A question about all the fuss

Hello all,

Lately, there has been alot of argument over something about removing TRS2004 and TRS2006 from the DLS. Will this mean that members that have only registered TRS2004 and TRS2006 serial numbers cannot access the DLS.

I have Trainz Classics, Trainz Collection (TRS2004, TRS2006, UTC etc.), TRS2009 and TRS2010. I have most of those registered, so will I be able to download stuff for TRS2006???- I know theres content for a specific version of Trainz only (NOT TRS2006) in places, and I have downloaded that and it worked perfectly.

Thankyou for any help with this.

Chris, :wave:

My reading of the policy is that you will be able to have full access to the download station as long as you have either a currently supported version of Trainz or have a FCT.

04/06 will be unsupported...what does that mean ? Even with a FCT...04/06 wil be unsupported.

If you have 09/10 you're OK

My reading is the only change will be you will not be able to upload "stuff" to the DLS for versions prior to TS2009.

*sighs with relief*

My reading od the Life Cycle Policy is:

Auran will stop supporting all versions of Trainz once they become 4 years old. By then, all bugs should be eliminated and quite frankly, no further support should be necessary anyway.

In September, Auran will be purging the DLS by removing all older Trainz assets that won't work with TS2009/10. Many assets don't work because their Config files contain minor errors. If those errors were fixed by the asset owners (who also own copyright), the problem would be resolved.

Some repairs may only take a few seconds, but the asset author has either moved on or may not be interested in spending time fixing older stuff.

Should older assets be removed from the DLS, the person to blame if that's the right word, is not Auran. It's really the asset author who expects Auran to continue supplying the asset to a dwindling number of users. If he or she were to bring the asset up to date, more people would use it, and Auran would continue to make it available on the DLS.

Ian Woodmore in New Zealand is a bit of a wizz kid when it comes to repairing Config files. Given time and support, he could eventually repair most assets through his TARL program (see Trainz Community Newsletters - link in my sig). He's working flat chat, but he's constantly meeting opposition from a number of asset authors who refuse to let him meddle with the Config Files or haven't given him permission to modify them.

Your mission, should you accept it, is to lobby all TRS 2004/6 asset authors and convince them to let Ian repair the Config files. If you can help us get over that hurdle, DLS support for earlier versions of Trainz may well be guaranteed.

John

Sorry - double post.

Johnk said:

Your mission, should you accept it, is to lobby all TRS 2004/6 asset authors and convince them to let Ian repair the Config files. If you can help us get over that hurdle, DLS support for earlier versions of Trainz may well be guaranteed.

John

Click to expand...

If I have a list of the asset authors needing "convincing", then i'll attempt it.

Is there any content anyone needs hosted on a website???

Several of us members could put some of the content on a
"Download Station II" or "Download Station ver.2" or whatever you want to call it.

Ronayne said:

If I have a list of the asset authors needing "convincing", then i'll attempt it.

Click to expand...

That's a good question Chris. Most 2004/6 users won't see the error messages so they won't really know which assets are at fault.

I don't have a list, but maybe we can create a small one quick enough. The big list is still being prepared and it consists of hundreds, if not thousands of names. It will eventually appear on the new but not yet published Trainz Community web site. The problem is that too few people are trying to attempt far too much. We need help, but we really need skilled help.

The Trainz Community web site you speak of is part of what you mention in your last post, but it won't be what you expect. Rather than panicking at this stage, can you please subscribe to the Trainz Community News (link in my sig) and stay informed as things develop. Everything will eventually fall in place.

In the meantime, if you know any asset authors, just ask them if their assets conform with 2009/10 standards. Regardless of the answer, please point them in the direction of the Trainz Community News and the articles in there should plep them.

Regards

John

Subscribed!

Just a question fo anyone who can answer it.

What are the plans for the content on the DLS, in which the creator left the community??? An example is the zephyrs made by Landrvr1.

