Rail Route Update 18.1: Adding more train candy to Update 18
Hello fellow Rail Route enthusiasts!
We're excited to bring you additional improvements of Rail Route Update 18, with changes to enhance your railway management experience.
Composition condition for stabling sensor
The stabling sensor now offers a new configuration option, allowing you to define rules based on the position of the train's locomotive. This enhancement provides greater flexibility in managing your railway network, especially during train stabling and intermissions.
Heading (next station) condition for shunting sensor improved
Our shunting sensor just got smarter! We've introduced a new configuration option in the station list that allows you to set precise rules for when shunting commands should be triggered. You can now specify whether a station should match the train's next stop or any remaining station in the train's timetable. This gives you even more control over train operations and automation.
Tutorials Section in Menu
We've finally added a dedicated 'Tutorials' section to the Maps page in the Main Menu. These tutorials are designed to help you master new features and improve your rail management skills. Go learn something new!
Updated Train Bottom Bar
We've given the train bottom bar a makeover for improved usability. The control buttons are now larger and spaced out, making it easier to manage your trains during gameplay. Say goodbye to accidental taps and hello to smoother operations!
Improved Train Labels
Selected train labels have been enhanced to adapt to your zoom level. Now, when you click on a train, its label will increase in size, ensuring you can easily read important information about the train's status and schedule.
Full changelog:
NEW: Added tutorial section to main menu maps page NEW: Functionality in shunting sensor rules that will allow you to decide if the train next station visit will trigger the sensor or any of the remaining station visits will NEW: Selected Train label scales with zoom NEW: Stabling sensor rule can now specify the train composition that will trigger the sensor
UPDATE: Increased bottom bar heights and improved train bottom bar button section UPDATE: Localizations (fr: tutorials, ui; nl: ui) UPDATE: Localizations (nl: research, tutorials, ui; fr: ui) UPDATE: Moved buttons and reward sections around on train bottom bar UPDATE: Regional contracts made the first item in Red category UPDATE: in-game menu buttons no longer shown at edges of the screen when using wide aspect ratios
FIX: Arrival and departure time in station visit view were showing negative numbers if the minus button clicked while the shown time is 00:00 FIX: Clicking empty space while editing contract in editor would desync bottom bar from info panels FIX: Performance drop in auto accept train chapter in SOJ FIX: Relay Sensor connector is visible at the left down corner of the map before building it FIX: Sensors & Routing Queue upgrades did not have Automatic Routing as prerequisite FIX: Side configuration panels did not account for changing bottom bar heights and had incorrect shadow sprites FIX: Term 'Advance Time' was used instead of correct 'Time in Advance' in Shunting Commands tutorial FIX: Train was auto-reversed after reversed manually at dead-end platform
We hope you're as excited as we are about these updates. We've been listening to your feedback and working diligently to make Rail Route an even more enjoyable experience. As always, we welcome your thoughts and suggestions in our Discord community. Your feedback helps shape the future of Rail Route!
NEW: Contract Configuration shows reward difference against state before modifications & Revert action to revert contract schedule to that state NEW: Hotkey to edit contract from the active contracts menu ('X' on keyboard, 'D-pad/Down' on gamepad) NEW: Tooltips to edit contract and accept contract buttons in the trial train info panel
UPDATE: Disabling Game Hints is not bound to a map but it's game wise UPDATE: Localizations (fr: research, ui; de: tutorials; no: ui) UPDATE: Make Coach Yard interactable when Precision key is pressed
FIX: Incoming trains passing border station each minute were marked conflicting FIX: Maps with more than 30 stations had Available Stations section in System Upgrades distorted FIX: Timelines shown on hover in station info panels where shown partly off-screen
Note: the build appears as 1.18.9.1 in game as the original build was flawed.
Rail Route Update 18: Relay Sensor, Shunting Sensor, and More!
