Is The Game Getting Worse?

Exactly. If anything, its management who are to blame.

After all, they only care about the money they get. They know they always have a market no matter what, so capitalise on that the best way possible.

 

The routes from Rush hour were decent, the issues IMO were the logistics of it. They overstretched with the release timeframe.

What’s funny is they proceeded to shorten release timeframes & then went with this idea of bundling 3 routes through a very short development cycle.

TSW2 was a crossroads for DTG, one with lessons to be learned & they chose to ignore them, making the wrong turn ultimately.

Now DTG is barrelling down this track of self imposed demise, their own deadlines are clearly becoming harder & harder to achieve.

I have gripes with the current state of TSW, concerns for future content & fear for the distant future. DTG have become far too obsessed with chasing paydays & someone needs to get them back under control.

 

Its funny how everyone keeps talking about TSW is in demise, yet there sales are higher than prvious years still.

The official statement from the Pullup Q3 report.

Train Sim World 5, developed by Dovetail Games, enjoyed excellent momentum during the holiday
season and continues to outperform previous iterations in terms of revenue, acquisition and activity.
Overall, the Train Sim World franchise is progressing compared to previous years, reflecting the strength
of its Live model.

Sound like they are going strong and getting more and more sales than TSW4 was at this time last year.

Doesn't sound like a demise to me at all.

 

Looking at Steam reviews, TSW2 sits at the highest in the franchise, then TSW3 dropped a few points to second lowest (after TSW2020), and then TSW4 and TSW5 have each crept higher.

 

Yes

 

Nothing will change. They will keep the same strategy until TSW sales and activity start to decline significantly, and that won't be anytime in the foreseeable future, because TSW 5 outperformed the previous iterations with "record-hitting sales" and activity, according to Pullup's financial report in January this year.

Someone already posted about it above.

 

I'm using "QA" as a catch-all for "fixing bugs before and after release".

 

I would say yes. TSW 5 has been the most frustrating iteration of the franchise by a very big margin. It's also the very first time a route, specifically Frankfurt-Fulda (a TSW 5 core route), that I choose not play anymore. Why? Because nearly all the time it suffers from video memory errors and/or the game freezing and closing to the Xbox home screen, plus the blurry textures etc - all this on a GEN 9 console. It's unacceptable for this route to still be like this on console after all this time.

The major problem though is not just bad performance i.e. that the route doesn't run smoothly. It's the matter of fact that it can be unplayable due to ongoing video memory errors and/or freezing randomly and closing to the console home screen. Yes, people may expect some poor frame rates etc, but ongoing, frequent video memory errors on Gen 9 consoles is totally unacceptable.

 

Just mentioned in the Enough Is Enough thread… Had about 20 minutes on my PS5 version of the game continuing a run on BML. Constant stutters and sound drops, also every now and again sound breaking up like it’s coming through a drainpipe. The apologists can’t blame potato PC hardware for that and this on a very old route, too.

They need to hire in some programming talent who can seriously get to the bottom of all these performance problems. If not, then maybe it really is time to draw a line under the UE train game and seek or code their own game engine that can power a train sim more competently.

 

Okay, let's do this with an example. TSW5 releases and none of the routes included are of interest to me and I'm short of spare cash (which is currently the case, donations welcome ). So I don't buy TSW5 and if there's no way to update my own game to TSW5 then I won't be able to buy any of the routes subsequently released until TSW6 comes around and hopefully has enough of interest for me to buy it.

That problem has a knock-on effect for the makers of routes released between the annual rebuild/rebrand, DTG included. Giving a free update to the new version optimizes sales of subsequent routes within its current customer base. Some of the additional income goes towards payroll costs. To grow this franchise, DTG must first grow a large, loyal customer base. Then by growing its workforce it improves/increases DLC releases and it all goes round again.

This is why I applauded but won't be buying Thomas & The Tank Engine. Smart business move, capture the next generation of train enthusiasts early.

 

I would wait for TSW6 to be released. I don't know how DTG would be able to convince me to buy their poor quality software on my console. I expect a real fall into the abyss.

 

And people wonder why they won't add the 700 and more passengers to platforms...

