New UR4 based train sim announced

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Apparently the folks behind Jointed Rail of Trainz fame are developing a new state of the art train simulator based on the Unreal 4 game engine.

Their working name is Crosstie Studios: http://www.crosstiestudios.com/

[hminky]

Am sure a lot of the Trainz content creators will jump ship and join up.

Good news, competition always improves the species!!



Harold

[JerryC]

I can think of one TrainSimulator content developer that might be interested in taking a little swim as well.

[BNSFdude]

See, I know all the guys at JR actually have knowledge about US Railroading, take their time on the little details for models, routes, physics and features. This actually makes me excited compared to TS -whatevertheyregoingtocallit.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Am sure a lot of the Trainz content creators will jump ship and join up.

Good news, competition always improves the species!!



Harold

From what I gathered of T:ANE, the devs are struggling to meet deadlines, even struggling to make ends meet now their Kickstarter funds are used up.
I presume JR is the only commercially viable creator of assets for Trainz, so their presumed decision to try and create their own sim might be a wise one.
If we further assume it will initialy be a US train simulator and they get their simulation right first time, DTG might finally face some serious competition.

[hminky]

T:ANE is really, really bad.

Paid money to see the BETA and is just a rehash of their earlier efforts.

Harold

[JerryC]

See, I know all the guys at JR actually have knowledge about US Railroading, take their time on the little details for models, routes, physics and features. This actually makes me excited compared to TS -whatevertheyregoingtocallit.

T:ANE is really, really bad.

Paid money to see the BETA and is just a rehash of their earlier efforts.

Harold

And exactly how long did it take for Railsimulator and its various morphologies to actually make it to the point to where you could even call it a game? Remember when there were no casted headlights or dynamic shadows? Remember when U.S. locomotives was an SD40 and ES44? Remember when there was no A.I. dispatching or Multi-player? Ooops, sorry, that was this morning!

[hminky]

It is nice to see someone in a community "walk the walk".

Downloaded UE4 and it is dynamic.

Harold

[RAILSOHIO]

Us "hard core" train simmers have seen other "announced" simulators come and go. I was a HUGE Trainz supporter,but came to RS/RW for the following reasons,in this order: Easy real word DEM importation,procedural junctions,better graphics engine. The idea that physics change between different routes,for one,makes me crazy.We need a USA style sim that will let you kick and drop cars. This simulator is still my favorite,but if someone can create a better one,I am buying.I would pay 200 dollars for a really good one. I had high hopes Run8 would be it,but they are never going to have tools to create your own route.

[JerryC]

Eh - how did this thread turn into such a mess so quickly? Come on, guys. Shake hands and concentrate on the big picture.

Agreed. Non- contributing posts removed. Now let's keep it on the rails and civil. Next shot that's fired, no matter what the rank of the shooter, the thread gets locked.

[plethaus]

As has already been said, competition is very good. :)

I am getting in game development myself (graduating next year) and I've kicked around the idea of doing a train sim, but the biggest issue for me is that I don't have industry experience (in railroading) to really make it authentic.

My biggest hope is that whoever comes out with another train sim does not follow suit with DTG's marketing/product strategy of charing $20+ for every little release. I think there's a huge gap open for exploitation right now that could be filled with a product centered on value, user-created content, and more in depth single player "career" simulation. Run8 was promising but they thought they could mimic DTG's DLC system, yet with absence of any solid gameplay structure (it's just a systems simulation at the moment.)

[JerryC]

I agree to some extent with the "centered around user created content" statement. However, I think those days are gone for good for one simple reason: we are spoiled. Three years ago, it was ok for me to release a C39-8 freeware locomotive that had a cab-view that looked like the the hair on a mangey dog's behind. Would people accept that today, after so many others have put out much better looking stuff? No way! And i'll be straight honest with you - there is no way that I would put thousands of hours into a locomotive or route these days and then give it away for free. The complexity of it, and the subsequent headache of it all, is just like having a second job!

Another way to look at the pay-for-DLC model is this. How many of you have had a real-life model train layout? Did you ever get to point where it was finished? No more tracks and turnouts to buy, no more locomotives or freight cars wanted? DTG basically took to digital form what Atlas, Kato, Peco, Life-Like, and Athearn have been doing for many years.

[buzz456]

Now that we have sworn a vow to be civil I must say that I respectfully disagree. Many of us a very involved here to join in on the love of railroading. Many of us are not rivet counters and frankly are annoyed by some who do. I along with our team have spent thousands of hours working on a route that will be put out as freeware doing a prototypical stretch of real railroad. Every building will not be like the real ones however the operation will as real as we can make it. And it will be totally free.
I feel that a lot of the complaining about DTG is unjustified. There is nothing that you are forced to buy after the original game. It is only because many of us are collectors of every single thing available only to have them gather virtual dust and never be used after the original flush of a new toy. There are so many freeware routes out there one could play the game for the next year and never cover the same mile of rail. There are a zillion repaints of all of the default equipment so one can have a lot of experience without having to spend money.

Let's face it, it's a choice what you make of this so let's be happy warriors instead of complaining and worrying every issue to death.

[Captainbob]

Interesting vapor ware at this point. Wonder how many years before they have a marketable product.

[hminky]

Seeing what is capable in UE4 gives hopes of the upcoming DTG UE4.

Inserted my "queens hotel" made in blender and exported as an .fbx.



Hope DTG does it right and makes a whole new sim around the UE4 with no half baked "backwards compatible" mess, ie: T:ANE.

Harold