Hey guys Ok, going by what I heard on the live stream TSW 5 is basically TSW 4 with a few tweaks. DTG have come clean and admitted they need to create a "new game" (nudge nudge wink wink) to generate publicity to make a splash to get new players to join, to keep the money flowing and basically keep the franchise alive. So, lets grab our pitch forks and storm the gates!!!....and what do you mean TSW 5 is free . This really show how much DTG listen to the community, some have asked for just new routes to come out instead of new game every year and okay DTG haven't quiet granted this as such, they haven't charged for the "new" game and they now offer the ability to buy the routes you want, so they have kinda granted that wish. Some players have said they won't buy another version of TSW for whatever reason, bugs, glitches, cash grab etc. So, DTG have said here have a free upgrade! This shows that DTG actually care about their players and they want to work with us and a company who is prepared to do that I take my hat off to So, what you guys think? Who is getting what? Routes or bundles?
I'm not sure this warranted its own topic when we've got 3 or 4 others on the go, all with the same sentiment.
The stream yesterday was surprising me in a positive way - Alex just telling how it is and that DTG needs money to keep the game alive. Something that almost everyone forgets when there's a discussion about the price. I also liked the phrase of "bringing the community together" - DTG really cares about their customers, although they are some things that can't be done, but also in a family there isn't always everything good. I like the idea of the free starter pack and I wouldn't say that this is "just" the trainig center. You get a big train park with lots of opportunitues to play with, many different trains (BR 146, Class 66, Class 323, Stanier 8F, Dostos, Mk1s and some freight wagons) and you can make full use of the creative tools with these trains - and even have access to the PC Editor. I will tell my best friend about thinking about it because you really can't loose anything. Good job, DTG! As for the question: I will only get the Kinzigtalbahn ( and the Flixtrain Vectron when it releases as a single DLC) for first, because I already bought TSW 3 and 4 with the US routes included, but I rarely play CJP and AVL, so I have 19 GB used which I don't necessarily need. Although, I will have a look at WCML - Pendolino and LUB 2.0 sounds interesting anyways.
Im coming from TSW3, have been vociferously opposed to the previous paywall way of doing things, and have undoubtedly sounded like a broken record on here on occasion. Now Im back at my PC I have just bought in to TSW5 with the Deluxe edition. I could have waited to the 17th of Sept to avail myself of the free upgrade, but tbh I felt it only fitting I respond to DTG offering the update for free with some cold hard cash, and I know how contradictory that sounds. My reasons are pretty simple- I want the strategy to pay off, and the WCML looks pretty darn good from what Ive seen. From here I'll be impulse buying quite a bit of the TSW4 stuff for the UK and if DTG sustain this new model, there's little doubt I'll be doing the same with TSW5 stuff too. This would not have been possible under the previous paywall system which for me at least actively discouraged impulse buying. There is always an optimum time to apply any marginal influence one has, and a few ways one can do it. Standing on the soapbox is one such way, supporting a business decision is another. We do it in other areas with purchasing power in both positive and negative ways, and this is no different for me. For that reason alone Im urging people to get on board, support this decision, let it carry forward and bed in, then look around for the next improvement and begin to seek to positively influence that. The time for that I would argue is not now. At the moment we are here, in the midst of a change of direction, and I feel that has to be pushed over the line with proven sales before we can consider broadening the concern pattern once again.
My biggest gripe of a new game every year was the lack of base game free upgrade for those players who didn’t want bundled routes. That in my view was a bit shady, but seeing how TSW 5 seemingly solves this problem and allows players to get TSW 5 features as a ‘free’ upgrade, I think DTG have listened to their player base. It’s unfortunate we have to download everything once again, but maybe that can be solved in the future.
You'd think there would be some code that looks at the installations and if TSW4 content exists, asks if you want to copy these over into the new TSW5 folder or download again.
That's not how it works, technically each DLC is new and repacked for the new engine. Each pak is only valid for its game, as it contains a lot of metadata too which needs to be updated. It may look the same, but it's not on byte level. All that's transferred is the ownership entitlement. PLAYER OWNS TSW4 FIFE CIRCLE? IF YES, THEN ADD TSW5 FIFE CIRCLE TO ACCOUNT (or technically, check if players owns DLC 123456, look up entitlement table, table says 123456 will grant 234567, add 234567 to player account). This entitlement database must be created manually by the store owners, after being given the data from DTG. Mistakes happened there when TSW4 was introduced. The game will look up (in Steam's case) Documents\MyGames\TrainSimWorld4\Saved and will ask to import the profile data from there. You can uninstall TSW4 beforehand (if you're afraid just untick all DLC to free up space and only keep the core), just make sure that folder stays, or you'll be starting over again. All the rest is handled on account level, not what's on your storage device. I think we haven't seen such a mass of upgrades before, so this time I think the name change is deserved (of course, technically, it could happen as a patch to TSW4 still - it's marketing, and many are more excited about a version bump even if it was the same content without reversioning. A bit of psychology is also involved here. New logo, new UI, yay ) Also changing to a new game acts as a safety net. In case something gets broken again in TSW5 (and we know chances are), you can still play the TSW4 version theoretically, provided you own it. Following that thought further also means you cannot hold DTG accountable for breaking DLC (it worked before!) because they could argue "you've purchased that for TSWn, and it still works on TSWn - the "Compatible" version for TSWn+1 was given to you for free :P " ...
