With the imminent release of Sim Rail (January 13th) and watching some of the YouTube videos, I can't help asking myself if SimRail is what TSW should have been. So far I've noticed. Pros Excellent graphics Full Editor Dispatcher Multiplayer (although this as never interested me, I know it's been wildly asked for) Scenario creator Dynamic weather price $29.99 Negatives. Only polish route on release 500km long German and US routes in production but no mention of UK which is what I play
To be fair, multiplayer, dispatcher and editor doesn't appeal to me but it might to others. And the route well is kinda too long for me and only in Poland for now. Since simrail isn't out yet, there's no way to know what the actual experience will be or what the gameplay will look like. So until I see the reviews and stuff, I won't be able to know if simrail really is a competitor to tsw. It's nice to see new train sims made by new developers
It's one I'm keeping a close eye on. I'd have to disagree with the 'Excellent Graphics' though, from what I saw from the video I watched it looked very TS Classic although the train models were of a higher quality and that draw distance on the track was truly terrible, even worse than TSW but that was noted by the streaming host and they are working on that. I didn't hear any sounds in the stream and to be honest I wouldn't know if they were spot on if they did play the sounds of the loco but again, the streaming host did say that sounds are very important to them, so (ahem) sounds promising. It won't be a first day purchase for me as it's just a Polish route but it does certainly looks like it has potential and maybe the kick up the backside DTG need.
From what I've seen, the gameplay provided looks quite interesting, like the dispatcher system, the seamless multiplayer, etc. But for someone who doesn't take train games to serious, TSW is still the place to go.
How much detail and realism can you expect from a 500 km route? I have some doubts about that. I definitely want to see reviews first.
I tried a demo for myself and it didn't blow me away. - Graphically, I'd place it somewhere in the middle between TS & TSW. It does look nice but doesn't top TSW3, they're fine for what it is. - I found the default control layout extremely clunky and awkward. - Dispatcher and multiplayer modes are not something I'm interested in at all. If I ever buy Simrail, I'd likely ignore these. I'm in it for the driving experience. - If the scenario editor is as in-depth as TS Classic, some good scenarios will be possible on Simrail. This is an area it'll have an edge over TSW until DTG can give scenario planner a much needed upgrade. I'm not likely to use this myself, I'm not a creator so the inclusion or lack of an editor doesn't bother me. - Driving simulation of what I played felt more like TS' coded physics rather than TSW's more realistic physics via simugraph. This might be better in the final product. - No route variety at launch is disappointing. It might focus on covering bases that TSW doesn't which would entice players who feel their regions are ignored by DTG. This would be a good thing for Simrail to take advantage of. - Counter to my above point. I'm not going to consider a purchase unless some UK content is created for Simrail as that's what my core interest is. All in all, I don't think Simrail is going to be the TSW/DTG killer that some people are hoping it is. It's also published by Playway which likes to drop it's titles after launch from what I've heard so long term support is yet to be seen. On the other hand, I feel TSW is heading in a very good direction. I've enjoyed the higher quality of the new TSW3 routes BCC and BRO. We have Just Trains & Alan Thomson Sim now making content for it, which is a great, GREAT thing for UK fans. Quality of German content has also gone up overall with Lukas and Maik on board. Sure, there's been some big hurdles and a lot of pesky bugs but overall, I'm happy to stay with TSW while occasionally jumping into TS Classic. I'm personally more excited to see where DTG take TSW in 2023 than the release of Simrail.
I've tried dispatcher/driver multiplayer in Train Driver 2, which is a Polish train sim from 2015, and it's actually good fun.
For me personally the biggest thing by Simrail over TSW is the multiplayer. Sure, some people will troll around and so on, but just in theory its hella cool to have actual dispatchers so some unforeseen things happen. If they nail the communication via radio and stuff like that it has the potential to be a great overall experience. Also its cooler seeing other trains that are player driven and getting greeted by them. In TSW you just feel alone.
Having a dispatcher in TSW would be nice, even if it was an AI. There's a reason there's a telephone in many of the cabs
Having a great time in MP, things have smoothed out now since the first release, people seem to know what's going on now. I really think this game brings a new era of train simming to us, MP is great fun as it brings in a great deal of uncertainty for your drive ahead, just like real life I guess. The physics seem good to me, scenery v good, and the fact that we have an editor on the way brings many possibilities. I also believe there may be a German route in the works? It will be a matter of time before UK developers get working on this, imagine a MP WCML with real signallers, that would be epic. This could be what finally nudges DTG to bringing us MP and an editor, they'll be missing out on a trick if they don't. Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy TSW3, especially XCity, but this MP aspect changes the game aspect, for me anyway - massive amounts of playability here. The signalling aspect I haven't looked into yet, but it looks fun, realistic and a lot of people seem to enjoy it! A big thumbs up for the devs at SimRail they've done a great job.
