The loco looks great and I hope that some creative types bring out some slightly grubbier versions.
The features are lacking compared to the Jinty but then again the Jinty is the closest loco yet to the real thing (speaking from experience), I wonder if a developer will come up with ways of being able to place coal on the fire rather than just throwing it through the door. Maybe Railworks 2014 will have an auto-driver and an advanced manual firing method (we can hope).
I complained yesterday about the lack of original scenarios, surprisingly the scenario is addictive and really does get you tweaking the controls, so far only manager 118.4mph in DoC. As a teacher would say 'must try harder'
Dave
IT & Website Officer
THE 'CLAN' PROJECT - building BR Standard Class 6 'Clan' 72010 Hengist
Latest news on the website http://www.theclanproject.org!
At the risk of causing offence I'm going to compare the new A4 with a photo
Something that as always stood out to me when looking at the shape of the A4's is the straight section just in front of the cylinders, It spoils the curvature of the design.
I imagine it is a footplate section that needs to be flat.
The model doesn't seem to represent this very obviously or does it?
Anyone have a clear screenshot of the cylinder area of the model?
I did pick this up yesterday but not had time to comment untill today about it. I have always been a fan of the A4 pacifics, I have probably seen Mallard up close around 18-19 times at either York or the brief time it spent at Shildon and I've also had the pleasure of seeing and being up close with both Bittern and Sir Nigel Gresley at North Yorkshire Moors Railway, so I feel atleast I can give a decent account about the old girls.
As far as 3D modelling goes the A4 pacific is a differcult steam locomotive to model due to its streamlining, both from model railway to digital format the A4 pacifics have been a nightmare to recreate, the main issues which have been noticable being the shame and curve of the nose of the A4s which has always been hard to get just right. In RSCs case they seem to have got it right, according to the making of video they did get their hands on detailed blueprints to put into CAD so it looks like that has certainly paid off.
Overall the 3D modelling is a very high standard, I like it and it certainly looks like a A4, though I'll like to point out it would have been nice to have two versions of the A4s, one with no weather protector on and without for summer/winter running for the cab to tender gap above the fireman and driver. A comment earlier about the skins colour and look I will have to agree with, both that its a solid block of colour and looks towards a plastic rather than metal finish and also its just to clean. They polish Bittern up and Sir Nigel Gresley but I can tell you now, when I've been up close the entire area from the chimney back to the cab roof its black and filthy with soot, this is a natural according process for the A4s as their shape and design makes the smoke huge lower after explusion from the chimney so would have been nice if this had been done on the locos.
Sounds, always discussion comes down to this and this will be no different, I'm going to sound abit critical, and this is no fault of Matt's work, he's worked with what he could and the sounds are ok, but I don't feel they quite live up to the A4 as a whole. They explained and showed in the how its made video that they recorded Bittern on its run and it even shows the sound guy from RSC with his equipment at the window and he explains how differcult it is to capture sounds...but I have to ask a serious question and say, was he 2-3 coaches back from Bittern when recording?
Why do I ask this? Well I've had to opportunity to be in the first carriage behind the tender of both Bittern and Sir Nigel Gresley not more than 3-4 metres back from the A4s and I can tell your from my own experience that a A4 does not sound as quite as the sounds are. The chuff beat on startup is a certainly a A4 pacific but ultimately quite soft and shallow sounding compared to the start ups I've heard of the A4s, they can be as loud as a King class starting up but they certainly don't have the soft chuff beat which would be more associated with a southern light pacific. Its also another point which grates on my ears abit as the A4 gains speed, Matt has worked with the sounds provided and got loops as the locomotive goes higher but I think sound editting and where it has been recorded from make the A4 sound like a diesel as it gets into higher speeds.
A few other things stick out, most noticable is the lack of what I call "busy" engine noise which consist of boiler hissing and other various steam leaking from various parts. When I saw Bittern I was able to get up close at the platform and there is most certainly a audioable hiss/boiling sound from the actual boiler while she sits idle and what I believe is part of the vacuum brake system with the "clunk-bong" sound which the A4 make, its audioable somewhat on Nigel and the others ingame but I think its abit to loud, its certainly quieter and less frequent while idling on the real machines. Also what I feel is missing, which Matt has been fond of adding is 1st and 2nd valve sounds, be it either RSC removed them or Matt couldn't create them from the sounds, it would have been nice to have them either way.
