PC New Objective Bar Distance

Currently doing a run on ECML with the Azuma using the new track display and objective HUD. I completely missed Newark station because there is nowhere near enough distance to bring the train to a stop within the distance set on the marker. There's also no way to bring the old objective HUD back which means the only option is to use the objective marker which I personally really don't like. It removes the immersion which is counter productive to the purpose of the new HUD.
I am liking the new track display in the top right corner and the ability to drive without the speedo.

 

You can still use the old hud in settings

 

The barber pole in the top left counts down the last kilometer or mile I think, so that should give you enough warning.

 

It is not enough for anything traveling faster than +-120Kph, 2km/2miles, or putting the stop marker on the 2km track preview would be nice.

 

There's no setting for objective HUD, only objective marker.

It only gives a 1km countdown, which is nowhere near enough when doing 125mph.

 

Go into accessibility settings and set the HUD type to "Normal" or "Simple" to bring back the other bits of info

 

Excellent, thank you! I must say I do prefer the style of the new objective HUD over the old on but without a distance counter instead of barber poll I'll stick with the old one for now.
The issue with using the old one now is that it doesn't show speed limit or gradient...

 

I found I didn’t always notice the barber pole starting fast enough. It might help if stations appeared in the track monitor with the signals and speed changes.

 

Yeh I missed my stop at Newark, to be fair the more u understand the route the easier it will become I know some curves so realised to late when u know the loops like I do it will become a piece of cake

 

I’m also having a hard time understanding the bar pole hud. I found if I started braking 1 minute before my estimated stopping time I could get the train to a reasonable speed before the barber pole hud started counting down. Of course this only really works when you know your definitely on time or you calculate how long it takes to reach each stop.

I agree it would be better if it showed the barber pole countdown at the correct braking distance for the speed you’re doing.

 

I definitely second this, I really liked the idea of the new hud, because in all previous titles I only played with the top left destination bar on. But since tsw3 that bar has gotten way to big, like why does it need to cover half of my screen. My ideal hud only needs to have the time and meters to next stop.

But that barber style thing counts down way to late for "me" on ecml, like I get that on some routes that would work perfectly but on these high speed lines It does not really work. It's basically driving with no hud( for me ).

 

I would happily take the new hud with a proper count down to stop feature. Like all you said the time it gives you to stop is nothing. I also skipped Newark. I hope DTG do something about this.

 

I completely agree with all sentiment expressed here, even if it was just a countdown to next object at the bottom of the track monitor or something. I know they are trying to get away from driving by numbers but making it togglable will give the option to us to decide how far we wish to go.

 

I like the new mini HUD - it does feel more immersive. But I will not use it without the normal stop at location. This was much more useful than the new barber pole.
I have mocked it up in Photoshop so hopefully DTG Matt can see as I noticed on the streams he was driving with the next objective marker on in the middle of the screen which defeats the aim of the minimal HUD.

 

For me, This would be perfect.
The countdown barber pole just doesn't work, especially in cases where you have to stop right on the stop mark. Having a distance reading is necessary in those cases.

 

At the moment I have just left the lollipop marker on but that has always been intrusive and blocks upcoming signals from view, so would really like to be able to eliminate it. Matt did say the new HUD was kind of a work in progress so let’s hope the station/objective countdown can be discreetly incorporated.

 

I'm using CTRL+1 (mapped to a macro key for single keypress) for that reason, so that I can quickly check the real distance.

 

I agree. Haven't been able to try out TSW4 myself, but having the distance to objective from the big HUD into the mini HUD would be really nice.

 

I agree, don't like the objective marker. Plus, if you need to rely on the objective marker, you might as well remove the new barber pole alltogether as you don't need it with the objective marker on.

 

What might work with the current design is if the barber pole went different colours depending on how far from the objective you are. For example it could go green when 5km out, then change to orange at 2.5km and then red at 1km. That would give plenty of time to plan braking whilst utilising the new HUD. Or as others have said, give the option to have the distance counter back instead.

