...as you may miss out. I fairly religiously follow the "Journey" on most of the routes I own, but it dawned on me most of the stuff that layers in from other routes will never appear. This is particularly so with the German routes where I just enjoyed a superb run from Dresden to Riesa with the magnificent DB BR101. However this is never going to appear as a player train unless you actually go to the timetable and select it. Another example is the Class 40 on NTP. So don't be afraid to look and see what each route has to offer outside its Journey, who knows what gems you might find.
I have yet to find anything worth doing outside the Journey, outside the Journey it is always in the summer, in TSW3 at least the weather may change a bit. You can change the weather, but once the run is done, it is reset back to summer unless you manually set it over and over
It usually is set dynamically to the current month. If I wanted to do a summer run I need to scroll to it
I only do runs outside the Journey to either complete the Achievements or the Mastery, as I said there is nothing worth doing outside the Journey
It depends. A journey is like a curated sequence of scenarios and timetable runs. The first chapter will always start with a loco introduction, followed by a few services for that loco, either scenarios or timetable services. For routes with more than a loco, there would be chapters for each loco. My approach for every route I play for the first time (TSW2 edition): 1. collect all the tasks to unlock the achievement 2. play the route intro from Scenarios (this is not included in Journeys) 3. do journey mode until all done (or until I'm bored, if some chapters are insanely long) 4. make sure to do all scenarios in journey mode, as this usually also unlocks an achievement At this point, I might try to unlock the achievement for services for the route, or the achievement for the route level, but usually I get bored before that, and leave it. I still have routes I haven't played yet, just bought 5 more in this XBox sale. When I run out of new routes, I will likely go back and grind more timetable services, starting with the routes I liked the most. I will also collect achievements for loco distance, where the Class 166 will likely be the last one I try to do. I love the loco, but 1666 miles is a long way to go.
Fair enough, sounds like a decent way to start with a new route. Your systematic play style is impressive. I confess I just do random services or scenarios. Whatever I fancy at the time.
In some ways Journey Mode gives you the worst experience of a route. I’ve found the best way to enjoy a route is to get a lot of timetable runs under my belt before doing scenarios. In Journey the scenarios often come too soon to be truly enjoyed. I also don’t like the way they have services with the weather set as hardly any cloud but with pouring rain. Now that the chapters are locked until you finish the previous chapter, I doubt I will ever use the Journey again. It used to be a nice way of selecting a service with some random weather that you may not choose yourself (cloudless rain an exception) but I always like to be given the choice of what order I do things in myself. Timetable all the way for me.
I only did journey mode to complete the achievement. Then I just go to service mode to select the shortest services and do them all before moving to longer ones.
I appreciate Journey mode as a way to get introduced to a route and play a sample of the major services. However, I do find that the "journey" seems to last a little long most times. I also agree that the scenarios always seem to come too soon, and definitely enjoy timetable mode much more.
I personally enjoy the journey nice to see a bit of everything and I like the way they've locked some chapters now too. Its just nice to go for the gold completion which I have on ECW and WSR now and I also do like how Its something to complete. But I do have several routes (SEHS, SOS, TVL, BML etc) so I flick between them depending on what I fancy doing
I never touch journey mode, too programmed for my taste. I start by doing all the scenarios, then I go through the services randomly, choosing them mostly by the amount of time I have available or the train I feel like driving. For some routes like CRR and BCC, I only drive in daylight. Usually, I'll choose a different route for each play session. I don't have long periods of time available, that's why I campaigned so hard for the return of the Save feature . One feature I miss that was available in earlier train sims is the ability to save in multiple routes simultaneously. That would help me a lot. I've also never entered the Training Center or used Quick Play.
Journey is a combination of Timetable and Scenarios, so they are both equally worth it. I prefer those over journey myself.
On some routes the journey mode is quite nice. Clinchfield for example. On others not so much. One thing that always annoys me about the journeys is the amount of bad weather and / or runs at night.
As a newbie to the game, I found journey mode useful: it eases the new driver through learning the ropes. So, after the introduction scenario, where you only learn the most basic stuff for a loco, there could be another scenario, where you'd see some more stuff (e.g. coupling/uncoupling, changing ends). In other cases, after the introduction, there could be a few timetable services, so that you cement the basics, and then more complicated scenarios would follow. Sure, if you've played TSW2020 and TSW2, you're already knowledgeable about most train operations, and the journey is no longer useful. Anyway, it's also possible that DTG threw Journey Mode out there so that they don't have to work on story mode or career mode.
I guess the idea behind Journey Mode was to provide an "Editor's Choice" as it were of the best scenarios and timetable runs. In the case of Boston Sprinter it actually got kind of tedious as all the runs were arranged to take place in winter snow so not really seeing the route at its best. And, back to what prompted this thread, with routes that have multiple layers from other DLC unless these have been specifically set up with their own Journey, you never get to see them. Maybe DTG need to investigate the possibility of substitution rather than having Journey always use the route default rolling stock.
