Dtg, Please, Give Us A Break!

That’s the concept on 99% of games now it seems. Back in the day when we didn’t have online updates, it was either fix as many bugs as possible by launch or risk not getting good reviews because nobody was buying the second release after spending money on the first one.

With the ability to patch on the fly now, more and more games release with problems and fix them after the fact.

 

hey could that blurry texture bug that dtg seem to be fixing for so many months have impact financially ?

 

The real problem is that many problems do not get fixed, or what is worse, a patch is made that fixes the problem but it never gets into a game update.

 

Oh absolutely it could, with online streaming and reviews very common place, along with clickbait articles, the bad word about blurry textures still not fixed after how ever many months will deter gamers from buying the product.

 

maybe that why there been alot of release in one month. but if you look at further down the line list there alot of content and we have what 6 months left untill tsw7 mind you i guess they can make some of those dlc for tsw7.

 

Same here. Have made the decision to hold off on the other routes as MVL is coming out and also so is "The Bus" this week on console. Knowing that I have made the decision to get the other 2 routes I am interested in at a later date or in a sale. Just because DTG is releasing content does not mean it has to be bought.

Also as a side note, the more 3rd parties there is the more content there will be and it will come more frequently. Like TSC it is growing and therefore requires thought on what we each would like to get.

 

While it's true that you don't have to buy everything at once, there is the probability that you'll want 2 or 3 items on the list and, by releasing so many dlc within a short window, DTG is forcing some of us to make choices that we wouldn't need to make if they spaced things out over, say, a 3 month period.

This kind of rapid fire publishing blitz benefits DTG much more than players or even more than the 3Ps who get rather squeezed. I'm sure Firefly would like some more space around their much heralded release.

I myself have made a choice to buy one now and another later, against my real preference.

This bunching will no doubt be a net benefit to DTG, but perhaps not as great as it might have been had they spread things out more.

Plus I suspect that those suggesting we make choices we might not want to make are the usual high priests, defending DTG's rush hour release policy rather than empathizing with players and the 3Ps who are getting pressured and pinched.

And, once again, as with the premium prices, DTG's PR team have declined to come on the forum and explain this rapid fire release program.

 

At OP: how can you go bankrupt when all the DLC is bugged like you say? All the DLC you mention has been or is on my to-watch-out-for list. Until now all that has been released didn't make it to my To-buy list. Did you really like all the DLC that has been shown so far? Is it all worth your money? If they release and we don't buy at a point they will be forced to change their delivery of DLC as all those hours of work on new DLC will go unpaid.

 

I actually don't mind it all being released at once, it gives me the choice whether to purchase or not, rather than be at the whim of what they are releasing (or not). I'd rather have the option of a choice than have it removed from me. Eg we don't have to always buy it there and then, plus something being out in the wild can help people decide via other streams about whether it is a useful buy or not.

 

Or even worse, a patch fixes one issue and involuntarily screws up something completely unrelated like we've now have to deal with broken PIS.

 

It all adds up. Would we care much about the new PIS problem if we could have the confidence that it would be patched in a short time, lets say a week? Probably not.

When will the fix be included in a game update? Nobody knows, but it wouldn't surprise anyone if it takes months.

 

You're absolutely right, I wouldn't care much in that case. It'd annoy me at first, but I could live with it for a week or two, might play more freight routes where there's no PIS anyway or some other game on days where it really annoys me, but I'd be chill about it.

Right now, I appear to be chill, but that's more the resignation. Also I'm on PC and I've got a load of mods that make it playable and fix some core flaws. Scenery upgrades or sound packs are one thing, but it shouldn't be necessary to rely on modding for a game to run with its core features intact at least.

 

I think there’s the financial year aspect; but I do also wonder if there’s a rush to get out of the gate as after March, release slots dry up as they bunker down to go through the recertification process for the hundreds of DLCs and versions ahead of TSW7

 

Actually very like wine- no point in opening a Bordeaux or similar red until it's at a bare minimum three years old; give it a chance to mature at least a little bit. Similarly, DLC should be left in the bottle for 6-9 months or longer before it's ready to uncork.

 

I think with so many DLC’s releasing I think it just gives me choices when I’d have just jumped in and bought one at a time, the class 90. I reckon I could wait for that.

Medway Valley line is undoubtedly a day one purchase, without a doubt!

