Railworks America

https://live.dovetailgames.com/live/tra ... e-pennines

Quite interested in this one, both for the route and the included motive power. A Class 110 or Class 124 would have been slightly more appropriate than the Class 101 DMU but nonetheless very welcome, if they get the sound and physics right. The Class 47 already exists for West Somerset but they need to beef up the sound. Likewise the Class 45 which, although using the same Sulzer prime mover, did sound slightly different. This is a steeply graded route so will provide ample opportunity to thrash the power - the Class 45 Peaks were big, brutal machines - again if they get the physics right!

Interesting route however until DTG adopts the unreal engine for editing I will not spend money of TSW.

I've always liked the 101. Got that old school charm.

glenn68 wrote:Interesting route however until DTG adopts the unreal engine for editing I will not spend money of TSW.

Eh? Do you mean until DTG makes the editor available or something else?

glenn68 wrote:DTG adopts the unreal engine

TSW is in UE4.

Decided to purchase this as the general reception so far seems positive both on Steam and at other forums. A few glitches in the tutorials and scenarios but then we've come to expect that from DTG...

Overall impression is good - 7.5/10.

Obviously a great deal of love has gone into crafting the custom buildings and stations which is an area where DTG do excel - you could spend considerable time just walking round Leeds, Huddersfield or Man.Vic. taking in the atmosphere. The route itself is also quite lovely, if it does suffer from a slight "avenue of trees" overkill.

Visually the trains and cabs are excellent, streets ahead of the competition including DTG's own legacy product. However sounds still need some work, the Class 45 I still found rather disappointing, not much racket until you hit full throttle and then quite subdued. After the excellent sounds for the Class 33 add on t was a bit disappointing. Maybe DTG need to consider adding a specific slider for traction sounds, to cater for those of us who like it LOUD!

Physics - only played with the 45 so far. Acceleration performance seemed reasonable if a little brisk. Why oh why though do they persist with the % system for everything (a hangover from old MSTS) when a loco has distinct power or braking notches. Braking seemed a bit harsh at low speeds and I was having to use straight air (loco) - indie brake to you colonial types - on its own to fine control station and signal stops.

The doors still open on coaches not on the platform, which I also noticed on WSR.

Overall definitely a keeper and I'm intending to have a play with the DMU, later on today.

I quite agree, the route and trains are beautiful.

Matt Peddlesden has featured it in his Twitch stream, showcasing all trains and more or less the entire route. A great thing to watch if you're undecided whether this should go on your wish list or not: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/348678707

Cheers
Michael

The DMU is great fun, if not 100% accurate in terms of the sounds and the seating moquette, which wasn't actually introduced until @1991 on the new era of Class 158 Sprinter DMU's. But the physics seem spot on with the gear changing and ponderous acceleration and working the vacuum brake.

Must say I am thoroughly enjoying this route - it has really hit the spot.

Finished my DMU run from Leeds to Manchester arriving about 25' late due to my inept driving skills. As I jumped off the sets turned into the 1030 departure back to Leeds and departed about 12' late. Checked the map to see what appeared to be a loco hauled consist in the Salford "fiddle yard", so positioned myself at the west end of the station. Sure enough, a 47 hauled consist appeared around the corner so I sprinted over to the relevant platform. Decided this would be a passenger run so jumped in one of the coaches. Interiors are superb, really capture that Mark 2A essence, down to the muck on the seat supports. Quite something being able to walk through the train, to find a window seat in a first class compo in the front coach (the windows don't open, though). 1050 and on the move rattling over the fittings at Man.Vic. East, probably going to catch up the late running DMU by Stalybridge!

So someone with a bit of devilment could properly mess up the smooth running timetable, at least for the locals - the express loco hauled stuff seems to spawn in and out at either end.

