Changes Ahead: Streamlining the Game Experience

[Mišo]

Hi everyone,

We're always striving to improve the gameplay experience for both new and veteran players. Recently, we've received valuable feedback from a lot of new players highlighting some elements that may feel confusing or even buggy. To address these concerns and streamline the overall experience, we're implementing three key changes in the upcoming Update:

1. Discarding Routing Queue Upgrade: Now, with early automation but without Routing Queue installed, a correct setup works well until a random conflict causes the automation to misfire. The automation looks randomly broken because next train works again. To prevent this confusion, Queuing will be enabled for Auto Signals from the very beginning. The Perpetual Circuit will remain the next upgrade step.
   
2. Uni-directional Signal Sensors (Relay, Routing, Arrival): Now, sensors are activated no matter of train direction. Even worse, with Sensor close to its Signal (common scenario), the bi-directionality is not obvious until the player unlocks Routing Queue. Only then it is clear that they can be built on double tracks only. It seldom (never) makes sense to route from a Signal that is already behind the train. Therefore, if Signal is reachable from the Sensor, automation will be triggered only if the train heads towards the Signal.
   
3. Bulldozing with De-allocation: Bulldozing on allocated tracks now causes leftover allocation states, blocking further traffic flow. The scattered allocations and the required clearing procedure are not intuitive and appear buggy. In the upcoming update, bulldozing on an allocated track will de-allocate the segment first. If it is not possible (a train occupies part of the the segment), bulldozing will be rejected (same works now for allocated tracks).

We hope these changes are well-received and do not cause any disruptions to existing saves. We appreciate your understanding and continued feedback on the game's development.

[coenvijge]

1 and 3 are probably very good for new players. I see forward to 2. It can prevent some problems that I had with the fact that sensors are (until now) triggered by trains in both directions. Sometimes I needed to take out an unwished path. With the new functionallity that shouldn't be needed anymore.

[Mišo]

Originally posted by Mišo:

Discarding Routing Queue Upgrade: Now, with early automation but without Routing Queue installed, a correct setup works well until a random conflict causes the automation to misfire. The automation looks randomly broken because next train works again. To prevent this confusion, Queuing will be enabled for Auto Signals from the very beginning. The Perpetual Circuit will remain the next upgrade step.

Implemented in:

UPDATE: Routing Queue upgrade removed. Auto Signal queues once unlocked
BUILD: 2.0.12

[Mišo]

Originally posted by Mišo:

Bulldozing with De-allocation: Bulldozing on allocated tracks now causes leftover allocation states, blocking further traffic flow. The scattered allocations and the required clearing procedure are not intuitive and appear buggy. In the upcoming update, bulldozing on an allocated track will de-allocate the segment first. If it is not possible (a train occupies part of the the segment), bulldozing will be rejected (same works now for allocated tracks).

implemented in:

UPDATE: Deallocate tunnel before bulldozing it (prevents bulldozing if not possible)
UPDATE: Deallocate track signal is acting from before bulldozing the signal (prevents bulldozing if not possible)
UPDATE: Deallocate track before bulldozing it (prevents bulldozing if not possible)

BUILD: 2.0.12

[Mišo]

Originally posted by Mišo:

Uni-directional Signal Sensors (Relay, Routing, Arrival): Now, sensors are activated no matter of train direction. Even worse, with Sensor close to its Signal (common scenario), the bi-directionality is not obvious until the player unlocks Routing Queue. Only then it is clear that they can be built on double tracks only. It seldom (never) makes sense to route from a Signal that is already behind the train. Therefore, if Signal is reachable from the Sensor, automation will be triggered only if the train heads towards the Signal.

implemented in:

UPDATE: Routing, Relay and Arrival Sensors will NOT trigger their automations if there is a direct path to the controlled signal (no branching) and the train is not heading towards it
BUILD: 2.0.12

[Mišo]

Changes released Hotfix 2.0.14