As someone new to playing TSW/2 with anything more than a cursory half an hour and moving on (I've been enjoying some time with the old dizzels on WSR and Tees of late) is there somewhere that lists what DLC's go with what routes and what they add? People talk about expanded timetables with certain add-ons and "layers" but every DLC description is in a different format/wording and it's a total minefield trying to figure out what DLC goes with what route and what they add. The assumption seems to be that someone will only buy a loco DLC if they want that loco class rather than my position of "I like this route, I want more locos to make it busier and do more things on it" in which case it's a total crapshoot trying to figure out what's available and where it goes
I guess pretty much the same applies to Train Simulator and its Quick Drive mode. You never really know, unless you ask the community. :P That's because; A. new locos are being added after a route has been released, so at the time of the route release nobody knows what trains will be able to drive on that route in the future. B. routes and locos are being updated once a while, opening up new opportunities. As for your question, pretty sure most UK Blue diesels can be used on WSR, although not adding any new layers but substituting on already present services. The Heavy Freight Pack might add some extra static wagons in the sidings on WSR, but you'd still need Northern Trans-Pennine to get the Heavy Freight Pack working anywhere. I don't think Tees Valley has any other extra layers and substitutions, apart from the Class 31 and 20 specifically made for Tees Valley.
I am not sure what you expect, but some comments: Compiling a layers overview is far more difficult than you would imagine at first sight, because there are so many file details. For instance a loco can be used for multiple types of services, like passenger, express freight, heavy freight, shunting and so on. So how many details do you need? Also in some cases layers will add additional services, in others they only substitute services. It is very hard to put this all into a single spreadsheet, and if it were possible the spreadsheet would be incomprehensible for most people. TSW2 is a complex game and it it may require some experiments to find out what works. DTG might document this better at the sales pages (I really do not understand why they are not doing that, it should boost sales a bit). My attempt is available for download at my website: https://www.hollandhiking.nl/trainsimulator
I understand that the original route description won't contain details of future DLC, but it feels like there should be somewhere on this site - in the shop? - that at least shows "this route has this DLC available for it". Right now it's such a task to try and decipher the description of every DLC I've just not bothered which means so far DTG have made £8.42 out of me which gave me the base 3 routes, WSR, GWE, Tees Valley and the 20 and 31 (which was a bargain!) I've been looking at other routes (the 2 southern UK ones) but again, without being familiar with the loco classes I don't know which extra DLC enhance those routes. I'd like to spend some more money but it's such a faff trying to figure out what goes with what I've just not bothered so far.
This is what I'm after. I don't need a detailed description of every added service - I just need a simple "This route has X DLC available and it adds Y timetabled services"
I think your best bets might be NTP, Heavy Freight Pack and the Diesel Legends. Diesel Legends utilizes the rolling stock from NTP, Tees Valley, Heavy Freight and Class 31 I believe. That is, if you like GWE as a route. Class 33 and Class 52 DLC are exclusively for WSR, you won't see them on other routes (unless using Scenario Editor), and they only substitute on WSR timetable. They do come with extra scenarios, if that's something you like.
Then you can do with my spreadsheet instead. It is there and much easier than convince DTG to inform us better.
I've just been looking at it. That is a very useful resource, thank you very much. Shame DTG doesn't do something in their own shop to drive their own sales!
This has been very interesting to read alongside the timetable website I have a question if I may.. Looking at this link https://smtimetables.herokuapp.com/location/75 and expanding the 10:00 service it shows a multitude of classes Class 20 Class 31/1 Class 33 Class 37/5 RF Class 37/5 RSR Class 40 Class 45/1 Class 47 Class 47/4 Class 52 I assume if I select a class to drive then I can choose this service to drive with it. If I go for the free roam option does it select a random one to use or is it the "default" class that came with the route for that service?
In "Timetable" mode you are given a choice of all the locos you own which can run on that route: whichever you pick, you drive. However, in "Journey" and "Scenario" modes, the rolling stock is preselected. In Free Roam, that is, walking around on foot, the available rolling stock will be somewhat randomized; I have no idea how the RNG is weighted, but if you just spawn into a station you might see anything from the available-locos list pop up.
There are 3 routes in the southern UK: East Coastway (Brighton to Eastbourne, with the spur to Newhaven); Southeastern High Speed (St Pancras to Faversham); and "London Commuter" (Brighton Main Line out of Victoria). Each of them comes with a variant of the Electrostar: ECW the 377 (together with the 66 "Shed" freight diesel); SHS the 375 (as well as the 395 Javelin), and BML with the 377 again (slightly improved) and GX 387. Available DLC: For ECW there is the rather elderly Class 313 EMU; for SHS there is the (excellent) Class 464. No DLC loco has yet been released for BML; several other trains layer in, including the 166, 43, 66, 313, plus old BR diesels on a railtour service.
Keep in mind though that loco DLCs are attached to a specific route, and they need it to function. So for example the DB BR 182 can appear on various different routes, but it was made for Rapid Transit, and you need that before it can appear on other routes. The routes the loco DLCs are made for are in the description, just like how TS Classic lists what route's needed to play the scenarios that come with locos.
It SEEMS like if you go and look at a timetable service with a particular loco and then go spawn on foot, it will suggest the correct time to spawn before the service and it will choose the loco you were looking at to run that service. But this is my conclusion based on literally 30 seconds of testing. So it could have been a coincidence. I tried two routes and two services and that's what ended up happening.
It seems that even owning plenty of additional German loco DLC doesn't seem to randomise the experience of free roaming, because the BR146 and 185 seem to be overpopulated on all German route DLC etc.