 

In the early days of TSW (prior to TSW2's release) I was really into the game. There was a lot of potential at that point. The editor was still being prepared for release, the improvements to the game came quickly, and the DLCs were quite good. The Class 20 and 31, easily the best loco packs for TSW, were also released at this time. But over time the game started to stagnate and improvements I assumed would come just didn't. The editor was cancelled, multiplayer was canned, steam was years away, and throughout TSW2's life I started to get really annoyed by the way the game was being developed. The game was no longer the replacement for TS, and when we did get long-awaited features like steam and the editor, they were handicapped to the point that they retroactively made the rest of the game seem worse.

DTG don't seem to understand the appeal of TSW and are just going with the flow. There is no long-term vision for TSW. Long-standing bugs remain unfixed. Major features still have gigantic flaws that can't be ignored. They're just releasing new DLC and new games for the sake of keeping the lights on. TSW2 to 5 are interchangeable experiences. If they had better direction and were willing to sacrifice short term revenue for long term improvements to the game, there would be hope for it. Right now, the game seems to be unsalvageable.

 

As long as the thumbstick warriors large on pocket money buy everythingDTG throws at them and the future konsole kiddies will make their parents do the same once TTTE hits the stores, I doubt anything is going to change for the better for us old fashioned simulation enthousiasts.
Such is the focus DTG got after Focus Entertainment's takeover and very likely cash injection.

 

I wish something new would appear. The JT and TSG stuff is good but it feels like we are being drip fed. The excuses have all been heard. Although maybe as said by others all that matters is the wow! Day one youtube/ambassador crowd. There is little community input and if it wasn't for the mods TSW would be gone from my machine.

 

It does feel like DTG don't want to appeal to the portion of the playerbase that demands better trains and routes. They'll publish good routes and trains by JT and TSG, but they won't commit to it themselves and won't update the game to improve the simulation. They've always been like this, but when TSW raised the minimum viable product compared to what they'd been making in TS, they didn't do anything with it. Every train has a bare minimum amount of features, the textures are mediocre, the weathering is non-existent, etcetera. The jump from a random DTG TS DLC to TSW is big, but when you out good TS developers into the equation and compare them to TSW, there is an obvious winner.

 

I Strongly Agree with you After Cardiff City Network releases on the 18th March 2025
Assuming its not Subject to Delay there not much to look forward to unless into there worse release Thomas & Friends one for the kids i admit but not for Adults Well it might appeal to some

Fife Circle Sprinter Time Table with Br Class 158 with Leven Branch Livery Off Radar Adam from Sky Hook Games response was this" there light at the end of the tunnel " as Mentioned in the March 2025 Road -map ( First Announced Summer 2024 pre T

Manchester Comm

 

Considering DTG were and are in many ways just as bad with the PC-only TSC, I don't think you can blame consoles...

 

At the end of the day - this market for train video games is very limited. They do have somewhat of a stranglehold on competition, the nearest being Trainz. Variety is the spice of life, aye? I'd much rather be spoiled for selection when it comes to routes and content.

I don't necessarily agree with the whole "new iteration every year" business model, but if they make improvements along the way, then I guess it's fine, especially if they release a free starter pack each release (hopefully) that allows players like myself to play all previous DLC's on the new build.

I do just wish there would be more sales lol. I try and pick things up when they do discount heavily, but some routes I'll never pay asking price for because they simply don't interest me. With the price of routes getting higher, and higher, it won't be long before they're £40 a piece - we're already at £33! That's the worrying part.

 

You need to pickup your devil.

I joined TSW with Rush Hour, at that time I was impressed by DRA, was nice and stable even at PS4. Now Frankfurt-Riesa is not anything as stable even in PS5, but we have far way more layers, far more density in traffic, road traffic in every route, planes, dynamic weather, volumetric clouds, also the drawing distance has improved (the over wire, the tracks, the shadows). BUT on the other hands textures are a disaster in PS5, true.

So, performance is worse, yes, but I prefer what I am getting now. Of course fixing the performance issues and getting a good passenger system need to be added to the TO DO list of DTG. To conclude, I honestly think that the game is better today than 3-4 years ago, at least to me.

 

For me the content is getting boring, personally I wouldn't say it's getting worse as I'm finding TSW is running well. Obviously others are finding the opposite.

I will be getting the TSG route as it's right up my street period wise and looks stunning. I'll probably get the Cardiff route as I like Sprinters and network routes. I will likely get the Dutch route as it's a new country.

