DB Set XL questions

[axiom]

Ok, I've searched the manual/readme/forum for days, but no success.

Q1:
What is the difference between a mainline and a local passanger coach? Is it only the possibility to make a composite set, eg. Rheingold? What is it good for? Is a Rheingold set better in any way than a non-Rheingold set of loco&coaches with same capacities?

Q2:
Now that the locos and waggons do not have a standard length, how should I design stations? Does it make any negative effect if I let my trains overhang a bit (not a full tile) of the station. Would the train load slower?

Q3:
What is the meaning of these reffitting options:
Goods (packaged)
Goods (beer)
Food (packaged)
Food (beer)
etc.
I remember reading something about this particular problem in the forums, but cannot re-found it.

Q4:
Why is the loco information panel writes: "N/A (refittable)" when it is not refittable (eg. BR locos)

Q5:
Is it really worth to make so many waggons, and to make waggons refittable, as it makes the train-setup process highly non-trivial. I mean that it is not obvious (as I've stated above) which waggon to choose. It is not obvious which loco to chose, as there are locos, which only works with passanger coaches, but nothing indicates this BEFORE I buy them (eg. BR 01, if I'm not mistakan).
Not to mention, that I always forget to refit waggons before I send them to load. Other problem is: every time I add a waggon later, I have to refit it. It is also a source of problem, as I tend to forget it too.
IMO this is a similar situation as the Extended Cargo Scheme, where several people argued that ECS indeed model reality better, but this adherence to reality makes gameplay too complex, more complex than needed.

My suggestion would be to let the universal waggons be universal, and remove the refit option, and tell the loco (I mean the full train) which cargo to load in a particular station (eg. fulload - coal - Slendinghattan Mines; unload - livestock & grain - Wuhill East). I'm pretty sure thet it's not me who asked it first, but did not find relevant info on this. Is it achievable, or is it impossible?

Anyway: nice development, and thanks for making TTD even more superb!

[Spaceball]

Q1:
What is de difference between a mainline and a local passanger coach?

In reality the local passenger trains connects all the small cities around the big cities and the mainline passenger trains all the big cities. Mainline Trains are faster. The difference in the DB Set is the look and the amount of passengers.

Is it only tha possibility to make a composite set, eg. Rheingold? What is it good for? Is a Rheingold set better in any way than a non-Rheingold set of loco&coaches with same capacities?

The Rheingold trains have been used as a premium service in certain areas. Nothing special with the DB set except the nice look.

Q2:
Now that the locos and waggons do not have a standard length, how should I design stations? Does it make any negative effect if I let my trains overhang a bit (not a full tile) of the station. Would the train load slower?

The coaches you let overhang won't be loaded at all.

Q3:
What is the meaning of these reffitting options:
Goods (packaged)
Goods (beer)
Food (packaged)
Food (beer)
etc.
I remember reading something about this particular problem in the forums, but cannot re-found it.

There is no real difference except the appearance, if I am not wrong in this case. Afaik it will be changed in the future.

Q5:
Is it really worth to make so many waggons, and to make waggons refittable, as it makes the train-setup process highly non-trivial.

The DB set is aimed to be realistic as possible. I always connect local lines with local trains and longer lines with mainline trains.

I mean that it is not obvious (as I've stated above) which waggon to choose. It is not obvious which loco to chose, as there are locos, which only works with passanger coaches, but nothing indicates this BEFORE I buy them (eg. BR 01, if I'm not mistakan).

Well after a while you get used to it.

cu, Spaceball

[michael blunck]

What is de difference between a mainline and a local passanger coach?

A mainline coach has a higher capacity but a longer loading time. In addition, the price is different and some locomotives only take long-distance cars, etc. pp.

Is it only tha possibility to make a composite set, eg. Rheingold?

Yes, for premium service (Rheingold, TEE, InterCity) trains, long-distance cars are required.

What is it good for?

To have both alternatives? Well, obviously long-distance cars are best for long-distances and local cars (especially for the "S-Bahn" service) are best for commuter services. The reason for having both alternatives is that TTD doesn´t have a mechanism to distinguish between first and second-class passengers nor has a different price system for this. By using commuter coaches for short routes between large cities and long-distance coaches for long-distance routes you´ll have the best of two worlds (you´ll get a large amount of money for transporting passengers a long distance where loading times doesn´t matter much, and (local) you´ll get rid of those masses of commuters effectively).

TheIs a Rheingold set better in any way than a non-Rheingold set of loco&coaches with same capacities?

Not necissarily, but in suitable set-ups it is.

Now that the locos and waggons do not have a standard length, how should I design stations? Does it make any negative effect if I let my trains overhang a bit (not a full tile) of the station. Would the train load slower?

Yes. TTD acts this way. This could also result in blocking signals.

What is the meaning of these reffitting options:
Goods (packaged)
Goods (beer)
Food (packaged)
Food (beer)

This is a result of using the NewCargo set too which overrides some of the DB Set´s defaults. I.e. in the DB Set v0.82, "goods" is handled as a "pseudo good", so it offers e.g. "goods(packaged)" and "goods(beer)" which will all transport "goods", "(beer)" being a "pseudo good" and will be transported in white refrigerated cars.

OTOH, using the NewCargo set introduces those two additional alternatives for "food". In v0.90, which implements the full ECS scheme, this is modified because now we have "real" goods and not only "pseudo" goods.

Why is the loco information panel writes: "N/A (refittable)" when it is not refittable (eg. BR locos)

That´s a feature of TTDPatch.

Is it really worth to make so many waggons, and to make waggons refittable, as it makes the train-setup process highly non-trivial.

Yes. Waggon refittabilty is one of the great features in TTDPatch. It has been mainly introduced to spare veh-IDs. In addition it makes a good base for variational liveries/graphics

I mean that it is not obvious (as I've stated above) which waggon to choose.

Well, firstly, in the DB Set I think it is indeed obvious. Box cars would take all types of goods and open cars would take everything else except for liquids which would be transported in tankers.

In v0.90 there´s additional text in the buying menu giving refitting possibilities. This is mostly useful when using additional ECS cargo types.

It is not obvious which loco to chose, as there are locos, which only works with passanger coaches, but nothing indicates this BEFORE I buy them

In v0.90 there´s additional text for this too. ATM, you´d have to take a look into the donotreadme - it includes a comprehensive table of all engines and wagons with all needed information.

Not to mention, that I always forget to refit waggons before I send them to load.

Yeah. Mmh. I can´t help it.

Other problem is: every time I add a waggon later, I have to refit it. It is also a source of problem, as I tend to forget it too.

Ditto.

IMO this is a similar situation as the Extended Cargo Scheme, where several people argued that ECS indeed model reality better, but this adherence to reality makes gameplay too complex, more complex than needed.

Well, the DB Set includes even less waggons for the same cargo classes as other sets do. I don´t think it´s too complicated. Indeed, having only one type of freight waggon would need refittability (which you don´t like) and using no refittability at all would need to have 32 types of different waggons (ditto).

My suggestion would be to let the universal waggons be universal, and remove the refit option, and tell the loco (I mean the full train) which cargo to load in a particular station (eg. fulload - coal - Slendinghattan Mines; unload - livestock & grain - Wuhill East).

Apart from the fact that I won´t like such a "solution", it´s not feasible, patch-wise.

regards
Michael

[axiom]

Thanks for the detailed answers.