What is better to start off with, Train simulator 2019 or train sim world?

[Matt]

Really into truck sim, but wanting to try train sims and the reviews on both games seems iffy across the board.

[VanZan_75]

I would recommend starting off with some you- tube videos of both games , just to make sure the game / games are really suitable for you, before you make a purchase .

[Glenn]

Train Sim World is still relatively new, so available content is still quite thin on the ground. It does not yet have any kind of editing facilities either. It looks a bit prettier than Train Simulator 2020 tho'. TS2020 is an older core engine (about 12 years or so now I think), and as a result it has squillions of available content bits and pieces. It also has an editor where you can create your own world; edit other worlds & create and edit scenarios. It does not look quite as pretty as TSW, but in my opinion, it really isn't that bad.
You mention "start off with" in your post, so it sounds as if you would ultimately want to own both - bear in mind that the 2 are completely separate 'games' and incompatible with each other.
As suggested above, take a look at some videos on that yootoob thingy first.
Just curious - what do you mean when you say they are both 'iffy' ?

[JJTimothy]

I don't have TSW (though there is a couple of routes that make it very interesting and I'll crack one day) so I'll leave that to others. Train Simulator is an old program poorly optimized for modern hardware and with its share of bugs. Even a cursory look through these forums will tell you that most people here, and certainly everyone who has be using it for any length of time, are well aware of that and consider it to be worth persevering with in spite of its failings. I won't be the apologist for TS but when it gets things right, and it does most of the time, it can be a great experience. If you love trains you'll love TS.

I read a quite lengthy and damning review of TS a while ago which turned out to have been written by someone who had logged less than an hour- not even time to complete the Academy tutorials. TS takes a while to get into. You can't kill anyone or even crash the trains realistically and you have to wait for your route to clear now and then none of which will appeal to people who will think it quite reasonable to then write a review based on their (lack of) experience. It's quite possible that some people might write a glowing review based on a similar lack of experience but if you exercise a bit of judgement when looking at reviews to weed out such hatchet jobs I suspect the proportion of positive verdicts would increase. I note that the Steam store page says most recent reviews are positive anyway.

TS can certainly be quite cheap to get into. Some routes (London-Faversham and West Somerset to name a couple from memory) are listed as not needing the base game because it's included and older editions of TS can be found at other sites. Prices change and naming other sites can cause problems here anyway but TS2016 was going for less than a pound at one point last year. Buy from a site that distributes through Steam and you should get the updates like everyone else.

[Rudolf Jan]

Please read the TSW starters guide. It gives you a lot of information on TSW and other trainsim games. Download it here:https://www.hollandhiking.nl/trainsimulator

[Purno]

Originally posted by MrPanzerTime:

Really into truck sim,

First of all, lets be clear that Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator are exceptionally good games. They raised the bar so high, no other game will be nearly as good.

but wanting to try train sims and the reviews on both games seems iffy across the board.

For both games most negative reviews are about the price tag of DLC. Then there's another bunch of negative reviews from people who can't be bothered to read manuals. And yes, there's also a fair amount of people who have valid points to downrate the game. Plenty of us still like it though.

TS is pretty old, the game isn't always too stable, graphics are outdated, but there's a lot of containt available.

TSW is new, may require a good system to run on, can be a tad pricy, and the amount of content available is still limited.

Now, if you'd be sure train simulation is something you'd enjoy, I'd recommend TSW. Personally I think there's not much point in investing money in building up a collection of TS routes and locos when TS is only getting more and more outdated.

But, if you're not sure train simulation is your kind of thing, TS can be obtained fairly cheaply. Every year the developer bundles a up a small collection of DLC. Sales are frequent and the best sales can be obtained when a new bundle is near. There's also a bunch of websites outside of Steam selling keys for older editions of TS. It's all the same game, but just a different bundle of DLC for a very nice price.

Although there's some differences between TS and TSW, the core gameplay is very similar. You'd be driving trains in both games for most of the time. There's also plenty of gameplay videos available on YouTube.

