Update Speculation thread

Good job, Sherlock

 

I only said it due to a few peoiple thinking the update would come out next month

 

Im going to do some speculation about the K-Series.
Isnt it odd that while the other ETK cars get more features and ever a remodel, the K Series still looks like the day it was released? It didnt even receive the updated gague cluster that the 800 Series got. Im thinking that whenever the K-Series gets updated, its going to get more than just a simple revamp. I also remember hearing about a V10 for that car somewhere in the game files.

 

I think all of the ETK's have badges and misc. files for other engine options, and both modern ETK's have suspiciously large engine bays compared to their largest current engine options.

The K-Series certainly is short on options compared to the other 2. I've been saying for ages that car should have a high end option with active aero, aggressive body kit, and a big engine.

 

I dont think the 800 is getting larger engines. Its a Family wagon, not even a sedan. For the K-Series, it would make a lot of sense.

 

If the K-Series gets some I'm sure the 800-Series will. They are similar cars and IRL the AMG wagons and the Panamera are fairly popular considering the segment on the whole is dying.

 

I would say fixing the existing AI nodes before trying to work on the AI itself. The only map i can nicely play with AI vehicles Is Italy.
(Mods not included)
And then just try to make the system for manual more user friendly, im happy with it how it would be for other upcoming updates.

Oh, and about the maps, i really hope they will merge port and industrial, like what they wanted to do in the first place. Port is just way too small and industrial misses a few things.

 

Uhm... whoever said that the Career Mode isn't coming until "version 1.0", that doesn't make much sense. Who would wait until jumping the version number that far before implementing a major feature which needs to be tested, updated and refined for another few months at least? Not to mention, that's not the only feature missing from the game. I'm sure devs have a long list of things they would like to try to add for a complete BeamNG simulation experience, and if Career Mode is planned to be made this year, then most of them could not possibly wait until the game is (close to getting) out of Early Access.

I think I've said this before, but if anything, Career Mode would probably be a feature in 0.18, if it isn't in 0.17, and I kind of think this might be the case; remastered maps and vehicles, World Editor 2.0, some (if not all) of Diamondback's revised driving dynamics, in-game vehicle skeleton "observer"... those are my predictions for notable features and content in 0.17. But devs always surprise us, so who knows?

 

You honestly think career mode will be a thing before the end of this month?.. Even though there hasn't been a hint of it in awhile and there's things that should come first, like the new UI.

The game is in alpha right now. Adding something as huge as career mode, no matter how far from complete it is when we get it, should be significant enough to bring the game out of alpha, which is a fair time to reset the version numbers.

 

... when did I say that? How did I say that?

I did not explicitly say that Career Mode would be present in 0.17. Maybe I wasn't clear enough when I didn't include it in my predictions for 0.17.

 

"If it isn't in 0.17 then probably in 0.18" sounds a lot like you're expecting it in either of those updates to me

 

Let's just agree it'll be coming at some point

 

May be or may not be

 

Yes, IF. When they released big blog about the past, present, and future of BeamNG.drive, which was over one month before the release of 0.6, I'm sure the lot of us thought that such a feature as Replay system (which, at that point, was "undergoing research") would not be released with it. But you know what? It was released with that very version.

And here we are talking about Career Mode, which is largely an expanded campaign with potentially more features, which was confirmed almost eight months ago now. Not to mention, the groundwork for the feature was announced in "Something is Still On the Horizon" as well. That was over three years ago. I can't really be convinced that it's such a complex feature that the slim chance it could be released with 0.17 isn't there.

 

Keep in mind, career mode might possibly come out first as a very basic and bare-boned concept, since the game is still alpha, and be expanded or totally reworked and changed until the game's final release.
Take wreckfest's career mode for example.

 

The way I see it, adding career mode before the UI wouldn't make much sense since that would have a lot of UI elements. We haven't heard anything about the UI in a long time though. If they go ahead with a rework to systems like achievements and scenarios/campaigns, those too since they are related to career mode. In other words, there's a lot of elements that should come first that themselves seem far away.

Most companies in this position would add career mode step by step, starting with some sorta beta version. Right now I don't think we have enough information to say if how far along it'll be when the steam version of the game sees it.

As for it's release, it's been said to be "soon" a couple of times now if I remember correctly. We've seen hints of it for years now, and we know internal prototypes have been tested. I am not expecting any form of career mode release until we see some sort of in game footage, any sort of "coming in such and such year" like in Over the Horizon and the 0.15 devblog and the Bremen news interview comment I'm just brushing off as someone trying to get people interested. Seems that's all the comment in the Bremen interview was and I suspect it's all the 0.15 devblog comment will turn out to be.

 

The early groundwork might get laid in .17 and .18, but I wouldn’t expect a playable career mode in the near future at all. Remember, Small Island and Port need to get revamped still, AI needs to improve, traffic needs to be implemented ,more content needs to be added, and the UI rework needs to be finished...
On another note, I hope AI pathways and waypoints are repositioned and improves when the map updates are implemented.

 

ETK 856 ttSport+ offers a 3 liter inline 6 @ 322 hp - pretty powerful for a wagon, but as far as preformance wagons go it is nothing. The Volvo V60 Polestar has 4 cilinder engine providing 362 hp.

There are plenty of ridiculusly fast german wagons out there... here are just a few examples

BMW M550d xDrive Touring with a diesel inline 6 with 400 hp
Audi RS4 has a 2.9 liter V6 with around 450 hp (which is pretty much the same output as the ETK "trackday", which outputs 451 hp from it's 3 liter inline 6)
Audi RS6 Avant has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 rocking 597 hp (Actually faster than an Audi R8?!?)
Mercedes E63S Wagon AMG with a 4 liter twin turbo V8 with 603 hp- almost double that of the ETK 856 ttSport+ which is really pretty fast to begin with.

I personally don't really see the K-series and the 800-series getting a V8 or a V10. I think it would not fit the feeling of the car, and honestly, I don't think these cars were meant to be extreme high end sport models. The "trackday" K-series further proves it- it's a modified non-factory car, meant to be as fast as possible, yet it's rocking the 3 liter i-6. If the K-series had a stronger engine option, the "trackday" would be built of off that! If an ETK car were to get a new V8 or V10, I think it should be a dedicated sports or super car such as the Audi R8 or Mercedes AMG GT.
But I think that the 800-series could get the stage 1 turbo of the K-series. 450 hp puts it right in the middle of the field in between those german ridiculus wagons.

 

You all seem to be oblivious to the fact that career mode has been a work in progress for years. If that sentence from the 0.15 blogpost is correct, this would mean that career mode was far enough along back in December for them to think that it could be ready by the end of the year.

 

Quick thought, why doesn't BeamNG have a modern muscle car? (Challenger, Mustang, ect.) I personally would have liked to see that over another older muscle car. Don't get me wrong, I love big v8 old school muscle cars, but I think BeamNG needs a more modern muscle car. 0.18 Possibly?