First off, I play on PS4 pro and immediately noticed a massive step up in visuals and performance on this route. Frame rate is smooth, pop in less noticeable, seems like optimization is getting better. Both locos are a joy to drive, the gp9 is incredibly detailed. The gp38 is not just a reskin, there are significant changes, no dynamic brake, different control console and gauges etc. One newish feature is the necessity to turn on comms to supply power to the trailing locos. A huge variety in rolling stock including a few csx wagons I have not seen before, maybe from heavy haul? The new feature is unloading ethanol, this even has its own dedicated tutorial. The route is short. I mean, really short. Freight yards are sprawling however, they are massive. Only 68 services in total. The mainline services are pretty much copy paste. Personally I love it so far as I prefer freight, but I sense a lot of complaints coming from the usual suspects. Cheers.
Good to know. Does it feel like there's room for expansion, additional locos etc, or does it feel pretty hemmed in by the short main line length? Guess it would need extending to make a later passenger service DLC worthwhile?
Ooooh - you have had a preview....? Thanks for this thread. It sounds to me like quite a good route to have, to add to the mix. I am not sure why there is such a fuss about it being freight only, bearing in mind that there are other routes that are passenger only (RT, WSR, LIRR, etc.). It has not been marketed as a passenger route.. It's not like what they did with NTP, which was extremely naughty, when they marketed the route DLC with images of freight trains, and text that was very suggestive, but then the freight only came with a further DLC... I am also not sure why there is a fuss about route length. I mean, the Porsche 911, for example, is quite a short car but it packs in quite a lot of fun within its wheelbase... Some of the freight scenarios on NEC take at least two hours, and that's on barely a mile of route... If there is stuff to do, that's interesting/challenging, then the end-to-end absolute route length doesn't mean that much, especially if a lot of it is in tunnels. One of the longest routes, London-Reading on GWE, is populated with a lot of non-stop express and freight services where there is literally nothing to do for half an hour... If the route works, and does everything that it says on the tin, then that's what really counts. I am glad that you think that everything is getting better in terms of optimisation. I'd agree with you (I am on PS4 Pro) - the last route that I purchased was TVL, and that's a really good route, with good variation in gradient, with flyovers into the steel yards, etc., and long double-headed freight trains passing each other without the game stuttering, with stunning detail inside and outside the locos - and that is now an older DLC..... ;-) Couple of Quick Qs for you: 1. Does OSD have a good variation in gradient? (I think this is an essential component, to simulate a freight operation). 2. Would you say that the route is accessible....? Easy to learn, and easy to understand what is going on and why?
^ He didnt have a "preview " , he just resides in the extreme Pacific and has a playstation, so he and others got to have a go first
