Driving the ECML last night trying to gather the last couple of hundred km for the February Mastery, passed through Stoke Tunnel (as you do). Not only did it strike me as the architecture being very similar to the incorrectly shaped tunnels on WCMLS, you even have the same wall texture with that repeating black triangle patch all the way through. So, did Rivet actually have an undisclosed hand in building ECML (and doing a better job than they managed with WCMLS)? Or did they simply requisition the 3D items and textures from an existing route. Either way, they should do something about those textures (and where they occur on WCMLS) as it looks so wrong. Thoughts on a postcard, please…
Game Development is all about creating things as efficiently as possible (obviously accuracy falls in there somewhere). Chances are they definitely reused assets where they felt appropriate. It's more than likely a stock asset within Unreal Engine, or ported from the same collection of assets that's used collectively among the developers.
I would usually call out any Rivet input, but ECML doesn't have the Rivet feel to it... Maybe there are a few shared assets between developers? The timetable would be a huge giveaway, as would the quality of the physics and layers. Secondly Rivet content has a habit of never being fixed. ECML has had some quite thorough and major updates in its life time. The lighting seems spot on and quite natural too. So I'm going to side on the view it is DTG content!
Next week, Liam is just a front and it's rivet doing the GWE remaster. This is evidenced by a single bush that appears at Southall when there's an identical one at Kirkcaldy, even in the same rotation the lazy gits.
A new conspiracy theory, just after trying to refute someones accusation of spreading conspiracy theories in another thread. Have a break.
Can we stop with this Rivet obsession? It's getting a bit ridiculous name-dropping them when even the slightest thing on any route is out of place. No wonder they don't bother communicating.
Sense of humour failure seems to be alive and kicking in some of the responses. Did the title not give away the fact this was a rather whimsical observation, tongue in cheek etc...
ECML did have more than its fair share of crashes, especially on PS4. I put it down to gen8, but you never know I guess. Likely it's just a case of some shared assets though, rather than being Rivet built.
I'm used to it with my missus. Irony or whimsy = sarcasm. She asks a question and I answer it = "You're a clever little Richard, aren't you."
But to keep the discussion on topic: what is actually Rivet doing right now? Afaik they don't have anything on the roadmap, their last DLC was ages ago, they're not really involved on any forums discussion (which i can understand as a lot of people don't discuss rivet products constructively, but are only bashing and spreading hate). So what are they actually doing? I always hoped they'd just continue with the narrow gauge swiss DLCs, as Bernina line proved they are indeed able to provide good quality. Then they went back to a rather... bad UK route. And now silence for months.
Rivet is busy doing content for the forever beta game: The Bus. Really no clear informations if they’re working on any TSW content at the moment, we might have some news throughout the year.
Maybe they are finishing Bernina which, if it went all the way to St Moritz, I would probably buy wonky Allegra physics notwithstanding. Something like the MOB would also be interesting, though now TSG have shown how mountain routes should be done, will be a hard act to follow.
I would just think Rivet are simply working on the next TSW6 Core UK route, it's fairly obvious they are one of DTG's close partners so they will no doubt hire them for the work. DTG I can't remember for once they held themselves accountable despite fair and constructive feedback.
My theory is Rivet have been outsourced to create the UK routes for TSW, whilst DTG are working on a bigger project... People may laugh but I'm expecting the same level of mistakes, bugs, and issues that affected WCMLS to appear in the new Cardiff route. Time will tell though.
Anyone miss the Microsoft Train Simulator version of the ECML? Looked nothing like the real thing, the same lineside trees and houses repeated for 100 miles. The most boring of the DLC in MSTS in my opinion. I'm not blaming Rivet, I'm just asking questions (as politicians say these days when they are making something up).
