A *SUBSCRIPTION* for Train Sim Classic 2024 |  

I can't believe Dovetail has sunk deeper. They've been releasing unnecessary new versions of TSW, and now they came up with an unnecessary subscription for TSC. SMH...

Friendly reminder that the GG1 they're talking about including here does not even have a textured cab. It is literally a white void.

Man I'm so glad SimRail exists!

$144 for a year of using their subscription. Are you f-ing out of your minds? Unless that gives access to EVERY dlc route that is insane. This my friend is why you get freeware routes. I will not pay these punks for recycled routes. I'm making my own line and the amount of stupid assets required from all the different routes is insane.

Everyone was celebrating when DTG got purchased by a larger publisher. But it was obvious even back then, the publisher would want a return on investment asap.

Remember when a "new" release for Train Simulator meant 3 new routes with locomotives, rolling stock etc? Wish we could go back to those times Like what Ive gotten from this entire new update besides the "graphic and performance improvements" that we were promised last year is oh yay a subscription service how wonderful. Think DTG needs to roll themselves off the bed of cash they lay on and go job shadow the Run8 devs, Railroader devs, even SimRail devs for a day to learn how to actually work on a train sim game

A new low has been reached! Hopefully SimRail takes the crown in the coming 1-2 years.

I’m sure Focus Home encouraged Dovetail to go this way. Imagine TSW5 as a SaaS (Subscribtion as a Service) game and you have the still pay for base game and addons. I’m kinda glade I moved over to to TR22Plat.

Dovetail never fails to disappoint.

Subscriptions are one way to squeeze added revenue from the "back catalogue"

Just when you think they've hit rock bottom, they find a way to be even scummier.

N3V did a similar thing years ago with Trainz..

I was looking forward to eventually getting back into TSC at some point should I get a properly built desktop, but I doubt I will after this. Congratulations DTG and FHE, you’ve run off veteran TSC players that haven’t touched the game in a hot minute yet still wanna get back into it once the opportunity arises.

Seems like the new owners (Focus Entertainment) of DTG have made their first move. And I would not be surprised if we end up with a clearly defined two-tier customer level of service. One where they make sure (subtly) that the 'subscription' class of customer benefits from essential and/or extremely appealing features, to drive people to sub. Just glad I have Run8 to fall back on and the common sense to not be fooled into paying out yet another subscription.

I jumped ship on TS just over a year ago and couldn't be happier with my decision, especially in light of all this tomfoolery. I do pay for a sub with DTG's main competitor but at least I actually get something tangible. That franchise (whom you hate and will remain nameless 😁) has gone out of their way to steadily improve the core game engine since 22's release and as someone more interested in route and asset creation, paying for something I actually want makes sense...sorta. Something tells me this won't end well for DTG. We'll see.

I was already looking at moving over to simrail, but i would say this is the final nail in the coffin for me. The DLCs have slowly gone down hill in terms of quality, and whenever they release a new core update, it ends up breaking most of the good third-party DLCs.

Seems innocent now, but we all know the slippery slope this road can go down. Before you know it, 1 month early access for new routes. New Simrail routes can't come soon enough.

I’m at the point where I just operate The Career Scenario’s on a route and leave it at that. I’m currently working on The N Line right now and there’s quite a few things that could have been done better with that one. Also, I try to keep just a very few routes on to keep the risk of the game crashing low. Just me though 🤷🏻‍♂️

so you’re paying a subscription for a game that costs $40

Great video, SP. I read the article. It has to be satire because there's no way in hell that they're serious 😂😂😂.

I always had a feeling DTG would soon take the dark devious path EA and Rockstar (GTA+) have taken. Not at all surprised at this point how money hungry they are…

Amazing. Schnauza still legendary status! \m/

$17 a month subscription for buggy content and bundles thrown together like an afterthought 🤣 DTG is certainly showing off their inner EA.

I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.""

Run 8 has an opportunity to become the best simulator. It’s up to them to take it- dovetail and trains both blew it

Once again it looks like sticking with Run 8 was the right decision.

Going to vote with my wallet and NOT give them another penny, I'll keep enjoying what I already have, and MAY buy some when they get in a Humble Bundle (making sure Humble Bundle and the Charity gets the most and DTG the least amount possible).

That's hilarious. Maybe wouldn't be so bad if their products weren't bullsh!t. Imagine if every game was subscription. I would literally give up gaming. I don't need it that much. But anyway, I gave up DTG crap a long time ago.