As a twist on a internet meme, "coasting sounds, I can haz?", seriously where are they? You release the brakes, you put the reverser forward and open the regulator, have they cyclinders Cs open....wait what its still deathly quiet ingame? This somewhat bug bears with me as I know Matt would have provided coasting sounds but clearly RSC fiddled with the soundset and removed them, it doesn't make the A4 sound especially live with the lack of coasting sounds or "busy" engine noise so I can't say I can rate it to high.
A final bug bear, the iconic chime whistle of the A4 pacifics, yes it does sound like it ingame but my god RSC could have pulled the recording from better sources than what they had recorded. The chime whistle is bloody loud on the real machines and really has a deep and loud scream to it when being pulled and there is plenty of video footage available on the internet to back up my comment, it just needs to be louder.
But all that being said, its a A4 pacific in sound if not abit on the quiet side so it'll keep the punters happy and RSC can say they are real A4 pacific sounds even if not quiet as a whole.
Overall is the pack worth buying? Its up to you in the end, it is a pack which is being sold as a celebration DLC for the event later this year and it certainly gives you the A4s in there preserved guise weather or not its value for money vs content its up to you as a whole and I've personally bought it because while I do have all the JT varients they do look abit old now so the newer models are a fresh look on them.
Hopefully the above comments I've made may see Matt do a small sound pack for the A4 pacific and also we see some reskins done for the A4 both to give them abit more of a weathered look but also to add other named A4s, but I will note that looking from the ingame model we may be limited to longer names due to the nameplate being a 3D (not the text just the frame) model.
crumplezone wrote:
A few other things stick out, most noticable is the lack of what I call "busy" engine noise which consist of boiler hissing and other various steam leaking from various parts. When I saw Bittern I was able to get up close at the platform and there is most certainly a audioable hiss/boiling sound from the actual boiler while she sits idle and what I believe is part of the vacuum brake system with the "clunk-bong" sound which the A4 make, its audioable somewhat on Nigel and the others ingame but I think its abit to loud, its certainly quieter and less frequent while idling on the real machines....
I think the nature of the beast is that noise or otherwise at idle will vary from engine to engine and be dependent on such factors as general maintenance, time since last major overhaul etc. I can remember some engines being so quiet that you would hardly know they were there, whist others you just couldn't miss. That's the beauty of steam, all locos were/are different!
I honestly don't see why it is "so" difficult to get decent high speed recordings,it's just a case of having more than one set of sounds to go at,no good going on a train that's timed at 50mph over a flat piece of track....
A friend of mine who sadly passed away a couple of years ago left me his collection of around 6-700 tapes which dated back to the 1970's right up to the current period,some of the high speed stuff was windy etc but if you got right side for the wind and close enough to the loco then you can get very good results. From what i've heard of this A4 it's not a case of poor sounds but maybe a lack of enough decent ones available to the editor?
I have plenty of high speed recordings with minimal background noise,it's just a case of finding the right tape,as I say,it all depends on how much content you have,if you've only been behind the loco at 25mph behind the chimney or on a ridiculously windy day,or on a day when the loco wasn't worked then simply you won't get what you want.
Another one of my late night streams about to start any minute. Eisenhower with 12 on WLoS, Newton Steward to Carlisle. This will be recorded and saved on the channel for anyone wishing to have a look at one of the A4s and WLoS but not stay up all night to do so.
ChrisBarnes wrote:Another one of my late night streams about to start any minute. Eisenhower with 12 on WLoS, Newton Steward to Carlisle. This will be recorded and saved on the channel for anyone wishing to have a look at one of the A4s and WLoS but not stay up all night to do so.
Well, I have to say after buying last night that I'm pleasantly surprised. Granted, the scenarios are a bit limited and I'm fed up of the same packaged Mk1's (albeit with an A4 picture in the compartment!). But there are detail differences between the cabs and I'm prepared to live with the fact that the locos have clearly been cleaned by Top Shed's best gang in honour of the celebrations, this accounting for their "spotless" appearance!
Even the footplate crew have decided to use new brew cans!
And the inclusion of realistic driving mode was a nice surprise too!
Perhaps some headboards as an update? And an increase in the noise level of cyl cocks?
But, overall, pleased I've bought. They will sit alongside my JT fleet
(Oh ' I reckon I got a record time to Brighton too and then couldn't find the screenshot button in time!!)
Great thread, and a pleasant indication that not all RSC's products are met with scorn and derision. Just the ones that deserve it. Fanboys take note please.
