Steam Program & Trainz

Do the "latest-greatest" Trainz versions require the Steam program to work? I see that Trainz apparently uses Steam to download Trainz 2019, but when some of the later versions were being developed it was said that you would have to have a Steam connection to operate these later versions. If so, for those of you who have the latest versions how is that working for you? TS-12 is my latest version to date . I ask because my grandsons play Steam games on my PC. Steam is constantly verifying files and/or downloading and installing updates, usually to each bootup. These can take a long time and slow the PC very much for any other use. Right now I am looking at one such download/update that has been running for over and hour and a half and still has not finished. And, I don't even know what it is installing. I think it must be related to the Steam infrastructure rather than a game, but I don't know because all it says is "Updating Steam, Insatalling Update". Does anyone else have this problem?

A large proportion of the Trainz community would recommend that you buy any version of Trainz, directly off N3V.

Updates, Service Packs & Hot Fixes seem to come quicker thru N3V direct, (rather than via Steam Version/s).

Steam can be sometimes cheaper than N3V, but IMHO, it's not worth the hassle of having to wait the extra time to get updates, service packs & hot fixes, etc. The other side of the coin is, if you buy direct off N3V, they get to keeps all the profits, rather than having to share them with Steam. The more the profit is, the more money N3V can plow back into the further development of Trainz.

Cheers, Mac...

As was said... Steam is just an optional way to purchase and use the game. You do not have to use Steam at all. Just buy on the Trainz website. You will download the game from your Trainz account.