WIP Beta released A new *CITY* map - LOS INJURUS 2023-12-20

There are suburb streets, in Bob's last screenshot those are where trees are, there is more also other side of the lake.

It is not smooth and flat, stuff you see on road is not just for visuals, but roads have features.

Sewer lids are physical things which you can feel for example etc. Very much of details like that on streets.

However in last version at least there was not yet poor areas, but I hear there will be. Bob has been doing optimization rounds lately, so there is not much new stuff yet.

 

Well that's awesome, I don't have a lot of new content at the moment due to working on the models to optimize them better, for this game. This game-engine is a real CARmudgen (heh, dunno the spelling on that one) to get running properly in a city environment - but it CAN be done. It just takes a lot of trial and error (and blundering, hence the name), but progress is made. It's kind of a downer when you do so much work and it's almost unnoticeable except the fact that the frame rate is a little better (it would be much more noticeable if there was a lot more city built up, which I didn't build much of yet aside of some test scenes due to performance).

So yes, I am here, I didn't do a lot on the map this past weekend, but I am getting back to work on it tonight as I've finished much other stuff (lawn again, chop up the leaves before they collect, pull plants/TREES out of my gutter while it's warm yet, etc).
Still haven't gotten work done on my car yet, "one of these days Alice, one of these days"... We have no Fall weather here, only Summer and then it goes to Winter in like a month, pfft (@#$%)!

Should be roughly a week until I send the next beta out. I need work on an underground parking garage 1st though, that goes under 'Captain Bunsen Burner's Museum of Science Stuffs' Yeah, that. entirely. that. It's going right next to the highway across from the large white orifice office building. That's why there's a road in a depression there not far from the starting point. There will be underground access to the parking areas on both sides of that road there, and likely a subway station (the station might not make it into the beta or the tunnel connected to it, but it's on the list). I also have to build a pier where the odd square land is (and has been for years, that's what it's eventually going to be).
Also, the road over the depression has no LOD's yet. None. It renders like 50 draw-calls no matter where you are in the map and is used in a few spots. I will update it this week.

Also, question for folks that have played the beta.
DOES THE MAP NEED A BRIDGE (or two) ACROSS THE LARGE LAKE? Let me know what you think!
It would be a big fancy bridge if I was to put on in. One that goes up in the center to allow boats or even ships to pass under.

Give me some feedback on that question please!
--- Post updated ---

@¿Carbohydration?
That's an affirmative, there will be imperfect sections of roads. There's a few patches here and there but not a lot yet. Manhole covers and storm sewer drains at the sides of the roads are recessed a few inches below the surface of the road. Roads are also NOT flat, ALL roads that are made of road meshes (not 'mesh roads' like come with the game, actual objects) have cross-slope so that water would drain to the side. This helps a lot with intersection accidents, as that affects largely where the cars end up.

Back on topic, yes there will be sections of town that aren't so pretty and there's lots of open lots and rundown buildings and boarded up / derelict structures. Lots of holes/weathering on roads, etc.
Also, a note to RADEON video card users out there, this map doesn't have the glitchy black streaks from the ground-cover objects bugging out in it like many other maps do including the stock maps. I was able to fix this as I am a Radeon (RX 480) user here.
--Cheers!

 

I think that bridge is kinda logical to have there, it would save a lot of time to travel to other side and I think any city in such position would actually build bridge at some point.

Maybe some of the LUA wizards could help you make a bridge that opens when approached from waterway or something? How many movies have opening bridge and lot of tire smoke?

 

I was meaning progress on really bad roads, like the ones in the industrial section of WCA.

Edit: Posted too late, already answered.

I haven't played the beta (of course ) but how large is the large lake? Where is the location of the lake in respect to the city? Just curious...

(you might want to keep it a secret for surprise factor, but i was just wondering)

I would think a large bridge like The Golden Gate or Vincent Thomas would be cool. (Architecturally wise, not speaking about position or orientation towards landmasses or etc)

 

I would love something like that, but it's not in the foreseeable future, unfortunately, as I wouldn't know how to reliably make something like that. If someone knows how to code that, let me know. Maybe @Ghost187 would know something, as I could model the bridge (open grate draw bridge) rather well without issue. If he would know, maybe someone could ask him if he has some free time.

 

I think that it needs to be a vehicle, that is saved on map, few nodes need to be type that is not movable, then some hydros to operate the bridge. That would not be very difficult to make actually, I think, also performance should not be very badly hit if done with minimal possible amount of nodes and beams, it does not need to be deformable or such I guess.

I think that @Gamergull might know how to set trigger and LUA to activate hydro when vehicle is at certain location.

If my wrist is not hurting so bad in coming days I can give you prototype or something, but this palm/wrist pain has been quite bad recently, so holding mouse for longer periods of time has not been possible.