[Matt]

Originally posted by Purno:

Originally posted by MrPanzerTime:

Really into truck sim,

First of all, lets be clear that Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator are exceptionally good games. They raised the bar so high, no other game will be nearly as good.

but wanting to try train sims and the reviews on both games seems iffy across the board.

For both games most negative reviews are about the price tag of DLC. Then there's another bunch of negative reviews from people who can't be bothered to read manuals. And yes, there's also a fair amount of people who have valid points to downrate the game. Plenty of us still like it though.

TS is pretty old, the game isn't always too stable, graphics are outdated, but there's a lot of containt available.

TSW is new, may require a good system to run on, can be a tad pricy, and the amount of content available is still limited.

Now, if you'd be sure train simulation is something you'd enjoy, I'd recommend TSW. Personally I think there's not much point in investing money in building up a collection of TS routes and locos when TS is only getting more and more outdated.

But, if you're not sure train simulation is your kind of thing, TS can be obtained fairly cheaply. Every year the developer bundles a up a small collection of DLC. Sales are frequent and the best sales can be obtained when a new bundle is near. There's also a bunch of websites outside of Steam selling keys for older editions of TS. It's all the same game, but just a different bundle of DLC for a very nice price.

Although there's some differences between TS and TSW, the core gameplay is very similar. You'd be driving trains in both games for most of the time. There's also plenty of gameplay videos available on YouTube.

From how you describe both, sim world does sound good, i do run decent specs but at the same time im quite intrigued how you mentioned train simulator is, which would be easier to learn? or do they both have around the same learning basis?

[Matt]

Originally posted by JJTimothy:

I don't have TSW (though there is a couple of routes that make it very interesting and I'll crack one day) so I'll leave that to others. Train Simulator is an old program poorly optimized for modern hardware and with its share of bugs. Even a cursory look through these forums will tell you that most people here, and certainly everyone who has be using it for any length of time, are well aware of that and consider it to be worth persevering with in spite of its failings. I won't be the apologist for TS but when it gets things right, and it does most of the time, it can be a great experience. If you love trains you'll love TS.

I read a quite lengthy and damning review of TS a while ago which turned out to have been written by someone who had logged less than an hour- not even time to complete the Academy tutorials. TS takes a while to get into. You can't kill anyone or even crash the trains realistically and you have to wait for your route to clear now and then none of which will appeal to people who will think it quite reasonable to then write a review based on their (lack of) experience. It's quite possible that some people might write a glowing review based on a similar lack of experience but if you exercise a bit of judgement when looking at reviews to weed out such hatchet jobs I suspect the proportion of positive verdicts would increase. I note that the Steam store page says most recent reviews are positive anyway.

TS can certainly be quite cheap to get into. Some routes (London-Faversham and West Somerset to name a couple from memory) are listed as not needing the base game because it's included and older editions of TS can be found at other sites. Prices change and naming other sites can cause problems here anyway but TS2016 was going for less than a pound at one point last year. Buy from a site that distributes through Steam and you should get the updates like everyone else.

Sounds good to me, and so would you say its worth regular price? i was tempted and was stupid not to jump during the fall sale but it was more of a if im ready thing and whilling to commit, just wondering if to invest now or wait till christmas maybe

[Matt]

Originally posted by Glenn:

Train Sim World is still relatively new, so available content is still quite thin on the ground. It does not yet have any kind of editing facilities either. It looks a bit prettier than Train Simulator 2020 tho'. TS2020 is an older core engine (about 12 years or so now I think), and as a result it has squillions of available content bits and pieces. It also has an editor where you can create your own world; edit other worlds & create and edit scenarios. It does not look quite as pretty as TSW, but in my opinion, it really isn't that bad.
You mention "start off with" in your post, so it sounds as if you would ultimately want to own both - bear in mind that the 2 are completely separate 'games' and incompatible with each other.
As suggested above, take a look at some videos on that yootoob thingy first.
Just curious - what do you mean when you say they are both 'iffy' ?

