London to Brighton Add Pack - "The Emperor's New Clothe

[streeter]

Rant Mode=ON

The original London to Brighton route is, IMHO, delightful and fairly accurate to the prototype. It has given me immense pleasure and I ordered the "Add Pack" without hesitation, as I really expected a host of additional trackage!

I have been extremely disappointed with the "Add Pack", to the point of considering making a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority!

Aerosoft describe the "AddPack" as an "Extension to the London-Brighton Express Add On" - which to most people would imply that the Route itself has been extended!

Go On - Try finding the extension!!! The line hasn't even progressed from Three Bridges to Crawley or Brighton to Hove! The locos and multiple units are no different, and no superior, from those freely downloadable on UKTrainSim.

I wonder how many others out there have purchased this product, only to be disappointed! Is it like "The Emperors New Clothes" that no one wants to admit having been sold a "pup"!!!

RANT MODE=OFF

[Christopher125]

Hi

The route has been extended. Next time I reccomend you read the literature for the addpack, and the readme. Several depots have been built, for which extensions of a couple of miles have been built. And have you any better idea for a name that adds stuff to LBE than LBE addpack?

Chris

[NeutronIC]

I actually think that for 14.99 it's not a bad add-on at all, for the fans of LBE out there at any rate. A bunch of 31's, a bunch of 33's (or something of that ilk), a bunch of mark 1's (granted, they are downloadable), a bunch of freight stock, and a couple of new EMU's. There's more on this pack than there is on that awful 'great british steamers' pack and that's five quid more expensive. The route is extended to include the new depot's etc specifically to add to the freight possibilities of the route as well. In addition, you also get the 1970's version of the route with different texturing and objects removed.

For 14.99 seems like pretty reasonable value to me imho!

Matt.

[LucaZone]

Dont judge a book by its cover - comes to mind. As already said, I think you should have read what the Addon included, instead of making the assumption it was purely extra track.

The Addon was designed to increase the varried use of the route overall rather than just give you more miles to run along.

Infact I think if it was purely more track and not much else I dont think I would have bought it. It takes more than an hour to run some of the full length activities.

[kreader]

I am more than satisfied with the LB Add-On pack. Only £15.00. Plenty more activities with the stock all on the CD which I really like as my experience of downloading stock has not always been successful and I have finished up having to re-install MSTS.
I also mentioned to a friend who had been rather disappointed with the original pack. He was very enthusiastic about the Add-On pack.
I have had more satisfaction out of this route than any of the others that I have bought or downloaded to date. Finally look at the number of Activities on UKTrainSim and it now has the greatest number, so the route must be popular.
No I have no complaints at all.

[streeter]

Several depots have been built, for which extensions of a couple of miles have been built. And have you any better idea for a name that adds stuff to LBE than LBE addpack?

First off, I make no complaints about the name "AddPack".

My complaint is purely that I bought the "AddPack" because it advertised an "extension" to the route which, frankly, I don't think the addition of a couple of depots justifies! To those who amble up and down between Victoria and Brighton (or pretending your train started at Bedford or Bournemouth et all) - fine, but I did expect a few genuine extension opportunities such as Three Bridges - Horsham, East Croydon - London Bridge, Brighton - Portsmouth to be included.

The 1970's batch file you refer to, Matt, changes a few things but, as I recall, South Central and Connex station signs didn't exist in the 1970's and I notice the ENORMOUS platform benches at East Croydon still haven't been re-sized!

To me, this AddPack does not do what it says on the tin!

[LucaZone]

well i guess theres always the case of not being able to please everyone.

To an extent though it appears to be down to what peopl perceive the word 'extension' to mean.

[Christopher125]

Several depots have been built, for which extensions of a couple of miles have been built. And have you any better idea for a name that adds stuff to LBE than LBE addpack?

First off, I make no complaints about the name "AddPack".

