So What's This About?

[MSTS lifer]

Just tried from UK using Edge - All ok

It comes and goes. Right now 5:10 AM my time and it's AWOL. Can't download. Come back in a half hour and it might work. In an hour it'll most likely be down again. Coming up a week with little or no effort to fix the issue. Sometimes doing a upgrade really isn't a bright idea. Don't know why this was done, but the old saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it" would have been the route to follow. Are members also dealing with this? Would confirm if non members are getting the shaft. Has it come to playing Diesels West games to download?

[slipperman]

Hi,
I apologise if I'm wrong, but all those 'members' who are having trouble downloading seem to be using the site for free! If so, then the answer is in your own pocket, or wallet. If you'd paid to use the site, you'd have a legitimate reason to complain.

I don't have a very deep interest in North American (or Indian!) railroads but consider this site to be a very valuable resource and well worth the relatively small annual fee.

So, come on fellas - help to support this site. It costs money to run it, you know!!

Disclaimer. I have not been asked by anybody to make this post - it reflects my own feelings.

Cheers,
Ged

[rt35ge]

If you'd paid to use the site, you'd have a legitimate reason to complain.

Um......NO! What's legit is people are having issues. Membership/non membership shouldn't come into play I'd hope. If everyone is having issues ADDRESS the problem!! If it's non members only, and that's now the new norm, well, come clean and explain non members are going to encounter this crap on a regular basis. Many like myself don't use the site often enough to download to make it worth even the 8 cents/day. Many come on here with questions as well as to download/upload. These days I ask questions more often than I download any files. As a non paying member the 2 at time file quota is very fair. Why am I making waves? All too often this is becoming the normal business practice. Lousy service and no concern to fix something. Pretty simple. Find the problem, fix it, and make sure it stays fixed.

[rt35ge]

Just looked at forum for Flightsim. They are back having the same issue over there as well. Happened on their site right after the update but then settled down. So it's across two platforms. Common issue is the server(s). OK, apologies for pointing fingers. My patience is further going South as I get older..... (Just getting way too old for Reindeer games!!) What ever this update was, roll it back (if that's possible) and see if things settle back to normal.

[racer043]

Hi,
I apologise if I'm wrong, but all those 'members' who are having trouble downloading seem to be using the site for free! If so, then the answer is in your own pocket, or wallet. If you'd paid to use the site, you'd have a legitimate reason to complain.

More than a hint of condescension right there. I personally know kids from India who use this site often and in no way would ever be able to pay that fee by themselves. For a few of us who aren't used to dollars, the fee can be worth quite more than a 'relatively small' amount. Whatever rt35ge pointed out, I couldn't have said anything better myself. If this is how its going to be, then request the board to atleast come clean so we don't have to disappointed every day.

[haverfordwest]

Hi,
I apologise if I'm wrong, but all those 'members' who are having trouble downloading seem to be using the site for free! If so, then the answer is in your own pocket, or wallet. If you'd paid to use the site, you'd have a legitimate reason to complain.

I don't have a very deep interest in North American (or Indian!) railroads but consider this site to be a very valuable resource and well worth the relatively small annual fee.

So, come on fellas - help to support this site. It costs money to run it, you know!!

Disclaimer. I have not been asked by anybody to make this post - it reflects my own feelings.

Cheers,
Ged

Same for me i haven't downloaded anything in donkeys. I just pay to support the site. Doesn't make me a saint by any stretch of the imagination.

Mike.

[crstagg]

Appears to me that the page about First Class Membership needs to be updated. Change

OLD:
Key Features:

• First Class Membership gives you access to enhanced features of the site:
  
  • Faster downloads
  • No download limits

NEW:
Key Features:

• First Class Membership gives you access to enhanced features of the site:
  
  • Faster downloads
  • No download limits
  • No server limitations

[magmateus]

Hi,
I apologise if I'm wrong, but all those 'members' who are having trouble downloading seem to be using the site for free! If so, then the answer is in your own pocket, or wallet. If you'd paid to use the site, you'd have a legitimate reason to complain.

I don't have a very deep interest in North American (or Indian!) railroads but consider this site to be a very valuable resource and well worth the relatively small annual fee.

So, come on fellas - help to support this site. It costs money to run it, you know!!

Disclaimer. I have not been asked by anybody to make this post - it reflects my own feelings.

Cheers,
Ged

I do not agree with your reasoning. This site has one rule, among others: registered members can do 2 simultaneous downloads, free of charge.
After the announced change ("... we will be moving the site to new servers as a planned upgrade"), this rule can no longer be used, without the site administration having announced any rule change.
What is, therefore, to do is to correct an error that is being verified after the upgrade.
I have "legitimate reason to complain", because I want to benefit from the rules of this site.
Help to support this splendid site is another question.
With my friendliest greetings,
Mateus (from Portugal)

[Vince]

I was able to do multiple downloads last night no problems at all
Cox cable is my IP. . . . .always very fast.
Location is southwest US.

regards

[geepster775]

Everyone's mileage is going to vary when it comes to perceiving the value of anything. Myself, I am finding less and less value in freeware content that is designed to work in both MSTS and OR. I find myself no longer looking forward to routes with zero degree nodes or flange squeal sound sources embedded throughout them (to accommodate MSTS) when OR handles these issues in its own coded way. Many times this free content ends up being too much work to optimize it to maximize the Open Rails experience. I would rather put my money into payware that is preset with OR physics than spend it on expediting the downloading of dual enviro material that faces a ton of Open Rails optimizing re-work on the horizon.

One thing is for certain, if you are a non-paying member, it is up to you to search for whatever hours on the 24 hour clock that represents slack time for the server and will offer you the best shot at successfully downloading. For me, I've noticed the slack time is between 7 pm and 10 pm eastern time US and downloading success has been rather good during those hours. India is 9 hours ahead, so 7 pm to 10 pm here is during the wee small hours of 4 am to 7am in India.

It may be a shock to some who have been conditioned to expect reliable 24/7 downloading for zero cost, but times change and events change. Maybe that let-down is for the better, too. With freeware getting more obstacle laden, maybe returning users flush with boomer retirement cash will be forced to invest more in the payware economy.