All I'm saying is there's no need for anyone to get wound up about it. I assume correcting a non native English speakers grammar is acceptable though eh?
I’ve seen politics destroy several great forums. Before you know it a small civilwar breaks out, and what really should be a knowledge based train simming community has one half having the other half on ignore, while others walk away, taking good knowledge with them. Only because some inconsiderate posters can’t help themselves. Politics do not belong here. Period.
Again, my point wasn't about the content, it was about you getting very irate unnecessarily, you were the one swearing remember.
Good morning folks, I want to take a moment to address some of the concerns raised in this thread. First and foremost: all opinions are welcome here. Our forums are meant to be a place where players can share their thoughts, ideas, and feedback openly. We know that not everyone will agree with each other, and that’s perfectly fine. Different perspectives are what make a community valuable. However, what is not acceptable is when discussions cross into personal attacks, disrespect, or behaviour that breaks our forum rules. When moderation actions are taken, it is never because of a political stance, “woke culture,” or any other outside agenda. It is always because a user has violated our community guidelines, whether that’s through inflammatory language, repeated argumentative behaviour, or disrespect towards other members. We’ve issued many reminders over time about keeping conversations respectful. When those reminders aren’t followed, warnings or temporary bans may be necessary. These actions are not taken lightly, but they are essential to ensure the forum remains welcoming for everyone. To be clear: You will never be punished for your opinions. You may be reprimanded if you express those opinions in a way that is disrespectful, hostile, or against the forum rules. We ask that everyone please keep discussions constructive and kind. If you disagree with someone, focus on their ideas, not the person behind them. Thanks to everyone who continues to engage respectfully and helps us keep this space enjoyable for all players. All the best, Jan
I think that what is important is that our hobby connects people enthusiastic about an interest. I imagine a lot of people interested in railways and our train simulation hobby come from a range backgrounds, cultures, beliefs and circumstances. I actually find writing that a bit uncomfortable however believe that it is a reflection of the world we live in and the politics that focus negatively on difference, divide and suppresses people, whilst giving some privilege and power. The important thing about a community is how the interest can get people engaging and sharing with each other in what is common amongst them, and the world of railways and train simulation can be one of those communities bringing positive connection. Perhaps many people have more that can connect than divide them whilst not loosing that which brings uniqueness. The real railway itself is the result of diversity from those who design them, build them, make them and run them; diversity in skills and knowledge, and the people themselves who make it all possible. I'd like to talk about TSC. I'm looking forward to contrasting the Just Trains Class 220 with the new 220 for TSW6 amongst other things. I enjoy all the creative things you can do with TSC when building scenarios and the likes. It's also good fun to combine a journey across the two simulators. I do hope there is a future for TSC.
I do not see any major product changes or DLC coming out for TSC. It already has a wealth of product already available. We need to just enjoy what is already out there.
I have tried TSW but was not much interested in that simulator but when TSW 6 comes with Czech routes and locos I am gong to have another try. Have always been interested in the Czech ralways because of the beautiful scenery. I also own 1 or 2 routes of TSW 5 with 2 or 3 DLC locos. Right now I do not play TSC. It is uninstalled. Played it much before but kind of lost interest of it. But maybe I will install it again some time later. But have the full game on an external SSD disk so do not need to download it again.
I have played TSC since its beginnings and still play it from time to time due to all my US freight DLC. I mainly use Trainz22 now due to its great route editor and good selection of payware US freight content from Jointed Rail and RR-Mods. Sadly, with TSW5 not having a real route editor, no new US freight power, or freight routes I really don't play it much and do not plan on purchasing TSW6.
I've not played it this year, I got a new gaming rig last November and setting up all of the DLC and custom content has turned into a chore - missing assets from sites no longer around. It's a shame as I pumped a large chunk of change into it and I do find that a lot of the trains themselves look much better and realistic compared to TSW, but TSW has timetable mode and that is a big one for me - I can do end to end then reverse running, something I can't do in TSC freeroam :/
I think these stats must be quite worrying for commercial DLC developers that haven't switched to TSW. Current peaks are only 25% of the all time peak and for most months over the last year there's been a decline in players. Maybe it will stabilise where it is around hard-core players that won't switch to TSW, but I think there's some further decline in numbers to come. If I was Armstrong Powerhouse or Caledonia Works, I'd be getting anxious about my commercial future, especially if it was my main source of income.
I personally don't read too much into these stats as they can just be a capture in time on one platform as opposed to actual overall usage. e.g. At the time of my posting TSC is pretty well up there on comparison with TSW considering it is only available on PC and not consoles. I personally have had both installed on my PC for a long time now :- Playing Time:- TSC 10,251 hrs Playing Time:- TSW 15.9 hrs I know which one I will still be using in 10 years time. I would like to think that the likes of CW / AP / PLD / ATS etc. can see a loyal band of TSC clientele that will continue to purchase a premium product for many years to come ((maybe at a premium price) niche market quality as opposed to mass market cheap rubbish)). whereas the TSW players are more interested in running round stations replacing maps and collecting goodies that in my fading memory were not part of a train drivers job description. I just have to question in which direction TSW is going. Their venture into Steam Locos was an absolute joke, and the latest announcements seem to be about releasing re-vamped DLC that we have had in TSC for years. I do not currently see the longevity in TSW that TSC has enjoyed, and continues to do so. I personally cannot remember the last time I fired up and ran a "DTG out of the box TSC route / scenario", but with the available 3rd party tweaks and add ons TSC (to me) is way more immersive, realistic, enjoyable, editable, than TSW will ever be. Until such time as the 3rd parties such as CW / AP etc are allowed to freely create and share their skills within the the tightly knit framework of TSW development it will never come close to the TSC experience of today. Just my penny worth to this thread, but wished I had not invested the amount I have done in TSW which has given me nowhere near the the enjoyment and experience I was expecting. "LONG LIVE TSC" (Lyrics written, just need to work on a melody) [EDIT] I have just finished running https://alanthomsonsim.com/downloads/jr-6n80-0914-york-thrall-europa-whitemoor-yard-l-d-c-gbrf/ into Whitemoor sidings, and the day TSW can get anywhere near to the Ai traffic in those sidings I will doff my hat and convert. Oh bum you need the London KX - Kings Lynn - Cambridge - Peterborough Route. Is that available in TSW yet ???
Instead orf worrying about these questionable stats I would just introduce any quality product and look at the sales.
TSW really isn't a replacement for TS and likely never will be, so I won't be dropping TS for a very long time. There's simply too many glaring issues with TSW and not enough reasons to look past them. And even if every third party developer stopped making things for TS (which isn't going to happen for a while), we've still got more to drive than we'll probably ever be able to.