I am charmed and already addicted. I hope the AI dispatcher will be fixed soon. Now it uses to be not very useful sometimes. Graphics @ medium // for me very natural and good looking // but TSW is prettier for sure \o/ Thanks to MP every run is different and unpredictable. A new era!
It's a playway published game, it could be great, like car Mechanic, or absolutely trash. It's difficult to tell.. i've played more than my fair share of "game killer" Playway games that just... disappear into the abyss.
I think it's more accurate to say "if DTG gives scenario planner a much needed upgrade". Also, even if you don't create scenarios, you benefit from the game having a power scenario designer by having a larger variety of scenarios available. Comparing something to TSC doesn't say much on its own - the physics quality of TSC stock is highly variable, with some third party stuff having very good physics indeed. Also, Simugraph's physics are just as "coded".
For me it's on my wishlist, and I am keeping my eye the player tests and the videos being posted. I am intrigued as it does show promise and remains to be seen how it releases on Jan 13.
Saw a thread on this yesterday A busy station had a noob dispatcher which ended up with some people waiting half an hour for a green light Many people can get that in TSW driving to Brighton... Until they put some decent effort into UK routes (which is all I drive) and make sure the gameplay doesn't rely on multiplayer in any way shape or form I won't even consider it
Yes that’s the biggest problem I could see with multiplayer. If you are going to do multiplayer you need to be able to set up groups where you can collect groups of like-minded players who all want to do the same thing. If you want to mess around then there can be a group for that and people who want to play seriously can have groups too. If someone starts ruining it they can be kicked from the group so they don’t spoil it for everyone. Especially for the serious groups, a player rating system would be ideal. Anyone getting regularly kicked from groups or reported would have a negative rating so you’d know to keep them out of your groups. I would like this too for scenarios and liveries in the creators club. Sometimes you play someone’s scenario and it’s just a bit rubbish and you feel like you’ve wasted your time. Then you find some gems that hardly anyone has played.
I am testing since day 1 and didn't notice such issues. The multiplayer in SR is like the TSW timetable but you can take into control any train and drive. You don't need to set up anything or search for anyone.
I think the testing bit is key. You testers are all keen players who want to explore its potential and play it as intended. When it releases properly will the influx of players dilute the ones who want to play seriously?
Exactly how about a Marshalling Yards because Simrail would have multiplayer in there. I have suggested routes with a marshalling yard NMBS/SNCB Kinkempois L37 Aachen Liege Germany Rbf Hagen Vorhalle & Dresden Friedrichstadt then ÖBB Verschiebebahnhof Salzburg Gnigl Wien Kledering Linz Wels Schnellfahrstrecke Wien Salzburg Westbahn. Those yards should be the guinea pig for yard mode multiplayer if Paul Jackson DTG ceo if he needs to compete with Simrail.
i might buy it for the editor. and keen on console side of game in 2023 if may or may not have editor. i could understand if they took out that feature on consoles side of game. it would give people opportunity to make there own routes and assets.
I'm much more interested in Simrail than TSW 3. As a matter of fact, I have no intention of getting TSW 3 at all.
It was confirmed in a Q&A on YouTube that the servers will have moderators to check everyone is playing nicely
There's more options than "going online with a hundred randos" and "no multiplayer" for games. Look at TruckersMP versus SCS Software's multiplayer, both are multiplayer, but are executed in entirely different ways. The formers that massive more chaotic multiplayer that people seem to talk about all the time and base their experience off of. While the latter's much smaller scale, meant for single digit amounts of players, and allows for setting up private password protected rooms. So if you really don't want to deal with noobs or trolls you can instead ask some friends to play multiplayer with you, without strangers being able to interfere. There's also games like Portal 2 that do things like Co-op campaigns, where it's a scripted content that's meant to be played with just two players. I understand why people might not find the former experience unenjoyable, but simply writing off multiplayer altogether is stupid. The best the thing to do would be to introduce the option to host private games where players can choose who can play with them. Then you can have both have heavily moderated "no funny business allowed" servers, and the "anything goes" servers. Perhaps even introducing scripted multiplayer scenarios at some point would be a good idea as well, for those who want a less sandbox style game mode to play with their friends.
