Was wondering if people tend to have a preferred country and run all routes there or have international variety for gameplay. While I've taken a few trains in RL in Europe as an American I tend to prefer American routes just due to have more real experiences with US trains, so it feels more real. Living in NYC I enjoy the LIRR and now Harlem line since I've taken those trains often. NEC with Amtrak as well, and would love to see Acela. Now started with Sand Patch for freight, and enjoy driving trains I used to observe as a child. So to me the personal connection is appealing. Additionally, just didn't feel like learning German terms to run those. Maybe will at some point, and the TGV as I rode in it, and it was amazingly fast to experience. So was just wondering if people tend to prefer their home country routes or not especially so. Or what is the most enjoyable aspect you search for.
I prefer German and Swiss Routes most. Just because I get to travel on them more, so there is a connection. I also have some interest in UK routes as that is where I come from. I have tried American routes, but as I haven't been to America and seen the real trains, I just can't get excited about them. So for me, there has to be some sort of connection to the train or the route otherwise I just can't get into it.
Born and live in England, but i partially grew up in Germany (dad was in the RAF, we were posted out there a few times.. 1983 - 1990) i don't really have much interest in english trains (despite going to school for 3 years on a class 101 and HST) i only have the underground route as it came with the sim, and added the 38 stock as i have the power handle from one and will make a controller with it one day, i have zero interest in american trains, and even deleted the american route that came with the sim as i will never play it.... just not my thing at all. I love German trains, especially the ones that were on the rails in the 80's, so it's a sort of reliving my past thing i guess. how much do i love German trains??? That drivers desk in my avatar is/was in a BR111 Wittenberger Steuerwagen that was being scrapped, i have that in storage waiting for the day i have a spare room to set it up and continue converting it to work with a computer, i did a ~1600 mile round trip in the car to collect it. And until i can use the real drivers desk with the sim, i am in the middle of designing and 3D printing a 2/3rds scale semi universal German train driving console.
I prefer European routes, compared to American routes. I would like more French roads and materials, but I like English roads much more than German roads.
Although I have a strong affinity for North American rail, I'm interested in railroads and trains from every corner of the world, from Iceland to Cyprus and everywhere in between. And before you start laughing, plans are afoot for Iceland's first public railway ever - a link between Reykjavik and Keflavik (airport ).
Only UK routes for me, particularly NTP and TVL. I'd be delighted if the two could be connected together but that's a whole different thread.
In TSW2020 the LIRR because there is no need for PZB Functions Sifa Main Spessart Bahn AWS TPWS DSD Driver Remainder Appliance GWML London Paddington to Reading. TSW2 Nahverkehr Dresden plays like Main Spessart Bahn Aschaffenburg-Gemünden TSW2020 with Rush Hour Setting. PZB Riesa-Dresden HRR SKA and Future ÖBB routes works well with Keyboard since you have access to PZB-BEFEHL PZB Frei PZB Wachasm Delete End Page Down. Q Sifa.
I cant really select home country as only TGV is here on TSW2, and a short trip. I was using Paris-Marseille in the end of 90's and begin of millénium almost evry week, and despite i like it a lot IRL i want à more exotic experience for my sim. So i m deeply involved in Britsh trains. Love those 70ies diesels, the feel of those routes. And that very new to me with all this brands.. In France evry thing was until very recently mostly SNCF so i like the variety of Britsh railways. A litlle less the modern EMUs... I like also German rail. The routes in TSW2 are all coherent, fit well together. I have a sense of unity. And also like their safety systems. That probably where i sinked most hours. About North America, its something newer for me. I think i will have a lot of fun with US freight one day, but love thé passenger services for now. In fact i have all the NEC avaible routes in TSC. Just a shame that LIRR has no more love in TSW2 (ie new plump shiny timetable). Would love to see more countries added though..
I would definitely like to see a new MBta commuter route maybe the Worcester/Framingham line with the Hsp46 and bilevel coach’s.
