Tsw Wc - The Final

It's time...
We started with 52 - we now have 3.
It's time to crown the ultimate TSW Route!

Southeastern Highspeed
Originally released for TSW2, containing the line from London to Faversham via Ebbsfleet, SEHS' extension/rebuild for TSW3 has propelled the route to new heights - and this final.

With the Classes 66, 375, 395 and 465 included by default- and the ROG 37, RHTT and 700 DLCs all featuring plenty on Southeastern Highspeed, the route has plenty of variety - especially with the added HS1 down to Ashford, and Chatham Mainline as far as Dartford, from Gravesend.

Will the Southeast bring home the cup?


Dresden - Riesa
Dresden - Riesa is another route originally from TSW2. Featuring a plethora of rolling stock, covering Freight, Regional and S-Bahn services, as well as layers for the InterCity and ICE services found on the route, Dresden-Riesa has plenty of options.
The Großenheim and Meißen branches offer shorter runs and variation from the Dresden-Riesa line, which, in itself, is split into two - with a slow line and a fast line.

The route is the only German route left. Can it win?


Blackpool Branches
TSW's newest UK Route, developed by Just Trains, and the only TSW4 route on this list, Blackpool Branches offers a different pace to the others. Set in the bygone era of British Rail diesels, operating Pacers and 47s on the lines from Preston - Blackpool North, Blackpool South and Ormskirk, as well as the freight spur to Burn Naze.

With three distinct trains on the route - with multiple liveries each - plenty of layers from elsewhere, and a host of different branches and service patterns, Blackpool was undoubtedly a hit for Just Trains' debut. (The quality of the route helps, too)

Can Blackpool - currently the favourite by a good distance - win the TSW World Cup?


Voting
Very simple this time - you only get one vote. This poll will run for 25 hours. (Ends 15:05 UTC, on Tuesday.)

We're not done here...
After the TSW World Cup's route conference, we move over the Loco Conference. Every train to grace TSW (apart from those stuck in TSW2020, sorry NEC.) will battle it out.

This is only the beginning.
Find out more here: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/the-tsw-world-cup.77086/

Anyway, enjoy the show!

 

Somewhat counterintuitively, if geography plays a big factor then I could see Dresden taking this due to the splitting of the UK vote.

(I voted for SEHS, although Blackpool is essentially similar in terms of quality IMO)

 

A difficult choice, but from these three, it has to be SEHS.

 

Honestly Blackpool is the best of the three IMO, everything I would say about it has already been said countless times and there really isn’t anything glaringly wrong.

The other two are very good. But there are areas of the route that could still do with some improvement (missing OHLE etc) and since I’m currently on SEHS there are areas like Strood that let the route down tbh.

 

BPO is the ultimate one, what a amazing route, played for many hours and counting.

 

I think the poll will be a strongly biased win for Blackpool Branches, because it was just released and so many people are hyped about it. It's not a fair and not an unbiased vote/poll in my opinion.

So I see the result of BPO as a winner of this "world cup" idea and even the result of this complete poll with mixed feelings.

And could you please describe: What is the point of this "world cup" at all? Finding the most popular or liked route? But shouldn't the player/traffic numbers illustrate this instead then?

And another argument of mine: Not even all players could vote for it. The timeframe in which you opened the polls were just too small. In fact, I couldn't even vote for my favorite route in any of the rounds before because I just discovered your idea here as it was pinned by a mod and then it was already too late to cast my vote for it.

If I was you, I had opened this poll at least over 2 weeks for each round to get more people to vote for it, and therefore a better and transparent result.

I mean my route came into the final three, but is also very unlikely to win because in this forum are way more people voting for UK stuff than for german content, so not a fair poll for me.

Blackpool Branches is a very good DLC, but it's just too early to make a poll like this for it. People are just biased for it because they stil arel in hype about it and probably play it in the last days and weeks up and down, up and down.

6 or 12 months later, I think SEHS could had a way better chance to win I think.

 

It's just a bit of fun for the holiday season. Don't be so serious about it.

 

Fun?

 

That's not allowed on this forum! /s

 

Got to be Blackpool!

 

I prefer driving older trains that make sounds, so....

 

Someone's clearly getting their excuses in for their favourite to try and soften the blow!

 

Three great routes. Each is good in its own way.
Blackpool is the winner in the quality of environment category.
Dresden is the winner in the category for best schedule (among participants).
High speed - slightly better than Dresden, overall richer gameplay (large set of add-ons).

I really want this route to develop. It will be perfect with the extension of the Chatham, North Kent Line, the Sheerness line, and the extension to Dover and Ramsgate.

