Admin Question about the Content Archive [Content Vault]

Prince271088

New member
Hi admins,

I have two questions regarding the content archive each month provided with the TRS19 Gold Membership

1) Are there any plans to sync the available content with what we have bought previously. When it gives me the options list of what's available it will tell me what else I have in the archive, but it still gives me the option to add things I have already bought outside of the archive (hope that makes sense?). For example I bought the ET1000 when it came out, but today I had the option to add it to my vault. And it's also slightly annoying having to scroll through the Content Manager program trying to figure out if I already have certain items.

2) What will happen in a month where there are not 5 items for me to download because I already have them?

Many thanks

Ben =)
 
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Hello,
Answers to your questions are in order..

1. If you purchase the dlc from the store and selected it during the monthly content offerings, you'll still own it even if you cancelled the subscription. Only content that you didn't buy from the store you'll loose access to.
Some of the offerings will be shown more then once. This is to give users that haven't selected it to select it pretty much.

2. You'll loose the months selection and will have to wait until next month and hope there is something different.

Cheers
 
Hello,
Answers to your questions are in order..

1. If you purchase the dlc from the store and selected it during the monthly content offerings, you'll still own it even if you cancelled the subscription. Only content that you didn't buy from the store you'll loose access to.
Some of the offerings will be shown more then once. This is to give users that haven't selected it to select it pretty much.
OK I think you may have misunderstood my meaning here. I know that I still own the DLC outside the monthly offerings, but what I am asking is that will the website recognise I already own a specific piece of content outside the monthly offerings? Because on every month since launch it has allowed me to choose items that I already own, without informing me that I already own them. Should there not be something in place that tells me that I already own this item so that I don't waste a pick for example. Basically that is what I mean by syncing up. For example if an offering is repeated in the monthly offerings it tells me I already have access to that particular item, so why can't it be done for items already owned outside of the offerings.

2. You'll loose the months selection and will have to wait until next month and hope there is something different.

Cheers

That's a bit rubbish really because one of the reasons for signing up was the free DLC items but I know that not much can be done about already owning them. I'm hoping more and more DLC will be released for TRS19 in the future anyway so there will always be stuff I don't own.

Thanks for getting back to me
 
In short, nope and nope.

N3V has completely dropped the ball on the subscription, and have zero clue on how to use it. They jumped on the cash wagon without knowing how the wheels spin. Thinking this is another WoW, or a 'Game Pass' that is all the craze these days.

Sadly, they fall 1000000% flat on their face, and I am not ashamed to tell them over and over how bad a job they do on it. I have voiced my 2 cents and reasoning and options to expand it, in Support Tickets, Various post on forums, and directly reply to Tony, and finally in the Survey few months back.

Apparently August will have a 'change' in subscription according to the e-mail. Very curious what that will come of that. Most likely nothing but a price reduction to $10 or less a month. $15 a month ain't worth it at all.

To fully answer,

1) Nope. There is no sync/check done. All on the user to know what he has or not.

2) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

Items will repeat themselves literally the next month. Just in June was the first time I ever seen anything new since Oct of 2018. The 'quantity' of items they have is nothing. 4 months of gold sub, and you'll have all the content. There is tons of content on JR and on N3V site that is just not being allowed onto the Content Vault, and its shooting themselves in the foot. Month after Month.

There was even a time there was FREEWARE from JR site on the PAID content vault. It lasted for 2 months!! I told Tony/N3V about it, and very next month, another freeware. Like literally no checking, no communication, nothing but just laziness.

Funny enough all JR free items are now on the DLS probably due to that error. A good sign, but sad how it had happened like that.

Overall, vault is SORT of worth it. Helps expand variety if your new to Trainz or never bought any DLC. But after just a very very few short months, you'll be wondering why you see so many repeats already.