Hello Everyone,
The Rail Route team is thrilled to announce that Update 18 has arrived, bringing a host of exciting features and improvements to your railway management experience. Whether you're a seasoned dispatcher or just starting your rail adventure, these new additions are bound to enhance your gameplay. So, hop aboard, and let's dive into the details - BUT WAIT! Before we dive into the new features, take a moment to join our Discord community. It's the perfect place to chat with fellow members and the devs, share your insights, and maybe pick up a few pro tips along the way!
New sensors for increased efficiency!
Two new additions to your group of sensors, providing more effective automation and improved shunting commands. These will help you creating a more efficient, smoother and automated rail network.
Relay Sensor: Simple Automation, Big Impact
Meet the Relay Sensor, your new best friend for simple yet effective automation. In the early stages of your network, managing intersections can be a challenge. The Relay Sensor comes to the rescue by instructing one signal to create a predefined connection, streamlining traffic flow. But that's not all! The Relay Sensor paves the way for more advanced automation with the Routing Sensor upgrade. Now, you can tailor connections based on a train's destination, allowing for more complex and efficient network management.
Shunting Sensor: Elevating Train Control
Remember the Shunting Commands introduced in Update 17? Well, they just got a significant upgrade with the Shunting Sensor. Configure Shunting Rules that automatically apply to passing trains based on their heading and destination. It also allows you to define rules for trains with specific compositions, such as locomotives at the front, back, or both sides.
Conductor Office: Your Gateway to Green Contracts
Next to the Dispatcher Office, which provides you with red contracts, we're introducing the Conductor Office, where green contracts are generated. No more clutter next to station signs! Simply build the Conductor Office to speed up contract generation for a station. It's a game-changer for efficient contract management.
Loco Coupling: Advanced Train Handling
In our quest to revolutionize train management, we've introduced the Loco Coupling system. With this game-changing feature, you gain direct control over locomotive positioning. Attach and detach Loco Shunting Commands to reposition locomotives as needed. This added flexibility is perfect for the turnaround process of Intercity trains, all without impacting your station's efficiency.
The New Editor: Enhanced Timetable Management
Managing your railway network just got easier with the updated Editor. The new user interface aligns seamlessly with the improved contracts configuration flow. You can now access the Contracts List, which was previously only available in Endless mode. Editing timetables is a breeze, allowing you to add new stations and adjust departure times effortlessly.
Timetable View: Organized Train Lists
The timetable mode now mimics a set of one-off contracts, providing a clearer view of your train schedules. You'll find it similar to the Contracts panel in-game, offering a more streamlined experience in managing your railway network.
Updated Train Bar: Intuitive Control
To further enhance your control experience, we've integrated train control buttons into the train bottom bar. This cohesive design makes managing your trains more intuitive than ever before.
In Conclusion
That's Update 18 for you! We're excited to see how these new features will enhance your gameplay in Rail Route, so join our Discord or any other social media and share your creations and thoughts. As always, we are eager to hear what you think!
