obviously wasn't going to be realistic as the route is totally wrong for the period. But if you want to thrash diesels along a mainline then I am sure it has been very sucessful in achieving that. I just wish they had made the consists and in particular the DMU a bit more realistic. An all blue 101 would have fitted in with the livery for local DMU services in the era, blue and grey was only used on Cross Country and Intercity services. Maybe if they had reskinned the WSR mark 1's in blue/grey and used those in the consists it would have made it a bit more realistic. But an hourly service wouldn't be realistic with services going to Devon and Cornwall, Bristol and South Wales, Oxford, Birmingham New Street, Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford plus the regular DMU's to Slough and Reading, Newbury and Oxford. I have the 1976 working timetable and there were a lot of loco hauled services out of Paddington as well as the DMU's.
Indeed, and as you seem to have alluded to, it's not an hourly service to each destination, it's an hourly intercity service to/from Paddington.
OK, it doesn't have the headcode box, but found this https://creatorsclub.dovetailgames.com/mods/10896
Diesel legends was a poorly thought out and put together pack. There is literally overhead wires in the route. It was widely criticized when they put it out. I think you are expecting too much from it. lol.
I bought this route knowing there were mods to fix it the way it should of been and back then the mods were awesome. I got an all Blue 101, no overhead cables, signs were redone as was some of the posters even the ballast and tracks. Not everything was perfect but enough to make the route believable but then they did the core update and the mods could not be redone so I don't play it no more. If I was looking at buying it now, honestly, I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
Those mods are back. https://www.trainsimcommunity.com/mods/c3-train-sim-world-2/c19-patches/i839-gwe-70s-enhancements https://www.trainsimcommunity.com/m...-2/c19-patches/i823-gwe-ohle-removal-pack-426
"Poorly?" No, it was what it was, a package of very modest ambitions, making use of a few employees with time on their hands. Redoing liveries much less track assets was never contemplated, and it was never supposed to be anything but fantasy. Which is fine (says the guy who ran an ICE down Bakerloo)
I didn't dislike the concept, I think I could have, in the end ignored the OHEL, but it was the way the stock was implemented. Something similar on BML (althought that would involve producing a new train) would work better.
I just had yet another fabulously entertaining limited stop run in the Class 31. Diesel Legends is worth the asking price just for this experience (if you already have the other necessary DLC for this part of the timetable). Change the brakes from goods to passenger, unhook the shunter from the back of the train, load the passengers (if there are any) and then enjoy the bliss of driving the best loco by far in TSW to your destination and you won’t even notice overhead cables as you concentrate on coming to a perfect stop at each station, putting the brakes to release just before stopping to avoid spilling the passengers’ coffee with a jolt. It just doesn’t get better than this. I was following a stopping service for a few stations up to Maidenhead, with plenty of yellows and reds and a Class 47 hauling some tankers passed me going the other way too. It has many flaws but the concept of the DLC is sound and it has some of the most enjoyable services in TSW in some of the best trains. I’m a big fan of it despite some of the issues it has.
Definitely the locomotive I'm looking forward to being able to drive again once I've got my new PC, I'll have to try it out on DLoGW at some point I've haven't tried the combo before.
Yeah. Despite the flaws, it lets me run the Class 52 full speed which probably is worth it at the sale price I got it for. Running that loco at 15mph on WSR was so restricting because clearly you could hear those engines wanting to just open up and run wild. I also think it might have been the first expansion pack. DTG definitely refined the idea and the one they released last month was absolutely what I wanted in the game. Hope they do more routes too.
Really? Once I get the GWE updates I'll check them out. That's a point, do you think the GWE pres updates will interfere with them mods? Whenever we get them of course.
It depends what they change. What the enhancements mod does is mostly reskinning things. I don't see any reason why the pres updates would break those mods, though.
Totally agreed regarding the driving experience. The stoppers are great fun with the 101 too - even if it should really be a 117, from a Driver’s perspective they’re not massively different. I couldn’t just ignore the OLE though. I’m totally reliant on the superb mods. When they temporarily stopped working, I stopped playing it. Now they’re back, it’s one of my most-played routes again.
Yes it was a cash grab, but like someone said, DTG have to pay those outsourced QA testers in India somehow. As an enthusiast what I find disappointing is the lost opportunity to go the extra mile and make something really special. Add the Mk1 stock, the correct brake and buffet vehicles, backdate some of the locos with headcodes (the WSR 47 already has them) etc. We can forgive the route as backdating GWE would be a massive undertaking, but the being lazy with the stock in what is supposed to be a 70s stock pack is hard to swallow.
Good luck trying to get people who specialise in making scenarios and timetables to make new rolling stock...
What in the whole wide world does that mean? Several people have used that phrase from time to time and it just bewilders me. A for-profit company puts a product on the market with the hope/expectation that it will generate revenue sufficient to cover costs and make a profit. Is that what you mean? By that definition every commercial product from a box of cereal to a luxury automobile is a " cash grab ". Ridiculous phrase!! Please stop using it.
