Is Anyone Actually Excited For Thomas?

DB BR 120 or Sodor ?
No for Sodor, even in Cornwall. Did the Duke ask for it ?

 

Yeah I'm definitely looking forward to some Thomas action, would be getting it anyway, but knowing it's going to annoy a lot of haters will send a wry smile across my face as I hit the buy it button on my Xbox.......

 

Not really for me but some people will enjoy it, mainly very young kids and the adults in their lives.

I understand the disappointment in the community that would prefer the time and resources diverted into Thomas went on much more needed and useful tasks like bug fixes and general performance improvements but feel the venomous reaction has been over the top to the point of comical.

Agreed. This reminds me of the global controversy regarding the inclusion of pineapple as a valid topping on a pizza! The level of passion on both sides of the argument is surprisingly impressive but mostly pointless. If you don't want pineapple on your pizza then just don't order it. Similarly no one is forcing TSW5 users to add Thomas to your installation.

Whatever happened to the season of peace and goodwill? On another thread, the discussion regarding "Thomasgate" at points descended to an all out farcical bun fight with people trading personal insults. I must confess it made me laugh and wonder whether those people are perhaps not mature enough to understand the allure of a make believe train character from a series of books aimed at small children. Let us hope they never go to a performance of Starlight Express as they would be demanding their money back and complaining that the trains were not depicted in a realistic enough manner.

 

I've already pre ordered it. Subconsciously.

 

Moreover, the original British series with Ringo was widely sold on videotape- my son had all of them (as well as the wooden trains and tracks, and the omnibus edition of the Awdry books)

 

No.
I loved the books as a kid and watched the Ringo-era episodes with my nephew when he was little and I was looking after him.
While I understand what Thomas has done for real-life railways in terms of revenue, in terms of TSW, it holds zero interest for me.

I think what they should have done was instead of bringing DLC to TSW, they should have developed a standalone Thomas game where you could have different controls. So instead of activating DSD in TSW, the button makes Thomas roll his eyes!

People need to remember that a lot of the anger and frustration wasn't necessarily aimed at Thomas, it was that it was the big reveal. DTG dropped the ball on the season of reveals (from start to finish) and they need to do better next time. Poorly executed, it was not a great PR exercise.

 

My brother was a big fan when we were little but has had no interest in TSW as an adult. He is more of a Starfield type game player.

I told him about this and he picked up the free starter pack and WSR and few other routes last night and is looking forward to it.

Yes its only 1 person so by far you can say successful. But they did get a new player because of Thomas.

 

"I'm not interested in this" is very different from "this shouldn't exist and how dare they even make it". The first is an opinion, the second is a tantrum. "The entire game is ruined for me and I'm never buying another DLC because this one exists", even more so.

"This doesn't fit what I want TSW to be" is an opinion. Lecturing DTG on what their own game is or isn't is ridiculous gatekeeping.

 

Shining Time was how Thomas was brought over for the first few years, from what I understand because US networks needed a way to broadcast it in 20 to 30 minutes blocks. Eventually that was no longer need, so Thomas continued on its own with the same "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" title as in the UK. The show's frankly much more well known under that title over here than Shining Time, I think the best way to put is is that it's to Thomas what Pete Best is to The Beatles. (I didn't pick that example just because of the Ringo reference, honest!)

 

Definitely not

 

I have to say no. It's modeled after the CGI series which I despise. If it had been modeled after the 1980s models and with a dedicated Sodor route then I might have been interested.

 

Haters?

Anybody who "hates" a character from a children's show must have some deep rooted psychological issues.

Do you think they pin pictures to a dartboard?

 

No, not in the slightest.

 

It gets kind of convoluted, in large part because the era when the show began, the early-mid 80s, was just when cable TV was starting to take off and the broadcast-network paradigm was starting to slip. This was also the beginning of the home video age, which transformed childrens' entertainment in particular*

After the first two series of TTTE&F had proven successful in the UK on ITV in 1984-86, it was Britt Allcroft herself who decided to try for the US market. Her production company co-produced the US version (Shining Time Station) with public-television station WNET in New York; the stories themselves were the same UK model sequences, but to provide context for a public which on the whole had never heard of Awbry's books, they were placed in a live-action "frame" with a cast that, for one season, included Ringo as Mr. Conductor before he was replaced by George Carlin. WNET succeeded in selling the show to PBS (i.e. the Sesame Street network), so it was broadcast nationally starting in 1989, on a network which was surging in viewership since it was carried on cable, as opposed to the sketchy UHF stations which carried it in the 70s.

