Community Manager, Reporting For Duty

Discussion in 'Announcements' started by DTG Protagonist, Jun 5, 2020.

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  1. Plastic Pal

    Plastic Pal Well-Known Member

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    Not to mention the UE4 engine..... ;-)

    Doesn't stop opportunities for collaboration though.... Some of DTG's own staff meet the description of NV Bassoonist

    I just regard it as good communication... channel opening, speculatiive opportunity-seeking... all good stuff IMHO.
     
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  2. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    So... Nice quiet first week? Settling in?
     
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  3. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Anyone else wondering if Dimitri saw this coming?
     
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  4. Scorpion71

    Scorpion71 Well-Known Member

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    giphy (1).gif

    ^^^^ Would probably sum it up for him
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2020
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  5. Michael Newbury

    Michael Newbury Well-Known Member

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    Wondered that myself as they would have been working on this while he was there. I imagine he knew of the changes coming and jumped ship before the torpedo was fired.
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2020
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  6. Ian1991

    Ian1991 Well-Known Member

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    Must say, as you can see yourself from some of my posts, I was big on the issue of answers in the past and the usual 'no news yet'.....'would like to in future' responses in the past. I watched your stream with Matt and was very impressed. I dont think matt ever said things out of sarcasm or cockyness in the past but lets face it, he is a tech nerd and his job is creating this game......not communications. However it was very informative and I even kind of felt for matt towards the end he looked sad/raging with you lol

    Im not bothered about the news we get, in the sense of alot of people have moaned about the editor/features etc etc but for me, clarity is key. And going forward it looks that way, so a big thankyou from me to you and Matt who put the time in to do the Q&A i appreciate even if others dont.

    Lastly I have a couple of questions if you would like to answer in future that'd be great.

    Generic:
    Is there any changes to how ai passengers perform?
    in the current version it seems when you approach a station everybody piles on the platform and then only 20% ish get on the train. My main concern for this is LU where it is always busy, will we see a change to add realism for this?

    LU:
    How many services are going to be included upon release, and is there busier and quieter periods throughout the day when driving services to display the busiest times of day?

    Also will the loading process be the same? As in open doors and wait for one-minute before you're allowed to depart? or will each route be done differently to support the realism and uniqueness of that route?

    Controls for TSW2:
    I like to drive without the hud most of the time, i understand there is changes to be better but I would like to see a keyboard command for the doors? will this be available in TSW2? As using a mouse isnt always realistic and having a pop-up menu to access the door controls again takes away some realism.

    Lastly about Scenario designer:
    If i wanted to drive a certain amount of time in the game, say 2hours. Which on a route may be one trip each way, could i do that in the schedule editor or does that only work one way?

    Future merging:
    In TSW2 will there be any cases of extending a route or building onto it? for instance the LU we have bakerloo, would you release another LU route that merges them both into one? as an add-on?

    I was kind of hoping it would work as a shift-type feature, where you could enter the game, request a shift and put in how long you can drive for, lets say 2hours.......then the game would find the best services/changes to match your request so you drive a train one legnth of route.....tells you to wait for (whatever service) then drive that one to a certain point etc. And you could style it as a train diver style shift, to follow a schedule to earn points for mastery etc. especially if you had a day off and you drive for say 3hours in a row then the game tells you, 45min break take over (this service) at (this time) and continue the shift.

    If you do read this then thankyou, I look forward to the next stream and to the release.
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2020
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  7. NV Bassoonist

    NV Bassoonist New Member

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    I have submitted an inquiry to the email address, even before creating a forum account here. I highly doubt I will ever hear a reply. As one person noted, they likely have zero interest in people who want to work on a hobbyist basis.

    For me train-simulation software has become my form of model railroading. Actually I'm more of what might be described as a Railroad Modeler than a Model Railroader. The distinction being that I enjoy modelling more than I enjoy operating. A glance at the US publications Railroad Model Craftsman (railroad modellers) vs Model Railroader(should be obvious) would further clarify that distinction. One features a lot of prototype data, scratch-building, and kitbashing projects. The other features a lot of "look at this guy's fabulous basement empire". If you live in a region without basements then being able to build your project in the computer becomes much more reasonable. That said, I have never cared much for Auran Trainz as when I do operate I prefer the higher degree of realism offered by MSTS-KRS-RW-TS-TSW.

    Community development has made train simulation what it is from the start. Commercial developers need to make a profit, I get that. Part of making a profit is A) using as many generic assets as possible and B) working on projects with the highest commercial appeal as possible. We see this in physical model railroading as well. We are constantly entreated to the latest model of an SP GS4 (4449), UP FEF3 (844), N&W J (611) and other steam locomotives that are either in an operational status or were absolute superlatives. Hence the reason we had multiple UP Big Boys long before we 4014 became operational. Want an SP GS1, fat chance of that, either scratch build or buy a brass import. The sums that I have spent on 3ds Max and maintaining it were pale in comparison to buying a fleet of brass steam locomotives.

