My Interest In Tsc Has Been Revived.

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Tigert1966, May 14, 2023.

  1. Tigert1966

    Tigert1966 Well-Known Member

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    I used to play TSC a lot but more recently have played TSW more and although I have a ton of Routes, I kind of lost interest until recently.

    I've been following with interest the posts about the future development of TSC and it interested me enough to buy the deluxe version when the new package came out recently as I didn't have any of the DLC, so it seemed like a good deal. I haven't had much time to play it until this weekend and I have to admit I'm having a lot of fun. Today I've been driving the Huddersfield line and ECML London - Peterborough.

    I've never modded the game before and Youtube has recently been recommending videos on RW Enhancer so as the real life weather has been horrible this weekend, I decided to play around a bit and boughr RW Enhancer 2. After initially being able to get nothing working at all, I'm now hooked it seems to have really improved the graphics with no impact on framerates and although the on train announcements aren't totally realistic, they really add something especially on stopping services.

    The only thing lacking for me now is the sky and weather. I've heard about the Armstrong Powerhouse Weather pack and that looks as though it might give me the improvements I'm looking for. I'd be really interested to hear peoples opinion on that and any other mods I should be looking at.

    So I'm firmly back in the TSC camp at the moment despite really enjoying the new TSW steam route. It'll be interesting to see where this goes. One look at the AP website already has me fearing for my wallet!
     
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  2. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    The AP sky and weather pack and well as the AP tracks really do take the sim to another level. Highly recommend both
     
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  3. IronBladder

    IronBladder Well-Known Member

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    I find the AP track enhancement less of an improvement than I thought it would be and I haven't bothered to re-install it since I re-installed TSC. The reality is that your mind soon learns to block out track detail of any sort when your driving. It looks a bit better if you like taking screen shots, but I wouldn't say it takes TSC to another level.
     
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  4. westcastlerail

    westcastlerail Active Member

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    Just to pre-warn you, another relatively recent thread on AP Weather Packs v RWE2 ended up being locked by MODs, so consider the replies you get carefully (depending which camp they sit in) LOL!

    I personally don't have the AP weather Pack and just mainly play in Quick Drive using RWE2, so get realtime localised weather, station stops and realistic AI (when its set up correctly).

    I'm interested though in the comment on coming back to TSC... as I am just about to have a break from TSC!

    After playing TSC daily for 5 months, I have just packed away my hardware (Powerbrake handle, AWS, DSD, Door Controller) and gone back to Flight Simulator for a while.

    Main reason, even since the latest TSC update - TSC is still exceptionally unstable for me, especially on newer routes such as Leeds Huddersfield and ATS Missing Link. Hopefully another update is coming soon which will revive my interest again!
     
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  5. Tigert1966

    Tigert1966 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the warning. I wasn't expecting it to be a particularly controversial subject. Despite having had Railworks since 2009 and playing it quite a lot, I never really got into any addons outside of Steam downloads (I still have some Railworks DLC on CD that I can't play anymore as I don't have a CD Drive). RW Enhancer has been a bit of a revelation. The improvement in sound and visuals to me is massive. But now I've had a taste of what can be done, I'm looking to see what else I can improve, if anything.

    The main reason I took a break is just because of TSW. I primarily play German Routes in TSW and find them pretty good to play in TSW especially with the safety systems. So I just drifted away from TSC it was only the new pack + the updates and some youtube recommendations that got me to take another look. It's also nice to have longer runs. I have to say I'm actually finding it a lot more stable than it used to be, I used to get a few OOM errors and so far in 10 hours of play this weekend, I've had only one.

    If it wasn't for the detailed updates of what they plan to do, I wouldn't have bothered, so I hope there are future updates. For now, enjoy your Flight Sim!
     
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  6. triznya.andras

    triznya.andras Well-Known Member

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    Whether it's controversial really depends on the delivery.
    The way I read your post is, you see promise in this game's future, having loads of fun. For that, welcome back, and hope you enjoy your stay! Mandatory plug, feel free to check out the creative section, there are two weekly competitions and of course the screenshot thread. (I recently discovered the media section on the site, could be nice to integrate.) And by check out I mean contributing.
     
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  7. IronBladder

    IronBladder Well-Known Member

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    The AP Weather Packs v RWE2 got locked due to a small number of people getting worked up and making personal attacks.

