The question posed seems to be very dependant on ones idea of expensive. Everyone is going to have a different opinion on the matter. For me I don't think its too expensive. I go to concerts that cost more than 3 DLC for 2 hours of entertainment. Hockey games are the same after food and drinks. So for me it worth it for the amount of entertainment it gives me. My music hobby (I'll never be professional) has cost me more in the last 6 years than TSW does. But for someone who say just stays ahead on bills and living expenses it would be expensive to them. And they are not wrong. Really there is no wrong answer.
I still think the main problem with Cardiff is that it is too short. It should be at least double the size with more lines and it could have been interesting. The milage of the network is laughable, no matter what the other issues with it may be. Even if it was excuted perfectly, it´s too short! You can´t tell me routes need to be 1/10 of the normal route length, just because they are in "urban setting". That´s a joke, sorry. Same situation with Mildmay, Goblin (whatever the modern name for it is), Glossip, Manchester Communter and all those other 10-20 mile offerings.
To be fair. That is the entire Goblin (Suffragette) line in comparison to others which are realistically incomplete.
for me when I think of hrs spent on each DLC, and then TSW overall, it aint too bad... I mean, I get some routes/locos as new, but many I have gotten in batches via discounts... it is basically endless gameplay, and I only do timetable mode mostly usually I look at how much I desire a specific piece of content and then I look at the price... sometimes it is like eeh, I can wait till discount (like Stuttgart route or Manchester Commuter), sometimes I buy fresh (like I am looking forward a lot to 805, that will be a day one purchase cos I like modern highspeed trains) and it's not like these DLCs are cheap for me... luckily the DLC dont come that often, so I can plan ahead... or when there is new iteration of TSW (which means three new routes with some deluxe trains as well), I try to save up... if I cant afford it at the moment, I either wait for discount or till I got enough money available... it's not like those DLCs are going to run away
also, while it is not an insignificant amount of money for each DLC, I mean... I dont really spend any money I got available on a lot of things, so if there is a piece of content, I can afford it, usually... not a whole lot to see in cinemas or some other spending thing, so yeah, I can get a DLC from time to time... and I would much rather spend money on this than lets say some vanity piece of clothing or whatever like majority of population does (also, no drinking, smoking or stuff like that )
But it still is a niche product, and an add-on route is a niche within a niche yet requires significant work to make. Some add-ons aren't such good value: many of the DTG routes are almost criminally short (e.g. the GWML, full price for Paddington to Reading, a mere 23 minutes by HST? Just Trains did the route all the way to Bristol for TSC for less money). But others are good value, to mention Just Trains again, the Preston to Carlisle route is definitely worth it: if we take it on "how much did JT have to model", for a 90-odd mile long route, with a lot of detail along the way, I would hazard a guess it's more than in Grand Theft Auto's approximately 80 sq km of scenery, and GTA is a mass appeal game where there are likely at least three orders of magnitude more buyers to pay for those graphics assets. JT had to do just as much work on the assets and placing the assets as the GTA team on making and placing their assets at a minimum, so it's not surprising it costs as much as GTA.
metal - yes, so I guess that counts as rock n roll ... but drugs? no I am crazy enough as is ... and as for sex, well, no ladies available for that
Happily married but at nearly 65 things don’t work as frequently or as well as they once did (if at all )… Drugs, never, though I am partial to a pint or two of good quality real (cask conditioned) ale. Rock and roll.. my music tastes run all the way from trance/synthwave through progressive rock to light/power metal. Detest jazz, opera and country &western!
One I have never partaken in, one is a distant memory and one I can take or leave (not necessarily in any particular order)!
