Midland Mainline - Skyhook Feedback

That's old news. They are working on a new time table. So far not confirmed officially but Jane today mentioned 254 services

 

Oh sorry my bad i thought it was describing what had been added

 

You scared me for second. looking foward to the added services

 

Makes me very happy to hear you say that about the Class 158. Making the engine and the transmission behave correctly was a bit of a nightmare .

I'm definitely a strong defender/proponent of Simugraph but it's still an approximation of the real world systems so even if you have all the correct specifications (which is almost never the case since even engineering documents won't always have each little subcomponent specified) you have to hand-tune the parameters to get the correct behaviour (if you're lucky) or fudge/build sub systems that simulate the wanted effect. I probably have 10 extra "nodes" (technically objects in terms of code but think mechanical components) on top of the actual torque converter, fluid coupling and gearbox, just to get the dynamic and static behaviour as close to the real thing as possible.

 

Just wondering how many playable freight services will there be as it stands?

 

The 7:12 to St Pancake sure looks different to how I remember it

 

That incredible for me to met you on train sim forums. You came from a time when evrything, evry genre has to be invented from scratch. EA was a so innovative company in those years, Bullfrog is a legendary studio with a legendary leader with each game being a hit, Populous franchise invented the genre, Richard bring us Ultima series with ultima 7 being IMO still the best RPG. I immédiatly reconised a picture of Midwinter in your screenshot, an incredible 3d open world that i spendend hours in young years that was ahead of his time too.

Really you helped to shape the gaming world since so many years,
Im really happy you are within trainsimming now ! Welcome Sir !

 

I’m not sure this has been identified but disappearing passengers (ones I like!) as soon as they get onboard. Walk through the train and passenger occupation is not amounts expected based on boarding.

 

Kind of felt that about Night Train too. You take over at the last stop before Nottingham (had the previous driver been “naughty”?), drive into the station, take it to the stabling point and…game over. Obviously as previously mentioned there’s a limit to the variety you can set up in Journey mode with a clockface timetable and no freight. However that’s one area Rivet are actually quite good at, the revamped IOW for example has some interesting little scenarios even if not entirely operationally sound.

 

Got em xD

 

I will ask Tom for you and let you know.

 

We have seen this and are currently still trying to find out what is happening. Thank you for pointing out though, all comments are appreciated in case we miss something!

Thank you
Jane

 

I am really impressed you spotted Midwinter from the photo. Mike Singleton taught me so much about development when we worked together. Working with Sid Meier, Wild Bill and Mike Singleton with Microprose was one of my first jobs out of school.

Thank you for the welcome! I have been on the forum a really long time reading. I am just on the other side of the fence now as train sim dev rather than train sim fan. I hope I bring the passion of the fan in me to making these routes.

 

Sid Meier, Wild Bill ! Woah ! Just woah.
Midwinter was easy, i bought it in a box along with floppys, a neat map, a big manual so many years ago on Atari ST. Dont have the box anymore..

Anyway your passion and experience is very welcome here !
And sorry to others users for having catched a litlle too much the topic !

 

Yes I think this is something quite a lot of peope, probably too many, don't realise about driving trains (or buses) and expect that every day we go somewhere completly different. Saying that, sometimes if I'm lucky I get to go to C or D as well and I can't contain my excitement. Also sometimes (like today) I need to take a completely different route for part of the journey: I needed a nice cuppa to chill my nerves!

In the grand scheme of things it can probably be considered quite a boring job.

 

A family friend is a train driver. He loves that he gets cushty shifts, new cars when he wants and silly money for a depot move.

He despises travelling the same route every day and being financially locked into the career knowing his income would be 50,% less elsewhere.

Kinda makes me glad im not doing something i hate 33% of my week. Each to their own

 

Don't get me wrong I do genuinely love my job and wouldn't change it for the world and I'd say that I only hate it less than 5% of the time and this is probably less to do with the repetitive nature and more to do with other events out of my control. It would be a different story if I didn't go to C and D or with only one piece of traction though. As I say it can be a very boring job but I still absolutely adore it (especially on days like today when something very out of the norm happens).

Anyhow to keep on topic it is great to see all these new services added and this update/patch seems to keep on getting better and better.

 

I think one of my favourite games from Bullfrog days were Populous on the Amiga* and Syndicate Wars. I played the hell out of them. Then EA came along ☹

*yes I was an Amiga boy (with a commodore 64 and 128 as well) but loved the Amiga 1200.

Hentis

 

I started PC gaming with an A600 (kind of the b.....d offshoot of the A500) before graduating the A1200, paying £200 to have a small hard drive put in it. Cut my teeth on titles like F16 Combat Pilot, the Microprose sims, then the cut down Tornado from Digital Integration and A320 from Thalion. Plus many others... Devs had to work hard then to push the limitations of the hardware. Sorry for rambling OT nostalgic reminiscence!

 

Was that the A320 sim that came with a huge book of approach plates? Brings back the memories and really got me into that field.
If only we had then what we have now - VR Zibo mod 737 with full functionality....
I wonder what simming will be like 40 yrs from now!
Sorry, OT.

 

Yes that was the one! Two large fold out maps showing airways, the approach plates as you say and also a huge great manual. Of course the terrain in the sim was flat as a pancake and there weren't even any buildings on the airports let alone the cities but it certainly hit the spot at the time.

Of course back then there wasn't much in the way of train sims - a few signalling games (mainly SIAM) and the Simudrive from Paul Lee which had an Amiga version, oh and Paul Robin's Train Driver 3 though I only found my way to that later using an emulator on the PC. I wonder where the two Pauls are now?!

