Does anyone use a PC editor to develop Canadian routes and US routes? I love American trains, especially the "freight" trains. I was very dismayed to hear the news that DTG was suspending development of US cargo routes. Does DTG not have a US license? Why develop passenger transport?
The issue isn't the licenses per se, the problem is that US private railroads are very reluctant to permit DTG to come in and survey their equipment.
We have most of the key US freight licenses. As solicitr says, it's about access - we can make pretty train but not train that sound right or necessarily have right physics if we dont have at least *some* kinda access. Matt.
I hear what you're saying Matt but it doesn't seem to be putting any sort of dent in activity for TSC. Feather River Extended has just come out, shortly to be followed by Tennessee Pass. Routes like the Springfield to New Haven feature older traction as does the B&O Mountain Sub. I know it wouldn't be possible to do a direct port of the locos from either of these into TSC, but surely there must be scope for talking to the developers and using their physics and sounds as a reference point to get something going. I know I'm biased towards older stuff (for the UK and elsewhere!) but going retro does seem one possible solution to the current hiatus.
I think Simugraph and just the general setup of TSW requires more detail and inputs than TSC. TSC also reuses a lot of sounds and the sounds aren't as complex. You can make a TSC route with far less detail and technical information than a TSW route. The TSW physics are just more complex. I don't think we'll see US freight much until the railroads give more access.
Airlines? This is a train game so there won't be any airlines. As for "a US license", the US is not like most European countries with just one nationalized operator serving the entire country. In the United States, the vast majority of freight rail is privatized and in the hands of for-profit companies split up across the country. DTG has licensing in TSW for most of the tier 1 freight operators (CN, CSX, UP, BNSF, and NS). The only tier one operators we're presently missing have been Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, and CP recently acquired KCS. The issue though is access. As private corporations, they are largely driven by profit and avoiding risk. So they haven't really had interest in or anything to benefit from giving DTG access to get more accurate physics or sounds. This is important because, as long and heavy as American freight trains get, the physics are unique compared to short European trains and won't be as accurate simulated without firsthand data and cab rides. And because so much of what makes US trains unique is their sound, not having accurate sound samples is a point against simulating US rail without access as well. The reason we have more US passenger rail content is that most passenger railroads in the US are run by government agencies and are generally more open to working with DTG for access. And since the trains are shorter, physics are a lot easier to accurately simulate.
From what I've seen, not to the level that would require any sort of information that isn't publicly available.
Every time I've reading "we don't get access for sound recording, so we won't do this rolling stock", I've remember the sounds of released OBB 4024. Sorry.
Most of the trains in the game dont sound right whats your point? Rivet has access to these things and yet their physics and sounds still come out anything but right.
Honestly, TSW's limitations hold US freight back on it, you cant really set up an actual prototypical consist on the game without running into issues. Every time I tried to set up a decent manifest on formation designer, it crashed. Freight was also removed from the NYT revamped timetable due to issues as well (I think it was something to do with memory issues or something) I just don't see TSW viable as a good US freight simulator, especially when compared to TSC, Run8, and probably SS's CP route for Simrail (Also interesting to note that Searchlight Simulations has a good relationship with Canadian Pacific, which allowed them to get good references for the said route) At this point, IMO, DTG should only focus on improving the existing stuff for later use as layers in passenger timetables, and not a full blown route. Loco packs could be fine, but as long as effort is put into them (IE NOT like the BNSF SD70ACe)
So basically poor reactions either way. If they do something, people don't like it. If they don't, they still don't like it
the point seems the view is coming back as the stock must be more realistic in sound quality or it’s already smaller customer base (for US freight) than average is getting smaller perhaps due to this. it’s getting less worth it for DTG to do them and when they do it’s getting negative reaction anyways as it stands.
To keep the interest in American routes I would like to suggest that DTG introduce some new rolling stock, and update/ extend, or expand the playable area, of the existing routes. Much of the enjoyment of American trains is the variety of wagon types in a consist. So, some different box, tank cars and gondolas would be welcome.
Sorry to quote you a second time Matt, but as you’re probably aware Run 8 just released a rather nice set of MP15 switchers (that’s me busy around Bakersfield for a week or two). In discussions on one of the YT reviews, John Greenstone confirmed the sounds were recorded from the real thing on a Tacoma short line railroad who were happy to grant access. So there definitely would seem to be scope for looking at arrangements with the smaller railroads to get in and grab some sound recordings.
Interesting. I'd be interested to read how DTG would respond to this, because frankly I don't really buy the " access " argument. DTG and partners have a long and, in the case of TSC, continuing history of building US freight routes and locos and consequently have a pretty large library from both TSC and TSW to boot. I suspect that the abandonment of US freight is, like the demise of steam, more a business decision than anything else.
