Ohio Steel 2

[bigvern]

I take it this is not the same route as the old LTV Mining one for MSTS (the one you could never complete a run because the couplers broke!)?

[Energo7535]

I can't understand why instead of one upgraded route I have now 2 routes - the old one that must stay the same (not upgraded to TS2012) and a big new one, upgraded. What is the reason??? Some 3d party scenarios maybe?

[3DTrains]

There is a possible problem with the 3DTrains "free" content coming with the route via steam. If you have the payware version of the 3DTrains landscapes and roads (which includes high res textures and 4 season versions rather than just summer winter) then will the steam download that includes the free version overwrite my improved payware version?

One of the conditions I made clear when allowing my freeware road and track assets available via Steam and JT was that these files should not interfere with my payware versions. Thus if you already have the payware content installed, the Steam install will not overwrite the payware with the freeware versions. Since the time these files were available via Steam and JT, I haven't heard of any problems related to overwriting any of my payware files.

I'm surprised that nobody has commented on the fact that you can buy Ohio Steel 2 for only £4.99 from Steam if you have already bought part 1 from Steam ... according to some commentators, this sort of thing isn't supposed to be possible, yet here it is in black and white (or whatever screen colours you use).

IIRC, the price difference was a mistake on Steam's part when figuring pounds vs dollars. It may have since been fixed to reflect this.

The problem is that the need to make Steam DLC and Just Trains addons self-contained is at odds with this approach, which is designed to work more with direct purchases of routes where the 3DTrains assets are not included.

Not a problem. All or part of a set of files can be flagged to "never overwrite" within most competent self-installers. My freeware assets are set up this way in the event someone already has the payware versions installed, and I was informed in 2010 by Steam and JT that this would not be an issue with their distribution methods.

In addition, the 3DTrains website makes it impossible to acquire the freeware versions (the links to them return error pages) which hardly makes me want to support a company with this kind of pushy sales policy.

That's a bit harsh and also not true. All I ask is that you have registered for my forum so that I can contain the assets in one place and prevent hot-linking from other sites. If an error occurs when clicking on the link, the most likely cause is that your browser's security settings are either too high or set to disallow redirection, the latter being processed by my download script. More information on possible causes and remedies can be found in the following thread:

http://www.3dtrains.com/forums/index.ph ... e&f=2&id=2

If problems persist, I'm only an email away.

As far as the file structure used by the freeware files and payware files is concerned. it's my understanding that these paths are actually different.

The paths and file names for both the freeware and pyware versions are the same.

I can confirm (as an owner of the payware HR edition of the Rural Landscapes pack, not a purchase I would make again) that the file paths are exactly the same. Doing a cache verification just now put me back on the freeware LR edition.

This is news to me and quite troubling if true. I'll investigate.

The problem lies with 3DTrains, who chose to have both versions of their asset packs use the same install path. For people who do want to use their copies of the high resolution versions, in the rare event of having to verify the game cache it's the work of only 30 seconds to copy back the required textures, not any worse than reinstalling an Armstrong enhancement pack.

As I mentioned above, I asked Steam and JT that the freeware files could be included so long as there were no conflicts with my payware versions of the files. If a problem exists, then it's not due to my distribution method but with Steam's and/or JT's. I also mentioned that I'm just an email away. I normally don't spend my time browsing various forums searching for issues with my files (I was only alerted to this thread by an email sent to me), so I can't fix something if I'm not informed of a problem. If true that Steam and JT DLC overwrite my payware files, then a temporary (albeit inconvenient) solution would be to reinstall my payware assets until I can get Steam and JT to confirm and address the issue.

[3DTrains]

I take it this is not the same route as the old LTV Mining one for MSTS (the one you could never complete a run because the couplers broke!)?

This might have been due to mistake in the grades we set for the route or that MSTS doesn't like loops in the track database (or both). Either way, since this discussion is in the RW forum, it seems obvious to me that the above comments are not related to MSTS.