    For some reason AP products seem to polarise opinion. Some people think they are fantastic, others don't agree and a few seem unable to accept that other people may have different needs and tastes. I suspect AP also make themselves a bit of an outlier with the prices they charge and their update policy.

    Enjoy your new found interest in TSC, it's a great railway based hobby tool. If you want AP stuff then note they normally have three sales a year (up to 40% off). The next one is due sometime in the summer.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2023
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  8. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    My wallet threatened a restraining order. :D
     
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  9. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    As soon as a thread has AP and payware mentioned the usual names appear criticising something they don’t even own. Best to just ignore them and not entertain them
     
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  10. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    We actually thought the coronation might get one after the Jubilee.

    It didn’t. So until August, we wait.
     
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  11. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    August bank holiday more than likely however that is no guarantee as a sale is a privilege not a right.

    I hope they release some new content before then as I have everything on the AP store purchased lol
     
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  12. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Mods used here.
    Reshade, (very complex to use and set up and can be twitchy if you also use AP Sky&Weather - PM if you need help)
    RWEnhancer Pro,
    AP Sky&Weather EP,
    AP Track EP,
    AP Signal EP,
    and of course, AP rolling stock.
    Not cheap, but it really breathes life into the old sim. In many ways, I think it can actually look more real than TSW once you have everything dialled in.


    24010_20230304112944_1.jpg 24010_20230321145722.jpg 24010_20230321171147_1.jpg 24010_20230324070608_1.jpg

    You'll see a lot of negativity about AP products from some quarters, and it seems to be a red rag to a bull to some, but it's mainly just moaning about price. Seems silly to me. If I think something is just not worth it, I just ignore it. I'll let the video and screenshots do the talking and you can make up your own mind. You don't have to buy everything at once, but AP Sky& Weather is a game changer, so that's where I'd start.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2023
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  13. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Hard disagree LOL
     
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  14. Tigert1966

    Tigert1966 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, that's really helpful. The screenshots look amazing. I'll watch the video when I'm not at work. It's a public holiday for me on Thursday and I have nothing planned, so I think I'll get the Sky and Weather Pack and see how I get on with that.
     
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  15. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    It's not all plain sailing. If you run in full screen mode, the AP weather pack can cause the game to shrink to the taskbar if scripted weather is used in a scenario... this then can cause crashes if you have reshade installed... Still worth it though, and running in borderless solves the issue. It's just the reality of having a sim that has evolved over so many years, with input from so many third parties... it's a bit like the wild west unlike TSW. All part of the fun.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2023
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  16. snapnfix

    snapnfix Member

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    Disclosure alert. Pookeyhead won the recent AP screenshot competition and has free products for life, so pricing isn't a concern for him. Others may feel differently. Other opinions on the cost/value of AP's products are available.
     
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  17. 749006

    749006 Well-Known Member

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    Except Pookeyhead already had the AP Weather Pack as that was what the competition was for - to show pictures that were enhanced by the AP Pack(s) which you had to pre-own
     
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  18. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    Disclosure alert I didn’t win the competition nor did I enter and I have everything from the ap website and can agree with pookey’s comment 100 percent
     
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  19. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Excuse me? Why would I need to disclose this? I said quite plainly that they are expensive. What I paid, or didn't is irrelevant, and I had a shed load of stuff prior to winning. In what way is any of this relevant to anything?
     
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  20. Tigert1966

    Tigert1966 Well-Known Member

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    To be honest I'm more interested in what the sky / weather pack can do than what it costs. I'm likely to put many more hours into TSC with it and for me it's less than the price of a trip to the cinema. So thanks for the opinions and particularly the screenshots, those and some Youtube videos have really helped.

    If I enjoy the sky/weather pack then I don't begrudge the money. From Pookeyhead's Screenshots, even if it looks half as good on my set up, I think it's worth a try. As I said although not new to TSC, I'm new to this kind of thing so not looking to buy all the packs just yet. Something I can maybe build up over time if I like them.
     
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  21. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    As I imagined you would be. Pay no attention to all the negativity and moaning about price. It costs as much as a couple of Pizzas, or the average take away order for a couple of people... or 2 packs of cigarettes... or significantly less than a night out. Some people just aren't happy unless they are moaning about something.
     
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  22. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    And it’s always the same people moaning about AP and another website. Just ignore as pookey says. How these people can complain about something they don’t even own amazes me
     
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  23. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Deleted... It's beneath me.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2023
  24. DTG JD

    DTG JD Director of Community Staff Member

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    Let's calm down, folks. Whether or not you see value in any third-party developer's additional content or not, please respect others' opinions and constructive feedback on it.
     