I was just a bit iffy or unsure with both, as their reviews aren't the most positive but as others have stated and i have seen, it sounds like the prices of add ons is the reason for that, yes they are expensive but i guess myself and others already invested see it as a investment so thats just what i was a bit unsure about was the reviews.

[JJTimothy]

Originally posted by MrPanzerTime:

Originally posted by JJTimothy:

Waffle... Drivel... Blah...

Sounds good to me, and so would you say its worth regular price? i was tempted and was stupid not to jump during the fall sale but it was more of a if im ready thing and whilling to commit, just wondering if to invest now or wait till christmas maybe

Well I got TS for free at a promotional event and have never bought anything that wasn't discounted by at least 50% so I could be the wrong person to ask but I've over 1,000 hours in TS (in this and another log-in) and enjoyed most of them. That'd be decent VFM even at full price.

[jalsina]

TS2020

[Purno]

Originally posted by MrPanzerTime:

From how you describe both, sim world does sound good, i do run decent specs but at the same time im quite intrigued how you mentioned train simulator is, which would be easier to learn? or do they both have around the same learning basis?

I think TSW has better tutorials and a more forgiving career system than TS does. Altough to fully understand all safety systems, you'd need to consult manuals or guides for either game. TSW has all those systems off by default, while TS has some of them on by default.

[Glenn]

Those reviews you read about the DLC being very expensive - is it really? Lets assume that you have created a physical model layout (N gauge for instance). There's a really cool new loco' that you would like to buy, so off you go to the local model shop. (yes, I did just do a bit of browsing prices!). There are numerous N gauge locomotives costing more than £100 (GB). But many enthusiasts will still buy them.

Yet the digital versions are as much as one sixth the price - or less.

The physical models CAN be as low as £35 (GB) - Similar to waiting for Dovetail to hold a sale, where you can buy the digital version at a much reduced price.

A lot of people are ignorant of the fact that developers can & do put in enormous amounts of time and effort into creating such digital models - or they are just plain greedy and want everything for nothing.

I myself am in the process of creating a route. I have put many, many hours into research, creating custom assets, and creating the route. Sadly, after more than 4 years, I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I am not giving up tho'. If it ever gets finished, I will make it available for free (or at least a very small nominal fee). I could argue that I would be justified putting a £25 price tag on it, but I am doing it for a hobby and love. Some people would be doing the same amount of work for a living, so it wouldn't be fair asking them to give it away for free or for a ridiculously small fee.

All I am saying is, do not be put off by those reviewers complaining about high prices. When you look at it sensibly I would argue that those prices are not really so high, especially if you wait for one of the many sales.

OK, that's my tea break over so time to end my rant and dive back into the complexities of 3D Max..........

[electronx]

As far as graphics goes, it's funny.
Like - do you like cartoons? Animation movies? CGI?

TSW has assets of much higher fidelity. Better details, lights, perks. It looks almost real quite often, especially with blur off.

But I find my TS screenshots quite likeable as well. Great colors, compositions. And that's with running old routes still, as I'm proceding gradually (and slow).

You can inspect screenshots from people in this thread, as well as at the very top of this page there should be a Screenshots tab, third after All and Discussions. Although some with the most likes aren't exactly great.

Up until right now, TS has long routes, long North American trains and steam locomotives, none of which TSW has, except for the very first route, Heavy Haul - I assume there is a tenet that content has to be console-friendly. Plus versatility, which will come for TSW over time.

I would say the best choice is to have both in moderation. The starter packages have fair prices across the board. If you want to be cheap, old routes with permanent discounts are often a good start. Sure, lesser graphics, but helps to figure out whether you like the genre.

One typical issue for people is that most issues are ignored by the developers, for a plethora of reasons. If you can accept the game for whatever it is, and focus on the good, you'll be fine.

ps.: There is an endless cycle of sales.