We will once again be hosting our annual Year in Review Q&A. This will be on the 29th December hosted by myself and Matt. Traditionally we aim to cover a broad range of questions, answer as many as we can and no questions about the game are off limits. (within reason - nothing personal folks) If you have a burning question for the team, ask them below.
Why dont you fix such easy things like the signal errors? Why is the BR 101 for Munich-Augsburg still missing?
When are we going to see movement on fixing the game instead of making it worse? Checking trueachievements.com and the number of broken achievements for this game is going up instead of down!
How do the dev team feel this past year with TSW has gone? Did the Rush Hour project meet your expectations internally? Also: Any chance of a Spirit of Steam teaser screenshot in this stream?
Will you ever have a focus on layers or to sub trains on the right routes? Or add (more)AI on older routes [ACS64 on LIRR as AI]
will spirit of steam be like rush hour with a season ticket? because a season ticket will be great for spirit steam
When will issues with scenery (mostly trees) popping into view or not fully loading until the player approaches them, be addressed please as it really is a visually obvious problem. This has been an issue from the start and since then, new features have been added that take up more memory before this fundamental issue has been addressed, I would have thought this would have been a priority given how visually obvious and detrimental it is, surely fix the overriding issues first?
I can answer the BR 101 question. For one, memory. As we know the older consoles are already unable to handle the current layers and even PC seems to struggle performance wise. So adding more trains isn't yet possible without causing issues. Another thing is the lack of cab car for the IC coaches. This would mean we'd need two BR 101s and that's not done regularly. So there are too many issues sorted adding IC services to HMA
Do you plan on addressing some of the smaller issues in Rush Hour routes like Riesa - Dresden like Destination Boards on trains being broken. These issues still aren’t fixed and are a real annoyance to people who rely on smaller details to get proper immersion.
The new UI is just a mess in many places, especially the route selection screen makes no sense. For people like me who have all the routes basically, finding one is a challenge. Plans to revert it before the next century? Having the feeling that the preservation crew role/scope is shifting away too much for its original purpose, which was updating older routes to a proper state. What are the plans for the preservation crew? We are not seeing a lot of updates lately for older routes, apart from adding new features. Which is great, but there are issues till there for years... Content sharing tools as a paid expansion? Are you OK? These should be part of the core game.
Why do we only see the headlights on a locomotive when a train gets really close to you? Why can’t they be seen from farther away like real life?
What about documentation progress ?? Except third developer all DLC route have no more guide, and the quick start TSW2 stay incomplete, it is difficult for new players and current specially for US routes without manual. Thanks.
When could we see more 3rd parties making dlc's for the game, always nice to see more and more people working on the game!
What are the difficulties in getting new liscences? In the case of German routes, we almost only have DB (and those two MRCE) locos in the game, they are getting boring. In Germany, there are private train operators everywhere!
What is the progress on all of the game breaking bugs, especially on Dresden and London routes. There are many smaller bugs as well I am curious on progress for.
Has the upgrade to UE 4.26 been as successful as you had hope? Everything seemed more stable and less bugged prior to the "big" update. Part 2 of that question, would it of been easier to of made tsw 2 rush hour a whole new game?
Will there ever be the possibility to have some routes that are not from the usual countries (Germany, UK and USA) but maybe include countries like Italy, Scandinavian countries, Holland, etc... obviously also countries outside Europe? Maybe also countries already seen on TS like Switzerland, Austria, France, and have some more routes for these countries.
I have a fair few questions, I'll just throw them all here: Are you satisfied with the *overall* state of the game? I.e. the state of routes on average, the bugs on the average, etc. What are the main takeaways (for Dovetail) from 2021? Looking Forward: What are the long term aims for the game? What should be done better (imo, bug fixes are a good shout), and how will they be done? Thanks.
Dejavu.... My own are as follows please what is happening with dioramas now? It's gone quiet (bands, kids, case, buggies, beggars, musicians) Will we see more moving background scenery (diggers finally animated in places) More ambient moving life Biggest success of 21 for the DTG crew Tsw2 vision for 22 - where will our cash be driving us now? Are there more developers now in discussions to come on board? Third party development updates to routes (Class 150, Cornwall improvements). Multiplayer, any news - I need someone on the back of my 1.6 mile freight train When will the next DTG survey be released so we can vote on VR again. Will we start to see additional pc scalability options Any news on the map upgrade When will we start to get route mergers? Are route prices going up to allow more development time for branches or end to end functionality? Thank you.
