When do we get a career mode? Career mode could involve getting a license for every train. You can loose the license by getting infractions If your license is revoked because for example a SPAD you will need to apply again for a new license. The license can be obtained by doing exams (like tutorials) The career mode would be optional and the goal of the career mode is very simple. Keep your license for as long as possible or you will need to redo your exams for every train you own. Why? I would like a mode where what you do matters. Something is at stake when you have to restart your career if you start speeding or worse Edit: forgot the magic word "optional"
It seems alright but it would have to be optional. It would be difficult to implement this probably as well
Yeah, not personally something I'd want DTG to work on when they've still not got the atmosphere around the railway correct (See the many weather threads for more). I'd also want "random events" in the Timetable before they started work on a career mode. And yes, it would have to be optional, some of us just want a relaxing drive/shift.
I like the idea of a career tracker and wouldn’t mind an optional career mode. But I can see the howls from some quarters if you buy a new route or loco and certain runs, or the train itself, are locked out due to only being a “Junior Grade Fireman” or similar! To some extent this is already now applied where a route’s journey mode is concerned. You need to finish one block of work before the next unlocks. It would also require a massive overhaul of the current AP system or even replace it altogether, with something that doesn’t favour short commuter runs with 20 stops over a 90 minute freight run which nets around 4000 AP.
I mean, if that career mode entailed thorough training modules, not just those simple modules, but sth close to expert stuff, almost like actual training modules, that would teach you stuff in-depth before letting you on full timetable runs, I wouldnt mind actually
You can't be locked out of the content you buy. Every time you buy a train you do an exam (only applies to career). However you will be locked out of all your trains (only in career mode) if you loose your license. You will need to do every exam again. Why? I would like a mode where what you do matters. A mode where you are afraid to go speeding. I never cared about the AP so that doesn't slow me down.
Thank you for your constructive criticism. I do now understand why this would be a bad idea #sarcasm It's probably the best idea ever to be posted on this forum
If I did a career mode, it would go through the history of rail from steam, diesel and electric trains. From the first passenger steam service in 1825 between Stockton and Darlington to high-speed electric between Ashford International to London St Pancras in 2024.
Ironically a bragging rights mode where the only real incentive to keep playing is just to drive up a high score and not need to start from the beginning again is way more "arcadey" than a lot of things I see get called that. Given all the limitations with TSW the best thing to do to make people care about AP would be to get rid of mastery, and instead make all the collectables associated with it items you could buy with AP points. Would be less work than making some dedicated new mode, while also benefiting everyone instead of just one mode for a select group of players.
I honestly do not think that adding a “Career” mode will in any way enhance the gameplay experience. You say that the ‘Action Points’ doesn’t do anything for you and it doesn’t stop you breaking the rules - which I agree with. I myself have the AP feature on the HUD disabled because in effect it is useless to me and makes no difference. However, adding a career mode as such - it really wouldn’t be much different or make much difference. I also highly doubt that many people will commit to going through a career mode to ‘unlock’ certain content that they buy when they could just drive it the way we currently can, and like others have said, if people were to buy the addons, you can’t them lock them away and force them to have to unlock them again to be able to use them. Ultimately I feel adding a career mode to TSW would simply be a case of just adding it for the sake of adding something to the game rather than serving an actual purpose
I don't think career is something to add to add something. It's to add something that is missing. When I started TSW, first thing I looked for was career mode. Figured out that Journey mode is TSW's career but it's just showcasing the route and even that is open to discussion with all the fog and night services thrown at you in Journey mode.
Add a leaderboard for how long you can maintain your license based on hours played and you got your self competitive multiplayer without all the difficult stuff to make multiplayer actually work within TSW. I'll leave it up to Matt to receive the BAFTA Games Award 2025 for TSW VI. It's just a small idea that I don't want to take credit for.