Dovetail Games Mattel’s Thomas & Friends™ Is Coming To Train Sim World!

It would have been a great April fool joke. But this isn’t a joke it’s for real.

I hope DTG read the forums as this thread will soon become the longest in the history of the game. DTG please back down and withdraw this pending release, put it elsewhere but not in TSW, before you get a reputation similar to how many feel about Rivet.

The reaction to this grand reveal says it all. Thomas and friends is not for TSW.

 

Can’t believe all the negative comments. I’m delighted with this one. I only wish Ringo the conductor was included. And in answer to one of the comments above, TSW is very naturally a game that would attract children. In my very younger days I had a train set. So I think Thomas the Tank Engine is a good addition. I just hope the price is reasonable.

 

What can’t you believe about them? But yeah Thomas was a lot of peoples starting point, but it doesn’t belong im tsw

 

"This is a local train sim for local people! We'll have no Thomas here!"

 

I hadn’t thought of this. I agree. I hope it does mean we’ll see more steam routes.

 

But Dovetail figured, and is right that, many of the players have children. So it’s not really that much of a surprise. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy it. But I think it’s delightful.

 

why not? It’s a good marketing move. I mean, did people complain about the Christmas add-on a couple of years ago?

 

Because that add on wasn’t hyped up as much as this big reveal

 

Yes

 

Lol

 

As others have said, a standalone spin off game using the TSW/UE4 engine with the Isle Of Sodor fully represented would have been the way to go about this. Not what amounts to a content pack being billed as a massive innovation coming to the game.

 

Just as a correction (sorry). Ringo was the narrator, not the conductor. I believe George Carlin (what a great/strange choice) was a different character called The Conductor in the American version.

 

But that could be a cool guard mode thing.

 

There are 'Thomas' events all around the country at different heritage railways.Just think of it as another type of steam gala for tsw and move on...I understand the anger at the let down of the "Big reveal" but considering what else has been shown this month the overall event has been positive in my eyes.

 

This shouldn't of been the big reveal. Release next year that's fine. Should've been announced at a later date. Not as the big reveal after everything else... massively disappointed and considering I don't yet have TSW5 this has put me off even more from getting it...

 

Originally in the US Thomas the Tank Engine episodes were broadcast in a longer framing show called Shining Time Station. Ringo Starr played Mr. Conductor in the first series and was replaced by George Carlin for subsequent series.

 

I think their roles were about the same. And this picture seems to indicate Ringo was a conductor.

 

When will we get the Barby and Ken Train.

 

It would still take Harry Potter Hogwarts Express ......
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Desperate people do desperate things

 

So this is like a December Fools thing right?
They gotta give us something on 24th
TSW is not for 3 year olds!!!

 

Wait, you don’t have TSW5 yet but you’re complaining about something you don’t have and may not likely get?

 

Are this the news that you wanted to share with community for some time? Really?
It is fun, guess some enthusiasts will enjoy it but... Really...?

 

At least if they had done Hogwarts, we might have got a Hall Class GWR steam loco in its undisguised shape...

 

Yeah when’s the polar express and hogwarts express coming

 

Guys, the glass is always half full: this collab with Mattel will bring a lot of visibility. I bet it'll sell pretty well, clearly attracting a child audience! The more it sells, the more money will come in. The more money comes in, the more content can be brought to TSW! Even in the cars world it's often necessary to create some real junk, just to finance that extraordinary model! It's called self-financing!

West Highland North? (Glenfinnan Viaduct?) That would be enough... After all, it's just Harry Potter, right?

 

Sounds like a Ponzi scheme

 

This is kind of exactly what I meant--people who aren't interested themselves needing to claim that "most/all of the people who actively follow the game have zero interest", when they have no idea. Nor is this a sign of the game's downfall; there are currently 114 downloads available on Steam, and only one other, the Holiday Express, isn't strictly a sim (unless I'm forgetting something). This will be two out of 115+.

DTG has reason to believe that this will be worth it. It's always possible that they will be wrong in the end, but as it stands now, the performative aneurysms we're seeing on the forum have nothing to do with the majority or with reality.

 

I'm obviously just making a guess here, but given that they have tried/are trying other standalone games (e.g. Catan, two trams), which tend to be greatly hyped up front and then quickly all but disappear from sight, maybe DTG decided that the much smaller commitment of a drop-in DLC was less risky.

 

Possibly then followed by the spin off game. I mean for all we know, they could already be working on the route and some more loco/stock assets. They aren't going to get the licence for a high profile franchise like that and just leave it at one small DLC for WSR. IMHO anyway.

