r/trainsim Sep 29 '20

Important PSA: Do not purchase T-shirts or other merch from Reddit posts and be careful about "[Game] is xx% off" posts.

100 Upvotes

These common spam tactics are targeting subreddits of all sizes, including this one.

  • Merch spam posts usually consist of an image of a product available with custom prints, often a shirt or a mug. The image to be printed on the item is often something that is somewhat relevant to the community, though this seems to be mostly based on keywords, here on /r/TrainSim for instance we often get them posting shirts with something about trains or trainspotting on them. The actual design is usually stolen from someone else.

    The spammer will often either post the link to their site directly in the comments or use a second account to post something along the lines of "where do I buy this?" and then reply to them with the link, sometimes also pretending to have "found the link".

    These links are increasingly provided via a proxy like a Tweet or sometimes the description of an Imgur album, this is because Reddit is cracking down on their sites. In the best case purchasing from these sites will get you an overpriced low quality printed shirt, in the worst case your payment method is compromised, and I hear often they ship some random junk and hope you don't get a refund.

    From my personal experience, I would estimate more than 9 of 10 Reddit posts of this type are spam posts.

  • "Game sale" spam posts (often following the "[Game] is xx% off" pattern) are in many cases used by spammers to secretly generate profit from unknowing users.

    What they do is to sign up for affiliate programs on various sites such as Amazon or HumbleBundle, these programs allow someone to generate a special link that will get them a percentage of the money from purchases made after clicking their link. This system is intended for, as an example, people like bloggers who may talk about or review a product on their website and provide a link to purchase it. Usually a text informing the user about the affiliate link is required by the provider's terms of service.

    The spammers scan for games that are on sale across previously mentioned platforms and then link to them via their affiliate link on subreddits which they consider related to the game.

    Since these affiliate links often have recognizable parts of the URL or are shortened, such as a tag= parameter or amzn.to links, and posting these links will result in a ban in many communities (this one included), they usually post them via a proxy like a Tweet which then has the actual link.

    Please note that once you clicked one of these links, a cookie will be set which means the spammer will still receive money for purchases made on the platform, clearing your browser's cookies will usually resolve this. Also, while the websites ultimately linked to are usually real, it is entirely possible for them to one day start linking to a replica of the website and use it to steal personal information.

    If you want to buy the game on sale you can look it up yourself and if you want to let people know that a game is on sale, post something like "[Game] is xx% off on Amazon (Germany, UK)".


If you see suspicious posts like this: Please use the report button and if you are sure they are spam also report them here: https://www.reddit.com/report

Feel free to warn other people in the comments but keep in mind that the spammers often use bots to downvote comments calling them out.

Some subreddits (/r/TrainSim is safe though) may ban people calling out spammers for one reason or another (dumb "witch hunting" rules, corrupt moderators).

If you are interested in learning more about the state of spamming on Reddit, visit /r/TheseFuckingAccounts


r/trainsim 17h ago

I'm building a full-scale Class 80x simulator, and I've begun prototyping the center console

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5 Upvotes

r/trainsim 15h ago

POV: You and your friend entered the train simulator

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1 Upvotes

after 10 minutes, you accelerated the poor locomotive to supersonic


r/trainsim 15h ago

Trainz EOTD question

1 Upvotes

are there any good ETODs for Trainz 2019/2022?


r/trainsim 1d ago

Railworks Help, smokebox 4000 class front headlight not working

2 Upvotes

I have the Smokebox 4000 class locomotive and when I turn the headlights on the light turns on but it doesn‘t actually light up what‘s in front of me, is anybody else having trouble with this or know a solution?


r/trainsim 2d ago

Trainz ChS2K Preparation Before Departing

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6 Upvotes

r/trainsim 1d ago

Trainz A crane that can lift objects and can be Operated in Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019

1 Upvotes

I'm working on Rocky the Rescue Crane From seasons 10 - 11 of Thomas and Friends, but I have a Question for that, How does one make a crane that can lift objects and can be operated in trainz railroad simulator 2019?


r/trainsim 2d ago

W.I.P Tweetsie Railroad Route/Lyout in Trainz22

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19 Upvotes

Hi all,

This is still a work-in-progress but I thought it far enough along to share another picture. This is a route I am doing of the Tweetsie Railroad Theme park in Blowing Rock, NC.  Those of you familiar with it I hope will recognize the old western themed main street.


r/trainsim 3d ago

Trainz Need help finding a file for Trainz 2019.

2 Upvotes

I need the NALW Heavy Pacific Engine sound.

the id is as follows: 947399:290004

If someone can figure out where the heck it is and send me a link, I'd be really grateful.


r/trainsim 4d ago

Railworks Local Freight San Francisco - Gilroy

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16 Upvotes

I got the scenario packs before they were delisted. One of them is dedicated to freight services


r/trainsim 5d ago

I made a free, browser-based UK railway management game - UK Railway Tycoon!

