Dear Members of the TD2 Simulator Community,Exactly a year ago, on August 28, 2022, the first edition of the "Week in the Simulator" series was released. It was very well received by all of you, and it naturally evolved into a unique channel of communication between the Simulator Team and you, providing you with the latest information every week about what's happening around the simulator, often from the behind-the-scenes perspective. Today, we present to you the fifty-third edition of our weekly magazine, which aims to summarize all significant events from the past year and also outline the Team's plans for the simulator's further development in the near future.
We would also like to hear your feedback on what you like about our weekly magazine and what could be changed/improved. To this end, the Association's Board has prepared a survey for you, in which you can anonymously express your opinions about the content published in the weekly magazine. Filling out the survey will take no more than 3 minutes of your time and will be a very important source of feedback, so we kindly ask you to provide precise answers to the questions posed, so that we can understand your opinions. Thank you in advance!
Meanwhile, brew yourself some coffee or tea, grab a snack, and let's dive into the reading!
It Happened Yesterday...Simulator ReleasesOver the past year, two major versions of the simulator and two patches were released:
- version 2022.2.1 "Latarnia"
- patch for the "Latarnia" version marked 2022.2.2
- version 2023.1.1 "Ypsilon"
- patch for the "Ypsilon" version marked 2023.1.2
Key Changes in the SimulatorThe introduction of new simulator versions also brought about significant changes, some of which can be considered revolutionary:
- implementation of a daily cycle and dynamic lighting along with a rich collection of illuminated objects,
- addition of new indicator models reflecting light from traction vehicle headlights,
- introduction of a wide range of new trackside device models,
- addition of hundreds of possible combinations of sleepers, fastenings, ballast, and rails, enabling diversified track layouts
- addition of dozens of building models, including railway infrastructure,
- update of the Unity engine version,
- introduction of procedural signal gates created based on entries,
- addition of numerous animal models along with their animations,
- added support for TrackIR.
Of course, there were many more introduced changes, and while we could list many other modifications that took place in the past year, we don't want to bore you by listing everything that can be found in the changelog.
SceneriesWhat would the models and all the enhancements added to the simulator be without the scenery, the essence of our virtual routes? In the past year, there have been many significant changes in scenery construction, such as the need to introduce lighting elements, narrowing the distance between tracks in the magical forest to 4 meters, and many others. Therefore, the Constructor Team, as well as individual scenery creators, have been working diligently to complete their projects.
At this point, we want to thank every person who has contributed to the construction of sceneries that currently delight simulator users.
Changes in the TeamChanges in the simulator are not just about new models, objects, scenery, tools, but also about the individuals who have worked over the years for the development of the simulator, as well as those who have decided to submit applications and have been accepted into the Team.
For the intensive work towards TD2's development, we would like to thank those who worked for TD2 in the past and left the Team in the last year. They are:
KMSzczecin,
deemixx,
Atmosferyczny,
inomushis,
Kamads,
Paweł,
uetam,
Kacper9,
Fofal,
Meril, and
KASisq.
Some of the vacated positions have been filled by new Team members. They are:
Wewek,
radocha26,
Bartek2002,
Hammer,
Newmikus2k,
BartholomeoD3,
Till, and
Pepsi2026.
...Will Happen TomorrowThe Simulator Team is diligently working on further improvements, models, applications, tools, and features that will enhance immersion and enjoyment of gameplay even more. Some are currently in the conceptual phase, others in development, and some are at such an advanced stage that we'd like to present a list of projects being intensively worked on, whose results you'll be able to see in the near future.
- SSO (formerly the "Spawn" project) - a project that, after several months of stagnation, is back in the spotlight. A large portion of its functionality is already complete, and intensive work on the application's frontend will take place in September. Currently, we estimate that the project should be unveiled by the end of the year.
- Main Track Occupancy Board - a model aimed at increasing the simulation's immersion. The Team is working on preparing such a board in various size variants to fit every signal box. The final model will be fully interactive.
- EP09 locomotive - intensive work is underway to refine the model. The Team aims to ensure that this highly anticipated product is created perfectly and accurately replicates reality as much as possible within the simulator's conditions.
- Among the upcoming railway rolling stock models, we can mention freight wagons with designations 421S, 426Z, and 425S.
- The Constructors Team, in addition to their meticulous work in the SSS, is also currently working on the "Węglówka" project (i.e., LK131), which includes scenes from Kraski, Kłudna, and Kozuby, as well as the "ŁKA" project, where the construction of LK1 scenes like Rokiciny and Baby is in progress.
- The Editors Team, in collaboration with the Association's Board, is also working on a new TD-related Wiki, which will be built from scratch. The new Wiki will use some of the existing articles, some will be rewritten or simplified. We want the new Wiki to be more user-friendly and, in addition to collecting useful information and documents, present them in a more accessible way. Work on the new version of the site has already begun, and we will keep you informed of their progress.
SummaryDear Users, thank you for following our weekly magazine over the past year. Each of you who creates scenery in SSS, writes interesting threads on the forum, prepares tools to enhance the work of others, or even creates your own sessions, is a part of this fantastic puzzle that is our simulator, and consequently, the weekly magazine. As the Chief Editor, I want to thank every person whose contributions are invaluable to the functioning of the weekly magazine, every member of the TD2 Team for providing materials, and above all, the members of the Association's Board for their trust and freedom in conducting this initiative.
I also want to thank in advance every person who will fill out the linked survey above because we don't run the weekly magazine for ourselves, but primarily for you.
That's it for today; thank you for your attention, and see you next week!
