Ukts Will Close 31st Of August 2023

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Reef, Jan 17, 2023.

  1. Reef

    Reef Well-Known Member

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    This directly from Matt via his father Peter..
    Image2.jpg

    Posted it in another thread but if I didn't make a fresh thread someone else would have so..
     
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  2. Cuddy_Man

    Cuddy_Man Well-Known Member

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    That's a shame, but nothing lasts for ever.

    As a minor plus, perhaps some of the regular contributors there, who don't appear to be here, might move across and add to the interest on this forum.
     
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  3. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    It is a shame it is closing its what kept me in MSTS all those years ago with the massive lib of content and amazing developers.
     
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  4. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Bad news indeed. I'm assuming it was just costs that prompted this?
     
  5. Johnno124

    Johnno124 Active Member

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    It is. Matt posted further up in the thread saying that the subs aren't covering the operating costs anymore.
     
  6. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Shame. The irony is, subs will now sky rocket when it's too late to make a difference, as everyone scrambles to download everything before it disappears into the digital aether. Maybe all the people who regularly complain about the ATS sub price should consider what happens when people don't subscribe. These things are expensive to run, and no one is getting rich doing these things.
     
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  7. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    the funny thing is if people done the maths there really is VERY LITTLE difference in price

    ATS ANNUAL SUB PRICE £32,99
    UKTS ANNUAL SUB PRICE: 12 x 2.50 = £30.00
    difference in price: £2.99
     
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  8. Reef

    Reef Well-Known Member

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    Not just cost, according to Matt the time to devote to it was a major factor too, but yeah Matt said it was in the region of £500 per month so need a fair few subs to make that break even let alone worthwhile.
     
  9. gee

    gee Member

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    UKTS huge failing was not being able to use PayPal to purchase a subscription.
     
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  10. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    I must admit i am a big fan of using paypal online it is my prefered payment option.
     
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  11. trevkiwi

    trevkiwi Active Member

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    Yes, UKTS was a bit old fashion in the way they operated and never wanted to upgrade anything. I asked them about 10 years ago about updating their forum software and the reply was if it ain't broke why fix it? And as mentioned above not using Paypal. I did ask them about that too and they gave some excuse why they wouldn't. I cannot remember what that was.
     
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  12. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    IIRC Paypal will take a fair chunk of each payment for processing each payment. Could be the reason
     
  13. 749006

    749006 Well-Known Member

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    When UKTS was running normally most people got the 12 month subscription which was £17.00
    I think when they made it monthly only a lot of people only renewed when they need to download a number of items
     
  14. jpvdveer

    jpvdveer New Member

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    One reason for subscribing in the past was to avoid the queues. But recently the queue is often empty. One might expect it to be full now, following the closure announcement. But, as of writing this post, the queue is again empty. Matt also mentioned somewhere that the number of paying subscribers is currently zero. So the site really is barely used any more.
     
  15. KeithG

    KeithG Member

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    There is at least 1 paying subscriber. I have been a premium member since I first joined UKTS in 2002 !
     
  16. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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    Which makes you wonder if people are paying, but they’re not aware or receiving the money?
     
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  17. Jpantera

    Jpantera Well-Known Member

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    I have been a subscriber on and off and uploaded a route in MSTS days. Without UKTS though I am not sure how the scene would be and am very greatful to Matt and Peter for developing a scene in the UK.
     
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  18. trevkiwi

    trevkiwi Active Member

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    I took out yearly subscriptions in my early days with TSC 2010 and downloaded all the UKTS Freeware DLC which I still have most of on various HDs. I kept the yearly subs going for a few years until I wasn't downloading so much.
     
  19. eldomtom2

    eldomtom2 Well-Known Member

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    As I've said before, the train sim community should seriously consider using one of the big game mod sites like ModDB or Nexus. The Derail Valley community already seems to have centered around Nexus.
     
  20. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    Probably subscribing to ATS. There is the competition element here.