Personally haven't touched it in over a year. Between Railroader and Century of Steam which will be available in the near future, my steam fix is satiated and CoS appears to blow TS out of the water. Even Mike Rennie seems to have gone dormant. It was good while it lasted, but it is past it's time...

Are they serious? I thought this was an April Fools joke delivered a month late. It disappoints me that there's no new content in the bundle. Blue Peter A2 DLC has been around since 2016. I guess DTG realize they don't need to satisfy their loyal customers because they will keep buying their stuff regardless.

I like using the game in its current state with my mods, and mods I have downloaded, I'm afraid that the core update will F it all up. How do I block train sim from updating??? Any advise I thank you for.

i gave up on train sim ages ago i wanted more freight and kept getting passeger updates some controls were not in english no instruction so i just got fed up with them

I first said back in 2011 TSC was like EA games well that has become 100% true now with this crap. I see the Subscription deal moving over for sure to TSW as Matt has recently said in a live stream that DTG was working on MP Multiplayer for TSW only makes sense now with a Battle Pass kind of deal, which won't work as the way there thinking about.

Nothing they do surpises me anymore. I really wish Microsoft would buy the IP back from them like they did with Flight Simulator because they didn't do anything with it either.

Excellent analysis - as always - of DTG's latest non-event, overhyped, latest hyperbole. You summed up when you said "uninspiring". There's just nothing on offer. When I read "5 routes", I was like, yes, come on, let it be 5 new routes! ...... nah..... I read "North Wales Cost" and my hopes were dashed. Absolutely nothing to see here.

Yeah ok good luck with that dovetail

As much as I love this game, it's clear that the future is bleak, and I'm wondering if a move to Simrail will eventually be worth it.

Maybe could work for TSW new players, but TSC? I don't think it's a good idea

This is exactly why I've stopped producing content and mods for this platform and switched to Run 8, yeah the graphics may not be the greatest but the Devs at least care about their fan base. Yes if you wanna run vintage equipment TSC is the way to go, however this looks like it may be a new low for Dovetail.

It would be a good idea to start a class action suit. It is not legal to charge people for what they own.

If only there was a Train Simulator Classic: Schnauzah Edition!

How many times are they gonna re-release NEC?? Theres like, what? 3 TSW NEC DLCs? And I believe 2 (now 3) TSC ones? Jesus

When you think Dovetail couldn’t sink any lower, then the scumbags go and do this! If they would listen to the community and release NEW routes and locomotives but all they care about is how much money they can milk from us!

I used to play the shit out of Train Simulator Classic but now it just feels like theres no joy in it. I havent touched it since autumn 2022. Its just become a cash crop for everyone. I fail to understand how we are in 2024 and the best (and most diverse) alternative is a game that was initially launched in 2007. Dont get me wrong, i still think its the best you can get and last i played it i still enjoyed it a lot, but i have seen zero major improvements to this game since it came out. I still get random frame drops and buffering to load scenery (primarily when im driving at high speeds) or random missing assets that make the scenery look empty (sometimes i even have missing signals which is severly dangerous), no options to map buttons or easier tools to make the game more user-friendly. To make the game enjoyable you have to dish out a shitload of money on DLCs and other dependencies. Some which are excellent, others that practically disappoint. And now this? And the only alternatives are Trainz (which i feel like people straight up abandoned by this point), TSW (which is the same game recycled over and over again), and the better stuff like SimRail and Run8 but which kind of are limited due to various circumstances and never reach the popularity of DTG/N3V games. To compare, i've been playing Euro Truck Simulator 2 for the last 10 years and its just as enjoyable as it was back then, but the main difference is that the developers have been putting a lot of soul into it, and it shows because its popularity is still increasing despite its age. I'd rather play ETS2 than TSC at this point because of these things (it also helps that almost all mods for the game are freeware). Out of all of this, i honestly wish i could just time travel and prevent Microsoft from cancelling MSTS2 in 2004/2009, otherwise we would have been way far ahead my friends. The only solution at this point is either lobby Microsoft and Asobo to make MSTS2 (i guess theres a thin string of hope regarding that since they've restarted the MSFS franchise after a long hiatus) or just build a game from the ground up with the best features of TSC, Trainz, SimRail and Run 8. This is more of a side note but i seriously think going back to MSTS (or Open Rails but im not a fan of that since i prefer the original experience) is a somewhat sensible choice, but its very hard (especially if you want the original experience) since most of the content that was for the game is gone now. But i guess that's the pain of dealing with retro gaming...

train simulator battle pass when

Train Sim Classic DLC's go on sale quite often. That’s how I got into in TSC. DTG say that this is for new players but this will cost more in the long run instead of getting a dlc on a sale. This is pointless and nothing more than a way for greedy DTG to earn more money even if it is optional

Run8 for me.

