Train Simulator 2016

[danielw2599]

Static trainspotting?

Yes maybe, but that sort of highlights the point that the cost of a hobby is mainly down to the individual.

[atlasduff47]

Static trainspotting?

Yes maybe, but that sort of highlights the point that the cost of a hobby is mainly down to the individual.

Agreed........and the finances of the individual.

[gswindale]

There's nothing to to worry about unless the UE4 version is a forced upgrade that over-writes the existing version (whatever it is at the time), and doing that for something that's not backward compatible would both be crazy and pointless. I'd expect new DLC to be released for the UE4 version but you'll still have the old one for running what you've already got, so what's the problem? If versions of existing DLC are released for the new TS, making use of all it can support and not being stuck with the various issues of the existing one then great, I may buy them, if they're identical then there's no need to.

I really don't see the downside.

Neither do I.

How many people here started out with MSTS? How many then bought add-ons for MSTS?
When Railsimulator was first released; it was clear that there was no backwards compatibility.
How many people who therefore had bought an add-on for MSTS; then did not buy the same add-on for RailSimulator/TS20xx?

It is up to the individuals to make a choice - shall I stick to running my Class 4444 EMU on Dorset Coast under MSTS; or shall I go out and buy the new TS20xx Class 444 model to run on the Portsmouth Direct route because it now has realistic rain (or whatever!)?

Just because something newer is being released; it doesn't mean you have to throw away what you've already got!

[AndiS]

Although I fully understand the DTG announcement and how the two simulators TS2016 and TS Unreal4 will coexist, I still find it all a bit of a downer at this moment.
I am helping to build a freeware route that very likely will not be released until after TS Unreal4 is already on Steam.
Time will tell how this all pans out, but I'm thinking that I should at least stop any more new DLC purchases until I see what happens. I already have tons of stuff I haven't even used yet.

Basically history repeats itself every now and then. I remember how resolved I was not to start out on MSTS because the great new KRS was around the corner in 2005. Well, I ended up spending quite some time with MSTS.

If you develop to today's standards (which are defined by yourself), then it will be a natural for you to export you stuff to the new thing. Of course, new tutorials will need to be written and the early adopters will face some initial problems. But your time investment will not be lost. If you want to be double sure, you could read a few tutorials from Unreal to see what they consider hip. But you can just guess that low poly models are out for foreground purpose and that their shaders are as good as the best for RW.

If you own payware that you have not enjoyed yet, then go and do that now. It has been a waste of money for the past month and it will be the same for the next month. If it is freeware, there is no financial loss, but still enjoying it should be an option. Unless building is all you want to do, then there is no problem at all.

Rushing into the hype of the day after tomorrow just wastes your spare time. It is obvious from the wording of that press release that there will be no release of the new thing within the next 12 months or so. Just use your own guess at when they would start the hype mill. Now they are dampening expectations of a soon release. Add to that a year of ironing out the usual issues. And the promise to maintain the current product. That gives you a lot of time to enjoy whatever you are currently enjoying.

[Reorte]

The only issue I've got is whether to bother learning how to create routes at the moment. I've a few ideas I'd like to try but it'll take me a long, long time (if ever) to get to the stage where I'm capable of realising them. On the other hand I wouldn't expect the approach to be completely and totally different, so getting practising now might be worth it anyway.

A non-compatible re-write is probably the only way to get rid of various issues with the current sim.

[AndiS]

On the other hand I wouldn't expect the approach to be completely and totally different, so getting practising now might be worth it anyway.

Spot on. You can be sure that a few technical things will change. But you can be sure that the basic problems will persist. And you can make a lot of personal progress within two years or so, so it would be madness to forfeit that.

Things that will be the same for the unknown new thing: Where to get all the buildings from. Reconciling conflicting height information (SRTM versus maps). Reconciling various sources of aerial photos and maps. Researching historic track layout, traffic patterns, timetables. Getting all the work done (scenery placement; terrain painting; bespoke objects whether pieced together from existing assets or made anew in a 3D editor).

Things that may well see some modification are: Details in track geometry and how track is laid (although I would not expect fundamental changes). Scenario creation - I hope for fundamental changes. Signal placement - I hope for fundamental changes. The terrain model - a fixed 8 m grid would be a monster surprise.

[spellow3010]

Just my opinion, but the money I have already spent on TS20XX and the great routes/trains I can currently enjoy will probably see me sticking with it for as long as i can after the change to the Unreal Engine 'game.'

I'm maybe being a little cynical (#therewillbehaters), but so what? The new sim comes out... With one or two default routes, and some stock. As the finger wagging naysayers on here often proclaim, 'we are but a small minority in the DTG customer portfolio.' I'm an openly deviant BR Blue festishist... I am a little nervous then, that the next-gen UE version of Train Sim will initially, probably contain routes and 'stock' that I have no interest (personally) in using/driving. It would feel like a waste of money to me (personally) to just simply ignore what I have and what I love to drive, 'trading in' for the new 'game' which I fear will be ultra-modern in route, and full of stuff I have no interest in or do not want to drive.

As long as my current type of Sim is supported, I am pretty sure I will be sticking with it... <unless there is pretty quickly a BR blue/BR Steam/Sectorised BR oriented route/stock>

I don't have a crystal ball, so my cynicism maybe misplaced... but i know what I would put betting money on... Oh yes, the other stock phrase applies - 'nobody will force me to buy it...'

As I said, just my opinion, not expecting to be drawn into a textual banterthon.

