Well now that Christmas is over and done with, time to start our annual list of resolutions for DTG going forward into 2025… Will kick off with the following: Should resolve to sort out the core particularly the degraded performance that has come with TSW5 and become worse since the latest patches. Should resolve how to divorce sound playback from the FPS issues. If you are really serious about Thomas, then should resolve to show fans of mature steam simulation some respect and fix up the existing steam simulation and dust off steam for future development, including expansion into Europe and North America. Should resolve to peel a few notes off the wad and sponsor Liam or similar to continue their work overhauling old routes and bringing them up to current standards. In particular adding sound reverb for bridges and tunnels. Resolve to work harder to fulfill the wish for more North American freight and vintage US stuff. Resolve to tread more carefully with third party associates where quality assurance is concerned. Please feel free to add anything I missed, prefixed with “Resolve to…”
To give East Coastway some love and maybe an extension to Hastings and Ore, plus correct the 4 year old typo of "Polgate" to Polegate on the platform destination boards. Otherwise I will have to start an "Enough is Enough East Coastway Edition" thread... since that is fashionable these days .
I think you made some valid points here, even if im sure tsw6 is already in production. I highly suggest dtg to go for big updates as we had with rush hour, and take a hard stop on messing up the core with further iterations. Its clear they cant even finish and deliver all released "new" features. This would give them space to sort out the nessecary points. Not adding any more to this list, but they should set priority on every single one of them.
Don’t tempt me - I’ll have an “Enough is Enough Class 91 Edition” thread up by the end of the day lol. Vern’s resolutions for DTG are good - but personally I think a new content drought is required while all teams work to fix existing bugs and ideally implement features consistently. Of course a company like DTG requires funding, but I can’t help but wonder if the money they’ll make from third party content + maybe some gameplay packs would cover it.
+1 this but I unfortunately think the rest is very unlikely….. unfortunately as whatever they do with the core it will break again next time a core change is made…. Just look at how many times the passengers have been ‘fixed’!
To resolve to fix any scenarios that still remain broken. To resolve to give us a UK Freight Loco that isn’t a class 66.
They need to choose different routes if they want to do "Part routes" I'm actually getting annoyed with having part routes and not the full line. It's okay in some circumstances but with no promises to extend to a terminus' such as the adderley edge to Crewe could've been done but they needed more time for development and the same with the mildmay line to willesden junction a shorter route would've been more appropriate. I'd rather get a full short route then just a part of the route it feels a bit of laziness or just to ambitious for competition.
My main resolution for them would be for them to resume to some level, production of steam content, even just one route every year or two and complete the work on SOS rather than leaving it feeling like a route on the verge of closure. Also work on the physics and fix the immersion breaking silent AI. I would love them to resolve to bring all pre TOD4 routes up to TOD4 standard. I don't have too many other major concerns although for those with performance issues I think that is the area they should (and I would hope) they are looking at. Passenger behaviour is another area I would like to see addressed.
To be fair the two routes you mention are both third party routes, although I agree with the premise. At least the ATS route has some self contained services.
In my opinion DTG need to make optimisation a priority - still having out of video memory errors and blurred textures on Gen 9 consoles is completely unacceptable. Completely agree but with a new and updated timetable too. I'd actually prefer to see older routes updated instead of newer routes for a bit as essentially it would almost be like a new route anyway.
Yes definitely with an updated timetable. I think of all the problems those having crashes on consoles should be the priority and I would imagine are as that is something which potentially could damage the sims reputation, not a Thomas add-on.
Stations priority for passengers. Route have stations from A to L: 90% of passengers disembarks at station A; other 10% at station B; 0,5 passengers embarks at station C; and disembarks at station D; from D to L train runs empty; platforms from E to L or fully empty, or no one interested in train(they just stands and looks at the doors). Is it OK, DTG? 1. Passengers on a train needs a high priority to disembark at big stations and low priority to disembark at small stations. 2. Passengers on a train should ignore stations A and B in terms of disembarking(cause there is no sense: they are starts from station A; they just can walk from station A to station B on foot). 3. Passengers on the platforms should have higher interest to embark the train, not just stands and looks on it.