You sound like someone who won't just buy for the sake of buying and yes every year there was this pay wall as you put it, a constant money grab. I will be honest I was one of those that did throw money as DTG in regards to TSW until I got as far as TSW4. I enjoyed TSW3, it was useable and didn't let me down, then I was talked into getting TSW4 with active suspension and that wasn't even the worse, TSW4 was a car crash or a train wreck, it was buggy as hell, it kept crashing, some of the purchased DLC wouldn't work on it, nightmare. TSW4 was launched in such a state that I swore I would never buy another version of TSW and I stated that on this forum more than once, I even asked DTG how could I import my progress from TSW4 to TSW3. Today TSW4 works, but for no good reason it will still crash and not when you start your journey, but when you a 5 minutes away from completing a 45 minute trip. TSW4 should never have launched in the state it was in, so when DTG announced TSW5 core is free, then it restores some of my faith in the company's commitment to their product and its players. I have noticed a few new features in TSW5 unlike the hard sell of TSW4, which for me is good because DTG are not over stretching themselves and hopefully they can deliver a more stable product?
Lets hope so! Its just my opinion and so only worth as much as hindsight might prove a few months from now, but I do feel that if DTG have changed direction specifically in the direction that they have been urged to go, then thats worth supporting for the sake of the hobby. Ive been hanging around this product since the very early days, but was a lurker on the forums until TSW3 and the transition into TSW4. I was very, probably excessively vocal on some of the issues I perceived to be detrimental to the otherwise latent positive relationship between DTG and the fanbase at that time and until the announcement a few days ago. Trust me when I say I tend to try to be careful in my spending, and I feel at this point it worth a little expense to encourage and support this change. If it then turns out to be not what we would hope on release, well then that becomes the setting for the next focus. In the meantime, we have this welcome change of direction.
Yeah, it sounds like DTG have taken onboard what players have been asking them or complaining about. When companies don't listen to their customers is when it goes wrong. The fact DTG offer TSW5 free I would nearly go and buy it on that alone, I do like the new buy whatever route you want approach, my hobby or our hobby is getting so big it is hard to show some love to every single route in the limited time I have because I try to complete all timetables and I am only as far as Bakerloo doing them in release order.
The whole story short.... This is a company that can only exist with DLCs that they sell... So if they choose to release TSW5 or TSW20000 they make the choice so this kind of discussions are mostly not useful. You did not argument about the bakery around the corner they bring a 3rd brown bred on the market or do i missed something here....
Ive taken a slightly different approach in that I tend to stick to one region, learn the regulations for that region, learn a route and then remove as much of my HUD as I can get away with. A great beginner route for this is the East Coastway (shameless plug for my favourite route) doing freight runs in the class 66. The timings are very generous, theres no timetable to worry about as such, theres loads of time to complete loading etc and the 66 is a fun locomotive with lots of functionality. Also the speed limits for that section are super easy to learn. I appreciate that some people like to get achievements, or complete the timetable, but thats the approach Ive taken and it might be something a bit different for you to try. I'll be immersing myself into the WCML and the Cardiff route when that comes out, but for any route that looks nice and varied then I'll certainly try to get to know it quite well. I dont think you can do this by driving to the HUD hence going hudless as soon as possible, even if its only starting out by bringing stuff from the yard into service.
Yeah, the short version of what I said is DTG are rebranding TSW4 in a TSW 5 nudge wink version, let grab pitch fork, but we cant as it is free, so we cant complain and I am gateful for what DTG are doing and what are you guys going to get? You can go read the long version if you want
Cardiff, WCML, lots of TSW4 legacy impulse buying in sales, then further impulse buying through the year. That my friend is the beauty of the new system.
That initial post were a real roller coaster! Must say I did like the honest and rather detailed explanation in the stream. One of these would be nice for steam.
WoW...that is a good approach, getting to know a region and regulations so you can drive with reduced HUD. I gave up trying to drive with reduced HUD because I have a PS5 and TSW4 wont remember my HUD settings. You gotta love a bit of class 66 or shed and thanks to the creative club there are some really nice liveries to use. Yes, freight is more relaxed with not a timetable to keep, passengers services are more of a race for sure. In terms of my approach, I didn't start off doing timetables, I just jumped from train to train, but I was never good at driving them because they were all different and I didn't know how to drive them, so once you could carry progress over I thought why not complete timetables and that way I also learn a loco inside and out and I feel I have done something too.
Yes, I really love the new stuff on the way, the WCML should be good and Cardiff. Yes impulse buys are deadly especially sales grabs, I bought a load of regions I won't get to play for years.
I’ve already said this before on one or two of the other 8 thousand TSW5 threads, but yes, I’m very very pleased with DTG’s fan-friendly approach to TSW5. I tend to say it how I see it. If I don’t like something, I’ll say it. In this case it’s only fair that I give them a ton of props. Hopefully the franchise continues to be successful so we can keep moving pixel trains around.
I think they’ve done their best year yet tbh. Routes work out at like £13 each, come with a good amount of base trains to almost entirely fulfil the layering. They’re all substantial locations, doesn’t seem to be much ‘spend all the time on this & take back the time from the other’ going on. Good all rounder routes that have variety, rather than one trick ponies. Of course the US side of things doesn’t entirely line up with the above, but honestly I’m surprised they’re even trying at this point. Im pretty excited, aslong as they don’t flop on the features like they did with TSW4.
