How Can People Afford This-an Open Letter

As much as I hate to say it, the price of dlc will not go back down. Gaming stuff rarely goes down if it has gone up

 

Because a large amount of people cannot afford it and it needs sorting out somehow

 

Anyone who claims quality and performance has decreased need to take off their rose tinted specs.

Performance has improved steadily in frequent minor (sometimes unnoticeable) steps but when you compare to the current performance to a video you took 12/18 months ago on the same rig you realise it really has got better with less stutters and certainly far fewer if any freezes. At least on my system.

As for quality newer routes have far less broken services and scenarios then older DLC, fewer misplaced assets or strange things happening.

Is it 100% smooth running with zero bugs? No but it gets better with every update/new release.

Cant speak for TSW2 but then personally for me they could stop support for that yesterday given it's an obsolete game.

 

Again, not my problem, releasing them new is in fact beneficial for them, as the sales will come sooner... Jesus...
Some players will never be able to buy DLCs, we should abolish any new content for this game then.

 

Not really relevant, at all.
But you should probably complain about inflation in real life instead, it's inevitable.

 

I agree with the fact that de content is expensive but like some said, it's luxury. If you can't afford it but you want you can do a couple of things, I know it is not always possible. You can either make other choices of were your money goes to, saving money on your bank account (and buy in a sale) or increase your income. But I know, also from my own area that quite some people do not change their lifestyle and when things went to sht, they want it to be solved by others.

 

I guess it depends where you are from.
I come from a country where people that can't afford it, can afford it. And people that really can't afford it, can still afford it.

 

While its true that DLC prices have gone Up, if you compare it to other train related hobbys, like model railroading, Train simming is the cheapest option there is. Take Rheinstrecke for example, for 36€ you can drive almost 100km of track in three different and detailed vehicles and virtually explore the area and have fun driving a train, learning real operations like safety systems etc.
For model railways, 36€ would get me a single middle range passenger car.
And i think id get more value for my money from Rheinstrecke than holding a plastic IC coach in my hand.
I used to have a model railway, but as a young person today its just not affordable.

And just visiting the real thing whenever i fancy isnt an option either, have you seen post brexit UK prices, not to mention that it got more unattractive for tourists.

Not to say its cheap, but if youre into trains, its one of the cheapest options there is.

 

It's like we say in my country: comparing apples with pears. Modelrailroading and a trainsim have nothing much in common. Like you said they're both about trains that's it. It's like saying you can better buy a car in GTA, than in real life, if you like cars but don't have the money. Or having a wife in the Sims because those are way cheaper than in real life . I do modelrailroading and playing a trainsim btw.

 

Anything that gets inflated/price rises, I decide whether it’s worth the price tag still, if so I continue to purchase if not then I leave to see if they reduce the price, if they don’t that’s their choice and completely up to them, I don’t ever feel the need to increase my expenditure though based on world events as that’s a business issue and not my own, so I can say i understand like they do and thats the end like they do.

 

Of course, but that's not the issue here, obviously. I couldn't care less what you or what anyone else chose to purchase.

 

There are regular sales.

 

XBox says hi.

 

Okay well for some platforms I forgot about X-box.

However the point remains that if you want to purchase all five DLC that are being released this month and can't afford it then you should know what the sensible choice is.

 

This buy or not buy argument is not completely valid as long as there is effectively only one developer of train sim routes and locos.

If I like a particular cereal, I can go to the store and find 3 or 4 versions of it at different prices. I can choose the generic or the pricey one.

And if I want an FPS or an RPG, there are lots of choices.

Right now, if I want a version of BPE, there is Hobson's Choice.

The only options are to skip it entirely or to wait for a sale, neither of which I would have to do for a product in a competitive market.

I know the counter- argument. In such a small market, there is unlikely ever to be another version of BPE.

And, of course, I could spend my money on different games rather than TSC or TSW. And I do.

But if you're a train nut like me, that's not always an option.

And, to their credit, DTG have not exploited their monopoly and have kept prices at a fair and reasonable level, for the most part.

But the fact remains that we have little to no influence over either prices or quality and we have to rely on DTG to match one with the other. And, as I've said before, $40 is not chump change these days.

 

Steam come closer, Xbox go back

 

I'm sorry, but my exact wording above was: "ensure things are as near to how they should be". Nothing about 'finding everything'. Please do not put words in my mouth.

 

I'm not putting words in your mouth....

It's a general statement that people on here expect a dlc to release at 100% perfection, or they kick off saying it's broken and buggy. THAT isn't feasable.
The quality of releases hasn't dropped, it has only increased, had it have dropped, content like BCC (and the upcoming Niddertalbahn) would been a fraction of the quality, but of course, this doesn't suit peoples arguements.

