I was curious, which mode do players of TSW usually play? Is there a right order of how to complete the missions to play TSW or is it mainly by preference? Part of me was thinking of completing career scenarios for one route followed by the time table mode but it appears completing journey mode completes a few scenarios from career mode and merges it with services from timetable mode. 1. Career Scenario 2. Timetable Mode 3. Journey Mode
Personally I start off with Journey Mode, as it serves to highlight the key features of the route, including all the scenarios, but also the different weather patterns etc. Different routes handle Journeys better than others though, some intersperse the scenarios among the other timetable services, whereas some just dump all the scenarios at the beginning, which doesn't work as well. If there is a variety of rolling stock on a route then I will jump around the chapters quite a bit, for example on Blackpool the first three chapters were the Pacer, the next three the Class 47 and the last two the Class 08, in a typical play session I did one Journey service for each type of loco. The new LIRR route starts off with the M7, then moves onto the M9, so again I'll alternate between them. If you're a completionist then it's worth noting that completing a timetable or scenario outside of Journey Mode doesn't 'tick' that service within Journey Mode, but if you complete something in Journey Mode it will then show as completed in the other lists.
I run through journey mode first, as it is a good way of experiencing what a route has to offer. Once that is done, I do the timetable.
Nearly always journey unless I've completed them, then timetable. Note that journey mode already includes all scenarios.
Scenarios then timetable. If we had a scenario editor as good as the one in TSC, I’d probably only play scenarios.
I usually try and do Journey Mode though only ever finished it on a couple of routes. Maybe scenarios and railtours. Lately however I’ve been using Quick Play to generate something at random, though it tends to be scenarios rather than timetable runs. And it also seems to enjoy sticking me either on the Bakerloo Line, Cane Creek with that silly scenario where you just do what you want or a RHTT trip. Wish there was a way to define more closely what you’re looking for.
I always start with Journey mode. I always try to think that's the career mode in this game but I always fail to see the storyline
I also prefer the timetable mode. It represents the routes most realistically. Lots of AI traffic, including spawning liveries from the CC, brings a lot of variety. But every now and then a not-so-everyday scenario isn't bad either. What I found most striking was the film shoot for Hollywood, where you were allowed to drive alongside a helicopter and fleeing cars, including an explosion, in LA. Even found a suitable screen or photoshot!
With new routes I go by journey mode or interesting timetable services as most timetable aren't counted to journey and not interesting enough for a replay. I do like the mix of timetable and scenario's in journey mode. if well done it shows some random services I wouldn't be as interested in and therefore never play. sometimes I wish the freight journeys used layering. why use the 185 on german routes constantly if you have so many other options. depending on the day I either go to journey and pick a route that interests me or look in the timetable area to do a trip with my favorite train or route that day. the scenario's I see as special services, falling out of the standard timetable, so I prefer to do those when I know the route a bit better instead of doing route learning with incidents. I do notice the obvious lesser timetable for scenarios what sometimes bugs me but some have special trains passing so that's a mixed bag. To put it in order I start with journey. then look for interesting timetable services (if longer than usual or within rush hour it's usually a less prototypical run) and if I want something really challenging I'll do scenario's. and, if I really can't decide or have no real preference. I run the "start a random service" function to get something that's hopefully not a free shunting scenario. that really helps finding some services you might have not even expected to drive or see on a route. and sometimes heavy freight on KWG with a 143...
Prefer the journey mode, but on some routes most of the journeys are something like: night + wall of spaghetti(rain) + fog = zero visibility, zero joy. I took a quick look at the chapters in journey mode on the LIRR 2.0 - fog everywhere. Looks like DTG shy of an old scenery from the first route and put fog to hide the horizon.
It's by preference. Timetable mode is the one I prefer and play TSW for. Journey mode is quite good to get introduced to the route's circumstances but rather more important the handling of the locos. Free roam - Nice to drive a loco of your choice from A to B, but not much of interest to me. The lack of traffic is a deal breaker. Off the rails/on foot mode - This is my second most preferred mode, as it combines the opportunities to spawn any loco of free roam with the traffic of timetable mode. Also nice to explore the world and give you a passenger feeling just riding with trains and hopping between stations. Native Scenarios - I really enjoy and replay a scenario, if it's well made and catches my interest. Custom scenarios (Scenario Editor): Too unintuitive and unclear to set up. Not enough possibilities (For example, you can't change individual signals or AI locos to stay on the tracks to pretend something like a crash site). Bugs with passenger not spawning on stations and loading into a train. Could be so nice, but unfortunately not workable enough. If I want something more specific and different than a regular timetable service, I'll choose a scenerio of my choice from the ones that DTG/third party made for me.