 

Nothing against fun, but the problem I have with it, is that DTG might take this and says: "Oh, look. These are the most popular routes! Let's ditch the extension and upgrade plans for others, which already got out in round 1! They're not worth it!"

You might never know who you influence with polls like this and think about the people in charge who prioritize medals, action points, trophies, collectibles and alike over things like passenger announcements and working passenger behavior.

For me this poll is done pretty professional and seems seriously enough to not be meant as a silly joke between two kids and to be understood as seriois poll, and therefore I can expect professionalism.

No, I don't have to as I personally see no point in it, all. I completely don't care about the results of my favorite route in this weird poll.

What I do care about is fair conditions, if this is going to be understood as a serious election by anyone (might that be the community or anyone at DTG). That's a difference.

BTW, I had much prefered one winner in each territory category (UK, US and Germany) rather than this 1 "ultimative winner".

 

Just wait for the mob riots after it's over

 

Matt has said many, many times that they are well aware the participants in these forums are only a small slice of their playerbase. DTG have their own numbers, both sales and play rates: they track every player-hour spent in each route and possibly loco.

 

I am sorry mate, but you are still reminding me of my mate who supports Chelsea getting in the excuses for not winning early. This is a bit of light hearted fun. Chill your beans!

 

However, polls like this in a forum with the majority full of long time costumers who spend their time with TSW for a longer period of time, could influence some heads anywhere.

Also I agree to what Matt said, but not necessarily speaks against my argumentation and what I meant. Plus of course, he is in charge as Executive Producer, which does not immediately mean he knows how the folks in the management department might really think and what they are looking at or not to influence their statistics.

 

I am no football/soccer or even sport fan at all, so such nonsene like "Why my club did not get the trophy?" or "Why they didn't win XY?" doesn't matter to me in my life, either.

Also what has this do with an election?

 

I do not understand how this is a bad thing.

 

I think they read the forums to gauge opinion, which is why they exist at all; but they don't use them for statistical analysis, because they don't represent a statistically valid sample.

Just for one example- how often does LGV Marseilles ever get discussed in here? But Sam and Matt have reported that year after year that is the most-played route in TSW. Judging by the tenor of forum opinion, LGV is the sort of thing the members in here really don't care for at all: one train, A to B, three stations, blah scenery, no service variety. In other words, we aren't a very good barometer of the wider player base.

 

I love all three - and have the hours lost to prove it! I also consider the Pacer the best current driving experience in TSW. However, for gameplay, driving challenge and the sheer variety of services - the "never know what you are going to see on any given run" type of experience, the contest is between SEHS and DRA for me.

SEHS has two different safety systems, two different types of power, and a loco that can change between the two on the fly. It also has what I consider the best service mode run of all time in TSW: 5F55 Faversham to St Pancras @ 17:35*

Though I love being on the challenge of staying on the correct side of PZB curves, my vote goes towards SEHS.

Regardless, TSW needs more routes with the depth of services and equipment like DRA and SEHS.


* Run it in the fall. My apologies to Harlem Line Train 670 Southeast - GCT at 17:18.

 

It's not, it can be a very good thing. I'm huge advocate for democracy and I also think we should have way more community polls hold up by DTG themselves in this forum. But, and this is my issue, the election results can be distorted if some factors favor one or a few candidate(s) more than others or simply not enough eligible voters had the chance to cast their vote. And then of course, it's bad that this might have an influence to some people in charge of deciding about upgrades and improvements of older routes.

In fact, I didn't spoke anything against the poll itself in the very beginning. I just asked the OP what the intention behind it is and if it should be taken seriously (as I think it is because the work with this poll seems just a bit to professional to be categorized as a "fun joke amongs friends") then I think the recent release of Blackpool Branches IMHO distorts the result of the election at least a bit.

That was just my personal opinion.

Don't why a herd going against me for that now, if everything should be as "fun" as it's said to be.

 

If there is anything these polls show, it's that US routes are as mentioned plenty of times before, not as good as UK and DE offerings.

 

SEHS is my favourite, but because Dovetail haven't been bothered to fix the crash on it I've told them about, it's got to be Blackpool for me.

 

It's a bit of fun over the festive season on a forum that can be a bit...
tense...
at times.

I didn't force anyone to be objective, it's entirely subjective and that's intentional. I don't want everyone to have to go and meticulously analyse every route to decide the winner.

And, if we're calling it unfair - the entire structure of Groups + Knockout Rounds is unfair because it means the 'best' route could have, hypothetically, been knocked out in Round 1. (It wasn't, the most popular was and has been since, Blackpool).

 

All 3 are great, IMO, and it was a really tough choice.

I voted Dresden as i feel it's the most polished gameplay of the three and the best service variety. It has literally everything!

