Medway Valley Line from Firefly Simulations

Medway Valley Line from Firefly Simulations

DTG James adorns his unofficial Firefly Simulations hat to bring you the team’s latest progress on the Medway Valley Line, coming soon to Train Sim World 6!

James: “Since the initial announcement in Season of Reveals, work has been apace with some of the remaining stations going in, particularly Paddock Wood and Tonbridge. As the largest stations on the route, these can often provide the greatest challenge in capturing the correct dimensions and layout and achieving the right level of detail – I’m pleased to say that both are looking stunning so far! One can already picture all the virtual trainspotting opportunities Tonbridge will provide.”

“With the bulk of the work on the Medway Valley itself wrapping up, attention has been turned to updating the existing North Kent & Chatham Main Line areas to a higher standard. This includes tons more detail on roads, a wider range of more accurate buildings and clutter being placed, all new foliage and more. Please note these updated sections are for MVL only, SEHS itself remains unchanged, but it’s still a remarkable improvement!”

Another key area of focus across the route has been the night lighting, ensuring driving after hours is just as, if not more enticing as enjoying the scenery during the day! Here’s other James/aka ‘JetWash’ takes you through some of the details, and there’s even a preview compilation of some nighttime scenes:

JetWash: “When we set out to do the night lighting scene I had a good think about what it was that we wanted to achieve. I looked at other sim games, at how they did night lighting and then at whether it was feasible to use those techniques within UE4. Ultimately, it was to make it so that players would be just as happy to drive the route at night (maybe even actively look forward to it) as they were during the day. The dark, and particularly the transition from dawn to dusk, is capable of giving the player some of the most spectacular lighting effects in the game when combined with the right weather settings. Further developing some of the techniques I have used previously I’ve really been able to dial down on where and when to put light sources both ‘real’ and for effect, making the route feel alive and lived in. Having access to the full range of TSW Unreal tools has also given me the opportunity to learn new techniques and apply them to Medway Valley.”

“One of the things I really wanted to add was distant lights at ground level. Drive down any dark road at night and in the distance you will see lights from houses, industry, commercial areas, roads etc. The reality, however, is that we can’t just throw hundreds of lights all over the map as there has to be a balance between performance and visual fidelity. I’ve co-opted a technique for distant lighting, where we have detailed lights immediately where the player is, a mixture of detailed and ‘fake’ distant lights in the medium distance then in the far distance entirely ‘fake’ emissive sources.”

“In addition to this I can use the same technique for boat lights, structure lighting, carparks and so on. Completing the night-time scene we have various other inexpensive light sources (traffic lights for example) that all contribute to you not driving a train down a dark track, only seeing lights when you come to a station. In addition, we have applied our own lighting setup to the route which also carries over into night time, where I’ve tuned the darkness of the sky, the brightness of the stars, the moon, clouds etc so it all sits together harmoniously and looks as realistic as I believe it is possible to get in a dynamic UE4 game like Train Sim World.”

“Finally, one other area I wanted to mention is that we have put a lot of effort into adjusting the day/night cycle as best we can and have really refined the sunrise and sunset times so the environmental lighting doesn’t just switch off at an arbitrary time, whether it remains dark or not. We’ve tested the route an awful lot and I think, within the scope of Medway Valley, we have achieved our aim. It goes without saying though, it’s only the tip of the iceberg of where we want to go next.”

DTG James: “The detail on the route at night is going to be incredible to explore – hopefully you watched the video with audio on as well to get a sneak peek at the new sounds, platform announcements, and even the first snippet of GSM-R audio! You may have also noticed that the Class 375/3 is in the route too now with its distinct 3-car formation, we will have more information on the Class 375s in next month’s roadmap.”

Lastly for this update, the gameplay is also shaping up nicely – the timetable features most Southeastern services at this point, including the Class 395 peak time services to Maidstone West, and some freight action courtesy of Skyhook Games’ Cargo Line Vol. 2. In a nice use of free will, a bonus layer has also been implemented for the Class 700 which depicts a what-if nighttime test run along the full length of the valley and back. This lets you give the 700 an extra stretch of its legs, but the panoramic window is also the perfect way to enjoy that stunning night lighting!

So many details shared and still only scratching the surface; you best be expecting some hefty deep dives from me in the future…

Thanks James, and James! We’re excited to show you more on the Medway Valley Line from Firefly Simulations in the coming months!