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Train Sim World 4

Release date: 26th September 2023

We've worked tirelessly on creating this absolute gem, it's been and continues to be a really fun game to work on!

We've made some fantastic additions & improvements to the game's lighting, terrain, simulation tech & audio.

Being an audio designer, I'll be showing off what I've developed for the game's audio feature-set!

All screenshots were taken in-game, on max-settings; using the new photo-mode!

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What have I done?

Some cool new core tech for use on all core & future routes!

Tree wind & birds - Making use of the TOD4 system's wind, rain, time of day & season systems to implement the sound of wind in larger clumps of trees.

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Canopy rain - Making use of the rain strength data to implement the sound of rain hitting the station canopies above you.

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Tunnel & bridge early reflections - With a bit of research, I figured out how I could implement that sound when you drive into a tunnel or under a bridge. It can be subtle, but it really helps to add that extra level of detail & realism - It also works on all TSW locos! (As long as it's on a TSW4 route)

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I Shared my new tech with the rest of the team and had it all implemented into the new core routes from the get-go. These will of course, also continue into future routes!

The devs over at 'Just Trains' have copied over my tech & have been using it in their first route for Train Sim World 4 - Blackpool-Preston-Ormskirk!

I'm always getting in contact with our 3rd party developers to introduce them to these new methods & tech in hopes of raising the bar on all future routes

With Train Sim World 4, comes the revival of my online game audio series!

Check out my showcase of the new audio tech I've developed for Train Sim World 4

The original series ran for a little over a year before halting when i joined DoveTail games in January 2023.

Now that I've developed a lot of new and cool stuff for the game, I felt now was a great time to resume the series!

I saw some really positive comments about the bridge & tunnel noise pop up during the ECML preview livestream on 20th September! Thanks everyone, I'm glad you liked it!

Here's a few comments I spotted:

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Great to see so many people excited about this feature! and yes I have every intention to continue this into future routes. As I'd mentioned, the people over at Just Trains have gotten ahold of it so with any luck it'll find it's way into future 3rd party routes aswell! But that's not for me to police.

  • East-Coast Mainline

Route audio for the entire route. This included designing, programming & implementing all audio for the entire route. This was a huge task to take on but was really fun and rewarding to work on as I was able to add some really cool details. It's fair to say I made the most of the development time I had!

I also edited the sounds for the Class 800 Azuma, which is the main train for the route in standard edition

ECML
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ALV
  • Antelope Valley Line

Design & programming of route audio. I designed a large majority of the route audio the route, it was implemented into the scene by Matt as I was moved to work on Catan. I developed a lot of new methods that allowed our rail-side detail sounds to become more dynamic throughout the days and seasons as well as creating new methods of transitioning through sounds which I took with me when I started working on the ECML route.

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  • Vectron Eanos Box-Wagon

I implemented all of the sounds for the Eanos Box-Wagon being included with the Vectron loco

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  • Rotems Cab & Passenger car implementation

I implemented all of the sounds for the Rotem cab & passenger car which comes included with the Antelope valley route

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  • Advancements in route audio zonal & detail sound blueprints

I created a lot of new ways to make our routes sound even more alive while developing the audio for TSW3's Glossop line DLC and I've continued to create new methods on top of what I'd learned to bring to TSW4!

Have a read about the sounds of each route I worked on, there's a lot!

ECML & Antelope valley route audio

Route ambience zones:

Ecml

  • City

  • Town

  • Industrial

  • Rural

  • Rural-Industrial

  • Rural-Town

Antelope valley

  • City

  • Desert

  • Desert-Industrial

  • Desert-Residential

  • Forest

  • Industrial

  • Rural

  • Suburb

I've tried to make the zonal ambience a little more dynamic by using additional parameters from the TOD4 system.

As an example, the city zonal will sound busier during rush hour aswell as the sound of cars driving in the rain being blended in when it's wet outside.

New sounds have also been added, as well as sounds that were recorded from near the real location.

Route detail:

  • HMP Peterborough / Detention centre

I implemented a daily schedule for when the in-mates are asleep, indoors & outdoors. If it rains during their recreational time, they go back inside.

  • Restaurant

I wrote a couple of versions of the TSW theme for this. Writing a more pop-themed version during the day and swapping to a jazzy version during the evenings

  • Public toilet

I programmed a full sequence of someone walking, locking a door, flushing and using a hand-dryer. Oh yeah, there's also a 1% chance of hearing a subtle fart, it really is subtle though!