The quantity of content just isn't there. Not in N3V hands at least. They are partners with JR and JR has endless amounts of locos and routes on their site. Could easily help fill the vault, but it won't happen IMHO. Also there was no prep either for 19. Everything is old. Lots of TR12 stuff. Even if do get content, its not up to 19 standards of PBR and etc etc.

It really is up to the user and what content they have and don't, and how long til WHEN not IF they notice the repeats happen so quickly and consider why they give $15.
 
In short, nope and nope.

Apparently August will have a 'change' in subscription according to the e-mail. Very curious what that will come of that. Most likely nothing but a price reduction to $10 or less a month. $15 a month ain't worth it at all.

To be fair I've not seen any email for August so far so may have deleted it by accident but it will be interesting to see what changes are made if any. As you say, it could be a reduction in price or it could be other things. I have been semi-happy with the DLC choice so far but the main reason for getting the gold has also been to not have to buy TRS19 outright but that in itself borders on false economy because I am paying more than the value of the game for the game.

1) Nope. There is no sync/check done. All on the user to know what he has or not.

I'm aware that right now there is no option, I was asking if there was some sort of plan to add it or implement it in some way. Otherwise as you said I'm just going to have to cross reference Content Manager with the stuff on offer if I am not sure.

2) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

Items will repeat themselves literally the next month. Just in June was the first time I ever seen anything new since Oct of 2018. The 'quantity' of items they have is nothing. 4 months of gold sub, and you'll have all the content. There is tons of content on JR and on N3V site that is just not being allowed onto the Content Vault, and its shooting themselves in the foot. Month after Month.

There was even a time there was FREEWARE from JR site on the PAID content vault. It lasted for 2 months!! I told Tony/N3V about it, and very next month, another freeware. Like literally no checking, no communication, nothing but just laziness.

It sucks you've had such a rubbish experience with the vault but it's not as bad as you've made out. I will admit that a much broader choice of content is needed because some of us have absolutely no interest in American locos no matter how good they are, but sometimes they are the only thing available to download. It would take time but they should consider releasing some of the older DLC content for the previous games that was made by them at a TRS19 standard just to add a bit more variety to what's available.

The quantity of content just isn't there. Not in N3V hands at least. They are partners with JR and JR has endless amounts of locos and routes on their site. Could easily help fill the vault, but it won't happen IMHO. Also there was no prep either for 19. Everything is old. Lots of TR12 stuff. Even if do get content, its not up to 19 standards of PBR and etc etc.

It really is up to the user and what content they have and don't, and how long til WHEN not IF they notice the repeats happen so quickly and consider why they give $15.

I 100% agree that the quantity of content is not there at the moment, but then TRS19 is still fairly new and a lot of users still decide to stick to T:ANE or even versions of the game that are earlier than that. They either need more partners or more designers because there is a lot of untapped content that could be brought into this game and frankly this is one of several areas where their competitors are miles ahead of them.

You are ultimately right, that it is up to the user to notice if they have things, but I won't be the only person that has a lot of the stuff on offer so before long they will have to come up with something else to appease gold members or subscription levels will probably drop pretty fast as there won't be much point in having the benefits in my opinion. Still it's not like they've catastrophically failed yet.
 
You are ultimately right, that it is up to the user to notice if they have things, but I won't be the only person that has a lot of the stuff on offer so before long they will have to come up with something else to appease gold members or subscription levels will probably drop pretty fast as there won't be much point in having the benefits in my opinion. Still it's not like they've catastrophically failed yet.

Which is why Trainz Plus is a thing... Sadly. The e-mail was from a Survey in June?May? saying changes to sub will come in August.