 

That sound like a better idea. Could see that working

 

That would be a nice alternative, but I do like the barber pole idea. It does make me think more and use the stop markers at stations rather than watching a distance countdown. Your mock-up would be a fantastic layout for the Simple or Default preset

 

This is exactly how I thought the current barber pole hud worked and I was surprised when it turned orange literally 10 seconds before I reached the platform, to say I overshot would be an understatement.

 

I don't. Using different colors would be confusing, and even problematic for color-blind people. A single bar is good, as long as the distance is longer. Doesn't have to be a linear scale. Could be similar like the distance bar LZB uses, where half of the bar represents the last 1km, and the other half the other 3km.

Or I guess adding stations to the topright corner where speed limits and signals are would work too. Although 2km might still be a tad on the short side for high speed trains needing to make a stop. Both GWE and Boston Sprinter have station stops for trains running at 125mph line speed. I'd personally go for 4km, just like speed limits and signals were shown up on countdown in TSW1/2/3.

 

I'd like to add my name to the list of those asking for a change to the barber pole system. As someone who prefers to run with the objective marker and that coloured train thingie in the platform disabled, having only the barber pole to know when to stop is more than challenging on faster trains. Ironically, for something designed to help us focus more on the train, it actually causes me to stare obsessively up to the left of my screen, looking for colour to change and the countdown to start. At speed, within seconds, I'm already way too late to stop.

I like the idea someone had about different colours, provided a way can be found that wouldn't put colour-blind folk to a disadvantage. Alternately, even just putting a stop marker of some sort in the look ahead window would be very helpful.

I love the concept behind it - it's the execution of that concept that needs a tweak,IMO.

 

I've just been driving again and I gotta say that blowing through stations is getting old fast. I either become chronically late by cutting speed too early or I completely miss the station and earn myself an objective failure. All my time and attention is now on that barber pole when it should be on the train gauges, signals, and scenery. I'm sure this must be the opposite of what it was intended to be.

 

Yeah, I fear that bit makes the miniHUD pretty useless, which is a shame because I like the general idea of the miniHUD.

What surprises me most is that DTG Matt and his colleagues didn't see this coming. He's got plenty of train simulation experience to know 1km is way too short at higher speeds. As soon as the news came out, the community immediately recognized this would be a problem, and well, now that people can get to experience the miniHUD first hand, the expected has come true.

 

I think - to be fair to Matt - he probably spotted it to - note in every stream he played with the objective marker on giving a distance on the horizon...

 

This would be fantastic... or just putting the stations on the route diagram on the right. The barber pole only works when you are looking at it constantly... which I'm obviously not.

 

After now playing with it, I do like the look of the new mini hud, but do not like the distance bar and really miss the distance count down. I also dont like having the blip on the screen but now have to turn it on and off to see where I am now.

 

I will say - I'm loving the mini hud - and can live the objective marker, I'm finding it much more immersive having to look at the speedo and the brake pressure gauges in the cab.

 

Although LZB has a countdown thermometer, it also has a digital readout (which is what I actually use).

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If nothing else, it's very important to know if a signal is before or after the platform.....

 

If I could make a suggestion regarding the HUD it would be a setting to specifically choose between the distance bar and distance value. I like the new mini HUD with the current speed limit and gradient, but I can't play with it on because the distance bar makes services undrivable for me (especially on high speed routes). Keep the new HUD, but add an option for the normal distance countdown of miles/km to be shown on it.

 

I wont be playing TSW4 until the 26th (or 27th in my time zone); but I knew after watching that 1st TSW4 stream the barber pole distance would not be near enough warning for the HS trains....hopefully something can be done to improve it over the coming months.

Adding station stops to the track monitor would also be a great compromise and/or the ability to increase the scale past 2kms / 1.25miles

 

I’d second this - really like the minimal HUD and not repeating info that’s already available via the cab displays. It’s just the distance part that needs a tweak for me.