I must admit I am sitting here now having a small internal conflict about whether to by GOBLIN or not. On one hand it is a slow, stop start commuter run in an EMU, but on the other the scenery is apparently good and I have seen good things about the build quality. So, I thought I would turn to the best source of advice I could find, but settled for the forum instead! Thanks.
I bought it on release. It’s nearly as good as Blackpool. If l scored Blackpool 100. This one would be 95.
Would you play it? Do you enjoy slow, short commuter routes at no more than 45mph with a modern single-handle EMU? Or would you leave it after a run back and forth? To buy a route, first, you must enjoy its genre. There are many similar routes out there, so you should have a good idea as to whether you'd enjoy it or not. Personally, I'd love it if I could get it!
I’ll probably by it one day in a sale, but it’ll have to be more than 50% off. I suspect I’ll drive it once in each direction, then never again. The problem is there’s not much else I can think to do with it. With some routes, even if the timetable and intended stock is boring, there are other opportunities. For example, Cross City: the 323 on a stopping service got boring pretty quickly - but then I tried running to those timings with a 101, and I ran HSTs and 47s on through services using Free Roam, and I found a steam schedule and ran the Jubilee on it to Bromsgrove. All in all I had hours of fun with the route, even if not much of that time was actually spent playing the timetable in the intended way. With GOBLIN I can’t think of anything else to do with it other than drive it once there and back and then never touch it again - and the low speeds and uninteresting modern EMU will probably mean even that return run is quite boring! I’m open to suggestions, though, as given the reviews I’d be pleased to buy it if someone can come up with an interesting (and reasonably realistic) way to drive it.
I bought it on release, ran up and down the line a couple of times, realized how little replay potential it had and promptly refunded it. It is well modeled and I might repurchase it in a decent sale and run some freight along it. But just for the emu, not for me. If it had been set back a few years with diesel traction, say a 104, I might have kept it.
I do think that it is a good route. Granted I used a voucher I had to pay for it. But if you are not a fan of metro style routes, then I wouldn't recommend it especially given the fact that it is 4 trains per hour and the services are the same.
I think it's a fantastic route, with some of the best scenery in the game, and one of the best-made trains in the 710, but it doesn't seem like your cup of tea, OP. That being said, it does have quite a lot of freight, if that interests you. And, as mentioned above, free roam adds a lot of potential fun to any route.
Superb though short. Would have preferred North London Line but there you go. Blackpool branches is also excellent. Not bought Fife Circle as, apart from the bridge, I wasn’t impressed.
I’d buy the route simply because of how short and slow it is. It’s well made and offers slightly different gameplay that I have with other DLC in my collection. The only reason I still don’t have it is because I tend to abstain from buying new content at full price. There will inevitably come a sale in the future!
When I heard of the GOBLIN line being released I thought... Jeez, a micro route... that'll be boring... How wrong I was, and how happy I was to be proven wrong. It is a really nice little commuter routes. It is really well built, it has really nice scenery and the Class 710 itself is really nicely put together. The sounds of the unit are absolutely superb, the physics of the unit is lovely, and the internal detail of the cab is good, the inside of the passenger coach is really nice too. And it's also the small things such as official TfL signs... I couldn't recommend it enough. It's a fantastic little route.
It's a well created route but... Bought it, done about half a dozen of the Journey runs and... Haven't been back. Got boring very quickly, particularly that 30 MPH drag over dead straight track for about 3 miles. Yes it's as real life but combined with the stop/start it's almost as much a drag as the infamous Medway bus service section on SEHS. Personally I wish I'd waited for a sale, or not bothered. Think the revamped LIRR will be much more interesting.
Thank you all for the responses, I think I will continue to hold off then as I can't stand stop start routes, and even with the freight I can't stand the 66. A shame to miss out on such a well done route, as shown by the screenshot, but I do think I would be in the do a return run and not touch it again clan.
You are right. Apart from the bridge Fife is a typical Rivet route. Little care and no attention to detail, just like you get with a Rivet route.
I love it and I'd recommend it, though I'm biased to like any route based within the Greater London area.
Apart of the missing passenger announcements (which is a shame as the route is almost predestinated for it), the quality of Goblin seems superb just by watching the preview stream. And the preview stream is usually something which doesn't even convince me enough to have the interest in thinking about a purchase. Not buying full price for it, but I really consider getting it on a future sale. How I wish that DTG would continue with this amount of detailed scenery for a bit longer routes in the future.
If I'm being honest, it is one of those routes you'd only purchase for layering purposes. I haven't actually purchased it as its not my sort of thing but the above is the only reason I would.
I like the route a lot, you see a large chunk of north and east London from the train, the run over the terraced houses of Leytonstone and Wanstead is so well done and DTG have made this route very realistic, urban routes must have good attention to detail and this route has it.
