Hello everyone, I hope you’re all having a great day! I wanted to start a thread: Imagine it's 2028, three years later, and we're now on Train Sim World 9. What new features would be implemented in the game? What would have been removed? What new routes and trains would we have? What new countries would be added, and which countries that are currently underrepresented would be well developed in TSW9? What expansions and improvements would there be? How do you imagine the gameplay and driving experience evolving — more realism, new systems, or new challenges? What changes would there be to the game's interface and menus? Will TSW switch to Unreal Engine 5, and what improvements in graphics and performance could be expected on new generations consoles like the PS6 or next-gen PC hardware ? Let your imagination run wild!
Most TSW gamers don't really expect a new TSW 7, 8, or 9. Most users would welcome it if DTG stuck with TSW6 for now and finally updated the core bugs. And then TSW6 would continue to exist, with an annual upgrade that would include new features and, for example, a package with three new routes that you would have to purchase, but all based on TSW6.
There’s a definite vibe I’m getting that TSW6 may well be the last iteration of the game we see in its current form. Fairly obvious the “Trains Division” are now besotted with Metro Rivals and almost certain that will lead into a UE5 reboot of TSW, maybe even with a different title. And if MR is a success, I can see a much more dumbed down and arcade experience incoming with whatever succeeds TSW. It will be Forza Horizon with trains.
Stuttering will still be in TSW9. That will never go away with UE, whether v4 or v5, nature of the beast unfortunately.
I'd much rather that any resources that are available at DTG, would be focused on fixing the major core issues and ironing out perfectly preventable ongoing issues, over any new title of the game in a different UE engine or another number slapped Infront of the current version of game. If the core issues had substantial time dedicated to them, this would be one lovely game all round. But by just releasing a new game with a new number Infront of it, or releasing a new game in UE, it will just be all shiny and cool looking game on the outside, but would inherit all of the boring complex faults of its predecessors. I think it is more important and a priority issue for the TSW community, that DTG resolve the core issues before getting overly excited and releasing a new title or variations of the game. I'm beginning to wonder if core issue 'fixing' has been outsourced to a less experienced developer as the patches we've been receiving over the last 12 months seem very sloppy to say the least.
Yes, that's what I think too. The multiplayer aspect already suggests a clear shift toward arcade gameplay. There's also the real risk of never seeing a product like TSW or TS again. Let's hope not. We'll see.
If DTG cannot fix the core issues, especially the console texture and gameplay problems, the future of TSW is in serious jeopardy. PC purchases alone are not enough to keep it going. This fixation on speculative ventures like tram sims and now this train racing subway arcade game plus the constant stream of new dlc carrying the same bugs as the ones that preceded them is a questionable use of resources. Resources that could be used to make TSW into the game we all hoped it would be just a few short years ago.
I am expecting they will announce a new game by then, with: Better graphics Things like announcements and suspension will probably come in the base game Multiplayer No content transfer from TSW to the new series No support for steam, freight, or anything non-modern Community will probably be split between TS, TSW, and whatever the new series is, since some will have no reason to move to new series Still no support for route merges or extensions No dynamic dispatcher Routes will still be roughly the same length as TSW, or even shorter Routes will probably for the most part be the same as TSW Will probably launch with just UK, USA and Germany again (or even less) Things like trams will probably be in spinoff games, instead of one all encompassing game where they should be No public editor on day 1
I do think people who say the game will disappear are being slightly too pessimistic and also underestimating how much people love their trains. It might not be cool, but there is a pretty hardcore following out there that will happily part with enough cash to make a game worthwhile. Someone will be willing to scratch that itch I am sure!!
These days the only notable changes that are made with each release is the colour scheme and 2-3 buggy/ unfinished features. In a perfect world a good TSW 9 will improve on all the features of the previous versions instead of leaving them to collect dust with maybe 2 brand new fleshed out and tested features. I think the top priorities should be a rework of the dynamic weather system, improvements to the lighting and npc behaviour; honestly if I were a developer would look at what people have modded to gauge what sorts of changes people want the most. Lastly, two features I’d like to see worked on is a proper PTC, Ebula and maybe even a dispatcher rework to allow for an in-depth guard simulation.
Easy to say that, but more mainstream franchise have went dormant for less frankly. I remember when a game selling a million was considered a surefire hit, now I see people debate if games that sold several million were successful. And by extension many "B-tier" properties I remember being stables back in the 2000's and early 2010's now either don't get games, or are far less frequent. Look at Rockstar's output, they had a whole catalog of series they worked on back in the day, now they only make one game a generation. Simple fact is if you want more complex games at the same length or longer you need either need more audience for that to be viable, or raise pricing. And frankly I don't see a easy path to increasing the customer base, nor do I think people would be receptive to higher prices.
