1970s Br Blue Western Region Pack

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by ARuscoe, Dec 8, 2020.

  1. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    The HST would need to have quite a few modifications to take it back to original, especially new sounds. Certainly the class 47 would fit in, although for that period the named Western region class 47/0 variety would be a nice touch. That still doesn't cover the local services of course, which is what I am most intrigued about.
     
  2. hightower

    hightower Guest

    It would make complete sense for this to be the case, and you never know, there may even be an extension to the route to go with it. It would surely be an easy win for DTG, and take considerably less development time than starting a new route from scratch. Although personally I want to see slightly more modern British content, I would say it would be very popular indeed and I would certainly buy it. All the above would be multiplied with an extension to the route. No licences needed either :)
     
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  3. byeo

    byeo Well-Known Member

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    This is all speculation at the moment but would DTG really release a 70's era pack for the Great Western Main Line and not update the GWML itself to look like it's set in the 70's? To me that just doesn't make sense, do it right or not at all..
     
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  4. londonmidland

    londonmidland Well-Known Member

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    It does seem like a really odd choice for DTG to do, if that’s what’s going to happen.

    I just hope they don’t prioritise this ‘era’ pack over building routes set in specific eras, otherwise immersion will go out the window. Specifically with routes which have significantly changed in the last 10/20 years. In this case, GWE looks nothing like it did in the 1970’s.
     
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  5. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I wouldn't have thought so but from what little we know at the moment that is what it would seem like, unless this is Sam's big announcement, an era changer! There are routes on TS1 which had older stock but the route was set in a more modern period, i.e. Liverpool to Manchester and I suppose WCML over Shap but the changes weren't that vast from what it would have been like to suit the stock. I do run older scenarios on newer period routes on TS1, for example the Cornish Mainline and North Wales Coast but they haven't changed an awful lot since the late 80's either.
     
  6. Driconian

    Driconian Member

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    Multi-Era routes would personally be a dream come true for me. It would be brilliant to spend a day going throught the eras watching changes, not to mention DTG would then be able to invest more into the route to make it better.
     
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  7. Mich

    Mich Well-Known Member

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    Yes, but ask your self why would they get GWR the treatment first? I imagine they wanted to get it as close to TSW2 standards as possible because they've been planning this major BR Blue pack. Just because the main changes were to rolling stock that aren't for the pack doesn't mean it wasn't made because of it. It can help increase sells of the route before this major pack comes along, which they're clearly confident in.
     
  8. dave from Cornwall

    dave from Cornwall Well-Known Member

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    Just to throw my two pennies in.

    I think GWE did get a little fix! On the the HST lines I am sure on original game at one of the stations the track disappeared as if they forgot to model it!

    On the latest version the track is complete.

    That might just be me...but I am sure there has been an improvement.

    D
     
  9. hightower

    hightower Guest

    What are you talking about?! It is completely untrue to say it has been brought ‘close to TSW2’ standards because it is exactly the same now as it was after its original launch (once the various post release changes/patches were made to it). It hasn’t had any sort of ‘treatment’.

    No one knows why they chose to improve the sounds on the modern-era rolling stock on that route specifically (effectively fixing what has been an issue for a long time, and I’m very grateful they did), but it almost certainly wasn’t for the release of a BR Blue loco pack. The two are completely and utterly unrelated.

    Again, to be clear, unless it is something tiny that is very well hidden indeed, nothing on GWE (the actual route, not the rolling stock) changed between TSW and TSW2. I’ve played that DLC more than any other and I’ve not spotted a single thing that has changed. If you think otherwise, feel free to list what is different...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 15, 2020
  10. Rob39

    Rob39 Well-Known Member

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    70s era packs running up
    and down GWE under 2015 electrification projects, crossrail works and modern stations. Id be suprised we have the complete picture yet.
     
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  11. hightower

    hightower Guest

    I agree. I think this could have something to do with this hyped new feature/whatever it is. I really do hope so.

