Update Speculation thread

I 100% agree, especially with the performance part, but I think that another point is that for a 2x2 km map (or 4x4, or 1x1, it doesn't matter), there's limited space, and the map has to contain a whole list of features in that limited space. Now, if the map is "Hirochi Raceway", it would make a lot of sense that it's main feature is a raceway. but for "East Coast USA", I'd say it doesn't really make much sense to have a giant raceway.
Controversial opinion here: I also feel the same thing about West Coast USA [&], I think that the racetrack should've been it's own map and the area taken by the racetrack could better be used for other stuff. That's just my own opinion though, WCUSA is awesome regardless. (I still might make a mod to replace the raceway with more city or forest off-road stuff one day)

 

agreed, it takes up alot fo space for what i always assumed would have been better suited as large airport or maybe sports stadium as the centerpiece, nontheless, the racetrack is pretty cool

 

I think you're very correct in saying that the real problem would not be getting the curves modeled correctly, but getting them to deform in something approaching the proper way.

You're definitely correct in stating that data is hard to come by - while crash testing supposedly goes all the way back to 1934, it wasn't the institutional affair it is today - U.S. government-sponsored crash tests only began in 1978. Everything before that was either carried out by automakers or independent institutions. Footage of these is hard to find.

But it's not impossible. It's often just hidden away in a collection somewhere.

Occasionally an automaker will trot out some photos or even some short video clips to highlight a long history of safety. I think that there could be some valuable data to be found in their archives - I know at least some companies keep a heritage center or museum active. Reaching out to those might be a good start.

There's also old racing and movie footage to consider. I think out of everything, there might be enough to cobble together enough info to pull from.

 

There's still quite a lot of space in WCUSA for an Airport, at the far West side, behind the new tunnels shown in the picture. New exits could be created specifically for the Airport in these tunnels plus, next to them, there's an obscure on-ramp entering the expressway (just below the yellow circle) which came with the 0.21 WCUSA Update and could be used as the departure road from the Airport.

 

That's interesting, i never noticed those

 

yeah, although i always imagined that part would turn into more of a coastal getaway part, i think the signs in the tunnel there that would be for the exit calls it 'Something Beach' or 'Something Palm' or some other warm sounding place
the one up by the mountains could be possible, or it could lead to some sort of nature park, either way the name would fit
if it ever did get an airport (call me pessimistic but i doubt it will) i feel it would be on the other side of the city, where the current highway construction is, since its a direct route to and from the city centre using the on/off ramps for the highway, it also would seem to have a good chunk of wide open space there

 

I could see the layout of the airport being similar to San Francisco, where the runway leads to the ocean. I also would like to see the island used. It could be a mansion district, with bigger houses and some wineries.

 

Yep, I had noticed that obscure on-ramp (and that space overall) right from the first day I played the 0.21! I was heading towards the expressway through the downward tunnel and, as I was exiting it, my vision noticed the K-Rails to the right, right next to the tunnel exit!

You are absolutely right. Besides, the right exit of the upward tunnel says '⬇️San Amaro↘️' which sounds like a fitting name to a sunny coastal place with a driver's delight mountain trail above it. Plus San Amaro is already marked with a sign at the preceding exit, before the bridge (picture No.2), and 12mi/19.32km seems like a doable distance between the sign and the actual place. And the aforementioned obscure on-ramp can be used as an exiting point from that coastal place.
The left tunnel exit, on the other hand, says '⬇️Agave Trail⬇️' and it probably goes to the trail starting/ending up just before the turnaround tunnel (which was closed prior to the 0.21 Update) and starting/ending up at the intersection at the back end of the Mount Wallis (aka the drifters' paradise), behind the Raceway.

Speaking of the Mount Wallis, it seems like it's gonna get its own tunnel exit sometime because there already is a tunnel path for it in the aforementioned turnaround tunnel, marked with the 'Mount Wallis↘️' lit label.
At this point of this turnaround tunnel, the other way has no labels at all, which makes me wonder about what place in the map could use the opposing side exit.