[Trev123]

As usual a lot of speculation going on in this thread eh gptech.

[gptech]

It makes the world go round Trev
though I have to agree with spellows "it might, it might not, so I''ll wait and see" reasoning.

[Reorte]

Just my opinion, but the money I have already spent on TS20XX and the great routes/trains I can currently enjoy will probably see me sticking with it for as long as i can after the change to the Unreal Engine 'game.'

I'm maybe being a little cynical (#therewillbehaters), but so what? The new sim comes out... With one or two default routes, and some stock. As the finger wagging naysayers on here often proclaim, 'we are but a small minority in the DTG customer portfolio.' I'm an openly deviant BR Blue festishist... I am a little nervous then, that the next-gen UE version of Train Sim will initially, probably contain routes and 'stock' that I have no interest (personally) in using/driving. It would feel like a waste of money to me (personally) to just simply ignore what I have and what I love to drive, 'trading in' for the new 'game' which I fear will be ultra-modern in route, and full of stuff I have no interest in or do not want to drive.

But why change? The current (or whatever it is at the time) version will still be there to run your existing routes and stock, and if some come out for the new version that appeal to you you can run those on the new sim. That it comes with routes you're not interested in simply means not running it until some that you are turn up. I actively dislike some, and didn't actually like any of the routes bundled with TS when I first bought it. Funnily enough I've ended up with a couple of extra routes and stock which include things I really dislike - I only bought them because of geographical familiarity - and have found that purely from a simulation point of view I've enjoyed what they offer. I'm skirting around exactly what since I suspect that that could easily start some off-topic arguments, especially bad since I'm new here, but the point is you never know, might be worth trying them out anyway.

[BadWhippet]

As OP I apologise if I misread the DTG post, and thanks everyone for input and clarification. The whole tone of the article seemed to be along the lines of moving to a new engine but don't worry - we'll continue to support the current one (for now), so it managed to confuse me easily!

Considering the possibility of a future non-compatible version is an interesting situation really. Back in MSTS days, I didn't have a whole lot of assets, but I had some really important ones (to me) like the Lichfield-Redditch West Midlands route that I'd only recently acquired and the East Coast Liverpool Street to Ipswich which hadn't been created back in Rail Simulator days. Not forgetting too the brilliant Blackpool Tramlines content from here. There was no way I wouldn't go back to those - except after I tried the new Rail Simulator, even though I didn't much like the bundled routes, I just couldn't go back to MSTS after all! I tried, but it suddenly felt much older and far more limited, and the big thing was that it suddenly didn't feel like a simulator any more because you couldn't just take a sweeping look around the cab and push a few levers...

I don't imagine a new TS in a new from-the-ground-up engine will have quite such a stark difference. TS2015 is already graphically stunning and the environment/rain effects are great. If it does offer a lot more improvements, I imagine I will buy it and just hope I don't fall out of love with my current version as I did with MSTS. If it's not massively different, then I would probably continue to invest in DLC for the game I've got instead. Probably... (dammit)!

[brummie]

I can remember RW being out for quite some time and was happy to stick with MSTS until one day I saw a You Tube video and thought blimey that looks good. Wasn't long before I bought it but still played MSTS for a while afterwards, but very slowly, started buying addons for RW and then played less of MSTS till I eventually stopped altogether with it. I dare say I will probably do the same with this one. RW at that time was such a big improvement over the MSTS as I am sure there will be many new things with this new offering, I shall wait and see, but I am quite happy with what I have at the moment. The choice is ours.

[jimmyshand]

Something that rarely gets mentioned in these discussions is the tie-in with Steam... The current sim is married to Steam so what happens years down the line when it's no longer supported by RSC or Steam or Steam moves on and morphs into something completely different?? Steam isn't going to exist in its current form forever and offer backwards support for it's catalogue for the rest of eternity...

Even if it is possible to divorce the sim from Steam (is it?) then what will happen if your install goes haywire and you need to 'verify integrity' or repair or re-install?

We have no disc and without support from Steam the game could be rendered useless if something went wrong.

[AndiS]

People said that ever since the first announcement of the collaboration. For the record, Steam existed almost a decade since that.

The answer is: If you don't have a disk, then make yourself one. Every PC user is educated to make backups. Backup the complete Steam folder on a medium of your choice and restore it from there as often as you like.

The other thing to consider is that you can play in offline mode and then, the game will never get a chance to know whether Valve went out of business or not.

If Steam exists in some other form, you may find that the other form wants to keep the current customer base and thus tries to be nice to them. Like not junking a billion games owned by millions of users.

[gswindale]

Something that rarely gets mentioned in these discussions is the tie-in with Steam... The current sim is married to Steam so what happens years down the line when it's no longer supported by RSC or Steam or Steam moves on and morphs into something completely different?? Steam isn't going to exist in its current form forever and offer backwards support for it's catalogue for the rest of eternity...

Even if it is possible to divorce the sim from Steam (is it?) then what will happen if your install goes haywire and you need to 'verify integrity' or repair or re-install?

We have no disc and without support from Steam the game could be rendered useless if something went wrong.

To take this to extremes, what happens if MS decides to give up on Windows?

Has anybody tried running a copy of Links 386 pro (for example) under windows 8?

You may have working discs; but you might not have a working environment in which to run the software. What are you going to do then? Sit and watch the paint on your wall or go and buy something that will allow you to enjoy your hobby (which may well be the new version of the software!)