I have noticed that with alot of freight services on skw, you get alot of "random" waiting times. Maybe someone who is more knowledgeable than me can explain the background to this. I have just run a freight service, which was a good example, to demonstrate what I am talking about, as it has a service stop in between and (obviously) a stop at the end. During the service stop, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, it gave me a specific time, until which I had to wait to. Sometimes, on other services, it also tells me to wait for "x" minutes. Anyway, in this instance (and it happens all the time, in my experience), the specified time comes... and passes. Usually I have to wait 5 - 10minutes past the specified time, until it actually unlocks the next step. Until then, it still tells me to wait to the original stated time (which has passed by then). In the beginning I started to get nervous that the timetable would be broken. By now I am just wating, well knowing it just takes some time. I am enjoying the stops in between, it adds immersion, in my eyes, as driving real freight trains in Germany actually involves waiting a lot in the middle of nowhere. Also, I like the fact that it is unpredictable, as also this is pretty realistic. However, why does the time pass without anything actually happening? What is it the game actually waits for until it moves on with the next instruction? Why is it not doing it at the specified time? Then, after another hour, or so, driving, I hit the end stop, in this case Burgsinn Bbf. I stop and it shows me a waiting time again... Now, I get the idea to have a waiting time at a service stop, but why do I have to stick around at the end of the service for another 10+ minutes? Nothing is happening after that, it just tells me my score etc. There probably is a technical reason for that, which I would be very eager to understand... Also, I noticed that the times I have to wait for are sometimes inconsistent. In my above mentioned example, at the end, it actually had me wait until 04:48 and 00:00:26... I would assume this is a bug... Anyway, hope someone can shed some light on this, for me?!
Yes Ive noticed this as well, I put it down to how close I was to the signal, if Im close enough to the invisible point which registers me at the signal it will slot me into the middle of convey, if Im not at the magical point then it sticks me behind the convey. Whether this is true or not I have no idea. Another theory I had was that the randomness was actually caused by AI subsitiutions IE a slower less powerful loco subbing in for the 185 (for example a 155) was creating a gap to slot me into, no such loco creating a slot = get stuck at the back. Again no idea if this is reality or my overthinking imagination. Either way, whats happening is the closest we've got to random events in game and I like yourself are enjoying it.
Interesting theories. Never thought of this myself. However, not sure it actually has anything to do with the behaviour. In my example above, I was not in a convoy. Even after approx 15 - 20 min waiting time at the service stop I was not overtaken by anyone. Also, I usually stop within 2 to 3m of the stop marker. A theory I had was that it had something to do with the time I am arriving at the stop vs the time the timetable would have assumed me at the stop. Then again, I was actually ahead of the specified arrival time at the service stop. So, not sure this really has to do with anything… Also, none of these theories explain why I need to wait at the end as well, without doing anything. Sorry for pinging you, Joethefish , but maybe you can shed some light on this?
There is basically one questions around the "randomness" of the fright timetable on SKW. As described above, when I stop at an intermediate stop (service stop), the time it tells me to wait for very often passes, without anything happening. Often, I have to wait for several minutes past the time it tells me, until the next milestone gets unlocked. The question was how this is triggered and if I have any influence on this (ie being later or earlier, stopping shorter to the signal, etc...). The same happens very often at the end stop of the service. While I appreciate the random times at intermediate stops (as it happens all the time in the real world as well), it can be quite boring to just sit there and wait for up to half an hour until the service actually ends. Is this also triggered by any actions I am doing? Why can the service not just finish upon arrival at the end stop? Is it intentionally? Sorry, more than just one question
Just for the record, this matter of having to wait for departure happens in other TSW3 routes as well. Those that I've experienced have lasted, at most, for a minute or two, sometimes for no apparent reason. I've only attempted to drive this route once: a freight service that I chose not to complete, but I dimly recall that its original hype noted that freights run mostly at night, dodging between passenger services.
Ah, I didn't work on the freight side of the KWG timetable but I know that a real timetable was acquired for it. Those times are likely real timings that are quite relaxed due to it being freight.
Some of the instructions are wrong or mixed up in the freight timetable services. There’s one service I tried that showed the “wait until” time for the end at the stop in the middle of the service and then the time for the stop in the middle of the service at the end, and I quit after waiting for ages with the end of service not triggering. I also quit another service after I was pulled over and then loads of other freight trains passed me and my signal stayed red. These were the first two freight runs I did and I gave up after that.
The trick is not to give up. As I have written, it may take up to 30mins until you can proceed, maybe even more, just the times I have experienced. The problem is that you don’t know how long it will take, as the times it tells you to wait until don’t always mean that you can actually carry on at that time. I was hoping someone from DTG could explain the background, but the people who would know are obviously not reading here
I've waited 45mins + on occasion, other times on the same service just 15 minutes or so. I don't mind as it's realistic, but I'm curious to know why it's a random time.
No chance of me waiting that long staring at nothing happening when I could be driving another train in the daytime with scenery I can see or getting on with housework or something. It also doesn’t explain why the two times are swapped round in the instructions and why the service doesn’t end when I reach the end. If I wanted the level of realism that includes waiting 30 minutes or more in the middle of an already two hour drive and then having to wait for longer to end the service after the final task I would want paying for the privilege. I have better things to be getting on with. My PS5 and TV are consuming energy, adding to climate change and costing me money, while that realism is doing nothing but annoying me. No thanks.
While I certainly can understand your position, it is not mine I find these night runs extremely „relaxing“, and I am actually enjoying the feeling to sit there, in the middle of nowhere and not to know what happens when. Quite like a real freight driver must feel… And yes, there are definitely errors in there, as also the screenshot shows. Makes the questions asked in this thread even more valid.
