Atomic Systems

Almost all the trains I make are European, powered by overhead cables. I've been looking into this 'core' routes thing in TS2013 - it seems like for newcomers I can only really create scenarios to go with my products on one line - the Northeast Corridor. The trouble is the overhead cables there are way too high for European stock. I would alter my train scripting to use a different pantograph animation if they found themselves on that route but of course, in scripting, I can't query the route the train is on, or the height of the cables (heck - there's still no way to get the speed limit from the line for in-cab displays). So my rolling stock looks silly because the pickups don't meet the overhead lines.
I gather Rurh-Sieg isn't included in the new game - it's renamed from Hagen-Siegen if you had it in TS2012, and it's not available for purchase for new users.

West Coast Line isn't included in the game - it's renamed from Oxford-Paddington if you had it in TS2012 and RSC want $18 for it for new users - it seems bad for me to tell me customers 'too bad - you need to spend another $18 to get a route I can write a scenario for".

TestTrak has gone completely.

The scenario editor won't allow me to manually 'electrify' a route for a scenario either - Railworks have really screwed me on this, because realistically, I can't provide any scenarios for users new to the game with the TS2013 product.

Suggestions appreciated as I'm pretty stuck right now trying to figure out how best to support my product's customers for both old and new users. As it stands, I actually have no options going forwards other than to leave my stock with QuickDrive support and no scenarios and that's just not what I want to do.

Well, clearly, one needs to be built... :p

Hagen to Siegen isn't include by default with TS2013 but can be bought for just a tenner by new users

Given the amount of stock and work done for a previously core route, it does seem sad you now have to purchase it....core routes should remain core routes. Especially when so many have spent time and effort to make scenerios and addons for them and the product is not even very old.

you could wait 15 odd days and use the Munich route, I think that will only be like £5 more than H-S.

I did see the Ruhr - Sieg line available for a tenner from Steam, indeed.

Missing in action however are Seebergbahn & TestTrak, which is really too bad. I wish that they will revert to be just included,or free downloads from Steam, rather than totally missing, but I guess that they still need some upgrading to proper TS2013 standards... (SeebergBahn still has some poor looking track, in some places).

Altogether, it is indeed a bit of a poor show however, for electrics, and I guess that you're not the only developer in this position (I know for sure that Dutch Classics will have the same issue).

It is really a pity that a route that is partially electrified doesn't show up as "Available" for electrics in QuickDrive, and I guess that that also limits you in your scenarios.

I think TestTrak still comes bundled with TS2013?

chrisell wrote:West Coast Line isn't included in the game - it's renamed from Oxford-Paddington if you had it in TS2012

Small correction, but might be a big thing for newcomers....

Oxford-Paddington is the Great Western Main Line, not the West Coast so this might confuse people---particularly when you cite it in your (otherwise excellent) guide to getting stuff into Quick Drive.

michaeldono wrote:you could wait 15 odd days and use the Munich route, I think that will only be like £5 more than H-S.

It is likely to retail at the standard price of £24.99

gptech wrote:

chrisell wrote:West Coast Line isn't included in the game - it's renamed from Oxford-Paddington if you had it in TS2012

Small correction, but might be a big thing for newcomers....

Oxford-Paddington is the Great Western Main Line, not the West Coast so this might confuse people---particularly when you cite it in your (otherwise excellent) guide to getting stuff into Quick Drive.

I've fixed that in the guide

Is the east coast mainline part of 2013 or do they rely on that being previously installed from 2012 too? The old Newcastle-York line? If that's been abandoned, then not a single one of my products has any working scenarios thanks to this "update" (read: downgrade).

Gotta say I'm deeply unhappy about this as a developer

Sorry, but that one is now optional extra DLC too

chrisell wrote:Is the east coast mainline part of 2013 or do they rely on that being previously installed from 2012 too? The old Newcastle-York line? If that's been abandoned, then not a single one of my products has any working scenarios thanks to this "update" (read: downgrade).

No, that one is not included a core route with TS2013 either. All the 'legacy' routes are now available as DLC for the newcomers (see http://store.steampowered.com/dlc/24010/ )
Included with TS2013 Standard are :
- Sherman Hill
- London to Brighton
- Northeast Corridor
- Isle of Wight.
Sources : http://store.steampowered.com/app/24010/ and http://www.engine-driver.com/2012/09/te ... -what.html

And things seem to get worse with the TS2013 DeLuxe version, which will have the following 'core' routes:
- Sherman Hill
- London to Brighton
- Munich-Augsburg
Same source : http://www.engine-driver.com/2012/09/te ... -what.html

chrisell wrote: Gotta say I'm deeply unhappy about this as a developer

And many other developers are , I guess. One could only hope that the two 'minor' routes like Seebergbahn and TestTrak as 'core'routes could be added to the "new TS2013" so that there is at least some overlap between the current version and the 'legacy' version. Anyway, think I am not able to make you happy here.

Erwin

Yeah the northeast corridor thing is a mess - the only route in the whole thing that has overhead cables and they're (a) too high and (b) the route is only in SOME of the packs. Essentially, there's not a single route in stock TS2013 that's good for any European rolling stock that uses electric pantograph pickup.

This could all be solved if we could change the electrification type in the scenario editor - yeah it would be a royal pain to electrify a whole route and add overhead cables to it but it would be better than what I have now - which is no routes I can support with my customers

chrisell wrote:... the northeast corridor ...

Hmm, wasn't aware that the Northeast corridor (NEC) has been a core route.
As I am a day one user (RailWorks 1) I bought the NEC route on some blue Monday, but honestly I can not tell you whether it had become a 'core route' afterwards in RailWorks2 or RailWorks3.
Things getting more complicated I guess

Erwin