I too renewed last year as I believe in giving N3V an ongoing income stream hopefully to develop the game. However, I'm pretty depressed about the state of UK DLC in the game at the moment so I am wondering about whether to renew come December.
Paul
Welcome to TRS22 from the CEO
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I too renewed last year as I believe in giving N3V an ongoing income stream hopefully to develop the game. However, I'm pretty depressed about the state of UK DLC in the game at the moment so I am wondering about whether to renew come December.
Paul
capdiamont
Active member
Most content is made by users, so renewing or not, will not affect things.
I think the clue here is in the term 'DLC' ie. the stuff that's actually being offered by N3V via their shop as payware. In short - there isn't enough of it and, of what there is, far too much is either bundled, of niche interest or defective. So, yes, quite depressing!
Paul
capdiamont
Active member
They only really create items for routes when needed. Again, most stuff is created by users.
With respect, that's a very lazy response - the issue here is not whether I'm willing to spend the next 10 years learning Blender so I can offer my own DLC, but rather that the content currently being offered by N3V in their own shop here and now actually works (you know, like the wheels turn on the Mk1's B4 bogies?) or what is there is developed further (their lovely new class 47 in more than one completely niche livery?) The irony is that these fixes to their defective DLC are actually quite simple and I and other members of the community would be more than willing to do it for them* - bearing in mind that apparently they're a very small company with no money as you keep telling us - but we can't access the models precisely because they're DLC! So they're just left there to rot because N3V won't sort them out (bearing in mind they're a very small company etc. etc. etc.) and the rest of us can't do anything about it. And, yes, I find this quite a depressing situation.
But heyho, I'll go off and learn Blender if that makes you feel better as one of the prime N3V enthusiasts on these forums.
[* I can't do Blender, but I'm a whizz at reskinning!]
@Paulsw2 - Your complaint about N3V not making UK content is misguided. Content creators make the DLC content and market it through N3Vs store and other avenues. In reality you should be complaining about a lack of UK creators producing UK DLC for sale. I'm also happy to NOT spend the rest of my days attempting to learn Blender.
amigacooke
Well-known member
If the product doesn’t have the content you want, you’re not going to buy it. The apportioning of blame is immaterial.
I do notice that the website for rail-sim.co.uk seems to have disappeared. I guess the years long wrangling over PLL didn’t endear N3V to that UK content creator group.
Conversely, if content creators can't be bothered creating UK content you arent going to get what you want. It seems these days Australia US and eastern Europe are the hotspots for content creation in Trainz and most new UK content is found on the competitors product. It may have simply been a commercial decision by the UK content creators to support a different product.
amigacooke
Well-known member
Can’t be bothered, or don’t see why they should spend the increasing hours required to provide high quality content for only N3V to reap financial benefit?
It seems to me that N3V have realised that their previous model of relying on the community to provide the content needs at least a little nudge and more official DLC is available.
If I could refocus the discussion somewhat - actually there are some very nice items of UK DLC available, it's just that they need a bit of tweeking to get the best out of them. So, for example:
Paul
- Class 47 - offer in additional liveries as standalone DLC.
- Mk1 coaches - sort out the liveries and get the wheels turning! And offer as standalone DLC.
- Class 43 Warship - sort out the nameplates!
- HST - offer in additional liveries as as standalone DLC. Amend the Mk3 trailers with buffers etc. and offer as Mk3A's as standalone DLC.
Paul
Last time I looked anyone who created DLC routes or other assets got a cut of the sale price so it was not just N3V who reaped the "financial rewards". Those who contribute to the DLS do so out of altruism, community spirit, or other "non-profit" reasons.
amigacooke
Well-known member
Last time I looked anything put on the DLS can be sold by N3V with no financial recompense to the creator. For a commercial company, N3V seems to rely on an awful lot of charitable contributions.
That has always been the case. The DLS T&Cs have always stated that anything uploaded to the DLS can be used by N3V for any purpose, including sale as payware. I have never had any problems with that but certainly there are creators who refuse to upload anything to the DLS for that reason and other reasons. This is their right.
If creators want recompense for their work (and I have no problems with that either) then they should either submit their work as DLC or host it on another payware site - my opinion.
If creators want recompense for their work (and I have no problems with that either) then they should either submit their work as DLC or host it on another payware site - my opinion.
I think the issue here is that the standards that now obtain for high quality content exclude all but a very small group of creators. Back in the day, a lot of people could get involved in creating. Even I could do a bit of amateur reskinning. But PBR textures make that much more difficult. The sad truth is that the Trainz creator base has shrunk considerably over the last few years so we are more dependent on DLC for models that meet the higher requirements of TRS19 and 22. Which is why the issue of DLC quality is so much more important than it was, say, five years ago.
Paul
Paul
A good analysis Paul. I agree that the standards for creating content (specifically scenery, locos, trees, etc) has progressed considerably since "the day". I would also add (my theory) that the pressure for this change has come from both ends of the product - the consumers (us) who are always demanding more realism and better quality graphics; and the developer (N3V) who have to keep ahead of the competition. Add to that the obvious point that train simulators are very much a small niche market.
But at least us amateurs can still create and upload routes.
My thoughts.
But at least us amateurs can still create and upload routes.
My thoughts.
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