Tsw 4 Is Not What We Think - In-app Store, New Skybox, Ads, Multiplayer, Rewrite

EDIT: The weather thing is something else, so ignore it. For anything else: do NOT see this as a 100% proof of confirmed things, this is speculation and discussion of them. Do not see this as a post for making tsw look bad. Be aware everything was rewritten

This is an early and ongoing analysis of the base game executable, everything may or may not change completely, as we don't know it's purpose, the actual plans, and why they are there

If anyone with coding, UE and/or low level software architecture knowledge is interested in working together, feel free to message mw

There are a lot of references and actual code that are about a in-app store, microtransactions (just to be more clear, it's a full blown one that also integrates payments directly in it, it's not using the store for it), and even Workshop support - but there is an field called "UpgradeAccount" - which sounds like a subscription for the Creators Club There are even properties that are about in-game ads, including, if not misunderstood, ads on the pause screen. There is a flag called "IsCreatorsClubOwned" which does really seem like they want to charge something for it. Why would it be there if it stays free? Why would you own a feature that is free unless it's something that consumes a lot of resources and isn't a crucial, popular part of a application?

There is a extensive implementation of rail multiplayer, which is further supported by the Config files inside the base TSW3 Pak that contain flags and properties for multiplayer support. Apparently split screen is supported.
I think it's almost certain it will come, but it may be still a experiment.

There will be a "ultimate skybox" which is literally a DLC where you have to buy every kind of weather seperately. It's defined as a pre order

I'm almost certain that the core game got a rewrite, as a lot of the code, code paths and source file paths are inside a new UE project called TSW3SUB, with the current core game as a module inside of it, probably for compatibility and porting purposes.

There are also a ton of other things, and a TON I haven't seen and analyzed yet, but the stuff that I've seen and know now clearly say what they are.

 

Explain Creators Club Subscriptions please. I don't understand how that makes sense?

 

You already have creators club subscriptions, it's how the creators club works, you subscribe to a livery or scenario.

 

so nothing do with micro transactions. Basically everything in the code points to stuff that is already existing in the game? DLC is micro transactions I guess?

 

I'm aware of that I just forgot to include the Workshop, but there's a field called "AccountUpgrade" - which is really off.

 

That caught my eye as well and I was just wondering what that was.

 

The in app store already exists, on the Steam version it just takes you into the Steam store and on PS5 into the Sony PS store.

DTG Jan has already ruled out any form of subscription model. And as regards "micro transactions", I really can't see DTG going for Hay Day or Clash Of Clans "buy diamonds/in game currency" style pop ups that spring as you're about to start a run, trying to tempt you into buying a subsidiary DLC.

It seems far from supressing the speculation by announcing there will be An Announcement, we now have all sorts of wild theories popping up about where TSW is headed. Stay calm, people. Play TSW, play Stray, play Snowrunner and two weeks Tuesday will come round soon enough.

 

If I am not mistaken Creators Club is still in Beta. Also, wasn't the original plan for it to be paid for separately, but DTG changed course and provided it for all? We may be coming full circle. I like Creators Club but I'm not sure if the implementation is robust enough to pay for it.

 

Not even close to be pay worthy lol. You can only access scenarios from there through a separate menu. Liveries randomly show up on all AI stock. I pretty much never touch it in it's current form.

 

I clarified the in-app store thing in my post.

 

Oh yes indeed, it was supposed to be paid but they understood nobody would really care for the feature if it was paid. Well if they start charging now they better provide something worth paying as I don't see how I would miss the feature as it is now. It's a fun gimmick but that's all it is

 

Just found something related to the Creators Club possible subscription thing, there is a flag called "IsCreatorsClubOwned". If it would stay free, why would they check if you own it?

 

Is that not the check to see if you own the required content for Creator Club Scenarios? It won't let you launch them if you don't own the correct DLC.

 

No, there are seperate checks for that.

 

Tbh none of this really concerns me all that much. In app purchases if DLC is neutral to me as I'll always be using the steam storefront as we know that'll still be available thanks to the depots for epic. The creators club ownership is likely wether the player owns the content i.e. did they make the content. Which would then give you different UI elements to everyone else. Many DLCs we have gotten have included what I would view as microtransaction level content in them so if anything that might be better than paying 30+ for a route and a new skin. The account upgrade I'm unsure on as it's not clear exactly what we're looking at for upgrades, it could be a season pass which I would be in favour of personally if the price was reasonable. I'm curious exactly where you got this from?