Subscription for tsc is legendary nasty work

creamAPI is your friend here.

The ICE-T tilts the driver cars the wrong way to this fucking day btw..

Lose more players already dropping thanks to Railroader and Railroads Online. This will be the nail in the coffin for TSC.

Bankruptcy to DTG , fuck em

"You will own nothing and be happy!"

So here's my potentially hot take (and disclaimer, I am technically a third party dev, though I had no idea this was a thing upcoming) as long as the subscription doesn't make anything change for the worse with just purchasing DLC normally, then it's not inherently harmful. And I'd be interested to see what they include. If it's a lot of routes, it may still be a good way to at least have a chance to discover a much wider library of content before picking out what you want to buy. I don't expect people would stay subscribed continuously, but more just a now and then thing.

Who the fuck actually wants subscriptions. I swear it’s getting harder and harder to support these devs

Is it an update to TSC or a different game

Thanks for producing this video, Sean. I am so over DTG and their shitie way of business. I had to reinstall TSC and all my steam games after an SSD failed. I have yet to get Classic up and running especially with the 3rd party stuff I purchased. I think I'll give up and stick to SimRail and my flying sim games. Oh wait, did I just insult the flight sim community by calling it a game instead of a "simulator"?! LOL. Blessings, buddy!

Subscription and then you own nothing. Lose everything when you cancel. Since when we live in a pay not own society.

Simrail is pretty good

I'll not bother giving them my money. I'll play Railroader, instead.

Well, considering I haven't touched DTG in awhile, I will happily ensure their products are uninstalled from my machine.

A lot of people seemingly aren't reading the thorough margins, the subscription is tailored for new users to try the content at a lesser price than a standard price per route/train or an every 2-4 months Sale for a reduced price. It's to entice them to the game to keep the cycle going, we fundamentally know that DTG aren't making content for the game anymore. No Previous user needs to buy this or any new user has to buy it, it's there as a cheap alternative for people to explore the contents of the game and its routes/trains with talks of considering a refresh cycle so it's not the same stuff £9 over and over.

Ah DTG makes EA and Blizzard look like trustworthy companies

Viewers, let me summarize this video for, you so you don't have to watch it. This is how it goes: sneer, sneer, scoff, scoff, blaspheme, whine. I do not know why this video was made. Everything being sneered at is voluntary, you don't have to buy or subscribe to any of it.

this is a huge joke i hope this dont happen to TSW

Only a "selected" number of routes and trains. Don't think I like it already! Are they ever going to develop a new engine instead of putting another coat of paint on it!

I've stopped buying and even playing Dovetail Games products since tsw 3 im just done with their bullshit. It's just straight-up high-class garbage. :/ And what makes it even worse is the fact that they have a monopoly on modern US stuff, excluding the game Trainz. In other words, stop buying their products.

This is why I pirate the TSC dlc on steam

TSC has gone totally stale !! I wish I hadn't spent a small fortune on it

Consider the subscription like a rental car with accessories. You're not buying any of the accessories or the car itself, you simply rent it for $9 a month and can cancel at any time. You're not obliged to pay for 12 months. In either case, if you cancel your subscription, you return your "rental". It's that simple. You don't get to keep the game if you opt for the subscription but (as a new user who might just want to try the game out), you can spend as little as $9 instead of having to shell out $24.99+ for the base game + whatever DLC will be offered in the subscription. I have been working with the game since 2009 for those interested.. I do not agree with the idea either because it bears certain risks as shaun has also pointed out but from a shareholder perspective, it would generate additional revenue for DTG, which from a business point of view, is all that matters.

Disappointed but not surprised.

I no longer support this company, I got tired of it a long time ago.

