i'm wondering could dtg release a list of railroad license that they have? it might help out the community.
So as not to make suggestions for operator and infrastructure operators who are not prepared to be represented in the sim, obviously. In fact I have previously suggested such a list is stickied at the top of the Suggestions forum. Whether it's GWR, Metra, SNCF, SBB, Australia, the NYC Subway, there's nothing more disheartening after someone has posted a long illustrated essay or in some cases novella about the route they want to see in TSW, than to have to point out it will never happen because the railway concerned is not prepared to grant a licence or access for research.
As said above it’ll avoid people wasting their times doing a nice, long and detailed presentation. DTG did a list of every TOC you can upload on the Creator Club so why not for actual operator licensing they have at the moment.
It's slightly tricky in that you don't necessarily want to reduce the creativity of people's suggestions given that new licensees do emerge (e.g. Flixtrain already in while TfW and NS will be coming at some point this year). Equally licensees that currently no longer work with DTG could come back or there are workarounds such as unbranded trains like on WCMLS or the upcoming GWE remaster. Or some routes have started using the 'transition' liveries like how Manchester Airport will have a ScotRail 158 working for Northern while the TPE Class 350s will have the LNWR livery.
DTG also doesn't have anyone who knows every route and train existing. suggestions pose a great way to give the development team new ideas to work on or the people in charge of licensing maybe finding new licenses to try and accuire. I'm not sure if it's even legally allowed to show all current licenses with maybe dates of it ending. especially after WCML some people allegedly contacted a company to ask for tsw to get their licence back. I'd personally like to keep an unlimited amount of suggestions. older defunct companies like those for steam or other historical content are also done differently. do we all really want to learn the laws of video game licencing to provide suggestions that contain only what is currently available or do we want to support DTG in broadening horizons where possible?
I can see the two sides to this, but I just feel sorry for those who have written articulate, detailed presentations and there is no chance currently of it happening. Certainly could do with a little more “hands on” from DTG and not having to rely on trying to find past references by the EP as to the operators that won’t work with them.
for example i donno if dtg stil has licenses with cn even know they made oakville sub many years ago and would be nice to see locomotive pack liek sd70m-2 or es44dc since they have the models. i think license have expiration. the dlc can still be sold even if the license has expired just you can't make anything new for licnses untill you renew it if the company want to i think.
There's also the issue of business--posting a yes/no/maybe list of operators could also be helpful to the competition. IMO, the best attitude to take into making a request is acceptance that the odds are going to be slim, and enjoyment of the research and writing process itself.
Except... that scattered and buried across the forum are references from DTG people (mainly Matt) outlining who isn't interested in working with them. And if, for example, Genesee Wyoming, have slammed the door on working with one trainsim developer the chances are they will apply that to the rest. Unless of course other products ignore or otherwise circumvent licensing. I often wonder what licences the likes of Run 8 or N3V hold for the content they publish, or whether they take a more casual approach though of course with the inherent risks attached.
If in doubt, go Legally Distinct for Copyright Purposes (TM) (I have checked, it's not the same Focus who own DTG)
Well, at least on the American side it's pretty safe to suggest routes and locos from the 6 class 1's and Metrolink, Caltrain, MBTA and MTA ( except the Subway ). I think it's also pretty clear for German content. The UK seems more of a checkerboard.
the scotrail 158 working for northern seems an odd choice for Man airport, as there are no northern 158s work down to Manchester and the 158s that would work on the route are EMR 158s which are included with MML and would layer nicely between Stockport and Piccadilly.
Sure, but a specific thing being mentioned in a random conversation isn't the same thing as posting a comprehensive list for the world to reference. Just like an occasional survey result of interest might be mentioned, but the complete results won't be.
But wasn’t there something on the 6 class 1s? Somewhere in the back of my mind it says that none of them were really interested being included in a game anymore and that’s the reason why we haven’t gotten any big freight routes since Cajon pass anymore? If I’m wrong please tell me; cause I really hope I’m wrong and we will see some new freight routes and locos in the next time..
I also think DTG can create future content for Amtrak and NJT content for future US routes. For MTA, I know the subway is out of the question for the time being unfortunately but I think Metro North and LIRR are also possibilities. I am not sure where Staten Island Railway stands
If memory serves me correctly, they have refused technical access for research so while the route could probably be built from topographic maps and Google photogrammetry, you are only going to get info on speed limits and signalling etc. which is already in the public domain.
I marked this as helpful yesterday and it really is- thanks! But I just thought about it and remembered: There are so many US freight routes in TSC already; DTG could easily just build those for TSW? I mean: The speed limits etc. should be in TSC and already available so the only problem might be to get information on the locos- but with the help of community, TSC and maybe operators outside of the US that have the same locos it should be possible to get them in game? Because especially in regards of locomotives TSW has a lot to gain!
It’s not something that’s possible. Some companies will give out licenses for different applications. Companies who are signing on don’t want their company shown until a project is completed. licensing changes, some new ones may be considered or some old ones may leave, having a definitive list helps no one
There was a thread back in 2023, in which users listed operators DTG helds a license for (up to this point in time). Obviously there are a few operators missing which got added in the meantime (FlixTrain for Germany or ÖBB for Austria for example) and operators which are yet confirmed for upcoming content (the dutch/japanese/welsh Routes) and well the Mattel license for Thomas & Friends, but you can find it here: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/what-licenses-dtg-are-confirmed-to-have-for-tsw.71000/ The most comprehensive post was done here by trainsimplayer, which I shamefully just copy and paste here, so everybody does not need to switch threads for. Also thanks to Krazy and @AtherianKing, which provided parts of the list in the cited thread above.
Well, I guess, after the release of London Overground Suffragette Line, London Overground is 'confirmed'. And well, after the announcement of 'Cardiff City Network', I would say, there is some conclusive evidence...
Why? SBB license is still there. They just are much more restrictive about realistic looking cabs. But in theory it's still possible to release SBB stuff. And SNCF - never heard that the license has been withdrawn? Sure, the last French route has been released ages ago, but nobody said it's due to licensing? It's more about that it's pretty hard to find a French TGV route that is not too long and has (kinda) logical start and end points. Most other French LGV routes would be just too long.