Can't disagree with any of that. I would also add to resolve to deal with passenger behavior which is currently very amateurish. I would double down on steam traction and US freight whose absences are an abomination for any self- respecting train simulator. Just in general: We have proof that you can do very good work. Look at the improvements to routes like WCMLS and NY- Trenton. But please does it always have to be the second time around? Resolve to do a quality job right out of the gate and insist on that for your partners. Think what that would do for goodwill among fans, not to mention future sales.
Do you usually give other people New Years resolutions? You must be a blast at holiday parties. "YOU will quite smoking." "YOU will diet" "YOU will... wear something else. That's hideous." Seriously though, why not people answer for themselves what they will do in TSW in the new year? "I will learn finally play a German route" "I will finally get around to completing all the achievements on Blackpool" "I'll complete journey mode on Cajon Pass" etc.
Someone from DTG sees this it'll be a good idea what the community want from them. Here's a new year's resolution for you: stop with these posts which are clearly there to create conflict when there isn't any.
Thanks for the support. And to Mr Operator, chill out buddy it’s a bit of harmless fun but just trying to get the message across from paying customers.
Commit to making a serious effort to fixing the massive backlog of bugs - and I'd like to remind everyone in this thread that I'm compiling a list of all unfixed bugs - just click the link in my signature and comment in the thread.
Resolve to make a proper documentation for the editor so no more free projects have to suffer (to extinction) like FreddieTheShepherd 's Almtalbahn. Many of us were really looking forward to the first ever free community-built route.
It's just a restatement of other posts for the same thing "I want DTG to do X" A thread about YOUR plans for the new year is productive. That builds community. This is not. It's just the same things a hundred other threads said while pretending to be otherwise.
I second this. Free up budget for a major project to fix some long known bugs. Even if you only fix all the low hanging fruit.
Should resolve the issue with passengers. I was playing a Lioness line service and when I arrive at Queens Park, Stonebridge Park, Wembly Central and Harrow & Wealdstone, all passengers just dissappear from the train. They don't get off. They just dissappear. There are other issues such as passengers all getting off at the next station when leaving the terminal and passengers not getting on the train
Fewer superlatives in their marketing content. Not every new train is iconic, not every new route is fantastic, it's not possible to be excited for every new release (particularly those where the trains have faces). Having said all that, I'd like to wish you all an amazing, awe-inspiring, breathtaking, extraordinary, incredible, marvelous, sensational, spectacular, staggering, tremendous, stunning and unbelievable New Year!
Oh I'll second that. Plus resolve to use the words " cool " and " awesome " every 20 minutes instead of every 5 minutes in all DTG videos. (I blame us [Americans ] for these awful buzz words though I do chuckle every time someone on British TV says " smartarse " .)
Threads like this, where people state what they want, are productive. Anything which indicates what their customers want and are willing to pay for is productive.