I caved and bought it at full price worst decision of my life. The 710 is amazing, modelling is great but its simply boring. Id purchase it on a sale maybe around £10-15
Route building is among DTG’s best. Easy route to learn and do no-HUD runs on, route is supremely more interesting without the HUD
The revamped LIRR Route i've heard includes the branch to Long Beach and the M9 Emu's, There are various other fixes such as the signalling, some scenery work etc
Replay potential is subjective. I guess for some at least, replay potential for a route in tsw would have to be the variety in the service pattern. So that would be trains termining at different stations. A mixture of local and express services and not having services that have the identical service pattern. Routes like SEHS and Riesa Dresden are popular because they are alot of things you can do on those routes and you can take different paths wheras a route like this really only the same service pattern that runs on the same track. Whilst I do like metro routes and I did enjoy the London Overground routes in TSC, I do understand why this route may not be appealing to some. I think if the North London Line and this was made together, it would offer much better replayability
I bought it when I decided against Fife Circle. As others have said it’s a very well done route, quality wise it’s potentially DTG’s best. But it is one that I’ll do 2 services tops then move onto something else. I’d say worth it in a sale.
Repetitive gameplay is a killer. Some days I crave authentic operations, other days just a quick thrash. What makes a route great is not just good graphics, but also variety. Which is one of the reasons I dislike single loco routes. Definitely a wait for sale purchase.
I bought it on release. It is a little short but very well made with lots of detail. The unit is very well modelled too. It may be one you'll drive a few times then come back to later. If it's the sort of route you like then I'd recommend it. After a while like most routes I guess it becomes part of your TSW toolbox. Some speak as though when a route is purchased it should be played to death and then consigned to history.
My wife bought it me, I've played it three times and only done an end to end run once. It's alright, not much replay ability for me.
I think it’s a great route. 710 is fantastic and the scenery is amazing. I usually do a turn from Barking Riverside to Gospel Oak and back again similar to a real life turn, I’d imagine. That is enough at the mo. Can see why it won’t appeal to some but is a lovely little route. If you don’t like stop start then definitely wait until a sale.
Understandable. I just like trains and don’t really mind what they do or where or they do it, I just want to drive em. Routes like Goblin and Glossop Lines have just as much appeal to me as SEHS or DRA. Well maybe not quite as much… but I still do enjoy them…
Needs to be part of a network (extended) before I touch it or if a good route that appealed to me was released that had the 710 tram wannabe as a layer then I'd get it when it's heavily discounted.
I really like the route and have been playing it quite a lot. There isn’t much variety but if you like commuter routes, then in my opinion it’s one of the best. Very good scenery and a decent train. It’s one where I’ll pick up and play when I’ve got limited time and don’t want to have to think too much and just enjoy the drive and the scenery. Good for winding down after work.
Good route for a quick run then move on to something else. As has been mentioned, if it was the only route you had, it would get boring quickly, but it’s the kind of route you play now and then for a bit of variety. So in the context of a collection of different routes and experiences, it does add nevertheless something to the richness and variety of said collection.
Does anyone find on PS4 that it has problems loading all the buildings and therefore you kind of see them pop up quite abruptly in the distance rather than being visible on the horizon? And anyone on the PS5 - do you find it works better and is visible on the horizon and not abrupt please? Thanks
Beautifully created route, definitely in the top three with Blackpool and Niddertalbahn in that regard, but it’s not one I’ve been drawn back to very much due to the limited timetable. Find myself playing Fife Circle most at the moment in spite of its flaws.
The Goblin has one of the best scenery among DTG's UK routes, the stations are all well-modeled, featuring realistic posters, signs and route maps, (except the wrong kind of PIS at Barking Riverside), they even made the Ripple Lane yard. DTG also added the Lees Valley lines and ECML services as AI, which made this route more busier. From the scenery aspect，I think the Goblin is the second among all UK routes, only after the Blackpool branchs. As the Class 710, it's a high quality modern EMU, the sound is good and the train itself is well-modeled, although it has no board announcement , the Class 710 is still one of the best modern UK EMU. However, the Goblin is a short A to B route, with only stopper and ECS services ( beside those freight service and railtour), all passenger services terminated at two stations: Gospel OaK or Barking Riverside, no rapid services, and the speed limits are relatively low on most sections of this route，waht's more, the Goblin is short (only about 13 miles) . lack of service diversity, plus its short length and relatively low speed limits, all these can make player get bored quickly. In all, the Goblin is still a great route, it has a high level scenery, well-modeled train and station, but with a low service diversity and short distance. If you love short suburb commuter lines, the Goblin your best choice. But if you don't like all stoppers, the Goblin can easily disappoint you.
