I’ve just done a run on MML, first for a long while, and having been doing Preston to Carlisle for a while, this route is pretty poor. The scenery and graphics are not much better than WCL. Thinking back though the main reason I bought the route was for the Valenta powered HST. TBH I prefer the GWR version. Much more responsive on the controls. I’ll put my combat helmet on now for the responses.
Woah woah woah.... Wcl and MML are no where near each other at all...this is such a terrible comparison...
Woah woah woah, MML has TOD4 lighting. WCL has TOD3! Two trains included and a full timetable. Upcoming guard mode update as well I’m pretty sure.
Woah woah woah woah don’t go disrespecting MML like that, MML may be a bit dated but it’s still 100x better than WCL, and this is coming from someone who like WCL.
MML had a shaky start but after several changes of management the developer came good and fixed many of the outstanding issues. The two supplied trains are superb, amongst the best UK stock in the game including sounds. The route has logical end points, if a little short, rather than dumping you at a wayside station in mid Cornwall.
The route choice makes a big difference too. MML is a logical route choice with busy traffic and various routing options for lots of varied working. WCL has minimal traffic and is largely end to end with one end to end, self contained branch. The era doesn't permit the iconic West Country types or the HST operation either. At least since Blackpool it does allow the Pacers.
Woah woah woah woah woah woah, Mml has received the most upgrades of any tsw routes and is superb now. It’s not the longest by any stretch, but is far superior to WCL
Personally whilst I agree MML looks good and the stock is well modelled, I find it too short and not massively interesting. It's certainly not on the same level as WCL though.
Meh. I play WCL more than MML. MML is just boring. No branches at all. Just a short straight line. It has it's fans and that's fine, but let's not go crazy and say it's "good." It's a best "mediocre." In that way I'd say it does compare to another "mediocre" line in WCL. Neither are in the league of SEHS or BPO.
I think the scenery is better on MML. I think it should go to Sheffield though, a 25/30 min HST journey just isn’t long enough for me sometimes.
After the fixes MML got to a place where it’s fine, it’s not the most detailed route & it’s not very interesting either. Most of the buzz for it seems to stem from it being brought upto an acceptable level of quality, which I don’t think is much to be excited about? Well done SHG for not leaving it in an unplayable state I suppose? The 43 & 158 on the other hand are pretty great, plus they’re the only EMT stock for TSW. As a whole it’s a borderline failed project IMO, what it is now could be the start of decent network for the Midlands, on its own though it’s not really worth the buy in at £30, unless you’re happy to pay for the 2 trains which have few other places to run. Overall it’s a shame it’s been abandoned, really could have been a great route if it offered a proper run to somewhere. Still though, I’d pick it hands down over WCL.
MML has 2 branches and 3 journeys being Derby - Nottingham, Derby - Leicester and Nottingham - Leicester, how is that no branches/a short straight line.
Well you can't have two branches since one must be the mainline... so 1 "branch" that's super short so more of a big shunt. Still just not that interesting. Nothing to see on the southern part, just straight and mostly featureless. It's only 37 miles even with side tracks too, so it's short. That's especially dumb when you pack a Class 43 HST on it. Why put a fast train on a short track? If you like it that's fine. It's just as fair for others to not care for it. Like I said... it's average at best. I didn't say it's "terrible.:" Just average at best.
The HST units here are not using Valenta engines, they are using VP185. This was a different engine as an attempt to upgrade the original Valenta ones. Beside being a completely different engine the most notable difference is the the missing turbine spool up sound that would wake up an entire city.
MML is a Y-route with three termini. This provides a lot more service variety, since instead of just AB, BA you get AB, BA, AC, CA, BC, CB. Besides the principal stations are very nicely done. MML might not be a Blackpool level route, but it's above average for UK content in the game. Looking at the competition, among third parties Just Trains obviously is in a league of its own. But ALL of Rivet's UK content is less good than MML. And when we come to DTG? Worse routes than MML include ECML, WCML South, Birmingham Cross-City, Glossop, Spirit of Steam, Peak Forest, Cardiff, and I would argue GWE in its current state. For me personally I would toss in Goblin; yes, I know it's very high quality for what it is but it's still a seven-mile bus route with exactly one service
As with many other TSW routes, this should have been Stage 1 of an ongoing project that would eventually see the whole MML from St Pancras to Sheffield represented. Sadly I get the feeling SHG have quietly abandoned any further attempts at route building.
I'm not really a Hst fan and the 150 isn't the best. But in free roam with traction of my choice, both routes are good enough.
it's definitely a pretty insane take I mean WCL is easily one of the worst UK routes in the game in terms of quality, they turned Penzance into a forest for crying out loud and i've seen better beaches in GTA Vice City. MML after all the patches is in a much better state now, it's biggest problem is that it's way too short.
MML is by far one of the better routes, it ranks nowhere near WCL. To say its just as bad as WCL is ridiculous. Yes, it didn't have the best start, but at least Skyhook pulled their socks up and improved it. Whereas WCL hasn't been touched by Rivet since it released.
You can't be serious, yes it had a shaky start, but after JT's routes MML is the best in game scenically I would say. I don't think many words are needed here:
This. I can forgive a route occasionally coming out in a poor state if it’s going to be fixed quickly and brought to a very high standard like skyhook have done. Not a mediocre route coming out and staying mediocre forever, potentially even getting worse as seems to be the case whenever there’s an update
I vaguely recall something along those lines. Then there was also the last minute fudge to add the classic diesel layer as presumably someone at DTG realised as it stood the route and 150 didn’t cut muster.
It was, but because of the GWR licensing issues they set it somewhere just before privatisation so that they could get around it.
I have done a few runs with the Jubilee from St Austell to Penzance and enjoyed it but the bland scenery is hard not to notice. Could be a really good route if it was brought up to TSW5 standard.
At least MML got updates to make it better over time, WCL as far as I know never got any which is typical of Rivet especially in the TSW2 days.
Midland mainline was awful when it first released but since then skyhook did a fantastic job updating it and it's one of the best routes imo
I think the thing with MML is that watching Adam interacting with people on the forums and the time that's been put into the route to bring it up to standard has just shown that SHG cared about that content. They didn't release it then leave it but they're still actively working on it and Adam is still interacting with people on the threads!