- The Rail Route Team
Full Changelog
NEW: Relay Sensor Tutorial NEW: Shunting Sensor NEW: Shunting Sensor Tutorial NEW: Conductor Office Building NEW: Conductor Office building built when old map is started / old save is loaded & offered green contracts are moved to it NEW: New UI design for contract editing in editor NEW: Build conductor office task NEW: Green Offerred contracts moved from Station to Conductor Office NEW: All sensor sprites NEW: Updated Train Bottom Bar NEW: Attach loco shunting command NEW: Detach loco shunting command NEW: Clickable reference to the train of a detached locomotive on the train bottom bar NEW: New UI design for contract editing in editor NEW: Trigger standard automation once shunting finished and train is stopped at signal linked to a sensor NEW: Ability to adjust schedule with 10 minute increments by holding the action modifier key NEW: Contract bottom bar for editor and support for showing contracts on general bottom bar in editor NEW: Dispatch Reversed toggle for stabled trains in Coach Yard Configuration button (affecting next leg) NEW: Dispatch reversed toggle in schedule section of train bottom bar NEW: Map requirement for Endless: at least 1 conductor office built
UPDATE: 'Go to platform' shunting command now routes trains to last visit if train departure fromt there is not recorded UPDATE: Advance Time was misinterpreted as Delay Time. Reworded to 'Time in Advance' UPDATE: Allow Urban trains of rejected contracts exit the map via Sink UPDATE: Departure & routing sensor symbols unified because they do the same. Sensors reordered as they come in game UPDATE: Don't show keybinds on train bottom bar all the time UPDATE: Endless maps start with initial contracts in 'trial' state instead of 'accepted' for more customizable game start UPDATE: Full station visits of the contract's schedule will now be shown when an active contract item is clicked in the contracts panel UPDATE: Improved invalid configuration sprite UPDATE: Localizations (nl: achievements; no: research, ui; zh-Hans: research, tutorials, ui) UPDATE: Localizations (nl: research, tutorials, ui; no: ui) UPDATE: Localizations (nl: tutorials, ui; zh-Hans: tutorials) UPDATE: Localizations (no: research, ui; cs: ui) UPDATE: Moved interface configuration and automated contracts manager toggles to general bottom bar UPDATE: Non-stopping trains enter border stations only 10 seconds ahead of their passing time (was: 1 minute) UPDATE: Passing station visit logged once train enters the platform (was: once whole train was there) UPDATE: Penalties on new contracts on timetable maps created in editor are disabled by default UPDATE: Player is now notified that station reachability calculations might be inaccurate in editor when level layout has been edited UPDATE: Red tier 2 threshold requirement lowered to 10 from 15 UPDATE: Removed limitation of non adjustable stops on one-off contracts UPDATE: Returning to contracts menu from editing a contract now scrolls list to that contract UPDATE: Reuse button removed from train bottom bar UPDATE: Schedule computed from max speed rather than expected speed for Freight contracts to have realistic schedule UPDATE: Shifting of all first station passing times one minute earlier when pre-Update-18 timetable map is started to counteract shortening of train's prepare time UPDATE: Shunting Track building moved into Connections UPDATE: Sprites for all sensors updated UPDATE: System upgrade context menu is no longer hidden when clicking near the tier progression bar UPDATE: Train does not move even in shunting mode until departed from station UPDATE: Transfer time between stations in contract schedule can be set to zero (was: min 1 minute) UPDATE: Updated play map modal to new UI style and added gamepad support to it
FIX: Bottom left binding hint was shown over menus FIX: Bottom left context actions where overlapping the bottom bars FIX: Bottom left menu buttons where interactable when new map in editor was not created yet FIX: Construction actions were doubled when Exit Construction action was initiated with Stations panel opened and then Platform button was clicked on it FIX: Creating contracts for timetable map in editor did not have braking penalties enabled by default FIX: Difficulty of a custom map is not updated until the game is closed and opened FIX: Experience point for trial train was not awarded if contract schedule was shifted earlier during contract acceptance FIX: Go to platform command did not have support for multiple stations reachable FIX: One-time trains showed contract repeat time in contracts menu FIX: Rejected Urban Transit contract train was removed from Coach Yard but reappeared after save&load FIX: Reward displayed in Contract Configuration for offered contract was initially not calculated according to schedule based on to pre-set waypoints - True reward was displayed only after any change in the schedule. FIX: Stabling sensor did not automate trains coming from a different platform of the same station FIX: Subtasks where not localized upon loading a save FIX: System upgrade context panel did not update localization or tutorial completed status upon opening the the upgrades menu FIX: Train heading to Sink failed to display the shunting queue FIX: Train label was visible trough offered contract panels on board FIX: Tutorial task icons where shown under menu buttons FIX: Unlock new station task limits the time to speed x1 if you did not have the money for the platform FIX: Waiting train icons and train labels overlapping info panels on board
UPDATE: Viafier Retica initial traffic streamlined to prevent conflicts
FIX: Map was not loadable if it contained an arrival sensor referring a deleted platform FIX: Regional train in shunting mode leaving the map caused broken save FIX: Train on platform did not move with 'Go to platform' shunting command to other platform currently executed FIX: Tunnel length value was not accepted in Editor
Rail Route Update: Introducing Loco Coupling & Enhanced Editor Features!