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  25. locobilly

    locobilly Well-Known Member

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    I'd thoroughly recommend the AP upgrade to the Norfolk Wherry Line. His work is about the pinnacle on any route in TSC you can get. Transforms it and adds scenarios too. I think you need the TSC IoW route dlc to make it work though. But it's worth it.
     
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  26. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    You also need GEML London to Ipswich.

    This is one of the bad things about TSC that you do not get with TSW, is that there are so many dependencies required for so many non DTG routes, that it seems insurmountable to get anywhere as a beginner sometimes. I really would stick with DTG routes to begin with, as they have no further dependencies in order to use them. Once you have a few of those under your belt, then more third party content opens up for you.
     
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  27. Johnno124

    Johnno124 Active Member

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    Non Steam Sold Routes**

    TSW Doesn't have this issue because third parties can't release their own routes anywhere but through Steam published by DTG.
     
  28. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    may i ask how you get your activity on steam to show what you are down on your forum page that is pretty neat

    upload_2023-5-16_7-35-53.png
     
  29. locobilly

    locobilly Well-Known Member

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    Yes that's right. GEML is usually packaged with TSC base packs anyway. I've added extra layers to that route including the fantastic optimisation which cures the route of all the stuttering, then the AP/DTG Classes 321, 315 and 90/91. Now the GEML actually looks alive for once.
    Of course the big problem with TSW3 is you cannot do this as no new stock can be added. Hence you end up with poor situations where termini stations such as Glasgow etc. are empty, or Clapham Jct. has nothing on the west side. It's going to be the same with the Glossop route too - nothing at Manchester.
    This is why TSC is better all around imo, allowing for needing all the dependencies as you say, but do the homework and you have a complete game not missing anything.
     
  30. IronBladder

    IronBladder Well-Known Member

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    Where did you get the ophimisation fixes please?
     
  31. eldomtom2

    eldomtom2 Well-Known Member

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    I don't object to the price, I object to stuff like the discontinuations.
     
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  32. locobilly

    locobilly Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: May 16, 2023
  33. maxtedrw

    maxtedrw Active Member

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    If you are interested I would definately suggest trying TSC for steam loco's. I have no idea ( not beign a driver in real life ) but some of the complex products ( BMG for instance) feel like you are having to make continual decsions to get the best from the loco which make even the most basic route an interesting experiance. Certainly I think driving the steam locos on TSC is more fun than TSW, and the number of different types from DT / Victory Works / BMG / Caladonian / MichaelWhiteley / SSS are substantial. Also the wide amount of coaching stock is also great for interesting trains.
     
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  34. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    It's the amount of content available, better route detail and in-depth steam simulations, plus the ability to create your own content which puts TSC miles ahead of TSW3 which hasn't been able to catch up in its now 6 years of existence. Don't like the "Unreal" washed out blurry visuals and useless night drives in that sim anyway. Had a phase of a few months only playing TSW3 (it does have its moments, but it is somewhat limited and people are constantly begging for new content) but now I'm fully back on TSC.

    Of course my library of routes is big as I'm playing and collecting since 2015, so for most 3rd party routes or workshop stuff I already have all requirements installed.

    I feel I made the right decision back then to commit myself to this particular platform and start collecting - I'll be playing this in years to come.

    And for any issues with the current build - be sure DTG are working on core fixes, and AP too will release updates. Just be a little patient, we're in a time of transition at the moment with that new core.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 16, 2023
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  35. Johnno124

    Johnno124 Active Member

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    Honestly can't remember how i did it. Might be a section in the profile page that allows you to link your accounts
     
  36. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    It is.... External Accounts. I just tried it though, and the page is blank, so not sure how to actually use it. Not sure I want everyone to know I'm playing Train Sim when I should be working though LOL
     
  37. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for replying

    Same for me Pookeyhead re blank page
     
  38. Johnno124

    Johnno124 Active Member

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    Good call. But then again, No one will know your meant to be working either haha

    Im pretty sure i did it when i first set up my account. So likely something has changed or broken since then.
     
  39. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    I keep dropping into TSC, mainly for the variety and the far superior steam traction experience than the frankly arcade implementation in TSW. However I always seem to get drawn back the other way too, whether it's the all day timetable, the ability to walk around the route and trains freely and interact with the environment too. Nothing more disappointing than jumping in the cab of a TSC loco, to find you can't open the door or window even.
     
