Actually MSGSapper, the discounted amount paid was in the email on the next line titled: "Invoiced amount
$45.49"
Of course if you'd subscribed earlier you would have saved the full price purchase, plus the Platinum purchase, and for $45 you'd have had access to all the newest features sooner.
First of all as I said above: "I received an email from N3V titled
Thanks for joining Trainz Plus Membership - Yearly with attached invoice. In that email it showed:
Subscription summary Trainz Plus Membership - Yearly $69.49 and
Next renewal on 18-Apr-2021 01:23".
I
did receive the initial discount for the
first year. My concern here was about the
following years based on what your email said.
Second, with the confusing array of TRS19 options you offer, it is sometimes hard to understand the best way to go. When TRS19 came out, I did as I have always done since the very beginning of Trainz, I bought the game in good faith. I also did the same when the Platinum version came out. I did not realize as the time that I could have had all of this just with a Trainz Plus subscription, as this was a much different way of doing things then I was used to with your product.
I realize you trying to force everyone to a subscription model in order to have a guaranteed yearly revenue stream as other software companies have done, such as Microsoft with their Office product. I certainly understand that, as that is the dream of every ISV these days to migrate to a subscription model, as it is much more profitable, and provides a more predictable revenue stream.
A game subscription model however is a very radical departure for your company compared to how things were before TRS19, and many gamers are
very resistant to a subscription model. It also doesn't help that you have so many different versions of the same TRS19 product, all of which must be supported, and you are still supporting older products as well. While I am
not happy with being forced to a subscription model for a game in order to get the latest functionality, much of which should have been in the main product to begin with IMHO, I can live with it, if I know that your
main focus of effort will be the support of TRS19.
A small ISV can ill afford to spend precious software engineering time on multiple versions of the same product as well as continuing software upgrades on older products. Having to spread yourselves thin to support all this means that my TRS19 version of Trainz doesn't get 100% of your full attention. I understand these things, as I owned my own small ISV company specializing in logistic software products from 1993-2005, and was the primary Windows software engineer for my company.
BTW I don't buy Trainz to "play" it. My enjoyment comes from creating freeware content and routes for others to enjoy. With all that I have spent on TRS19 so far, I am beginning to wonder if it's worth continuing with your product anymore, as I am paying more and more for the privilege of creating freeware 3rd party content for your game and that is beginning to make less and less sense. I can certainly understand why some of the other old timers are opting to leave.....
Bob