Why Can't Dtg Make Realistic Scenarios?

I'm sick to death of every DTG route coming with a pack of nonsense scenarios that haven't had the slightest bit of research.

 

may you elaborate? As to what you mean?

 

There are some on ECML which completely ignore normal operating and safety protocols.

Then there are the ridiculous Mastery requirements which force the player to go much faster than the allowed line speed in order to qualify.

 

Have you ever heard of the timetable feature? It's pretty new and hardly anyone knows about it. But it's exactly what you ask for: normal scenarios. No nonsense. No delays.

 

I sometimes forget that classic scenarios still exist. I only drive in timetable mode.

 

Any scenario with operations outside what you can do in timetable mode tends to be complete nonsense. A recent egregious example was the LIRR scenario where you ran several miles in reverse.

You do appreciate that, if they are done properly, scenarios can offer a wide variety of experiences that timetable mode is unable to offer?

 

I always thought the scenarios were supposed to be a bit of fun that offer unusual and not particularly realistic content, and I'm fine with that.

 

My biggest complaint with scenarios is the editor is too limited. There's a big opportunity for the community to create great scenarios but the current system is poor. Lost count of how many I've binned.
PC Editor is one option, but I want to write scenarios everyone can play, not just PC players.

 

You could have changed ends.

 

The game instructs you to change ends only after you have reversed for several miles.

DTG have never said that the scenarios are intentionally unrealistic!

 

I usually just do the scenarios once, just to tick them off and get a trophy or unlock a mastery of required.

However I never do them again on following games, so for example the West Somerset scenarios, slogged my way through them when it was first released, never touched them again on any of the following TSW games.

 

Ah I see what you mean now. Honestly me (and I dunno maybe others too?) don’t usually bother with scenarios unless it’s for the mastery stuff (aka that thingy where it unlocks something extra for the scenery). I couldn’t say for all of the scenario but there is one that I think it’s somewhat realistic. The one with filming a movie on Antelope Valley line. Others I didn’t really pay much attention or just again, don’t bother. (Does question why couldn’t they put the resources for making scenarios to making their routes a bit longer). Or maybe they put this feature in also because TSC had them before and is copied over.

 

That's why I just ignore them now. Did a bunch that were silly and just didn't see the point.
The people that like them though can enjoy them.
It doesn't hurt me for them to sit there and collect (virtual) dust.

 

I find the scenarios good for learning the locos given the training for a lot of them now tends to be a very limited go and stop once on the training center track. Once you've done the scenarios you feel a lot more confident in timetable mode where there's no guide.

There's also a certain entertainment factor to some of them. I think some of the better crafted ones have been recommended in the awesome runs thread.

 

In my opinion scenarious should be unique, but not unrealistic events.

Like special trains, maybe some sort of unique movement or incident. But not completely unrealistic procedures.

Like the earlier mentioned LIRR scenario. Okay, fire alongside the line, cool! But why do you have to reverse several miles from the wrong cab? Why not make you change cabs properly?

 

Waste of time => waste of money

 

To go back to the OP's original question then the answer is simply that DTG only put minimal effort in to making scenarios. It's as if they are a nuisance to them rather than an integral part of the sim.

Too few paths, 5 minutes departure time intervals, too few start points, too few formations and too much of every route 'blocked off' to the casual game player. All of these things could be quite easily fixed but someone in DTG has chosen not to do so (presumably because they want us to only use timetables).

The scenarios that come with routes are usually terrible however many scenarios on the Community Hub are quite good despite the creator having one hand tied behind their back by the lack of proper tools.

However PC users do have the chance to improve their scenarios by using mods that add extra formations, extra paths and that give you departure times down to 2 second intervals. These enhance playability no end and can really fire up the imagination.

 

I think these days...well the last couple iterations of TSW, Scenarios mostly show you what the route/rolling stock is capable of and how to drive them. They teach you how to drive the trains better than the Training Centre.

 

I don't think the limitations of Scenario Creator are really relevant here.

Yes, that's perfectly fine and indeed what scenarios should aim to be. The problem is that they're failing on the "being as close to reality as we can" front.