Hey Rail Route Community,
We're back with another update on what's new in Rail Route. Let's dive into the details of our latest features.
Loco Coupling: Advanced Train Handling
We’ve introduced the Loco Coupling system, a game-changer in train management. Here’s what you can do:
Attach/Detach Loco Shunting Command: Gain direct control over locomotive positioning.
Customizable Shunting Sensor: Tailor sensor settings for specific train compositions, like having a locomotive at either end.
This system allows you to handle Intercity trains more effectively during station stops. Increase the stop time, which doesn't impact your rewards, and use the attach/detach command to reposition the locomotive. This feature is perfect for the turnaround process of Intercity trains, offering more control and flexibility without affecting your station's efficiency.
The New Editor: Enhanced Timetable Management
We've updated the Editor, making it easier to manage your railway network. The new UI aligns with the improved contracts configuration flow. You can now:
Access the Contracts List: The panel from Endless mode is now integrated into the Editor.
Edit Timetables: Similar to contract editing in the game, add new stations and move times with ease.
Timetable View: Organized Train Lists
The timetable mode is now structured as a set of one-off contracts, allowing you to see a list of trains similar to the Contracts panel in-game. This integration provides a more coherent and streamlined experience in managing your railway network.
Updated Train Bar: Intuitive Train Control
We’ve integrated the train control buttons into the train bottom bar for a more cohesive and intuitive control experience.
In Conclusion
That's the scoop for this week! We're excited to see how these new features will enhance your gameplay in Rail Route. Remember, all these features are currently in our #staging version, our playground for the most active and passionate community members. Here, you get early access to new features and can help shape the game's future.
Want to be part of the community and get a first-hand look at upcoming features? Join us on Discord and ask for #staging access. We're planning to roll these features into the Unstable version next Monday, so stay tuned!
See you next week with more updates, and keep those trains running smoothly!
UPDATE: All platforms and all shunting tracks in a group light up when hovering over a got to platform or shunting group command UPDATE: Localizations (nl: tutorials)
FIX: Contract with locked stations could still be accepted FIX: Errors thrown upon rejecting a train causing trains to stop moving and train bottom bar would still show contract info FIX: Experience points cycle report broken after unlocking all tiers with cheats FIX: On-board train's color was not immediately updated when rejecting a contract FIX: Rush Hour might have variable traffic with the same seed across game version FIX: Video for Shunting Commands upgrade was not displayed FIX: Wave finish modal didnt display unlocked items correctly FIX: using the modifier key to open track details failed to open configuration focus view and prevented showing configuration panels
Celebrating our community with "The Shanghai Rail Riddle" contest
You, our community has been the foundation of Rail Route's success, and we're thrilled to have you on board. Announcing that we are leaving Early Access and releasing 1.0 in February is a huge step for us. To mark this milestone, we're announcing "The Shanghai Rail Riddle" contest on the endless map of Shanghai. What better way to celebrate than by testing your rail dispatching skills in one of the world's busiest train hubs?
The Challenge: Keep 'em on time! Starting today and running until Thursday the 30th of November, we invite you to join "The Shanghai Rail Riddle" contest. Your mission is to keep as many trains running "on time" in cycle 10. It's a challenge for those who enjoy solving puzzles and optimizing rail systems.
🌟How to Join the Contest 🌟
Load up Rail Route and select the endless map of Shanghai.
Dispatch trains and aim to keep as many as possible punctual in the 10th cycle.
Once you've completed the challenge, take a screenshot and head over to the #contest channel in our Discord and drop your results.
Bragging rights are definitely on the line!
Connect and share "The Shanghai Rail Riddle" is a chance to connect with fellow Rail Routers. Share your strategies, tips, and experiences on Discord.
Hop aboard the Shanghai adventure, tackle the Rail Riddle, and join us on Discord to share your experiences. We're excited to celebrate with you as we journey towards Rail Route 1.0!
