Why is it that while driving the train I spawned there is no overtaking by passenger or other trains? Are such solutions provided and I haven't come across them? In my opinion, when traveling on a spawned train, for example, entering a side track at the station or other events would diversify the gameplay. So far, when I was driving, the only incident was a stop at a stop signal. And the driving path was always straight and changed only if I set an intermediate point. In my opinion, cases such as entering another side track, waiting or letting the train pass should take place. as well as other random events. it would diversify the gameplay. Have a good day, best regards.
Well, Free Roam is there to let you do whatever you want to, so if you want to go into a siding and let other trains pass, you need to set a path into the siding and wait until another train passes you. It can be good fun looking at the map and figuring out how far you can go before getting into another train's way and setting up your route so you won't hold up anyone else.
Just like TSC and MSTS before it, gameplay in TSW is fairly rigid following the defined path and order of running. Matt P did mention there is some limited dynamic potential from the signalling logic, for example if you run late it might route a train booked to follow in front. This has happened to me on GWE and Boston Sprinter. However there is no randomiser for valid alternative routing, for example creating a problem on the fast line requiring diversion over a stretch of the slow or relief line. The argument for this is that too much culmative late running will destroy the timetable and end up with standoffs as platforms are occupied when they shouldn’t be leaving nowhere for a following train to arrive and unlike the Zusi signaller, TSW cannot handle platform alterations. Essentially to do as suggested the programme would need the thinking logic of the real life signaller and Train Running Controller with traffic management software included. It would need to be able to recover the service back to right time running by running trains fast, turning round short or knocking out entire round trips (again snarling up platform space, in reality NR and the TOC controllers would try and clear the platforms with trains out of the way to carriage sidings or loops. If DTG could devise a routine to handle all that, they’d be in business with Network Rail, not selling us a game!
I feel DTG should try and prioritise some kind of timetable AI delay feature. Would really be a game changer. I find these days I burn out too quickly with new routes. Fun at first but the fun suddenly deteriorates due to knowing what will happen/green light fest. I had hoped for short routes like Goblin and Glossop that they could've trialled some sort of AI delay/random event thingy, but it appears not so.
Since this solution is possible to implement, I will give an example of the new Polish production "SimRail". There, on a quite crowded section Katowice - Zawiercie, traveling by e.g. a freight train, when an express train on duty AI is behind us (the game also allows the player to be a traffic dispatcher, but the AI works just as well), so when an express train is behind us, the AI will take us to the side track or sometimes, on a long trail, it will go along the left track to the next station! Sometimes I had to wait for 20 or 30 minutes on a freight train on a side track with heavy passenger traffic, but it didn't bore me because I knew that at every station some situation could happen to me and it wouldn't be monotonous. Sometimes you also have to wait under the semaphore, e.g. when there are no free platform edges in the station. But this is what makes the game more interesting and I think that a certain type of AI intelligence on duty should be implemented in TSW so that we don't just follow the green wave straight ahead, because I think that if I set my own way to a side track, it's not that interesting because I know exactly where I will sideline and approximately how long I will stop.
Agreed. The TSW ‘signaller’/‘dispatcher’ is actually better than is sometimes suggested. In Free Roam you can throw trains into the timetable and set routes for them amongst the other trains, and the signaller deals with it all pretty realistically. A small degree of randomisation would enhance Timetable mode significantly and avoid the creeping boredom which comes when you realise it’s an identical experience every time. I’m aware from previous discussions, though, that some people prefer it to be the same every time, and therefore it would be wise to include the ability to switch off randomisation in the settings.
Yes, I was impressed with the way the dispatcher handled the free roam chaos, and I'm very grateful that DTG included the free roam aspect. I reckon the dispatcher could handle an occasional AI delay quite well, e.g have a 5% chance of a service delay every 3-7 mins or so, or have a slider to change that? Of course, we would expect occasional snarl ups, but it would be our choice if we want to run it - the people that do not want AI delays could turn the feature off. Also if there is a snarl up, we know we can delete offending trains now. I wonder now that we have an editor, would it be possible for the clever folks out there to code in such things? I just find it a tad surprising this hasn't been implemented yet, would be a big draw for a lot of simmers.
The dispatcher can be a hit and a miss for example on my last run on Boston route i was running 3-4 mins late soon upon approaching Forest Hills interlocking I noticed there was a local trains from the Neeham heights line stopped at the Home signal but as I past through the switch I notice a Amtrak also stopped at the Signal coming from Boston. The AI will some prioritize late player trains for for some reason
I believe a degree of prioritisation of the player’s train is part of the coding, although it isn’t absolute - AI trains do sometimes get routed in front if you’re running late. When driving a train in real life it’s often quite difficult to understand the regulation decisions, as you don’t have the bigger picture like the Signaller does, so I’m not too concerned if the same applies on TSW.
The dispatcher manages delays fine, there was a 2 hour delay when I was playing BML because 2 trains didnt actually put the master key in and put the reverser in forward so they sat there for 2 hours which delayed everything. Once i fixed them all the trains were fine
There are no other trains in free roam, only those that you spawn You need to go to timetable mode and start on foot, then you can spawn your own trains in addition to the timetable traffic which is already there