So far I've only bought CSX:HH and the GWE route. I decided to hop into TSW again and see if DTG have improved on it or not.
A few things I've noticed have improved:
The diesels actually act like diesels, this is the biggest improvement in my opinion. Amps act quite a bit more realistically now. Small stuff like the exhaust particles, they were quite annoying in the DLC i have but have been toned down, recoloured and look so much better now.
The world still feels dead, no traffic moving anywhere and still really sterile and lacking the small details (VNHRR got the small details and clutter so perfectly), however, I've heard ambient sounds like sirens, cars, etc. That really does add a lot, which is why I'll include it as an improvement. But seriously, why can't there be traffic anywhere? That should be easy to do on DTG's part.

Things that still need improvement:
Small details DTG seems to be dropping like the manual levers on the window wipers. It's a small detail but if they keep dropping the small details I feel like TSW will slowly sink back to the basic functionality of TS locomotives. Compared too CSX:HH where even the toilet door was openable, and the breaker panels all worked, it's a bit disappointing to see.
The head sway in TS gave a good feeling of the fact track isn't perfectly straight and flat, and of the slack going in and out on the couplers. There is absolutely none in TSW, and again disappointing to see not improved on.
The biggest thing I've seen, and annoying that DTG hasn't addressed this is the absolutely horrible lighting engine TSW has. It's just God awful. In the rain everything becomes so bright it's just ugly and unpleasant to look at.

Overall, It's a step in the right direction, but TSW clearly needs some more effort put into it. I really want TSW to succeed, but that would mean working on the game itself and not just making new DLC. I certainly hope they do that.

Here are some screenshots showing off what I'm talking about.

I think it has been remarked a few times here and at other forums that TSW does need some more interaction outside the railway fence, so to speak. We need moving vehicles on roads at a minimum and some pedestrians walking about. If the GTA games could do this over 12 years ago with ease, then there's really no excuse here.

As regards the lighting I see what you mean, though from my purely personal POV nowhere near as bad on Trans Pennine as on Great Western where the trains look like they are wearing a coat of wax.

And given the interaction the player can now have with the environment, we need more randomisation. Next time I do the run how about a temporary or emergency speed restriction (slow order to the colonials) has been imposed, or moving a late running stopping service to a passing track so the following express can overtake. Incidentally, following on from my earlier comments, I don't think the timetable flow is quite as interactive as DTG would have us think. Following the late running DMU the Class 1 service I was on board should have been getting signal checks between Stalybridge and Standedge but somehow managed a clear run all the way to Leeds! Does the programme simply "nerf" any late running or artificially accelerate the errant train out of the way, I wonder?

Here's another thing I just noticed, the winter textures just blanket everything, even the roads! Well there are no cars in the TSW universe so I guess there should be no tire marks, but seriously? Look on the lower left side, the road is floating off the ground slightly and creating this horrendous shadow on the ground. This is just lazy on DTG's part.



Overall I'd say this is a marked improvement over CSX:HH and GWE, however, there is still clear improvement needed on DTG's part. I fully believe TSW has a future, but DTG needs to spend more time on improving what needs to be improved and not pumping out new short DLC.

It is also quite rare to get snow that crisp and deep in contemporary UK winters. Mostly our winter consists of short dark days with heavy rain or frost. When it does snow, roads are usually transformed into a brown slushy mess within hours while the ungritted pavements resemble the Cresta bobsleigh run!

DrewG wrote: I fully believe TSW has a future, but DTG needs to spend more time on improving what needs to be improved and not pumping out new short DLC.

I had a walk around today on this route, none of the roads have any markings on them, which I found odd, as they do on the American and German routes, which also have moving traffic on them. To be honest, I think they've rushed this route out prior to Christmas to get some extra money, everything should have been double checked as there are a lot of floating scenery items, buildings, mileposts, vegetation, holes in between the tracks over bridges, for starters, all these should have been sorted out well before release. Apart from those errors it's a very well constructed route, typical of the area with the old Mill buildings, the tracks have oil stains and litter mixed in with the ballast and the Stations have been very nicely built and reflect as much as they can in the game with what was actually their over 35 years ago.
Apparently DTG have an add-on pack with some locomotives and freight wagons, on the drawing board, for this route, I don't think they will announce, or, advertise anything officially until the New Year, though, but, it's something to look forward to.

Cheerz. Steve.