Link to map: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3092248341
A special request - Vote for Rail Route! Before we sign off, we have a special request. As we celebrate our progress, we'd be honored if you could take a moment to vote for Rail Route in the Steam Awards category "Labor of Love." Your support means the world to us, and it's your love and dedication that keep us moving forward.
All aboard for the future As we approach the 1.0 release, we want to thank all of you who have supported Rail Route's development. Your feedback, enthusiasm, and dedication have shaped Rail Route to what it is today.
Love to compete with other Rail Routers? Every Friday there is a new weekly rush hour contest where you can climb the in-game leaderboard to see if you can make it to the top! The contest announces in our Discord-channel #contest and the channel is also a place to show of your skills and strategies with fellow rail fans.
Thank you for being part of our community. Together, we'll continue to shape the future of train dispatching, automation, and optimization in Rail Route!
Shunting Sensor, Relay Sensor and the Conductor Office
Hello Everyone,
You might think the title of this post sounds like the start of a quirky joke or an intriguing story – "A Shunting Sensor, a Relay Sensor, and a Conductor Office walk into a bar..." But no, it's actually the exciting lineup of features we're rolling out in Update 18 for Rail Route - a Train Dispatcher Simulator! 🚂
And we're thrilled to pull back the curtain on Update 18, which is currently chugging along in our #staging version. Let’s unpack the goodies we've been tinkering with!
Wait! What's Staging Version?
Wondering about #staging? It's our exclusive playground for the most active and passionate community members on Discord. They get a sneak peek at new features and provide invaluable early feedback, shaping the game's future. Big thanks to our dedicated players! 🌟
Want to join this elite group? If you’re a Rail Route fan and value Rail Route as high as nominating it for a Labor of Love Steam award and you actively playing Rail Route (Rail Route is your second job), then hop onto ➡️ our Discord and ask for #staging access.
Introducing: Relay Sensor
The Relay Sensor is your new best friend for simple yet effective automation. Ideal for managing intersections in the early stages of your network, it instructs one signal to create a predefined connection. Routing Sensor then takes over for more complex scenarios, tailoring connections based on a train's destination.
NEW: Relay Sensor [NEW: Relay Sensor Tutorial
Introducing: Shunting Sensor
Remember the Shunting Commands from Update 17? They just got better with the Shunting Sensor. Set up Shunting Rules to automatically apply to trains based on their heading and destination.
What's more? Future upgrades will allow rule customization for trains with specific compositions! Expect that next week in #staging!
We're introducing the Conductor Office alongside existing Dispatcher Office. This new feature generates green contracts, streamlining your station's contract management. Say goodbye to contracts cluttering next to station signs – decide where to have them by build a Conductor Office and speed up contract generation by building more.
NEW: Conductor Office Building NEW: Green Offerred contracts moved from Station to Conductor Office
In Conclusion
And guess what? We're just getting warmed up! Next week, we'll be bringing even more to the table with a revamped schedule editing feature in the Editor – all part of Update 18. The pace at which we're churning out these updates is nothing short of a high-speed train, and it's all thanks to the incredible teamwork and passion here at Rail Route.
We're all aboard this journey with you, our amazing community. So, come hang out on Discord, share your thoughts and laughs, and let's continue this incredible adventure together.
Until next week, keep those tracks busy and your trains on time! - The Rail Route Team
NEW: Relay Sensor NEW: Relay Sensor Tutorial NEW: Shunting Sensor NEW: Shunting Sensor Tutorial NEW: Conductor Office Building NEW: Green Offerred contracts moved from Station to Conductor Office NEW: All sensor sprites NEW: Updated Train Bottom Bar
UPDATE: Sensors reordered on Build Bar UPDATE: Don't show keybinds on Train Bottom Bar all the time UPDATE: Improved invalid configuration sprite UPDATE: Red tier 2 threshold requirement lowered to 10 from 15 UPDATE: Reuse button removed from train bottom bar UPDATE: Shunting Track building moved into Connections UPDATE: 'Go to platform' shunting command now routes trains to last visit if train departure frot there is not recorded UPDATE: Train does not move even in shunting mode until departed from station
The Steam Awards nominations: Make Rail Route your 'Labor of Love' choice!
