Tutorials are everything when it comes to most video games. I think TSW2 has solid tutorials for the most part. But there is lots that can be improved. The tutorials mostly cover the basics of getting the train moving which is fine. But I feel like there should be more tutorials. The current tutorials should be considered basic tutorials. I believe there should be advanced tutorials for people who want to challenge themselves. For some routes they don't need advanced tutorials because of how simple some of the trains are such as the 1972 stock on the Bakerloo line or the 1938 stock on the Isle of Wight. But not all trains are simple. Germany and France have some of the most advanced trains in the world and have lots of different mechanics that engineers use in real life. We need in game tutorials teaching us how to use these safety systems. PZB and LZB on the German routes are some of the most challenging safety systems currently in TSW2. Now I understand there is an official video tutorial on how to use these safety systems, but I feel like an in game tutorial would help out a lot. I learned how to use safety systems on both routes through the help of others. Others may not have contact with people who know how the safety systems work so it can be frustrating for them. The advanced tutorials should explain what each safety system does and how to avoid getting into an emergency stop. Although American routes are not as advanced as other country trains, I think advanced tutorials on how to fully configure them would be very helpful. Now I shall list what tutorials I would like to see be added to various countries. Germany PZB, LZB, Sifa, AFB tutorials France TVM, KVB, VACMA, Speed control tutorials America (Includes Specific Routes) How to fully configure specific trains (Including Alerter) How to do proper horn codes Sand Patch Grade How to fully configure GP38, SD40, AC4400, and Dash 8 How to configure trains with multiple locos on front or helpers on back How to go down the grade (I know the Dash 8 covers this but not everybody is gonna buy the Dash 8. At the very least show how to do it on the AC4400cw) Long Island Railroad ATC and Alerter Tutorials UK Safety Systems Current tutorials that need improvements The following tutorials that are currently in the game needs improvements to them due to rather missing steps, or problems with the gameplay. CSX Sand Patch Grade The general loco tutorials miss a very crucial step to properly configuring them. And that is the MU-2A valve. All tutorials besides the Dash 8 miss this step. The MU-2A valve determines if you have control of the brakes. If you leave it in "Trail 6 or 26", the loco thinks that it is not a lead locomotive but rather a secondary unit on the front or a helper unit. Leaving it at this setting will keep the brakes locked. This makes it much more difficult to accelerate and going up the grade is nearly impossible. You need to set this valve to "Lead or Dead". This makes the loco know that it is the lead loco and that it has control of the brakes on the entire train. When the lead loco has this setting on and releases the brakes, it releases the brakes of the rest of the train. On the GP38 and SD40, it is located to the left of the independent brake. On the AC4400CW, it is located on the main computer screen. This step needs to be added to those tutorials. Peninsula Corridor (F40ph-2CAT & Gallery Cab Car) Now the tutorials themselves don't miss any crucial steps. But there is an issue with the gameplay in one part of the tutorial. And that is the stop at Sunnyvale. There is a go VIA location right after you merge onto the mainline. You then get a message talking about the braking system. But then seconds later, you only have about 700 yards to stop at Sunnyvale while going 50mph which I feel is very little room to stop. To fix this, the tutorial should talk about the braking much sooner and show you have to stop at Sunnyvale in about a mile so the driver has plenty of time to stop. One detail to point out is that the F40ph tutorial is heading Northbound. In real life, they only go Southbound. They should remaster the F40 tutorial to be located somewhere else headed towards San Jose. If I were to make a suggestion, I would make the tutorial go from Sunnyvale to Santa Clara. Everything would be the same between Sunnyvale to Lawrence, and then the emergency stop would happen between Lawrence and Santa Clara. If these things were improved, then these tutorials would be perfect. The rest of the tutorials for the Baby Bullet and Union Pacific don't have any issues. Conclusion I think adding advanced tutorials would greatly benefit the game for both new users, and people who want to drive more realistically. Now I understand that manuals would cover a decent chunk of what my suggestion covered, but I think more people would use the tutorials instead of the manuals just because it's more accessible. The manuals I think should mostly cover signalling and other important details. If there are types of tutorials you want to see that I didn't cover, feel free to post a reply down below.
