Train Simulator vs. Model Railroading HO scale

[overkillone]

I see alot of comments about how expensive Train Simulator dlc is.If I spent the same amount of money on model railroading as I did on Train Simulator, I would have 2 engines and some track.So if you look at it like that Train Simulator is dirt cheap.Don't get me wrong, the dlc is a bit pricey for what you get. The other plus is third party dlc, places like Railworks America and train-sim.com are great for expanding your collection.

[skinnyraf]

...and then consider that H0 is actually dirt cheap. I am about to start building a garden railway - that's where things get expensive.

Obviously you have issues like resale potential (null for DLC, significant for railway modelling) and cost to produce and transport physical goods vs. digital delivery, but the truth is, what you lose by reselling a good physical model is usually more than the cost of a DLC featuring the same loco.

But we really should compare apples to apples. Computer games (excluding investment in hardware) are among cheapest forms of entertainment. A typical cost of 1 hour of gameplay is about $1, with short artsy indy games being a bit more expensive but providing more focused experience, and open world monsters a bit cheaper, but having more repetitiveness and grind.

So you could say that even if an AAA title costed $120 it would still be cheaper than going to cinema.

[Ax Kramer]

My quarter-inch scale models run realisticlly using DCC, without the "bugs" and unexpected failures to perform as expected sometimes found using DLC.

[key7seven]

I have a Union Pacific and Santa Fe HO scale engine still in the box from the company Bachmann. I think there from the 60's

[OldAlaskaGuy]

I ran N gauge due to space limitations for years.

[ioit]

Originally posted by overkillone:

I see alot of comments about how expensive Train Simulator dlc is.If I spent the same amount of money on model railroading as I did on Train Simulator, I would have 2 engines and some track.So if you look at it like that Train Simulator is dirt cheap.Don't get me wrong, the dlc is a bit pricey for what you get. The other plus is third party dlc, places like Railworks America and train-sim.com are great for expanding your collection.

Ok, so we are playing this? ok then. why we dont use trainz sim is because skills are actualy involved into modeling a perfect layout and its more accepted, yes some use it on their mat but, in trainz sim you have to use the dlcs for differant track and just paste it down on a track, Done! Modeling has more skills involved, yes people do use this to make realy good routes, i do agree with that and not saying how this is dirt cheeper, it has its flaws, and if you have too much stuff on your drive, WHAT ABOUT NOW?

[jalsina]

Originally posted by rwaday:

I ran N gauge due to space limitations for years.

And my Marklin HO layout has been boxed per years dorming into a large closet.

[key7seven]

i spent more time with train sim than i did all my years growing up with model trains. I got instanly hooked on train sims when i bought MSTS in 2002

[skinnyraf]

Originally posted by key7seven:

i spent more time with train sim than i did all my years groing up with model trains

Running model trains gets old quickly, unless you have a huge layout and lots of trains - but then we're talking about thousands and thousands of dollars/euro.

I am catching up, because I spend hours expanding my garden layout and landscaping - though grabbing a beer in the evening and watching trains roll is nice too.

[key7seven]

one big plus about train sim is it takes up alot less space

[toot]

I do N scale. I have a giant layout, took a year to set up.

[jalsina]

Originally posted by punechka:

I do N scale. I have a giant layout, took a year to set up.

A picture or two of your layout, uploaded to your Artwork, would do lots of miracles for the souls of many reading these lines

[MaTT]

TS is not really comparible to model railways, TS is a driving simulator primarily although RSC like to market it like a model railway you cant do anything with it that you could with a RL model railway ... For model rail on a PC I use the VMR Eiesenbahn exe professional, its all about building and developing a layout you couldnt possibly afford in RL sit back and watch the trains work ... I started building a layout with EEP 3 in 2004 I still tweak it now and then, the trains run in a 4 hour cycle ... My EEP 8 layout is only three years old it allows for way more complex operations including fully automated marshalling and shunting, im still perfecting the signalling and syncronisation and expect to start work on the scenery fairly soon ... just like a real model railway EEP is a lifetime project ... the upside is the very low cost and I will never run out of attic space. ...