As the Steam Autumn Sale (November 21st to November 28th) approaches, we've got some exciting news to share. It's that time of the year again when you, the players, have the power to nominate your favorite games for the prestigious Steam Game Awards. And guess what? We're counting on your support to make Rail Route a standout choice in the "Labor of Love" category!
🚂 Why Rail Route Deserves Your Vote 🚂
Dedication Beyond the Tracks: Rail Route isn't just a game; it's a labor of love for our dedicated development team. We've been working on updates, improvements, and optimizations to ensure your train dispatching experience keeps getting better and better.
Continuous Innovation: Rail Route is constantly evolving. We've listened to your feedback and incorporated new features, automation tools, and optimizations to keep the game engaging and exciting.
Community Engagement: You, our incredible train dispatchers, are the heart of our community. Your feedback and ideas have shaped the game's development, making Rail Route a true labor of love for both us and you.
🌟 How to Nominate Rail Route 🌟
Nominate directly at the top of this post!
Remember, your vote counts, and your support means the world to us. We couldn't have made Rail Route the game it is today without our community. Spread the word, rally your fellow players, and let's make Rail Route the shining star of the Steam Game Awards. Together, we can celebrate our shared passion for trains and dispatching!
Over the years we have released a lot updates, really advocating for Labor of Love award. To celebrate this, we have created a roadmap guiding you through our time together - take a look:
If you wanna dive into the memory lane and check out every update, we got you covered: Early Access! - Rail Route officially launched on Steam Update 1 - 1.1 finally made it to the public Update 2 - Meet Jozic! Update 3 - New Accessibility Features Update 4 - New Game Mode - Rush Hour! Update 5 - Contests, leaderboard for Rush Hour and new maps! Update 6 - Rail Route's new story mode "The Story of Jozic" Update 7 - A multitude of quality of life improvements like train alerts. Update 8 - Advanced arrival and routing sensors Update 9 - New Menu and Waiting Train Icons Update 10 - Menu and game scene combination and New loading screen Update 11 - More Control and Flexibility in your Rail-building Experience Update 12 - Revamped UI Update 13 - Keybindings: More Freedom, More Control Update 14 - The new dispatcher office Update 15 - More diverse contracts and improved schedule modification Update 16 - Tiers are in, improving system upgrades Update 17 - Shunting and improved contracts planning
But what’s next? We are quickly approaching the 1.0 release, aiming to leave Early Access in February. Stay tuned for more information, share your feedback, and thank you for being a part of our incredible journey. 🚉❤️
UPDATE: Localizations (es: achievements, ui; nl: tutorials, ui; zh-Hans: tutorials, ui; no: ui; ru: ui) UPDATE: Station visit info panels can no longer be dragged around in contract focus view
FIX: Error thrown when train was selected and new contract was accepted in focus view FIX: Hovering a subtask icon leads to bad icon flickering FIX: Main menu tab selection buttons where still acting on keybinds when menu was closed FIX: Playing the story of Jozic with all researched pre unlocked leads to the story to get stuck FIX: Positions of windows were wrongly saved for stabling rules FIX: Reuse shunting command did not show up when editing stabling sensors FIX: Saving a go to signal shunting command with a deleted signal leads to a NPR and breaks the load FIX: Stabling sensor would still add shunting commands to train with rejected contract FIX: Start / stop train button was still listening to binding after train bottom bar was hidden FIX: Text in timetable completion modal had graphical artifacts FIX: Train dispatched from Coach Yard in advance (as ECS) caused errors when schedule editing was attempted FIX: Train shunting queue was not cleared when trains contract was rejected FIX: Trains outside of endless mode did not show timeline on hover FIX: Zoom to contract views were wrongly computed in some cases
Note: Build 1.17.15 contained critical bug and was skipped.