It sucks you've had such a rubbish experience with the vault but it's not as bad as you've made out. I will admit that a much broader choice of content is needed because some of us have absolutely no interest in American locos no matter how good they are, but sometimes they are the only thing available to download. It would take time but they should consider releasing some of the older DLC content for the previous games that was made by them at a TRS19 standard just to add a bit more variety to what's available.
'

They should, and should have before they even released 19. There should of been a partnership with JR months before 19 even came out. The ball was dropped hugely there. Also, JR staff aren't the easiest to get a hold of, or announce anything. So who know's when a 19 route is ready from them. According to Appoarch Medium, there is some coming soon. And AM was even approached by N3V to make a route. Again, all so late to the party. Personally I think JR makes the most detailed, proto-like routes I've seen in any Train game. The detail just is 100% right up my alley, and exactly how I'd do it. Quite frankly, everything from N3V is just well... kinda lame. Some of the routes offered in 19... look absolutely terrible even with 19 features.. cough..golden..cough. JR really has a high bar, that I've yet to see anyone or 3rd party cross yet. ONLY one that has come close, is the NS Yard Hump Module off the DLS. That IS IT!!

I 100% agree that the quantity of content is not there at the moment, but then TRS19 is still fairly new and a lot of users still decide to stick to T:ANE or even versions of the game that are earlier than that. They either need more partners or more designers because there is a lot of untapped content that could be brought into this game and frankly this is one of several areas where their competitors are miles ahead of them.

They do need more people. They need more like JR who is willing to put the work in. But the money is not there. The need is there, but the community is small, and its niche. It's not the flight sim community. There is is tons of 3rd party studios like JR who make extremely detailed addons. That just don't happen here outside of JR.

Many are still sticking to T:ANE because some of the 19 features to many of the older crowd, just aren't worth it. PBR is actually a real hassle. TurFX was implemented in the most non-user friendly way possible. 19 depending on GFX card, runs like a god or crap compared to T:ANE. It's also a lot of money for World edition. Hint why Regional's came out. Sales just weren't there IMHO. 19 is what T:ANE should of been years ago. Plus who knows. Maybe the release cycles are shrinking for Trainz, and many are just waiting for TR20 to be announced.

All in all, as vocal as I am about the CV. I still take advantage of it. IT has expanded my library , and on items I would NOT of bought solo. BUT! But it's still horribly well done, and I'd recommend it to no one unless they brand new to Trainz and can't build on their own. 100% buy it outright ASAP with the 25% discount code too. Then downgrade to Silver.

Am tad excited to see what Aug brings to the sub. See if they really listened, or just went 'ehh' about it.
 
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There is is tons of 3rd party studios like JR who make extremely detailed addons. That just don't happen here outside of JR.

If JR, and others, are so good at it why is N3V even involved with payware. They should stick to what they are good at and let others produce the content.
 
If JR, and others, are so good at it why is N3V even involved with payware. They should stick to what they are good at and let others produce the content.

If ya look at the authors of the actual routes, almost none are N3V. They just give it the OK. The problem is the standard N3V has, is so darn low, so some things get approved that still look like Trainz 12 era...

Also, I didn't mean 'others' in Trainz. I was talking about the dozen or so high quality makers in Flight Sims. For Trainz, your HQ HD 4k 1440p level quality, is basically only from JR these days. Just take a stroll in their screenshot thread...

They operate on true Valve time (google it) but, least its highest of highest quality.
 
The problem is the standard N3V has, is so darn low, so some things get approved that still look like Trainz 12 era.
N3V does work to a suitably high standard - for those items are used to promote the product. But that's where it should stop. I don't have an issue with "Trainz 12 era" product, if the price is appropriate, and the standard is as advertised. But it should be coming from the community. I suspect that a large part of the payware market is for highly specialised stuff - local railroads or very specific eras. N3V does not have the expertise to know this detail, and those who do might not be the world's greatest model builders. It all has a place in the market, but that is not the market that N3V should be involved in. Stick to creating and marketing the application. Leverage the work of the community, instead of trying to subsume it.
 
As noted, we're working on updates to the membership plans and will announce those later this month.

In regards to which items are included in the 20 items each month, there are ~100 DLC packages in total, and most have been included twice. New items have been made available in the Content Vault but clearly we can't have a different set of 20 every month until we have more content (and we're more than happy to hear from anyone interested in becoming involved).

