Hello all, I hope you are all doing well. I have a probably very silly question. I have been playing and very much enjoying TSW 2 the last few weeks and even bought my first DLC today (the Tees Valley Line). I'm just curious if i am playing the scenarios correctly. Is the whole point of the game to just, well drive the trains and go from stop to stop etc...? Please don't take this question as a criticism of the game in any way, it isn't. I'm loving just driving the trains. I still play Elite Dangerous and love just flying from station to station. Its all very relaxing I just wanted to check if I was missing a part of the gameplay. I started playing Derail Valley and love it, so i was wondering if TSW 2 has any similar things to that, like going to the station offices and picking jobs etc. Again, i don't necessarily want it to be similar to DV, i just want to make sure im not missing any major part of the game. I am still completing the first few scenarios on the Bakerloo line section. Lastly, can i ask if using the IFD display thing is important to the gameplay as i have absolutely no idea what it does or how it works? Will its use come into play later in the game? Or should i look for external tutorials on how to use it? Sorry for the silly questions and thanks for reading.
Welcome, nope you're playing a sim so it's a to b and that's it. passenger services straight forward Freight services straight forward Yard services with some switching of wagons ans track Collectibles to find (loads of guides online) Walking the stations and train spotting. Journey mode is like a curated introduction to what's available in a route. Timetable is where you can pick what you want to experience Game comes to life once you turn the HUD off and learn signalling and safety systems for each region, that's when you've really peeled the layers off the onion (again the search bar here or in you tube is your friend) Most , not all but 90% of what you need you'll find with a forum search here. I would also search and read about layers on here. Some routes stack additional services onto another route because they share trains or share train services in real life. For example some of the German routes are quiet, as you buy more German routes the earlier ones you buy will get much more traffic layered into them. America and US don't do it as much at the moment as the routes and genre of trains are a bit too varied. There's a spreadsheet on this forum somewhere if you search "layers" that shows how they all stack together. Not sure what console or whether you're on steam but if you have a strong pc and steam build your collection there as there's far more discounts on products than on Xbox or ps. Recommend watching the streams the team do too (particularly the roadmap on the first Thursdays of everyone month , advertised in the announcement and article section of this forum weekly) as you'll learn lots too, see new content and they can be quite funny. On these streams don't waste your time asking about what new content is coming, unless it's an announcement they never say. Welcome, enjoy, hope this helps
Thanks so much for the detailed reply. So, if i understand you correctly, the basic game is fairly bare bones in terms of content (if you get what i mean), and as i play more and buy more DLC, it gets more involved? I'll search and read up on layers as you suggest. So far, in my playing, i have not had to deal with any red signals or had to do any switching. At least not on the commuter routes. I was doing some manual switching on the freight/sand patch journeys, just using the map. I guess my main question is since im just starting out, is the game holding my hand a lot and will it get more complicated as i finish/complete journeys/levels (whatever they are called) Thanks again. Im really liking this game so far, although my wife can't quite believe im spending hours just driving a Bakerloo line train. Im playing on a PC laptop. cheers
Here´re some possibly useful links to get you up to speed: https://train-sim-world.fandom.com/wiki/Train_Sim_World_Wiki https://steamah.com/train-sim-world-3-a-list-of-all-collectable-guide/ https://www.reddit.com/r/trainsimworld/ Be careful what you buy (layers!) and WHEN! Apart from some season sales, there´re random sales on every platform. I know I would´ve liked that hint BEFORE I bought some DLCs full price when it was up to 85% off within the next two weeks. This game is a resource hog and it ain´t cheap. You might find the need to upgrade your hardware in order to "feed the beast" and collecting DLCs will empty your wallet by a greater tree figure $$$. The game keeps you on your toes as soon as you start to drive with safety systems on and/or HUDless.
No objectives like derail valley no unfortunately. They try to air on the side of sim as opposed to game (purists will disagree)
I recommend you research whatever dlc your considering buying perhaps by watching youtubers playing it or search these forum for the good and bad about each route.This game creators have a iffy quality control program and both testing and there fixing also a mixed bag so just be cautious.Theres fun to be had but just know what you getting before considering getting any dlc.
Thanks for the advice. Ill check out those links later today. I understand what you mean about researching any dlc before i buy. To be honest, i always wait to find a discounted price for any game/dlc. I only paid 8 quid for the Tees valley one and i decided to get that one after watching a few YouTube videos. Im not planning on getting any more for a while. Thanks again for your help
Understood. And im not one to buy dlc for any game regularly. I bought this and don't plan on getting any more for a while now. I just liked the look of it after watching a few YouTube videos. Thanks everyone for your replies and advice. Very much appreciated. Cheers
That's cool. I see them as two very different games. Equally enjoyable in their own way. Derail valley is still a bit sparse at the moment, but that should change when the "simulator" update is released. Cheers
I'm guessing since your also are playing derail valley you are probably playing TSW2 on PC if this is the case then when it comes to DLC your in luck because PC and steam users get good DLC sales quite offen,so if by chance a dlc passes your minimum acceptable conditions for a purchase then at least you'll have a good chance of a price you can live with at some point.