Apart from possibly the TSG loco and maybe the Simtrack offerings there is nothing else that excited me. Even if Mildmay had gone to Richmond and/or Clapham I don't think I'd buy it.

I never thought I would reinstall TSC but I have and enjoying making quick drives and the variety of content, especially steam and classic BR.

TSW does look more realistic but that isn't always enough. I think much of the content is getting too similar.

I hope that something will change in the future, that steam will be revisited, that express trains like the Pendolino will have longer runs, routes will have more logical end points and anything pre 2010 won't be left to just one or two developers.

 

I've been going back even further. Playing on Open Rails, which is only way I can access the old MSTS content now.

 

PlayStation 5 is terrible. Not touched it for weeks. Blur. Stuttering. Crashes. Tsw5 is the worst out of all of them. Interestingley I download tsw2 at the weekend and couldn't believe how amazing it played. It was butter smooth deep rich colours and not washed out like a nuke had gone off. A joy to play and will be back on it this weekend.

 

I've had the opposite experience on PS5. TSW2 ran at less than 20fps, whilst TSW5 ran much better. This is in the 4K mode for both.

 

That's strange. Stutter free I'm loving it. I never understand why we both have the same ps5 but performance is different.

 

Well I played Southern Belle on my speccy last week so there

Spoiler

I didn't really, the FPS is unbearable

 

Could it just be the case that the discussed year-on-year progression has nothing whatsoever to do with a shift in the popularity of TSW, but more to do with Dovetail Games releasing higher volumes of content into the game than in previous years?

I mean, when you consider the careful wording of the released statement you could easily interpreted it as:
"A flagship product that has only gained momentum during a time it was heavily reduced in price and is outperforming previous iterations because we've increased prices and are dumping more and more content into it"

That wouldn't make TSW a better game or a game with a momentum shift, it would just make it a game that is taking more and more from the same userbase in order to artificially inflate it's popularity.

 

The point is they are making more money than ever so there is no way they are in dire straits as some people have put them.

Ther is no demise in sight.

So we are stuck with what they produce because as long as they are making money yhe ship is goi g to keep going on the same course.

I never said the game was better just that it is clearly not in demise yet. That was it.

 

I decided to have a play of the game last night. Not playing as much now as the game is just getting too buggy for my liking.

Two things that have never happened to me before in TSW.

Driving my train and there's a light-engine 47 waiting at a signal on an adjacent line.

As I approached it, the 47 starts glitching. One second the loco is there, the next it's a weird mishmash of lines and colours. I went to external view and it was suddenly fine. It stopped glitching before I could get a photo.

Another odd one, I was driving an ECS out of Glasgow Central and the game suddenly began stuttering.

It happened for a few seconds, but when I accidently touched the windows key on my keyboard, it suddenly stopped and I proceeded to finish the service with any issues.

 

Do you have motion blur on? It's a rare glitch with the motion blur system, been there years and completely unreplicable from what I can tell.

 

I have to say on this subject that WSR has been a breath of fresh air that was well needed in my opinion for TSW5. It at least proves there are a group of people at DTG who are trying and putting time and care into their work (like Liam) but even with Cardiff some of the signs there are really promising as well especially the 153.

I feel like there are definitely more positives on the DTG side than a month or two ago. It's just that frustrating habit of missing bits and pieces that kind of spoilt what is some very good work on the most part!

 

Yes just seen this and it does happen and has since I’d say TSW3. Well more prominent on that title right up to TSW5.
I had it not ago on a Class 66 which was around 11 o clock to my seating position. It to was glitching out. It’s like the lightning on the layer of the model to reflect that light seems to be to much.

Also while we mention missing locos or cars even, then I found due to the amount of layers used say 9,500+ on a 801/1 I would have a massive amount of lag and then when the train loaded in it had half its cars missing.
The game can’t seem to handle processing all that information at those speeds of a 801/1. (125Mph).
So the results are the odd glitch on some stationary locos and then missing cars etc at higher speeds.
Even the 66s in the sidings will glitch.

To much information for the game to handle thus process in time for it all to be there. It’s why on old gens we find you’ll have more issues than on the newer gen consoles. The consoles like PS4 struggle with the game data and so run slow or having difficulty processing the graphics in time.

