So I've been playing the Sim for a couple of months now and I do a lot of Quick Drive sessions but haven't delved too much into scenarios. I've bought a whole bunch of DLCs, to the point where I'm not not really sure what I have and what I can do with it. I'm attempting to make a custom Google Map of all my routes, so I can easily see where I can drive. The problem is, when I look at the maps in the manuals vs the maps when you press 9, they sometimes don't match up, in that sometimes you see extra stations in the in-game map, but you can't always access them via Quick Drive. I note that some workshop scenarios seem to make use of these extra stations even when the DLC doesn't. Why is it so common to have stations and route options missing from Quick Drive? And if you don't add them to QD and don't make scenarios including them, why do the DLC makers bother to make these stations? Seems like a waste of time unless they are easily visible from the main route. One example that springs to mind is the London to Brighton route. Stations such as Reigate, Crawley, Chipstead, Riddlesdown etc. all exist on branches off of the main route, but you can't get to them without third party scenarios. Also, I've seen some workshop items saying they have "merged" 2 or more routes together. When you download a mod that does this, what is it actually doing? Is it just allowing you to QD and play scenarios that cross the boundaries, but keeping to the same route options, or is it somehow duplicating the entire DLC and creating separate giant routes in the menu system? And if the DLC maker updates a DLC that was merged with another one, what usually happens to the merged one? Does it update that too or not? Can it break anything with the merged route?
Lots of different questions here, but I'll answer the station one. If stations exist in a route then you can use them in scenarios. QDs are a sort of scenario, but if the person who put the QD together didn't specify them, then you can't select them in QD as starting points or destinations.
Thanks. That's kind of what I thought. Just seems a bit of a waste to model a station and then not include Quick Drive or any scenarios to/from that station unless it is physically close and visible so it's there mainly for the scenery.
You seem to be under the impression that there are only Quick Drive Scenarios available. The Career and Standard Scenarios will use the stations you think have been put in for no reason. Because your train does not go to a station does not stop you from stopping at that station if you pass thru it.
Well I do prefer Quick Drive as I can go from wherever to wherever quite easily, but I do know that pre-made scenarios exist. Thing is, they're usually quite prescriptive, and those scenarios don't always feature the stations in question. And for the record, I'm not talking about stations along a main route, I'm talking about stations on branches off to the side. For example, in The Brighton Main Line route you have stations like Reigate, Crawley and Hove which I don't believe you can Quick Drive from/to and I don't think the DLC comes with any scenarios that feature those stations. You have to download them from the Workshop.
Or.. You can open the editor and make your own QD's, there are plenty of Youtube and written tutorials along with a few forums to ask questions if you get stuck. That way you can set any station you like as a destination or thru-port. Bare in mind though it's quite a learning curve as with most things, especially a.i. placement and a.i. consist creation, but you get out of this game what you're prepared to put in. All I'm saying is if you only rely on Dev or community supplied scenarios then you're restricting yourself from where you want to go and from what you want to get out of the game.
I knew you could create scenarios. Didn't realise you could add your own Quick Drive settings. I guess I'll have to look into that! Thanks.
I think people would be upset if you had a Quick Drive Scenario that took you to Hove only to find there is no Station when you get there - the three places mentioned have track and signals but are not finished. Hove Crawley Reigate The stations don't have any Third Rail but that is just for show and it does not stop you driving an Electric train there Peter