Back to the OP, people will buy DLC regardless of quality/price/developer, it’s always the same people that say they’re never ever buying another piece of DLC, but they always go back for more. For me, if the DLC interests me I’ll get it, even thought the quality is exemplary the Czech route just doesn’t interest me for example

 

I have only recently started using MS Flight Simulator 2024.
There's about £300 worth of DLC released every week. Study level craft can increase that weekly amount as they can be anything from £40 to £100.

Is all the DLC in the areas (both geographically and types of craft) that I'm interested in? No.
Would I like to buy some of it? Sure.
Can I expect it all to be released one airport/craft per month so I can afford it? No, the world doesn't revolve around me.
How much have I bought so far? None, I've just spent £3,500 for a holiday with my wife so funds are very low. Most of us have priorities that aren't about PC gaming.

Maybe start by saying that the cost of living is too high. You'll get lots of agreement from that. DLC makers are not immune from the rising cost of everything. If it wasn't possible to make a living off of game development, people wouldn't do it and then TSW would have no new DLC.

 

I must admit as time goes on and the game is filling up so to speak I find myself specialising in UK content first and foremost. The only exception for me will be adding US freight as I enjoy that.
But I don’t mind fast releases at all because if they’re out of my sphere of preference I can always pick them up in deep sales way down the line. As has been said it’s just a case of personal restraint. I also enjoy all the streams and release notes etc. makes the place seem more alive.

 

It's been a crazy month lol.

Got the Czech route, the expert 145, Stamford, and definitely picking up Medway tomorrow, but the Class 90 and DB BR 147 are gonna have to wait for next month, at least.

Not mad though, this is what a vibrant 3rd-party scene looks like- hopefully DTG can smooth out the release cadence a bit going forward, but stuff happens.

 

Jeez, I wish there was £300 worth of dlc released on TSW every week, that’s what we are missing!.

 

As I've said on the BR 147 coming soon article thread, I'm getting overwhelmed by now in a negative manner. 6 DLC plus WOS in one month, it's just too much to stay on top of things and take deep dives into everything to get a solid enough impression if one is actually getting interested in new content apart from the content one might have already set their eyes on from their first announcements to purchase on day one no matter what.

People still have lives outside of TSW, especially in our current chaotic world.

Again, not complaining about not being able to afford everything or wanting/needing to buy everything on day one or at all. But merely staying informed and diving in deep to make a decision, to get excited, reconsider one's first impressions or views or whatever, where's the time to actually play the game? Live streams every other day or even day after day, deep dive articles, coming soon articles, previews, reviews, downloading purchased content and waiting for it to install and all of that on top of or rather at the end of already busy and exhausting work days... It's just too much.

I'm tempted to insert a ton of fitting furry memes about too much of a good thing at the same time, but they'd be highly inappropriate for some age groups. So imagine one of your choice in this place, doesn't need to be furry for everyone.

 

But the digital world is not disappearing any time soon. You have all the time to read articles, watch videos and reviews before making a purchase. Who says you have to watch and read everything in one day. You don't

 

Or purchase anything day one?

 

I do think there needs to be a better way of previewing some content. Some shorter overview videos of the content would be nice (which we do inconsistently get). Sounds, features, timetables, modelling etc..

I certainly don’t disagree that it’s not great having to watch multi-hour videos on the content, regardless of it being available to watch at your (dis?)pleasure. Even more so when those previews don’t paint products in the best light due to various build & technical issues.

 

If you wish a brake don't use your'e wallet is my advice! DTG will not stop to produce addons. Its their income and otherwise they will not exists very long

 

That's not what my post was about really.

I've made a far longer post first in the BR 147 coming soon article, didn't want to double post it, so I referred to it.

The getting info part is not as easily done in hindsight. When you're on the live streams, you can interact with the devs and the publisher. You've likely read or contributed to the pre-stream Q and A forum thread, read the articles, got informed enough not to ask redundant questions and spam the chat with them. You observe the stream's content, view the reactions in the chat, gauge whether the Q and A questions from the forum get answered, sometimes a question or two only come to your mind once the stream is running, showing some issue you didn't think of before, also gauge the reactions of the streamers sometimes to things happening on stream like bugs etc. in the spur of the moment.