 

So im going to get a few things straight:

So our main thingy is this CC thing? This is actually intresting... If its paid though that begs the question - Is DTG getting brought by EA secretly? Jokes aside if it is paid im guessing it'd be like the ATS store (which for how much TSW costs is a litle stupid in my opinion). But yeah to me this seems much more like a TSW3 update then a brand new game - especially given several other pieces of evidence given the only evidence for TSW4 being one single leak from some Spanish or French site.

This and the fact its clearly labbeled as TSW3 and is inside TSW3 makes me think that TSW3 is NOT going into TSW4 this year.

Edit: This actually aligns with a DTG direct - I think a DTG direct would be pointless for announcing TSW4 - The two new routes we know are coming TO TSW3 guarenteed however thanks to the roadmap - the several locos both DTG and third party, route rewrites and I think its safe to say TSW4 isn't today and some people got ahead of themselves thinking the EpicGames thing was TSW4 - All there going of is a sketchy site at the end of the day - The codename could EASILY be for TSW3:RH (which could be announced) Part of this new DTG subscription thing or anything else. Argueably one of those routes which where leaked was probably the in roadmap DTG UK route we know nothing about.

 

It seems most likely that this would be remnants from before creators club launched, as access was intended to be tied to ownership of the new journeys dlc (which it would've launched alongside) that would make an ownership check necessary.

Either way it looks like a lot of these things are either relating to stuff already in the game (in-app store, stuff referencing ads from the bidstack integration) or just boilerplate unreal engine code/interfaces that's been left in (considering mentions of the google play store).

 

Or those are all rests of not used programming, as Creators Club was planned to be a paid DLC back when it was announced.
It was only later changed to free for everyone.

 

I've looked into the executable a few times before, none of them have existed before.

 

>warning total speculation. I don't know what I'm talking about<

Nah TSW4 is still coming. This is just code to be able to support TS3 when TSW4 is out. This just proves that gen 8 will be dropped but supported.

 

Another one, what is the purpose of this?

 

When TSW2 was in its final stages I remember that some people found things labbeled directly for TSW3 after it was announced - I might be wrong but I swear that some people did. And a lot of those things actually only show an upgrade to CC rather then an entire base and new game - Might be wrong though.

 

OKAY NEVER MIND YEP THATS TSW4 100%

Preorder graphics - For those who preorder there weather comes im guessing.

So its either preorders for new routes or for preorders for TSW4.

 

Guessing same thing as the bonus decal pack for TSW3

 

But maybe rainbow included ingame now?

 

Actually thats a good shout..


Great its TSW4......

Well aslong as DLC from TSW3 come over Im fine. Just got it on PS5 so yeah.

Albeit it'd be just a slightly better Decal pack - Out of curiosity does anyone actually use the decals? Im just curious?

 

When CreatorsClub was first mentioned it was going to be part of a purchased bundle. Then it was given away for free when absolutely everyone on the forum complained about it. It was quite the time to be a forum member.

 

I *wasnt* really a part of the forums then.... or atleast... I wish I wasnt.


Irrelevant Anecdote later and yeah - If its a massive standard or deluxe only and the prices are massive the forums will stir up again - Hopefully its like TSW3 and after preorder it has UK, US, DE and the deluxe route bundles.

 

So are these Files/Code thingy's from Steam? because I know they do Pre-orders for DLC on steam so we might still have a bit of life left in TSW3

 

The Epic Games thing is a seperate installment. It has a different namespace attached to it.

 

There is a new aspect still to come to all platforms and that is Add Ons Manager which is only live for PS players and that required a lot of rewrites to the way owned DLC and its layer dependencies were handled and loaded. Could it be that this is just that inside the PC version and it uses internal micro transactions as the architecture to know what to load? I have no clue about code and don’t know the first thing about how a game would handle such things but AoM is a thing that hasn’t been enabled in TSW3 on PC yet. I dunno, complete guess.

 

If this is really a way, we finally have a time period based livery manager, i wouldnt even mind to pay. My biggest issue with current creators club (livery system), is the mix which makes it annoying to use for different eras because its current substitution system. Either your modern skins spawn in the Classic routes, or it happens the other way around.

