I've been looking at some USA DLC that I want to buy but some are only available in the USA for example, Arizona Divide has regular branding in the USA, but since I live outside of the USA I would get the version without branding. And I can't get DLC like the SD70 V2 or the GP9 due to it only being available in the USA. Can anyone help with this?
You will have to wait. The content is restricted due to BNSF logos DTG announced on 08 Dec that BNSF Content is being released Worldwide https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/ts22-bnsf-routes-releasing-worldwide.49658/
To buy "US only" DLC you need a US bank account, credit card and IP address. I looked into it about 3 years ago it's not worth the effort especially now as it will be available in the ROW. We all have to be patient though I think that some indication of timing would be appreciated by all.
Of course, if you have a US IP address, you can be gifted content, which is why Valve makes a point of saying people who are caught faking their IP address to take advantage of regional restrictions will be banned and lose everything.
I am certainly not encouraging anyone to fake anything, as you say, the consequences are serious. I was merely explaining the possible route which in my opinion was and (certainly now) is not worth the effort. Jumping through hoops is a dogs life.
DTG is working on getting everything branded available to everyone it is just taking them some time to do it.
Let me get this straight. So, if you set up a VPN and establish a US account it is illegal to purchase US DTG specific content? Is that the case? I purchase US (and Chinese) items all the time via my VPN accounts - I pay GST/VAT on those items and pay in AUD. (I hasten to add NO US DTG DLC – I am only interested in UK stuff). Is there a clause in the EULA? What would be the difference if you travelled to the US and purchased US-specific DLC in say a Walmart store – is that illegal. Or got your Granny to do it next time she went to a show on Broadway! The way that I see it - DTG due to the licensing terms agree not to sell branded US DLC in Britain/Europe via the official and other stores. But surely that should not stop an individual purchasing said item in the country of origin? It seems to be a farcical situation!! Whose and what laws are being broken?
I can confirm that, if you have legally acquired an unlock key for something without breaking the Steam TOS, you can use that DLC. I had codes for some US-only DLC and they are happily on my account because Steam allowed me to activate them as a Canadian on my profile. If that is an error, it's not my fault, it's Steam's. That said, some don't work; for instance, the ATSF SD45-2 (uses Cajon) and the F45 (uses Marias) will not activate, but the GP38, SD40-2 (both), SD75, and more activated with no issue, plus a couple others I'm forgetting. I also had TS2012 on my account, giving me Cajon and the three fictional routes in official (non-Workshop) formats. In the same vein, I was able to unlock Marias but not Stevens before the restrictions were lifted.
Supposedly you could at one time have someone in the USA buy it for you via the Steam gifting system. But apparently, that is no longer possible?
Ok, just a question: 1. If I have a real friend in US, can that freind buy said dlc using their US credit card as a steam gift and then send that gift to me? I have friends abroad who were buying TS dlc as gifts to me before (though none of these were region-restricted content). So I wonder what would happen if it was a region restricted content.
I would think it wouldn't be allowed if region restricted. I bought anti virus programme in England and when I brought it back to Cyprus I couldn't download it. Because of region restrictions, all prices vary for items depending on where you live, some get cheaper others will pay more.
A few years ago I found Cajon Pass on Amazon and the code was accepted but I was never able to find Marias Pass although I tried very hard!
I have a contact who says otherwise. Normally, it should not happen, but some DLC allow it. And I have an idea what some of them might be because I had codes that worked for them. This contact was able to get things like the SD40-2, the SD75, and others as gifts. The same ones I unlocked.
Michael I agree with Cyclone on this. Like many simmers I purchased many US routes before the licensing debacle - I can still play those routes install and reinstall them via my Steam DLC with no problems. The GUID numbers are exactly the same as those now only sold in the US, so unless steam has a new security algorithm, you should be able to load any US route restricted or otherwise. Is this in the Steam/DTG EULA - I have yet to find how the individual purchase/gift of a country restricted route relates to the individual simmer?
You cannot gift regional restricted content outside of the region it is allowed. If you manage somehow and Steam notices you could lose access to all your games.
Ah, this is interesting. I won't go into how I came upon some, but it serves as a good test for DLC which is already unlocking even with the restrictions on sale.
I got a Cajon Pass key on Amazon last year, and it worked due to the fact that this key was issued before the ban.
Torf Where is this stated? I could not find this statement in either of the DTG/Steam EULA statements.
I'm not really sure, it's just googling as I'm too lazy to read all the agreement stuff. Some say Steam bans people using VPNs to get restricted content, some say they don't. I'm not interested in trying.
What I spoke of is not VPN-related. I heard someone in the UK was able to receive a Steam gift from an American for a BNSF train. I'm not going to go into detail here, and I'm not going to suggest anyone is lying here because the person who told me mentions the trains I was able to open up are fairly similar to what he got.
Noticed that some us only content has been unlocked including the Pennsylvania Alco RS11 and a steam loco Also noticed that the SW1500 pack, GP9 pack and the BNSF sd70 pack v2 have prices but aren't able to be purchased yet. Would be nice to see Cajon pass unlocked Next
It would be nice to have all locked content being released at once, except for those which were unbranded and therefore need to be modified and checked.
Puzzled me as well particularly as I bought it via Steam and again through virtualRailroads (other way round actually IIRC), one of my favourite US locos and one of the very rare Alcos represented.
This is starting to give me the opinion that my gurss of BNSF content in Humble Bundle is probably happening...maybe they are unlocking for that, but why would they have prices and not be buyable yet? Hmm.
Maybe DTG does like they did with Marias and Stevens. Release them on the next sale Damn got those brilliant routes for 5 bucks each. You see they're not in it for the money...