    The other advantage to community development is we find a way to make things work that the original developers never thought of. I can guarantee that when DTG makes steam available it will be limited to hand-fired coal burners, like they have always been. There will be no thought given to mechanical stokers or oil burners. Yet people have found ways to adjust scripts and make things work in order to work around the developer's omissions. Eventually the community figures out how to add custom features and properties to components that were originally designed to operate under a one size fits all basis. With TSW's predecessors I had done a lot of looking under the hood as it were and tinkering with script files

    I used to work on commercial development projects, even at one point doing it full time. I got away from it because quite frankly, the kinds of projects that are commercially viable are not very interesting to me. While steam-diesel transition era is the most popular in the physical modelling community, it is not commercially viable in train simulation. Despite being born long after the fires were dropped for the final time, that remains my preferred area of interest. Given the choice between sitting track-side to watch present day rail traffic or watching paint dry, I'd choose the paint. But that is what the commercial developers will give us as that is what sells the best.

    I don't know why they had to choose a double-track mainline for the US freight route. The other traffic is simply moving scenery instead of an operational challenge. A single track mainline with proper train priorities would mean that you would actually have to pay attention. If I'm running Sand Patch, I'm doing something else while it's running, as there is no need to worry about meets. Single track mainline with TT/TO operation would really be a bit of fun. While I doubt that DTG would ever add direct support for TT/TO for the dedicated tinkerers there is always a way to make it happen.

    Back to my original comment. From the standpoint of simply running trains then yes, consoles can maintain parity. However it will be a long time coming before a console user would be able to maintain parity in terms of content creation. Another highly modded game I enjoy is Skyrim, which is likewise available across PS, XBox and PC platforms. A user can run mods with any platform. Want to make mods, it has to be done from a PC. Kind of like the same way console games are made. To make the proclamation that editing tools have to be equally accessible to console users means essentially means that on a development front PC users would have to be held back to accommodate console users. Either that, or it is DTG's way of weaselling out of ever releasing a proper route editor.

    It is always a good idea to reach out to new markets, but don't alienate your long term supporters in the process. I had purchased quite a bit of the TSW DLC, in part because I know it helps to fund development. I purchased TSW as they promised an editor, which in every train simulation programme up until now has meant being able to create one's own route. Now I feel like a chump for giving them so much money. If I do invest in TSW 2 it will not be until they have released a content creators SDK or until Steam has it marked down on sale to a ridiculously low price.

    Fool me once......
     
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  8. Plastic Pal

    Plastic Pal Well-Known Member

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    About seven weeks from today, when the Livery Designer art utility comes out in TSW2.
     
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  9. trinancrat

    trinancrat Member

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    ...Which won't work with TSW(1) content, which PC modders have already managed to produce Photoshop-quality repaints for.
     
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  10. Michael Newbury

    Michael Newbury Well-Known Member

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    Which will only work with new content in TSW2, not the Preserved routes. So it will be a while before you can get any real use out of it.
     
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  11. Plastic Pal

    Plastic Pal Well-Known Member

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    I have a very strong feeling that many people really will get a lot out of the Livery Designer.... and they will very quickly be posting their creations on the Forums.... It isn't driving trains.... it isn't designing routes..... it isn't planning services... but it is something that quite a lot of people will enjoy... (I think) - young to old.

    There's quite a lot of rolling stock in CSX:HH v.2... for people to get their hands on.... And it takes quite a few hours to learn a new tool and start getting creative. Rusting tube trains..... super-futuristic ICE designs.... possibilities are endless, even with just three routes.

    NB: There is no good reason why existing TSW DLC purchases can't easily be used directly with TSW2.... 95% of the "work" is the model design. The other 5% of the work is the scripting.... and there will be compatible scripting available that just needs slight tweaks. I think the community should push DTG hard to get existing TSW DLC into TSW2.... but then they would lose the opportunity to re-sell them, especially the cohort of German traction already in TSW. The least they could do is free up the Class 20, Class 31, Class 33, Class 37, Class 40, Class 45, Class 47 and Class 52 to run on GWE/NTP/TVL/WSR in TSW......
     
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  12. longo239

    longo239 Well-Known Member

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    As long as the livery editor is relatively comprehensive, as opposed to being limited to changing colours and adding pre installed logos like other games, you are most likely correct. Let's see what the next few weeks reveal.
     