 

Give me one good explanation as to how the game is supposed to detect the era of a custom livery.

 

I know what you mean but you worded it wrong.

Itd be nice if it ONLY showed up if selected and wasnt automatically applied.

 

Another thing: I found stuff related to mobile platforms and multiplayer, like actual implementations. Multiplayer seems to be almost certainly worked on, because when I extracted the base TSW3 Pak, I found settings and flags inside the Configs that enable two player and more multiplayer.
It might be a experiment, but the executable code has a almost certainly working implementation of multiplayer with trains and conductors. I will post the full findings later.

I have thought more about the stuff I've seen and found, and now I really start to think that the plan is to make TSW free-to-play - the ads in-game, their development on a standalone store ingame, the rewrite, multiplayer - man why would they make a "UltimateSkyBox" feature - that's what they call their new DLC ToD/Skybox - where you have to BUY EVERY KIND OF WEATHER ENVIRONMENT SEPERATELY?

 

I advocated in suggestions for the core of TSW to be free, so existing players could transfer their collection for no additional cost. It's probably closer to that.

TSW already does have a store, it just seems to be set up now for purchasing in-game, I guess for player convenience.

They won't charge people for specific types of weather. Even people who use the nonsense "DTG are scammers" mantra would find that absurd.

They may have moments where they don't care for what's best, but they aren't trying to lose their playerbase either.

 

I don't really believe that. Wouldn´t that be a really stupid idea? Who buys a game where you have to buy each Weather seperately?
I thought DTG was bought by Focus, not by EA.

 

There are literally preorder blueprints that are literally different types of weather using their "new" skybox technology. The code literally contains a implementation of their "new" tech. It exists and literally presents itself as that.

 

TSC.


Just TSC.

 

I've read a lot of the new skybox tech being a lot more dynamic, and something related to scenarios and user-customizability. But it looks code-wise like TOD4 (aka TOD3.1) on drugs, in real life, we can only see when they publish it

 

Honestly if thats the case.


THANK GOD I BROUGHT TSW3 WHEN I DID TODAY.

I can see myself and a lot of others sticking with TSW3 if you have to buy the goddam WEATHER seperatly.

 

It doesnt, its about the ability to choose what liveries do show up in certain routes. When playing ntp, i have to uninstall all modern repaints of the 47 to get no such liveries in the br blue era.

 

Quite simple actually. The game doesn’t have to "detect" anything, just have an options menu under each livery where you can tell the game which routes that livery should appear on and whether or not the livery should appear on AI.

 

I really do hope my concerns turn out to be false but with everything I've seen and with everything I am able to analyze and verify, there isn't any room for more than one suspicion. Why would the UltimateSkyBox check for entitlement of a weather scenario?

But as I have said, even with the stuff clearly defined and implemented, and context to support them, there is still room for a deviation of it's actual purpose, of it's use, what it does, so there is a chance of a misunderstood thing, but I doubt there will be one since it's DTG and the source strongly supports them

 

That's pretty much just Armstrong Powerhouse's enhancement packs, though.

It could be that it's shown as pre-orderable as part of the game.
After all, if these are all micro-transactions that are found in-game, it would be impossible to pre-order them before the game releases.

It is utterly ridiculous that DTG would sell induvidual weather types seperately and it's almost certainly not what it seems.

 

So that's not

that's just an AI livery toggle.

 

It's even more simple to fix it, code wise. Just implement a damn property defining the era on a train and make the custom liveries access that.

 

They have their own DLC manifest, and that's what they are. And well yes it's obviously not pre-orderable, but what do you want to say with that? They define a DLC manifest like any other DLC for TSW, they contain the IDs, contents, availability, etc - it's purpose is to define what DLCs there are, what to do with them, and in case of early access, providing these DLCs to a limited audience until public availability, it's unnecessary complicated and not recommended to distribute very different versions of a software depending on a thing

 

now would be a good time for Microsoft to bring back train simulator, some competition would be nice

 

No competition with a huge playerbase is a perfect reason for making TSW free-to-play, so I would not be suprised if my concerns would turn out to be true. But a DLC Skybox and Ingame Ads on a paid game are 100x worse but even that would not suprise me.

Wait I just noticed, what does the SUB in the project name TSW3SUB stand for? Subscription?