Without constructive criticism nothing changes and improves but it's very important, as has been said, we take care how such criticisms are written. The W&T is a great piece of work and I've enjoyed the runs I've done on it so far, even though slow-speed lines are not something I'd generally go much of a bundle over. Is it perfect? No but it was never going to be. Could some things have been done better/differently? Yes but, whether a DLC is payware or freeware, there will be compromises.
We've all been around long enough to know that people who are regulars on specialist forums are atypical. We're the train nerds, the rivet counters and the brick measurers so we are more likely to be critical than the average player. We can decry those who "play trains" with the sim and those who write scenarios that use stock that never ran over a given stretch of line but they are, inevitably, the target audience. There's an ultimate test, especially in a commercial environment as DTG is:-
- Base question: is it enjoyable?
- Does it generate good feedback from early buyers? That leads to the main question
- Does it generate enough downloads to cover its costs?
For freeware developers a DLC that generates few downloads is only a disappointment. For a commercial enterprise is could be disastrous. That DTG has released this is interesting because, if the scuttlebut is to be believed, past-era routes do considerably worse in sales terms than modern-day ones. That almost inevitably means that it
HAS to be built in a way that appeals to the widest possible audience and if that means the addition of speed-limit warning signs that weren't present in practice then so be it. I was born in 1952, grew up when steam was the main form of traction and regard myself as an enthusiast but I did not know that such warning signs were uncommon. In the real world, footplate staff spent a long time learning routes before they could sign for them. How many of us, even the enthusiasts on here, are willing to spend hour after hour driving every inch of one stretch of line to that level? Not me, folks!
Again, I can recognise a Class 25 but wouldn't know any of the sub-classes without the aid of a reference book and definitely wouldn't be able to tell whether a particular number is correct for that model and whether the brake-pipes match. That kind of thing simply doesn't bother me unless and until it doesn't work with some of my rolling-stock because it's air and not vacuum or vice versa. If it does bother you then you're probably well able to use RW Tools or the Editor to change the number to something appropriate. I don't think it warrants heated debate.
Nobody likes criticism, however well-meant, and all the more so when it's a labour of love that's being given a going-over so think about the person whose feelings you're bruising before getting out the vitriol and remember you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar.
Keith
, & was blown away with the attention to detail. Look forwards to driving further when I have a bit more time. I then caught the video Matt P. did with Derek Siddall 
