Train Sim World

https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/256723478/movie480.webm?t=1532448396


I like this thing.

Impressed. The resolution of the textures is far higher than I think would work with OpenBVE, without it grinding to a standstill. Motion was smooth too, no framerate glitches.

This is something I miss in openBVE...




I need this game.

There’s no reason why TSW shouldn’t give us inspiration for what routes we should make for openBVE, though, probably not to the same level of detail. Maybe some routes can be upgraded with inspiration from other TSs and TSW

There’s no reason why TSW shouldn’t give us inspiration for what routes we should make for openBVE, though, probably not to the same level of detail. Maybe some routes can be upgraded with inspiration from other TSs and TSW

Maybe a bit less "inspiration" and a bit more "perspiration" would go down better. Who are these "we" making routes???
There's precious few who have produced any major new stuff in the last few years. The old 'uns are worn out ( I certainly am) and the millennials haven't got what it takes to finish a job. Someone prove me wrong.

Not Michelle, but Matt from UKTS (NeutronIC) is heavily involved with TSW & Railsim.

Oskaari Saarekas has 'Diesel Railcar Simulator' , can't remember whether that one has made it to Steam or not.

Aside from BVE, TSW is the first Driver sim I've spent a lot of time on since Simudrive died.

Train Simulator has always been good for graphics and sound (and with add-ons such as those from Amrstrong Powerhouse it can be outstanding). However, I've never been able to get past its horrible toy-like features. The biggest one for me is that you have to drive 'scenarios' which are generally made to be as wacky as possible, and not a re-creation of the day to day job of a train driver. The same thing happens every time you play the scenario (including all the same signal checks etc), so you can only really play it once. You can get a few 3rd party scenarios which are good, but they usually require lots of add-ons in what becomes an inter-dependency nightmare. 

TSW, as well as a set of scenarios (which I ignore) includes a full timetable of trains on the route, and you can drive any of them. I don't actually know whether the signal aspects you see are in any degree randomised, but it doesn't really matter, because there are so many schedules that if you pick one at random you don't know whether you've played it before, and if you have, you're not going to remember the signal sequences - so even if it isn't random, it feels that way.

Aside from that, TSW's graphics and sound are at a similar standard to Train Simulator. It could do with being 'busier' (more trains and more passengers) and, understandably for a new game, has the odd graphical glitch - but aside from those two things (which I find unobtrusive) it's excellent. It's particularly good at re-creating different weather and lighting conditions.

I'm playing the Leeds-Manchester ("North Transpennine") route at the moment. It's set in the 1980s, and is a superb piece of work, with lots of atmosphere - the recreation of the grubby, clanky British Rail of the 80s which I loved so much. It includes 45s, 47s and 101s. I've found mastering the 101's gears and braking system (both realistically re-created) to keep the tight all-stations schedule over the Pennines, to be one of the most enjoyable challenges in a train sim for a long time.

I was almost put off by the game's hardware demands, which are in excess of my own set up - but I gave it a try from Steam (as it's easy to get a refund if it doesn't work well) and it runs absolutely fine, with graphics settings at a good level.

I'll always enjoy BVE, but I recognise that the fact that it's free (therefore the lack of reward for anyone who puts in the vast amount of time and effort needed to create a train or route) means that new releases are always likely to be few and far between.

I'd recommend that anyone who plays BVE for the realism, should try TSW (funds allowing of course!)