To do all that and not appear to be a troll or a person with the attention span of a caffeinated goldfish, you need to focus on the stream, the questions, the information, judge the state of the "finished" product from the streamers' reactions with all the aforementioned and not to forget the chatter around the release, concerns of users, threads and posts that sum up, or at least in their entirety, paint a picture of the dev's track record so far. You have to be in the right spirit and prepared if you actually want to take value from watching the stream, can't play TSW or anything elese on the side. You need your time to come up and think about your own questions you'd like to be answered, how you'll word them best to get a satisfiyng answer, all that jazz.

Bear in mind, the live streams mostly showcase only 3 timetable services and/or a scenario. Never the whole thing. Every time they've got particular services prepared on the list to showcase. Services that are likely less or not bugged at all.

Then after the streams the discussions on the forum threads and on Discord continue and deal with the content of the stream, sometimes the devs themselves join in and clarify some more.

For something you already are invested in and got your mind set to "day one" after the first announcement on the roadmap, it might matter less. Your mind is already set and biased. Only need to watch the stream to get more hyped and, in some cases, if the devs bit more off than they could've chewed and botched the final product.

If you're undecided or impartial at the first announcement, you might still want to look behind your plate and are open for exploration. Often enough I'm not really or not at all invested in some announced DLC. Doesn't mean I might not gain interest along the road. But I'll never know if I don't pay attention to the articles, the reactions, the chatter and need to watch and engage in the live stream to make up my mind or confirm my first reaction to it.

To get all that info in the spirit and anticipation of a DLC, the information and everything elese mentioned above to make your decision, whether you'll get it on day one, wait a while for a sale or even want to stay as far away as possible from it, you need focus. I've got to juggle information on 6 DLC representing 4 countries and the fictional Isle of Sodor all in a short span of time really. Loading up, feeding my mind like a goose getting force-fed but not able to process and unload, that's not how you get invested into something healthily and be expected to be enjoying it afterwards. Finding time to deep-dive into your purchase, like I tried to do with the czech route, when your evenings are filled by constant streams, taking away your attention from the content you just got to the next one you haven't made your mind up about yet is just overwhelming.

Got home a tad ealier today. Spending my first minutes by typing this post, having to make dinner, wanting to try and play, but there's the next stream starting on a route I'm indecisive on in less than 90 minutes already. Will take up at least two hours. Afterwards I'll be too tired from the day and just want to, and have to, sleep. Won't have played a minute despite wanting to in the first place.

I could just not pay attention and ask the most redundant and uninformed questions afterwards, spend time I already once spent re-reading all the information, but it won't be the same and I'd annoy half the forum/chat with my "goldfish"-questions. That's just not who I am and it wouldn't be one bit constructive.

I also, like most people, have a life beside a game. A life that takes up most of my time already. One, that to relax from, I love to dive into TSW and make the most out of. That's simply nearly impossible this month and it's not good for mental and physical health. So to make the most revenue from me, an informed player with questions, it's not best to overwhelm me, that way I will spend less money in March, I wouldn't know what to do with it with the little time I've got, therefore it can mostly wait for the next sale in summer, reducing the sales of individal DLC which will later be claimed as flops, even though they actually aren't and reducing the revenue.

And with that this post is now even longer than the one on the coming soon article thread. Still hope that clears up what my condern is about.

 

And people here get frustrated with bugs, imagine the reaction to the 3rd party stuff released on the marketplace? I used to be big on buying so much DLC when it released, then I realized it’s better if I wait to see what the feedback is. I have my 3P devs that are exceptions to that, but waiting has saved me a ton of money since I can’t fly everywhere on the world at once and got some pretty nice deals when they go on sale a few months in.

 

Oh my, absolutely. My first year with MSFS taught me more about the notion of "buyer beware" on their Marketplace than it did about how to land a plane.

 

First nobody is forced to buy all dlcs day one.

Second and more important, the players who are around with tsw since 2020, all remember the time routes were empty, timetables were nothing like today with a wide variety of rolling stock available for each country. The experience became just a 100% better now.

So yes im glad the amount of releases increased overall. Tsw finally can be called a sucessor of tsc, which was not always the case back in time.

 

I won’t name drop (you’ll know which dev I’m talking about though) but that first year I bought a 737 max because it was cheap and came with liveries but ended up just being part 787/part A320. Every time I see them pump something new, I stop and laugh for how many will fall for that as a new user while I learned and completely stay away. Glad to see I wasn’t the only one with that bad experience in the first year.