Genuinely sorry you find it offensive Crosstie. If you can tell us another way to describe putting out an add on for 18€ using more or less existing stock, on an existing route, all bundled together with minimum attention to authenticity or the sentiments of loyal customers, then please enlighten us, for I cannot think of a more appropriate term. TSW is one of my favourite pastimes but this really was not DtG’s finest moment.
An experiment to gauge opinion, which turned out to be 'nice idea, but maybe not best executed'. They made things much more plausible for New Journeys which is about half the price - is that a cash grab too? Where is the line drawn between cash grab and not cash grab? There's a big difference between being offended and being confused.
Well, to use another chestnut, no-one had to purchase it if they felt the way you do. As far as I can tell, most people who did buy it, are quite enjoying it. Presumably they feel they got value for money. Isn't this the way that producers and consumers interact in the real world?
I think some people have really unrealistic ideas about developing software products, and the way DTG's developers are structured. It has been said time and again that the idea for DLGW arose because some of their timetabling staff had a stretch of available time with nothing to work on. DL was conceived as a way to have them do something on their own without requiring any participation by loco artists, route artists or physics engineers: they were all working on something else. There was never any intention of pulling other staff from other projects to make new coaches, remodel locomotives, rework the route into its 70s appearance, or do anything else but create a timetable for existing vintage rolling stock. The only complaint, in that context, is passenger trains without BG coaches: that could and should have been handled.
I don't want to prolong this tangent, which is kind of off-topic, but I think it's an important point. I too have issues with authenticity, accuracy etc. in some routes and locos and I've sometimes been critical of DTG's choice of routes and rolling stock. I've bought most dlc, but not all. But I would never suggest that they figuratively reach into my wallet and remove my cash. That's a grossly unfair characterization. If they want to run something up the flagpole occasionally, whyever shouldn't they. If it sells, fine, if not........ I'll leave it there.
I have a real dilemma with Diesel Legends. I do get frustrated with some of the unprototypical locomotives/rolling stock included with some routes (see https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/motive-power-on-new-routes.52462/) but fully appreciate the enjoyment people get from this add-on. I did get in a sale and, like others, have enjoyed charging down the main line in a blue Western as I remember them well running at speed between Reading and Paddington before they were all withdrawn. I just have to ignore the incorrect coaching stock, the blue/grey 101s and the other discrepancies. A bit more effort from DTG and it would be a very worthwhile addition.
If they had no intention of doing authentic 70's trains then why sell it as a 70's route? A 'cash grab' for me is anything which isn't value for money, cutting corners, not authentic etc Diesel Legends at its original price fit that criteria for me and I bought it as well! (only cause of the mods)
They don't. From the (Steam) store page: Nothing there indicates anything about it being a route. It may have flip-flopped between route and loco on the roadmap, that's just because they didn't really know what it was (and IIRC Matt was pretty annoyed by that). Also note the word 'representitive' when talking about the gameplay, too - they only use the word 'authentic' to describe the audio and physics in the entire description (it's the stock standard phrase they put on everything), so its not like they're pretending it's authentic.
Running the scenario/Journey Pick Up Line this is another run at 0900+ in the morning, in February that looks like the middle of the night:
Pfft! Surely not. This time of year, dawn in the UK is pretty much as it is in the US Midwest, just before 6am. It should be bright ( and sunny ) at 9am.
timeanddate.com has daylight in London in February 7:32am to 4:57pm and Crosstie has dawn more or less correct.
Not supposed to wear your shades indoors OldVern! No, seriously, I'll try to check that scenario later today.
Well, I took a look at " Pickup Line " and it's raining a little with a few clouds but it is daylight. No visibility issues. Love that loco.
Got to admit, along with the 45 probably the best UK diesel in TSW2. Could drive it all day, love how they captured the Maybach growl. If only we could get a Warship and a Hymek to run alongside it.
Yes, if Manchester was at the same latitude in N America, it would be on the southern shores of Hudson Bay. The Gulf Stream really makes a difference to climate.
Wasn't thinking Chicago. But it doesn't matter. Look up sunrise times. More importantly, play the scenario.
That was the same paragraph I was going to quote you. but it was the last line 'the services of the 1970s are brought back to life' They literally said the services of the 1970's are brought back to life. Any potential new customer who this would think they will be getting a 1970's authentic feel, in truth they do not.
Driving the Western a bit more yesterday evening, really frustrating when you get to Reading and want to push on towards Westbury, Taunton, Exeter or even Plymouth. I am really surprised DTG haven’t pushed ahead with a Devon Banks classic diesel route from Exeter to Plymouth. You have the scenic appeal of the Dawlish sea wall, then the challenging climbs and descents to Plymouth. Most of the diesels already exist that could be seen through the section. Pack could sell with a Class 42 Warship and 118 DMU, set in 1971 before any rationalisation and resignalling so pretty much 100% semaphores. In some ways I would prefer that to Riviera Line down to Paignton.
Devon won't be far from their thoughts when they are considering a new UK route, as they've already done the research for the TS one.
