I think DTG hates even numbers TSW 2020 = Perfect TSW 2 = Not Perfect TSW 3 = Absolutely Perfect TSW 4 = Absolutely Not Perfect I can see a pattern here.
Another one? Is there going to be a conspiracy theory for every small thing? I would argue that none of the tsw titles were perfect. Each had large amounts of issues and bugs at launch.
TSW 2020 Broken! TSW 2 Broken! TSW 3 Broken! TSW 4 Broken! Can't call any of the games perfect considering a new version was launched while the previous game was broken! Only 2020 was actually fixed (broken achievement was fixed) but all the other games are still broken (2 & 3 both abandoned with broken achievements/trophies) the broken achievements are still broken in 4 and will most likely still be broken when 5 launches next year!
Lol TSW3 absolutely perfect? Everything single US DLC release for it has some sort of issues aside from maybe the Acela.
TSW3 perfect…? I think not. Arbitrarily pulling the save game rather than fixing before release, allowing SoS to carry forward its known bugs from TSW2 to list just two. A new route consisting largely of tunnels, Cajon done before in various sims and the recycled SEHS did not exactly stoke the fires either.
Aside from all the obvious more important problems I think we should just get rid of the numbers and have it simply be known as Train Sim World like when it first released. In 3 years time we’ll be saying TSW 7 and that rubs me the wrong way.
+1. Sooner or later the strategy to release first digit upgrades as new games won't pay out anymore. This system works for some software applications on the market, but not on that update frequency. Releasing about 10 different games in 8 years doesn't make Train Sim World a game anymore, rather than a franchise. And many people who want to invest in a game want a solid game but not an ever growing franchise.
That was extactly RSC/DTG founder Paul Jackson's philosophy. He's not in charge anymore. Posted that previously, but here it is again.
Going after that theory, TSW 5 will literally be a game changer and blow all our minds. Doubt that will happen unless they port TSW to UE5 + if they going to sell an update as new game again, they high probably can expect an equal sh!tstorm in the forum and Steam for it as it was with TSW4.
It’s all to make you buy TSW5 next year. Then, to lull us into a false sense of security, the following year’s release will be TSW2025. Mwah hah hah!
Naming each new version of TSW with the next number implies that each version will be significantly different than the previous one. From what I can see, TSW4 is not really different from 3, except for promising new features, most of which still haven’t even been made available for TSW4. Makes you wonder if these rushed releases every year are a cash grab so DTG can stay afloat and keep going all the while seemingly having little interest in the community feedback with the exception of a few specific scenarios. Like releasing a mess of an update that breaks way more than it fixes, only to have to release an update to the update.
I also like the third sentence: While the PC Editor in the Beta is released, it's still hard to create content as sufficient to make it able to be sold. Also beside that, there is no marketplace from DTG where something like this could ever happen. You could create your own route or loco but nowhere it is stated that this could be meant for a commercial purpose.
Yes, TSW wasn't around back then (they had probably just started TSW development around that time), but TSC's editors were/are easy to use (though not developed by DTG but by Kuju (MSTS devs) and freeware / 3rd party payware already started appearing in 2010 iirc. I've turned away from the TSW editor, it's not accessible, you're spending too much time figuring out how to achieve something, whereas in TSC you can instantly switch between game and editor mode, start with a flat landscape and lay track within a matter of seconds. Creating a simple scenario only takes minutes and is instantly playable and distributable. - TSC editor: tailor made and created from scratch by the game devs themselves, released with the first patch to Kuju Rail Simulator. Very stable currently (I'm running the latest TSC beta, which greatly improved the core by a multi-step recompilation to the latest VisualC++ code.) - ETS2 editor: same, just needs starting the game exe with -edit parameter - TSW editor: modified FPS engine editor not created but bent to their needs by DTG. Overly complex and unstable. Reason why TSW routes are shorter than TSC - you need much more development time to achieve the same route complexity. (And TSW routes are NOT more complex or detailed than TSC's in general)
I think it's not only about the ease of use and the dedication of time and nerves to get into learning the tools and mechanisms of the Unreal Editor. A big issue is missing, limited or broken functionality. Features like cooking or more DTG assets. Learning takes time, but in the end it's important whether all of the work and pain to learn and create makes sense and either A. gives me the thing that I wanted to create for my personal use or B. a way to have a financial benefit of it. However, none of these two premises is given with the current Editor and if DTG does not change anything about this soon they can expect almost noone to complete a project and thus makes the purpose of the editor (with that a big pro for investing in the TSW franchise anymore) close-to useless.
And that's the problem. Many people bought TSC because of DLC, be it from DTG or other devs, DTG were always benefitting. TSW had to expand their market to consoles - and look what happened. Reading the reports, it's just not working properly on consoles.
That was actually my point. That it is not possible for the "simple creator" to do with a percentage going to Dovetail for example. Don't know the guidelines exactly, but to count as a 3rd party, you probably have to be a legally registered software publisher. And this is a big con for the editor and probably why people don't want to spend much more time with it.