Anyway it should not take really long to hack some prototype up as it is just a two boxes with beams to rigidify and to use as hydros, supports and stuff.

 

The lake is in the center and the terrain is similar to GTAV's terrain, oddly (which was an accident, I used USGS California earth data).
The city will mostly completely surround the lake. I am going to try to link the lake better to the surrounding ocean vs the tiny little river that is there now with a man-made canal, or two. There will be one or two dams in the area too, and one side of the map will have what appears to be terrain surrounding it with a sky-box type backdrop of high mountains/terrain - though the sky-box part is speculative and nothing is set in stone yet.
Also have some airports to make. Lots of good things will be present.
Also, for the person who asked about betas, If people donate on Patreon, I send them links to the latest beta (about 3 weeks old at this point), usually within 24~72 hours as I only check it every few days. I am using funds on Patreon to buy assets for the map, as I can not do *everything* myself, and refuse to 'steal' assets from other games. This is a community funded project. For those who don't have much money, it's all good, as once in a while every other month, even the people who donate a buck get a beta too. However, the folks who donate 10 bucks to the project, not only get a beta, but get a beta for the following 60 days (roughly) or so. I pay monthly for Maya LT and also threw a few hundred bucks into hardware (OS upgrade to Win 7 Pro "Anytime Upgrade" to preserve my files/installed apps, more RAM, which I got used to match my set at a 60% discount VS new, as I had hit the RAM limit daily, and another SSD to hold all the data as I was out of space here). So I threw down 250$ to make sure my 2014-vintage custom tower here would keep going through the project, and 30 bucks a month for Maya since May. It's cost me quite a bit so as a person who's physically disabled, on a fixed income, I appreciate those who've taken time and a bit of cash to donate to the project. It's a project who's files I back up weekly (on and offline with disconnected HDD's), so this isn't going to be 'lost', and also I'm not about to quit after years of BeamNG modding. I even have my BeamNG install backed up in the event a new one bugs out the map.

For Youtubers, if you like doing reviews of early stuff, or enjoy using this for car crashes, as it's got some finished areas, feel free to sign up on Patreon and help fund the project (especially for car crash channel folks, this could make you some cash back if you need new maps to work with).

The map is running satisfactory in most areas, all but one. I can live with this for now and just build large lots/buildings nearby until it's evened itself out. It's lots of individual small objects that kill it. So if there's any other questions when I post this, I'll tack those onto this post.
--- Post updated ---

If you come up with anything, keep me posted, you have me on Steam list there, that's a faster response time.
--- Post updated ---
@¿Carbohydration?
I will likely have good prototype of the beat up roads out for the beta after this one, towards the end of the month.
I have a Museum and some underground parking to create at the moment, and an ABANDONED MALL you can drive through, 1st things 1st. I will need these 'beat up' roads in the area near the mall, though, as that's where it's going. Detroit folks will feel right at home in that area.

 

I see now. Maybe the skybox could work similar how Nadeox1s Sandy Mountain or the Nevada Test range, where there is a low poly low resolution terrain, so you could fly a plane for a long time without losing much immersion?

Also, as an avid fan of abandoned structures, I really like the idea as a drivable mall.
Don't forget you're good ol black mold!

Maybe some Beamng Verse parodies of long dead department stores could be included?
(Things like Woolworth or Ames)

Gonna stop asking questions or giving suggestions now, as to not sound like a prying cheese

 

Could you do a double decker style bridge like the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. Or some kind of crazy looking modern suspension bridge?

 

Game of flipper

 

Planning on a suspension bridge or some similar type of cable-stayed bridge.
If it was double-decker it would be something like train on the bottom with the road bridge on top, this is possible with the design I was going for.

Ouch, remember, the moderators do enforce the family-friendly speech on this site.
That aside, yes I'd like to use some old names I just have to do checks yet to see which ones are 'free' and no longer enforced/owned.
Yes, planning on using very low-poly terrain to surround the map and make it blend with the terrain in some manner that doesn't look like poo. This way you can continue flying for a while without the world abruptly ending.
I am considering making the map look like the 'end' of a peninsula, with terrain to one side and water to 3 sides, as it would seem to bode well for that.
I can ask Nadeox if I can use his terrain sky-box as a base (something to build off of) for this. I am careful using any content that's not mine and created by others though as this is a community funded project, for obvious reasons. I bought a professional terrain tool about two years ago, surely that will be good for something here, too. At-least that one isn't a monthly/yearly fee on top of what I am already paying.
There will be quite a few abandoned buildings you can drive in / into / through in this map. I want to add more depth than is present in most stock maps, which limits you to 'outside' only. It's 2018, those houses shouldn't be just 4 walls and a door (that never opens). You should be rewarded for exploring, not barred from it. And as always, jumps and stunt opportunities a plenty!