    It's a shame to see UKTS go, but it can't just pay for itself. I am surprised it costs that much per month, however.
    It's often full during UK hours, empty while they sleep. I downloaded all TS content, with bigger things going overnite in my hours, often started when the queue was emptier so as to not inconvenience others. I'm not thinking I will download some Openrails routes so I have the option to use that in the future should I wish to, and I am undecided on MSTS. And yes, I know other downloads of some routes exist; however, a v2.0 download of one such route seems MUCH smaller than the 4 GB at UKTS, so I wonder if that is a much older version.

    BTW, it's full right now, 5.4 KBPS.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2023
  21. gee

    gee Member

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    In support of ATS I've just re-subbed even though I own all of the paid subscriber content on the site. ATS is definitely worth supporting
     
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  22. Irascible_SAP

    Irascible_SAP Member

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    It needs a little work before I could agree with that statement - not a lot, but enough to deter me for the time being.

    The biggest issue imho is the color scheme on the site as the purple text on a purple background is difficult to read - my old eyes struggle to focus on it.
    And currently you can only search scenarios by route on ATS which is a little inconvenient. Scenarios are what I search for most and I usually look for scenarios for a specific loco that I've just acquired etc.
     
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  23. jpvdveer

    jpvdveer New Member

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    Completely agreed. On rail-sim.de you can search scenarios by loco, duration, author and route. ATS needs that as well.
     
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  24. Johnno124

    Johnno124 Active Member

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    At the same time that would then require a rebuild of the search engine and upload process. At the moment you don't enter what loco it is when uploading. so if they implement something like that all the current stuff wouldn't be able to be searched for correctly unless all the creators go back through and update their upload information.
     
  25. theorganist

    theorganist Well-Known Member

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    This is a shame, I remember when the forums were vibrant and often quite feisty. It was discovering UKTS which got me into MSTS and train simming.

    There are lots of still oft used TSC assets in the library, signalling for example. Also some excellent freeware routes. Plus it has a large MSTS library which, although I don't use it anymore, I imagine its loss will be a blow to those who still use MSTS, particularly for UK content.

    I will subscribe to ATS at some point as I want the combined ECML and WCML routes plus some of their published routes look good, I do find it seems very much centered on the modern/current scene however.
     
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  26. ex_railwayman

    ex_railwayman Active Member

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    I doubt many people have that type of money in this day and age to want to take the forum/library on independently every month.

    I would also say that it is a gracious decision to keep things going until the end of August by the Peddlesden family, anyway.

    Cheerz. Steve.
     
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  27. ex_railwayman

    ex_railwayman Active Member

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    Hmmm, I use my bank account debit card for my Atomic monthly Premium account, no expensive commissions to pay the likes of Paypal then, and their currency exchange rates have been absolutely atrocious for many years.

    Cheerz. Steve.
     
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  28. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    DTG Matt
    Is there a possibility to access ftp.uktrainsim for downloading via FTP client? I've only found instructions for uploading.

    Because of the expired certificate I need to confirm every download in my browser which is a bit of a hassle.
     
  29. DTG Matt

    DTG Matt Executive Producer Staff Member

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    Certificate is fixed.

    And yes you can use FTP for downloading, but no i dont remember how :) The entire archive is available via FTP, I wrote a custom FTP server to query the database and present a virtual filesystem for it :)
     
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  30. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    FTP rejects my password...

    33.png
     
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  31. Irascible_SAP

    Irascible_SAP Member

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    ATS are pretty good with giving prior notice about things like changes to the site on their social media, and any content I make for the sim is permanently stored on my HDD.
    As such I would not mind re-uploading my creations if and when site changes required me to - especially since something like better search engine functionality would most likely improve exposure.
     
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  32. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    You can togle the website to suit.bottom right of the website you will see a little moon shap you can change it to dark mode or light mode if that helps.