Biggest thing is you cannot modify existing routes, only add a layer onto it. TSC has lots of fan-made improvements and completely reworked routes (Ruhr-Sieg, Cajon Pass, Donner Pass, Marias Pass, Pacific Surfliner) on workshop and other sites available. It supports creativity. In TSW I cannot move a misplaced asset myself, instead having to wait for years for DTG to eventually fix it. I was disgusted with what happened to RRO in TSW4. And now it seems due to PC Editor compatibility, mods have issues loading. Funnily, we are getting a "WindowsNoEditor" game version which is modified to support the editor, resulting in more problems. Ask me, we're getting to a point where DTG will have to start from scratch again because they have already run too far into a cul-de-sac. No backward compatibility, new UE5 project "TS3Prototype". Which will then really be a new game, not TSW2020-TSW4 which are just different builds based on the same CSX:Heavy Haul project.
For the questions they asked to eventually be attended in the upcoming November roadmap stream on Nov 9th, I asked them about the capability and conditions of the latter, adding a layer. https://dovetailgames.freshdesk.com...itor-beta-faq#Can-you-modify-existing-routes? They stated that we can add scenery due to the "scenery overlay system" but nowhere is explained in detail how this is done. What about the cross overs between the base map and the layer (which for sure needs to be adapted to match with each other at some point). Also regarding the locos, they stated they wanted to release a documentation to how much extent we can modify a copy of an existing train, but this documentation is still missing.
Scenery layer is what it says. Think of it as a transparent plane where you place your assets on. They will merge with the existing route - only adding but not moving or removing existing content. This is nice for scenarios (TSC's scenario editor uses this method too, storing tile modifications in the scenario's folder, so you can add static scenery, locos, people, animals etc. that are scenario-specific)
That's good to know about the "vertical" layer! However, what I wanted to ask them for is about how are the conditions of a "horizontal" layer, a map extension for example. And speaking about the cross overs, How would it work with the tracks for example? How do I connect a railroad of a map extension with the railroads of the base map to make a train drive seamlessly? Is this possible without any problems? Is it even possible to extend routes by maps like that with the Editor or is it only meant to place assets on top of the base map as you stated?
Not a single version of TSW has been perfect. I would say overall, TSW is average at best with 3 and 4 being much poorer compared to earlier versions.
TSW 4 is crashing and burning. Every fix so far (which barely scratches the surface of the feedback given) has broken it even more. I haven’t played it for a while. The next time will be when I get the Just Trains Blackpool route. It’s just not fun with all the issues TSW 4 has.
Yeah, I'm kind of losing interest in it now. I'm just hoping the Blackpool route will be the start of change.
You can extend your own routes. In this thread, matt answered. https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/is-modular-route-building-possible.75501/
Blackpool will be my one and only TSW purchase for the time being, but that is mainly to support the blood, sweat and tears the JT team have poured into it. I had originally planned to add a couple of missing routes to my collection in the Nov and Xmas Steam sales but just can’t bring myself to do so. Routes like Linke Rheinstrecke which still have unfixed issues I can probably live without.
All I really want to do is drive the Pacer, and see for myself all the effort that went into the route.
My personal opinion: Your conspiracy theory is total dog poo. It's just a theory and dtg have worked very hard on every game they've made. So far for me, tsw4 has to be the best iteration of the franchise. And tsw2 isn't that bad ethier. There is no pattern and I'm pretty sure that dtg don't care whether the game number is even or odd. "Folks, we're going to start work on a new game! Right, try and rush this. Don't worry about quality, it's an even number". *Rolls eyes*. What conversations do you think go on in there??!! Jeez.
It's also just a theory that DTG had worked very hard on every game they made. There's definitely something very odd about this company. Just spend a little time reading the Fishing forums, especially Technical Support and you'll change your mind. (I've just reinstalled Euro Fishing to find that it doesn't save my game, I'm not alone, and DTG pretend they're "looking into it" for months... there's a lot of lying from their side, there's no other way to call it.)
they undoubtedly have issues, TSW 3 definitely has Xbox Z-Fighting for one and the original will have stuff, I just don’t recall it too much. they’re not awful just definitely not perfect a similar way.
(MY OPINION) TSW2020 - Perfect TSW2 - Meh, Alright I Guess TSW3 - Not Much Tbh, New Lighting, And Uhh, That's About it? TSW4 - Fairly Decent, Better Than What TSW3 offered
this sort of reminds me of windows version numbers a good release followed by bad then good (XP, Vista, 7,8,10 ect)
Quick run down in my perspective. TSW1: we need to start somewhere TSW2: Reformed but flawed TSW3: Skies TSW4: TSW3 but needed a new game for Fog
Lol not too far off IMO. I personally think TSW4 has added much more than 3 ever did just due to free roam. I think in a non-pandemic timeline, we'd have gotten what is now TSW4 as the 3rd iteration, and TSW3 would never have existed.
New features is all good but the jump between 1&2 rather than 2&3 or 3&4 seemed more justified IMO, if anything it says why TSC has it better sorted for that kind of thing. edit: another issue I kinda think for TSW4 is console players got to pay an equal price for unequal treatment for the development time that went into bringing in the editor.