My complaint is purely that I bought the "AddPack" because it advertised an "extension" to the route which, frankly, I don't think the addition of a couple of depots justifies! To those who amble up and down between Victoria and Brighton (or pretending your train started at Bedford or Bournemouth et all) - fine, but I did expect a few genuine extension opportunities such as Three Bridges - Horsham, East Croydon - London Bridge, Brighton - Portsmouth to be included.

The 1970's batch file you refer to, Matt, changes a few things but, as I recall, South Central and Connex station signs didn't exist in the 1970's and I notice the ENORMOUS platform benches at East Croydon still haven't been re-sized!

To me, this AddPack does not do what it says on the tin!

It hardly says 'ROUTE EXTENSION' in huge letters does it? Surely if you were buying this product because of a route extension, then you'd want to find out what the route was, and anyway, you would of thought that if there was an extension to portsmouth or something then it would say so in much bigger print. Aerosoft have't mislead you, it says route extension in a normal way, with no extra large print or anything, the problem is that you didn't bother to find out what the route extension was. Sorry mate, you're completely overeacting. If you don't like it send it back, if you do like it stop complaining.

Chris

[streeter]

If you don't like it send it back

That is precisely the point - with Computer Software you can't send it back unless it's faulty!

[simont]

In fairness, the addon pack never advertised itself as an extenstion to Crawley, Eastbourne, or anything like that. I bought the product on the understanding that it was what it was: extra stock, extra activities, slightly more track and a few other things.

Maybe the use of the word "extension" was ill-advised... "expansion" might have been better. This may simply have been lost in translation, but either way, if you've bought a product without reading up on what it contains (and the information was readily available), and then you find it doesn't meet your expectations, then you've only really got yourself to blame.

[streeter]

Maybe the use of the word "extension" was ill-advised

if you've bought a product without reading up on what it contains (and the information was readily available), and then you find it doesn't meet your expectations, then you've only really got yourself to blame

Really???

This is what was advertised on http://www.europeanbahn.com site which prompted me to order from UKTrainsim
London2Brighton AddPack

"This extension for "London2Brighton (L2B) Express, add many new locos 30 new activities and new scenic areas for you to enjoy. All at a reduced price of £13.99 approx + delivery."

To use this add-on you must already have "London Brighton EXpress"

The terms "extension" and "new scenic areas" implies far more than just a couple of depots!!!

Perhaps other "Commercial" producers should take note!!!

[Christopher125]

Maybe the use of the word "extension" was ill-advised

if you've bought a product without reading up on what it contains (and the information was readily available), and then you find it doesn't meet your expectations, then you've only really got yourself to blame

Really???

This is what was advertised on http://www.europeanbahn.com site which prompted me to order from UKTrainsim
London2Brighton AddPack

"This extension for "London2Brighton (L2B) Express, add many new locos 30 new activities and new scenic areas for you to enjoy. All at a reduced price of £13.99 approx + delivery."

To use this add-on you must already have "London Brighton EXpress"

The terms "extension" and "new scenic areas" implies far more than just a couple of depots!!!

Perhaps other "Commercial" producers should take note!!!

Does it imply more extensive track than just depots. Don't forget this is your own opinion, and packaging cant be expected to cater for everyones idea of what extension means. For 99% of the country extension means extension of the track, but you seem to think that the word extension means 100's of miles of new route. As already said, you've only got yourself to blame for your poor grasp of the english language and your hope that what is said on the pack is 1/10th of what you get, whereas you get what it says on the packaging and thats all. I don't see anything wrong with that. What would you rather them say, '1 mile of extra track'? Wouldn't go too well with the rest of the packaging...

Chris

[NeutronIC]

Calm down folks, the opinion has been expressed, comments have been made, I see no further value in continuing this.

Matt.

[streeter]

Post removed - I agree there's no value in continuing discussions.

Further entries, post votes only please!

[NeutronIC]

LucaZone - there'll be no "last words" or "summaries" please, i've requested the discussion is over, Ian has agreed, now you back off.

[For those that didn't see it, there was a further post from LucaZone which I have deleted]

Matt.