USA: Miami - West Palm Beach

[JohnM1945]

... is available now, discounted to 33% at £16.74.

Steam was easily accessible, and the download started immediately.

Neither this nor any of the sale offers was apparent from the 'Store' page accessed from within the game. I wonder why?

KInd regards,

John M

[JustRight]

So, what's it like John?

Cheers,
Trevor

[JohnM1945]

Trevor asked:

So, what's it like John?

And it's dull, Trevor, dull...

At least, if Elphaba's first (Amtrak southbound passenger) scenario for the route is anything to go by - and I was relying on him/them to showcase the best bits.

What you get is many, many miles of straight track through concrete suburbs and industrial zones on a mudbank called Florida... Oh, and there's a freeway alongside, and some ditches - the ditchwater is quite interesting, actually...

I expect I'm just getting old and cynical, but I'd have preferred being lost in Slough on a wet night in January...

So, if the Christmas cash is short, save it for Springfield v2.0 (that's where I'm off to next...) or Peterborough - York (Part 3).

IMHO...

KInd regards,

John M

PS Can someone please show that I'm wrong?

[davep]

John M - thanks for that post. I was considering buying it, even though I'm not a great
fan of US railways. I'm considering no more.

[ightenhill]

It kind of shows there's still despite all this time a huge difference lies between UK routes and US routes... UK routes are slowly getting better and better and I suspect its because there are more third people involved who are willing to get involved - create new assets - that help create a realistic atmosphere.

This is the opposite.. Yes theirs one or two new assets re the stations but because they are slapped into the usual US landscape (since when did Florida have the same land texture as California and Arizona) its just a bit all the same again. Not helped by the fact you see the exact same buildings,houses,factorys that have been around since horeshoe and NEC came out. (Now I know this happens in UK routes but there seems to be more effort to at least pick one or two eye catching buildings and create them and slot them in) For example there are several buildings near Ft Lauderdale and on the approach which fit this which are missing which give you the impression nobody even bothered.

The only good thing is you finally can create a full set of Amtrak coaches as those that have been missing for years have finally appeared - but other than that you may as well be using any other US route.

[JustRight]

Trevor asked:

So, what's it like John?

And it's dull, Trevor, dull...

At least, if Elphaba's first (Amtrak southbound passenger) scenario for the route is anything to go by - and I was relying on him/them to showcase the best bits.

What you get is many, many miles of straight track through concrete suburbs and industrial zones on a mudbank called Florida... Oh, and there's a freeway alongside, and some ditches - the ditchwater is quite interesting, actually...

I expect I'm just getting old and cynical, but I'd have preferred being lost in Slough on a wet night in January...

So, if the Christmas cash is short, save it for Springfield v2.0 (that's where I'm off to next...) or Peterborough - York (Part 3).

IMHO...

KInd regards,

John M

PS Can someone please show that I'm wrong?

Thanks for that John. I spent my money on Creative Rail's Peterborough-York Part -3, especially as I qualified for the discount.

US Routes do seem to be a bit of a yawn, and I own a number of them. This just looks like another.

Cheers,
Trevor

[pjt1974]

Thanks for that John. I spent my money on Creative Rail's Peterborough-York Part -3, especially as I qualified for the discount.

US Routes do seem to be a bit of a yawn, and I own a number of them. This just looks like another.

Cheers,
Trevor

I have to agree, with the exception of the mountain pass route's like Marias and Donner, I cannot bring myself to enjoy US routes. No doubt, many North American's feel the same about our European spaghetti of Victorian engineering as opposed their spider web like network.

[Leadcatcher]

Thanks for that John. I spent my money on Creative Rail's Peterborough-York Part -3, especially as I qualified for the discount.

US Routes do seem to be a bit of a yawn, and I own a number of them. This just looks like another.

Cheers,
Trevor

I have to agree, with the exception of the mountain pass route's like Marias and Donner, I cannot bring myself to enjoy US routes. No doubt, many North American's feel the same about our European spaghetti of Victorian engineering as opposed their spider web like network.

I do like our US routes, especially Horseshoe curve, the passes, NE Corridor, New Haven ect because they are routes I have been on or have been able to visit like the UP yards in Cheyenne .... I must admit - running long freights, doing local switching and pickups is a different taste than running stop n go DMU's like most of the UK routes- also learning the history of the routes like the Miami route being build by Flager that took Florida from the poorest state to a destination for the rich and famous and was eventually extended to Key West, Fl. It is nice to have variety.... Portland Terminal is a great route for switching as well as the Vnhrr from Train and Driver. Ohio Steel, though fictional gives the flavor of industrial and small branch line operations. While I own many of the UK Routes, I find them to be quite repetive when it comes to scenarios for commuting runs. Anyway - I just got the Miami route and but have not had time to run it ... But looking forward to seeing how it matchs what I remember from when I was on the line years ago

[aussiebob]

Myself I don't care where the Routes are set, US, UK, or Timbuktu as long as they are well presented and I don't feel I have wasted my hard earned Aussie Dollars.

Miami-West Palm beach is a well presented Route for me, sure there may be a few bugs like traffic plowing into trains at some level crossings this gives me a laugh and I don't centigrade the Route because of this.

