Hi guys. Since the game encourage us to stop precisely at a certain point at the station, I try to pinpoint it. However, I don't understand what exactly that stopping marker wants me to do. First thing I notice is that I never ever see the marker postion at 0 yards, it's always displaying at least a couple of yards, whatever I do, even if I drive very slowly across it. Second thing I saw is that sometimes, the report at the end of a mission / timetable says I've stopped less than a yard from the stopping point. It is then obvious that the stop marker distance while we're playing is not displaying our real stop accuracy in-game. So, tonight I decided to do some scientific experiments : I loaded a quick timetable in SEHS with a Class 465/9 SEW and tried to put the stop marker on different parts of the train. Most obvious : the front of the train => stop accuracy : around 4 yards for 498 points awarded. So we should not stop our train with its nose touching the center of the stop marker Second most obvious : the point where the driver is => stop accuracy : 1.23 yards (500 points, though). Better, but still a bit away from our expected stopping point I tried another point a bit after the driver => 0.8 yards. Dang, I'm still stopping too early Lastly, I stopped the train with the marker on the center of the first set of wheels of the first bogie and there I had a stop accuracy of 0.185 yards! I think I'm close enough for tonight (and it would be difficult to be more precise) So, what do you think about that? For my part, I think it's infuriating that the informations we are given when we drive the train are wrong. How can we be expected to stop accurately when we are not given the correct numbers. Furthermore, on the platform, there are stopping signs. If I'm not mistaken, the drivers should stop the head of their train at the location of these signs, but if we want perfect accuracy, we cannot rely on those signs. I think DTG should at least change that stopping point on the head of the train. Even if the distance shown is incorrect, we would be able to see what we are doing instead of being forced to stop the train on a point behind the driver (and thus behind where we are looking). I know that's not a big deal, since we have some wiggle room to have 500 points, but still, I think that's harsh to force us to target an invisible point behind us…
I believe where it struggles to hit exactly zero and usually gets down at a close distance of 1-2 is because the actual thing it’s trying to “lure in” is the cab which is a slight height up of the tracks where it wants it to stop.
I just think it’s ludicrous that some stop markers give you a radius of 30m or more whereas others expect you to stop on the mark, right on top of a red signal. Or even worse, those occasions where the stop marker has been placed beyond the red signal!
You think that is infuriating? What about the distance displayed for speed limits and lights? Distance 1,5km > 1,6km > 1,5km > 1,4km > 1,5 km > 1,6km > 1,7km > 1,6km > 1,5 km > 1,4km, ...
Notwithstanding the marker positioning accuracy in relation to the platform signs, there are two types of marker; the first where it is just a single glowing spot, and the second which is the entire consist outline glowing on the floor. The second type is obvious where the stopping position is. The first however (single marker) is not based on the train position, but the position of your avatar (ie. the camera if operating in cab view). This is why, when you drive a tran backwards, the distance marker will say eg. 200 yds away, but the backend of the consist is on the marker All that said, the score accuracy is rounded to the nearest yard (or metre if your're that way inclined), and only 1AP is deducted for each yard off the marker (so 10 yards off means you get 490 instead of 500 AP) which shouldn't make that much difference to medals (those which are achievable anyway)
The distance to the objective is still a straight line from the player but the distances to speed limits and signals are now correctly measured along the track from the leading edge of the train and therefore never do what you describe.
Ive turned off all those markers and just stop relative to the signage on the platform. For example, if Im driving a 4 car train I'll stop abeam the 4 car sign. Its served me well so far with fairly consistent golds unless I make a mess of it with a speed bust.
Are you already on TSW 4 then because in TSW 3 it is like I describe it. It's still a straight line. Not sure if it's on every route but still multiple routes. Training centre for sure is a straight line because the distance to the station increases instead of decreases after you passed the go to signal in tutorials.
I have always assumed that it's the centre of the 'unit' you are in charge of, however, there are a number of instances, usually scenarios with things like refuelling or loading / unloaded, where the marker is miles out.
It’s like I describe in TSW3. It’s only the objective that is still measured from the player in a straight line. You can check this out yourself if the objective is next to a signal or speed limit on a curved route. You will see the distances are different and get closer to each other the closer you get to the objective. Arosa is a good route to show this behaviour clearly but it is the same on every route. You can also see it if you are reversing a long train, The distance to a signal will count down correctly from the back of the train.
I align my cab door window with the stop marker and that works well for me. It's close enough to what they do irl and I couldn't care less about points and what medal I get from the service. Until they introduce a use for points I'm not that bothered.
I'm really not sure if we are talking about the same thing. I'm talking the distance in the hud to the next speed limit or the next light and in case of the training centre about the stop marker. I'm still seeing the behaviour on many routes where the distance to the next speed limit or light increases than decreases and increases again on curvy tracks. I don't have Arosa and not planning to buy it so we will need to take another route
That one is infuriating. An american 10.000ton train needs to be stopped 1m within the marker, and sure enough 5m from the red signal. While some ICE on SKW trigger the objective even when you undershoot a few hundert meters. I´ve AP count switched off anyway, so I don´t care. But those stopping marker positions are inconsistent throughout the whole game on all routes.