The sign you say is about the Caslida Beach and it's on the outside loop road next to the downward tunnel (the downward tunnel has no lit labels in it because it has no side exits). And judging by the fact that it's quite far away from the point shown in the 5th picture (76mi/122.36km), it feels like this is a spot lying at the other end of the map, where you said the Airport could be. And your hypothesis is more logical than mine as that area is massive and underdeveloped. The tunnel of that area, below the Redwood Forest, has no off-ramp coming from the empty part of the expressway and it certainly can have one. The mountains on the opposing side, just outside the Belasco City, can be moved a bit in order to make room for the 'BCIA' (Belasco City International Airport), the Caslida Beach can lie a bit further behind the Airport, the Airport runways can end to that side of the ocean (above the Caslida Beach) and the abruptly ending expressway on that end can be made into a large ring with multiple side exits/entries (BCIA exit/entry, Expressway Turnaround exit, Caslida Beach exit/entry, Belasco City exit/entry - if anything, the Belasco City exit/entry of the ring can replace that small soil/gravel/oil rig turnaround path between the off-ramp of the expressway and the on-ramp of the intersection next to the bridge and the Lens Flare Studios and the small piece of road leading to that on-ramp can become a one-way, just like it was intended to)!

If anyone knows better, feel free to help us about the current points of the map!
--- Post updated ---

That's exactly what I initially imagined although that space seems more appropriate to a small, picturesque costal getaway place with a heavenly road for driver's cars (like Car8John said and I developed the idea a bit further) because it can look great combined with the forest lying there.
Also yes, the Island has a great potential. It can have some ultra-luxury mansions with wineries, some bus stops, a train terminal, some beaches with ultra-luxury beach houses scattered throughout the rocks on the sea and it can also have a great coastal loop road instead of that small and boring turnaround tunnel spoiling the fun.

 

You know you’ve got some good speculation when I can’t understand what you’ve said but I know it’s a good idea. I’m going to read that again and then make a map of this hypothetical updated WCUSA. Does anyone happen to have an overview of it?

PS, if a map were to be remastered, I’d much rather it be Italy. WCUSA is really good, but Italy has issues, most notably trees tending to eat you.

 

Thank you! Refresh your page and have a good read at it, because I just edited it once again to add something extra I hadn't thought up until now! And I'll be waiting for your map!

I have no request for Italy other than the PBR texture upgrade.

 

It's not as good as HD video, but there's still an abundance of photos of car wrecks from the era. They don't come with the context of motion, but filling in some of the "how it happened" details shouldn't be too difficult for most of them.

Hell, if the devs have their stereoscope at the ready, there are even references that are almost better than a photo

 

Hate to break the bad news, but the "empty area" is out of the 2048x2048 zone. So only models can be used there, not terrain. In other words, using that space is very limited in it's potential. Take the island the bridge leads to, that's also out of the zone, and you can see the island is... not very detailed, should we say. there's a reason the bridge leads straight to a tunnel inside the island and you can't drive on the island.

It's possible, but as said before- there's some real limitations. (no option to add grass, janky island model designed to improve performance, not be drivable, and a whole bunch of stuff) making it possible but difficult

 

You can drive on both these areas, as well as the area on the other side, outside of the Redwood Forest, where we say the Airport can be. Plus these map zones (like the 2048x2048m you said) aren't standardized, meaning they're open/subject to changes at any moment.

 

Is resizing the only way though? Can some terrain be added outside? Hmmm...

 

I can't find the photo or the YT video right now, but If I recall correctly someone found a old video of some BeamNG devs at a indie game conference (I think), and they were showing the attendees what they've done so far. And as part of their slideshow presentation, they showed a drawn 2D map of I'm guessing is what WCUSA was supposed to be like from the start. It's a shame that we got a smaller version of the map and not the "full" one if you will. Hoping that one day the dev's are somehow able to work out performance issues and either make it a separate, more detailed map or simply add onto the existing WCUSA map.
--- Post updated ---
Found it

 

I believe it can be done because let's not forget about the turnaround tunnel that was closed right up until the 0.21 Update (and that has no lit signs as I said): it's out of the map yet the devs added it as a content upgrade!

 

The tunnel uses a mesh, rather than the terrain system.

 

Id argue West Coast Usa cant be remastered, since it was never finished.

Also, since the development and release of West Coast Usa, Italy was been released, at a staggering size of 16km^2, four times the size of West Coast USA’s 4km^2. A terrain of that size would be perfect to finally realize the potential of West Coast Usa, and, if any attempts at completion are made, it would be best for a fresh start altogether, to start over on the much larger sized terrain.