Meanwhile, things were changing back in Blighty. For the third series, BA decided to release it on home video before ITV even aired it; ITV was less than happy, but the idea made a pile of money for Allcroft. For the following series the disgruntled ITV gruntled itself elsewhere and Allcroft made a deal instead with Cartoon Network UK, which was only too happy to permit video sales (as a brand new cable channel, it was starved for good content). Meanwhile the model segments were exported to New York and folded into US-filmed live action, all under Allcroft's aegis, but the cost of production didn't really make for a profitable venture given the relatively low price PBS was paying, so STS was wrapped up after three seasons (although PBS would carry it in reruns for years)- it was far, far more profitable just to sell the UK version in the USA on tape, now that the run on PBS had made it a popular "brand" among American kids.




____________
*Also pron, but we won't go into that

 

No. I read the books about 55 years ago and have a recent box set of them on my shelf, but this doesn't interest me.
I'm sure it'll bring in the money which may be ploughed into the game proper, but it could equally just encourage more of this sort of thing.
Some will like it and that's fine but it's not what I'm here for.

 

You're annoyed they are developing a DLC that will be popular and make money?
I get that maybe you don't want ANY DLC until "bugs are fixed" but those aren't the same teams doing the work on both. What exactly is a " graphic artist" going to do in fixing coding bugs?

It'd be like saying you can't get your house painted because your TV needs to be fixed.

Now if you wanted to extend that thought and say lay off the staff for new DLC projects while hiring more coding/bug fixing staff.... well that would address your core issue but it'd be a big argument from the people that need new DLC constantly.

And of course DTG makes no money to pay employees if they aren't selling anything.

As for Thomas, it was a brilliant move. I'd suggested it before but didn't think they'd actually manage to get the licensing for it. Good job. It's forward looking thinking for the future audience of the game that doesn't change the base game in any way.

Best of both worlds.

 

I'm wondering when people are actually going to wake up and realise the problem isn't Tommy Tanker or TSW or even UE, it's DTG's hype and marketing strategies that are the problem, they aggressively over hype every little thing about the game and they are the source of ignition every damned time, wanna sack someone sack JD and Matt, that'd be a start..

Looking forward to TSW6 yet folks? Don't worry you soon will be when the hyperbole boys get on it.

 

I think they hype like other companies.
Maybe I'm just jaded in old age, but I don't tend to believe much of the hype from the start.
Saves disappointment later.
In this case however, it wasn't empty hype.
It may not be the one thing that a specific person wanted so they're personally upset... but it wasn't "just hype."
TTTE is a huge franchise worth a lot of money.
It's up there with Harry Potter or Disney.
That's not DTG being misleading.
It's people disappointing themselves.
People were confident "it's gonna be this" or "it's gonna be that" and DTG never said any of that.
They just said "big" and it was that.
I take it the same as when they announce another modern German EMU route I don't care for.
Meh.... it's nice.
I probably won't buy it, but it's nice to have more game content and I hope it brings more players.
Except this would likely be a lot "bigger" in new players and sales than any single German route.
But it's still a "meh.... not for me, but glad it's there."

 

I find it funny how Thomas himself is somehow the problem.

 

Very classy, wanting to see people sacked! I am sure you wouldn't like reading someone saying that about you!

Every company selling a product hypes their product, it is called marketing. The fault is supposed adults not tempering their expectations then acting like the children this add-on is aimed at when they don't get what they wanted and then throwing tantrums.

 

I'm more impressed from the announcement of Trainz for consoles. Because there we will get Amtrak P42 and Superliners, 9F, 2-8-4 Kawanda steamer, australien stuff and much more. All that things some from us miss so much on TSW.

 

Ooh yeah, dead classy me luv..

One thing I'm not though... Over sensitive.

Anyway it was a direct response to this post...

I was not saying to sack anyone, learn to read things in the context they were meant and stop being so dramatic!

