Well I for one have been critical of Trainz over the years. Having been around since the beginning, I have seen the Evolutionary (not Revolutionary) direction that Trainz has taken. Since I am still using it (TRS04) that must tell you that my satisfaction outweighs my disappointments. However, I am also a consumer and as such, I have a right to make my complaints or concerns as well as appreciation, known for a product that I have invested my hard earned dollars in. Auran are big boys now, their shoulders slope downwards so whatever is said good or bad, they can take it.
So here is what I know. I had the Beta for 2009. My first thought....nothing much has changed from a content point of view. Yes, I did see improvement in the performance and draw distance in the sim which one cannot help but appreciate. While I may not like the decision on the part of Auran to leave it up to the average joe - nothing personal - to create content that will take advantage of its (TRS09) innermost workings i.e. higher quality, greater detail, much improved rendering of that content, I will weigh that against its $30.00 cost. And, I suppose if I want that nice new content from Auran then I would buy the EE edition and not the WBE edtion! So, in the end, I have choices and choices are always nice to have, aren't they!
In the end though everyone will get what each wants but each will have to wait. For me, the wait will be due to the content creators of the Trainz world having to do what they do best.....make that nice new 'stuff'. For the others, who want that 'stuff' to come with the game/sim, then they will have to wait for the EE edtion due in 2009!
As well, I have seen hughe......ok. maybe not 'hughe' but at least lots...... of confusion on the part of users of this current software who are trying to understand and or figure out what it is that Auran has done with TRS2009. I don't know how many times one has to read what Tony and others have said before it becomes clear, but my guess is that it will be an ongoing tale to be spoken!!
Maybe this will help:
WBE - stands for
World Builders Edition - means that if you want to create routes with the key word being
"CREATE" then buy this one. There won't be any new content in it so don't expect any.........period!! It will have the potential to render that nice new "stuff" really, really well though. That nice new "stuff" then will come from the content creators out there. On their time, at their leisure and what they want to create. P.S. I hope they take requests!!!
EE - stands for
Engineer's Edition - means if you want to
"RUN/DRIVE" trains and
NOT create routes, then buy this one. The routes will be there and when it is released (2009)
it will have the nice new "STUFF" - right out of the box!!
In the end, I will bet that at some time 2010 or beyound, Auran will come out with a version that will have Both!!
If I have added to the confusion here, please feel free to slap my wrists.
roymac