I wouldn't subscribe to this at any price. As long as you don't HAVE to subscribe, I'll keep using it. Far and away, most of the best content is from 3rd party developers, Victory, Caledonia, Precision Loco, SSS etc, or even free, Wayside, GAD and so on. Trainz has a similar money-grubbing scam. They WANT you to subscribe, but you don't HAVE to. The DTG "update" invariably screws something up, so I do religiously back up my content and assets folders to a remote drive.

From the looks of it, the subscription is basically a season pass or at least that's what i hope. Like any new DLC that comes out and you have the sub, it'll automatically go in your library and by the time it ends you still have everything forever even if uninstalled. But at the same time that's still a big price, cause you wouldn't know what comes out within it. and 2 Its once again just hella expensive. I hope we can still play the game like normal without this.

Dovetail games are BY FAR the biggest shysters in the video game industry. They consistently have released the same product over and over and over and over again and are undoubtedly planning a 5th iteration - each time it’s a “new game” at full price with one or two new (mostly cosmetic) features. In addition, they never listen to their community at all, leave their games and routes in buggy shambles, and have the audacity to OUTSOURCE their “development” to an equally shitty 3rd party company who produces routes on their behalf. I cannot fathom how people tolerate the blatant rehashing of the same route yet they never touch anything new or interesting. How about the simulation quality? Nope! There is none. I’m fairly certain that DTG train sets don’t SIMULATE anything. Everything down to the code yield’s proportional results to whatever conditions the train is in, there is 0 variance whatsoever. Old equipment performs no different. Weather conditions play only a marginal role and the weather still manages to look like hammered dogshit after all this “development”. How about the sounds? Nope! The sounds are often so quiet and bland that that you could almost swear it was generated from RU-vid videos and then poorly mixed using 2005 sound technology. most of the PC community desperately await sound packs to be uploaded online but there is only like 3 modders who very rarely upload anything bc it’s a shell of a game anyway and I’ve heard it’s hard to work with as well. There are several games out there operating with a fraction of the budget who put out quality simulations that take into account various aspects of operating equipment and trains such as Simrail and Derail Valley, both of which take time designing new and complex machines that are rich in both sound and system complexity. At least the aforementioned companies actually are passionate about railfans and take their time to release quality content that satisfies their customers rather than just filling the coffers of their shareholders. I know this is basically a rant at this point with no real structure but that’s just a few of the things that burns me every time I see the same pattern be repeated by DTG. I just really despise how companies like DTG can continue to get away with this utter lack of soul in anything they do. Every time I see one of their stupid roadmaps I ask myself how many of the same locomotive types will be reused and reskinned and charged for 40 USD. It’s just so pathetic that they tease these routes and play the same trick over and over on their customers all while Matt Peddlesden can sit on a livestream with his stupid furry cat ears headset and talk about whatever shit they will put out next. I have pity on anybody who seriously has any faith that they will put you, the customer, first.

NOPE 😂

Seems like once again people are jumping to conclusions and are already calling DTG a "scam" etc... I think what most people here are failing to understand is that this is NOT going to change anything to your current collection nor for any future DLCs. You are not forced to buy the subscription nor will this change the way you can purchase current or future DLCs. It's specifically targetted at new players who want to get extra content for their collection but do not want to pay for each individual route or loco because it's too expensive for them, it's basically helping to reduce that cost by paying monthly and getting more content as a result. Although I will admit you'll eventually just be paying more for the sub than the actual DLCs are worth but that's true for any monthly sub these days. Either get the subscription or just wait for a DLC when it's on sale, DTG do loads throughout the year, your choice.

Dear "NeW pE0PL3" who are apparently the target audience for this; they're asking you paid subscription for "OUT_OF_MEMORY" error. "Some selection" of DLCs per-month/any other time period and not immediate possible access to all the content you want to try at your own picking at all time? Better off to just buy 1 copy of the core game and then pirate your way through their DLCs. I bet you they won't even upgrade/TOO LAZY to upgrade the quality of those DLCs they offer you with this "Liv3 SeRvIc3s" deal, the quality of those DLCs would STILL BE THE SAME as the previous games (and boy.. it's really-really bad if you play it without any enhancement/mods). The base game is trash by today's standard without any enhancements to the route/train/graphics/even overall gameplay. Core performance is shit no matter how much they UpGR4d3 the game, good luck trying to have more than 30 fps with those very-very costly 3rd party enhancement[S] if you don't own Intel 14900k/AMD 7900X3D with super fast overclocked DDR5 ram.