Atomic Systems

Free upgrades are backbone of this current system of DLC. Having multiple versions of game supported would mean that every version would need own set of DLC's and that would be very expensive for the developer side. Altough I would pay for serious core improvements, I doubt the "one version for all" system is changed in 2014.

The pattern seems to be that the core is updated for free, but the included routes are swapped around, including a new release route also available separately.

To have different versions of the core would probably affect future DLC versioning so it is in RSCs interest to keep the platform updated across all users.

B

RSC have stated the update will be free in a reply to the comments on Facebook, unfortunately I don't know how to link to it, but this is what they said:

RailSimulator.com No - we're NOT going to ask you to pay for the upgrade. We have upgraded the tech for all our customers for free over the last 5 years and believe it or not it will have been a year since 2013 came out.

My biggest hopes for TS2014 are for better physics, more reliable AI / signalling / dispatching, and for save / reload a scenario to work reliably. My guess as to what we'll actually get is some sort of multiplayer.

johnwatto wrote:I am with Deltic009 very well put, their is three issues that bugs me is "No AWS" warning outside the cab.
And the Graphics could be better and the Kuji folder problem

Johnwatto

I'm with you on the graphics. The colours could be better instead of looking washed out. The Berlin Wittenberg route shows you they can have good colours.

hello,

i personally don't think that we can expect "big" improvements.
simply, because you can't see any new features in the Hannover route.

hmmmm...maybe i'm wrong.

greetz

Rail-X

RailX wrote:hello,

i personally don't think that we can expect "big" improvements.
simply, because you can't see any new features in the Hannover route.

hmmmm...maybe i'm wrong.

greetz

Rail-X

I disagree. In my opinion there is scope for lots of new innovations and features with any route, let alone Hamburg to Hannover!

nigeltouatievans wrote:RSC have stated the update will be free in a reply to the comments on Facebook, unfortunately I don't know how to link to it, but this is what they said:

RailSimulator.com No - we're NOT going to ask you to pay for the upgrade. We have upgraded the tech for all our customers for free over the last 5 years and believe it or not it will have been a year since 2013 came out.

Well, that's splendid news.

But to the "they have no choice" people I would say that if RailSimulator.com chose to, they could easily do what so many other software developers do - provide no support at all for a "legacy" product. By making new products incompatible they could count, sooner or later, on almost everybody paying for the new version.

We are lucky to have such a caring developer.

John

I too would like to say how impressed I am that they are giving us yet another free upgrade. I just wish a few other software developers would do the same thing.

Looking forward to the new version, no matter what updates are included.

Regards

Andy

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Come on guys, they're not giving us free updates every year to be nice to us. RSC are a business and it's for business reasons that they update the sim for free every year. The obvious reason is to keep the sim young and fresh seeming. If the sim had just stayed as Railworks and was just patched once in a while (instead of being officially re-released each year) then it would soon become old and fall off the worlds gaming radar.

By giving the world a fanfare new release once a year, it keeps up the illusion of it being a new simulator, keeps it in the press, keeps it on the Steam headline news and ensures that it gets maximum exposure to potential new customers. Also, by issuing each new version as a compulsory update then RSC ensure they are bringing ALL of their customers along with them for the ride. If they were to draw a line in the sand and launch a brand new sim then they'd have to cease the old version and leave TS2013 as a standalone product. A huge percentage of the customer group would probably just stick with TS2013 and it's vast collection of stock. This same thing happened with the very slow migration of customers from MSTS to Railworks. To this day there is still a huge number of diehard MSTS users who won't or can't switch over.

They have no choice. With the current system they have chosen of relying on people collecting masses of expensive DLC that provides most of the revenue for the company.
Is there another game on Steam with this amount of DLC available?
Would you have spent so much if you though the game would be unsupported in a couple of years?

I will not be affected by this latest version. I have lost all interest in the program and coupled with RSC's marketing strategy this has now gone beyond what I am prepared to tolerate. I will not be jumping through hoops again nor will I be spending money on rehashed stuff which gives the user multiple versions of the same Locomotive or DMU with slight improvements and in one livery for ridiculous prices.
I have not used the program for more than 2 months now and have given up on producing anymore Routes.
Kind regards James.

I'm surprised the base game is not free already. So many other games have realised free draws in the masses leaving a large group of people willing to spend on DLC to improve their experience.

steve

Retro wrote:I will not be affected by this latest version. I have lost all interest in the program and coupled with RSC's marketing strategy this has now gone beyond what I am prepared to tolerate. I will not be jumping through hoops again nor will I be spending money on rehashed stuff which gives the user multiple versions of the same Locomotive or DMU with slight improvements and in one livery for ridiculous prices.
I have not used the program for more than 2 months now and have given up on producing anymore Routes.
Kind regards James.

It's hardly 'jumping through hoops' - Steam downloads the new version of TS once available, that's it?
If you have 3rd party content installed, it won't be touched - if, for example, your Class 43 MTU Pro soundpack sounds go missing, just re-install them or do what I do and install them to a separate folder and copy over?

Sean

The update from TS2012 to 2013 broke a lot of scenarios, perhaps quite rightly Retro doesn't want the bother of having to fix up routes / scenarios in progress / completed just for a few more graphical effects.

So it's not simply a case of simply let Steam downloading and then playing, particularly if you're a content creator.

I am happy for the update and my only reservation is hoping that loads of scenarios do not break. I recall spending a few weeks loading masses of WCMLN scenarios to see which ones worked (about 60% only), and would not want to do that again.

Anyway fingers crossed and backup in diary.