Ive had a few ideas in my head about how to enrich the environment in BeamNG. Been meaning to dig into and test them myself but i have less time than itll take so ill post them here Might extend the list as i come up with new ones. Several static cloud layers, such as the test_clouds for horizon clouds in Utah. Maybe around three different ones for different distance clouds, to look skybox-like using Cloud Layers normal maps for TOD compliance. Sky details such as planes (and possibly birds?) using cloud layers, this should be able to replicate a plane flying across the sky? Also plane condensation trails? Simple random dust particles, leafes, flies to fill up the screen abit, add abit detail. See from 8:41 in this vid for example: also smoke from sewers and industries in for example WCUSA. Windscreen glass not totally clear when inside vehicle (less transparency, maybe dirt texture and so on), the MAN truck and the Satsuma are examples of this where i think it adds realism when i can visually see that i have a screen infront of me. Vehicles Daily driver textures to make the cars look more worn, same for race textures on race cars, exagerated but Lemans 24hours leaves its marks on the cars used. Something like what can be created using Blenders Texture Painting tool. Hirochi raceway track lights (maybe also models?)would look sweet at evening/night runs, added a few myself yesterday and it looks great (added these below the roof of he stadium at the finish line) Traffic sound; a while back i used the RX-7 mod before it had its sound normalized and when i used it as traffic it was sweet to hear it in the distance (especially racing at Hirochi). Maybe some random exhaust selection for traffic vehicles or something like that. More/louder sounds of forests and maybe for example chirping birds or crickets at ECUSA farmhouse spawn, saw noises at the saw mill, small harbor noises at the coast village harbor thing, car workshop noises at the workshop in Utah and so on. Theres most of the ideas ive had filling up my head a while, which should be possible with what exists in BeamNG right now
I agree with this, the game is missing a lot of small details and ambient features that would really change it. I also think all of the maps need some/more night time lighting, it really looks desolate without it.