The only extra journeys I have seen come from New Journeys expansion pack. Same for timetable. The DLC layers only add to the base timetable.
It depends and for rolling stock and services not part of journey mode try spawning close to the service start. The way I do this is go to the locomotive itself for service start then spawn close to it
I must be the odd man out as I use journey mode 90% of the time. Quick play can throw up some nice surprises too. As there is no random weather option in timetable mode it means I don’t have to think about what weather to select. Scheduled services in journey mode also use the same layers as a manually selected service in timetable mode as far as I know.
I've espoused a change of method for these modes... Journey mode should be more of a training / route familiarisation mode or a "be the driver for the day" type affair, and indeed on ECW this is kind of how it's set out Timetable should be "normal mode" with all safety systems on, minimal HUD, completely random day, weather and delays as the default (with the option to set them), basically what a normal driver would experience. I would prefer if they could work out how to change ends without it being a completely separate timetable run as well Scenarios are for the "off the wall" stuff... Personally I quite like the "day in the life" type nature of journey mode, even if DTG fall back into the old thing of "let's make it interesting... add rain"
Class 31 adds journeys to TVL, M3 adds to LIRR, Class 20 adds to TVL, BR 363 adds to RSN, Class 313 adds to ECW, G6 adds to RRO BR 187 adds to SKA Expansion These are the ones I´m certain of. IMHO Journey Mode is great to get familiarized with rolling stock and the route. Chapter 1 usually guides you through with step-by-step instructions. I find this very helpful.
I would always do the journeys in TSW2. But I haven't touched it in TSW3. Partly because I don't know where it went. My path now is to go to route, pick timetable or scenario and start playing. I do miss how the journeys would group things together into sections.
HA. I feel so silly I didn't see that. I think it's because I expect journey to be on the route page and not a separate thing with routes to select. Maybe it's a UX thing or maybe it's just how my brain is.
I think it's a UX thing. It's smaller than both timetable and scenario (full height options) so the brain naturally moves away Either that or it's a "my brain reads from left to right" thing...
Sure, it was meant more as a guideline if, by any chance, you consider purchasing some of these loco DLCs. Because indeed, not all of the loco addons come with new journeys.
Really lament that the Class 40 didn't come with its own Journey mode. The DB 101 got one for HRR but the route is so short you barely get up to 160 km/h before throttling back and slowing down. That's why I really enjoyed my thrash along NDR yesterdayy evening. I also need to check SKW see what layers on there can be accessed which don't appear under Journey. One other thing about Journey - I actually completed the one for Tharandter Ramp the other week, was expecting some sort of recognition even an achievement but...nothing. Just dropped back into the main menu and that was it.
Absolutely. I like journey mode because it guides you through a route. There are handpicked services in there, and you get a nice checkmark if you complete them. But you miss out on layers (which is more of a problem on Dresden-Riesa than Cathcart Circle, for example), and some types of services on certain routes are sometimes not represented in journey mode at all. In addition, TSW3 routes lock certain chapters until you have completed all services/scenarios in the previous one, which is a complete dealbreaker for me as I often like the cherry-pick and “jump” back and forth between the chapters. All in all, I love using journey mode to get familiar with a route, but will usually make more and more use of the timetable menu after some time has passed.
Journey mode serves as a good way of giving you a taste of what a route has to offer. If I have any feedback for it, I think the mode would benefit from a bit of a restructure, I've laid a basic idea of how I'd do it myself if I were making them. I'm using Tees Valley + Class 37 for my own outline: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tees Valley Line - BR Class 37 Journey - Chapter 1: Type 3 Training - Class 37 Introduction - Chapter 2: Tractor Time - Coal Hauler - Tubeliner Diversion - Chapter 3: Trainload Coal - 6E09 Thoresby - Redcar (Clear) - 0Z09 Redcar Ore Terminal (Light Clouds) - 6M10 Redcar - Thoresby (Light Clouds) - 6E13 Tyne Yard - Redcar (Light Clouds) - 0Z13 Recard Ore Terminal (Heavy Clouds) - 6M03 Redcar - Tyne Yard (Heavy Clouds & Rain) - Chapter 4: Trainload Metal - 6E08 Deepcar - Lackenby (Light Clouds) - 6M09 Lackenby - Deepcar (Heavy Clouds) - 6E16 Dalzell - Lackenby (Heavy Clouds & Rain) - 6S17 Lackenby - Dalzell (Light Clouds) - BR Class 101 Journey - BR Class 08 Journey - BR Class 31 Journey - BR Class 20 Journey ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As you can see in my example above, I'd have each locomotive/unit have it's own journey instead of tying the journey to the route and having locomotives/units as a chapter. The length is 13 items long, introduces you to the Class 37 and uses the two scenarios to put the lesson into practice, then you go into the services in proper sequence with weather patterns that make sense. You do each service pattern once in the journey to sample what the timetable has to offer, no repeats so it doesn't outstay it's welcome. Think the structure of Clinchfield's journey but the focus and length more akin to the journeys added with the TSW3 loco expansion pack. Those three journeys were the perfect length. Once you're finished you can jump into a more in-depth, connected experience within service mode by seamlessly linking services using "return to free roam" - that one little option is what makes TSW's timetable mode second to none for me
Not noticed that, are you sure? For example on London to Brighton I use almost exclusively journey mode and I see all the layers.