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  13. trinancrat

    trinancrat Member

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    Agreed - it's a crying shame Dovetail won't put in the effort to make the new features compatible with the old content. It really speaks to the notion that each TSW DLC is a separate game in and of itself, hence why they keep reinventing the wheel with the game's various subsystems.

    Although, in fairness to the livery editor, TSW1 UV maps were never designed to be user-editable, so there were polygons specifically placed for logos and other such details. On the front face of the M3, for example, the MTA badge has its own polygon. Presumably, this practice will be discontinued with TSW2.
     
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  14. Plastic Pal

    Plastic Pal Well-Known Member

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    Yep, the amount of "work" needed is non-zero.... but frankly... it is pretty close to zero.
     
  15. Anthony Pecoraro

    Anthony Pecoraro Well-Known Member

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    It's probably more than you think.
     
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  16. Plastic Pal

    Plastic Pal Well-Known Member

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    I was tempted to answer you by saying "You do not know what I think, because you cannot access my brain". But that is not constructive.... okay... so here is the deal.... If I did the work myself, then it would take me some time, and at a disproportionate cost in time compared to the benefit I would personally get out of it.

    But if it was part of my routine full-time job, and it was content that I had put together in the first place... then the TSW2 compatible versions of TSW locos would have been tweaked alongside the development of TSW2, and they'd be ready to go right now. All of the locos would be ready. They could have spent the (tiny amount of required) time and money on making the TSW locos work in TSW2, and saved themselves the cost of hiring some marketing person to explain that they are all "preserved, not re-mastered", as well as all the time debating in meetings whether the customers would swallow it.

    The key thing to realise is that TSW is not TS1. When you buy DLC under TSW or TSW2, it is not interoperable. Even if you fork out the full price for loco DLC, say you bought the Class 33 and Class 52 - then you won't be able to use them as you would expect under TS1 - they will be trapped on WSR, in TSW, for evermore.

    Existing TSW locos only really need to have their scripts tweaked when they are ready to be sold again under TSW2.
     
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  17. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Best advice on TSW I've seen in a while...
     
  18. LastTrainToClarksville

    LastTrainToClarksville Well-Known Member

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    "DTG protagonist"; now that's an interesting moniker. Historically, "protagonist" refers to the character who, in the sense of causation, advances the action of a play; and also the primary or central character; and furthermore, the character most affected by the play's action. All of these definitions come from Aristotle's Poetics, the earliest treatise about drama, which simply means "that which is done": action. Contrariwise, to borrow a term from Reverend Dodgson, an "antagonist" is the character that opposes the protagonist. In tragedy, the protagonist usually suffers a serious downfall, often death; in comedy, the protagonist is the victim of a humorous defeat. In either case, the protagonist loses.
    What does all of this have to do with these forums? To begin with, in one way or another our self-declared Protagonist" seems doomed, but I wish him well nevertheless and welcome his efforts to bring as much rationality to this herd of cats.
     
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  19. Plastic Pal

    Plastic Pal Well-Known Member

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    I like eating dictionaries as well, especially when the etymology is reasonably detailed. Like you, I wish the Protagonist well.... although I do wish you'd leave the cats out of this.... The cats have done nothing wrong....!
     
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  20. DTG Protagonist

    DTG Protagonist Has left the building Staff Member

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    Also a synonym for advocate.
     
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  21. Plastic Pal

    Plastic Pal Well-Known Member

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    And it is also a synonym for apostle.
     
  22. LT586

    LT586 Well-Known Member

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    Nice to see and a staunch gamer as well.

    Welcome
     
  23. Maik Goltz

    Maik Goltz Well-Known Member

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    LOL ... sorry, but you are massivly wrong here Mr. Pal or shoudl i say Synthetic.Angel ^^ This thinking is the reason why so much hidden talent gets not used because its not visible and therefor dont gets paid appropriate. With more attention to that more than 50% setup/audio/scripting/whatever-work besides the 3D Art, the DLCs would outcome better. I said it for TS1 and i say it for TSW: 3D Art is of course important to a DLC, but it is not the majority of work. It's simply just a need to do anything. In TS1 the relationship between 3D and all the other technical stuff was, with a better 3D maybe 40% (3d) / 60 (tech). In TSW its more about 20/80. Nearly every 3D Artist can do a model for TSW. But there are only a few people who can do proper setup. That was in TS1 and it will be so in TSW for ever.

    Just my two cents to that because i dont like it when the most important work on a DLC gets forgotten.
     
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  24. Anthony Pecoraro

    Anthony Pecoraro Well-Known Member

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    TSW2 has the adhesion.
     
  25. DTG Protagonist

    DTG Protagonist Has left the building Staff Member

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    We've gone far enough off topic here.
     
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