2 more STEAM bundles on sale

[Darpor]

I probably agree with you on the scenario side Kevin, its hard to squeeze many scenarios out of it without being too repetetive. Don't let that take anything away from the route as a whole though, the standard is quite high and it serves its intended purpose, as described, very well indeed.

As for buying the route, I see it from an investment point of view. At first, when IOW was released, many baulked at the price vs length debate but then went on to purchase it for the assets, not only to use themselves but because they realised that many future routes would rely on those assets so for that reason, IOW has probably been a sound investment. I think for the same reason, GARL will probably go the same way if several quality routes are spawned from the assets included. Now, I know this is not an ideal situation and has caused people in the past to then reflect on a freeware route as not being free, taking away credit for the time that the creator has spent on the route for the benefit of the community.

On the other side of the coin, people are starting to expand their horizons with content creation, many being eager to learn 3d modelling in order to include items with their routes. I did it with Cresston V3, including objects which were by no means up to the quality of those provided in IOW or GARL but if I can do that, and others can chip in too, maybe at some point in the future we will have a free asset base that means many future freeware routes have no payware reliances whatsoever. That is something I am keen on promoting for any future freeware I produce.

[AndyUK]

Just to say i have sampled GARL on my friends machine,very impressive signaling! but sorry, very boring,with little scope for intresting and varid scenarios,when compared to Wales and Borders,and SAD,s Altenburg routes it looks downright dull!sorry but you did ask.

That reminds me of the Fawlty Towers episode where a grumpy elderly female guest is complaining about the view (of Torquay) from the window of her bedroom and Basil in reply says "What did you expect to see from a Torquay hotel bedroom window, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?"

Andy L

[bigvern]

Still, whichever way you cut it £24.99 is exceptionally expensive for a short semi fictional route, no matter how well done, plus one item of rolling stock. Luckily I paid the pre increase price but that was at the upper level and I baulked a bit. I made a comparison in the GARL thread with World of Subways but 1. That sells cheaper, 2. Certainly in the second version you get a longer route and 3. It can do all sorts of things that routes set in the RW core cannot. (Cab sway, random events timetable/diagram operation).

The other key factor and this ties in with the poll I started, there's no way I would expect anyone using one of my freeware routes to pay that amount of money to get some assets, so the Notts Coal route I started in anticipation of the forthcoming Class 56 with GARL track assets, I reverted to default RW stuff. Not as pretty but I can't justify forcing people wanting to run the route in the position of having to pay that much money.

The problem as we have already seen in some other threads, and no disrespect, is an element of RW users who seem to have more money than sense. Now I paid the £13.99 for Evening Star kind of under protest and I'll definitely get the Class 56 providing it costs no more but that's where the line is drawn. If people just keep paying over these amounts of cash for small items that in MSTS or any other game for that matter (I already cited GTA IV) would get a comprehensive pack the publishers will keep trying it on. Maybe this stems from there not being much freeware - an ongoing issue - but that doesn't mean you should hand over any amount of cash for something new. I fear this approach will kill Railworks more effectively than the outstanding issues with the core, at some point the bubble will burst. Whatever your politics, you cannot deny we are moving into a period of austerity - VAT likely to be 20% soon, all sorts of job cutbacks and other extra taxes coming - which puts £24.99 for a 6 mile route and specialised EMU in the "rot on the shelf" department.

[growler37]

Just to say i have sampled GARL on my friends machine,very impressive signaling! but sorry, very boring,with little scope for intresting and varid scenarios,when compared to Wales and Borders,and SAD,s Altenburg routes it looks downright dull!sorry but you did ask.

That reminds me of the Fawlty Towers episode where a grumpy elderly female guest is complaining about the view (of Torquay) from the window of her bedroom and Basil in reply says "What did you expect to see from a Torquay hotel bedroom window, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?"

Andy L

Hi, that was great show, and i do come across as a grumpy old man but i aint! honest!
Vern is correct,there are hard times ahead for everyone,and trainsim addons are not on the top of the list as essential purchases,i would love the signaling from GARL its just what i need for a project i am working on,i would like the JT class 20 which looks superb,as does Derek,s class 101 but i just cant afford them,i think a lot of users will stick with what they have now and pray that the freeware will come along,because this is it for me now,but to be honest i am happy with what i have,i may be tempted to dust off the old card if a route builders asset pack was produced stuffed full of new textures,buildings,etc,or maybe GWR City of Truro,but even then i would probably have to sell my wife and kids to finance it
So Steam will not get even richer from me,Vern is also right that there will be people who are lucky enough for money not to be a problem,and good luck to them,but i suspect most will be in the same boat as me,but its not all doom and gloom i am sure RW will continue as a hobby as a lot of us have spent a fair ammount on it already,not so sure about a bouyant commercial future though,i really hope i,m wrong on that because RW is a great program and very enjoyable,and miles ahead of the opposition in most aspects.
Regards
Kevin