While listening to this morning (for me) Roadmap stream with DTG Protagonist and TrainSim-Adam one of the running themes over the LIRR and RT releases was disappointment based on differing perception of what was coming vs. what actually came. I would like to make a suggestion to help address that by following a similar pattern to that taken for new routes. As each Preserved Collection route nears the end of its development cycle, run a stream for the route that highlights the fixes and enhancements to the community by driving trains using the development build. This stream will do two things: Accurately set expectation for what is coming; and Give an opportunity for a round of feedback prior to the development cycle closing. I think this would be valuable because the truly passionate people would likely watch the stream and would help avoid release day angst and mitigate negative feedback that has arisen from people's perception vs. reality. Paul
Sound recommendations. The only thing I would add to it is if Adam could show case more of the improvements made whether it be screen shots of passenger information screens or other upgrades. Which would further help manage expectations. The alternative could be a short demonstration of the route but it would be simpler to use screenshots as he starting to do.
I think that this is a brilliant suggestion, and although DTG might implement it, I would not normally expect this level of interaction between developer and player. It would be fabulous though. DTG really stands out to me as consistently amazing when it comes to this sort of interaction - going well beyond any other developer I am aware of, with many individuals prepared to livestream on evenings and weekends, week in week out.... But I do want to point out what my expectations are/were for the "Preserved Collection" - and it is simply what we were told with the release of TSW 2..... that (all) existing TSW 2020 routes and rolling stock would be "preserved, not remastered". Now... I could go on about the missing NEC route and its (fabulous) ex-Metroliner cab car and SW1000R shunter (both of which could be brought into TSW 2 for Scenario Planner), and the SPG SD 40 (which has appeared in CRR....), but that is not the point of this post.... My point here is.... I would simply expect.....TSW 2020 routes and locos to have the same functionality and immersion levels in TSW 2, as they do/did in TSW 2020. And this includes decent audio...... And that is all I would expect. What I didn't expect, but I am extremely thankful for (and enough to massively outweigh my concerns over over NEC...., especially given the new Rush Hour line-up's new US route....resurrecting the previously dead and buried NEC ACS-64... presumably "from the ground up" or..... maybe from "six feet under the ground, um... to.... up.....") was that: - existing TSW 2020 routes and rolling stock would be made compatible with either Scenario Planner or Livery Designer; - existing TSW 2020 routes like RT would be given whole new timetabled services (when this new content is finally patched); - existing TSW 2020 routes would be retro-fitted with PIS; - existing TSW 2020 routes would be retro-fitted with anything at all, including level crossings.... performance enhancements, or anything else that will be made available, as the routes are continuously improved and refined by Adam's team. I didn't expect any of the above - so I just want to make it very clear just how grateful I am for all of the work that Adam and his team do, and to the DTG management that decided to resource it (even if it is presumably to enhance future sales.......)...... NB: I run most of my TSW 2020 routes exclusively under TSW 2020, not TSW 2, unless new TSW 2 rolling stock requires that I install a duplicate of an old route. So I have, so far, almost no experience of any poorly translated audio issues (from TSW 2020 to TSW 2). But if these issues are there (as a problem for me), then I will trip up on them.... so I would say that... for the Luv of Google.... please ensure that TSW 2 rolling stock sound is always at least as good as it is.was in TSW 2020 - audio is absolutely critical to immersion. Oh - and please reduce the sound of the Bakerloo windscreen wipers...... that sound has already blown out four of the windows in my house.
This is a brilliant and simple to implement solution. Let’s hope they will at least try it. As a Tester myself, I often demonstrate defect fixes to the customer before release. Not only to prove it is fixed, but also to check my perception of the problem was correct. It has saved releasing something wrongly on a number of occasions.
synthetic.angel the do go above and beyond a bit for us with the streams - that is certainly appreciated. Interestingly my primary exposure to TSW2020 was buying it and a load of its DLC on sale because it was cheaper to do that than buy the same DLC when TSW2 came out. I bought and played TSW2 right from the start - to me as someone playing a lot of that DLC for the first time I don't mind it because I don't know what it was like before. Paul
I joined the TSW party when it came to PS4... actually... slightly late - it was the Class 09 (from WSR) that pulled me in (having "driven" one as a child, in a major 750v yard......).... The TSW tech at the time did not include things like: - any road traffic at all - anywhere - it was all completely dead; - any remotely serious attempt at lighting the environment at night; - any passengers (if I remember correctly.... although I am now not so sure....?); - certainly no PIS at all, anywhere (that was new to Bakerloo); - any scoring system at all, or medals, etc.... (it still isn't really quite right); - Livery Designer; - Scenario Planner; - any substituted rolling stock or additional layers (there weren't enough routes/locos anyway for this); - any curated "Journey" (service modules with fixed season/time/weather to represent variety on offer) ..... - etc. Somebody has actually done all of this work in the last three years - and it isn't often recognised (or possibly appreciated). And it wasn't necessarily expected (although they are mostly all in TS2012). [I won't mention The Editor.... *cough*] So - anyway - you might well see me complain about various things quite a lot of the time (especially when DTG make a fail on something really basic.....).... I want TSW to continue to be pushed to make it better and better and better - as good as it can be. But it is absolutely not right to say that TSW has not been developed/improved much in the last three years (as some would suggest (not you) ). And as 2P and 3P devs get better at UE development, we will see much more improvement/innovation coming through (such as the DB BR 101 and Class 465, in terms of audio/simulation). To have Adam's team retro-fitting newer tech to older routes is a massive bonus, and, quite frankly, makes me feel a little less like I am being robbed blind when I buy TSW DLCs because future play is being re-built in and renewed.... (except for the Diesel Legends pack - that is a straight "being robbed blind" situation). DTG have done a good job, with both TS2012 and TSW - and it gets better all of the time. And this is (I believe) very largely because of the Community's involvement/feedback... DTG's Communitying model does actually work quite well, both ways, for them and the players. And I can tell you something for nothing - there's no way I would go on the internet.... live.... several times per week for any employer, and leave a record of it online for an eternity of scrutiny - you have to have, um.... glands of steel..... to do that, let alone do it at evenings/weekends - so that alone deserves more thanks and respect, IMO, in terms of Community engagement.
Good words. I've built a machine to run MSTS so I can stream it on its birthday and comparing that to now - wow, what a difference!