We're also working on preparing a number of new DLC releases which, I admit, have been too long in our pipeline due to all the other number 1 priorities we face each day.

Interestingly in the survey Kilrbe3 mentioned, the feedback was mostly very positive with well over 50% happy, or very happy, with their subscription.

We're expecting that percentage will increase as we offer more features in Trainz Plus, and more DLC content to choose from.
 
As noted, we're working on updates to the membership plans and will announce those later this month.

In regards to which items are included in the 20 items each month, there are ~100 DLC packages in total, and most have been included twice. New items have been made available in the Content Vault but clearly we can't have a different set of 20 every month until we have more content (and we're more than happy to hear from anyone interested in becoming involved).

We're also working on preparing a number of new DLC releases which, I admit, have been too long in our pipeline due to all the other number 1 priorities we face each day.

Interestingly in the survey Kilrbe3 mentioned, the feedback was mostly very positive with well over 50% happy, or very happy, with their subscription.

We're expecting that percentage will increase as we offer more features in Trainz Plus, and more DLC content to choose from.

That's a big yikes. That means nothing will change, and repeats will continue. I really thought there be some changes. Also, that's a second yikes, if 50% is generally happy. That means half your users are not. Glass half full or half empty scenario there.

We're expecting that percentage will increase as we offer more features in Trainz Plus

Yikes a third time. Still putting more features and future patches behind Trainz Plus, and making non-sub owners wait for their Service Patch months later. That is fire you are playing with. Again, this community / market is mostly mature and older. You try that on a latest AAA game, you'd commit PR suicide. A lot of things you and N3V get away with, would never fly in the mainstream gaming industry.
 
I would first like to say that I think TANE and TRS2019 are the best train simulators/games out there and I get hours and hours of enjoyment out of them but....

I am starting to wonder if the subscription is the way to go. I also own most paid products and find the subscription option is not giving me any value anymore. Yes the Trainz Plus has some good features (I especially like walking around and the follow the car options) but I just don't know if that's enough. I'm looking forward to seeing what changes.
 
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I said well over 50%. Here's the actual data from active Gold Class responders. Obviously those who are no longer members didn't get to vote on this one :)

2019-08-03_102305.png

Regarding service packs, these will not include new features, only bug fixes. Members get the new features first, and these will (mostly) flow on to a new Trainz version down the track.

If everyone became a Gold Class member, we could ramp up the team and get everything done far quicker (and add more features as well). As it stands, we work as fast as we can, doing what we can with our resources.
 
That's a big yikes. That means nothing will change, and repeats will continue. I really thought there be some changes. Also, that's a second yikes, if 50% is generally happy. That means half your users are not. Glass half full or half empty scenario there.

As usual, the statistics are more revealing than opinions. 37% Satisfied + 43.7% Very Satisfied = 80.7%. That is clearly not a "glass half full/half empty" scenario, but it is normal for people to look at the "worst case scenario".

Yikes a third time. Still putting more features and future patches behind Trainz Plus, and making non-sub owners wait for their Service Patch months later. That is fire you are playing with. Again, this community / market is mostly mature and older. You try that on a latest AAA game, you'd commit PR suicide. A lot of things you and N3V get away with, would never fly in the mainstream gaming industry.

I don't have a Gold Subscription (that was my choice) and I have no problem with Gold Subscribers getting new assets and new features long (months, even years) before I do - they have paid for it and good luck to them.

Trainz is not a mainstream gaming product it is a niche product in a market with users who are far more more likely to be knowledgeable about railways than your average "shoot'em up" gamer is about, well anything in general. It is not a product for people with short attention spans who are easily fooled by fancy graphics and gunsmoke.

I have always been impressed by the way Auran and then N3V have responded to their users but of course not everyone will always be satisfied. As Tony has often remarked, on any particular issue they are damned when they do something and damned when they don't. Most Trainz users see themselves as hobbyists, not players and see Trainz as a simulation, not a game. So they take a much greater interest in what is happening and can be quite vocal when things don't go they way that they want.

