Arosalinie = Not Awful?

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by Turbojugend, Apr 9, 2024.

  1. Turbojugend

    Turbojugend Well-Known Member

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    Just wondering what everyone's general thoughts are on Arosa these days. I stayed away from this route literally for years due to bad word of mouth, yesterday I picked it up on a PS sale and had a surprisingly good time with it. I do see a lot of the issues folks are complaining about, particularly the copy-n-paste buildings and sparse forest terrain (generating a blizzard helps here!). On the other hand Arosa has a completely different feel from any of the other routes I own, even riding as a passenger is pretty neat. Like IoW, I can see myself coming back to this every now and then.

    I guess if I'd paid $30 with "New Route Expectations™" I'd be a bit miffed, but at $12 I'll definitely be getting my money's worth.
     
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  2. Double Yellow

    Double Yellow Well-Known Member

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    As you said, the route feels outdated now. The assets, the terrain all looks naff. Those copy and paste trees on the mountains are a stuff of nightmares. It would benefit bringing it up to TSW4 standards. I say that as they released the Aggregates loco pack a while ago, so they obviously keen to bring some life to the route. So why not go the extra mile and make the route look better too.
    I don’t own Berninalinie, but seeing how spectacular that route looks, then going back to Arosa. It would be like watching a 4K blu ray, then watching the same film on a DVD.
     
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  3. Shukiii

    Shukiii Well-Known Member

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    They didn't even bother updating sounds, physics or even just giving one of the locos in the Aggregate pack the right color (it's orange IRL and not red and RhB has confirmed that themselves after somebody wrote them an e-mail), why would they update the route?
     
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  4. Double Yellow

    Double Yellow Well-Known Member

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    Why not? It’s been done before with the Acela on the Boston route.
     
  5. AtherianKing

    AtherianKing Guest

    It’s scenery didn’t match up to the standards I was happy with purchasing it, years haven’t changed that, so my opinion is no different

    I would maybe pick it up in around a 70% plus sale provided the train has services elsewhere aswell.

    it ranks last if I was to rank all dlcs in my view.
     
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  6. rennekton#1349

    rennekton#1349 Well-Known Member

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    Different developers. Rivet is not dtg and dtg is not rivet
     
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  7. AtherianKing

    AtherianKing Guest

    Its up to rivet, they don’t have a good reputation in the after care department, what you see at launch is what you get is safest front as their reputation goes.
     
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  8. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

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    Going into the route with 50+% off and low expectations helps. It’s certainly immediately obvious that it’s a Rivet product (gorgeous train models, horrendous physics) and the scenery is not great - doubly so compared to modern releases.

    That being said, I appreciate Rivet trying to do something different and getting the route cheap with low expectations means it’s enjoyable from time to time to switch things up a bit
     
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  9. Swisstrains

    Swisstrains Well-Known Member

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    the E-mail guy? That’s me hahaha
    Indeed, this is the biggest problem on this route for me. The physics of the Ge4/4 II are horrible and it has no “real” safety systems like the Allegra. But nevertheless I still often play this route. Why? Because in the end it’s something different and I love the Ge4/4 II. In fact: I have both, Arosa and Bernina, and both are very nice. But I actually played Arosa two times in the last week and Bernina only once. The train is the problem for me here: I really like the Allgra but it was just more fun with the Ge4/4 II. Different liveries with the pack made this train really nice- something oldschool. And that’s why I actually was a bit disappointed to see that their next Rhb route was Bernina. The potential for more locos (of which we need some definitely) are way higher on other routes like Albula or Surselva. I really hope that we will see another Rhb route soon and this time Albula with the Ge4/4 III and Glacier Express wagons (Ge4/4 II and Allegra can both drive here) or the Surselva line with Glacier Express wagons and a updated Ge4/4 II.
    In general I think that Arosa still has some potential. If someone from the modding community would take a look at the physics, this route could be in the upper middle of a ranking for TSW routes. But at this point it’s solely a bit sad to see it go to waste this way.
    Anyways:
    Bernina: 9/10 (please do the bug fixes Rivet, I have sent you a complete list you said you already gave to the developers)
    Arosa: 6/10 (very nice route with some issues like scenery and especially physics)

    Oh, and btw. Jasper_Rivet :
    What has happened to the change of colour on the front of the Hakone Tozan Ge4/4 II? You said you will forward it and look for a change, any news on that? Because the liveries apart from this are really amazing!!!
     
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  10. locobilly

    locobilly Well-Known Member

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    For me the new mountain textures that have recently arrived largely make the distant scenery on this route obsolete now, and hence it is a genuine candidate for remastering, scenery wise. The rolling stock etc are fine and I enjoy the challenge of the gradients.
     
  11. Jo_Kim

    Jo_Kim Well-Known Member

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    For me the biggest issue with Arosa still is the mountain scenery. They are just made of a few polygons with a bland grass texture, maybe got some massivly upscaled rock assets glued to them and finally some trees sprinkled around, without any regard to the real life tree line. The route is best at bad weather, when you can't see the mountains, as the track side scenery is completly fine. Yes the houses are repetitive, but that's a general thing in TSW and didn't really bother me. After the release the phyiscs were off, but the Ge 4/4 II is drivable now (you had to use the air brake when descending, as the dynamic brake wasn't strong enough).
    I would love to see a Arosa Remaster with scenery like Bernina. But I think that this would necessitate a complete remake, which you can only finance by making a new DLC. And I don't think that current owners are willing to pay full price (or even a 10% discount) to get lidar scenery. As for other RhB routes, I'd love to get an extension/merger for Bernina to St-. Moritz. Would be fitting for a ABe 4/4 III. Core routes are also nice, like Albula- and Engadinerbahn, but it would really shine with mergers, as they are available in TSC.
     
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  12. AtherianKing

    AtherianKing Guest

    Very much agree, the mountains most likely wasn’t a 2 minute job, but it certainly looks like one.
     
  13. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    I find Arosa is tolerable in winter, when the snow and mist mask the most egregious scenery
     
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  14. Swisstrains

    Swisstrains Well-Known Member

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    Quick update on the aggregates pack: Rivet actually made it happen and the front is now orange- well done Jasper_Rivet; thank you so so much :D
     
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  15. Spikee1975

    Spikee1975 Guest

    With a little bit of fog, it's a beautiful route. Great models of the loco and coaches. I doubt it could've been done better on Todv3/pre-LIDAR TSW.
     
  16. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    I have to say, that from a visual point of view the Ge4/4 II may be the best modeled loco in all of TSW. If Rivet has a strong suit, it's this. You can practically feel the Bakelite control levers in your hands. And they went the extra mile not just to randomize road numbers, but to give each loco by serial its proper name and coat of arms, and in one case its aluminium applique.
     
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