We are talking about the same thing but I only see the distance to objective increasing and all other distances only decrease because they are shown as the distance measured correctly along the track. I haven’t noticed any routes where it still behaves the old way. I believe it is a core behaviour so shouldn’t change on a route by route basis. I think you’re just seeing the objective distance behaving like that and assuming they are all the same. I’d advise taking a closer look.
I havent got enough experience in the sim to know but what happens if you discount the points and markers completely and just drive to the timetable, stopping at stations where appropriate, physically looking out the window and once everyone is on closing the doors and going (subject to timetable)? I take it there's nothing stopping one doing that, especially with no HUD on as then it really wouldnt be seen on screen and only subject to any hidden triggers if its a scenario, rather than the timetable?
Well, in that case you eventually don´t get the next objective triggered and won´t be able to continue your ride. Some markers are trigger happy within 100m, and some need to be on a narrow spot.
Yes that's the problem. Unlike TSC or MSTS/OR if you miss an objective and drive on, it will not eventually discard it and pop up the next one.
I’m over level 500 and I’ve never seen a stop marker beyond a signal. Right up to the signal though is very. I’m on on the prototype.
I have seen it several times including PFR at Chinley where the stop marker was beyond the signal. Luckily there was enough radius on the marker to stop safely.
Yeah, I understand the next objective wont be triggered, but whats to stop you closing the doors and driving to the timetable? There's plenty of places to download them for each route, print it off and just follow the timings.. Im actually doing this right now. Started in Brighton without any HUD, closed the doors with 10 seconds to go until dept and left on time. Im stopping at stations abeam the markers on the platform, closing doors approaching dept time and going. Every so often Im opening the hUD to see whats happening to the objectives. At London Road I closed the doors before it completed but between London Road and Mouslecoombe the objective kicked over anyway.. Ill keep you posted Edit- service completed. No reference to stop markers or objectives, just sticking to the timetable and speed limits. Summary at top of this post.
You can of course do that, but the run will not complete in the way it should and not get checked off in the timetable and Journey list if applicable.
I just did it and everything worked fine. Look up to previous post It also ticked off in the timetable and journey list- see attached Not trying to prove anyone wrong, just find out what works and what doesnt. Its also quite immersive as you're not 'driving the hud'. You're instead driving the timetable. At one stop I was slightly down on timings so used the window external (two left arrow pushes on this train) to look back along the platform. Once everyone was on, I closed up and went. It was fine, objective ticked over at some later stage. It may not work consistently but the salient point is this- why be a slave to a points system that isnt implemented in any particularly meaningful way, or rather why not try a different way of enjoying the sim in a manner closer to the real world..
Stop markers that are too close to signals are my pet peeve with freight services. Clinchfield is probably one of the worst for this, as the “signal” is a red marker on the ground that you can’t see from the cab in some areas. The markers should be in places that prototypically make sense. As for scoring, I’ve stopped concerning myself about medals and just go for the little green ticks on the timetable now. There are a lot of services that are impossible to gold by driving normally at the moment, mostly ECS, depot moves and freight services. It defeats the objective of medals if you can’t get gold on every service by normal means.
Agree 100%. Its where theres a trigger for a scenario that it gets really irksome. Your phrase about prototypical positioning of the markers is a great point. Its something that would be a good quality of life improvement but lets just say I wont be holding my breath.
Let me get my quote more precise: If your stopping point coincides with the established marker from the game, or the marker is forgiving and triggers with anything 50m around it, your drive will work as you describe. All we are saying is "Don´t count always on your luck". I´m driving without stop markers as well, but I switch them on when I´m shunting, in example. You´ll figure it ...
The above method of just ignoring objectives wont work on services where you have to decouple, and you spawn in on foot ahead of time and get everything done. I've just tested it on an early stock move out of Brighton, the 5C01 service, which requires the rear four coaches to be decoupled. I spawned in 10 mins before, kindly set up the rear cab of that train, decoupled the front, set the rear cab of my train then waited for the off at 0420. Sadly the objective stated that decoupling still needed to be done so in some cases it does a check, while in others like this it does not. There was no way of forcing it over either, and would have required re-coupling in order to continue. Frustrating but we must deal with it as it is, not as we would like it to be. So for basic up and down the line its fine (in most cases), but for other stuff not so much. Its especially frustrating in that sometimes it would be nice to actually use dead time to set up a service properly, rather than sit around for 10 minutes then have to run to the rear to do stuff that anyone sane would do as they were walking past in the first place..
The ones where you need to stop your half a mile long freight train on a specific spot within two yards of a red light are just some of the most frustrating runs in the entire game.
Yeah the US freight ones where I have to stop right on the dot instead of given an area to stop in sucks if I have too much brake applied and stop 2 feet short of that dot and then have to creep forward just to stop again. And I definitely am not point or achievement hunter so I'd gladly take the penalty in points for stopping 10 yards short.
*Sherman Hill sheepishly looks away* And I love Sherman Hill especially after the rework making scenery a bit better. But yeah 5 feet too short? Charge the brakes and try again. 15 feet too far? SPAD reload and try again.
JD must be looking at this thread & thinking... 'What are these folks talking about ? I'm happy as long as atleast one door stops on the platform' Missing those 4UP days... can we have them again, please