And why we see this as a problem today in the topic mentioned.

 

Coming out Glasgow Central means it loading in the data for the complex overhead gantry work. If you look closely at the train as it leaves you will see the layers and the skin change shade to be more detailed. So a few seconds after this the the game will slow or freeze depending on what your using console or PC, because it’s just the system dealing with all the different amounts of information to be displayed on screen.

I don’t think they are bugs as such, just a game running to much data for the systems to handle.
Console owners are stuck with the tech we have. Where on PC there may be better graphics cards etc to speed up the flow of data.
But don’t quote me as I am not a pro with PCs nor own one.

Yet I am aware of the benefits of owning a PC when playing simulator games. Even if you play some top flight sims you will have issues like this if your PC doesn’t have the necessary upgrades needed to run the game at optimal levels of performance. Ie system requirements.

 

Never happened before and Cathcart Circle is my most-played route.

 

I do and I guess I got lucky as it's never happened before.

 

No I think your missing the point. On the route you mentioned I have never had a problem with graphics on the loco issues. Blurry etc.
So on that point I’ll agree. No loco issues.

I see some have mentioned motion blur. That’s not in open environment, it’s just a feature for Photo mode. Which can not be the case for locos becoming blurred at certain angles or light conditions.
But for how the system does work then a slight pause or lag will happen. And on a majority of routes. Especially with overhead gantry’s etc.
As I say I am no expert but what ever the developer uses as a engine such as Unreal for example then this could be why we have issues as with blurry graphics and small lags. It’s what the engine as a developer tool is cable off, and then for the user what systems they are running it on. Again the limitations of older gen consoles over using a top end PC.

They will run and act completely different.
So when it comes to the blurring issues the main topic then I feel it’s not a bug as such but rather a matter of technical limitations.
Here we see this for if you look at many older titles, they was less technical in terms of track layouts. Distance involved, track side details and stations. Then you have significant data in signalling and Ai. The developers may have had the tools but what wasn’t available was the ability for a console use to get software that is capable of processing all that information. Where as on PC you can.

Now we have new gen consoles like PS5 or PS5 pro user do have a higher spec console. A console that can finally deal with the more complex routes DTG may have not been able to put out in the past. But that still doesn’t mean that we not pushing the limits of this technology. Which means we may have issues like blurring because of how a software engine works, how the devs get the most out of them and how the end user’s system deals with the information. On PS5 with TSW5 and all my DLC is 422.2GB, add TSW4 which is 173.4GB.
It’s a lot of data for the system.

And so why worry, it’s been an issue since TSW3 when I believe they brought in dynamic weather. So I think it’s just limitations of the tech or how good the devs are on getting the best out of the tools. Yes it’s a pain and can ruin the immersion, but two secs later I don’t give a damn flying by in a Class 390.

I personally enjoy what I have not what I don’t.

 

You've quoted the wrong problem there, which makes "missing the point", a wee bit ironic!

Glasgow Central on Cathcart was the stutter. The loco glitch - the other problem I posted about - that was actually on the newer Preston-Carlisle route. I never specified which route it was, which is on me for not being clear at the time and I accept fault there.
But these are the two routes I have played the most (Preston-Carlisle is now above Blackpool Branches in terms of how much I've played it) and this is the first time I've ever had either issue -- and I've played a LOT of hours since I first began using TSW with #2.

I'm not on a console either. It's a pretty kickass PC which I use for work, with high specs. Most of the issues people have with performance have never affected me, which I'm grateful for. Because I hate working on Macs, the best investment I made was to get a high-end gaming PC as it is ideal for both my video editing work and gaming. One of the best investments I ever made.

All I pointed out was the weird loco glitch and the stutter never happened before. I've even ran a diagnostic check on my PC and everything is as it should be (phew!). And it only happened after a recent patch update.

If it happens again, I'll report back, but to get back on track I do feel this game is getting better, but also getting worse at the same time. Each new advancement/gimmick* brings other problems for a lot of players.

*Delete as applicable

 

Motion blur has been a setting since at least TSW3, the effect is mostly noticeable on train wheels when turned on. In the main menu it has no effect on photo mode

 

You could say that yes, It was that you mentioned the stutter Or Lag, so going of my experience as a console user than I find due to its capabilities I have a lot of lag. Like I say more so with the new routes with more complex features.
This is why I feel that it’s the system the user has. So for you as an example do have a high end product. So will have less issues than others on lower quality PCs. Same as console users on PS4 struggles where as PS5 may not.