Comparing now to when TSW2 first launched, is the size of the DTG development team larger or smaller now? How much of the money generated goes towards expanding the team and trying to get more people working on developing the game? What do you think to the modding tools available to PC players, and does it make you consider how some of these could be official so they can be used by console players? How likely is it that locos and routes will be separated in the future so locos can have only one best ediiton that works on any route it makes sense on, without multiple versions of the same loco, or requiring certain routes to be owned before loco DLC will work (DLC for DLC)
What is the current status of the fix for the PS5 64GB limit? Are we looking at a timescale of weeks or months (or years)? What is the status of a potential fix for the pixilated liveries coming out of the livery designer on Playstation? Is this being worked on or do more pressing issues mean that this won't be worked on in the near future? There seems to be a distinct lack of DTG-produced loco DLCs on the roadmap. Are you abandoning the model of loco DLCs or is this just a consequence of how things happen to line up in the release cycle?
I have a few questions for the team: What is the best way for the community to reach out if they want to assist DTG with photos, audio, and information to be used as references by the devs? Have there been any companies that have refused to let DTG use their licenses? Will there be another DTG survey coming out soon to see what core features the player base would really like to see in the game? (Multiplayer, VR, etc.) Will we see more third party developers introduced in 2022? DLC specific one here, why didn’t the DB BR 101 come with the IC cab car? Why haven’t we seen more underground metro style routes such as the systems in New York, Toronto, London, Moscow, etc in TSW 2? Is there not enough demand from the player base for it? Or is it just not a primary focus by the team at the moment? Thank you and happy holidays to everyone at DTG!
What’s up Matt!! Any chance we could see extra CSX routes and locos in the game next year? Can we know more about Scenario planner 2.0 and Livery Designer 2.0? Have a good New Years Matt and stay lit my homie.
Two from me; We're now seeing more 3rd parties releasing DLCs for the game - what are the requirements for becoming a 3rd party developer (do they need, for example, a portfolio of stuff made in TS1), or can anyone get in contact and be taken on board? Last year Matt said that one of the great things about the roadmap is that if a player sees their local line on it (for example), then they could get in contact and offer assistance in, for example, getting references. Now DLCs are put on the roadmap much later in the development cycle and (in the case of Sherman Hill) sometimes go into the incorrect category, has this aspect been lost?
Will we see platform enhancing features in future routes, or added to existing ones as part of the preserved crew work. For example, working OFF indicators, and ‘close door’ and ‘right away’ boxes on starter signals. Would really add to the immersion in London Victoria or Glasgow Central, for example.
Copied from the other thread (and expanded), then: 1. Tangible info re Spirit Of Steam - route(s), loco(s), when? 2. Where do we stand on Scenario Editor 2.0? What extra features will it bring - consist editor, subsequent trains can be spawned at entry points. Sharing. 3. A robust overhaul of QA and snagging during 2022, including products offered up by third parties such as Rivet. 3a. What the plans are to address the existing poor quality items, particularly Rivet products. 4. Address increasing calls for route merging where we now have several routes in game which abut on each other. Route extensions are also high on the suggestion list, GWE to Oxford or Swindon, TVL to Boulby and Bishop Auckland, NTP to Liverpool or York/Newcastle. There’s probably more issues I would like to see a briefing on but they will do as a start.
I have quite a few questions. DLC Specific --Class 313, any news on physics and DSD? -- NEC, BML and BRD, wasn't a second update supposed to come to all of the RH routes? General --There are some issues with ATC and ACSES, as well as CSS (or CCS?), is there a common problem with continuous safety systems? Could this hold back a possible ETCS implementation? --Do you think that after the release of the ""DLC Add-on max size workaround"" for PS the game has more or less come back to a good enough state after the 4.26 release, or are there any other "high-priority" fixes that you are working on? --What are the chances/timeframe of seeing HOTAS (or any other external controller) support? For both PC and Console --Is the expansion pack another "experiment" like DLoGW, and if it sells well will we see similar packs being made? --Is there the possibility of this game being a play anywhere title on the Microsoft Shop? (this interests me greatly as I am hopefully going to move to PC soon-ish). Is it even your decision or does MS have a say in these sort of things? --Honestly, did you expect so much backlash for the removal of Achievements/Trophies for future releases?
Is there any update on the lack of Trophies in the new Routes for the PlayStation? I’d like to get the new Cornwall route but because I’m shallow and need to have small digital rewards, I’m holding off for now. I can’t be the only one who feels this way!
Is there a ÖBB Route in Planning? I have a good Idea For an ÖBB Route. The Route from Gänserndorf via. The Stammstrecke to Mödling and the Line to the Airport. For more information you can Look to my Thread named "S Bahn Wien Gänserndorf-Mödling-Flughafen Wien (english)". And this Route is in my Heart. With all of the anouncments the Route itself and the trains that operate. It will BE my Biggest Dream ever come true adding this Route to the Game I Hope you Like my Route idea
Will we see more underground lines in the future in TSW2? And will we be able to see a railway line from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia and other Eastern European countries in the future?