You guys/gals have a lot of good ideas, keep them coming.
Currently working on: The parking lot for the abandoned mall. It's huge and it's going to take hours just to tie it all together. Maybe by Wednesday evening I can have some shots out of it. It's *BIG* that's all I can say. It will take up a few blocks of space.

 

How about marina bay sands in Singapore

 

um the city is in cali…...

 

Will the city have a nickname, like how Portland (Oregon) was nicknamed "City Of Roses"?

 

City of Pain if you were going to call it anything, really. It's going to be Los Injurus, formally, part of it will be 'Del Sol County' and other part of it will be Nalgones County (just so I can slap it on the side of public buildings). First thing that popped into mind for a spanish-sounding name for a south-west US county was 'Nogales County' (which is in AZ or UT or NV or NM or some place but not Cali), then I had to think of a parody name, well that's the 1st word in spanish I could think of.

What is the BOB doing? Currently collecting textures for the mall interior. I have all the exterior textures that I think I will need.
You'll be able to drive up the escalators because all the railings will be out (yes you will fall clean off the 2nd floor if you drive carelessly). Some of the stores will have been bulldozed out already, just leaving a bare concrete floor and an open ceiling of metal with periodic holes and skylights (which will give it the light of a typical shaded area, I can work more on that later). Some parts will look more or less just like stores recently vacated. The parking-lot sections I am working on, finished one that'll be tested tonight, it's basically a slice of full-width parking-lot that will be used around the mall on just two sides (or possibly one, it'll likely be up against something large like a freeway or cliff-side but not far from major roads as normality has it being placed).

Other thoughts:

I *NEED* to find a really decent beat-up concrete road texture, or make one. I can do the striping myself, though. I may just use one of the WEST COAST USA slabs textures as a base and re-color it for aging (yellowing as normal) and do the asphalt patches with asphalt as typical. If I have a hard time making one or finding one, I will use some of the Patreon funds to buy a texture. I might be able to do something with that one highway texture I have, though, come to think of it. I don't want to buy what I can make or doctor up nicely on my own. I have to make those funds last, and not be wasteful with them.

As I stated earlier: The whole one side of the map is going to be beat-up looking like that with lots of blight and ruined / abandoned / burned out buildings. Raised railroad like Chicago has will go past some older looking ART DECO tall (30's~50's skyscraper) buildings.

I will soon try to reduce the poly-models of some of the cars to use as statics, that might be good to make it less like it's lifeless in the entire map. One of the maps (JRI or industrial?) has a rusted Gavril Grand Marshal sedan chassis/body somewhere that i'll throw in for scenery in the blighted area. JRI and Industrial should yield a few good debris models and such, too.

Road tunnels - Going to do a cut-and-cover tunnel under a small section of the city, think 'Boston big dig' style, or a city with two levels. Look up "cut-and-cover tunnel" if you're not sure what I mean, but it's like a double-decker road with service entrances to buildings below it and city traffic / business-class traffic on top. A 'Wachalovaya Spendings and Debt' will be featured here as a tall glass-covered sky-scraper (it's a bank headquarters, a parody of Wachovia, - why? - A branch employee was rude to me back in 03~04 when I cashed a 600~700$ weekly work check and so I closed my account the next day). Don't bank with them! There will be other banks like GREED UNION and LEAST FIDELITY banks, too.

In other news, a box I ordered off the interweb, is in Florida, and a hurricane is heading DIRECTLY for it, figures! Hope my box isn't sopping wet when it gets here. Derp. I pushed the order button and later looked on the Weather Channel and it's like HEY LOOK a HURRICANE popped out of NO WHERE and is barreling straight for it. Well, 'this sucks' but at-least I don't live in Florida - this is precisely the reason why, too. Grrrr. I mean it's only 20 bucks but hey, what gives?

Ah well, enough blabbing for the day, I will have pictures within 2~4 days hopefully. This is a lot of work. Will take time to test it then and eventually, a few days following, a Beta will be out for Patreon folks. Just as soon as it's done right, and functional. I can dress the mall up a little more as needed in the following weeks. It just must function otherwise it's worthless.

 

Progress progress progress...

This is 3 pieces, all identical, each one is about 5 (dual-sided) rows of parking. This will be a large majority of the parking at the mall.

Let's just say it came out a *wee bit* bigger than I had originally planned. Derp. Oh well, run with it! The less pieces the better.
The mall itself is going to go 'past' the last shot's far edges of the parking lot (the highway runs under the underpass visible in the top right of the last shot). It should be an L-shaped mall, with two levels in one half, and one level on the other side.

