There's also what else comes with these engines. The James deluxe adds milk & tar wagons, his own timetable and 4 James stories. I think each engine carries their own popularity ranking better than others, they all will have an audience and depends on what is offered. If we get one for Fergus and another for Billy, more will get Fergus. Depends what comes with them too, like if you have to get an engine you're not keen on just for a unique rolling stock that's been bundled with them (e.g. Belle with Water Tankers).
Honestly, I completely agree. I’d much rather see 2–3 genuinely substantial DLCs a year than have Dovetail rush content out just to meet a quota. If this really is an in-house project with no third-party teams available to help, then 4–6 months per DLC sounds completely reasonable. But at the same time, they absolutely cannot let it become one DLC a year. After everything we’ve already waited through, that would kill whatever momentum and excitement the game has left. Two solid DLCs a year feels like the bare minimum for keeping the community engaged while still giving the team enough time to deliver quality content.
TSW's expansions come in at £20 to £30 for a route plus a couple of locomotives depending on the length of the route. WoS will almost certainly follow the same pricing model so I wouldn't get your hopes up otherwise. It already has done in terms of the James expansion which matches TSW's single locomotive add ons.
It's true, I would pay to see my classic heros. Because that is why I bought the game in the first place: the first dozen, diesel, boco, daisy, mavis, .... And off course for the main line, thomas his branchline, brendham docks, the sheds, the quarry. That's what is triggering us for months, right???
This may seem like a minor issue, but I’ve noticed that the tenders often bounce up and down while you’re traveling down the line. It’s pretty insignificant compared to some of the bigger issues I’d like to see fixed, but it still affects the overall realism. If Dovetail wants to emphasize realism in the game, I think details like tender movement should be addressed too. It may be a small thing, but those little details can make a big difference.
I understand the comparison, and I agree that WoS will probably follow Dovetail’s established DLC model. My concern isn’t that paid DLC exists—it’s whether the amount of content actually justifies the price. If a £20–30 expansion comes with a substantial route and multiple engines, that’s reasonable. But if we’re paying that much for a small branch line and only one or two characters, I think people are justified in questioning the value.
Have to say, I never noticed minor bouncing in the tender because every time I tried a scenario on it, my entire loco bounced off the tracks midway through the run and I had to start over. Never did manage to successfully complete one without this happening within the steam refund window...
Absolutely. That’s the heart of the frustration. We’re willing to pay for DLC when it brings the classic characters and locations we bought the game for in the first place. The main dozen, Diesel, BoCo, Daisy, Mavis, the main line, Thomas’ Branch Line, Brendam Docks, the sheds, the quarry—that’s the Sodor experience people were expecting. I think the uproar wouldn't be this intense if these core characters were in the base game to begin with. The problem isn’t necessarily that DLC costs money; it’s that the core game still feels incomplete months after launch, while we’ve been left waiting in silence. That’s what has been triggering the community for months.
I don't have that experience at all. It feels like it's what was promised for the price promised. I never expected the "whole world of Sodor" in the first release. It'll remain to be seen whether future DLC will be worth their costs. But tha'ts true of everything.
That’s fair, and I understand where you’re coming from. I think the difference is that I personally expected more of the core Sodor experience at launch—not the entire island, but at least a few more branch lines, characters, and major locations. I’m completely fine paying for DLC if it’s substantial and actually worth the price. I just hope Dovetail understands that a lot of fans expected a stronger foundation for the $50 we paid. WE DO NOT NEED A WONDERS OF SODOR 2, DOVETAIL!
I don't mind them bouncing a little when travelling, however I've also noticed them continuing to bounce once stopped at stations which is a little out of the ordinary...
I don’t want much… only 9 extra characters and a branch line included in the base game We got the game I expected from the initial launch trailer followed up by the weekly character reveals with exactly the same characters I expected, yes I’d rather Edward and Henry over Emily and the Brendan branch would have been nice but I’m not furious over it because I understand it’s dovetail’s business model to add them at a later date as dlc
unlike TSW I don’t see them making wonders of Sodor an annual release, they don’t have enough dev teams to bring out sufficient content to support that
I think it would be quite bad optics if they did they would annoy a lot of people. Different audience remember.