A while back before I owned a PS5 I was strongly advised by community members on here to get one due to making the most out of TSW4.
So I did and obviously seen the improvements. But with TSW4 and say using the East coast with the 801 then you see certain things like the gantry’s leaving a shadow after passing or the annoying popping up of trees or how the track looks in terms of level of detail in a set distance. Yet run the same game on PS4 and the game struggles a lot more. So I’ll have more stuttering as you say and slow downs if a 9,500 decal livery is coming towards me.

This is why I feel personally it’s what system a user has. Top end then it may run as DTG intend. Where for console users we have to deal with what’s put out and what we have in terms of what todays consoles are capable of.
So I don’t mean to upset anyone, I’m just trying to say that it how the game essentially works.
Even this new update may have adverse effects as when in testing it works fine, put place it out and we may start experiencing some side effects of the recent update. As you did, but rest assured it’s not your system. Or a Bug even. It’s been around since TSW3 and it’s just how the game has been made or even modified for consoles. As TSW is TSC but for consoles.

Stuttering or lag will be a wide spread issue for most on consoles. And if on PC who don’t have the necessary systems required to run a complex games as TSW is then they will probably have issues as consoles users do.

I was just trying to help by shedding some other possible answers as to what was going. For I have seen the many changes since TSW came to consoles.

Again I wouldn’t worry, these issues have been around for a long long time.
But you’ll be okay on ya Super Duper PC, ya flashy so and so.

 

Mmmm, okay one sec. I have seen this and so I’ll go check and if I need correction on my comment I will accept the fault in what I said.
I’m just busy with a little something, but I’ll get back to you.

Cheers.

 

No attribution to fault instead, simply mentioning the option which was referred to previously. Photo mode does have a motion blur "effect" for static shots, but that function is confined to photo mode itself, where this one applies to in game stuff to smooth the effect of things rotating at a few RPM among other things. I've seen the issue you described myself at times but didn't know it was attributable to this option though, I figured it was just related to the engine having issues drawing a unit whether loco or carriage or wagon, as on the rare occasions i do see it, its accompanied by a heavy frame rate loss for a few seconds

 

i want to add on to this again
with rivet involving within TSW building stuff. Yes, its worse. Until DTG gets rid of them away from the TSW program this game will continue to be worse. We want quaility not quantity.

 

I posted the following in the general discussion section, but some staff member immediately hid it away in troubleshooting section of the forum. Passive aggressive on their part.

It was not a troubleshooting post, but rather my attempt to highlight that DTG needs to drop support for PS4 and 8th generation consoles in general. They must understand this sooner rather than later:

 

PlayStation 5 performance is terrible. I don't even play it anymore. Stuttering and blur is the main thing. Every time there's a update I fire it up to see if any changes to the performance but no nothing. I think dtg don't really care anymore.

 

I'm like a broken record on this subject, but the inconsistency of performance between routes is very frustrating and has got much worse as new routes come out. In this sense, I think the core game IS getting worse, however the 3rd party devs are enhancing this on the whole, so it's difficult to say it's worse overall.

 

As good as the Dutch route is there’s still performance issues on Xbox series x.

If I’m in the cab there’s a noticeable drop of frame rate. If thumb stick to the outside of the cab it’s back to 60fps.

 

It's clear that the in-house team at DTG can produce a good route when they want, as indicated by the Dutch route.

It's also clear that when they "outsource" to sloppy, lazy developers, we get something else.
West Cornwall Local, Fife Circle, Engineering Express, WCMLs, Cardiff City Network

 

I've stopped buying new routes for now, the last one was Preston-Carlisle, which even though it needs some fixes of its own is a tremendous route with a personal favourite loco.
The desire to buy a route immediately has gone. I think in part in that I used to test games for people and I get really irritated when I see sloppy work. Of all the games in my library, this is the one that irks me the most!

 

Quite honestly I've not played the game in weeks because of the condition it's in... I use to play nearly everyday. But the condition it's in on PS5 is quite appalling, you'd think its a 8th gen console at the moment.

I really want confirmation of a massive in depth overhaul of the games cores issues before anymore content is released...