this maybe ought to belong in the suggestions forum, but it’s also a general point so it’s possibly better off here. to get to the point, have dtg considered developing some sort of system that allows you to swap from one route to another and load into the next service on that route without using route hopping? route hopping is so hit and miss that i don’t bother with it, what really needs to happen is a system where you can do one continuous run without having to leave the driver’s seat; this would potentially reduce the performance impact whilst preserving immersion. for example; i drive from frankfurt to fulda in the ICE T and arrive at fulda at 11:32 the next service from fulda to kassel is at 11:39 upon completion of the frankfurt-fulda service, a prompt will ask if you wish to continue with that service, and highlight which service this would be (the 11:39 in this case) the loading screens show for a couple of moments whilst the new route loads in the new route loads in at 11:39 in the ICE T, and your new schedule is shown in the normal places in the menu this may or may not be technically difficult- i’m no expert- but it would certainly be a step up from route hopping which is frustrating most of the time
Something very similar to what you’ve described here has been suggested before a while ago. I remember reading it and was all for it. It’s a really good idea and I like it.
A very good idea indeed! Had a very similar thought myself... Like a further and more extensive version of route hopping. Being a train anorak myself it would also add to the immersion if the same train you were driving also loaded into the route (same loco or unit number). This would certainly be a welcome new feature if it come with TSW7!
The timetables have to match, however routes can be set in different years and you have already complete different timetables. Take Mainz for example, Linke Rheinstrecke set in the 90s and Frankfurt S-bahn in the 10s. Kassel Wurzburg doesn't have the ICE-T, so another issue and I guess ther are many more issues, holding back this idea. Maybe it's doable when they make 2 or more routes with this idea in mind, but I guess it will give a lot of trouble for already released routes.
As more content is added to TSW, there will inevitably be more adjacent routes, and the idea of moving from one to another without returning to the main menu will become increasingly appealing. This is painfully evident with the Trent Valley route, where going through the main menu kills the immersion—much like the route hopping feature in its current state. Technically, the portal concept seems like a simple solution: you drive over it, and your train is "teleported" to the next route. However, that would only work if you had spawned a custom consist. That would still be interesting imo—a sort of automated "Quick Drive 2.0." As for timetable mode, it could be based on the headcode. It wouldn't work every time, and there could be inconsistencies (for example, arriving at Milton Keynes at 16:17 and departing at 16:05). But it would be better than nothing. In any case, whatever solution is adopted, it would suit everyone—especially those who enjoy long rides without making countless back-and-forth trips...
maybe the best matched timetable could be recommended in a list of choices? so if i arrive at fulda at 10:45, then both the kassel-wurzburg standard and expert 101 timetables could come up as options; if the expert 101 was the closest match to the specific service i'm already driving, then a star would appear next to it; it wouldn’t be mandatory to choose that one, if i opt for the standard timetable then it would still work, just with a bigger time difference, maybe 30 minutes compared with 10 minutes on the 101 timetable. something simple that would add a lot could that not just be added as a substitution?
The service on the next route would then be made with another stock than the one that was intended for ? We're killing two birds with one stone, then ! And, while we're at it, let's add the option to choose the train you want to use for a service directly from the timetable menu. That would be great.