    You can also search for stuff in a more advanced way if you double click the download button on the top menu it brings up more options.
    upload_2023-1-19_22-59-45.png
     
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  33. Irascible_SAP

    Irascible_SAP Member

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    I was not aware of the dark mode options, I will definitely be taking advantage of that, cheers!

    Thanks for the info about the advanced search, but at a glance it doesn't look very advanced. It's just a keyword search which is just the same as searching in the search bar at the top of the site.
    For example; if one types "class 185" into the search - everything related to that comes up in the results - reskins, patches, scenarios that use it whether its driven loco or just an ai requirement. You get my meaning.

    It's still a lot of chaff to sift through - better search functionality in the scenario section is still needed imho.
     
  34. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    Your very welcome glad could help someone,

    and agree with you RE the search function i have brought this up in the past and it is somethign they want to improve.
     
  35. KeithG

    KeithG Member

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    Has anyone managed to log in and download files from UKTrainsim via FTP or Windows Web Folders. I have tried both options and failed. It looks like I can connect, but the passwords shown in "UKTS File Library FAQ" don't work. I have tried my UKTS username and password which also fails.
    Can anyone help please.
    Keith
     
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2023
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  36. DTG Matt

    DTG Matt Executive Producer Staff Member

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    I'm going to take a look over the weekend and find out whats wrong with the FTP server, will drop a post when i've sorted it - have seen multiple people saying the FTP isn't letting them in - I have a thought about what it is, just need to prove it and then fix it :)
     
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  37. Doomotron

    Doomotron Well-Known Member

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    I haven't being a close eye on this; would it be possible to download the entirety of UKTS in one go with it? Does it download at the normal 10kpb/s speed or full speed?
     
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  38. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    I can only tell you with Premium Subscription the web download is fast as lightning. It's just inconvenient having to navigate through the library pages and clicking each file instead of using FTP to access the files directly.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 20, 2023
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  39. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    If it's possible to log into an FTP and grab everything, this would also be a way to verify I got everything I need. I can always print all the file info pages by looking through them and sort everything out later. The question becomes whether the UKTS ID numbers are attached in the FTP (as in, "UKTS_55555_File"),
     
  40. DTG Matt

    DTG Matt Executive Producer Staff Member

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    FTP access to the library is only available to premium subscribers - so once on, yes, it's max speed and you can mirror it easily enough, i think it allows multiple connections too. It's a very fast link.
     
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  41. Doomotron

    Doomotron Well-Known Member

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    For me premium downloads didn't work properly, I'd click the download button and nothing would happen. Not sure if it's changed though since the newest updates.
    Hopefully they'll be a tutorial to do this; I'm going to download everything when I can.
     
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  42. KeithG

    KeithG Member

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    Thanks Matt, will be really appreciated.

    Keith
     
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  43. maxtedrw

    maxtedrw Active Member

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    So. I am looking to host my current packs (richard maxted's assets) elsewhere but the location is still being thought about so they will not be "lost" when UKTS closes but are not moving immediately. When they do move I will let the versions on UKTS die a peaceful and natural death. Using an FTP for downloading for your personal use is fine. For the moment, using an FTP to obtain these for uploading to any site other than those I give approval for is against the spirit and terms of my intellectual copyright. The loss of UKTS has actually caused me to do a bunch of updating and asset building ready for new versions of most of the asset packs in the future. The packs that will transfer to a new host will be:
    • Asset Pack - Block Signals
    • Asset Pack - Bridges
    • Asset Pack - Clutter
    • Asset Pack - Commercial
    • Asset Pack - Banks 'n Cuts
    • Asset Pack - Railway
    • Asset Pack - Houses
    • Hills & Weather Mod
    • Minis & Minors
    • Austin A40 & Morris 1100
    • Bedford Vans
    • The Leek and Manifold Route
    • 2ft 3" Narrow Gauge Tracks (30lb & 50lb)
    • Lister Rail Truck
    • Barclay Atlantic
    • Kerr Stuart Skylark
    • Hunslet Quarry Mod for Britomart by Kevin Martin - I am goign to check if Kevin is going to relocate Britomart anywhere...
    • Allens Ezi-Skips
    • Snailbeach Hopper Wagons
    • Southwold Railway ( 2'3" regauged ) wagons
    • Campbell & Macrihanish Brake Van
    • Talyllyn Wagons ( also included in Steve P's Talyllyn Route )
    • Leek & Manifold Coaches
    • Narrow Gauge Consists & Preloads

    All the rest of my content won't be re-uploaded elsewhere. This is because much of it has long past it's sell by date.
     