 

nobody who has any sort of idea expects 100% perfection from anything, they just don’t want dlc that constantly feels rushed out where an extra week of time could a make the difference of it being the best route in the game or one that people wished never released

 

Again, for your better understanding, I did not say I expected things to be 100%, I said, "ensure things are as near to how they should be, rather than an incessant stream of patches for this, that and every thing". Perhaps you would like to debate this issue, as I see on these forums, product releases, then patches and updates. I haven't said, nor did I intend to say the quality has dropped significantly, although I think it has dropped some due to the haste to rush out product. I suspect the quality has suffered due to the increased production, based on what I see here in these forums. Nor have I ever on these forums, or in this topic, suggested something is completely broken. All games have bugs, the major difference here is that this company has too many, and in many cases fails to fix things as promised. And I stand by my agreement with the OP, that a slowing down in favour of less bugs would be advantageous to both the company profits and to the end users of the product. As it is, a quick glance at these forums will show many, many previously loyal purchasers (consumers), are voting to not buy products until they are either a) reduced in price at sales or, b) have had most of the bugs fixed.

 

Purely whimsical, but after a great struggle I finally got the Level D 767 working in FSX yesterday evening and what a great aircraft she still is. However I had to reflect that when it released in something like 2009, I paid £40 for the download. I also have a boxed DVD copy of the PMDG MD11 sitting on my shelf and recall paying £50 for that - which now requires a command line prompt workaround to install!

The latest releases for the new MSFS are mostly eye watering expensive or complete tat (in the case of Captain Sim apparently both ) and you can’t even sub by buying the odd gift card to ameliorate the price.

So while I dislike the TSW price rises and will most likely only be buying Niddertalbahn on Day 1, they do compare favourably with the FS equivalent.

 

To be honest the quality of newer DLCs has dropped.

Look back at routes like RSN, WSR, NTP and TVL. All built to a far higher standard than LBN, BCC and SOS.

Newer routes have texture issues, holes on the ground. Textures and assests not lining up properly, falling through platforms.

To me all content released over the past 2 years is rushed and the routes are built to a lower rushed out standard.

 

I do agree with a most people on here. It's about making the decision for yourself of what to buy plus you don't have to buy everything at once.
For example, I have shifted from Gean content towards American freight since I have fallen out of love with German stuff. Plus on PS4 American content is more reliable.
This year I have passed on most of the DLC's though. The reason is not the lower quality nor higher price but my other hobbies instead (motorsports for exple, I've invested a great deal towards MotoGP and WSBK from tickets to video pass). As with everything in life, it's about the (life) experiences you want to create for yourself.

 

A joke thread. Seriously. No one is forcing anyone to buy all DLC. Me personally, will be getting both UK routes. I have no interest in the others. And I'm sure there will be others who will only buy the German routes etc.
I'm the first to complain to DTG about things but this is just nonsensical

 

I think you may want to take off your rose tinted specs yourself since you clearly have them on

 

In my opinion, this is quite an exaggeration.

 

The problem of your reasoning is that all companies, DTG or others aim to generate profits and unfortunately not to know if part of the people will be able or will not be able to buy their products, there will always be a part because as they say other members, DTG offers a hobby that is certainly expensive but a hobby that nothing forces you to buy if you do not think you have the means or find their prices too high even if indeed we can find fault with the current progress but it is not the same thing and consequently in no way the problem of DTG or these partners!!!
Sincerely, tof

 

I have got to be totally honest and fair here and although I don't want to see more one unit modern commuter routes BCC is a very good route and compared to others of a very good quality. The 323 is up there with the BR diesels in terms of the best locos/units in the game.
In actual fact I wouldn't say there is one route in my collection which sticks out as being of a clearly lower quality than any other so I definitely don't think it is fair to say quality has decreased.

I must also be honest in the fact that unless the Peak Forest route has the peak (with headcode box) and a 101 with it (whether they be included or as a 'game play pack' soon after release) it will be relegated to a sale and to (somehow) keep kind of on topic it is not due to insufficient funds, as TSW is a very cheap hobby, but dissatisfaction with the offering.

 

it’s a bit too real imo, it’s definitely the impression and I would more than happily be proved wrong…

 

you asked me about inflation, I just generally ignore it.

 

Maybe he traded in his rose tinted glasses for beer goggles

 

I had this same argument recently with Ferrari. They wouldn't drop their brand new SF90 Stradale to £5000 so I had to buy a used Peugeot instead.

If people can't afford TSW prices right now, there are alternatives
https://www.humblebundle.com/games/train-simulator-classic-on-fast-track

 

Not only will they not drop their prices, they keep releasing new models all the time! If I can one day save up and afford a 296GTB, how on earth am I supposed to also afford the Spider version and an SF90, and an F8, and a Roma, and a Portofino, and an 812 and a Purosangue - they have them all for sale at the same time, how do they expect me to buy them all on my meagre salary?! It's outrageous! They should immediately stop producing any new models until everyone in the world can afford to buy them!

 

TSW3 right now is a bit more akin to Ferrari deciding to start releasing Reliant Robins with a wheel missing, at their regular price point and with a pinkie swear to look into the wheel issue sometime.

