revisiting payware/freeware dependencies

[gwgardner]

1) I'm still thoroughly confused about what assets I can use, and not require players to buy other routes in order to play mine.

In the RSC assets folder I see assets for Bath/Templcombe, Hagen Siegen, Cajon Pass, Sherman Hill. I have those routes and assets, because they come with Railworks/Train Simulator. Everyone else who owns Train Simulator has those routes/assets also.

So why can't I freely use those assets in building my route, with the knowledge that everyone has them?

2) I note that assets for Horsehoe Curve are also in my RSC folder. I do not own Horshoe Curve. Therefore, I understand that I cannot use those assets. (I guess).

[buzz456]

Who says you can't use them?

[buzz456]

Further thinking just state that one has to have these for the route and since everyone has them problem solved.

[Chacal]

Everyone else who owns Train Simulator has those routes/assets also.

Not so simple, I think.
Over the years, the basic TS game has been bundled with different routes and assets. What was included with TS2012 was probably not included with TS2017.
Add to that the different special bundles (e.g. the american edition), and you get a quite confusing portrait.

Better go with Buzz's idea: just declare what assets or routes are needed and let the users sort it out.

[GreatNortherner]

1) I'm still thoroughly confused about what assets I can use, and not require players to buy other routes in order to play mine.

In the RSC assets folder I see assets for Bath/Templcombe, Hagen Siegen, Cajon Pass, Sherman Hill. I have those routes and assets, because they come with Railworks/Train Simulator. Everyone else who owns Train Simulator has those routes/assets also.

So why can't I freely use those assets in building my route, with the knowledge that everyone has them?

2) I note that assets for Horsehoe Curve are also in my RSC folder. I do not own Horshoe Curve. Therefore, I understand that I cannot use those assets. (I guess).

Hi,

I think the closest you can get to any sort of of "rule" about the DTG assets is that:
Almost everbody will have:
Kuju\RailSimulator
Kuju\RailSimulatorUS

The four routes from the original base game received an update at some point (TS2012 I believe), and also additional assets folders. They don't contain very much, but still many users should have those:
RSC\CajonPass
RSC\HageSieg
RSC\OxPadd
RSC\BathTemp

Finally, many will have the routes that at some point were part of the TS20xx base games.
Which routes that covers is really complicated though. Wikipedia has them mentioned in the article on the game, though I don't know how complete and accurate it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_Simulator_2017

If your aim is to make your route "as freeware as it can be", I think the only reasonably safe choice from the RSC/DTG library is indeed the old Kuju folder. Everything else is or was at some point standalone DLC payware, so not everybody might have it.

Cheers
Michael

[buzz456]

Just a FYI everything used in the Lafayette route is freeware collected from all sorts of places so all of that is available to use.

[gwgardner]

Thanks for all the responses.