    Edited to add - if it does (and even includes a surprise route extension) then it might just be worth the hype!
     
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  12. Mich

    Mich Well-Known Member

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    I didn't say anything on the route itself was changed, I'm saying that the sound fixes were probably done in part due to the BR Blue pack. Not due to there being anything needed in the GWR base stock for it, but just to polish up GWR (the package as a whole, not the route itself) to make it more appealing before this big pack which they're confident in. I don't think this is a unreasonable assumption considering DTG themselves have said that they tend to do work on areas based off of upcoming content. Just because the sounds aren't necessarily tied to anything with the BR Blue pack itself doesn't mean that work on GWR's sounds are a completely separate endeavor.

    Hope the clears up any misunderstandings.
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2020
  13. w.lichko

    w.lichko Well-Known Member

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    Don’t know if this been mentioned earlier in this thread, but what could this mean “this also introduced Multiple Timetable support and is the first addon to use it.”?
     
  14. Rob39

    Rob39 Well-Known Member

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    To me that means a free unattatched consist ideal for scenario planner. Still dosent have an ideal current route to run on though.
     
  15. Mich

    Mich Well-Known Member

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    Each route up to this point has one timetable, any stock that's added to a route gets incorporated into it. However the BR Blue pack will likely have a completely separate timetable from the current one. So you'll be able to choose from two, the modern one currently included with GWR which features the 43, 166, & 66, and a new 70's era one, featuring the 52, and whatever else is included.
     
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  16. londonmidland

    londonmidland Well-Known Member

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    All completely speculation at this moment, but I hope that we won’t be on a ‘(insert year) era timetable’ bandwagon were we will get a stream of DLC to put on existing routes, regardless of when the route was set in.

    I’m all for immersion, and running classic trains with a classic timetable on a unmistakable modern looking route isn’t my cup of tea.

    I just hope this isn’t a forward trend. (Yes, I’m being selfish..)
     
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  17. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I totally agree. I wouldn't want to run a BR blue Western into an electrified Paddington any more than I would want to drive a class 185 on the NTP under semaphore signals with no AWS.

    Certain routes it would be okay on. For example a North Wales Coast add-on could probably suitably have a 2020 timetable and a 1995 timetable as I don't think it has changed a huge amount.
     
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  18. Medellinexpat

    Medellinexpat Well-Known Member

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    So if it is multiple timetables it must be the same base route. Do you then get some concept of era change by substitution of objects? As a broad example can you substitute a modern day signal with a semaphore? Can you just screen out all catenary items? Could you change signage through object substitution (think marker old and marker new?) If standard buildings have been used can you replace them with an older model? Technically I don’t know how feasible that is. What you would then get is a representation of a modern route in an earlier era rather than the route as it was in an earlier era. But that might allow a route to represent an earlier period even if it doesn’t depict the reality of the route in the past.
     
  19. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Well-Known Member

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    If it is possible, an era changer could literally be a game changer. Dovetail would win because they could sell us what would pretty well be a new route with most of the work already done. We would get the chance of routes in our preferred era. The fans of modern railways could for example, enjoy Trans Pennine in the present day, with a major rebuild of Manchester Victoria. We could all enjoy a backdated West Somerset in BR days with the actual speed limits instead of the 25mph maximum.
     
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  20. hightower

    hightower Guest

    I think that given the way Sam is now downplaying this ‘big feature’ a bit we can probably say that whatever it is, the suggestions in this thread (and others) are more interesting and cooler than what’s actually coming. That may well have been the catalyst for the playing down of the announcement.

    I’m sure it will be pretty interesting either way, but perhaps not quite a ‘big step’ that we’re all hoping for. I fear an ‘era changer’ likely falls squarely into the category of too good to be true.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 17, 2020
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  21. Jinoss17

    Jinoss17 Well-Known Member

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    I love your optimism.
     
  22. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    Yes, sadly I think you are correct. Maybe we might have given DTG some food for thought though!
     
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