Custom service roads may be made (read: re-purposing existing ones to mate up to this one likely, will see if it looks good or not). It needs to look good - and it needs to look OLD(er), so more wear-and-tear and a change of concrete texture is planned. The concrete looks entirely too fresh, so I'll see to throwing a re-color of that in, to see if it works well enough. The lots also don't have sewer grates or manholes yet but those will be added along with some more deviations in the surface in the near future, so that it's not as plain.

Draw calls weren't even phased here (meaning, the way I did these, ALL the white striping BETWEEN the lanes in the last shot, on that four-lane access road, is all ONE draw call, they're all secretly connected), I did my best to copy-paste parking stall striping, stop bars, yellow line sections etc, so they're handled by the drivers/game engine in a batched manner. This way, when you have disconnected (separate) mesh surfaces, they can still be batched and handled as if they were connected, when it rendered ONE set of parking stalls, it will do 20 of them, when it renders the other set of parking stalls, it does 10. That fills them all in, in just TWO draw calls, instead of 80 (!). The curbing, likewise, is largely identical, though could possibly be brushed up a tad.

So for large buildings, and malls / large stores, etc, I will be using the heck out of this parking lot arrangement, as it took long enough to build it. Speed bumps can be added in later. They're not on the radar just yet - but will be surely added in one of these days/weeks.

So yes, it's huge, very optimized (95%), and only 1610 surfaces/3043 triangles per lot (there's 3 joined in these pictures, side to side when viewed from the nearest road). It will also have a service entrance to either side of the lot. I'm sorry there's not more to show, but, just know I am going to start building up the mall after I do some of the service roads tomorrow (I should have some time). It will be pretty rainy over the next 2~3 days and my lawn's already done, so lots of time there, too.
FWIW: All the curbs have are separate from the driving surface and extend a good 12~16 inches below the driving surface, so narrow curb faces shouldn't snack on the vehicles under any conditions. They're also sloped a bit so that cars will tend to hop up them vs losing parts and pieces (namely tires) when hitting them (most of the road curbs & barriers in the map are tapered too), however, if you slide sideways into a curb, you will still snap axles / ball joints / lose a tire - which is realistic.
Maybe I'll put a LAZARUS in the mall. I have to check that name to see if anyone still owns it.
That's it for now though.

 

I like it...i really like it..can't wait to see it released!

 

Will there be some sort of factory of a Beamverse brand, or even maybe a dealership planned?

 

awesome
heres another suggestion
a old train station turned into a intermodal hub (bus, subway, tram, intercity trains(ex:amtrak))

 

Glad you're stoked for this to come out, always nice knowing you have people rooting for you - thanks! I am trying to do the impossible and make it possible, and I finally found out how to do it right, and have spent hundreds of hours already optimizing and then re-optimizing the map. It'll even do 60fps on a 30$ Ebay used Radeon 6570 1gb on lowest detail at 1080p, or fully-playable 30~35fps on 'low' (this was before ALL optimization, so even better now!), and that is measured on a 3.06ghz XEON 35xx series, think X58 intel system with i7 at that speed, on an OEM HP board with 1333mhz system RAM. So everyone can run this in full motion, even on integrated graphics (though you might have to make settings very minimal on some systems).
One day it will be out. When more parts of the city (there's a few) are connected (highway connects but surface roads do not), even if there's nothing but open lots in between, I will see to making this public. Currently though it doesn't have enough content to warrant it's 900mb download (it's something like that, it's HUGE, it's a city worth of Data), but people who donate on Patreon get early access within a few days (I usually check two times a week, sometimes daily - it varies). I do spend up to 8 hours a day (some days as much as 12~14 hours) working on this map, at-least 4~5 days a week (I try to get no less than 40 hours per week on this). It takes a lot of my time but it's much more rewarding doing this map stuffs than it is playing games.
I am sure there will be plenty of word out when this goes live, though.

Most certainly. In the future I will be building car dealerships and the like, to make the map feel more real, and also be blending in some of the BeamNG brands to give it consistency with the developer's maps. As I previously stated, I will be also bringing some Roane County TN name-sakes back to this map, as they're part of my catalog of 30 pages of signs (mosaics, they're all mashed into one graphic, 30 different graphics worth) - including road signs and such, though I may strip the collision from the road signs.

Going to see what I can do about making some train stations. We need some. We already have subway stations (one custom single-piece station underground with an above ground building-interior (driveable) entrance to it, and one custom multi-piece station at the end of a tunnel, sunken, that's a bit draw-call eating at the moment). They're definitely on the list, rest assured. The city already has some metro train track built along with 2 miles of subway tunnel installed and fully functional (no direct lighting, but you can still see via the plentiful ambient light, this will also change in the future).

If anyone has any other suggestions or questions, feel free to throw them on the forum here, that's what it's for guys/gals.