best looking routes

[jbilton]

Hi
I think we must be careful not to confuse 'detail' with overall 'best looking'.
Of course peoples opinions are subjective, but generally I have no NA routes, because they never really got upto the European standard. (Rattlesnake pass did)
Likewise there is to me a subtle difference say with Dorset Coast and TM, and Dave's latest work NWC.
I agree with Mike, that Frank's GWR was ground breaking, which is why I originally mentioned it.
I believe he was influenced by some of the work coming out of Eastern Europe.
Of course its all only personal opinion........ feel free to disagree.

Cheers
Jon

[steamnut44]

Hi ,
i am looking for routes that shows best what MSTS is still capable of , scenerywise.
Thus not the most interesting routes with the best activities , but good looking recent routes.( payware and freeware )

Interesting question. The converse question is "Why" ?

John,
I would, and have done, purchased and downloaded routes just for the route alone.
I very rarely run any included activities and prefer to write my own, using the stock I prefer and not necessarily that what comes with the route.
Of course I have to run other folks acts. when I'm testing over at Making Tracks, but that's about the limit for me.
So, am I out on my own? would be interesting to find out.
As a point of interest, I've a video that will be broadcast in the next hour or two showing a payware route with downloaded freeware stock.

Chris.

Your not out on your own Chris, because I don't bother with Activities that come with routes, or some of the stock either. I spend most of my time enhancing these routes by adding more people, set pieces and generally make the route come to life so to speak. I like you, choose my own stock to suit the route and make up all my own activities.
Routes that I do like are Dorset Coast, Thames Mersey, ECML(Steam Era), Burton Derby, CC5 (now BC1) & NWC, just to name a few, but there are many other good routes which I use occasionally and one is the unfinished Scottish Central, just for the Waverley to Forth Bridge if nothing else.

[NiallGray]

I have to agree that West Somerset is one of the best detailed routes out there, absolutely stunning to look at. However, single line routes have never grabbed me and it's been a while since I last used it. Making Tracks' Great Eastern and Scottish Capital Express are two of my favourite routes when it comes to looks, and both are addictive.

[RobertM]

Kingsbridge is one of the most best looking routes I've seen, the scenery models are nicely textured and there are no great voids in it.

It is not available yet, its still in the testing stages, but its one to look out for

Rob

[lateagain]

I have to agree that West Somerset is one of the best detailed routes out there, absolutely stunning to look at. However, single line routes have never grabbed me and it's been a while since I last used it. Making Tracks' Great Eastern and Scottish Capital Express are two of my favourite routes when it comes to looks, and both are addictive.

When it first came out I was rather put off WS by the rather luminous green grass textures? Has that been modified at all? Lots of scenery improvements have been released/uploaded since it was first released. Not a huge issue I know but it did rather put me off in the initial screen shots. Mind you it did look Sunny . MLT's Cascade Crossing was released with such dark and dismal grass tones that it looked positively "Post Apocalyptic" !

Geoff

[dkightley]

Seems I'll have to blow my own trumpet...as the saying goes.

If you fancy something different and as realistic as it gets, why not try my interpretation of the National Tramway Museum at Crich.

I have to admit that I took my inspiration for the level of detail from two routes....Frank's GWR Toddington and the London and Port Stanley route that is available from across the pond. These two routes I consider to be the best routes I've ever seen for MSTS. Not sure where Crich sits in the standings, though.

[RobertM]

Sorry Doug, I completely forgot about your route, that is a very nicely detailed route

[lateagain]

Seems I'll have to blow my own trumpet...as the saying goes.

If you fancy something different and as realistic as it gets, why not try my interpretation of the National Tramway Museum at Crich.

I have to admit that I took my inspiration for the level of detail from two routes....Frank's GWR Toddington and the London and Port Stanley route that is available from across the pond. These two routes I consider to be the best routes I've ever seen for MSTS. Not sure where Crich sits in the standings, though.

Well before I had my last "Melt Down" I had all three Doug and very enjoyable they were too as soon as I get my new box that's another three to reinstall ...if SWMBO doesn't blow all the funds on home improvement Confusing huh? A new box! What more "improvement" does a bloke need?

Geoff

[terrycunliffe]

It's all a question of route size.

All the shorter routes in msts are absolutely superb in the way of realism. It's what is expected. Anyone who travels some of the preserved routes on a regular basis would be familiar with almost every building along the route, and that tends to be represented in the msts interpretations.

On the other hand, anyone who travels from, say, Birmingham to Glasgow regularly would still only truly remember a tiny fraction of the scenery passed through.

In msts, where adding scenery to a route takes longer than laying the trackwork (I reckon on average at least 1 to 2 hours for every mile of track!), then the resulting efforts have got to be more generic simply due to the sheer amount of work involved.

In my own case, just look at the difference in scenery quality between NWE and Metrolink.....

T

[lateagain]

MEP has been in development for 4 years now and there are still some areas that Mick wants to update scenery in. Anyone leading a Route development doesn't have the luxury of concentrating solely on adding scenery full time because track and signalling problems start popping up when the activity writers get going and weaknesses in certain tiles becomes evident when an act places too much AI in the frame etc.etc.
I think the reworking of routes to a better standard is definitely worthwhile. Both in Freeware and Payware this has been done and to very good effect.

Constantly clamouring for a different section of railway is rather counterproductive because there have been quite a lot of routes published that were abysmal IMO, and despite being well worth redoing the publisher has merely gone on cover yet more track. If folk download/purchase such routes there’s obviously a demand for less detailed routes but it’s a shame that these then end up being ignored as “DONE” when they could be done so much better.

I think route building is where Virtual model railways meets the OO/N/HO world. All the best layouts tend to be co-operative efforts involving input from many folk. Each contributing to fulfil the overall needs of the project.

Interestingly the US routes have mainly featured sparsely populated, heavily wooded or desert areas. If you look at DVD's of the real Marias Pass some of the scenery is wide rolling plains with little or no stand-out features. BUT in MSTS the textures are not subtle enough to simulate this convincingly. Same in the scenery around Cajon Pass. Desolate BUT a very subtle and intricate ground covering which MSTS struggles to reproduce. Desolate often just ends up looking like "NO scenery" just because the subtleties of ground texture aren't available. We've come a long way since the "green quilt" effect of the original S&C route but just follow any rail track in Google or Virtual Earth and look at the infinite variety of textures the world really throws up. Even if the Sim could handle it placing these would take ages. Throw in Seasonal variations and it's not surprising that routes are now coming out on DVD's?

IMO the effort is worth it because the more appealing the virtual world the greater the interest in returning to drive it? Those who can’t see the point of detailed scenery might (?) be better served by BVE which from a driving point of view certainly has some advantages over MSTS?

Geoff