The house I grew up in and now live in literally backs onto the Liverpool-York mainline, the line is about 20 metres from where I'm typing this - my house shakes when the trans-pennine expresses and heavy freight goes past. I used to commute into Liverpool and later Manchester along this line on trains pulled by Class 45s, 46s, 47s, Class 101 DMUs, Sprinters, and later the dreaded Pacers, the less said of which the better. So NTP is a route very close to my heart. I spent 1995-2000 living in Erding, which is about 30 kms outside of Munich and used to commute on what was then the S6 s-bahn, so I really like the Munchen-Augsburg route. Very much looking forward to the DB 420 coming out as this is the type of train I used to catch daily. I spent last year working in Zurich so have really enjoyed the Lucerne-Sursee route. The efficiency and cleanliness of swiss trains isn't a cliche, they're amazing. Having said all that, I'm not a fan of any particular route or country, I've got all of the DLCs and enjoy them all in one way or another. Personally though, I would love a Japanese route.
Seems nostalgia is a common thread, to ride the trains we remember and know. I would love to see a Polish train DLC from the 1980's. No chance, but spent my first years there watching trains from apartment window excitedly when I heard one coming. Or pretending to be a dispatcher on a concrete stump, right next to the tracks and feel the rush speeding by. I do appreciate the clean high tech of the German lines, but haven't committed to learning the PZB after initially not finding good documentation in English. It seems fairly complex, but that's what I like. That's a great item. Would you be able to use it for multiple train types, or really only for that particular type? Seems like a bit of work wiring it up with USB. My German experience was TGV from Munich to Paris. It wasn't the most modern one, but after a couple hours of not being too impressive, eventually reached the high speed line in France, and when that thing took off, it was special. Specifically seeing the landscape zoom by faster then ever experienced before. So that's a unique feeling, with brain not being used to focus on things going by that fast. Didn't even think of a Japanese route, but that's a great idea. Another aspect of US routes I like it being able to find find a ton of documentation from locos, company rules, signals, maps.. etc. I need to have my documentation. Similarly to finding an Airbus A320 operators manual, with a juicy 1000 pages for Xplane.
I'm Italian, so I have no "home country bias", having said that I value things that feel close to what I'm familiar. For example Italy always had a 3kV DC system, so most of old german electrics using transformers (like the BR143 and 155) while I enjoy them thoroughly they are quite "alien" to me, while for example the Class 313 uses a very similar system to our old "rheostatic" locomotives, so it has somewhat of a more familiar feel to me, which probably nudged me more towards buying and liking the Class 313 Another example is Marseille, which is a lovely recreation of an environment I'm more familiar with (a Mediterranean city). For US freight it's controversial for me, I love watching content from the US railroads on YouTube and I find their freight network, logistics and tech really fascinating, but my attempts to enjoy US freight on TSW have failed so far... I am confident to say that both Sherman Hill and Clinchfield are among my least played DLC... which is a shame. Enjoying US passenger is a lot easier, I played a bit of LIRR (when I got the Gamepass for €1) and I found it fairly enjoyable even if ATC is horrible, and I can't wait to pick up Harlem which should be on sale soon on xbox. I also enjoyed a bit of peninsula corridor, sadly I'm not a huge fan of +1h services, but I have been waiting for the Preservation update to give it another go... but I guess I still have a lot to wait. I don't think that my enjoyment of US content has to do with it being a foreign country or not, but I will concede rapid transit-like routes with EMUs are "easier to like" compared to for example a Peninsula Corridor. Oddly enough even if Luzern is by far the "closest to home" we have yet I haven't had a ton of fun with that DLC and I find it a little boring. But I would absolutely love an Italian DLC, even if I know it's not going to happen
I will be making it as universal as i can make it, as the BR111 power control is kinda awkward to get used to... stepping up and down the notches by tapping the lever up and down, with a notch display on the MFA so you know what power notch you are in... you really need to think a few Km's ahead of you all the time, to allow time to get the power level down to 0 before you can start to apply the brakes. So i've modded the power lever to be more like the later trains.. i.e. more like a throttle pedal in a car, but i should be able to re-enable the BR111 style controls when i want. I will add a (likely 3D printed) AFB lever to the blanked off lever slot, then it'll be suitable to drive most post 1980's german loco's. i hope to come up with a force feedback method of giving me the notch positions on all the levers to suit the different trains in the sim, so the levers will move a motor via gears, and just like a force feedback steering wheel, the motor will push back but let the lever move with a nice clunk as it goes between virtual notches... this will be done with an arduino and some H bridges to drive the motors, so totally separate from the simulator, just needing the trains name to switch between stored programs for the different notch patterns. In my current project i have 3D printed notch wheels that i have to change over to match the levers of the different trains. To make the controls work with the computer, i pretty much just find a way to connect a potentiometer to the levers, a lot is air powered on these older trains, but i do similar to how i made the air brake pedal for my Omsi cab work, find a suitable shaft that moves with the lever/pedal, and connect it to a potentiometer with gears or a lever. Then a USB input board reads the potentiometers and switches, and it's seen as a joystick in windows. Unfortunately with me, mechanical stuff i have no problem with, it's the coding and that i struggle with, that's where i'm happy to pay for 'add ons' that will enable the use of stuff like this.
