I used to be angry and frustrated at DTG. The frustration is still there but the anger was replaced long ago with sadness. Because this is so fixable and yet it's barely getting fixed. Yes some bugs have been addressed in updates, but the base fundamentals remain broken and there are no signs they will ever be addressed. I understand Train Simulator is an old product with a few new features added over the years on top of what is mostly legacy base code. But TSW was their fresh clean slate and they have fumbled on it badly. It came out 2 years ago and yet it's basically the same exact software with just different routes and short ones at that.
If memory serves me right, I vaguely remember that video from them that showed a flowchart in the UE4 editor of how power was routed to the traction motors on a component by component level. Bragging about how realistic the behavior and physics of them would be. Does it feel realistic to anybody here or that it's even been implemented yet? Notice they don't talk about the new things and fundamental features they are currently working on to improve it anymore? What little they say pertains to new routes or new locomotives. There is still no editor and still no Raildriver support. Not even the better trackside camera view from TS has made it into TSW yet.
I noticed hertsbob has not posted here since Nov. 2016 and Derek since Jul. 2017. So any direct communication with anybody at DTG, even casually here in the forums has disappeared. What few interviews DTG has given over the years were from outlets they knew would throw them softball questions. I think DTG is on life-support and only still barely alive thanks to TS. You never hear them dropping hints of big things coming in the future anymore. In fact this is the quietest I've ever heard them over the years. I've honestly been waiting for an announcement of layoffs and downsizing at the company. Between the staff and the management, I feel management is more to blame. The project manager seems incompetent and nobody is getting rid of the dead-weight (sound guy.... I'm looking at you!
).
And that's why I'm sad. They could be bringing money in hand over fist if they would just listen and implement our suggestions. Instead it seems we are likely witnessing the quiet and slow death spiral of DTG. I am very thankful that they released TS 64-bit. That way if the company folds, at least they set TS up with a lot more headroom for 3rd party devs and users to keep TS alive for years to come like the long legs MSTS still has.