As noted elsewhere I finally said farewell to old MSTS and OR the other day, huge clear out of all the CD's etc. Good in its day, indeed Mid East Plus as it was called was a good go at the ECML in the constraints of the host sim. Massive collection of rolling stock too, but inevitably as with the North Wales Coast add on, much of it didn't play nice or at all in Open Rails. Most of the support sites for MSTS are now long gone, the likes of Steam4Me and of course UK Trainsim. Trainsim dot com clings on but you only have to visit and see it's just the same few people shooting the breeze. MSTS served its purpose with honour and glory but we now have so much better to choose from.
The Greater Eastern (I think that was what it was called) was my favourite. Get this, younger Train Simmers, it came with Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria/Southminster/Braintree/Clacton/Walton/Harwich and the mainline all the way to Norwich. Classes 86, 302, 308, 309, 315 and 321. I'm pretty sure Classes 312 and 360 were freeware additions too. I appreciate that it probably took much less time to make all of that than it would in TSC or TSW but for value, it was absolutely amazing. And they kept updating it with free scenarios. You could also change the era of the route between Network South East or the early Privatisation years with Anglia (and possibly First Great Eastern). Though the cabs for the 302 and 309 were the same and seemed to actually be a 4-EPB cab and the sounds of the trains wasn't too good.
Yes I no longer have MSTS installed. I will keep all the CD's from a sense of nostalgia. It was a great game for its time and I think I probably got more sheer pleasure from it than any of the current train sims. I mean there was so much content from so many sources, covering a lot more of the world than TSW does.
I know one of the MT gang quite well and it was a lot of effort but an excellent product. Now we get far less for similar cost. (Yes I know it's harder to dev for) but ultimately we now have a sim with only one type of 1st Gen DMU. No other type 5 locos other than class 66, steam which is not great, and only 3 versions of the UK enthusiasts favoruite Class 37. Still no 37/4. We used to get Sulzer type 2s in older simulators. None now. If it wasn't for JT then it's only the snazzy future folks. Oh and some steamer with a face!!
Ah you mean like my late I say my late neighbour Vera LOVEworth, she'd often come into my shop I say she'd often come into my shop with a friendly HIYA LOVE, which to be honest used to give me a migraine I say used to give me a migraine she was so loud
still remember MSTS woodhead route, came out in 2 parts, no gradients totally flat, track in a trench job but it was the full network all be it heavily reduced to save on tile count that gave it good playability. peak forest was another, the creator of it did a full hand carve on the terrain if i remember right being before dem data was available to the masses. ironically it only went from ambergate to buxton/peak forest. s&C 1930s and burton derby 1950s which became quite a network were a few more from memory.
Please pass on my gratitude for all of his hard work, the route gave me hours of fun. I assume the MT gang have different lives now and there's no chance of them dipping their toes into TSW.
I think Rivet have stepped away from TSW for a break. Maybe they feel they need it and that’s ok. They will come back to TSW after they have worked on The Bus. Or maybe they are working on the next DLC but still aren’t ready to announce it yet. Could be taking there time.
I'm here.....and trying to improve TSW (even though I've only had it since TSW3). Back in the day I wrote all the activities for Great Eastern (all payware and many freebie) and for both parts of Irish Enterprise which I particularly enjoyed doing. We started with the track layouts and platforms only and then waited for monthly scenery updates from Kerr which then brought the route to life. Doing it this way meant that the activities could be built and tweaked as the route itself developed. (Sometimes it seems that, nowadays, scenarios are just thrown together at the last minute). Even now it is nice to hear that people used to enjoy the route and its activities.
Flippin eck, a big thank you to you sir. I probably played every single activity you wrote. I remember that there were a few free updates and scenarios along the way, then came the extension to Norwich which was amazing. Though my knowledge of it was basic, I did manage to find out how to replace traction and made modern variations of the original activities included using the 312, 321s and (unless my memory has completely gone) 360s available on the UK Sim website. If only building routes and traction was as easy as it used to be. Thank you too for your invaluable work on TSW. Thanks to you and a few others putting in your own time, I'm using TSW more than ever.