You mean Hauptstrecke München-Augsburg where the TGV Euroduplex POS runs on. If you try doing that in the evening you will get DB BR101 with ÖBB Nightjet carriages towards Aachen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf the starting point of HRR and Duisburg Amsterdam Railway via Main Spessart Bahn.
Yes, the route was through Augsburg, Ulm, Stuttgart, and Strasbourg. This was just before the 2015 opening of the LGV Est section to Strasbourg. It was an early morning departure and yes, the Euroduplex it seems based on photos. Was in First class on upper level, and enjoyed it just fine, not having any comparisons to other contemporary trains. The Acela is a good train, just little good tracks for it. Would have preferred the overnight, but wanted to experience the high speed, and was able to be at work after lunch in Paris. It was nice to experience, but as you stated, I really enjoy night trains with sleeping accommodations. Only a couple times in Poland over the years but Europe is fairly small. I'd think you barely have enough time for a proper nights sleep. I travelled between NYC -> Chicago -> Minneapolis -> Western Montana a few times back and forth as well as New Orleans -> Chcago -> Washington DC. I really developed an attraction to long distance train travel on Amtrak. Don't know if you've been, but while kind of outdated technologically and slow, there is a certain appeal. 2500 miles in 48 hours with an change in Chicago. More time and money is not a winning combination for most travelers. You end up meeting people at meal times you otherwise wouldn't by plane. I find hours just looking out the window at the land very pleasing. I was amazed at the vastness of the flat great plains and wheat fields to the horizon for hours. Anyway.. that's the story there.
This would work better if dtg didn't take away the poll option.So just why was it removed to begin with?
Because people used it pointlessly and excessively and because of that, a lot of people were getting rather annoyed by it
I love British and German routes, don't know why I just really enjoy them. I don't like American routes that mutch, but I think there's plenty I would enjoy, but just haven't brought them.
I am from the USA and came to TSW with an American bias. However, once I got a taste of the German routes, beginning with SKA and RSN, I quickly got immersed in learning the safety systems. Once the German DLCs began to layer, I got hooked on finding challenging runs and driving them smoothly. I enjoy an occasional US freight rumble or a BML run, but I always find myself coming back to the challenge of driving HUDless through a route like DRA, trying to be prepared for whatever is just around the corner.
For me the farther away from home / more exotic content, the better. Saying that I'd love to play on NZ, Australian, Japanese, or South African routes. Because there is no "my country" represented, I play on every available route. However, as for the type, I prefer playing much more on the routes having mixed passenger & freight traffic, otherwise if there's only one type to choose, then what's more scenic. If there was something local to me, I'd probably complain how unrealistic the scenery, trains, sounds or timetables are.
I also do all driving HUDless, and have some printed out maps, schedules and signal cards for reference. Do you have references to good documentation for the PZB? When I first stared I played around briefly with a German route and looked into that system. This was before I knew much about signaling systems in general so learning this complex one plus German words put me off, and I got into the easier US systems, besides the routes I already mentioned. I think I could probably enjoy learning the German system more now.
For learning PZB, I recommend Matt’s tutorial here: In the RSN manual, there’s a brief overview and a quick guide to numbers you need to know: https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/...eg_Nord_Driver's_Manual_-_EN.pdf?t=1577184497 Be patient with yourself as you climb the learning curve and recognize that it’s going to take a few emergency stops to get good at it!