Trainz (pick a version) is not perfect and never will be, but it has lasted longer and given me far more hours of enjoyment over the years (look at my timeline) than any other software product.

My opinions only.
 
As usual, the statistics are more revealing than opinions. 37% Satisfied + 43.7% Very Satisfied = 80.7%. That is clearly not a "glass half full/half empty" scenario, but it is normal for people to look at the "worst case scenario".

That would be a reasonable statement if not for this:

Obviously those who are no longer members didn't get to vote on this one

Perhaps if the former members were allowed to have their votes included the data set wouldn't be so biased towards people who are satisfied? I for one obviously wouldn't continue a subscription service if I was unsatisfied with it...
 
Perhaps if the former members were allowed to have their votes included the data set wouldn't be so biased towards people who are satisfied? I for one obviously wouldn't continue a subscription service if I was unsatisfied with it...

To which the counter argument, that all survey designers should be fully aware of, is that many (perhaps most??) people who are satisfied with a product will simply not bother to respond to an opinion survey on the product - they just get on with using it. The dissatisfied ones, on the other hand, will be more likely to vent their displeasure via a survey.
 
To which the counter argument, that all survey designers should be fully aware of, is that many (perhaps most??) people who are satisfied with a product will simply not bother to respond to an opinion survey on the product - they just get on with using it. The dissatisfied ones, on the other hand, will be more likely to vent their displeasure via a survey.
Why even ask the question on a survey if it's riddled with selection bias then?
 
Why even ask the question on a survey if it's riddled with selection bias then?

Can you identify a survey that does not have some form of selection bias? It is a subject that has generated many academic papers and not much in the way of solutions. Opinion surveys are always going to be biased - if you don't have a strong or firm opinion (or even any opinion) on the topic you are hardly likely to bother answering. Opinion surveys, even biased ones, are often important tools in product marketing not because of their reliability but because they can justify the work of the marketing department. A good survey result can "prove" the validity of the marketing strategies, while a poor result shows that more marketing work is needed - a "win win".
 
Just a follow up on my post above. Even though I say I wonder whether or not the subscription is best for me, I know I will continue the subscription :)

The two main reasons for continuing my subscription are - 1: I absolutely love TANE and TRS2019 (well all Trainz products really) and I want to support N3V as much as possible to continue developing there great products. Actually for various reasons I've actually bought or pay TRS2019 3 separate copies times (Steam, Subscription and Full product (different accounts)) and TANE 3 times (Steam, Part of the Subscription and Full Product) and, 2: I enjoy the extra features Trainz Plus brings.

Also, after thinking more about what do I actually expect in regards to value for money, I don't actually know what I expected. I think it's pretty good value for money especially for the future of Trainz.

Thanks guys, you're doing a fantastic job and as I mentioned in my post above, I get hours and hours of enjoyment out of TANE and TRS2019 both as a driver and a route builder (I say builder very lightly haha).
 
Can you identify a survey that does not have some form of selection bias? It is a subject that has generated many academic papers and not much in the way of solutions. Opinion surveys are always going to be biased - if you don't have a strong or firm opinion (or even any opinion) on the topic you are hardly likely to bother answering. Opinion surveys, even biased ones, are often important tools in product marketing not because of their reliability but because they can justify the work of the marketing department. A good survey result can "prove" the validity of the marketing strategies, while a poor result shows that more marketing work is needed - a "win win".
The only thing this survey has "proven" then is that people who are satisfied enough with the service to take said survey and continue to pay for it are also by and large satisfied with it. In other news, water is wet and the sun is bright.

edit: maybe the other 19.3% who did not answer satisfactorily will have their opinions valued and change will come of it regarding future releases. Or maybe the 80% will just be used as a marketing number and n3v will call it a day at that.
 
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