Does Anyone Think Us Freight May End Up Being Dropped Like Steam Hasin Tsw

Still hoping Reppo makes an appearance in TSW, not sure if he ever figured out the editor yet though.

 

I'm sorry, but Youtube and Facebook is full with trackside videos, you could most certainly place a sound recorder at a road crossing, and maybe ask someone at a lesser railroad to record engine sounds. The NYSW is running ex-NS SD70MACs now. Or ACEs.

I don't know what quality people really want, or complain about specifically. In TSC it's a big hit and miss, some stock comes with absolutely old and terrible sounds (sounds like 8 kbps mp3) while others are very close to the real thing. There is a bit of sound mixing question, typically low bass is missing, same in original TSW, so it sounds like a toy train. Otherwise, can't really tell the difference between two generations of rotary gondolas or that and a tank wagon.

Point is, if you go for "good enough", you would be fine.

To be honest, I suspect this is just an excuse - there are regular talks about cost per mile and of course console restrictions.
However, if it means that TSC is having its niche, very good!

ps.: I enjoy shortlines but only as a diversity. Was fond of stuff like All Aboard, or UK Falmouth. Living in the past, sorry.

 

NYSW are running former Norfolk Southern SD70M-2s

 

When it comes to sound, there are a bunch of community made sounds mods out there for the various US locos, why can't they just use those ?

 

If you look at past conversations about sound quality in the forums, you'll see that for some folks, "good enough" is not fine. This is one of the tightropes DTG has to walk. Visuals are another--what's good enough for some triggers accusations of laziness and sloppiness from others. I think Matt talked in a stream fairly recently about trying to find the best balance and why DTG has drawn the lines they have.

 

On the side note of licensing, I'm wondering if DTG ever has tried to get a license from the CSAO yet or if they have been denied. Apparently 2 years ago Greenlight collectibles was able to produce this, so Im wondering if the CSAO would ever be open to a license agreement with DTG


Its a shame this still sits with Skyhook unused.

 

I mean, when a modder can make official content look more authentic with the unofficial editor, it really shows that sometimes DTG doesn't put good enough effort into making it.

-Alt Paints for Clinchfield
-ISO cab for BNSF SD70ACe

Even Skyhook outdid DTG with their Norfolk Southern Heritage Pack, which completely looks better in almost all regards compared to the UP one DTG made.

Not that everything that DTG is bad though, the ES44C4 is probably their best freight loco overall to date, it just needs to have its alerter fixed from going off in free roam. ITS A GOOD LOCO AND DTG SHOULD EXPAND ON IT (UP AND CSX GEVOS!)

The Maxi IV's that came with Cajon are also well done.

But then you look at the reused 89ft flat car with out of date trailers (Even worse when they were gonna have Euro trailers on it) and it just makes me shake my head.

There is times DTG does right and there are times where they go wrong....

 

Unfortunately, I don't see much point to it, since all of Conrail's old territory is covered by NS and CSX which DTG already have licenses for. Also, CSAO can't provide access to rolling stock for photo/sound surveys.

 

Depends on how the sound was sourced, quality of the sound and many other things. The sound has to be obtained legally with permission and in a particular way using high end equipment. Dtg don't want to deal with copyright or other risks which is why they don't use the sound mods that are currently out there

 

I've pointed out before that in a way, modders who work for fun have a level of freedom that a business can't afford to have. But they also have limitations.

Skyhook is a very small third-party studio, which also gives it some freedoms, and also (as many forum posters have been happy to point out whenever they release something) comes with limitations.

DTG, I think, is in the tricky position of being too big to enjoy the benefits small producers have, but too small to enjoy the benefits the big studios have. They have to walk that line in every aspect. The question is, can a train driving simulator find a enough of an audience to help them grow that big?

 

You might be on to something. I think DTG could very well use the ES44C4 from Cajon Pass as a base for other GEVOs for CSX and Union Pacific. What they can do is make some slight modifications to go along with the corresponding railroad's specifications and whether it is an AC or a DC GEVO. For example, the ES40DC on CSX has a mechanical bell so you would replace the e-bell with a GE steel bell and use the same one that's already on the CW44AC.

 

DTG Matt did say something on another thread recently that they are looking to hopefully re vamp US freight , will prob be a good while before we see it, Would hope that at some point US freight will make a major come back bigger and better .Maybe to start they could give the US Freight routes the LIRR 2.0 treatment route extension s better visuals and better operating loocmotive s bring the SD40 2 GP 38 2 MP15 etc up to snuff , How about some new locomotive s and skins, New freight cars and skins 1 Gondolas 2 Steel coil cars some of the shorter tank cars covered hoppers etc , Cargo paks similar to whats being done with UK routes cargo paks 1 and soon 2, and add some new scenarios with them new scenarios would great if they well thought out and done well.