Every train should have guarding options, not just the inusable panels. Class 150 for example, why cant you guard?! There should be a setting for an AI guard or a setting for you to be the guard. Its INSANE how there is no guarding on most of the trains!
Personally I would find that pretty boring, especially since you're confined to opening and closing doors (then nothing for up to 25 minutes) Without a lot more passenger interaction and gameplay capabilities I doubt I'd ever go into that mode
The thing that bugs me is having every train essentially operate in a Driver Only Operation mode, whereas most trains in-game would have a guard opening and closing the doors. Even just a simple option for a guard to close the doors at departure time and give a signal to the driver would be a good step up, like what is present in TSC. And don't get me started on slam door simulation in TSW...
It might be funny when you’re also checking ticket as well but maybe that feature will be good for a run then pretty boring. Just imagine doing this on LGV Méd on no stop services from Avignon to MSC and just sitting there for 30 minutes.
Every one of these polls should have an additional option, "I don't care". It would be a good barometer for the issue.
Without human interaction guarding would be boring. What would be great is if, as Alex says, there were an AI guard on the appropriate trains so that you are not operating with DOO on a diesel loco hauled service in the 80s.
I'm not sure how popular this idea is... but I'll push for it anyway... If there can be a conductor / guard mode in the game where - 1. you operate the doors ( as OP proposed ) 2. and check everyone's tickets... Now this 2nd part can be a minigame similar to the popular title 'Papers, Please !' You've to report passengers carrying expired tickets, sitting in the wrong class, wrong destination etc... Penalty for all false alarms. Thoughts ?!
I like the idea but it would need more realistic passenger behaviour when boarding trains, also some way of checking tickets. First though I would rather they do something about the ridiculous method of loading passengers and the driver having to lock the doors of trains where they would have separate guards, especially immersion breaking with slam door carriages. This has been something which has been complained about since the beginning of TSW.
I’m not opposed to seeing it implemented if a lot of other things are polished up first. The other question is how many people are really going to play this often enough to justify dev time being spent on it. Personally I’d use it once just to try it and never again.
Hmm the detail of working panels as it is now is very good in my opinion. Instead of creating more guard functions, i would rather want to see deeper detail in assistance functionalities or cold stard functions.
For example the new MML hst already has cutted out the emergency coupler bar, which is kind of a step back. Also the 150 is supposed to work with the 158. Its not just assistance, also the MU functionalities. At least those you can use in a driving experience. TSW has a lot to offer and travel as a passenger can be as much enjoyable as the driving itself, so im not gonna judge which should get more priority.
I would assume that's because skyhook never put this in I'm sure the 150 wasn't made up to do this in game. The unit is pretty lacking in a lot of areas. The 158 might work, but then again if Skyhook didn't put the HST function in maybe they haven't here The point is that these units are all made by different people and there is no "central agency" ensuring consistency across the board. Matt P did start a forum post about "things which should be in every unit made in the game" but we're yet to see its implementation I'd have to disagree with you on this one. I really don't see the point in being a passenger in a game (I can always watch cab ride vids on YouTube for that)
I enjoy passenger mode and use it on occassions. The older period routes in particular could help people recreate the days of train spotting on the end of platforms, certainly if said routes were busier and had more variety of rolling stock.
Actually, I've always turned my nose up at spawning on foot but the thought of having a 70s or early 80s ECML route from York to Peterborough where I can go and watch the Deltics and HSTs wizz by the field on our farm I used to watch trains from as a lad has changed my view in seconds. I mean I know it will never happen but I still have a small amout of hope.
If we had a period route steam, diesel or electric with a comprehensive period timetable, similar to BML plus a decent selection of stock it could be as close to getting a time machine as we are likely to get. I could imagine Leeds or Manchester stations on NTP with a comprehensive 1983 timetable (not just for the NTP route). Or somewhere like Runcorn in 1957. Some of the German routes and SEHS have some nice spots for watching trains with quite a bit of variety, when the class 700 comes out it will bring more variety to SEHS.
Yes only if the care put into SEHS was put into PFR. I mean it is a beautiful route but it would have been so better if they'd gone those extra few miles. Also to stay on topic PFR could have been a great route to introduce an AI guard and then I may have been a bit more forgiving.
If DTG were to introduce a guard option then I would suggest it should be built around unfitted freight train operations. IE: operation of the brake van hand brake on appropriate gradients, pinning down of wagon brakes where needed and ensuring the proper tail lamp and side lamps combinations are in place. But alas I fear this wont be possible due to the limited physics capabilities of AI controlled trains.
Honestly it could be fun for a lot of people - however there are so many problems with the game right now that unfortunately I suspect dev time would be better spent ironing out the basic experience, and then adding in "extra" features when the most important features are running smoothly.
They still can’t sort out the doors opening which aren’t at a platform, let alone implement a player functional Guard/Conductor role! As others have said it could be fun for a while but it would need the addition of something like revenue protection to avoid long periods of nothing to do.