I use timetable mode only, after any tutorials I might need to play. I feel it is the way to play with the most "freedom" plus I feel it is the most realistic. I often like to be the driver for a shift, well for as long as I can play baring in mind the limitations of the save game feature. I think I have only played a couple of scenarios.
There is no Career Mode, the scenarios are just random scenarios. Career Mode is something in a different train simulator I believe. Scenarios - I barely play them because they are so often much worse than timetable services. It’s hard to know how good they are going to be without actually playing them though so I’m sure I am missing out on some good ones. I don’t like how you get between a third and a half of the necessary things to set up the cab spelled out to you and the rest you just do because you know what to do. Some questionable routing and operations often happen too. I often see a lot of AI at the start of a scenario tailing off to nothing later on as if the author forgot about other trains running on the track. There are some fun ones but knowing what to expect from the descriptions is difficult. Really good ones are usually mentioned in the forums at some point so I check those out. Journey Mode has its good points and bad points but since locked chapters came in they are now just universally bad so I mainly avoid them. They used to be a good service randomiser that you could dip into but that has been lost. There has always been too much raining while it is sunny too due to bad weather settings chosen by the authors. And they include all the bad scenarios too. Timetable Mode - this is what makes TSW great. This is where I play 97% of the time. Pick a route, pick your train, set your custom weather (or choose the automatic fog setting with Dynamic Weather - why is fog set to such a high percentage chance when it should be 5% at the very most?) and drive your service with the appropriate AI services all around you. Many routes now have such a choice of services it is hard to know where to start but you do generally know what to expect from your service type when selecting it. Hours of fun. You set up your train unaided and off you go to your destination. Creators Club scenarios - nope. Impossible to know if they are any good. Most of the good ones that are made on PC by using mods don’t work as intended on PS5 so I don’t bother any more. Searching for them is nigh on impossible too.
I'm always playing the scenarios first to see some interesting non-standard stuff before going to the timetable "routine". Often, you're being introduced to some stuff you might need later on (coupling/uncoupling for example) or get shown some landmarks / places of interest. Journey, never. (Because you can't delete trains and get stuck there.)
Journey Mode, with the chapters unlocked by whatever mod does that, so I can do them in whatever order I want. Then timetable for anything specific.
I’ve been trying to get journey mode done as a focus over timetable mode before going onto timetable mode to aim at doing the rest of the services. saves having to do services twice over to class as completed as if you do them in timetable mode first they don’t tick off right in journey. Journey covers the scenarios with that, I basically see how long I have to do a service and see what fits what I’m up for in that time period.
In my case, mostly Timetable mode. But selecting the time of the day, according to my wishes for the "light environment", and train. Sometimes I made Scenarios included on the route. But lately I am mostly first select a Timetable, which will be used for another train... The one, being in front of mine, in order to have some yellows and reds.... Of course I am referring to Free Mode tool.
I always play on Timetable mode, but occasionally diverge into Journey mode. Journey mode is great if you want to experience unpredictable, unique journeys. e.g In timetable mode you’re unlikely to be held up by a red signal. 95% of the time it’s straight green signals. I’m not really a fan of scenarios, although if I could take the amazing guard mode from the glossip line and implement this as a main core gameplay feature that would be great.
I always start with the scenarios. I know most of them are rather mundane, but occasionally some author(s) will have a flash of imagination and write one that really captures the essence of the route. Plus they are good ways to learn the route and train controls.
Timetable mode is the go-to for me, then I'll play the scenarios when I want a bit of variation from a route's usual driving experience. Journey mode is just a playlist of all the tutorials, scenarios and a selection of timetable services with set weather. It's mostly there to show what a route has to offer. If you play the tutorials and scenarios outside of journey mode, they'll get ticked as complete on that route's journey anyway. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to the timetable services, something that DTG should change in my personal opinion.
Timetable only as I spend most of my time in passenger mode, also like to include free roam creations i.e. thrashing a diesel on the ECML, I managed to get my Class 40 hauling 5 mk1's at approx. 115mph