Don´t mention it! Funny enough, TVL is one of those rare routes I definitely WOULD have paid full price. You´ll love it for its variety if you´re into the bygone BR era. And there´s where the DLC wheel starts to spin: You might want to add the Class 20 & 31 to it, as it brings even more life to TVL.
TVL is an excellent choice. You also may want to buy the Class 31 loco DLC, which adds a lot of fun to TVL. There also is the class 20, which is nice as well, but less important. TVL is one of the best routes, with a lot of variety in services to drive. Take some time to find out what you like and you may want to upgrade to TSW3 as soon as there is a good sale. For DLC, waiting for a sale is a good idea anyway.
This isn't a "game" where there are levels and difficulty, and certainly not any kind of progression from easy to hard as such There will be runs in the game where you get no adverse signals at all (Yellows or reds) and some where you'll get a few of them. If you look at all the runs from one place to another the ones with the lowest "run time value" will be the highest speed ones, so if you have a run from say Gatwick to Victoria and one of them takes 35 minutes and another takes 41 that means the one with 41 either makes more stops or there's a reason you have to go six minutes slower Other than that the "level of attentiveness" comes into play. If you don't care much about the score and you just want to sit there and watch the (in game) world roll by you just get in and get going. If you want to have to pay some attention stick on the basic safety systems and then you have to keep pressing the alerter cancel button whenever a buzzer goes off That's about it really Trains aren't difficult vehicles to get moving or stop. It's the rest of the rules and systems that we DON'T get in game which bring variation and interest, but you don't tend to use those much when physically driving the train (things like train management systems, setting up the GSM-R or the PIS etc. In real life you would do those once, then drive for an hour or more etc)
but there is an easy and hard way to play the game without safeties (default) or with all the safeties enabled
If you’re on console I would suggest passenger/commuter routes are probably more suited. I primarily play on PC but we recently bought a PS5. TSW looks and sounds great but trying to do complex operations or find action spots with the joypad is a bit fiddly. Consider getting routes like London to Brighton or Dresden to Riesa as these are packed with services to run.
Below is a spreadsheet explaining all the layers in German content only. You also get substitutions where different trains run the same services. For uk content, highly recommend Brighton mainline aka London commuter. It's got 4000+ services total with up to 1400 playable if you have all layers. Ecw, gwe, sehs, 313 dlc for ecw. Extremely busy. It does hurt performance a little but it's a really good route. Even with no layers, you get around 1200 playable services And yes, tsw is mostly drive from station to station, get to this destination, complete this task, etc. There's also a lot of extra learning to do. If you want to learn safety systems, there are tutorials on YouTube from dtg (look up train sim world YouTube page) and from other YouTubers. There are also tutorials on how to operate really long freight trains in US dlc. Challenging but it's rewarding once you master it. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W5-ueaP4-UmdhZMKpdH0yTADmY4gNyMw_dRNi86G57o/htmlview#gid=0
Welcome! There is a learning curve here and much of the content comes without a manual. So, being on this forum is a good place to learn as are YouTube videos. Yet, I still think the best place to start is with the TSW2 Starter's Guide by Rudolf which can be downloaded here: TSW2 Starters guide v2.2.pdf - Google Drive Though it is not updated for TSW3, it still gives a nice overview of the game and provides the background information that can be hard to pick up piecemeal. I still refer to this and can't think of a better way to get introduced to TSW. For a deeper dive into specific features, check out this section of the forums: Getting Started | Dovetail Games Forums You are also correct that most of the runs are straightforward without adverse signals. Once you get used to driving and really learn a route, it is nice to experience an issue or two. The community has gathered a list of favorite runs here: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/awesome-tsw-service-mode-runs.32010/ Good luck! Find out what you enjoy. For me, I came in expecting to just experience US diesels and now I am totally hooked on German safety systems and high speed passenger runs. Let us know where you start and how it goes.
The good news is that, if you buy TSW3, all your DLC is automatically updated; you don't have to buy it again.
The bad news is if you get TSW3 you will mostly likely regret it due to numerous performance issue ruining the immersion element of what is supposed to be a train driving simulation. Here is what other users have to say... It is your choice and your money but my advice is AVOID TSW3 like the plague until they sort out performance problems and given the track record of DTG that may take years or may never get fixed. Save yourself some money and avoid disappointment. by sticking with what works and ignore the biased propaganda.