You can’t drive the rolling stock from the layers, but you still see the AI while driving journey services.
OK I get it, so the layers are in fact there but there are just no player vehicle substitutions. I guess that makes sense in journey mode.
That’s been my experience. I’ve certainly never clicked on a journey service and then been put into a substituting loco… although that would be a fun way of playing “Train Sim Roulette”!
It does happen fairly frequently when I'm doing journey mode, 1 random time I even got the BR155 on some Dostos at Chemnitz starting a service to Dresden on the Tharandter Ramp journey, tho can't remember if it was TSW2 or 3, pretty sure I took picture of it on my Xbox, will have to try to find it and post it. Edit: I wasn't going mad and found said picture
So, I'm now starting Clinchfield for the very first time. I'm skipping the route tasks and the route intro, as this will probably take hours, and I don't have the time. So I jump into journey mode. First mission, as usual, is the loco introduction, so I'm shown how to operate an F7. Press this, pull that, load some coal, not too bad. And then, surprise! The very next mission is the hardest scenario of the route: "Limited power", five red squares. WTF? What happened to "easing the driver into the routine"? I must say this is the first time the journey has let me down. However, having a peek at the other journeys on CRR, I like what I see: from Chapter 3 to Chapter 6, each of them consists of multi-part missions, two for F7 and two for SD40. I reckon I will enjoy those.
To be fair, I didn't find limited power to be too difficult lol. Some of the 5 mark missions don't feel too difficult/impossible to do. It's a fun scenario though and a really good one
Personally, I like running through all the Journeys first to get used to the route, then go to the timetable. Those multi-part runs are great fun. Be advised that a couple of middle parts for one are missing from the Journey listing but can be run from the timetable. You'll understand why when you get to them.
not true, the Journey as random weather and you do not know until it start what the weather is, it makes the whole thing so much more entertaining, in the time table there is no such thing In fact I wish they would just hide the time table entirely, and put it all in the Journey, that would make each route much more appealing
I'd prefer it if timetable was the less scripted one, so random time of year, random weather random events and points entirely based on stopping accuracy and not running through red lights (meaning you can be delayed as signals and situations dictate without penalty)
I need to have this thread shown every time I start the game! My inner completionist wants to have all journeys ticked, so this results in me playing routes and/or trains I don't enjoy as much, because I still don't have them completed. So yesterday I did a run on Hamburg - Lübeck, since it was 33/35 complete. Night, winter, the super annoying snow wind effect. Mostly black screen with white flashes for 40 minutes. But I made it through. This morning, I thought I would complete it and do the last service. ... UE4 crashes when approaching the first station. So that's 3 journeys I can't complete due to a UE4 crash - HHL, DCZ and DDR. Wonderful. I wish there was a way to hide Journey mode from the menu entirely, so I don't have the urge to click it.
That caught my attention too. Loading coal on a 3.4% grade ain´t for rookies. But then again, this whole route is for hardcore freight nerds and there are even more difficult journeys. However, that scenario taught me that simugraph seems to do a good job with TSW physics. The more coal you load the heavier the train gets and you need to compensate on the throttle and brakes. Also the sander is well simulated, at least on this route. I love Clinchfield.
Timetable is better if you want to choose though. And, if the run is long enough, dynamic weather will often kick in.
I have to agree with the original post - while journey mode can be good, most often I find it just takes away from the experience. Many routes have what seem to be randomly picked services in completely random weather settings. Like the Clinchfield service in the snow where you can barely get moving, or there are several runs in the LIRR journey where it's raining or snowing with completely clear, starry skies. Usually completely dark services with TSWs horrible night lighting also result in some quite unenjoyable runs. I used to play journey mode in the past, as indeed I have found it nice how it tells you what to do, so you don't have to think about it. But very often it will do things like starting the journey with a bunch of shunting services, which makes sense I assume, but if you are not interested in them, then it will be somewhat a pain to play through them just to progress. Honestly I much prefer playing timetable mode and combining services together - finish one, then return to freerome and continue with the service of the same train, either it's a return run or yard movement or shunting. Much more immersive do to complete A->B->A runs and things like that.
Yeah, I genuinely never noticed Journeys in TSW3 either XD Which was fine for me as I turned their auto-loading off in TSW2 and never looked back.
I'm sweating toward timetable. Take BCC for example, I don't think the loco moves feature in the journey
