Get We Please Get The Misleading Pzb Player Assist Reworked

I see this pop up all the time by new players trying to learn PZB and not understanding why they are being penalized.


(The main signal shows Hp 0 + Zs 1.)

Player assist for PZB takes in account only the system state of the signal (spad/no spad), which leads to ridiculously wrong behavior.

This "tutorial" piece of HUD instructs players to use PZB Release in all kinds of situations where the aspect is restrictive, but doesn't cause spad (shunting, replacement aspects, deadend slow aspects,..). If the player uses release as instructed by the game, they will get immediate penalty braking on the 500 Hz magnet for illegal releasing.

Release is only used when the original reason for train influencing has gone away (in most cases this means: distant signal was restrictive, but the main signal turned green in the meantime). Player assist needs to be reworked to either take in account aspect instead of system state of the signal, or at least remove the frequent prompting to release (there is no real downside in remaining in the influencing for few hundred meters more).

Current state leads to confusion of players, frustration from being penalized for something being told to do, and it would also create dangerous situations in reality (by releasing you claim "the route is safe", while it clearly isn't), that's why PZB penalizes you for it, in the end.

PZB is already complex enough to learn by itself, no need to add to it by providing players misleading tutorials.

 

As well as it often being wrong, the safe to release message covers up what the current restricted speed is leaving only the word Restricted behind. That’s what annoys me the most about it when I can see that it isn’t actually safe to release as I’m left guessing as to what speed I can go without a penalty brake. It would be better if the other half of the display was used for the safe to release message so that I can still see the restriction I’m under until I do release.

 

Didn't know the helper was this bad. This obviously needs to be amended. It'll be really difficult for new players to learn PZB when TSW teaches them wrong. Just so we're all on the same page, the official requirement for releasing PZB are a signal aspect allowing more than 30km/h and no expected 1000/500Hz influencing in the next 550m:

Source
(This is for Germany. I believe Austria handles the matter somewhat differently.)

If the helper logic in TSW cannot cope with this, then I think it should not comment on releasing at all so as not to teach wrong things.

 

It just needs a phrase change: "Safe to Release" to "Able to Release".

 

This seems like a good solution to me.

 

That would still be misleading. You can physically release, yes, but will be punished for it. It's simply not allowed to release yourself in these circumstances.

 

You're always "able" - nothing deactivates the key once the magnet light goes out.
No, it needs to be fixed properly. The logic isn't as difficult as that for PZB already is.

(Separate request: disable the notification entirely within yard limits in Austria; the rules there say you can never release until you're past the exit signal)

 

Good to know at least, thanks for highlighting it. I'm determined to one day master PZB and this kind of this just doesn't help.