 

I like some scenarios that are well done thought out and fairly realistic ..like rock slides flooded right of way , maintenance work .detours on other lines setting out faulty car or locomotive a special or odd move,.i kinda liked the one in the MBTA Boston commuter where there is a train stuck due to a pile of snow ,on cajon the one where there are rock slides and have to pull on to the UP line to let a priority train pass then back onto main it s dark and stormy night it was one of the challenging scenario s i ve played ..there are some that are broken cant complete , the prisoner one on antelope valley i meet the freight in the siding nothing moves cant get the find the hiker one to work either ..cant get any community scenarios to play on console i play on 9th gen series x ps5 ,wish dtg could get somthing fixed so they work on 9th gen consoles they should be able to handle it,

 

Detours, Railtours, Special services and different trips due to floods or storms. I really liked the RSN one with the storm or the DRA one dropping off all the vectrons at different places. but for example the Voralberg one with the flood has a total of one other AI train. most scenario's feel incredibly empty and even a timetable service outside of rush hour on an older route where there wasn't enough stock yet to add all the services feels 5x as busy. yard movements and static stock is sometimes neglected a bit in timetable, The BRO timetable mod was a great example of how it could be done. but Scenarios, whilst some being really interesting or fun to do. I generally see as route learning exersizes instead of dealing with challenging conditions. Even those where it simulates you following yellows is usually at the last 20% of the run only.

Then again I did the Castle tour one on LFR yesterday. an interesting scenario I'd say but seeing a passenger train every 2-5 minutes whilst going slow yourself and no freight at all is also very unrealistic unless the track was closed for 4h before that. I think some scenario's are actually pretty good. and a realistically busy timetable (yes that takes work I know) would make most of them more enjoyable. I mean one other train on Voralberg on a 40 minute scenario is just wrong and I think literally everyone here would not have let it see sunlight in that state.

 

I enjoy playing scenarios, but there are a good few that are exactly like playing timetable and for me that seems pointless. DTG or whoever have an opportunity to create something like recovering a train or replacing a broken down engine or how about pulling an old train out of retirement to save the day? Or asking a preservation railway to loan a steam train for a bit of extra traction? What I don't want to see is "drive this full all stops service in the summer" and there is nothing special going on, that just screams timetable.

 

Would this sort of thing tickle your fancy?

 

Yes, anything that is different and unusual.

 

Scenarios also tend to be very fragile, if you run too late or too early or simply bug out.

Had two I attempted so far for the December challenge bug out on me. Now trying a third but to all purposes it’s just a timetable run with a wait and a walk at the start with the cab set up as part of the objectives.

 

Most scenarios are rather mundane, doesn't feel like much effort went in to writing them. However I do them because they're a much better driving lesson than the training center which teaches you next to nothing about safety systems for example.
On the other hand, once in a while somebody takes the time to write a really challenging and immersive scenario. There's a superb one on Clinchfield and one or two very good ones on Oakville.

 

I don’t think scenarios are for everyone’s taste. I’m not crazy about scenarios myself and much prefer timetable. I think an improved dynamic weather system as well as a nicely implemented random event system in TT would probably make scenarios obsolete for a lot of people.

If that were to happen, they could probably either eliminate scenarios or turn them into better training/learning opportunities. I’d love to have more training on a train’s home route, with scenarios that give you a much better idea of how to drive. (Ex should I be notching up 1 step at a time, or can I go straight to 3. How aggressively should I be braking, etc.)

But then again, idk, maybe a ton of people love scenarios. We’re just a small corner of the community.

 

Scenarios are really there to utilize areas of a route that you might never use otherwise.

For example, the scenario "DMU Debacle" on Blackpool Branches has you starting out at the DMU stabling sidings at Preston station, which I've never been sent to during timetable services.

It's more about getting players to see and experience the entire route, or use locomotives and rolling stock that you wouldn't normally pick for timetable services.

 

Except for the ones that don't, and that isn't really relevant to my point anyway.

 

This is pretty much my problem. The scenarios are either really bland or really good. Often though a timetable run is more exciting than a scenario. They also seem more prone to issues in my experience.

Personally I don’t go out of my way anymore to see if I’m getting a good one or not. The last one I did was the Vectron Dosto run on Frankfurt - I could have done that myself with the formation designer & free roam, got more interesting traffic & signalling - all at the expense of the 2 minutes to throw the consist together.

Far too many of them are more bland than a timetable, and agreeing with OP, they’re often more on the unrealistic side, which I wouldn’t mind so much if they were excitingly unrealistic. Instead they feel like they’re used as training exercises for getting new staff used to scenario planner.

I do agree RE: Training though, if you need it, they often give a better operational practice than in the TC.

 

The inability to customize realistic scenes shows that DTG does not have the technology or the technical talent to do so. If the scenes are too realistic, they will not work. It is impossible for everyone to have a 5090 graphics card.

 

What on Earth are you on about?

 

Most of the complaints I read were more about lack of services and things to do for scenario's than how well the graphics look

 

My complaint, and the one I made the thread about, is that the things they have you do aren't realistic.