This is particularly relevant to routes. With the imminent demise of UKTS I, and I suspect a few others, are looking at uploading our route content to the Workshop, However this is made exceedingly difficult by the restriction that only content contained in TSC core files or Steam DLC can be used. While I understand the need to police the inclusion of content which could be offensive or in breach of a third parties use terms, this also means the route author themselves cannot have any of their stuff on the route. That includes custom route templates, which I just ran foul of with my Sulitjelma route, no own made custom track rules, not even any marker files for quick navigation around the route. I had to manually doctor the route properties.xml in RW Tools to change the route template reference and remove a couple of erroneous provider references which were ghosting in the file. This is without the issue of not being able to put custom signs etc. on station platforms so users know where they are! We were promised a set of renameable station signs as official content some years ago but never materialised. Can the Executive Producer please look at reviewing this? I am not asking for carte blanche to include whatever the route author likes, but a Provider/Product folder that matches the user Steam ID could perhaps be a solution to the basics - i.e. route template, track rule and markers. Thank you
Understanding you - but that could lead to a lot of issues. Workshop is a Steam thing and people must be able to play the content out of the box and not search for "shady" download sites to get the needed assets. So the only option would be allowing asset upload - which could cause damage because it opens the possibility to overwrite files which would not be a good thing. Route folders are unique through their GUIDS, assets are not. Just how many people have created freeware assets using default "Developer\Addon"... bound for trouble.
Given the amount of data downloaded during a single visit to a screenshot contest thread, DTG might consider hosting such assets / routes here on this site. I just recently discovered the media tab above. As for cross-referencing, I think it's something best policed. Cyclone made fun of it in the past, with the intention many of us have: it's not a good experience to run a chain of dependencies whenever trying to play content. Shared files are very much okay, custom assets specific to route can be okay, required assets however are a trouble pit. Especially when some of it gets removed over the years. But I was practically required to buy all pre-2013 content to satisfy workshop cross-references. Practical example. I can totally get behind the old PDL upgrade, where people added scenery, and maybe used another route or two to pull in additional trees, bushes, flowers, what have you. Especially from a relevant ecosystem. However, when you end up requiring all NJT and Amtrak routes for a NEC project, plus Marias, Pacific Surfliner, Miami-WPB (CSX), Coal District (NS) and Horseshoe (PRR, signaling), it gets funny. Not sure how far they went and I intentionally bloated it as well. But, why not? If I have 200 routes, I might as well use them all. I often have a feeling that many 3rd parties are basically trying to trick people to buy so much, using all channels possible. I'm pretty sure on day #2 someone would upload a route requiring some AP train for a quick drive, for which you ideally buy a route, another five trains, another three routes. I already feel seeing ads when browsing endless AP topics, or screenshots contest entries sporting enhancers and AP trains. Admittedly, Photoshop is also mandatory for photographing. So where do you draw the line? Precisely: at zero. Anything else and you'll get endless discussions. (See official screenshot thread rules.)
Oh I know there would be issues but it just seems with third party Download sites on the decline, there needs to be a better solution - particularly as removing some of the disallowed assets from an existing route is not a straightforward process, see my current post in the main section. What should have been a simple process has turned into a complete nightmare including a deep delve into the route xml and bin files to try and remove references to files. I mean yes I could just stick the routes on Trainsim dot com or RWA but how long are those sites likely to keep going?