I think multiplayer has a lot of potential. I often fly on the Vatsim flightsim network, and even with thousands of pilots and hundreds of controllers, the amount of abuse is close to nothing. The difference of course is that in a plane you're less restricted because you can always see and avoid, which is of course impossible on strictly regulated train tracks. This is exactly how it should be done: a server that runs the timetable, where as a train driver you can take over any service that's not run by another player and as a dispatcher (using a dedicated dispatcher platform that should not necessary be included in the train sim itself) can control any position that's not controlled by another human. It would require quite some engineering, but the end result would be totally worth it for me.
Its two years late, so I would guess more like 3 - 4 years and it appears to be not even remotely ready, so another 4 years? Honestly if they don't have a huge financial background from someone very patient, at the moment the only thing I can see them going is out of business. The entry barrier to VATSIM is very high with the requirement to download a specific standalone client, register and even take a test now. This is a lot more comparable to the standard MSFS multiplayer, where all you have to do is press connect and the standard multiplayer is in every aspect as bad as you would imagine it to be. Unfortunately I don't see something like VATSIM happening for any train simulator in a near future.
Unless you live with or are friends with the other players, they're randoms. So to my mind there are only two options, play alone or be interrupted by people who likely don't know what I want to do and therefore facilitate it. This is why I don't see the point in MP in TSW because literally in UK train driving the interraction with other people is pretty minimal, and if they do their jobs you should hardly notice the difference anyway
It is good and I'm enjoying the experience but in truth I don't think DTG have much to worry about for competition to either TSW or TSC. The MP has its appeal but more a chat room than anything else so far as driving is concerned. The AI signalling capability is showing signs of stress and we haven't even got the full route yet. I have had a go at the dispatching myself in a simple signalbox but I can see how those trying the larger locations are getting overwhelmed. Unlike SimSig or SIAM you can't pause a deal time MP game while you figure out what to do. Of course I can't help imagine what MP TSW might look like with a route like Somerset and Dorset with live players working all the signalboxes. Oh and the servers for the MP game are a bit flakey. I had all sorts of problems getting on initially and I see from the official forum they have been down for several hours overnight. We have yet to see what the single player game looks like or the editors. So it complements TSW in the same way as Zusi 3 or Run 8, IMHO.
Time will tell. I try to have no more than 2 train sims installed at a time. Now I have TSW, Run8, SR on disk. Well, I'm wondering...
Oh and a word or three about the graphics. Better than Zusi 3, I suppose comparable to modern Trainz versions. However they are struggling on my admittedly potato of a PC. Lots of pauses and lag both when driving and moving camera. More so than TSW, it has to be said. The maximumk draw distance is also incredibly low, something like 2km not even distant mountains with a flat texture like we had in MSTS. This will be a potential issue going forward if people want to create hilly or mountainous routes where distant vistas are part of the experience.
And? Plenty of games have had multiplayer content which clearly designed around playing it with someone familiar, not a random. For example Super Mario 3D World supports online multiplayer, but it relies on local or you having someone on your online friends list to use it. New Super Mario Bros on Wii & Wii U/Switch has a very similar multiplayer, plus some extra multiplayer exclusive modes, but completely lacks online connectivity. Then there's Portal 2 which I mentioned in the beginning, which while I believe does allow you to match with random people if you wish, also allows you to create a private room and play it that way. And considering that's a decent length campaign reliant on cooperation I have to imagine that they're assuming you're playing with someone you're at least comfortable enough to talk to. Frankly I'd imagine Simrail's multiplayer is probably gonna be similar in that regard, better with a few people you're familiar with than a bunch of randoms, at least if you want a more organized experience. It's no less interactive than truck sim or MSFS' default multiplayer, yet it's very popular in those titles. Those Mario games I mention are also completely playable in single player, barring a few modes in the latter, and personally that's how I prefer to play it since it feels less chaotic. However many people do enjoy that chaotic multiplayer experience, and I understand why those people do. I don't demand they don't spend resources on it just because I'm not a huge fan, or get few opportunities to use it.