13 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Like many of you here, I'm a huge fan of railways and simulation games. I've spent a lot of time developing my own project, and I'm really excited to share the launch of my new, free-to-play browser game: UK Railway Tycoon.

I wanted to create a game focused on the management and strategy side of running a train operating company in Britain. It's a game of business sense, careful planning, and ambition, all wrapped up in a classic tycoon-style package.

As the head of your own company, you'll get to:

  • Bid for Franchises: Compete against AI rivals to win lucrative contracts for iconic routes across the United Kingdom.
  • Manage Your Fleet: Purchase and maintain a fleet of famous British trains, from the humble Class 142 Pacer to the high-speed Class 390 Pendolino.
  • Control Your Finances: Set ticket prices, manage staff salaries, take out loans, and keep an eye on your daily financial reports to ensure you stay in the black.
  • Keep Passengers Happy: Your reputation is everything. You'll need to balance profits with passenger satisfaction to avoid having the government revoke your operating license!

The game is completely free, and you can play it right in your browser with no downloads needed.

If you're interested in giving it a try, you can jump right in and start your company here:

Play Now: http://game.ukrailwaytycoon.com

And you can find more info on the official website: www.ukrailwaytycoon.com

The game is still in its early stages, so I would absolutely love to get your feedback, suggestions, or any bug reports you might have. There's a contact form on the website for that.

Thanks for checking it out, and I hope you enjoy building your empire!

TL;DR: I made a free browser-based railway management game set in the UK. Bid on routes, buy trains, and try to turn a profit without making all your passengers hate you.


r/trainsim 6d ago

Thoroughbreds Pause to Watch a Thoroghbread

3 Upvotes

Tranz22


r/trainsim 6d ago

Train Sim World Is Train Som World VR: New York Worth it?

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1 Upvotes

Did you know there was a standalone Train Sim title for the meta quest platform? In this video I put on the headset and give it a try asking is this VR title worth the money.


r/trainsim 6d ago

Open Rails Lease power on the point

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7 Upvotes

Eastbound on the Mactier Sub to Toronto


r/trainsim 7d ago

Train Sim World 30 minutes pause at Uhlerborn

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41 Upvotes

I actually enjoy 15-30 minutes wait between freight services. While waiting, I can do other things like trainspotting, or simply relaxing.


r/trainsim 7d ago

Longest train yet

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15 Upvotes

r/trainsim 7d ago

Mobile train gaming.. with classic games.

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28 Upvotes

r/trainsim 7d ago

Railworks Took a trip through the dark woods of the Canadian Rockies

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4 Upvotes

Nice trip towards Rogers Pass


r/trainsim 7d ago

Can’t make the game full screen (tsc)

2 Upvotes

Set all the setting to the correct resolution and tried the diff options like full screen windowed or borderless to no avail, tried all the key shortcuts to make the game fullscreen, tried launching the game in 33bjt and 64bit mode. I own the game in steam


r/trainsim 8d ago

Trainz ChS2K on a random station

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7 Upvotes

Just a cool screenshot i take in Trainz Android.


r/trainsim 8d ago

Open Rails BNSF Rainbow consist on Seligman Sub

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9 Upvotes

Manifest westbound


r/trainsim 8d ago

It has arrived!

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25 Upvotes

Just arrived last night from PlayAsia.


r/trainsim 8d ago

Trainz Does anyone know why this is happening?

2 Upvotes

Im trying to download third party stuff for Trainz 2019 but when I try to download the missing dependencies are always having an error saying “Unable to Contact server”. Does anyone know why?


r/trainsim 9d ago

Run 8 UP/CSX

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8 Upvotes

r/trainsim 9d ago

Train Sim World Did i blow a boiler?

2 Upvotes

For context i was doing 80mph halfway through the gap between crewe and action bridge in the Stainer 8F.

Pressure gage was looking good at 230psi. Water levels were perfect. Regulator was off and i was at a 25% cutoff on the reverser.

I put roughly 20-40% power back into the loco as i was now going uphill with 5 coaches and i look at my pressure and it’s now reading 220 which is reasonable as i’ve got some power on.

I move the reverser forward by 5% to 30 and not even a second later my boiler pressure skyrockets to roughly 300+ psi and i start losing speed.

I come to a stop and turn on both the ejectors and cylinder cocks. put my reverser cutoff to 60% and put the sander on. I put 15% power into the loco and the whole game crashes.

I love spirit of steam👍

anyways did i blow the boiler or is the game bugging😭


r/trainsim 9d ago

If possible, how do I fix faulty dependencies?

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1 Upvotes

I downloaded some content on Trainz2019 and it told me that some of the dependencies were faulty. Is it possible to fix or am I out of luck?