Great. I'm still working through new Sand Patch scenarios, and have Caltrain and Harlem Line not started. If I'm not yet tired of and due for a break from TSW, would be fun to learn a new system.
I like all three of the “big” areas in TSW though I probably play the UK and German routes more than the US. That’s probably because I prefer Run 8 for my North American railroading fix.
Yea this is great. Saw some of your other posts about this. I also have ideas about such things, but too many sometimes to not ever decide on one, and then get tired of a certain topic and cycle through others before coming back. While we're just at the transition, I keep wondering about the right time to transition to VR. Flight Sims are visually there, but fidelity of the hardware isn't decidedly there yet IMO, and then there's the tactile aspect. The nice thing about VR will be space and cost, to sim lots of different environments. I probably don't have enough attention span to commit to such a project, knowing I'll shift interests in a few months. But still.. I'd love to have a hardware cockpit for every type of vehicle. A proper Airbus hardware cockpit, would be something I could get into though. I'm a software pro and sometimes get interesting in electronic hardware, so that would be a fun project as you describe it. Anyway, good luck.
Ah. After some frustrations with TSW and just wanting something more in a realistic direction, I purchased Run8 and have it installed. I ran a few tutorials, but it's just a bit awkward to get into. I enjoy complex software and sims, but whenever I poke into it, I get annoyed and delay. It's not that I won't be able to figure it out, but it's not intuitive. At least at this point. Maybe you can motivate by noting all the positives about it.. (On the TSW forum)
Variety. Although I'd love to see my home country (the Netherlands) make an appearance, even when there'd be plenty of routes of my home country available, I'll probably still drive other countries frequently as well. Seeing different landscapes and architecture style is what makes the experience for me. Although I guess being able to experience routes in countries I've been in real life would be very nice. Driving the Arosa Line gives me fond memories of my many holidays I had in Switzerland. Unfortunately, being not from one of the "big 3" countries DTG has its tunnelvision on, I don't have the luxury to experience a virtual drive in my home country, or seeing many familiar landscapes at all. But I equally like all three of the big 3 countries, they all have their unique features. Although the many routes from one country can start to look very similar quickly. I'd love to see more variety. Even if it has to be in one of the big 3 countries.
Run 8 has a bit of a learning curve as there are no real tutorials and no missions or scenarios to break you in. Best recommendation is to watch a few YT clips. Once you get into it and start using the industry feature or working hump yards it can become very absorbing, or once you assemble all the SoCal routes drive all the way from Fresno to Seligman some 500 miles. Downside are the very basic graphics, sort of sub MSTS, the company’s e-commerce system can be a bit funky and not being on Steam there’s no refund up to two hours after buying if you decide it’s not for you. The default keyboard layout is about as non mnemonic as you can get.
I would like to see more Dutch routes. Otherwise, I prefer routes with a variety on activities and historic routes.The route atmosphere is important, more than exact realism.
Ok, that's what I was expecting. I almost bought all the routes to have the distance not being a limiting factor, and be able to do a long job. Figured, let's just try with 2. What appealed to me most was the opportunities for multi player with live dispatch. While I flew flight sims for my whole life on and off, joining a live ATC system took it to the next level. So having a real world to engage in, was exciting. The Depot and Run8. Other than the graphics, the other downsides don't bother me. But I've also grown to enjoy Command:Modern Operations.. which odesn't have any 3d. Just a map with units, yet feels more real than fps shooters.
Nostalgia is certainly a factor, which is why I would love to see a Bundesbahn route as I remember it 1968-73. But I’ll drive anything (that isn’t broken)
From what i keep reading here there isn't alot that doesn't get released broken or becomes broken after a dtg update,so i guess you haven't driven any major amount.Unless you have bit the bullet and suffered thru whatever route you could get something out of before saying enough and moving on.We should all be rewarded with 500 extra action points after everything we have had to endure up to now.
Out of the represented states in TSW2, I prefer German and Swiss routes, since they are the closest to Czech ones. Then British, a lot of these routes are interesting (not GWR, being a straight shot line), plus it features the most historic content. Then US, I like the passenger routes, but freight routes feel very slow to me. The only freight route I enjoy is Clinchfield set in the 70's I don't own the Canadian and French routes.