 

Just to expand on my earlier posting - I have no problem with DTG releasing a Thomas train set. As some have pointed out it is just one DLC after all and will probably be a winner for DTG. My beef was that we all waited for 'the big reveal' and it was a real let down. The learning point for me here is don't believe all the hype. The reveals have mostly been progress updates so I was hoping for something really good for the big reveal but this was a huge disappointment. As I said in my original posting this should have been an earlier reveal but what's done is done. This will all soon die down and hopefully we can look forward to some genuinely exciting reveals in future roadmaps. PS If it had been the island of Sodor then even an old crusty like me might have been more excited but an addon to what is to be honest a bit of a dull route is underwhelming to say the least.

 

Lmaooo ahaahaaa..This is your big reveal?? This is comical, dovefail at its best! Oh yea nice that the US only have one dlc of a loco(not counting that metrolink holiday train) and no new route. But this???lmao Hilllaaarrriooouusssss!!!!

 

The fact we are getting a Thomas DLC doesn't bother me. What bothers me more is that they tried to build hype for a 'Big reveal' then when that day comes, we get this. I'd have much rather had the Thomas DLC chucked in as a Bonus reveal than the 'Big one'

 

I'm sure that's their hope, although I'm also sure they'd have an out if it utterly bombs.

On the plus side, I saw this quote from you while catching up:

So you certainly got your wish!

 

At 2pm today DTG totally downgraded the value of TSW!

 

Poor Thomas.

This reminds me of all the negativity Ed Sheeran got for making a Cameo appearance in Game of Thrones. It’s kind of similar here with Thomas. “How dare he appear in TSW”..

I don’t mind it. I think he will be fun. I’m more curious to see how easy he is to drive.

 

It will be ironic if it drives like a one- handled electrostar.

 

Sorry, out of everything I've read in this thread, the ability of DTG to fix things that have faults has to be one of the funniest claims I have ever read.

 

This is class. I stopped playing TSW after 4 was announced and still don't want to come back, but I love the idea of a Thomas DLC and I would have killed for a game like it on the PS2 or the like back in the day

 

Two of the biggest issues this community has, collided today.

1. Whipping each other up into a frenzy over Deltics, 91's, UE4 core upgrages, return of steam etc etc was never going to end well for 90% of frothers who got their hyped expectations up.

2. Some here seem to think TSW is a study level train simulation, one step away from actually being a driver, and as such, should be very very serious...

The reveal IS a big deal. Mattell don't give up their licences to such a prestigious brand so lightly, it's a coup for Dovetail and they should be congratulated, not lambasted by those who didn't get what they wanted for Christmas.
Some of you also have to temper expectations of what an arcadey sim can do. TSW is a simulator, it simulates what it looks like from the cab of a loco, not so much what it is like to drive one.
The odd arguments that "this is a serious simulator and Thomas has no place in it" is ridiculous.

For those saying that DTG shouldn't have made a big teaser about this reveal have only themselves to blame for their disappointment.

 

Here's something to mull over:

Thomas the Tank Engine is a steam train, TSW lacks these.

Many young kids (and any adult fans such as myself) will likely see it, want it, and buy it (or get parents to).

Thus, a reignited interest in steam across the TSW playerbase. Which may eventually lead to more steam, better physics, manual firing etc.

Its a positive. Gauging interest in a particular type of traction (which they may or may not continue developing), while also increasing the player base. Win-win for DTG.

 

I vanted orange. It gave me lemon-lime.

 

It's a little wired to add Thomas into Train Sim World but hope Thomas has a revised and improve Steam Loco simulation physics and animation. This is a good DLC for kids to play in Train Sim World and simulates the real life Day out With Thomas events and they should introduce family and kids passengers in this DLC.

 

But can anyone really believe that they are going to revise and improve the physics of steam to build a toy train that is meant to be driven by children?

 

I'll wait for the Expert Version coming out.

 

Wonder if Thomas can be derailed

 

Stranger things have happened.

 

Also hope they check the passenger spawning on WSR. Mummy and Daddy are not going to be pleased when little Jimmy comes off the console or PC crying that Thomas just sliced someone in half at Blue Anchor.

 

[EDIT - Jan - Highly Inappropriate]

Honestly, the world of care bears at DTG is no longer possible.
Come on, I'm going to a real sim now (Railroads Online), I'm sick of your 40 euro bullshit.
I don't wish you a happy birthday, you just ruined mine.