Another point: I would be happy to be able to define altering routes for the lines, in order to better react to the different needs during the day. The goal would be to be able to change the line's route a bit e.g. for evenings to replace other lines, or to back up a route with a higher frequency during rush hours, but only on the main relation of the line (shortened services). This could be done by the possibility to add additional routes for the line after you have created the main line, and then made this alternative routes selectable for the different timetable tabs, so each tab could have it's own route. Of course the Cims should be aware of this, but there also would be a possibility if they aren't: e.g. if the main route goes from A via B, C and D to E and they want to E but the bus goes to F via B, C and D, they would take the bus to D and then wait for the next vehicle to E.
As I mentioned in post 714, I came across situations quite often when this would be very usefull. I have a bus line going from a tram intersection, via a subway station then a commercial area to a suburban residential area. The demand is huge between the tram intersection and the subway station in all times, in the afternoons between the tram intersection and the commercial area, to the residential area only in the morning and in the evening. Beeing posible to create shortend sub-routes on the line would be the goal. Of course I could split the line, but CiMs don't like to change a line too often. Several parallel lines would also solve it, but now parallel lines have the disadvantage that CiMs stick to line they are waiting for and do not take a vehicle of an other line which goes to the same direction.
I hope something can be done in futere about this:
- Sub-lines with shortend trips of the same route with other frequency than the main route
- parallel lines: CiM's should be able to take the next vehicle to their destitation. This could be simply solved if the CiM's pathfinding would allow alternatives and not only one precalculated possibility (by the way this feature would directly solve the problem with different day/night networks or other special services)
Some other suggestions not concerning the ones above:
- managment of traffic lights on crossings to improve the flow of general traffic, ability to set the several light phases for each direction with optional priviliging of public transport
- Pedestrian bridges and pedestrian paths which do not generate a crossing when connected to a road and which are much smaller than now
- sorting of stops and lines in the lists should be improved. Now e.g. lines are unsorted no matter how you name them. If you rename a line number, "1" should always be the first in the list, and followed by e.g. "4", "56" and so on. If you rename "56" to "2", it should be listed after "1" and not stay still in the same position.
- Roads should be renameable, at least in the editor, but as you can build roads in the game, it should be also renameable there.
- on demand stops and only arrival stops to improve the flow and interchanges between lines
- possibility to change the arrows and directions of roads to manage the traffic flow (bus lines with no right arrow...)
- more kinds of roads, e.g. alleyways with buslines an the inner side
Thinking of DLS's I would have on the one hand a european set in mind, which contains european buildings, street signs and vehicles, on the other hand a DLC which improves the managment of track-based vehicles like trams and subways:
- possibility to build single tracks for both directions to safe money and space
- possibility to change direction without a loop, but only for (more expensive) vehicles with two driver's cabs and doors on both sides. possibility to lay switches from one track to another would be needed here.
- island platforms for vehicles with doors on two sides
- multi platforms
- combinated stations for tram and subway (or all vehicle kinds!) to allow mixed systems
- new trams and subways fitting to new features
- catenary for trams and subways, but not that thick as for the trolleys. could be laid directly with the tracks
