If this is your first visit, welcome to TrainSim.Com! This web site is for you if you are interested in railway simulations. We offer a library of downloadable files, forums to exchanges messages, news and more. We do not
sell train simulator software.
For full use of the site please
register.
Until you do, you will not be able to download files or post messages.
My guess is as good as your guess, but I guess we are both guessing right, LOL.
TSW is in every sale at every opportunity, but with the current limited game play, the persistent number of bugs, and without any possibility for user creative input, the game is as good as dead.
Train simulation games are only a small market, and TSW's (and perhaps DTG's) reputation fleets in front of them.
The "Ultimate in Realism" in train simulation that DTG promised us over two years ago appear to be boots a few sizes too large for DTG to fit in comfortably.
My guess is as good as your guess, but I guess we are both guessing right, LOL.
The "Ultimate in Realism" in train simulation that DTG promised us over two years ago appear to be boots a few sizes too large for DTG to fit in comfortably.
Unfortunately, I feel your right. The editor allowing the user to work on routes (which was promised) hinders the enjoyment of TSW. Closed (locked)switches on routes blocking entrance to various yards, no new scenarios, original routes left abandoned by TSW. My patience is running out.
Suspect this just pushing the end of the general Steam Sale. Bought a couple of items for the mainstream DTG-TS - Wherry Lines and some RhB stuff, but TSW needs a huge re-work before I invest anything else in it - even at bargain basement prices. Would rather buy one of the bus sims, or Farm Sim 19.
rt35ge made the best comment so far this month, and I'll quote him/her word for word - The day DTG understands how their own game is supposed to function will be the day they perhaps turn the corner.
And that is the problem, it'll be 6 bloody years in October since they created this TSW project, us PC users have been blindly led up the garden path that this was going to be the best train simulator in the world, and then they turned it into the only thing they knew would financially work, an arcade game for console players, 'cos all their senior management are ex-Electronic Arts staff, that's how they think and they've realised that's where the money is to keep them afloat, and yet these customers have now seen the light and they themselves have turned on DTG and told them they are crap and to get themselves sorted out otherwise they will go bust, and that will be the be all and end all, they haven't a clue as to what they are doing, they have unleashed a behemoth that they can't control, they are in a downward spiral, if you'll forgive the flightsim pun, coming out with numerous sales to generate revenue 'cos they're in it up to their necks. This editor is supposed to have been released for a beta since last Christmas, I don't know anyone who has seen it, it's now July, are they that inept that it's taken over 7 months to test something, or, has it been one long fob off to quieten everyone down and they are praying that we'll just keep paying our money to them month after month, sale after sale, they are all incompetent, and we've paid the price for attempting to be loyal. it's now just too pathetic.
Cheerz. Steve.
Last edited by ex-railwayman; 07-09-2019, 19:39.
Reason: re-edit
Their past history has been less than exemplary. Their main TS still has numerous bugs they never got round to fixing and as discussed in another recent thread, many of their physics cludges (Sprinter DMU's, Class 70 that runs through treacle when light engine) have never been re-worked into a correct rendition, oh and don't forget the use of hi-res DEM in the editor causing crashes around lines of absolute latitude.
Their foray into Flight Sim World was a total disaster, in addition to taking probably £1000's in early access sales which was never fully delivered on presumably they still owe MS big time for the failed licensing. I also remember reading on the Flight Sim forums that they sent the marketing girl to one of the big flight sim conventions, who was totally out of her depth when the technical questions started coming thick and fast.
At this point, N3V look to be more the more professional developer and I never thought I would say that!
I guess the Rail Sim community would never have existed had it not been for MSTS? With no real alternative the community rolled up it's sleeves and bought amateur (as in unpaid for rather than unprofessional work) expertise to the table. They fixed stuff, improved the sim (pretty much as far as possible given the 2001 D.O.B?) and some then went on to create Open Rails.
We had several "carrots" dangled before us. Who remembers these:
Train Artisan's efforts to create a Rail Sim.
Precision Engineering.
MSTS2 ...take one.
MSTS2 ...take two
...and that of course ignores the various incarnations of Trainz.
