Before anyone tries to be smart I know it has not been quite exactly a year, but however many hundred days on sounds a bit less catchy and smooth to be honest! Now I don’t think it would be unfair to say that on release the MML were a bit naff and not particularly well received. After it’s delayed release I did pick it up rather soon and there were positives to be had, with the traction mostly, as the HST and (especially) the 158 were very well done. They weren’t without issues with the HST numbering, lettering and other things not quite right and there were also some issues with the 158s windscreen as I remember. Then there were the timetable which were rather empty meaning the route itself were very empty as well, with a very sparse amount, if any freight. Scenery in many places were a bit bland, dull and very generic, not making the route look like it does in real life, with some of the interesting structures along the route missing. All the above were tolerable issues but there were one which really did make the route unplayable, and that were the rogue/unwarranted TPWS brake applications across the route. Then of course we had the other controversy, though the less said the better. HOWEVER a year (nearly) on Skyhook have turned the route around to feel almost completely different to the one I describe above. The 158 and HST are still glorious machines with the majority of niggles gone and are a pleasure to drive. I always said the HST were the best but in the past week or so I have really enjoyed taking the 158 for a spin and after that I would say it is perhaps the best unit in the game as it sounds and feels so good. The addition of the buzzer from the TM really does add a lot to the experience and it is a shame that this can’t become a standard feature in game. Speaking of standard features though the HST does still lack working GSM-R, which is a slight disappointment. Both are lovely trains on the whole, being high quality, looking lovely and most importantly sounding glorious. There have been more services added to the timetable which also means the route does not feel as lifeless when driving it and it can add a bit of interest and variety to the services at Trent Junction. It does mean that 2+6 HSTs stand in for the Meridian services but I personally would prefer this until we, hopefully, get a 222. There are also a variety of layered freight services and also one (soon to be two) freight packs for the route from Skyhook adding extra services and so extra variety to the route as well. Scenery wise, this is where the biggest change has been, with more vegetation, looking more dense and realistic has been added, really adding ambience and a realism to the route which weren’t there in the first place. This really does make the route feel less generic than it did before with less gaps through to plain textures and 2D grass! Along with the green stuff Skyhook also added more representative structures to the route which also really go towards making it feel like the Midland Mainline with various bridges fitting in with the route and surroundings much better than before. A great job they have done. Most importantly the route runs smoothly without crashes (from my experience, though those on PS seem to have had a vast reduction if not a total wipeout of the crashes) and dodgy TPWS meaning you know that the run will get finished without an issue. Now of course I am not saying the route is perfect and I have very much focused on the positives, but after the negativity and disappointment on the forum about releases recently I feel this ray of sunshine were needed to remind us what can be done to a route after release to really make it a stunner. Saying that there are many, many more positives to the route than negatives and most current drawbacks are nowt compared to the issues faced (almost) a year ago. So to answer my own question I think it is undoubtedly a yes, the route is now a real gem and is firmly in my top three, certainly worth the £30 I paid. What Skyhook have done and continue to do to this route really is appreciated and I look forward to their aggregates pack and any more things they choose to release in the future. Great work, and thanks to all at Skyhook involved! Sorry for going on and on and on, but I do just feel that it is important for all to remember what can be done with post release patches to really make a route one of the best and to restore trust in a dev. Lastly I couldn’t talk about great scenery without proving it so here are a few screenshots just to showcase the beauty of the route now:
I really enjoy this route and you can run a large variety of services on it with most British diesel class having worked on the line at some point or other. I hope we can see an extension to Sheffield with a Meridian, maybe the Matlock branch included too in the modern era.
Totally agree, one of my favourites to be honest. I just really hope they extend it rather than doing another section standalone.
Yes I think taking it to Sheffield, as an extension, and the addition of a 222 would really put the cherry on the cake. I wouldn't say no to a backdated timetable for the route either!
The high speed runs feel short and the daytime freight is lacking but I agree that the 158 is the best unit in the game. It would be nice if it continued to Sheffield but not at the expense of losing the Nottingham section as I really enjoy the variety the 'triangle' offers.
I´d like to echo every word. After that disgusting feeling of being duped (indeed, let's not go too deep into that chapter), MML has become one of my favorite routes. LucaZone Skyhook won a remarkable recovery race, recovering not only the route but also their badly damaged image. I'm anxiously waiting for the Cargo Line Vol.2. The screenshots speak for themselves but I might add what - to me - doesn´t feel appreciated enough: IMHO MML has become an excellent route for night driving. And that's not an obvious given in TSW which is legendary for awful night lighting. Try it out!