Well I only tried the multiplayer once and didn't really get much out of it. Now you have "Otto" as in AI Despatcher that has simplified the workload as previously it was quite onerous to both drive your train and attend to the despatching of any other trains running, though you can still handle that aspect yourself if you like. The other thing Run 8 are very good at is updating the software and fixing bugs. Since V3 came out there have already been three updates attending to various issues.
When I got into TSW 2, I definitely had a US bias. I was so excited to drive so many American trains, because they were mostly familiar to me. And of course I always will have a US bias, likely buying every US route that releases. But here’s the thing: I’m impatient. Most American routes take over an hour to complete a run. Sherman Hill is 1 to 2.5 hours. Sand Patch Grade is 2.5 hours. Peninsula Corridor is 1.5 hours. I love these routes very much, they’re high in my top 10 list. When I drive on them, I usually REALLY enjoy them. But I have to be willing to spend several hours first, so they’re not played too often. So in my hunt for shorter routes, I discovered gold. UK routes such as the East Coastway and the Cathcart Circle are some of my favorite routes ever. I was interested in modern UK stuff prior to getting the game, and these routes did not disappoint. And then Germany eventually decided to stick with me! Hauptstrecke Rhein-Ruhr and Riesa-Dresden are personal favorites. Learning PZB was not a mistake, it really does make these routes more fun to drive. Basically, I do love US routes very much, but I’m a sucker for variety.
I don't drive too much in TSW2 anymore, but my stubbornness leaves me with NA stuff only, I don't touch anything else since I'm not interested in it. But even the NA content leaves alot to be desired...
As a Swiss guy, I of course would like to see more Swiss routes. I still think of the Lanquart-Davos route which was available for the very first MS Train SImulator. Would love to see it in TSW2. Other than that. I would like tosee extension of some existing lines, for example extend Köln to Dusseldorf, to fit what's available in Zusi 3. Or extend the LGV to Nimes and Valence, to retrieve what we had in the first MS Train SIm (again...).
I prefer historic trains and routes, so really looking forward to the Spirit of Steam. I think I can be pretty confident in saying there will be lots more steam locos and historic routes to come in TSW after SoS has been released.
Funny, because I prefer the longer routes. I find it more immersing to be engaged longer. I equally like Sand Patch start to finish and all stops LIRR. So far I've only run 3 routes regularly in TSW, and tend to stick to one until it gets too repetitive and then start another and stick with it.. Started with LIRR, then Boston-Sprinter, and now Sand-Patch. I've explored others but only fully committed to these so far. Also I like to make a complete map before doing too many scenarios on a route and always run without a HUD. I've learned proper mapping with QGIS and made maps for Boston-Sprinter and Sand Patch so far. While the first was Excel based for LIRR. So I prefer routes that I can map and can find the most amount of documentation on equipment. One of the reasons I didn't do much German routes. I'm of the opinion that DTG should do more complete modeling of locomotives rather than the quantity of routes. Ideally all parts of official operator manuals should correspond with the interactive systems in the sim. It's certainly possible, and there are many aircraft in flight sims which model every detail. I will only fly aircraft with which I can use a proper manual to learn. Would like the same for trains. Quality over quantity is always my preference. I'd be willing to pay more for a sim that has a single completely modeled locomotive than 5 with basic functionality.
In my case, not leaving on any of the TSW2 routes, I likes several types of routes and trains. If I must define an order... 1st German / 2nd USA / 3rd UK. But that is not related to the countries itself is about train preferences. German first, due to there are several routes of different types, with lot of locomotives and trains to select. I likes a modern ICE as I do with a "veteran" BR155! USA then, due mainly to their huge freights, which are a "monster" you have to control. But Peninsula corridor is one of my favorite routes of TSW. UK trains are not so huge fan of them due to they are too old in general. Despite of that I likes to drive the GWE, the Northern Trans-Pennine, and the modern Southeastern High-speed too. Also Bakerloo line. Talking about subways... Congratulations to London for the fantastic new and "futuristic" new Elizabeth line! Amazing! Hopes more modern UK trains and routes comes to TSW2!
There is quite a distance between "flawed" and "broken," and the vast bulk of TSW content falls in that space.