Better to have an option to choose between SP / MP in a game than not to have it EDIT Talking about MP on this forum sounds sometimes like this is mandatory to go online, like a punishment. No. Just an option. BR o7
And, I don't want to play with people I don't know at all... ever... And given nobody I do know (other than a 12 year old kid) plays train games I'll stick to 1st person only... Not sure why people keep bringing up games which have nothing at all to do with how train sims work In those games you can have trucks running side by side, finding different routes between start and end location, interacting. Same with flying, planes can fly in a 3D world around each other. The closest you should ever come to another train in game is on the track next to you as you fly past at a closing speed above 100mph. For the rest of the time you don't see anything to do with the other. So for THIS game, the MP would boil down to dispatcher or guard mode and both have "other person trashing my experience" possibilities... no thanks
I would very much like to try it, but I cannot find out for the life of me how to get access to the Simrail play test.
My PC coughed a lot despite it being close to recommended spec. I may get a new PC in the new year but it will be based on MSFS requirements as I try and play in 4K without remortgaging the house. TsW still firmly uninstalled with the boredom factor high unless some changes occur. I probably going back to Zusi and TSC for a good while although will watch Simrail with interest. I still stand by my previous comments if you combined the route lengths from MSTS, the content of TSC, the randomness and physics of Zusi 3 and the graphics and timetable mode of TSW it would be all out winner if coupled to a usable editor. So far every single product sits on its own merits but falls short enough to stop it from being great. We need a call of duty or MSFS for the Train Sim scene but unfortunately as DTG continue to hold the torch the main product will sell enough but leave many of us wanting when having a go at other products.....
If you're taking different routes from most others in truck sim or flight sim then you're mitigating a lot of the point in multiplayer. You're less likely to encounter anyone if everyone's off doing their own thing. Not to mention, as you said yourself earlier... How's a well driving person going to be different from a well driving AI? The whole point of the person is really that you have to worry more about the human element. Rerouting can be a limited factor in TruckersMP, seeing as you do have to worry about traffic jams in that case. But the former to me seems like the real reason most would want to play it, not the latter. That's certainly the case in SCS' convoy mode, traffic jams aren't really a thing with the more limited player numbers. As for MSFS I don't think you realize how it actually works in that game, mid-air collusions aren't actually in a thing. You pass through any plane, AI or player, there isn't options for enabling them, even via modding from what I know. Sure you can reroute around a plane in MSFS, but there isn't a point, and even if that were the case AI traffic provides the exact same incentive.
Which basically spoils it for everyone else. Different in games where you have to interact or be compatible to complete your job. When driving trains the point is the driver should be driving free of interference. Signallers do their job everyone goes home on time. That sort of thing Your points basically make MP irrelevant to anything I would want to do in any game...
It's as I said essentially a chat room while waiting at a red signal. And last night playing as signaller, I gave a couple of "Hi's" and o7's from the chat box but none of the 12 or so other people on the server wanted to speak.
You guys do not understand the concept. Playing with other human beings is the key feature. The interaction wont be Fortnite like, never ever. Eventualy coop with a real conductor Run8-like would be nicely welcome. IRL interaction between trains and DS is chat room experience as well. In TSW you can chat with AI DS pressing buttons. Is this better? I dont think so. So, this is still a nice addition to any train experience. This is really weird, because you are posting tons of stuff here every day. You think, is this AI chat room experience? No. You are interacting with other people. I hope now you understand the lore behind train sim with MP. It is just like that. To play with people like you and me, to share the joy. BR o7
Completely agree. Unless you have groups of players who all want to play seriously it’s not going to be a great experience. I don’t know why it’s getting compared to other sims. If someone pauses to go to the toilet in a truck sim, you can just drive around. If someone stops to answer the door or go to the toilet or whatever in TSW then you are going to be stuck at a red light until they decide to come back. The idea of humans driving the trains I’m passing is nice but I just don’t think it’s worth the other times where it’s going to be a detrimental factor. That’s before you even get into how much time and effort the devs will have to put into it, taking away from time and effort that could be put into new routes and fixing issues. We know they struggle as it is. The only way I could see it being a consistently good experience is with the ability to make groups of players you trust, with the ability to ban them from your group if they are disruptive.
Well, isn't the base route Polish? Are Polish freight trains DOO? I know most European freight trains are.
Base (only?) route is Polish. Not sure of the crewing arrangements but would imagine DOO is the default.
PL freight ops are similar to any others, US included, but not so epic scale of course. US content is in plans for what I know.
I'll waiting Simrail for the editor, I'd like so much build route and now I'm stuck on TSC because TSW doesn't have a route editor so, if Simrail will have one, for the first time think I'll try it! The same for the editor, I'm so curious to try it... Maybe after that I came back to TSW (the graphics for me is the better here) but now I looking for that