I have to add I think Adam and the team are doing an incredible job. Adam still is keeping tabs on the forums and posting updates and teasers. It's just really refreshing to see a dev put time and effort into their content post release and making it as good as it can be. The extra DLC is also really nice to see with the wagon packs and support going forward. Hopefully somewhere Rivet are taking notes.
Agreed. It's a fantastic route and I must admit when I'm travelling between Leicester to Nottingham and Derby I pay attention to when the driver brakes lol.
I had absolutely zero interest in this route in release. I hate middle of the line routes. As much as I wanted a 158, it just didn’t do it for me. However after I seen the pictures of the updated scenery and pretty full timetable I bought it and I agree it’s a very good route. Shame it didn’t go to Sheffield as a more logical end but good nonetheless and will certainly be paying attention to the future UK Skyhook routes.
It’s a nice piece of content overall, really broke us free of all the modern EMU content, bringing 2 really well done bits of rolling stock. Its release was far from smooth, and the heap of other trouble alongside it was a fiasco, but I’m really glad that Skyhook stuck by the release and gave us what we have today (hopefully a certain other developer takes some notes here). I can’t really add anything that hasn’t been said, the only real issue I have with it, is its length, and whilst it’s not particularly short by TSW standards, it does let down the fantastic rolling stock, as you can never really get them going. Hopefully that 156 leak turns into something & we see some extra trackage, a 222 would be more than welcome too.
I do play this route quite often, it's a good route in my opinion but as others have stated, it's too short. Additionally, stations like Derby and Nottingham are in vital need of some AI traffic rather than them being completely empty most of the time.
I loved it from the start, in my top 3 UK TSW routes easily. It was brilliant in TSC by JT and a fantastic effort by Skyhook in TSW. Now if they just fixed the AI timetable timings, we might actually have a perfect route in TSW.
I do wish it went to Sheffield, though at the same time I am unsure if I'd happily trade Nottingham for Sheffield as having the triangle gives a much better variety of runs, and ending at East Mids Parkway, or Loughborough would be incredibly strange too. Yes! This had completely slipped my mind actually, if they can get these sorted it will make the route even more enjoyable.
Yes it is a bit short really, particularly when set against ECML. And the Journey Mode could have done with a bit more to do before finishing, too. However it is much improved from the original iteration so all credit to SHG and Adam in particular for turning it round.
I think it is a great route. For a few reasons. 1. Skyhook has been dedicated to fixing it and doing enhancements and upgrades after release. It isn't "fire and forget" as often happens in TSW world. This includes both free upgrades as well as paid add ons like the freight expansion. 2. Great rolling stock, both the trains are well modelled and interesting to drive. It isn't perfect. It feels a little short from the HST side of things, but it is a good route.
I was really disappointed when this route came out. I was playing on PlayStation at the time and not only was the route disappointing but it crashed a lot. Fast Forward to today and it’s in my top 3 UK routes. Skyhook have, in my opinion, really turned it around. I play on PC now and with the addition of mods it’s even better. The HST is without question my favourite UK train to drive. So, I would much rather it had been released in its current state, but we can’t turn back time. Skyhook have shown how to make something right. It’s changed my mind from vowing to never touch a skyhook product again to really looking forward to their next release. I’ll just try to forget about the DB BR 187. I do wish they’d give that the same attention.
I don’t think it’s quite there yet, but it certainly has been improved a lot since initial release. I think with even just a couple of small extensions, additional AI traffic and a couple of additional pieces of stock such as a 156 / 222, maybe even an XC livery for the 170 and it could very well be up there
All it needs is a Meridian and an extension to Sheffield (keeping Nottingham for variety's sake) and it'll be one of the best.
It's a real shae this is a prolific offender for crashes on Xbox one as for the bits of it I can drive it's really cool. The 43 does have some texture issues (even before this recent Xbox texture bug). I like that the 158 has it's doors simulated as if the guard is closing them, one of the few routes in which the buzzer is actually useful and not just there for immersion. Unlike GWE it makes driving a HST a bit more challenging with all the changes in speed restrictions and sometimes quite frequent station stops. Dringin it like a commuter train is challenging. Would definitely be a favourite of mine if I could play it more. If I ever end up upgrading to a newer console it will definitely be played the most.