They're probably going to disappear eventually, so get them while you can.

I have alot of Landrvr1's content. Is it in any way possible to put his content on another site, and acknowledge him as the creator of the content???

Alternate Sources

Ronayne said:

I have alot of Landrvr1's content. Is it in any way possible to put his content on another site, and acknowledge him as the creator of the content???

Click to expand...

Talk to John about this at the TRD

Ronayne said:

Subscribed!

Just a question fo anyone who can answer it.

What are the plans for the content on the DLS, in which the creator left the community??? An example is the zephyrs made by Landrvr1.

Click to expand...

As leeferr suggests, if the items aren't 2009.10 compliant, they will probably be purged from the DLS. If they're 2009/10 compliant, they will stay.

Only Landrvr1 can change this by making his assets 2009/10 compliant or allowing the TARM project to fix them.

Ronayne said:

Subscribed!
I have alot of Landrvr1's content. Is it in any way possible to put his content on another site, and acknowledge him as the creator of the content???.

Click to expand...

I think you're jumping the gun on this one. Nothing has happened yet and nothing will for a few months yet. Auran my change their policy, people may repair their assets before D-Day and the TARM project may fix the rest.

The Trainz Community is already fragmented enough without fragmenting it any more at this stage.

TC1&2 will still be supported until 2011.
TC3 until 2010.
The content isn't going anywhere. All that will change is who can access it. No supported version, no upload or download.

Since you can no longer order anything but 09/10 from the Auran store, you can fill in the blanks at what this is all about. Using access to the DLS to get sales of 09/10 up.

Rest assured the content isn't going anywhere. What would replace it?

Dave.....

Alternate Sources

sparky15 said:

... Rest assured the content isn't going anywhere. What would replace it?
Dave.....

Click to expand...

Again I say access!

American_Connections said:

With the lose of access to content come september in Auran's DLS, I think it time for a member based asset exchange system to share 04/06 content. In the future it will need to have divisons for the TCs and probably even 09/10 in a day. But with a system like this, there will not be a need to be dependant on Auran for anything other than the program.

Click to expand...

I think the objective is also to remove assets that won't work in Native mode. Which I think is entirely reasonable. Compatability mode only really exists because of ridiculously old assets, and I (just a guess) think that they'll probably kill compatability mode soon, as it just means more code to bog down the core programing of the game, and the future editions of the Trainz platform will probably benefit from yet more increased performance if they killed compatability mode.

And I should also note that if people (they often rarely do) read Auran's licence agreement on content uploaded to the DLS, they will find that it basically means that they have complete legal rights to delete or include content without the creators permission. Basically, whatever licence you put in the config file means absolutely nothing after uploading to the DLS. In a way, it's a bit evil, but also fair in one aspect, which is that we can upload such a large amount of content for free access to all has been quite a useful thing.

The only was around this is releasing content on a seperate website, using whatever licenece the creator feels like using. Of course, it'd be to see more content as open source which is something that I support (Think about how much we leart from the .Max/Gmax files on the Trainz Art Source CD! Examples of content with all source files of all types, locos, splines, scenery, et al). Although that's not actualy under and open source licence) but many people have hangups about releasing the sourch files. Fair enough, as many might find their content barely modified and released under someone elses name, with no mention of the original creator. But it's a great way for people to learn, and it'd be nice if one was able to make modifications of content that is, for example, more prototypical for a certain route with greater ease.

Anyway, enough rambling!

James

This link has been posted elsewhere:http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/i...e-Cycle_Policy

As I read it, and no-on has yet said my interpretation is wrong, buy an FCT and you can download as much as you want, but expect a cull at some stage - of some items.

However, uploads in 04/06 will not be permitted because the versions will no longer be supported. What doesn't go up, will not come down. So you won't get any new assets - just old items that haven't been culled.

Casper

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Ooh .... the link is broken .... could this mean a change in plan!!!!!!

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