I'm one of those who thinks that the DLC is overpriced and poor value; loco add-ons are particularly egregious. When I see that Playground games are set to include 550 intricately modelled cars in Forza Horizon 6 at launch, for instance, and then consider the price of a single intricately modelled TSW loco add-on, particularly one which is closely related to a loco which has already been released, it's a reminder that we're paying over the odds. Sure, this isn't a perfect like for like comparison, but you get the drift. I understand all the arguments about economies of scale etc. - we pay more for 'niche' - but the reality is that £14.99 is £14.99 regardless of whether it's spent on one TSW loco add-on or a discounted AAA game that's barely a year old. Many things are priced with anticipated subsequent discounting built in to the price these days, but as an XBOX user who seldom gets the benefit of discounts and probably has to deal with more technical issues than PS5 and PC players I think things are particularly bad. Also, unlike many publishers DTG doesn't permanently reduce the price of older releases which compounds things further.
This is a really good point. Forza is a game where the release cycle is every couple of years (Forza Horizon 5 being 2021 - Horizon 6 coming 2026). 1000s of hours of content that works very well on the consoles without blurry textures all over the place and generally given plenty of support in additions to the roster, weekly events, etc. all for free. All the above for the price of two TSW routes - which give you two routes and maybe 1 or 2 new locomotives which haven't been recycled. The number of Forza DLC expansions (new maps/'routes') released in that 5x years? Two. Yes, just two. It would seem that some games operate quite happily releasing over a long time frame without annual releases. It certainly doesn't appear to hobble reaching new players or struggle in terms of visibility on Steam, Microsoft stores, etc.By the time Forza Horizon 7 comes out (assuming another 5 year cycle) - we will be up to Train Sim World 12. Just worth thinking about.
Every problem has a solution !!! And besides... You know that saying voir la vie en rose... maybe you should consider voir la vie en bleu if you know what I mean !!! A bit pricey but very effective ! Depending on the order in which they are placed, the result is not at all the same !
And how DTG should be doing it… CD 163 released today for SimRail. Full price £10.99 but with a 10% discount for purchases between now and 1st February = £9.89. If the TSW Class 805 had come with a similar price and deal I probably would have folded and bought that when it releases next week.
If you want it for that price you will have to wait for the summer sale or a giveaway price in the next winter sale. 90% off in 2028! Doesn’t seem right. Sell it for £9.99 and exclude it from all sales.
Personally I don't think the 805 is that expensive, I was half expecting it to be more. It does come with two timetables for two routes and looks to be very well made, presumably it will also be available for the next All Aboard too. This is also a third party release and only their second release so it seems a little unfair to say you have valued this at too high a price. I haven't got Simrail and apart from seeing a picture I have no knowledge of a CD163, it looks good I will say. However does it really offer any more for the money? I don't know how simrail works but I assume it comes with some scenarios or you can use it in multiplayer. As ever, value for money is down to each individual.
As I have said before, Simrail and TSW are both good train simulation games. I do not see it as a matter of get one or the other. Each of them offers a different experience and its well worth it owning both. You asked if the CD163 offers anything more for the money. It has around 10 liveries (DTG usually gives you 1) and you will see it as AI or driven by a player in multiplayer even if you do not buy it (for free). Yeah, the 805 has 2 timetables. SimRail updated their multiplayer timetable to include the new loco for everyone. If you pay for it you can drive it. If you dont pay you will just see it in the world. Still, there is one thing that Simrail does not do. You cant choose the exact in world time you want to start playing in multiplayer. There are different servers with different deltas to UTC but you cant fast forward to 10am (for example) or choose your weather. Again, different games different experiences. Both worth having.
Fair enough, I imagine I will get Simrail at some point. I certainly don't subscribe to the theory you should only have one type of each game. I still dabble a little in TSC and occassionally fire up diesel railcar simulator, Train Planet looked promising too.
I wouldn't mind paying the premium price we pay. If we got the premium service to go with it. DTG provide a very basic bronze service at best. When comes to patches and fixing things.
I have visions somewhere between sweatshop and everyone sat around on space-hoppers with those fancy height adjustable desks
The price is relative to the quality of the DLC. I think the level of care/work Just Trains achieve represents value for money. The Signal Box at Carnforth Station Junction is worth the price alone !