Two questions if I may: Are more animated bogies for the locos a possibility in the future? Or is it an impossibility in the engine? I am talking specifically of bogie suspension movement over jointed track for example. I hope referencing another piece of software is allowed but Diesel Railcar simulator does this very well. Also approach signalling for diverging routes and speed reductions on future British routes and Brighton Main Line. So that speed reductions don't come out of nowhere. I know in the past this has been passed off as know your routes better but I think it should be closer to reality in this regard. Is this something that is being looked at? Thank you very much. Cheers Graham
Why is it not possible to release Pres Crew updates/fixes within a week or so of Adam's team having finished them? Why are we still waiting for jobs done last spring to be released? Is any work being done on repairing the completely bollixed in-cab signaling on US routes? So far NEC/NY, LIRR, NEC/BP and Sherman Hill: all broken. And I can't see MN Harlem being released (other than to catcalls and brickbats) without this being addressed Manuals: have lurked at the bottom of the Roadmap for months, but is anything actually being done?
Another question please: I tried asking this in last times roadmap stream but was told it was not the right place to ask the question. I hope here is. Matt specifically mentioned that the Class 313s physics would be looked at because it was a little lively in acceleration and the rheostatic brake was too powerful. Is this still being looked in to? Thanks.
Why was the GWE ignored for so long and how long do we have to wait to get it updated and when will the RD update come, I'd love to buy more stuff in TSW2 but am not doing so untill I get RD support for the GWE to justify my older purchases. With all the problems caused and still not fixed in the 4.26 update and the Rush Hour update I wonder do you have some sort of time frame when they will be fixed or hope no-ones notices you have dropped the fixes? Will DTG start prioritising fixes to make the game more stable and help DTG to release more DLC, surely a more stable game will make releasing DLC easier and easier to fix no? Whose decision was it to release the share liveries and charge people for doing so but only heavily censored content? It is totally un-necessary and licences are not affected even though I suspect you are going to say they are. And then on top of this you are going to charge for it? Have DTG been speaking to EA and Bethesda?
Are there any plans to make alt-livery spawns selectable? I'm tired of seeing Clinchfield locos on SPG etetera
Will DTG ever fix the pathing on Clinchfield, so that northbounds use the mainline and aren't switched over to the 15 mph sidings?
Hello, I have played your game on console for awhile and I adore it very much. However I am curious, will we ever get a Siemens Vectron Add-On, if so if you can tell us when? It'd be very much appreciated as it is a locomotive my dear aunt showed me. I'd really love it and would pay money for it. If you read this I am very thankful, if not still many thanks for the beautiful game you have brought on Console.
I have a few questions so I'll ask them here. 1.Will there be any more electrified British routes such as WCML or the Midland Mainline? 2. Will there be anymore TFL routes such as another tube line, overground or the GAML? 3. What are the possibilities of TS content in TSW2, like a reimagined route or some locos? Those are my questions, have a nice day.
Ignore this if the "creators club" ends up being free. Forgive me for donning a tin foil hat, but with the announcement today (as I write this) of the creator's club, which will be included in a gameplay add-on, is this the start of us having to pay to use some new game features?
Will/when will you branch out to other countries that have never been featured in the sim? Places like Japan or asia as a whole, Eastern Europe, Australasia etc.
Hello! Despite the issues of UE and Rush Hour it’s a good game. 1 Rapid Transit Talent still runs in PZB mode U, 105 km/h. When will it be changed to O? 2 When do we see a fix for the DB BR 187 on the sound and the AFB making full power though throttle is notch 1, making wheel slip? Would like Skyhook to fill in there. PS I just love the British Class 101!
Is there any progress in making BRD more stable and less crashing? Is there more modern British diesel routes being talked about? Is there a chance that you could delay releasing a route of its not up to scratch? Dynamic weather. We will see dynamic weather coming to service mode?
Few Questions from me; 1 - Once a DLC gets released, and we report issues on it, why does it take so long to progress through Bug fixes? Some we see happening Months down the Line [many we have yet to even see that they have been acknowledged]. Is it not possible to focus ALL attention on making sure each DLC released is at top notch for current and future customers? The way you seem to be going will result in a complete mess such as TS20xx is. You need to be getting on top of it before the Catalogue increases. 2 - On a Livestream for the West Cornwall Local, it was said one major factor the release was pushed back was due to the Safety Systems not working as intended, and Matt said that this to him "is a reason to not release it", so my question is, why was Sherman Hill released when the Safety Systems don't work as intended? 3 - When is the TrackIR issue while facing West on Foot going to be fixed? 4 - Can we see future updates on the Layers to increase Traffic. Also are there future plans to add more separate Layers as Traffic rather than a "random chance to replace a current Service". Some Routes are a ghost town, even with Layers due to this. 5 - Can Signalling be coded as actual Signals instead of a "Script style", as this would increase enjoyment and Freedom through Freight Routes, and add endless possibilities. Apart from irritating issues that are forever growing, I am enjoying the experience more than TS20xx as it's more up my alley.
