Throwing punches when the Bell's already gone? I'll give it to you DTG, you've got some big croutons to be prompting steam while in the real world you really don't care a f about it or your community/customers.
There is rubbing salt into the wound, and then there is this... I think the first time since joining this forum I am going to have to finish with a red emotion.
The comments on the facebook post about going back in time got exactly the response you would expect. What they fail to realise is that people on the forum also have social media [pause here for the story in the spoiler below] and are not a completely separate bunch. Once again, I’m left shaking my head in disbelief at something DTG have done. Spoiler: Fun story about a dead mouse I was part way through typing the above when one of our cats brought a mouse into the house. This one was easy to catch as it was already deceased, like steam in TSW. When the cat brings in a mouse, dead or alive, I dispose of it on the grass verge of the railway line a short walk away from my house, the very same railway line depicted in Spirit of Steam. The live ones get to scurry away and hopefully, but probably not, live happily ever after. That’s where I was during the pause in typing above.
Just added my several cents to the FB post. Inevitably some acolytes on there denying the whole thing, like Peter before the cockerel crowed. But really, it sums up the state of DTG, the total disconnect with their audience and even inter departmental for sanctioning the PR people to go ahead and post that drivel.
I think they need someone akin to Colonel Nathan Jessop (Jack Nicholson) from the movie A Few Good Men, in charge.
Whoa, you mean applying a 'Code Red' to these guys would improve the somewhat economical handlings of business ethics? Naaaaahh ...
Yes please buy the Flying Scotsman which has poor sounds, physics and incorrect Steam simulation...... What a bunch of ******* ********
What's wrong with the chap heading things up at the moment? (At least he's looking to see where steam has gone).
Ah, now this is a shame, an almost expected shame, but a shame nevertheless. There was potential here, and like others I don't buy the wisdom that steam doesn't sell well, other sims and routes have shown that this is not a good assumption to make. The problem with SoS and PF, and the reason that I, and I suspect others, didn't immediately order it, was because it wasn't a finished product. The steam locomotives were lacking in terms of simulation, to an extent that they were probably below the level of the Black Five and 7F from Kuju Rail Simulator, yes, the TSW steam locomotives looked good, they looked beautiful, but with the safety valves on permanent lift and a barely functional firing system, it wasn't really a finished product. One could argue that the choice of the route in SoS was a bit too ambitious too, and it might have been better to just focus on getting the steam locomotives right first, releasing them as a timetable layer in the West Somerset Railway addon, but all of that is history now and we are where we are. Well, I guess it'll be interesting to see how Century of Steam progresses, if it turns out as good as it looks maybe it'll encourage others to make their own sims as well. Could you imagine a team of all the talents, Precision Loco Devs, Victory Works, Caledonian Works, Just Trains, Golden Age Developments, Steam Sound Supreme, all teaming up to bring us a UK Century of Steam? Dreams.
I had future plans of upgrading my gaming PC, but this news that steam locomotives have been put on definite hold has saved me a lot of money.
Well I have just expanded into US steam in TSC. Bought the Smokeox Big Boy which is supposed to be the top of the cream. Also the Bekshire and B&O H9. Might add the Rio Grande Southern later. TSC (and the indie devs) gain, TSW loss.
I have started with the Smokebox Big Boy in TSC. Boy is it a handful, particularly the brakes but loving the mighty feel. A crying shame that we will never see this come to Sherman Hill in TSW (properly modelled, mind) as it would sell like hot cakes.
I think the TSW with its core idea is the only game so far that could somewhat better show the insane size of the loco. I've seen one IRL and it is an absolute giant on wheels. Shame...
The Big Boy's were no joke. A few pic's of 4014 I got in Barstow down to San Bernardino during an excursion to the area in 2019.
So DTG have uploaded a new promotional video for TSW: Bit misleading considering their recent decision on steam traction. DTG, if you want to call TSW the "ultimate" train simulation then you need to reverse your decision on steam traction and get working on improving it! You need to be making steam/diesel/electric in union together to claim that title.