  40. 749006

    749006 Well-Known Member

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    The ability to walk around is ok but having the driver do tasks that would be done by another person is wrong.

    Class 101 Dmu the driver pushes an imaginary button to close the Doors - Why?
    It does not work like that in Real Life so why simulate something that is wrong.
    And doing things like putting up posters and looking for hidden things is an Arcade Game - not a Simulation.
    Maybe not with the older locos but you can with newer releases

    Drive an AP loco or MU and you can open the windows - assuming they open.
    And some locos have Opening Cab Doors which are replicated in the outside view.
    Just need the volume increasing to replicate these featured.
     
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  41. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    I actually don’t disagree with you on most of that, Peter! Not only that, in TSW when you release the doors, whether slam stock or power operated they all open, even those off the platform…

    Anyhow DTG “proper broke” TSW yesterday so was back in TSC for an enjoyable hour or so before bedtime.
     
  42. Tigert1966

    Tigert1966 Well-Known Member

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    I’m still enjoying my new found enthusiasm for TSC. I didn’t get to try the AP weather pack on Thursday as planned as the weather was nicer than expected, so I went out to play in the real world instead.

    Last night I decided to have a 2nd attempt with the DX12 version. I was disappointed at my first attempt but I noticed it had turned on Motion Blur and Depth of field both of which I dislike. Turned them off and the frame rate is as good as 64 bit. So that was a good surprise.

    Hopefully today I’ll get the weather pack and maybe also the Valenta HST enhancement pack. Then I can recreate my journey to college from Newton to Exeter that I did everyday for 2 years back in 1984 to 86. I used to catch an HST in the morning and a DMU in the evening (looked a bit like a 101, but I don’t think it was). Edit : Probably a 117/118

    Maybe time to dig the Raildriver out of storage.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2023
  43. locobilly

    locobilly Well-Known Member

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    TSC combined with RW Enhancer is better than anything available in TSW imo. The length of the drive, the amount of ai services, the sounds, the detailed routes etc. TSW looks ok but it's mostly show, the stations are empty much of the time, the only real exception being London Victoria where all the services are represented for London Commuter immersion, but by the time you get to Clapham Jct. the bubble is burst as there is no SW Railway or London Overground in the game. Instead of filling these obvious gaps DTG seem obsessed with doing short 1 train routes and making the situation worse, examples Glasgow and the upcoming Glossop Line where Manchester will be equally deserted. Now they are even rehashing the same trains, they have no shame.
    Also the routes are getting ridiculously short, no branch lines either. Now you drive just a solitary linear route and tbh once you've driven it once that's it. It's shame you just can't hire it for one day! Not good value for money at all. TSC by contrast is a game you can play for a lifetime, especially with all the Workshop scenarios available and the ability to build your own routes.
    Yes TSW is like one of those fancy bistro's which look nice but afterwards you need to go to a chippy to fill yourself up! TSC is that chippy.
    Only in TSC can you drive routes that are really busy and see other ai services that you would see in real life. Much of the time on UK routes TSW seems more like a test drive.... The situation is better on the German routes which at one stage DTG seem obsessed with, but equally bad on N. American routes. The classic recent example being NY to Trenton which lacked life completely and was an insult to American players.
    I've never felt this on TSC. The RW Enhancer is a brilliant tool and if you haven't got it already I seriously recommend you to try it. It's amazing what a difference to immersion an onboard announcement system can make, also on stations too, not only correct stations but public announcements as. On US freight runs you can get the radio chatter which I should imagine is very much like the real thing. The lady on the UK trains sounds just like the real thing too. Not only are the graphics improved 100% with sunlight and shade being transformed along with ambient light, but so is the sound. Also I find the HUD speed warnings and lights much easier to see and read now too. An amazing piece of software. I'm using the 2 version and give it top score for ease of use as well.
     
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  44. 390001

    390001 Well-Known Member

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    dtg didn’t proper brake TSW yesterday if you read the announcement posted by JD in the forums you will see they gave notice that DTG live woukd be down from yesterday over the weekend for maintenance and they provided a work around for steam users who had problems with the sim crashing.
    https://forums.dovetailgames.com/th...rvices-down-over-weekend-19th-21st-may.70315/
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2023

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