Steam is more like 33% and whatever cut DTG takes these days. Could have a dev down to a tickle at ~34% revenue which is a pisstake normally, factor your "bigger audience" of only 3000 more people and it's just not worth it.
Valid from a vendor's point. As a customer, I don't want to keep track of lots of different webshops, passwords and updates. I tend to forget what I purchased from which shop, having an old paper notebook with lots of now almost unreadable password scribbling (No PC password storage for obvious security reasons). And I detest external launchers and updaters like ATS's that are not highly secure and certified like Steam. Let me pay my purchase, download my rwp, zip or exe (which is executed in a VM then) via browser and all's good. Steam is perfect for customers. Of course they need to take a share for offering their service. And as a producer, you must calculate if the target audience is big enough so you can profit from Steams' scope.
That's why my years old 310 routes, 8,000 scenarios (4,000 of these Workshop) and 900GB Assets RailWorks still works like a charm and plays all routes without all these errors and crashes reported, while still gratefully using a lot of freeware content (and being highly modded). It's a well maintained hobby. Just as I'd care for my model railway (if I had one. First person driving's more fun for me, my brother's father-in-law has a pretty model railway though that my nephew enjoys.) And on top of that I'm keeping it away from Steam's reach and apply updates manually using a dummy installation and then transferring new files manually. (Which is more of an issue due the way TS is organised and mods are mixed with original files, so a verification is not wanted from my side). Edit: Just downloaded Harrogate Loop. It comes with an installer and messes with a lot of freeware and even payware assets in the Kuju, RSC and DTG folders. Installed it to a dummy folder and will transfer needed files manually - I'm not interested in all the modified files for existing content, for example DLC trackrules being replaced.
Another advantage of Steam ... if it turns out what you bought sucks, or just isn't for you so long as you refund within two hours and haven't abused the feature, you can get your money back. Does ATS offer that or is it caveat emptor? Certainly would be an interesting tangle for the bearded one to sort out with the VAT on sales and income tax on profit he must be paying!
... and you have access to all previous versions uploaded. "download_depot" is your friend in case of unwanted updates (which once removed an SBB logo from Chur station... easy to get that back.)
Steam has pros and cons. For me, if I can possibly avoid buying on Steam, I will. Mainly down to the fact that they add around 30% on top of the current exchange rate in my currency. But it does gave all the benefits that Oldvern has mentioned and if you do use the refund feature this is a huge benefit, however I think I’ve used it 3 times in the last 14 years so it’s not a massive selling point to me. I have however frequently used Spikee’s tips to download an old depot quite a few times, particularly on TSW when a new fix has broken stuff. Personally I would find it incredibly limiting to only purchase from steam. I’d pay a lot more and I’d miss out on an awful lot of stuff that would never make it to steam due to rules regarding dependencies. Just Trains routes being a prime example. They are really limited being standalone versions with incorrect stock in many cases. There are also many smaller niche producers, particularly of steam trains, that, in my view, probably wouldn’t get sufficient additional sales to make it worthwhile being on steam. Each to their own. I’m just happy that 3rd parties are supporting TSC at all. The amount of quality Freeware and Payware (and even subware) coming out recently has been quite nice. I’m enjoying it more than ever.
I must admit that owning free and payware from so many different developers makes keeping TSC up-to-date a full-time hobby. However (and this is just an example) when AP release content through Steam you get a very basic version of something that can be bought from their website. Wherry Lines is a good example. As often evidenced with JT, AP and now ATS the downside is that there are so many dependencies for scenarios that only those, like me, who were lucky enough to have built-up their collection gradually can get any value out of the non-steam purchases. The plug and play simplicity of TSW is appealing but that does mean you are stuck with the original and sometimes less than exciting original release. The original GEML is a fine example of the problems faced by simmers. It's my local line and in its original form (with only Class 360s) it was unplayable, Classes 315, 321 and 90 gradually came along in Steam to make the route more realistic. With AP's track, signal, weather and foliage packs and their class 317s, class 86 and 90 freight packs too it takes the route to a completely new level. Now the original route is looking dated, the ATS update and class 745s (with 755s and AI 720s on the way too) we have a product that is far superior to the original. But at a big cost.
Just like any hobby. Start at Entry Level and if you are having fun invest in more. How that manifests is up to each enthusiast. TSC provides multiple options U.K. vendors, German groups, US options, Dutch community and of course the luck of the draw Workshop content. The fact that each of us is opinionated about TSC shows the sheer love that we all have. Of course my choices are better than yours
This is exactly where I fall on this. I would have preferred a one-time payware. Possibly on Steam. But to be fair, subscribers get the route for free and discounts on other stuff. We won't even talk about the joke that is the 745. Which IS payware. THAT should have been included with the sub instead,
I think the full route to Norwich will be payware, the version of the updated but existing GEML route is a little bonus for those paying for subscriptions.
So perhaps it's being sold with the 755, then. Unless they indeed do release the 755 first. If they are bundled, that's at least the route package that the 745 should have been involved in in my view. Though if they do that and continue to say you must buy the signal pack and wires separately, it still comes across as a blatant money grab in my view. If you charge for a route, everything should be bundled with the route and one single route should qualify as a requirement for freeware to acquire that scenery instead of sending us to different sites. This is probably the reason I have never used ATS routes, freeware included, even though there are free routes there I would want to try out (not paying $20 for wires just to do that, I'll drink my milk). That's one advantage TSW has in that everything comes with the route you are acquiring, and that is how it should be.
If you mean from Washington state to Alaska...the rugged terrain of British Columbia would like a word with you.
I would hate to derail this thread further, but there is the Alaska route in the payware as well. It has more Workshop attention than I thought it might.
I mean to heard somewhere that it doesnt have a QD (with or without AI). Could be wrong, but if not - would be pathetic
Wait...they didn't include a quick drive in the GEMMA route? I mean, yeah, that's a bit silly if you ask me...
You do though, all the time, and then repeat it as matter of fact repeatedly while changing words around to repeat yourself in different manners saying the same thing.
Let me quote myself. What part of that is "repeat it as matter of fact"? I asked the question, did they really omit the quick drive, and then said that's a bit silly. I didn't say "wow, what a bunch of fools, they forgot the most basic form of play". I simply said it would be silly. Now, can we move on from discussing the use of English?
It is not what people say but they way they say it. Different meanings to a comment can occur if not everyone speaks British English - the language of this board. I remember a discussion with somebody about the way he phrased something It was the difference between American English and British English - two countries separated by a common language
I remember a massive uproar when TSW3 released with the "Training Center" (modified TestTrak). People were close to glueing themselves onto the streets to have it renamed to "Centre"
Hahaha , good one. BTW: first lines when I visit these forums .... <!DOCTYPE html> <html id="XenForo" lang="en-US" dir="LTR" class="Public NoJs GalleryLazyLoader LoggedOut NoSidebar Responsive" xmlns:fb="http://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml"> <head>
Autocorrect and the damn Internet browser try to tell me I'm wrong with "center" even though I'm in North America. I wonder if Canada uses "centre" like the Brits and "center" is an American thing. Kinda like "colour/color, humour/humor". And yes, I am being told the second of those in each case...is incorrect. You Americans need to fix your bloody English! Oops, there I go again with British slang...
