Hi guys, check out my new Portham Metrolink Facebook page. Portham Games (my small independent company) is working on it's very first project, a fictional tram route for the City of Portham. Train Simulator Is without UK based purpose built tram routes, this is an effort to be the first. It's in development at the moment. When I am ready to sell it for about £4.99, what permissions will I need in place and what obstacles are to be overcome in order to be able to sell it. I would work on a policy of "if you feel that its not worth the money" I will give you 2 options 1. A full refund or 2. 30 days for me to attempt to update the route to address any issues you have and then issue a refund if my work hasn't been satisfactory. https://m.facebook.com/Portham-MetroLink-103646648287326/ Let me know what you think, many thanks.
Be careful what you put in the route in the way of Assets Most Freeware items are given to the Train Sim community on the basis they are not part of a Payware project. You would not be able to sell anything that contained DTG assets I notice you are using Richard Scott's Croydon Tram
I've had permission from him to use the tram in this route. I'm using DTG assets but the users will need to own them anyway, so it's not like I'm giving the assets away?
So you will be charging for a Route but people will need to purchase other stuff to make the base route work?
If they already have the 3 routes required for the assets, then my route will work fine. The tram is freeware and is included by permission in my package. This is standard for unofficial routes to require the user to already have certain things in their library, did you know this?
Yes, I did know that. I have the Northern Lines route which runs from Preston to Blackpool complete with stations and other buildings some of which were custom made for the route and it is all Free Like you say I just need to own the required assets to make it work. Unless you intend to include some Custom Created Content which is not available elsewhere then this will be basically a Freeware route which you are charging money for.
The route will not have any unique assets as I have no skills in that area. The reasonable £4.99 will be justified by the initiative of filling a gap in the market for a well done UK style tram route along with the effort I will be putting in and have put in so far. My question on this thread is what do I need in place legally to sell this route when I've completed it, I'm trying to show due diligence here.
Maybe you should create a post with a question asking if people would be prepared to pay for a map. A bit like what you get off the workshop but with a cost.
I admire your enthusiasm and enterprise and do not wish to dampen either. But you might be disappointed if you do not get any sales on your first attempt at route building. Perhaps you might do better to publish it for free on a 3rd party freeware site.
Ok, can you give me the main ones that are used please and how I can upload to them. I may do it for free with a "donations welcome if you like my route" policy
Here's a couple I can think of offhand. https://www.dpsimulation.org.uk/ https://members.uktrainsim.com/file...form_country=998&form_sim=12&form_path=,ty=13 But I doubt they would take donation requests on board.
You are now a member on UKTS which would be a start - the people there have a lot of knowledge of how to upload files Have a look at PenninePacers route for some inspiration https://www.uktrainsim.com/filelib-info.php?form_fileid=40013
Some screenshots wold definitely help, here. And I agree with the previously expressed sentiments. If you are selling this then you need to read and re-read the EULA's of the source of any and all assets you are referencing in the route to ensure they can be used in an item being sold for profit. Oh and speaking of profit, any income you make from selling the item will need to be VAT accountable and also assessed towards your income tax (I'm assuming you are in the UK, but similar requirements will apply wherever you are). You are not going to make much money from selling a route (believe me, I know from my involvement with the MSTS payware scene) and it will likely bring all sorts of support headaches if things go wrong or aren't quite right. You can get away with most of that in a freeware project but once people start handing over money, you will be under intense scrutiny. Trainsim dot com also has a file library if you do decide to go the freeware route.
Cheers, I'll feed through teaser screenshots on the Facebook page link I provided. I've now decided to make this a freeware route when I'm done with "donations appreciated" to go at the bottom of the read me.
I would have thought it's up to the adult individual to decide to make a personal donation to me if they think the route us worth it?
I'm sure any freeware site would not wish to be involved as the middleman in any transaction. Why don't you contact them to get their opinion on your suggestion?
Depending on the EULA, even asking for donations could be regarded as commercial use. Really think the OP needs to completely rethink this, from announcing the project without screenshots or a video capture of the route in action, to the distribution. Sending people to teasers on Facebook might work for Alan Thomson, but not for an unestablished source. And while asset building can be hard, I take it you haven't even attempted to make custom name boards for the stations/stops in 3D Canvas (Crafter) or Blender so people can identify where they are. I hate to rain on anyone's enthusiasm to get content in the game but you really need to go about it in an established and responsible manner. Hope I'm wrong but I've seen this before with Trainz, where some kid comes on the N3V forum and claims they have created the "bestest" route ever, to find it's one flat square baseboard with an oval of track, with virtually no texturing or scenery.
I've asked permission from ukts if I'm allowed to ask for donations at the bottom of the read me file. If I am I will if not I wont, if what I'm doing with my facebook page is allowed then I'll keep doing as I want to build up a repour
