The Problem With Rivet

'Built with extensions in mind' doesn't really mean anything. The developers can open up any route and extend it no matter when it was made. If I wanted to build the entire Southeastern network using SEHS as a base there's nothing really stopping me.

 

If they are modelled it has been done in a way that renders them invisible.
Hardly a cause for celebration in my book.

 

Microsoft should seriously consider a reboot of MSTS, it would be a breath of fresh air and bring some commercial and freeware liberty back to the genre. DTG has TSW so locked down and it’s suffocating innovation.

 

Ah, of course. Almost forgot about them. XD

 

Train Simulators are a niche market, that is why they got rid of MSTS to begin with.

You don't drop $70 billion on a company like Activision, just so they can make a train simulator.

 

If my memory serves me correctly the subsequent attempts at a second MSTS were mostly a case of poor timing. Well the first attempt I'm fairly certain because Kuju proved to not be up to the job and handed the project back so it got mothballed.

Second attempt was the World Of Rails which let's face it was pretty much an over ambitious undertaking. Then MS decided to restructure (effectively scrap)pretty much all their games division which amounted to a death sentence for the project.

Who knows if they harbour ambitions for a third time lucky attempt.

And it's not so niche these days, with all the various titles popping up.

 

Always money to be made in a niche market, for the right people, at the right time

 

Nah, the telegraph lines in the Niddertalbahn show up quite nicely.

 

I really love the Glasgow Queens Street Station platform signs at the end of the platform at Burntisland Station. Proves Rivet haven’t got a clue on scenery design. Glasgow Queens Street isn’t even on the route.

Another Rivet trick is that some of the collectables, especially Route-maps are situated right at the end of the platform where you would never find them in real life! Crazy!!! There is also a flowerpot collectable in a cupboard recess on Linlithgow Station as part of the Glasgow Branch Line which is totally uncollectable. See the end of Neal’s video.


ln work, if you continually make errors like Rivet do, you would be given a P45 and booted out of the door. DTG continually allow Rivet to make shoddy and shambolic products for their game. Isn’t it about time that stopped.

 

To me that indicates the route was given to someone who is either slapdash and uncaring with no love for the job, poorly qualified for the task, little or no artistic eye or even outsourced overseas to party(s) who are simply following an A to B ticklist on assembling things who haven't got much of a clue about the UK or railways in general. Correct me if I'm wrong but Rivet rarely give individual credits in their manual for who did what on their DLC.

 

More likely is that someone was using an existing sign as a template and just didn't change the text. It could just as easily have been "[Station Name]"!

 

DTG should drop this developer before they completely ruin their reputation. DTG has their problems but at least their DLC is of reasonable quality, and in many cases, great detail.

These Rivet guys are not serious.

 

Don't get rid of them, their modelling, especially on the trains, is some of the best.

Make them stick to making locos for routes instead as that's where their strengths lie.

 

And scenarios which, generally, are quite interesting and well scripted - even if you wouldn't really have a steam excursion departing Penzance at 0615 just before the morning rush of Up Line services all on block behind each other!

 

Or a driver emptying bins

 

The solution as I see it:

1. Have greater quality control for third parties when DTG are publishing their content. Inadequate DLC should not be allowed to be released until it is truly ready. However, to do this DTG will need a different attitude to third party content...
2. DTG should not account for third party content in their financial predictions, as the most prevalent theory on the Fife Circle Line was that it was released too early to improve DTG's finances before the end of the financial year. Commission from third party content should be treated as 'bonus cash' so DTG do not have as much of an incentive to push things out of the door early.
3. (Not a Rivet-specific point) DTG should allow third party developers to be more independent. As it stands now, DTG have a lot of control over what third party DLC is made and when it releases. It should really be up to the developers themselves and, if DTG really want to release their stuff, DTG should allow them to be a bit more free.

 

[Removed; Insulting - DTGHarry]

This is a building on the real life route at Aberdour Station.

Rivet put this building on the route which doesn’t resemble it at all.

Now Rivet, please don’t tell me that you don’t have the assets to put a chalet style windowed building, as l saw you put this building that you put in place along the line. Wouldn’t this have been a more life like effort. Just a bit of thought should have been implemented in your route designing, this proves my point.

 

Calling them idiots is not going to do you any good. I think recreating every single building just like real life is going to be very time consuming and resource intensive. If you do that to 1 building, they have to do that to every single building which means the dlc takes even longer to release. Even msfs is not perfect. My house has too many trees around it and the shape of the house isn't accurate either.

 

While i agree on every single criticized point about fife circle (and the positive rating of the 170 too), insulting Rivet goes really too far here.

 

In fairness Rivet are not the only ones guilty of this. In a TSW route made by DTG my singular house has has been represented by I think a pair/trio of terraced houses. Not saying it is acceptable but Rivet are not the only people doing this.

 

It depends on what classifies as a unique landmark and what not - depending on the budget and target price.

Thankfully, DTG have modelled my home station quite good - I can recognize it. Usually that level of detail for minor locations is only seen in freeware passion projects.

Malsch (Karlsruhe) - TS Bahnstrecke Strasbourg - Karlsruhe

 

Pffft, should see half the companies I have worked for.
Most would have promoted you for being consistent.