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  44. VictoryWorks

    VictoryWorks Well-Known Member

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    The end of an era :(
    Very sad but completely understandable, UKTS hasn't been the vibrant hub of train sim discussion and opinion for a while now. I miss those days, but everything changes and moves on.

    A huge thank you to Matt (and Dad) for all the years of running UKTS and for everything it gave to the MSTS and TSC community during that time.
     
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  45. ntypeman

    ntypeman Well-Known Member

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    Can I ask what will happen if you download a route (ie from Backdated Trainsim) and there's a UKTS asset pack that you don't have...

    Is there an opportunity to download it from somewhere else???

    Sad that it has come to this, UKTS was / is an absolute treasure chest of resources...

    Eric
     
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  46. USRailFan

    USRailFan Active Member

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    The UKTS Freeware packs will still be hosted on their mirror sites
     
  47. Tom Fresco

    Tom Fresco Well-Known Member

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    Oh, then i really need to look through all the stuff there, just made an account there a couple of days ago and im really enjoying the content, especially routes like southwest england and crouch valley.

    Maybe/hopefully the content from the site can be carried over to other Platforms, as it was done with the UKTS Freeware packs now available on German railsim.de.
    If the site gets closed, maybe its policy that most content uploaded there must stay ukts exclusive will be removed, which now is a problem because the content isnt available anywhere else and would need to be moved now.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2023
  48. 749006

    749006 Well-Known Member

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    If the Authors of the content repost to RailSim.de that would work.
    If you read the first post where it is said the people at UKTS cannot do that.
     
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  49. DTG Matt

    DTG Matt Executive Producer Staff Member

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    To be clear, this has not and has never been a requirement. Many uploaders have chosen to make their content exclusive to UKTS but that's been their choice (and I am always grateful for that support). I have always been very adamant that I hold no rights nor even the influence of said rights on peoples private work and property. If they want to share their work on UKTS and other sites that's entirely within their right to do so. Those who host exclusively on UKTS do not receive any preferential treatment or rewards in any respects either.

    What is not acceptable is for downloaders of that work to take actions against the authors wishes - but that would be for the authors to enforce as well, not UKTS.

    Matt.
     
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  50. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, in terms of copyright law, anyone uploading something of a person's to another site is a violation of that author's copyright. Certainly won't stop people from sharing needed assets behind the scenes, however. At the same time, if an asset really has croaked, it might be better to find a similar asset. That said, there is an expressive interest in some cases, like reworking a scenario to use different stock or to fix a problem with the scenario, but every author is different with whether they mind this (I believe AP for instance forbids this).

    Random example: the RSC Class 37. There are other versions of the wagons that come in that pack that can replace those ones in older scenarios. Same can be said for various 37 reskins on UKTS now available, in some cases, with other packs such as the excellent AP collection for that type.

    The WCML Scenario Pack (UKTS 27759). There are numerous requirements in those scenarios that are not available - even in their UKTS forms for the last few years (this technically includes 37 reskins that work with the RSC model above). If an item is no longer available, again, it's necessary to look for a similar item.

    The Oban Line in particular has scenarios using the RSC Class 66 that can be swapped with even the AP version today. Might be another expired train there, too.

    Routes can also have assets swapped using a different part of the program. As for routes like Ay Valley and Crouch Valley, their future is uncertain. Back up everything if you need to. I've started collecting the MSTS and OR routes just so I have them in case I decide to play those games.
     

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