UKTS and real lives

Hi folks

Back at the beginning, UKTrainSim had new uploads on a daily basis, with lots of new content for Microsoft Train Simulator. Those where the days. There were lots of members who created lots of content, plus a number of administrators who maintained UKTrainsim, which is part of Atomic Systems.

Atomic Systems also run other things (all of which is not train sim related), including Dear Diary.

Since then, everybody's circumstances has changed. There is not as many members who create MSTS as they used to, and the site appears to run single-handed. Upload approvals are currently only on certain days.

Since May last year, the Download Count stopped working. However the problem has been fixed back in January, but this is only updated once on a daily basis. Last Christmas, there was the star counts, but the idea failed after slowing down the website!

In 2012, the revamp of the website (known as UKTrainSim 2) was announced. That did not happen and the page layout remains the same as the site first started, albeit with a couple of changes over the years.

We also have Dovetail Games Train Simulator on the cards, most of which requires paywere DLC (well, there is free stuff but not as much as what MSTS).

It does show that we all have lives outside both MSTS and UKTrainSim. And alway remember that UKTrainSim website is not a commercial company like Amazon, Google and Wikipedia. UKTrainSim is a family company and sometimes the website has to prioritise. Whatever happens to UKTrainSim will result in the waiting game until the administrator has the time.

Everyone has real lives and reality does take on every hobby.
The question is, how long UKTrainSim will last?

Alistair Cowell

One would like to think that everyone’s “real” life has always existed and will continue to do so, well it certainly has for me! It is not for me to comment on the longevity of UKTS, but the end comment/question in the previous post has been raised on numerous occasions, and it is still in existence.

I do wonder whether this is a subject for UKTS rather than TSSH, although we are still dependent upon them for much of our freeware and I am grateful for that, and hence we have an interest in their intermediate to long term plans.

I have often considered offering my virtual stock via Dropbox, and in a worst case scenario would move to that and of course there is always a site across the “pond”.

Perhaps one possible answer might be for those who still love and use MSTS to offer help, by aiding the checking progress. I believe when reports of the delay in the DVD for NWEv3 offers were made, but I am not sure what response was given?

Another idea might be for TSSH to take over the provision of freeware and DVDs for MSTS, but using the services of Atomic Systems as they have an established facility?

These latter comments are merely thrown out for possible discussion in terms of MSTS, but I would reiterate that it is not really appropriate to discuss or comment on the state of UKTS. I would suggest that that area is a subject for the UKTS forums itself.

Hi Alec

Sorry for the rant, and I do understand what you have said. While we are still dependant on UKTS, we may have plans for TSSH's future.

Perhaps a discussion of UKTS is for the UKTS forums.

Cheers
Alistair Cowell

My view is the future is either:

- that there other sim which is updated every yearish, with accompanying £££ required to run many 'freeware' routes; or
- If there is a big push to get into OpenRails including as I've said purpose-built rolling stock, and even more so if editors can be created.

I haven't nailed my future route-building colours to either mast yet...

Tim Mitchell.