The hard truth is that None of the above ever surfaced. Trainz was the subject of the most intensive LOVE/HATE relationship by it's users? ....and many of their posts over the years make some of the DTG criticisms seem like Deja Vu?
One thing that does surprise me a little, and bear in mind I decided back in the days of RW that this wasn't for me, is that back in the days of RW there were several 3rd party Add-on publishers? Given that I haven't been following progress closely, do they still exist? If not for TSW for the TS programmes?
I ask because I'm surprised that none of them have come up with fixes independently of DTG?
Finally it's interesting to note that Cascade Game Foundry http://www.cascadegamefoundry.com/projects/ , set up by some of the MSTS2 (take two) development team, never ventured anywhere near Rail Simulators again. Their scuba sim also has the potential of VR and given such "new toys" potential Rail Simming is only ever going to be a niche market?
I have to say that the reported faults, lack of freeware and current course of DTG makes it pretty unlikely that I'll ever invest. So what? Well if folk like me who've been looking at Rail Sims since the Spectrum won't invest ...the VR shoot'em up brigade are not going to either.
As you know Geoff, I was also around before MSTS (1) and things were very much community based then. The likes of Train Driver 3 (the Amiga Emulator programme), Railsim (the original one by Jens Schubert) and the early western dabblings with BVE. And I can never forget Simudrive with its text based screen and zero sound other than a few clicks and burps from the PC speaker.
DTG or as it was back in the beginning Kuju/EA always had a love/hate relationship with their customer base. Even back in the early days leading up to Rail Simulator (2006/2007) they were looking at how to bring fan support in house. I remember how my "contact" with them got abruptly curtailed on seeing the pre-release shots of RS and commenting it looked no better than Trainz. Then on release we had the initial policy that anyone wanting to create payware needed to pony up a £1000 licence fee. That was eventually revoked but then we had the changes to the EULA as the programme evolved through RSDL/RSC into Railworks to where we are now.
Into the TSW era, we have the marketing guy (Mr. P, who I always previously had a great respect for) making all sorts of statements and promises the company can't keep. Actually come to think of it, the promised renameable station signs for TS never did materialise either!
On a broader scale, all creative modelling hobbies are in decline and getting ever more expensive.
Us old men failed to pass the interest on to a younger generation?
Not something to lay the blame at the feet of "us old men" Edwin.
The difference is that us old men actually didn't have any "virtual worlds" to play in? Sure there were model railways, there were plastic kits of everything from aircraft to military vehicles to cars etc. which DID require some creativity .....but what we did have is the actual world to go out and explore in?
In the UK we had "trainspotting" (Rail Fanning? T'other side of the pond), we had massive cheap air displays, affordable car race meetings etc. When you've seen the real deal the idea of simulating it virtually, along with creating content was almost a dream realised for us?
Now the Console market feeds them un-imagined eye candy and action and all spoon fed? The real world is still out there (least ways it was before I sat down to type this LOL!) but the youngsters today don't seem interested on the stuff that interested our generation when we were their age?
Well I have taken to buying Railway Modeller every other month or so - primarily to get ideas for "model" style routes, not to pursue the real thing (declining manual dexterity and eyesight not to mention the outrageous cost put paid to that. However it is very noticeable that most of the featured layouts and other articles come from people in the 40+ or even 50+ age group.
When I was growing up, I was fascinated by model railways, particularly the shops that typically had an urban labyrinth layout in the window, or the department store at Christmas. It was my one must have toy, though back in those days my parents never had much money so the reality was the clockwork train set, rather than the electric one though one year we did get a Triang "Big Big" O gauge set, replete with plastic track and battery powered loco.
We never had kids or grandkids, more's the pity, so I can't say whether the younger generation feel the same way but I suspect not.
We process personal data about users of our site, through the use of cookies and other technologies, to deliver our services, personalize advertising, and to analyze site activity. We may share certain information about our users with our advertising and analytics partners. For additional details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
By clicking "I AGREE" below, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our personal data processing and cookie practices as described therein. You also acknowledge that this forum may be hosted outside your country and you consent to the collection, storage, and processing of your data in the country where this forum is hosted.
Comment