 

It’s all relative though. I’m sure if people started dropping bodge jobs of various locos that just looked like the real thing, for less than a third of the cost of a normal DLC, then they’d sell like hotcakes.

Hell, there’s someone currently converting a 350 into a 360 & people are loving it. I don’t think they’d bat an eyelid if it was released as a DLC for 3 to 5 quid - it’s really no different in the flight sim space. People buy the cheap ones because a decent one is 3, 4, 5x the cost.

Don’t get me wrong, you’d get the spades of criticism for such things online, but the average user just couldn’t care less.

 

I know exactly which one!

CK95 No, I really think an average user would care at the level of sharp practice we're discussing here.

Imagine a "developer" (I'll call them "TS Trains" rather than use the name of any real TSW content provider) selling a Class 360 pack for £12 on an DTG-approved website but when you load it up, it's immediately noticeable that it's got really low-quality exterior modelling. But that's not all, once you get in the cab you realise it's actually the Class 377 you've owned all the time. A Class 360 has been modeled around the exterior of the Electrostar train giving the appearance, when looking out of the windscreen, that your train is growing a new shell. Away from the cab, there's no interior modelling, just the inside of the shell.

Oh and there's no sound or physics mods to make it sound or drive like a Desiro.

I think DTG would cancel TS Trains contract immediately rather than let them produce a whole range of these incredibly low-effort DLCs for over a decade like some flight sim games producers have.

 

I’m well aware of the 3 more egregious devs on MSFS’ marketplace & I certainly don’t like their content.

My point above though is what you’ve stumbled into by bringing the £12 cost up. If you say £15 is the average cost of a TSW loco, £30 is the expert stuff, then most things ‘TS trains’ would hypothetically release would be more like £7.50.

Obviously the MSFS marketplace pricing is all over the place, so it’s not an exact science comparing pricing, but by & large most of the LOVE stuff is priced like LOVE stuff. Obviously you can find certain devs that really do overprice their things & better devs that have pretty competitive pricing but if you say wanted a specific 737 MAX, you’re paying a lot or you’re getting a cheap bodge.

 

And just when you thought the month couldn’t get any more expensive, Run 8 just went and released another route section for their SoCal mega network. So that’s $40 at Lloyd’s Bank GB£ exchange rate plus currency exchange fee to put out at some stage. And while I love Run 8, that’s roughly £35 for a route that resembles 2003 MSTS and doesn’t come with any new locos or rolling stock, kind of puts things in perspective.

 

A big thing in MSFS' favor is that there is so many vendor's to pick from. Train simulator, both World and Classic, kind of suffer from the fact there isn't all that many developers doing stuff. Look at all the US engines in TSC which are only done by the Travel by Train & Digital Train Model. would be like having a huge chunk of aviation only depicted by Captain Sim & Bredok3D. Ultimately the low quality developers are nothing more than a mild annoyance because there's always better alternatives available.

Lot of the low quality slop here I find annoying, precisely because if a route's done by one developer that pretty well means that's THE version for TSW. DTG makes a bad LGV route? Well, we've been stuck with that for five years with no sign of them improving it or doing a new French route that's better. Same the one Canada route we got, or the two BR steam routes we got as well.

 

You don't need to buy every one of them. In fact, you probably shouldn't since most release broken anyway.

 

Now that Medway Valley is in the bag, probably nothing on my radar until Preston to Crewe, the German steam route (if it appears this side of TSW7) and maybe Trent Valley.

 

Question is… will we see Preston-Crewe before the month closes out

 

If the pattern follows last year (and it is so far) we can probably expect a couple more routes before TSW 7.

 

Yeah its the same like you are addicted to candybars and asking the store to stop selling them.... They will directly ask to leave and answer "you are not required to buy here".... I don't know why this is a question here on the forums.... Its a little dumb i think. If did not buy it direct after release its on the web for ages and you can buy it later for sure. The biggest issue that if you demand or ask such things thats more an indication that you are very addicted to the game and can not behave you bad manor!

 

Off topic, but you really should get a fee-free credit card that doesn't charge currency exchange fees.

 

Also OT - Run 8 should accept Paypal, World Pay or similar which has the same effect. It also doesn't help their basket only allows one item to be purchased at a time!