If you're on TVL which as many have rightly said is fantastic you'll get onto the 101 which is beautiful! Its quite a steep learning curve learning the lapped brakes but once you get it right its great fun and very rewarding! If youtry switching on safety systems depending on the country that can also make it harder especially on German routes! Welcome to the game and the forums!
Your Royal Highness, please accept my heartfelt and solemn apologies for this inexcusable oversight on my part. If you would care to provide me with a link to your comments regarding the currently unacceptable state of TSW3 I will gladly include it in my list of quotes used to alert people about the mass of negative feedback regarding this half baked and unwanted product.
Once tsw3 is dialled in it's fine, if you're not interested in new content or routes and a catalogue that won't grow, stick with number 2
How do you mean dialled in? Is that about graphics settings and options? If so then none of that is available on consoles like the Ps5. I would love the option to turn off passengers and "dial" down the number of services if that improved performance on a route like Brighton Main Line (BML) for the Ps5 on TSW2 but we currently cannot and I don't imagine DTG caring enough to allocate the man hours to enable it in TSW3. If BML / TSW2 on Ps5 stutters to the point that I am forced to use the Ps4 version of BML on Ps5 then I can only imagine how bad it will be in TSW3 with the extra processing required for unwanted and needless gimmicks like pantograph sparks,. snow flurries and fully deployable brollies... not to mention the extra demands of changing weather along the route. I am interested in new content and routes and the Glasgow to Edinburgh route would have been a definite purchase if I thought it would run smoothly but I do not believe it will. Heck, even the you tube demos of the routes show it stuttering and juddering to an unacceptable level and it always amazes me how the video presenter just ignores what is an immersion KILLER. and expects everyone else to not notice it. I mainly like the UK routes and I have nearly all the ones I want. I will probably buy the Cathcart circle for Ps4 and Ps5 TSW2 . I have no interest in the snail paced Somerset museum route. The extended SEHS would be nice but there is no way I am willing to accept a performance drop by getting TSW3. I have no interest or intention of growing a catalogue with routes that run so poorly that I don't want to drive them.
I can't answer for ps5. I use primarily on pc but do have on series x and one x too. Only thing I can assume (you'll likely know better than me) is that tsw3 optimisation will improve
Hmm... One can live in hope but I somehow doubt it. TSW2 optimisation never really happened and most of the Ps4 routes had to wait till the Ps5 came out to run properly. I may wait till the Ps6 comes out before getting TSW3 which is a bit sad but not as infuriating as paying good money for stuttering routes that will frustrate and enrage me in equal proportions.
This is true but you forgot the best or worst part depending on how you interpret it you also get fixes and updates for TSW3 while if your sticking with TSW2 you might be waiting for along time if ever.
That cynical and repulsive marketing ploy by DTG is enough to make me feel that I do not want to hand over any money to them ever again. Selling a sub-standard product is bad enough but trying to charge customers for putting right the product short comings is absolutely obscene and unforgivable.
This is seemingly a console thing. I noticed no performance decrease on PC, even with an aging and substandard machine... ONCE I had tailored a new .ini file for it, and not stupidly expected a TSW2 .ini file to work. In addition, numerous routes have been debugged and upgraded in TSW3, whereas their -2 versions remain unpatched and likely always will be.
I am glad that you are happy with the performance on your PC but I must point out that even on YouTube streams by DTG on powerful gaming PCs there is noticeable stuttering on TSW3 routes and that is an absolute deal breaker for me despite whatever you are willing to put up with, In a stream a few months ago Matt disclosed that the TSW customer base is split equally 3 ways with one third on PC, another third on X-Box and the final third on Playstation. That means that two thirds of users are on consoles and of those Matt suggested that the majority are still on the last gen machines. Unless DTG are prepared to lose two thirds of their potential customer base they should start directing more effort in fixing the performance issues on consoles. Given that people are unhappy with TSW3 performance on new gen consoles one can only imagine the state of it on the older machines. If DTG want TSW to be a top end gaming PC only title then they are going in the right direction. If they want console users to remain as customers they will need to address the problems that they are surely aware of.
