Hello, I want to propose a fundamental shift in how we play TSW. Currently, the simulation is tied to rigid, pre-programmed Timetables that take a massive amount of development time to create. I believe we need to move toward a more flexible system where the player has total operational control. The Proposal: Tactical Map Orders Instead of just driving one train at a time, we should have the ability to manage multiple trains simultaneously from the Map. This should be a core feature of the Free Roam mode: Real-Time Map Commands: Select any train on the map and give it a direct order, such as "Drive to [Industry/Siding]", "Couple to consist", or "Wait at signal". Manage Multiple Trains: While you are driving one locomotive, the AI should be able to follow your commands with another train in the background, allowing for complex yard and fleet management. Total Sandbox Freedom: Players should be able to spawn several locomotives and coordinate their movements on the fly, creating their own traffic and logistics. Why this is better for TSW: Development Speed: If developers focus on high-quality Routes and Locomotives instead of hard-coding 24-hour schedules, they can release more DLCs in less time. Player Imagination: This turns the sim into a true sandbox where the player acts as both the engineer and the dispatcher, making every session unique. Operational Realism: Giving orders to other trains makes the world feel functional and alive, moving away from the static experience of current Free Roam.
This would be a big step up in the gameplay department, similar to when free roam was added. Being able to spawn in trains through the map and/or having a faster free camera without controlling a train would be needed though for this to work. I can also imagine this working well on some routes and less for others. I think it would work best for freight or non-standard timetable runs. With that in mind, being able to do this in timetable mode could be really interesting, even though it will probably break eventually. Additionaly, this could lead to some Run8-style gameplay where you continuously play in the same world. This would off course require large improvements to the savegame system which I doubt will happen soon. Still, even having this system for one session is a major improvement.
Good suggestion. Certainly for the US freight routes, TSW needs to shift more towards the Run 8 way of doing things rather than rigid A to B runs or abstract shunting/sorting with no end purpose.
