So basically the title says it all I look at pictures on their website and it really seems to be a game changer compared to the normal game. But the prices are quite high. Are those enhancement pack worth it ?
I thought so. Some of them certainly do enhance the experience. Add more traffic to scenarios and make the railways look and feel more authentic.
AP sales do not happen often. I have everything AP has to offer. I will use that rolling stock when given the opportunity. AP product just feels right.
I think so in the main. Although their sound packs were usually sufficient. I do like having the liveries AP packs contain plus the attention to detail. I am hoping the withdrawn sound packs return as enhancement packs.
For me the immediate essential was the sky enhancement pack. It transformed the sim for me. I then followed quickly with the signal and track enhancements. I also have a lot of the other stuff they do as well but as was mentioned above, I also wait for the sales. You can build a wishlist ready on APs site so you are ready to go.
I haven't got the signal one yet. It doesn't seem to be usable on that many routes. It looks good though. I wonder how easy it is to put it on other routes?
There are two types of trains on APs website. Those that are made by DTG and AP Enhances their features - and those that AP made which you cannot get from DTG. The AP made products are good as it gives you something not available elsewhere
There are different types of EP packs: general route improvement packs and specific rolling stock improvement packs. My view on them is as follows: Weather Pack. Excellent. It makes an obvious improvement and can be made to work on almost any route. I don't know about the cloud pack, but it looks good in other's screenshots. Track Pack. Does what it says, but whether that is a sufficient improvement is something I'm not convinced of. Signal Pack. Disappointing. It doesn't increase visibility distance for me, which was the main reason I got it. Vegetation Pack. Disappointing. Introduces minor shimmering of foliage I don't have on the standard trees, which in my view are generally ok. The shape of some AP trees are a bit odd to me. Rolling Stock EPs. Generally worth getting, but be aware that they don't update the stock in the scenarios supplied with routes, you'll have to do that manually. You'll also have to create Quick Drives to use them.
l agree their prices are extremely high but they normally have three sales a year over the Easter Bank holiday, August Bank Holiday and the Christmas Bank Holiday. Then they are better value. Sale prices vary between 10% for recently released products to up to 40% for older products.
Which ones are you looking at? It really depends on the individual pack. Some are instant yes-es, others are less so.
This channel has videos featuring the AP enhancement packs and AP rolling stock: and many more in high quality. Who needs TSW anyway?
I echo to wait for the sales. You can get them for 40% off. Handy if you need a lot and want to save some dough. Also handy because some prices are now higher than they were originally, so the sale brings it closer to what they started at if not lower. There are lots of reskins with some of these. Some are not as worth it as others. But the AI horns feature, recently added to many, is a beautiful thing to have, so adds to the value instantly.
It comes down to will you use them now or are they just another purchase. If it is a loco you really enjoy driving then I would purchase that unit. If it is just a filler then wait for the sales. Supply and demand.
I'll assume you mean the EP that make changes to the sim environment and not just the EP packs for rolling stock. The answer is yes, they're worth having. The weather and cloud packs are amazing, and really allow atmosphere in the sim, and adds a whole load of realism. The track pack makes things look a whole lot nicer, and the signal pack is good too. You can actually see signals in full sunlight from miles away like you can in real life. The vegetation pack removes the older trees that look a little dated in some routes now. Coupled with AP rolling stock, it all breathes new life into an old sim, and IMO, looks more realistic that TSW, which has that shiny, unrealistic look to it.