I bet they would. The amount of people who already say they are no way getting a new route at full price on release and then have bought it within a week or two anyway!! Humans seem hard wired to complain about the cost of everything and anything and then pay it anyway.
Not the woman I saw today legging it out of Morrison's with 2 carrier bags full of children's clothing. She certainly didn't hang about to complain. Not even to the 3 security guards chasing her !!!
By then we will have 10th gen consoles, so with the increased memory and performance you’d expect to see a less bug free, more optimised game. I don’t really care for it personally, but we could see a shift into UE5 and they re-sell us UE4 routes.
I don't think there can be another 3 reiterations of this game. The annual shenanigans with entitlements is already untenable for DTG to manage, let alone the hassle for users. The prospect of up to 8 versions of some DLC on storefronts should fill anyone with horror. My prediction is TSW6 will be the final 'new' release of this game. DTG then does a 'Rush Hour' style set of new core routes for 2026, which along with Metro Rivals funds development of a new train sim game in UE5 for 2027.
Scrolling the list of dosto versions will come with a official warning label issued by the Surgeon General that it may cause RSI and you should try a different train instead.
Considering the history the last few years with anything not directly train sim related (and I am taking the liberty of lumping Metro Rivals into not-a-sim): Catan got its last update in May 2024, roughly 15 months after release; City Transport Simulator was sent to a different publisher and the forum locked less than a year after release; Train Sim World: VR was released at the end of March this year, had a total of three patches across May and June, didn't even get a dedicated subforum, and has had almost no posts in the main TSW forum; and the fishing games have also had no official activity since October 2022 (Bassmaster 2022's final update, almost exactly a year after release) and April 2021 (Fishing Sim World, an announcement about the Discord). So while I would like to see DTG have a success as that benefits everyone, I think assumptions that Metro Rivals will be a new focus or be able to fund anything at all might be jumping the gun just a bit.
By that point the blurred textures will have gotten so bad that as soon as you turn it on even the menus will have blurry textures, but they'll continue to act as if everything is normal...
Not forgetting the axe I like to grind - Flight Sim World. Taken out of early access before anything really worked properly like autopilot and sans any passenger jets, then promptly ditched. Though not before sending the PR girl to a big flight simming convention in the States, who was completely out of her depth when the big technical questions started coming from the floor.
Asked myself the question if Metro Rivals could be a succes or not and for who this game is developed, at who are they targeting this game? I doubt people loving TSW will like MR, so who else wants to race with metro trains? DTG knows who their current customers are, so it would be more convenient to target a new game towards their current customer base. To be honest, I will not being suprised when MR fails big time.
This is simply a test to refine the UE5 programming for the next train simulator. In the meantime, they might make some money. It's been said several times that MR in UE5 is like "Euro Fishing" with UE4.
The main goals for me it's a game without main bugs, some improvement to audio and graphics and have 3 new route each one with at least 1 new train. And some tutorial for the editor (now forgotten....) Also a new nation in the game will be good! Due the fact they have to sell something new, maybe, a dynamic dispatcher will be a nice addition and this also could resolve all the problems with the stuck service we have.
The GWR remaster will still be "due for release hopefully before Christmas." DTG will still do a modern route because "BR doesn't sell." The new UK route will probably be Leeds to Northallerton because that's what the "community have asked for." East Anglia still won't have a route added. In the meantime Just Trains will be working on a Newcastle-Edinburgh route set in the late 1970s with the Deltic as the main loco. Announcements still won't work properly, Passengers will still be broken. Gen 8 will still be included despite only one route with one DLC now working on it. The new feature will be dispatcher mode, but despite being promised as a day one addition it'll only work on one route with other routes "possibly" being added in the future.
You forgot AI drivers will still sit in the wrong cab Trains will still use the hazard light settings (in a vain attempt to re-ignite the disco era) Hitting passenger heads sticking up through platforms, will not be a new wack-a-mole minigame. The class 350 will still not be able to free wheel at speeds under 5mph The dynamic weather system will have more types of weather, rather than rain and fog And finally DTG will introduce the class 59 as an alternative to the class 66 due to complaints of overuse.
And because of licensing issues, only the 59/2 can be used, which by a happy accident/coincidence are used by DBS.
The recent upgrades to the game have definitely not warranted a new numeral release. Just minor additions really and largely overhyped. Now the biggest thing they could do to warrant a new iteration of TSW would be to put development on hold in Chatham and fix all the bugs for everybody - pc’s and consoles, leaving 3rd party devs to release lots of dlc for which they would still obviously get an income. There are enough to step up now. This way the general name of the brand would improve a lot and I believe they’d get a lot of new players to the franchise. After TSW had been fixed in the Chatham “hospital” it could be rereleased with the brand name: “Train Sim World 21st Century” or something like that.
