Best Train Simulator Available Now?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by chetanmalhotra789, Sep 10, 2020.

  1. chetanmalhotra789

    chetanmalhotra789 New Member

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    Sorry if this is the wrong sub to ask this in, but Googling hasn't really helped me and I can't find another relevant subreddit. What is currently considered the "best" train simulator game as of now? I'm referring to driving trains, not a Railroad Tycoon-like management game. As far as I can tell, there only seem to be two real options: Train Simulator "2020" (the one Dovetail released in 2009 and re-labels every year) or Trainz (I'm not sure what the newest edition is). I haven't played a simulator since Trainz 2004. Any reccomendations?
     
  2. michael hooley

    michael hooley Well-Known Member

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    All i can say is I have had many happy hours on TS2020, Tsw, and I am now learning Tsw2, but i am not a technical fanatic and i have a top of the range computer. I used to have Trainz, but after purchasing the Trainz New Era, which i considered a backward step, i have never bought any of their products since, so I cannot comment on their latest offering.

    Mike
     
  3. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    As far as train simulators you have the following....

    Train Simulator 2020/2021
    Train Sim World 2/Train Sim World 2020
    Trainz 2019
    Run8
    Open Rails

    I dont know of anything outside of these that isn't older software.
    As far as the best, its all down to perspective.
     
  4. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    You can get keys for older editions of TS through websites other than Steam. One is likely to be cheaper than the current edition and may have a bundle of routes that appeals more.
     
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  5. Aryffordd

    Aryffordd Guest

    There's currently a sale on on Stean for the next, well, 30 hours as of typing this, too. The standard edition is 60% off and the "local" versions are at 50% off. If you think you'll be more interested in the routes included in 2020, rather than the ones included with 2021 in a week or two, then now would be a good time.
     
  6. brummie

    brummie Active Member

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    If it's a choice between TS 2020 and TSW 2 then I think TSW is probably the better one of the two. I don't own TSW 2 but having viewed lots of video's on You Tube' TSW would be the way to go in my opinion. Graphically it does look better, maybe in the future I will buy this.
     
  7. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I think it depends what you want from a sim. If you want to get your "hand dirty" and have lots of content the TS1 is maybe the way to go. TSW/TSW2 is better graphically and service mode is a boon but obviously it is much younger and has not the variety that TS1 has. Personally I have both and maybe one day TSW something will usurp TS1 but it will need much more content (including plenty of steam) and a much more in depth scenario editor for that to happen.

    I had Trainz back in the day and route building was easy and fun. I got TANE a new era but found trying to make sessions on the East Coast route was mind boggling to be honest. If it had the sort of scenario editor TS1 has I would still be using it alongside the others. The fact that it only came with three or four "sessions" tells you something. I can't comment on the latest version though, it looks to have improved graphically.

    I haven't got Run8 as it only has American content as far as I know, but looked interesting when it was released.
     
  8. snapnfix

    snapnfix Member

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    I bought TS2020 in 2011 and since then have bought £1,000 of DLC and still get enjoyment from it.

    I bought TSW and played it in frame rate jerko-vision until I got it refunded.

    I bought TANE 19 and played it in frame rate jerko-vision until I got it refunded.

    So you can see which I think is best.
     
  9. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    Depends. What is most important for You? Cab-realism and immersion or maybe freedom and big scale rail operations?
    For me - both TSW and Run8 are the must have.
     
  10. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    And route editor... don't forget that. It' s OK being able to create scenarios, but if 3rd parties and users can't make routes they'll quickly becomes boring.
     
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  11. 59321747

    59321747 Well-Known Member

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    [QUOTE =“ Blacknred81,post:174041,member:13378”]就火车模拟器而言,您具有以下...。

    火车模拟器2020/2021
    火车模拟世界2 /火车模拟世界2020
    Trainz 2019
    运行8
    开轨

    我不知道这些不是老软件。
    就最好而言,一切都取决于视角。[/ QUOTE]
    [QUOTE =“ Blacknred81,post:174041,member:13378”]就火车模拟器而言,您具有以下...。

    火车模拟器2020/2021
    火车模拟世界2 /火车模拟世界2020
    Trainz 2019
    运行8
    开轨

    我不知道这些不是老软件。
    就最好而言,一切都取决于视角。[/ QUOTE]

    我个人认为一切都是为了“现实”
     
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  12. Daytona

    Daytona Active Member

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  13. mattdsoares

    mattdsoares Well-Known Member

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    There isn't really a clear cut "best" because so much depends on what you prioritize and what types of scenarios and trains you like. If you Are really into American freight, then Run8 and Train Simulator 2021 would be your best choice. If you really like British and/or German passenger services, Train Simulator 2021 is unrivaled. If you need the best looking visuals or a more accessible sim, then Train Sim World 2020 or Train Sim World 2 are for you. Heck, if Polish trains are a must have than Maszyna is the only option.
     
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  14. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    That's a really diplomatic way of saying TSW = "Oooh look, shiny things" ;)
     
  15. IronBladder

    IronBladder Well-Known Member

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    I cannot think why anyone would want TSW. I was deeply disappointed with it and got a refund. You need more than nice looking trains to have a good simulation experience. Truth was I didn't even get nice looking trains by the time I had to turn down all the graphics options.
     