 

On a Robin, the missing wheel is a design feature.

 

Tesla is in charge of this type of faults. Its innovation in this area is worthy of an award.
It calls for a "Golden raspberry" gala for its cars.

 

I own a lot (not 100% but still a lot) of both Train Simulator Classic and Train Simulator World.

But to answer your question, for me, I kind of look at the DLC's as much cheaper alternative. And what I mean by that is that I travel the world to ride trains and visit stations (I'm not traveling this year, so I figured if I wanted to plunk down to pick up DLC's, I don't mind it). I don't buy them at full price, I buy them on sale for one thing.

In Japan, there are a lot of people who collect video games (especially retro), Gundam/Mecha or anime/video game related figures or robots, I personally own many railroad model trains (Japanese and Swiss trains) which are expensive. And a diorama with six lines + the buildings, the trees, the LED lighting, the tracks and so forth. This hobby is still way more expensive than Train Simulator DLC's.

The train magazines I get from Japan sent to me with shipping from Japan to the US costs more than a brand new DLC.

I've always said this about being a railway fan, it's not cheap. But I have looked at TSC and TSW as being affordable not expensive. Especially with so many sales (unless you avoid STEAM and avoid purchasing on sale).

So, with my thought...I saw Train Simulator DLC's as way cheaper than my other train hobbies.

But I can understand your frustration and other frustrated individuals as well and I'm sure they see it as well. But not to the point of jumping ship because I have had way more positive experiences than negative with both TSW and TSC. I've been on the other side of frustration for the Japanese train simulator game "Densha de Go" (by Taito, now Square Enix) of why isn't there enough releases!? [I really hope that DG works with more of the non-JR Railway companies].

Anyway, just wanted to chime in. Probably a different opinion compared to others....but just wanted to chime in.

 

Honestly I can’t believe this thread has ran to 3 pages, I also can’t understand why the OP actually bothered to start it? It’s quite simple! Only buy what you can actually afford, only buy what you actually want, and if the price of £30 for a new TSW3 route dlc bothers you which it does bother me then refuse to buy until it drops to a price you agree with in a sale. Also if the quality with regards to bugs etc annoy you then refuse to buy anymore TSW dlc until DTG get their act together and just play what you’ve already got.

Honestly what’s the matter with some people these days? It’s called managing your life and prioritising the most important things in it. A choice between buying an over priced bug ridden TSW dlc or heating and eating etc then I know which decision wins.

First world problems eh! LOL!

 

You sound like someone who has never had a shortage of money to spend on luxury, if you did then you wouldn’t say that

 

It’s because I HAVE been in a position where I’ve had a serious shortage of money that I CAN say exactly that. I’m not exactly rolling it today ether tbh. The cost of living crisis is affecting all of us in some shape or form whatever our current financial status currently is in life. Simple fact is if you can’t afford it you can’t have it and need to prioritise.

Which part of this don’t people like you get?

 

If you're acknowledging that you have a shortage of money and that TSW content is a non-essential luxury, then it seems fairly obvious what you need to do.

It's always far easier to blame someone else, though. It's like when people were unemployed in the UK, complaining that the EU rules were allowing Eastern Europeans to come and "take all our jobs", but now Brexit has happened and they've all gone back to Europe, none of those unemployed Brits are actually picking up the service and manual jobs - so we have farmers who can't get their crops picked and a whole service industry with nobody to look after their customers, and the long-term unemployed are busy looking for someone else to blame.

 

And there lies another first world problem. Everyone thinks the world / country owes them a living and everyone thinks they have an automatic right to have / own everything. Reality check for those who think like that. Get off your arses and do those crappy jobs out there if you have to and then maybe you will be able to afford to firstly heat and eat etc and secondly afford a luxury purchase like an overpriced TSW3 dlc. And yes I’ve been there! You wouldn’t believe the awful jobs I’ve had to do over the years which I absolutely hated. Sitting there whinging and blaming others isn’t going to get you that TSW3 dlc you crave.

 

The key word is luxury.

 

Why is 30 quid or equivalent currency over priced?, I bet major chunks of this forum would happily pay 30 quid for a meal in a restaurant or pub, that when consumed in about half hour, if you want to eat it again your be forking out another 30 quid, but with the DLC you can play it unlimited times and will only have paid for it once, so really can't see why everyone getting so riled up over this.......

 

It’s all relevant isn’t it and what your priorities in life are. A good quality well cooked meal with a fine glass of wine in a nice ambience relaxing with family and friends is preferable to me over a bug riddled TSW3 dlc that just frustrates when you can’t complete a scenario / service after spending an hour of your life trying to. Of course everyone’s mileage varies when it comes to what they think is worth the money they spend.

 

Yes the dlc is overpriced for the current quality and length of route. My answer is 1. wait for sales and at least £10 off and 2. only buy the routes that really interest me and have received good feedback on YouTube video reviews, plus of course in the steam reviews. Simples.