Much as I like Mainz- Koblenz, it disappointed me yesterday. I ran the " Jump Around" scenario, which promised a run down the line to Mainz, " sharing the line with more than the usual freight traffic ". Well, the title was misleading. It turned out to be a straight run with perfect weather, green lights all the way and zero freight interference. Oh there were freight trains alright, but none were even close to the track I was driving on. Any moving AI traffic was strictly passsenger. Very disappointing. What is the point of creating such a tedious scenario.? I like the route, like the locos, but the game play leaves something to be desired. And let's fix the bugs. If the cars can stop at crossings on Nidder, why don't they stop on MK?
Actually I have had cars go through the barriers on Nidd too, also Peak Forest though that was after resuming a saved game. So there seems to be a wider issue in the core where vehicle stoppers are not doing their job.
This is the ‘standard’ standard for TSW scenarios in my experience. I fully expect the blurb at the start to be an exaggeration of what will be encountered and more like the initial intention of the scenario author before the scenario is actually made in full. It has been repeated over and over in many DLC over the years. I get the impression the scenario authoring tool is difficult to use and lacks the necessary functionality to do anything meaningful. It can’t be that the teams making the scenarios are prone to making a mess of nearly everything they do. It must be clunky tools.
This is part of the reason I don’t even bother with scenarios unless they have something really different from a regular timetable service… like a rescue or some crazy long shunting scenario, etc
Scenarios are becoming more and more mundane and straight forward runs. MML are so short generally they are over before the start.
And yet once in a while someone steps up and does something really creative and challenging with scenarios. Clinchfield comes to mind, though that was a while ago.
I always treated scenarios as something different to do, I.e not something I can do in timetable mode. but now, 90% of scenarios are just timetables services masked with a fancy name. It’s so boring. Give us something that’s slightly interesting or let us do more with the scenario planner. but again, I understand it’s because the devs aren’t given the time to make an in-depth experience.
If you have Peak Forest, I highly recommend “All Mixed Up” - easily one of the best freight scenarios in TSW.
Yes and if I’m remembering correctly, rivet usually have a few decent scenarios in their routes. But it’s been so long since I’ve run a scenario.
Yes, although rivet can be hit and miss, SHG used to do some really good challenging scenarios especially in HSC, but I was bitterly disappointed by the lackluster and straight forward ones on MML
Aaah I remember that scenario - my experience was exactly the same and I also wondered afterwards: "Huh? Shouldn't I have encountered a lot more traffic as by scenario description?" My train wasn't put on sidings by the dispatcher for overtakings much IIRC ... I didn't post about it in the forums then because I was 3-4 minutes late with departure and thought maybe that's why the timings didn't work for me. But now reading about your experience, I guess the scenario might be missing something
For me scenarios are some kind of artefacts after TSC, they could easily sub into timetable... But this would allow DTG to be even more short on efforts
I totally agree that pick up/drop off local goods services should be a part of the timetable. I think DTG should be looking at how to make freight services more engaging than A to B runs. I still think Tees Valley has the best freight timetable in TSW; you take the empties, fill them up and then bring them back or vice versa and you can do all of three of those tasks without going back to the game’s menu. As for PF, I’ve seen photos of an 0-6-0 doing local freight duty on the route back in the day, it wasn’t a Fowler 4F in the pictures but the 4F could be put on those runs to fill in the game’s timetable.