I was very close to also making this post as well. Its very frustrating that they continue to advertise and slap steam on everything but fail to mention that steam is abandoned. DTG Alex I understand DTG need to do promotion work but this is incredibly frustrating considering the companies current Stance on current steam content.
Quite interesting given that the word “ultimate” literally means “last, final”. Conspiracy theorists unite! Is this the end of TSW?
It doesn't help that they're looking down both barrels of Century of Steam, which as far as one can tell from the devblog videos does everything right, down to the little details, even brake retainers. And looks fabulous while doing it.
Century of Steam has a very narrow focus though - I doubt DTG would ever make turn-of-the-century US steam content even if the steam simulation was perfect, and equally I don't think we're going to see 50s/60s UK steam content from Studio 346. Also saying that it's the "first time" knuckles and air brakes have been done right suggests a very provincial attitude at the very least.
Yeah, this is the reason why Century of Steam isn’t appealing to me. UK steam is my focus of interest, and what I would base my purchase on. In TSW’s case, I purchased it solely for the UK content, specifically GWE, WSR, NTP and TVL. I then checked out the German and US offerings out on the side and to support the product. Variety was one of TSW’s strong points so reducing that by putting steam, US freight and whatever else on the shelf makes little sense to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if Scottish routes get pulled next because “they don’t sell well” after Rivet’s latest release… It’s never anything to do with the quality of the end product after all, is it?
In honesty, US content is pretty much on ice at the moment, due to the stalling of the LIRR route. US content is on a drought till either the issues are sorted with the LIRR route, or we wait till Metrolink San Bernadino. So for the moment, TSW is more like TSE (Train Sim Europe) or TSME (Train Sim Modern Europe)
Have a feeling DTG are saving LIRR v2 for TSW5 (or TSW 4.5) this summer, along with the “delayed” enhanced suspension system. They’ll want to hold some stuff back to create selling points for this year’s mega-update.
"More than just point A to point B" - you gotta be kidding, right? Pretty much every route you make is just A to B, sure you go on to talk about freeroam... on the same A-to-B routes. That video is a spit in the face of the community.
Different service patterns, different types of services, some routes have branch lines. While many routes may be a to b, the services are not all a to b unless it's one of those enclosed routes like iow where you just go back and forth
If Steam Loco's where to comeback in the future. Dovetail should create better steam loco simulation physic's to simulate authentic steam operations. Add the manual firing feature that they were going to make after the release of Spirit of Steam, add fixes to the fireman so that he or she can shovel coal which was a problem in the Steam Loco DLC on Peak Forrest and Spirit of Steam. They should have services where the loco''s refuel on coal and water.
^^ I'd add to this list some simplified simulation for AI services, at least to make their locos chuffing, because at the moment they seem to be dragged by some invisible force.
Yes, precisely, which will be very immersion breaking when the class 104 comes out. Steam engines were noisy so it is farcical that this at least hasn't been addressed. Especially on a route like PFR with it's gradients and heavy freight trains. Also it is a perfect route for exploring on foot and immersing yourself in the days of steam, but not when said engines sound like a Pendolino! I wonder how far they had got in trying to fix this.
My gut feeling is they came upon the audio limits of UE4 or some similar story which prevented them from adding AI audio.
You are likely correct. It is a pity they haven't communicated this though, well I haven't seen it if they have.
No it isn't a limitation, it does work but for some reason it's very intermittent it seems to work randomly on light locos but once it couples to a formation it stops working. I took this video to show Matt in a bug report a while ago. He said it's something he wants to get fixed.
That's interesting, thanks. Did he say that he wanted to fix it before the moratorium on work on steam or after?
That has been botched since the beginning. It was reported the first day sos got released backthen in june, and players asked why the steam a.i was accelerating like a diesel loco without sound.. DTG hate the "L" word, but should this represent next level experience of the train sim successor? Now they burried steam after all the promises and are probably convinced people are not interested in steam. Well done DTG without "L" !
Yeah unfortunately it's been a problem since day 1 of steam, it's been what... 2 years at this point since SoS released and still no fix. I'd be happy if they just fixed this problem with steam it'll make it more enjoyable.