The scenery is good and although some Routes look the same, other than having herds of Bison sweeping along the Highways across fields then plunging into the Atlantic Ocean I don't know what else could have been done to the Route, I enjoy the Route along with the scenarios, also runs fine on my old XP Computer.

Robert.

[equiglobal]

Myself I don't care where the Routes are set, US, UK, or Timbuktu as long as they are well presented and I don't feel I have wasted my hard earned Aussie Dollars.

Miami-West Palm beach is a well presented Route for me, sure there may be a few bugs like traffic plowing into trains at some level crossings this gives me a laugh and I don't centigrade the Route because of this.

The scenery is good and although some Routes look the same, other than having herds of Bison sweeping along the Highways across fields then plunging into the Atlantic Ocean I don't know what else could have been done to the Route, I enjoy the Route along with the scenarios, also runs fine on my old XP Computer.

Robert.

Agree Robert - I sometimes wonder if people forget these are simulations only - I think this US route is OK & with the discount on offer, is good value for money

[749006]

Myself I don't care where the Routes are set, US, UK, or Timbuktu as long as they are well presented and I don't feel I have wasted my hard earned Aussie Dollars.

Miami-West Palm beach is a well presented Route for me, sure there may be a few bugs like traffic plowing into trains at some level crossings this gives me a laugh and I don't centigrade the Route because of this.

The scenery is good and although some Routes look the same, other than having herds of Bison sweeping along the Highways across fields then plunging into the Atlantic Ocean I don't know what else could have been done to the Route, I enjoy the Route along with the scenarios, also runs fine on my old XP Computer.

Robert.

Agree Robert - I sometimes wonder if people forget these are simulations only - I think this US route is OK & with the discount on offer, is good value for money

But just because it's cheaper than normal does not make it automatically worth having.
Take the Pietermaritzburg-Ladysmith route, (please), absolutely poor route and not worth the £24.99 full price and I don't think it's worth the £12.99 half price.
This new Miami - West Palm Beach is a bit too plain vanilla for me and has it been rushed? There are reports of Quick Drive problems where they have been set up wrong.

[Merlin75]

The guys at RWA are pointing out afew errors with the stock on this route and that's on top of the silly errors with the route. It seems to be lacking TLC and looks like it was rushed out.

[ightenhill]

I have property in Florida and have actually used Fort Lauderdale heading S (to the delight of my OH who now thinks its a highlight of the holiday) .. As I tried to explain in the earlier post it seems rushed because they have missed some really basic -what I would call atmospheric key buildings (the ones they seem to be recently getting right in UK routes ; from the odd tacky Holiday inn at the side of the bridge or the pink B&B on the RIvieria - its these buildings that make you go "ah yes I know this")--

This routes unfortunately full of the usual generic US assets generally misplaced - if it wasn't for the stations (and those assets are really a bit simple (and re used/re worked from other routes) it would almost feel like freeware.. They did a much better job with the west coast to be honest..

It really does feel like another Donner Pass - Rushed out and not quite finished.

[JohnM1945]

I wrote, at the end of a not entirely ecstatic review...

Can someone please show that I'm wrong?

Leadcatcher, amongst others, responded...

Running long freights, doing local switching and pickups is a different taste than running stop n go DMU's like most of the UK routes- also learning the history of the routes like the Miami route being build by Flager that took Florida from the poorest state to a destination for the rich and famous and was eventually extended to Key West, Fl.

Very fair points. I shall take a good look at the freight possibilities.

Aussiebob wrote...

The scenery is good and ... I don't know what else could have been done

Hmmm... The modelling of the scenery is anodyne, I still think. Others have said that certain signature buildings have been omitted - I wouldn't know, I've only seen Miami from the air - dis-spiriting - or from inside the air terminal - which should be avoided if you value your sanity. My reaction was based on my aversion to real-world concrete suburbia - as a country boy, it's my vision of Hell. Bison could have been added? No, that's (obviously) silly. Alligators, though? In those ditches? I'm sure Pierre G would oblige...


However, there is a brighter side to things. I've been looking at TriRail - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-Rail and http://www.tri-rail.com/. This route IS a commuter route - with stopping trains, using Bombardier double-deck stock, as well as newer Hyundai Rotem stock, and with F40PH, (modified) GP49 and Brookville BL36PH locos. Something to work with there, I think...

Maybe the assiduous (re)modellers of RWA will help us out?

KInd regards,

John M

[3DTrains]

It kind of shows there's still despite all this time a huge difference lies between UK routes and US routes... UK routes are slowly getting better and better and I suspect its because there are more third people involved who are willing to get involved - create new assets - that help create a realistic atmosphere.

If only DTG would take a moment to listen to those with an understanding of the various lines here and not listen to the average Joe Schmoe who swears the best line is X-Y-Z, then they might start producing content that rivals Marias and Donner. Routes like West Palm Beach lack soul and are nothing more than running trains back and forth or a place to store animated DLC.

DTG should focus on not just the "iconic" US routes (this goes for anything from any country, really), but also be mindful of the period. An example would be the Pacific Surfliner. Terrific if you like running passengers for a hundred miles with few stops. Had they back-dated the route 40 or 50 years though, then amount of possible scenarios (passenger and freight) would have been limitless and a lot more colorful. It's not an iconic line, but back in the 1950s and 1960s it was one of the busiest and most interesting places in America.