Feature Let's Get Rid Of The Term "secondman".

TL;DR It's 2025. I think it's time to use a non-sexist term
I know everyone at DTG is busy getting ready for the TSW6 roll out, along with all of the work that must go in to making all of the planned DLCs happen. However, in the process of doing that work, how about running "find and replace"?
There are plenty of other terms you could use:
-Assistant
-Assistant Driver
Assistant Engineer
Co-Driver
Co-Engineer
-Second Driver
-Second Engineer
I'm thinking one of the main objections to doing this will be some version of "well that's the term railroads use". Even more so than the gaming industry, railroads have long been a male dominated industry. That should change, and it will eventually. Changing the term in TSW just might be a small step toward attracting more women to the game as well. And "more women" is just another way of saying more customers, so that's a good thing for you at DTG.
This is a very easy opportunity for you to do better Dovetail.

Members of this forum are certainly going to object, most likely with all kinds of ad hominem attacks on me for the suggestion, so before you go that route, let me tell you about myself: I'm a 55 year old white male, combat veteran. I know a thing or two about working in male dominated worlds, and trust me, those worlds always get better with the inclusion of more women. I knew quite a few outstanding women soldiers for example. They carried the same 210 rounds of ammo, wore the same 60 lbs. of body armor, and (don't believe everything you read in the newspapers) yes, they went out on the same combat missions as the men. They drove the same vehicles, fired the same machine guns... but I digress.
My point is that I am absolutely your stereotypical old grouchy white guy who loves to complain about 'kids these days with their long hair, and their loud music" so I don't want to read any attacks or accusations along those lines.
The main thing to think about here, is that this is a small easy change that could go a long way toward broadening this community, and if that happens, we all benefit.

 

I’m just picturing all these brave strong brave competent brave strong female soldiers returning from battle, firing up TSW, and then being in floods of tears because a seat in a train cab is labelled with the correct name that just happens to include the word ‘man’. How awful for them.

 

We really don't need woke ideology around here. It really doesn't make a difference and those who really get offended by that Term need to grow up. It doesn't affect anyone.

 

Idiocracy here we go. Somebody take me out back and shoot me please.

 

I don’t mind! (sarcasm)

 

Okay, but realistically, how many times does it even come up in actual play outside of maybe a couple of loco tutorials?

Now, if we had multiplayer sessions where the seat wasn't already occupied by an NPC...

 

This is a very woke forum though, it’s going to rub off on others.

 

It’s a valid historical term when used in the correct time period, just like fireman on a steam locomotive. Would just be absurd to start calling them fireperson or “firer”, neither of which is a recognised English word.

With all due respect to the OP, I think this belongs under the heading of woke hysteria along with the insistence that blackboards must now be referred to as chalkboards.

 

While I know DTG are usually pretty inclusive for things in general, this just seems like an odd request.....

And one that people probably don't even notice or care about.

 

Can we not have this sort of topic come up? It's a forum for a train simulator, not woke ideology.

Who even cares anyway? What difference does it make?

It's a word used to describe something, just like human or woman (both of which also have the word 'man' in them, should we change them too?)