  16. mattdsoares

    mattdsoares Well-Known Member

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    Haha, I have both. I actually got into TS through TSW which I had first. But yea...shiny graphics and the timetables are the only reason I would play TSW as it is right now. It's not bad by any stretch...but as a young product can't compete with the breadth of TS due to the maturity and age of the platform with all its routes. I will say as a newbie, TSW was faaaaar easier to come to grips with than TS, which is going to be appealing to a lot of people.
     
  17. mattdsoares

    mattdsoares Well-Known Member

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    Really? You can't think of ANY reason. You're being disingenuous. For starters, maybe I like console gaming...it's the only train simulator for consoles. There's one HUGE reason right there.
     
  18. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    That's weird. UE4 is far more forgiving with older PCs. While I can run both with everything maxxed out, I got higher frame rates in TSW... I say did, because I don't use it any more... kind of did everything then got fed up with the slow trickle of DLC from DTG, and absolutely none from 3rd parties.

    Interestingly, someone worked out how much you'd need to spend to get every piece of payware DLC for Train Simulator, and it was over £10,000 LOL (I've not confirmed that BTW)... then you have the freeware stuff. You'd not live long enough to use it all even of you could afford it.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2020
  19. mattdsoares

    mattdsoares Well-Known Member

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    Yea, the 10,000 number likes to get thrown around once a year by -insert gaming blog here- and laughed at, but it's really pretty disingenuous considering no one in their right mind would every buy every piece of addon at full price, plus the fact that certain packs get you multiple dlcs so you would never repurchase something IRL.
     
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  20. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    No one said they would:The point is choice... and plenty of it.
     
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  21. IronBladder

    IronBladder Well-Known Member

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    Yes your right about that, but consoles are dead to me as I don't have one.
     
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  22. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    It has been used as a stick to beat DTG with. For years people have been saying you need every DLC and it costs X amount. On the old old steam forums it was so regular a topic there was a post pinned explaining to people they didn't to buy every DLC to use the sim and you could just use what you want. Yes there is a lot of DLC but it is variety.

    I have seen Reddit posts in a similar vein.

    I don't know of people really believe it or it is a way of criticising DTG and they knew all along they were spouting nonsense!
     
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  23. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    What?? Where in any post I've made in this thread have I said that you need all the DLC? I'm just saying that you have a VAST choice of DLC compared to TSW's meagre offerings and equally bleak future offerings... nothing more.


    Which is the point I was making.Did you not read my post? Please read post #20


    Why would saying that you would need ten grand to buy all the DLC available for TS be a criticism? LOL... it's a GOOD thing. NO one's saying you have to buy it all... I'm saying "Look... look how much DLC there is!"

    I have no idea why you are saying the things you are saying.
     
  24. Cat

    Cat Well-Known Member

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    The price of all the TS dlc has been a favourite topic of bored gamers on the Steam forum who own 200+ games. Some understand when it is explained but most cannot grasp the concept no matter how well it is explained to them.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2020
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  25. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    I know... much better to have like 20 routes available rather than hundreds... right? ;)
     
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  26. Cat

    Cat Well-Known Member

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    Pookeyhead, if I am correct I think theorganist was referring to the many threads on the Steam forum by those who don't have TS and are incredulous at the cost of all the TS dlc. See my post 24.
     
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  27. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Hmmm... maybe he did.. unreserved apologies to him if that was the case.
     
  28. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I was indeed. It wasn't aimed at you at all. I know you weren't criticising, I was adding some historical context.

    No need to apologise it is easy to miss nuances reading text on the screen, I probably should have worded it less clumsily.

    Even when there was only £1,000 worth of DLC people were using it as a criticism, saying it was the most expensive game to play ignoring the fact that you don't have to purchase everything.
     
  29. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, sorry... just so used to people moaning about how much DLC you "need" for Train Sim. Once you have just a few DTG routes in your Steam library, you can spend weeks playing all the free stuff available.. especially Workshop stuff.
     
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  30. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    I know, I am completely with you there.

    I have bought a lot of DLC, a lot during sales but there are some I have barely used and to be honest could done without it. For example the SWML route from Southampton to Bournemouth, I did one run on it and uninstalled it! Ten years ago I probably would have spend a lot more time on it as I had less DLC. I remember when the Glasgow Airport Rail link came out, it was only short and came with just the class 380 but I spent a lot of time on it back then. For me some older routes are much enduring like the Weardale route and London to Brighton, both Riviera lines and even the Falmouth branch.
     
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  31. shearer69

    shearer69 New Member

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    I think the worst thing is you like a route, then buy it only to find you need numerous other DLC for it to run so becomes more expensive as they don't all come complete more buying 3rd party payware, not everyone knows how to make there own, a llot of the so called tutorials on utube are showing off there route than how they made it step by step
     
  32. 749006

    749006 Well-Known Member

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    No you don't
    Every route that comes from DTG does not need any extra DLC
    It comes with all the locos/coaches wagons etc you need to run the scenarios.

    If you decide to download extra scenarios that need extra DLC that is Your Choice
     
  33. shearer69

    shearer69 New Member

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    I was refering to 3rd party not DTG, which often require a load of AP and other payware
     
  34. 749006

    749006 Well-Known Member

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    That depends on how realistic you want your scenarios to be.

    Think of the Newcastle to Edinburgh route from Just Trains
    It comes with Default Scenarios that use reskins of the EL&AP stock
    The HSTs are ok but the Northern and Scotrail services are Class 166 dmus - none of which have been further north of Oxford.

    So you either have correct trains in a scenario or you have to make do with an alternative.
    You don't have to use AP versions if others are available from DTG

    Peter
     

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