I’m assuming you’re on 8th Gen Xbox? Incidentally this route is actually one of the few routes I can play on Xbox without it crashing or having any texture issues. My biggest issue with the addon in general is the guard simulation on the 158. The time it takes to open / close the doors with the timetable it just doesn’t work well, though I believe this has been addressed and has been tweaked for a future update
Ah that is a shame if it is still having crashing issues on Xbox 1. I have been playing a fair bit on my series S, more than the PC actually, and it runs lovely on there now, so the upgrade is worth it. I do like having more variety in the HST services, though again it would also be nice to have a longer distance HST run in game. 158 is great too, bar the AI timetable.
Rivet take note. This is the standard expected from Fife going forward. It’s unacceptable to release unfinished products. But at least Skyhook saved it. They even went beyond what they promised.
I would say MML is probably the most improved route in the game, it went from being a bit subpar to being a really solid UK Route like GOBLIN, and I think it'll probably get better with cargoline v2 coming soon
It’s become one of my favorite UK routes, that’s for sure. Awesome having an HST out run you while in a 158. Fun route to no-hud as well, pretty immersive experience with the guard buzzer and decent sounds and all that. Only negative is that the doors take too long to close, which is realistic but doesn’t seem balanced to the timetable… I’m already late upon leaving the first station. But that doesn’t bother me a whole lot as most trains I’ve dealt with are usually a minute or two behind.
i like his route too would be one of the best if we get an extension only point for me is night drivin with the hst cause the headlights are to low i barely see nothing in front of me lol
I couldn’t agree more. One of the best looking and sounding routes in TSW. It’s a shame it didn’t start that way, but the fact the route has not been abandoned and is still being improved is really positive.
Leicester to Nottingham services are close to impossible. Leave every station on notch 7 and you will still complete the service a few minutes late at best.
Sadly for me the fact that they messed up the timetable when they did the updates meant I stopped playing it. A great shame, because so much hard work went into improving scenery etc, only for it to be wasted by making the (previously very good) timetable unusable.
Morning Everyone, Its great to read that our efforts have been worthwhile and that you're all enjoying the experience of driving along the Midland Main Line in Train Sim World. Thanks for the continued feedback. Constructive and concise feedback is what has helped make MML great for us all. You will be pleased to know that we were discussing the April Roadmap with DTG just yesterday and many of the continued concerns mentioned in this topic are among the updates coming soon to MML, along with more details about Cargo Line Vol.2 Aggregates and the Scotrail Class 158.
The bug with some HST services not spawning a train is still present, which is a shame. Really thought that would have been fixed by now. For example, 1C14 Nottingham - St Pancras, you start on an empty platform with the "loading passengers" ticking down but no train to drive.
I came for steam and stayed for the scenery. To elaborate a bit, I initially got MML solely for the steam challenge in the known thread (Steam - A Realistic Challenge) but was quite impressed by the updated scenery. The route is really nice to look at. Moreover, I never used the GWE HST since it's just "put the throttle to max and wait 30 minutes" but MML has nice speed changes and some slight gradients. The 158 is also good but I have to admit that I'm not a fan of the overly long guard simulation, which JT did better in BPO to my mind. My only problems are the ridiculous AI timetable and the fact that the route is (on PS5) still not immune to crashing - something about the HST just likes to crash the game.
Hey Lucas! Just wondering, have you found a fix yet for the Class 158 PIS display not showing any off-map destinations at all?
Thanks Adam. Does that include getting the timetable back to something more realistic, please? Great to hear if so.
Thanks again to yourself Adam, it has been great to see the route be turned into the route it is today. As James mentions above is this including the timetable as that is currently the only significant drawback, and possible turn off the route has from my perspective. Looking forward to the Aggregates pack, and the chance to drive that beauty somewhere else too!
Thank you so much for taking the time to post Adam! I am a recent buyer of MML, and I really do love a lot about the route and slowly getting better with the 158/door closing times. I know there probably is no "small tweaks" to the timetable without a lot changing but so appreciative that you are looking at all the ways based on feedback to make the route better (its already great!). Anyway, seeing the route makers comment here with genuine interest of the feedback from the consumers is very welcomed!
Really appreciate the interaction tbh, think the effort you and Skyhook have put in are on the way to getting a pretty good and constructive relationship between you and the community. As much as we all complain it does usually come from wanting the game to be as good as it can be. A bit of give and take from both sides on initial product bugs/issues vs commitment to fix and deliver is massively beneficial to both sides. So thank you!
Midland mainline, whilst at release I passed on due to reports of bugs, is now definitely a high contender for a route of which I would pick up if DTG fix the core Xbox issue I’m probably getting known at this point for pointing out. Sounds like skyhook games have really done the right thing with this route, they seem an example of what others should do when their routes hit obstacles at launch, really good on them for this.