I tell you what I think the problem is... DTG recently seem to be aiming to attract casual gamers at the detriment of the hardcore simulator fan. Mark my words Thomas The Tank Engine rubbish is probably just the tip of the ice berg in terms of ridiculous things coming to the game over the next year or so... To me this is just them dipping their toes in the water as far as I'm concerned. The problem is when you attract casual gamers they are just that... They aren't enthusiasts who can hold developers to account, or notice a poor standard of work (which costs time and money to fix), nor can they actually offer feedback that is genuinely useful for the core issues. They are not like the core players who play for realism and detail. DTG seem to quite naively want to attract a more casual gamer base. I think what DTG fail to recognise is whilst bringing casual gamers into the game can enhance short term profit, the retention rate of these gamers will be pretty low in the long term I'd imagine... And by the time they realise this mistake they'll come crawling back to us more hardcore gamers by which time it may be a little bit to late. When I see staff saying they attract more people every year, I'd like to question what's the retention rate of the young casual gamer demographic rate they seem to try and be appealing to? I originally thought this Rivet involvement in WCMLS was a genuine mistake, but after the last couple of weeks it's made me analyse the situation more... Why were DTG so quiet in not calling out the shocking quality the route was released in? And that's most likely because Rivet have a contract for a few other upcoming routes. Call me ridiculous or accuse me of Rivet bashing or wearing the Train Spotter Tin Foil hat, but again my instinct tells me I am right... The next time a British route comes up see if this accusation can be truly dismissed as false. I think rather then blame Rivet we definitely need to move to goalposts and holding DTG to account for believing these things are acceptable. This "sell now, fix later" attitude seems to be another nasty habit making and appearance. Whilst it may be true that the hardcore players who are real railway enthusiasts are in lower numbers then your casual gamer, they are the players who are retained and maintain consistent with the game rather then get bored after a week and not return. Your casual gamer may offer short term profit but the money spent to keep retaining these people with is peeing in the wind. What should happen is the game caters for the simulation gamer who are consistent and money spent on improving it further for those players... It reminds me of how TSC started, initially attract the old MSTS player base by offering a far better quality, next generation game, once the players are reeled in and when the profit is coming in and that's still not enough, lower the quality, but charge the same amount, try and attract a casual player base but at the detriment of the real Simulation enthusiasts. I remember the original TSC London to Gillingham Class 465 and the South London Network Class 456 being some of the worst rolling stock in terms of quality that entered the game for me... If it wasn't for third party enhancements that game would of died a lot quicker. My word of advice for DTG would be don't take the hardcore player base for granted... This is early days, but I can see quite clearly what direction this is heading in. Does this seem exaggerated or over the top? Possibly. But again, mark my words over the next year and see how it pans out... Rather then trying to fish for casual gamers, actually concentrate on fixing core issues quicker, have quality control over your third party developers. TSW4 was cracking as were most of its add ons... TSW5 and this Thomas thing just give me a nasty taste of things to come.
Here's one idea. Resolve to require every DTG employee, including producers, community managers and moderators, to go back and play Sand Patch Grade for an entire week. Maybe that will remind them what time and care can produce.
I'm intrigued if most of those staff who produced that route are still working for DTG. I still find the earlier routes such as GWE,NTP to have a more realistic feel scenery wise (and performance is much better).
Because DTG have released routes in just as poor quality by themselves without the involvement of Rivet!
1. Remaster and update all routes and loco DLCs to ToD4. That includes US and German routes, not just the UK stuff. 2. Get rid of Rivet Games completely OR relegate them to loco DLCs only. Because they have absolutely no idea how to (or just can't be bothered to) make routes to an acceptable standard. 3. Stop making promises that you can not, or have no intention of keeping. Sam (aka Colonel Failure) used to be good at keeping people in check about this in YouTube developer streams... but since he left DTG, Matt & Co. have gone back to making endless promises that never materialize... Steam, GWR license, LNWR license etc. It's a shame that Sam left the company. He was one of the best things that ever happened to DTG.
Sorry but how would Sam still being at DTG help with GWR/LNWR licenses? If the operators are refusing to give a license, there's not a lot DTG can do.
I have to say that's a very thought provoking and interesting read and personally I dont feel like it's too far off. It would explain the obsession with Modern content trying to appeal to casual gamers who have seen this stuff in real life. Although I do hope you're wrong with Rivet doing large bits on other routes. Because that scarily relates back to the Welsh line and the Last thing we need is another Rivet 150... Would be interesting to see a DTG response to that comment but I doubt we would.
A good post Vern, and some (mostly) great points from others too! For me, performance on the PS5 is still poor on some routes, especially ECML and WCMLS where performance in and around stations especially is very weak. If they can enhance performance this would be great and I think would please the console market. Rivet have been a poor partner and should be relegated from route building. WCMLS was a very poor route in many ways and sadly wasn’t the first. If you need 3rd party support, speak to one of the others!
I wish DTG would start showing TSC some love again and stop ignoring the community. This is the serious train sim for me, always has been. If DTG want to go the casual route with TSW by introducing fictional content for the game, I’m all for it. DTG experimenting with unauthentic content may back fire on them for sure, but they also might see some positive feedback on it which will influence their decision on adding more fictional content in the future.