Anyhow apologies to jane and everyone else for this totally OT wittering.

 

A lot of it has gone over my head as I'm crap with technology lol but it's been nice to see the joy and passion you all have so it's not bothered me.

 

I remember that as well ....

Hentis

 

Hi

really sorry for not replying sooner, it’s on PS5.

 

I started gaming with Infocom text adventures on an Apple II+

 

Watch out for the Grue!

 

Not sure if this has already been asked but is there any plans to add signal boxes such as Derby Power Signal Box and the East Midlands Control Centre (EMCC)? I know a lot of these places are not in use having been replaced by the EMCC but they are Iconic buildings on the route and seeing as the entire route is now signalled from within the EMCC it would be nice for it to one of the assets.

 

Also Ashley Greenup for his Railway simulations, I used to call at his house in lowry Hill in Carlisle to buy games when I got my pocket money , not sure what he does now

 

That bring back some memories. You can play them here:

http://www.bbcmicro.co.uk/index.php?search=Ashley+Greenup&on_A=on

(we could really do with a separate thread for these old games)

 

Zork? Wow, memories.

 

Wow thanks for that, I planned an afternoon on TSW after doing housework but I think I might be doing something different now!

 

I suspect, this topic has been sidetracked.... again

 

Totally agree. It needs sorting out. Who is moderating this?

 

And the new topic was finished, until you complained about it.

Just saying.

 

Well, some of us don't want to keep getting notifications about ancient games, archaic consoles.... or football.

 

Well, you did. You could have just let it die off and whenever this thread came back to action, it would be about MML again.

Nothing wrong with a couple of OT posts, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.

(there's a report message button for a reason...)

 

I won't mention Superfrog then.

 

I would love to see improvement for Midland Mainline before Skyhook Games could think about Expansion If so they could add:
Sheffield
Matlock
Worksop
Lincoln
London St. Pancras & Corby (Maybe)
Class 222 and class 180
Steam rail tour without needing (West Cornwall local steam rail tour for players that don't have it)

 

Back to updates, not previous simulators (however fun they may have been) or future expansions.

I know I’ll be shot down for saying this, but, I’m starting the feel that this update is the emperors new clothes. We are 4 or 5 weeks since the product was released and there’s still not an update or any idea when it will come.

Speaking personally, I would much prefer that the release had been delayed and the product released when it was ready. Instead I’ve invested in a product that has so many flaws that do spoil my immersion and instead am waiting for the update like the rest of us.

I have to say that I think I’ve been very patient and I’ve not even considered getting a refund, but I’m beginning to think I should have done what some here have and requested a refund and then bought it when it was actually ready.

 

I can't deny that the garden path has crossed my mind in my darker moments, and that's why I haven't yet purchased a route I really would like to have.

But I'm putting my trust in the genie that granted me 3 wishes the other day:

1. The Joe- designed timetable for NYT.
2. The diesel pack for PFR
3. The full promised update for MML.

If any one of these things doesn't come to pass, I'm losing my religion.

 

Is that you in the corner, or, alternatively, is that you in the spotlight?

 

Can’t wait for the New timetables for NJT and MML

 

Well we do have some idea of when it will arrive, we were told via an update that it was hoped for this month. also it is in your own power to delay the release for yourself Just don't play it till its updated or refund and buy again later :- Either way way will work.

 

This is my top 3 wishlist right now too, and in that exact order.

 

Some time this month to make a game playable isn’t really acceptable. I know Jane is doing all she can to get this done and that is admirable. However the game was released in an unfit state to my mind, an update is promised for some time in the future, and I’m left with a hole in my wallet.

Can’t get the refund because it’s took long passed since I bought it, because I was led to believe early on the update is coming. I have no choice but not to play it because it doesn’t work.

the main point I was making before is that we are now 4-5 weeks since release and still it doesn’t work properly and the update still doesn’t have a release date. Hence I regrettably see this is as the emperors new clothes.

 

It doesn’t work?! Can you bit more clearer. Will the route not load?! Does it crash straight away. Can you not even select the route to play?

I’ve played around 40 services and although there is the AWS/TPWS issue, which I can workaround now by managing the speed on the approach to Mountsorrel, I’ve had one crash on the approach to Leicester, there are no other issues that affect the playability of the route.

There is no way the route is unplayable.

I don’t get this need for the patch to be rushed out, after the amount of criticism the route got for being rushed out or unfinished in the first place. You even said earlier you wish the route had been delayed. So which one is it then?!

 

When milk is spilt one should take the time needed to clear it up properly. No point leaving half the puddle on the floor!

 

It is odd as my copy seems to be working fine! Why not just be patient, no doubt you will be the first to complain if the updates are rushed and there are problems with them!

You weren't lead to believe the update was coming, you were informed, like the rest of us that the update is coming. Of course it will be some time in the future, that is how time works! Did you want it within a week and half finished?

 

I'm sorry... what?
Unplayable?
No seriously... what?

It's not "unplayable" at worst, there's a few *very minor* bugs, but it is FAR from unplayable.

Unplayable would literally be crashing on launch or major issues. None of which are present in the released build.

Even Rivet's Scotrail, with the current Neutral Section bug isn't "unplayable", merely mildly frustrating.

 

I've only had the DLC crash on me once, the AWS bug isn't an issue for me as I just turn it off near Mountsorrel, it's hardly broken. Jane has been very forthcoming with information and screenshots of the update and has provisionally given us a timetable for sometime this month for the updates.

Compared with any response from DTG for Peak Rail which can be basically summed up as "We couldn't be bothered but we may do something in the future" I'd say the team at Skyhook have been fantastic in working to upgrade the route.