  • School

I programmed a full, daily school schedule. I added a Nursery, Primary school & seconday option. When placing the sound into the scene, we then tick the relevant box and the correct sound-set will be selected to run with the schedule. Selecting secondary school also enables an alarm that plays on each period change.

  • Slot-car racing

I noticed a little hut by the side of the track during my research phase, which turned out to be a slot-car racing club. I programmed 2 different schedules. One for week-days and the other for weekends. I then developed some logic to read what day it was from the TOD4 system and change the schedule accordingly.

  • Station cafe

I added some ambience to the cafes on station platforms. This consists of a main ambience of a fridge and a coffee machine that does some idle cycles every now and then throughout the day

  • Tennis court

I actually developed this for the linke rheinstrecke DLC. Between spring and autumn, you'll hear people playing tennis during the day. As long as it's not wet.

  • Ticket barriers

I collected a bunch of reference material to design my own ticket barrier sounds. As I couldn't find any clear enough or that I had the license to use. I noted down the various beep patterns that ticket barriers make and re-created the sound using some tone generators, filters & reverbs. I think they turned out pretty good! I then programmed a schedule to change how regular the ticket barriers play a sound depending on the time of day.

  • Allotment 

Depending on the time of day and season. You'll hear people digging & moving around wheel barrows. If it's the summer, dry weather & between 1-3pm, someone will get out a lawn mower to mow the paths.

  • Commercial estate

Various people walking around with shopping trolleys, as well as the occasional forklift driving by. Foxes come out at night as long as it's not raining and they raid the bins outside.

  • Farm yard

I added a collection of farm animal sounds and created a rooster schedule so that it calls in the mornings. I created a schedule that triggers a tractor to start-up and drive off, before coming back for lunch and driving off again. This is also weather-dependent and they won't go out when it's wet outside. Probably before of all the mud I guess. If they're out when it starts raining, they'll drive back and turn the engine off.

  • Rail depot

During the day, you hear people working, dropping tools & operating pneumatic lifts.

  • Football field

I developed the logic to essentially generate a basic football game. You'll hear some shouting, a few kicks, the referee blow a whistle and the relevant reaction for whether it was decided to be a goal or not. This repeats during the day and also stops when it's too wet outside.

  • Water treatment plant

Some HVAC, electrical equipment and water rushing noise. During and after rainfall, the water will be running stronger as it drains off.

  • Level crossing barrier motor noise

I noticed that the level crossing arms didn't have any motor noise when moving, so I added some servo motor buzz & clunks as they move.

  • Caravan campsite

I made another schedule of course! You hear some generators, people talking or children playing. I used the schedule to trigger people lighting a gas stove  and start cooking during breakfast, lunch and dinner times. Once they finish cooking, the stove turns off and the sizzling slowly quietens down as it cools

  • Quarry

I actually originally made this for the Glossop line DLC. It's a busy one, with loads of machinery driving around and reversing. There's even a digger that starts up, fills some trucks and stops during their lunch break & rain.

  • Industrial estate

Fork-lifts and trucks driving around the place, nice and busy! Foxes come out at night and hide when it rains. I also added the sound of rain hitting the rooves of the estate.

  • Abandonded train yard

A dessolate train yard. Crows & the sound of rubbish being blown by the wind. See that lonely tree over-looking what was once a turntable? Sit near it on halloween between midnight & 4am. You may hear the bell of an old steam locomotive echo by. (Wait between 4-8 mins)

 

[SPOILER!] Here's a vid of this little easter egg in action! [SPOILER!]

 

  • Car wash

Nice and simple. I set up a schedule that turns the car wash on in the morning and turns it off in the afternoon.

  • Events Venue

I wrote a drum & bass version of the TSW theme and set up a schedule that plays the music through the evenings and into the night

  • Go karting

I created a schedule to trigger the sound of go karts whizzing around  a track, taking the occasional break and stopped during rain.

  • Hydro-electric plant

Similar to the water treatment plant. But with a bit more generator noise

  • Outdoor pool

I put together a collection of sounds of swimming with the occasional cannon ball.

  • Paint balling

I put together a full schedule that triggers a claxon. You can then hear a paintball match start which lasts about 10 minutes. After, a claxon will sound again and they'll stop playing. This essentially repeats every 10 minutes for the entire day. Except for when it's wet or around lunch time.

  • Wild cat sanctuary

A collection of wild cats pacing around, gorwling and grumbling. There are also some people visiting them.

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​​There's plenty more in the pipeline to be excited about!

Stay up-to-date with the TSW socials! As I'll obviously only be updating this page once they've announced something there first...

Here are some screenshots I took using the new photomode!

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And here are some screenshots taken by others on the team & our beta forum!

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