I have TSW2 and a few Routes like Clinchfield and Sherman Hill. If I was to purchase the TSW3 from the Steam web site, can I use my current TSW2 routes on TSW3? or will I have to purchase those routes again on Steam for TSW3.
You will be able to download them for TSW3 for free as long as it is on the same platform (Steam etc.) and with the same account as you used for TSW2.
Any previous TSW DLC you have will be granted a TSW3 license, so anything on sale for TSW2 or TSW2020 (other than the one american route and it's shunter DLC) you will get a TSW3 license for
I'll probably regret asking this, but . . . My TSW2020 collection includes a total of 29 DLC (routes plus add-on engines). The contributions to this thread seem to indicate that if I want to use these in TSW3 I will have to download them again, further stuffing up the external hard drive that already holds TSW2, TSW 2020, and an embarrassingly enormous collection of TS-related products. Why?
Because each piece of content from TSW2020 has recieved updates that made it work with TSW2 in the first place. So basically, they are entirely different software, not compatible with TSW2 or TSW3 from the get-go. And even if they are the same between TSW2 and TSW3, if they would ever get updated in any way, like the UK route from TSW2 that is now standard in TSW3, having the same files for both games to access would make updates impossible. So they are, again, two seperate pieces of software used by only the game that they have been downloaded for. My suggestion is to "uninstall" all content that is carried over. For TSW2020 that means you can uninstall everything except the GP40-2, the Switcher, and NEC. And since all of TSW2 is playable in TSW3, you could uninstall TSW2 and all it's DLC entirely.
The question I have to ask is, why? Why do you have gigabytes of obsolete stuff cluttering up your drive?
When I asked about making a utility to copy TSW2 DLCs locally to TSW3, Matt said that TSW2 routes still had to be recooked to work in TSW3, so downloading the new versions is unavoidable.
I think this is okay, unless your download speed is very slow. The feature of not having loco addons tied to routes means you can choose more selectively which routes you want to keep and which ones you dont, instead of being forced to keep a route because you want to use their loco DLCs in another route it is available. I already know SPG, WSR, NTP, HRR and Boston Sprinter wont make it to my TSW3 collection. That is 14GB extra space + whatever the size of Sand Patch Grade is. I might also decide to axe GWE, but since the 166s are the only connection between Redhill and Gatwick in BML i will probably keep it unless it is possible to separate the locos from the routes even if they are part of the base content of a DLC.
A question for PC users - will any or all of the patches created for TSW2 DLCs still work? I am assuming that most of the patches cover mods which will not be addressed in TSW3.
My impression was that existing TSW2 loco DLCs will probably still be tied to their routes in TSW3. But I could be wrong about that.
Correct...its only future loco DLC in TSW3 which will be decoupled from routes. Legacy TSW2 locos will remain attached to their home routes.