Railworks America

I'm building a high detail shortline route and have been using alot of scenery objects from Horse Shoe Curve and Donner Pass. I have no idea if I'm even allowed to use thier content but too bad... I am. Obviously I intend to release the route as freeware, and I was wondering what everyone's attitude is toward freeware with payware content. It's not too late for me to switch to using only freeware content. It will degrade the quality of the route somewhat, but above all I'm intent on providing something that everyone can enjoy and not feel left out because they haven't forked out for the latest payware. I suppose my question is, do you already own aforemention payware, and if not how knacked off would you be knowing that you're missing out on a quality route (it's quality, trust me) simply because you don't own a couple of payware routes??? (the quality of which we'll just keep to ourselves).

I'm in the same situation as you are. I'm using 90% payware buildings/assets. It will be released as freeware, but in order to show/run the route in its full glory, people must own some dlc routes. Not all dlc routes, some..

To answer your question, in my opinion, go for payware assets and make your route shine

Who are you building it for? if it's you and you're just tossing it out in public to be nice, just do whatever you like. If you're doing it as some community item then it might pay to stop and look for a freeware replacement and decide if you *really* need that item from DP. If it's only a little thing it might be quite fast just to make a new one. And really this attitude grates a bit; freeware is not automatically crap, and it's not automatically worse than payware.

I don't have DP and I'm not likely to get it. I don't know how alone I am with that, but HSC is probably an ok bet like doing a UK route and using WCMLN assets. There are probably people who don't have either, but I haven't run into one yet...

Kali wrote:Who are you building it for? if it's you and you're just tossing it out in public to be nice, just do whatever you like. If you're doing it as some community item then it might pay to stop and look for a freeware replacement and decide if you *really* need that item from DP. If it's only a little thing it might be quite fast just to make a new one. And really this attitude grates a bit; freeware is not automatically crap, and it's not automatically worse than payware.

I don't have DP and I'm not likely to get it. I don't know how alone I am with that, but HSC is probably an ok bet like doing a UK route and using WCMLN assets. There are probably people who don't have either, but I haven't run into one yet...

To be honest it's mostly the trees. If you know what the trees in HSC look like then you'll know why. DP has just a few more variations.

I'm sure Derek's done some free trees - he was talking about doing some updated ones not so long ago also.

OK, my (adjusted for inflation)

If it's gonna be freeware, make it freeware without the need of already owning some such route with payware assets. I do own Donner and HSC so this wouldn't affect me, but others can't afford every route. Besides the underlying "can I use these assets" legal thing. I would hate to run a route and see milk bottles instead of trees. Even if the trees were not of the highest quality. The rest of the route will shine anyways, and scenarios is what really makes it. Put the energy into that.

OK, mini rant over. (please don't call me sty)

Have you looked at the freeware trees by SAD and 3DTrains? The latter has higher resolution versions for a small payment. Lots more tree varieties than I could ever have used on my Cimarron & Pacific route.

Minimize the use of payware, but if it's a must, go for it.

I need to check exactly what trees BoQ uses - don't use whatever those are because they're not only viewer facing - which isn't terrible in itself - but viewer-facing-upright, so they rock when the cab rocks.

imnew wrote: To answer your question, in my opinion, go for payware assets and make your route shine

I don't want to provoke an argument with anyone, but I wonder if this is the general consensus regarding freeware assets? That somehow freeware is, well, sub-par.

I sure hope not. I am working on releasing some freeware assets, and quiet frankly spec5sx, your work is awesome.

spec5sx wrote:
I don't want to provoke an argument with anyone, but I wonder if this is the general consensus regarding freeware assets? That somehow freeware is, well, sub-par.

Freeware isn't inferior at all. It's just that when you're trying to create a realistic world, the key is consistancy. To be honest, most of the freeware fauna is TOO real and makes the default and payware stuff look like a cartoon!

Well, the obvious next step is to make *more* freeware then!

I was kinda hoping to get this route out by 2015.

spec5sx wrote:I don't want to provoke an argument with anyone, but I wonder if this is the general consensus regarding freeware assets? That somehow freeware is, well, sub-par.

Hi spec5sx, i can see what you mean... Taking a second look at my previous post i can see that it didnt come out the way it should..

There are freeware items out there that is top notch first class quality.

spec5sx wrote:
I don't want to provoke an argument with anyone, but I wonder if this is the general consensus regarding freeware assets? That somehow freeware is, well, sub-par.

By no means! Most of the freeware assets available are on par with or better than default, and indistinguishable in quality from payware, in my opinion.