I have watched a lot of TSW route reviews to see what best fits what I like, but even though they’re amazing and high quality, I feel like there’s no real structure to them. Therefore I propose a system that tries to give a more concrete overview of the route. It works by taking catagories, rating them and then adding it all up in the end giving a final score. You can give each category a 0 - 10. 1. Route Scope & Design How long is the route? How linear or varied is it? Is anything significant missing? Replay value? 2. Timetable Number and variety of services? Realism and accuracy to real operations? Freight runs and or stock moves? Does the route feel alive or empty? 3. Stability & Reliability Are there a lot of bugs? How often do issues occur? 4. Optimisation FPS stability? Stutters or smooth? Texture blurriness? Memory issues? 5. Service Variety & Fleet Use Does the route include or layer all relevant trains? Is each train represented realistically? Do the main trains get enough gameplay time? 6. Train Quality Visual model detail and accuracy? Cab and system interactivity? Sound quality? 7. Track & Trackside Scenery Tracks and signals quality? Catenary or third rail quality? Vegetation, fences, and bridges near the track? 8. Distant Scenery Mountains, cities, water, or countryside representation? Skybox and lighting quality. Does it look alive from the cab view? 9. Stations Level of detail? Passenger density and activity? Signage, accessibility, and immersion? Any invisible walls or strange geometry? 10. Own Opinion What do you think of this route? Have you had fun playing it? This is still a work in progress and might not be what we end up with so feedback or suggestions would be great!
Only problem is, some of those would be dependent on the route in question. A short route could still have a lot of variety, for example.
Fair enough, I might have been a bit unclear maybe? How long and how linear the route is shouldn’t just rule out the Goblin or North London Line for example. I personally think the Goblin line is one of the best routes in the entire catalogue. The questions were only supposed to kind of guide you I guess. It should more have been a ”how did dovetail think with this route?” question. It’s supposed to ask if the route choice was any good. Sorry for being unclear on my part.
