Hi DTG developers, I don't see any information on the development of steam locomotives. Other train simulators will come out with these locomotives. What are the developments for you ?
Except that steam locomotives are actually on the roadmap. You can read more about the progress they're making in the monthly news articles we haven't had for... months...
Development continues but there's nothing notable to report, we're in the long phase of lots of difficult core technology being developed where there's surprisingly little code and lots of maths and scratching heads going on. Currently one engineer dedicated to doing this bit (as I say, it's not really a "lots of code" problem, its a "difficult code" problem and one (very clever) person is figuring the essentials, then we'll rope in others to flesh it out as he needs more hands and minds) and he's unaffected by Rush Hour. Once there are things to talk about, we will be very excited to talk about them - but right now, there isn't anything interesting to say or show i'm afraid! Matt.
I think many of us are all ears for anything that's happening for steam development. Just hearing this much is exciting because it's not just steam, it's steam through the simugraph's really eye-opening approach to simulation. Really looking forward to it.
Just curious - is there already some idea what the rollout steams will be? No need to tell us which, just interested if there's already some plan in that regard.
We've a good plan for rolling out steam, but we're not talking about it until we have a good idea of when it's going to be ready. Suffice to say we want to get this right so there's a sense of waiting until we're confident in what we're making. The original timeframe, not least for the behind the scenes articles took a back seat to the Unreal Engine upgrade - which, it was felt would help significantly in solving some of the steam-specific challenges.
Thank you TrainSim-Matt and DTG Protagonist for your explanations. That you confirm that you continue to work on the steam is reassuring. I hope we will have more news in the coming months.
When Rush Hour was announced, so was Spirit Of Steam. Will Spirit Of Steam, should it still happen, follow the model of Rush Hour, with a period of purely steam releases available in a season pass? Or will it be something else entirely?
It’s not just the loco’s with steam. There’s also period passengers and architecture involved. Will be nice to not have those irritating overhead wires and supports flickering away on screen.
Appreciate the updates from Matt and Protagonist. This thread shouldn’t turn into a wishlist but I would strongly counsel when steam does appear in TSW it is on a proper ideally period route, not 25 MPH trundling along a short preserved line.
Way, way too complex an engine to be the first essay into steam. Beginning pianists start on Bach chorales, not the Hammerklavier sonata. My guess is a replica of the 0-6-0 tank shunters that run right outside DTG's offices on the Chatham Dockyard Railway.
Mainline steam at speed would be a joy! There's a reason I suggested the Riviera line/South Devon mainline in the fifities, including the Exeter - Plymouth mainline, and the Preußische Ostbahn, where important German expresses reached top speeds . I would also love a route where either PRR locos or SP locos (the GS locos and Cab Forwards in particular) could reach speeds of 60 mph (100 km/h) or more . But perhaps it's smarter to start a new thread with a wishlist for the kind of content (or specific routes/locos) we want to see with Spirit of Steam.
That was not a very useful locomotive you know. However, please let us not get into that bit of internet discussion as opinions can get quite heated .
Unlikely as there are apparently horrendous licencing issues where Thomas is concerned. I believe some of the Trainz crowd fell foul of this some years ago. Thinking back to MSTS and their choice of Flying Scotsman, if it’s a main line UK loco needs to be something more everyday like a Black 5 or Standard 5 than a more unique design.
Perhaps some standard classes on the Somerset and Dorset would make sense as a first route, although that would not quite be where my interests are.
I suspect what will make the most sense as a first dip into steam is to have a route set in the BR steam/diesel crossover period that can make use of some of the existing heritage diesels available to maximise the locomotive variety. As mentioned above it would also make sense to model a widely used steam locomotive that can be deployed later across multiple routes. Late BR Western Region or anywhere that deployed Class 08/20/31/101 alongside the more common BR Standards would be my guess - steam and historical route building is already a lot of work without having to create literally every piece of rolling stock from scratch.
Not as the first steam loco, but TSW2 needs a Garratt on a South African Route (Clean Livery Mod is made by the Community )
I would totally agree with that, it surely HAS to be a case of 100% functionality over looks, because that thing is gross.
Personally I think Shays are worse, but purely due to the asymmetry. Like the Garratt and Mallet though, another case of function over form
i’m not really a steam person anyway but just like with everything else you guys do you have a good idea but you will not be talking about it until further notice.