The stuttering will always be there, the tech can handle the game with eyes closed, it's the way it's coded. That's why it stutters in all versions, Xbox, ps4, potato and super pc
Nearly six months on, I'm more on the side that DTG doesn't know how to fix the performance issues. They know it exists and yes I've seen the stuttering on every stream/video (DTG, promoted Ambassadors, others). I know some players with hyperbole will say this or that issue with the game makes it unplayable. Unfortunately for me, the stuttering actually makes the game unplayable. I've never in my life played a video game that would make me feel nauseous / slight headache from playing. But the jitters / stutters in TSW3 just have this effect. So for me I'll be sticking with TSW2 where for the most part the routes are lag free. There are some occasions, but nothing as bad as anything I've seen on TSW3. Also since I'm sticking with the older version, I'm basically a non customer at this point, so whatever opinions I may have can safely be stored in DTG's trash bin.
OK, rocklobster Welcome to the forums! We can be a grumpy lot. I second the advice of being through Steam on PC. Steam has more sales than the other platforms. PC also allows you to install mods that can improve the look, feel, and sound of the game.
Yep! The question is why? It is down to DTG to fix this fatal flaw before they lose so many customers that they cease to be a viable company. Absolutely agree with you. I too am staying with TSW2 on the PS5. Even then the Ps5 version of TSW2 has stuttering problems on Brighton Main line and I am forced into having TWO TSW2 installs , one for the Ps5 version on the console internal SSD and another for the Ps4 version on an external SSD. With each install coming to 45gb the total storage used is 90gb and whilst not being ideal I am happy enough with the setup and the smoothness of the train driving experience. Nothing will convince my to buy TSW3 at present. Not the obviously unreal (dishonest?) enthusiasm of the heavily blinkered official "Ambassador" streams nor the now comically tame DTG route exploration YouTube sessions where Matt and JD fawn about the wonders of a route whilst appearing laughably unaware of the immersion shattering stutter we are all watching on the video stream. The ever faithful die hard supporters will keep telling me that all is being worked on and will eventually be fixed but having heard the same empty and unfulfilled promises for years I feel there is more chance of seeing a UFO piloted by the Loch Ness Monster land on my lawn than these performance issues being sorted out.
I have to say that im only using a Dell XPS 15 9560 4k with a Geforce 1050 4gb card and i can run TS2 on high settings with high AA as well with no stuttering. It does stutter a little when the game/level first loads, but then if there has been any more of it during my gameplay, i haven't noticed. That being said, im someone who doesnt really care about super high frame rates, ultra level of detail etc...but TS2 runs on ultra setting even nicely...at 1920x1080. Running it at my screens native res would be a bad experience LOL. I understand that a lot of gamers want perfection and the highest settings for their games, im just not one of them. Thanks for your reply
Thank you.. Yes, im glad i bought TVL I dont know what you mean by "switchiing on safety systems" though. Whenever i read something like that on this forum, i get the impression ive only scratched the surface of this game. Bear in mind that i have really only completed the first couple of routes for the Bakerloo line and TVL...I still need the on screen hints for what to do on the train
I dont really spend much on games tbh. Im still playing Need for speed hot pursuit that i bought 10 years ago. Im happy with TS2 for the forseable future.
The 101 is definitely a very rewarding feeling when you get used to it, it's so much more in-depth than just a forward-backward stick. I honestly think one of the things missing from newer EMUs is this kind of work managing it keeping you engaged and sharp.
I'm not sure what the 101 is. LOL Told you guys, im a TOTAL newbie to train sims and trains in general. I've loved being on trains my entire life, and even hung around some stations in the UK, where the Intercities (yes, im old) go by a full speed and even watch some youtube videos on trains passing by quickly in India or Japan...but my actual knowledge of trains, train types, train numbers/classes or train operation is pretty much nil. Im a much more forgiving customer for DTG than you guys, who know your stuff and expect (rightly so) realism in a sim. I haven't had a chance to peruse all the links kindly provided by various members early on in this thread, but I will this coming weekend. Cheers all and have a great Wednesday
Seriously, what on earth happened to the performance in TSW3? Booting up the game takes a minute, TSW2 (and Windows for that matter) are done within seconds, and don't get me started on the performance during gameplay.
An old diesel multiple unit train common on commuter routes throughout the UK historically, its controls are a lot more involved than just a combined accelerate/brake stick like most of its modern electric counterparts use, as you have a whole manual gear shifting mechanism to it. It takes a bit to get used to but feels good to drive when you get the gear shifting right. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Classes_101_and_102 In TSW it can be found on several UK routes, notably Transpennine and Tees Valley.
The mastery of this game is when you learn German signalling and safety systems and turn off the HUD completely, driving only according to the signals and the trackside distance markers. To achieve that, watch this tutorial and maybe read this "numpties guide". To know where the stations are (so you can use the trackside distance marker posts to judge when to start braking), save or print this document.
I just wanted to thank everyone in here, you guys have been very kind and welcoming to a total newbie to this game. I appreciate all the replies and advice very much. Very friendly forum.