 

I read it in context and that is what it sounds like you are advocating.

Not being over sensitive but in my opinion it is wrong to start singling individuals out and get getting personal.

 

So you didn't say this then:

 

Again... context..

 

Someone sees that, the context they'll get is that you said to sack someone.

 

For the people that fail to understand basic english...

"Wanna sack someone" in full context would be " IF YOU wanna sack someone" as I said it was in direct response to the prior poster saying about laying off staff.

Ok got it that I'm not saying to sack anyone? good, move on..

 

Knuckleshed: "wanna sack someone sack JD and Matt, that'd be a start."

 

it can't be "in response" if you said it first.
That's how time works.

Look, it'd be fine if you had an opinion that there should be no new DLC and they should only fix bugs and fire half the staff.
That's an opinion I don't agree with, but it IS an opinion.
Just stand up for it and explain how your suggestion would work.

Backing down and trying to pretend you didn't go there just loses respect.

 

Ok I'm getting a bead on who I'm dealing with here, maybe you understand pictures better?



The numbers circled are the post count (hint 116 comes BEFORE 117)

 

Can we get back on the Thomas topic rather than petty bickering like schoolchildren in the playground.

 

I'm not bickering, I'm correcting another members inaccuracy.

An inaccuracy you gave a like too in fact, do you always like and agree with innacurate posts? Any reason why you now take on the role of reason once something you liked was disproved, trying to save face maybe?

 

Back on topic then..

"Is Anyone Actually Excited For Thomas?"

Nope, I'm not.

 

I've done nothing wrong to need to "save face", I simply pointed out not everyone interprets things the same way.

You're the one who said sack someone and singled out two individuals. Which is what someone would focus on after reading the full post.

Once they see it, they won't be able to unsee it, and will likely interpret that as an attack on those two individuals, regardless of the context or your intentions.

You can either ignore this or reply, I'm leaving it here as I don't have anything else to say on the matter. For the sake of keeping it on topic, the former would be preferable so as to not derail the thread any more than it has been.

 

About the only thing that could make me get excited about this is if the inclusion of Thomas leads to a revival of steam content, unsatisfactory physics or otherwise.

 

Think it’s time we brought the all important (Off)Topic topic of Brussels Sprouts into this thread…

How many sprouts would Thomas need in the firebox to generate enough steam?

 

Raises a good question. How big are they usually?

If they're about the size of a pea, I'll take a guess at around 1,000,000 at least.

 

I see some people here still cannot comprehend why people are upset that something like a children character is being brought to a so called simulator. I suspect that these are the same people that thing that PZB and Sifa are two vocalist in a german band.
This could have been launched without hype as a dlc or even it's own tycoon style game and would have been nice.
And I did love and watched and still watch this series occasionally, but there is no room for this into a Sim.
This is my real life Thomas now

I wonder what would have been the community reactions if this beast would have been announced instead.

 

Wrong, I use all safety systems and use the sim as realistically as possible. I don't even like seeing class 40's appearing on a route two years after their demise. I have never been "upset" over a DLC announcement and there are plenty of DLC's I wouldn't buy. If I don't like something I just don't buy it, simple as that.

 

That is an honest opinion and I can respect that. Some people like it, some not, but along the lines the insults started poring in for people that are against or not. Someone should be able to express they're opinion without being called names.
Off topic : You should try the class 40 on Transpenine. The sound it generates will make you smile

 

It's a well-known fact that the best and most nutritious way to cook Brussels Sprouts is to steam them in a large kettle.

I hope that's one of the scenarios in the "Thomas " game. " Sprouts on the Foot plate ".

 

Next you'll be telling us to cook bacon in a toaster

 

Would it work?

 

yes

 

It was supposed to be an allusion. " steam ?", " kettle? " Get it? Lost on this forum I should have known. .

( I wonder what would happen if you cooked bacon in a toaster. I'll let y'all know. It is breakfast time in the US. And I do have some bacon. And a toaster.)


Later: Just kidding of course. Don't try this at home. At least not when you're surrounded by 700 grand's worth of real estate.

 

Dripping fat on the elements would probably blow the thing up

 

Erm....... no, not in the slightest

 

The best toast is scorched.

 

That's not toast, that's a cinder block