[nobkins]

Hi Marc,

Sorry if it came across that I thought 3DTrains were at fault. I did not intend that. I know your conditions for using the content as I made the same enquiry for using your items with TPR hence my concern over steam and verification.

"If" there is a problem (and I have only said that I hope steam / RS.com have thought about this possible issue) then the fault does not rest with you in my view.

Hope I did not cause offence as it was not intended. I intended to highlight a possible issue that I hoped RSC / Steam had thought about

Jim

[3DTrains]

No worries, Jim. I simply wished to clarify the conditions on how these files are supposed to be distributed.

[bigvern]

I mentioned the coupler breaks as an anecdote only, the route was probably the first time we encountered the infamous MSTS over six miles without a point node and derail/uncouple, bug.

I'm sure if the route ever gets built in RW, no such problem would exist.

[USRailFan]

I mentioned the coupler breaks as an anecdote only, the route was probably the first time we encountered the infamous MSTS over six miles without a point node and derail/uncouple, bug.

That was encountered for the first time on the default Marias Pass route (typically just outside Cutbank when coming from Shelby)

[AntonioMS]

The route is generally good but has bugs that are inexcusable. Some bad switches ....and road traffic motionless on level crossings. Greetings.

[RudolfJan]

There is a possible problem with the 3DTrains "free" content coming with the route via steam. If you have the payware version of the 3DTrains landscapes and roads (which includes high res textures and 4 season versions rather than just summer winter) then will the steam download that includes the free version overwrite my improved payware version?

Hope they have thought of this as lots of people loosing payware content because of a steam purchase would be less than ideal.

They probable have. Maybe the free version has been set up in a different folder or similar. However moving it to a new folder presents another problem. If I have the payware version of the pack it will not be used because the steam route will be looking in the wrong place.

I do hope they thought this one through. I will email Richard Garber see if he knows.

JHim

I asked this question previously at this forum. I think Derek responded that they made sure not to over write the high res 3D trains scenery. So it should not be an issue.

[partyspiritz]

The route is generally good but has bugs that are inexcusable. Some bad switches ....and road traffic motionless on level crossings. Greetings.

I do hope that there is going to be a fix for the route.

Regards


John

[BobLatimer]

My enquiry to Railworks support about the low-res versions overwriting the high-res versions of 3D Trains' Rural Landscapes and Scale Roads resulted in the following reply:

"You are correct. The low resolution versions on Ohio Steal 2 will overwrite the high resolution ones. Unfortunately this is due to the way that 3D Trains up-sells their products and there is little we can do about it.My best advice is to contact 3D Trains directly to see if they can offer you a patch of work around solution."

What a cop-out! Have they never heard of having a check in the installation routine so that it wouldn't overwrite. RSC is looking more and more amateurish all the time.

I guess the "solution" is to reinstall the high-res versions after installing Ohio Steel 2 and then every time you do a Verify Cache.

Bob.

[nobkins]

In my view RSC have dropped the ball here. This is not 3DTrains issue at all and I am surprised that RSC have attempted to pass the fault and resolution for a problem they created onto 3DTrains. I do hope they have permission to distribute the content like this and I strongly suspect they do not given what Marc said before:

One of the conditions I made clear when allowing my freeware road and track assets available via Steam and JT was that these files should not interfere with my payware versions. Thus if you already have the payware content installed, the Steam install will not overwrite the payware with the freeware versions. Since the time these files were available via Steam and JT, I haven't heard of any problems related to overwriting any of my payware files.

All or part of a set of files can be flagged to "never overwrite" within most competent self-installers. My freeware assets are set up this way in the event someone already has the payware versions installed, and I was informed in 2010 by Steam and JT that this would not be an issue with their distribution methods.

[styckx]

If that is the case, I agree they dropped the ball. I say if because as we all know sometimes tech support isn't exactly sometimes the most accurate `help' you can get. (in all tech fields, not just targeting RSC).

[BobLatimer]

I think that someone earlier in this thread also confirmed that the low-res version overwrote the high-res version, so I don't think it's an "if".

Bob.