 

I didn't realise this post was making so many different points. Allow me to retort.

^ Taking this far too seriously.

 

[EDIT - Jan - Quarrelsome]

 

Can we for once have a bit of fun.

 

The bias complaint doesn’t even make sense, using that logic, Maintalbahn should win, however it was knocked out very early.

2 of the 3 routes here are a number of years old, although granted have had upgrades.

BPO is winning because it has objectively good quality & variety.

 

3 really good routes but when I think they all have really good things going for all 3, but 1 really stands above the rest in that it feels working as routes should all be with nothing really majorly missing or broken.

Edit: (amended considerations)

SEHS has some flaws, missing a fair number of services from what I’ve heard and PIS is pretty non existent currently.

Dresden had its Flughafen branch taken away (originally a major selling point for me at the run up to rush hour)

Blackpool is missing the electric BR on the mainline

all 3 routes have branch potentials with varying services and quite long route lengths in total. My main issue with near all routes currently is Z-Fighting, taken that into account SEHS Blackpool are pretty much even I think, Blackpool may take the lead in that slightly but Dresden would be hit back quite a bit with that consideration.

Of all that and other considerations my vote goes to Blackpool.

 

The signage on SEHS is all there.

Two problems:

1) 12 car services on eastbound Chatham services stop at the 8 car stop marker.

2) the 700 at Northfleet westbound doesn't stop at the RLU marker.

 

my bad I haven’t seen that route in a little while, must have forgot it’s updates.

 

It was a really close call. Also not sure how many football matches have three teams playing each other on the field but hey ho...

After a lot of consideration and despite my love for BR Blue I had to go with Dresden to Riesa. The layers bring it to life especially with thhe Vectron on there. BPO is very good and will undoubtedly win the Final but Dresden just took the edge.

 

You really need to lighten up. Any more pouting this close to Christmas and you'll end up with a lump of coal.

Good luck with your favorite Loco in the next contest ( or maybe you shouldn't look. )

 

Good thinking. But I went for Blackpool because of the retro locos and stock.

However I never gave up on SPG until the final whistle in the semis. Still the standard for me.

I'll be rooting for the GP9rm next time.

 

Three good routes all among my most played. I love German routes so normally I would pick Dresden Riesa. Such a brilliant route with all the layers etc.

However I’ve gone for Blackpool. Such a quality route with minimal issues from Day 1. Fantastic job by Just Trains.

 

I voted for SEHS. I don't have Blackpool yet and Dresden hasn't made as much of an impression on me as SEHS has.

 

Yeah, it happened with TSW4 finally.

The thing with the Chatham stop markers didn't change.

 

I think this just falls under overthinking; it's knocking down a row of dominoes that's not actually there.

My guess is trainsimplayer gave a "professional" look to the poll because if you're going to do it, then do it well. That probably helped with the participation, too.

Just like how a band putting out a silly novelty song will nonetheless play it straight. You can still take the execution seriously, even if what you're executing is frivolous.

I'm looking forward to the loco one.

 

Yes, we really should have had a Single Transferrable Vote system for this contest…

 

[EDIT - Jan - Quarrelsome]

 

I don't know why you keep posting in this thread, since it's entire meaning is clearly soaring clear over your head.

It's a fun poll, it's not "an election", it's not even slightly comparable. It's a small community survey for a bit of fun, at Christmas. It's nothing more than that, it's not serious in any way shape or form, and it isn't meant to be. It's for people to discuss their favourite routes, and what they think is fun about them.

Why are you comparing it to a national election? That's like comparing a real train to a toy train and saying you can't play with it in the wrong way, because it's "serious". Lighten up.

 

Agh, I was really rooting for Dresden-Riesa to go all the way. It really does seem like THE best route in this whole tournament. But alas, seems like this amazing run will end up with it falling just short. I really hope for at least a 2nd place though!!

 

[EDIT - Jan - Quarrelsome]

 

The fun part with this poll and competition ended for me at the moment a mod pinned it. Point. Therefore, I take it seriously.

Also why making such a big thing out of it all with now more than 4 threads. Wouldn't have one thread been enough nonsense for just being funny?

This whole thing gone far too serious due to OP's consistency with it, giving me all the rights and logic to take it as seriously as it has become on its own already.

 

[EDIT - Jan - Quarrelsome]

 

Unfortunately, I do agree.

What people aren’t telling you is that the route with the least amount of votes in each poll gets deleted from TSW.

Once a winner is declared you will have to run a service on that route everytime you open TSW, to progress to the menu.

If you do not own the winning route, you will need to purchase it to be allowed to continue using TSW software.

 

[EDIT - Jan - Quarrelsome]