BeamNG.drive - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Graham Smith)

Bending, twisting, crumpling, crunching metal. That’s what BeamNG.drive [official site] offers in its current incarnation. What started as a physics prototype that rendered cars with soft body physics has gained the .drive suffix to its name and is on its way towards becoming an ambitious, robust driving simulator, with umpteen cars, tracks and an an open world mode.

For now, the joys of BeamNG are what they always were: crashing two or more objects together and watching them split apart in glorious detail. What the additions so far have brought is something unexpected: the fear> of crashing two or more objects together.

… [visit site to read more]

BeamNG.drive - BeamNG


You can also read this update in our blog.

Features:
  • Added a mod manager - more info here: http://www.beamng.com/threads/14209
  • Dashboard is now hidden in the UI Editor, making it easier to position elements
  • Spacebar now binded to handbrake
  • Improved Xbox controller inputmap
  • Slightly faster bindings search
  • Show last used binding in Controls menu, for quick access
  • The virtual filesystem (responsible for zip loading) is now case insensitive. This improves backward compatibility a lot.

Bugfixes:
  • Improved backward compatibility for old mods a lot: case insensitive filenames in zips and dynamic mounting into the correct place if the vehilces/ or levels/ folder are missing inside the zip
  • Disabled advanced debug text drawing by default
  • Fixed inability to use certain keys for bindings (e.g. space bar)
  • Fixed Steam taking screenshots with random keys
  • Fixed inability to modify a binding twice in a row
  • 'Revert' binding button works again
  • Prevent duplicated bindings in several situations
  • Added user path fallback if the user path is not writeable
  • Fixed VSync on startup
  • Removed unneeded sound providers for now, fixes the XAudio_.dll error.
  • The launcher will now check if DirectX is installed properly instead of the program failing with "The application is unable to start correctly"
  • Fixed DirectX error messages while in fullscreen: were behind the game
  • fixed launcher backing up the log files and creating empty folder when there was nothing to back up :|
  • Disabled automatic writing of updates of materials.cs files when a material is not found and generated on the fly: fixes the random levels/ and vehicles/ folders in the user path
  • Fixed Force feedback being broken on certain hardware: It tried to send forces to the keyboard ... :| (seriously, FFB on a keyboard?!)

Content:
  • Fixed Skycurve 2 sorting
  • Added various missing preview images
  • Converted flares to .dds texture format for performance increase
  • Jungle Rock Island: Progress on roads
  • 200BX: Added "custom" config, ABS for higher trim levels, strut bar, custom wheels & improved bumper deformation
  • Sunburst: Fixed incorrect collision triangles, improved bumper deformation, improved a-pillar deformation
  • Grand Marshal: Improved bumper deformation, improved a-pillar deformation
BeamNG.drive - BeamNG


You can also read this update in our blog.

Features:
  • Added a mod manager - more info here: http://www.beamng.com/threads/14209
  • Dashboard is now hidden in the UI Editor, making it easier to position elements
  • Spacebar now binded to handbrake
  • Improved Xbox controller inputmap
  • Slightly faster bindings search
  • Show last used binding in Controls menu, for quick access
  • The virtual filesystem (responsible for zip loading) is now case insensitive. This improves backward compatibility a lot.

Bugfixes:
  • Improved backward compatibility for old mods a lot: case insensitive filenames in zips and dynamic mounting into the correct place if the vehilces/ or levels/ folder are missing inside the zip
  • Disabled advanced debug text drawing by default
  • Fixed inability to use certain keys for bindings (e.g. space bar)
  • Fixed Steam taking screenshots with random keys
  • Fixed inability to modify a binding twice in a row
  • 'Revert' binding button works again
  • Prevent duplicated bindings in several situations
  • Added user path fallback if the user path is not writeable
  • Fixed VSync on startup
  • Removed unneeded sound providers for now, fixes the XAudio_.dll error.
  • The launcher will now check if DirectX is installed properly instead of the program failing with "The application is unable to start correctly"
  • Fixed DirectX error messages while in fullscreen: were behind the game
  • fixed launcher backing up the log files and creating empty folder when there was nothing to back up :|
  • Disabled automatic writing of updates of materials.cs files when a material is not found and generated on the fly: fixes the random levels/ and vehicles/ folders in the user path
  • Fixed Force feedback being broken on certain hardware: It tried to send forces to the keyboard ... :| (seriously, FFB on a keyboard?!)

Content:
  • Fixed Skycurve 2 sorting
  • Added various missing preview images
  • Converted flares to .dds texture format for performance increase
  • Jungle Rock Island: Progress on roads
  • 200BX: Added "custom" config, ABS for higher trim levels, strut bar, custom wheels & improved bumper deformation
  • Sunburst: Fixed incorrect collision triangles, improved bumper deformation, improved a-pillar deformation
  • Grand Marshal: Improved bumper deformation, improved a-pillar deformation
BeamNG.drive - BeamNG


You can also read this update in our blog.

Features:
  • Added Brake Proportioning Valves
  • Improved AI's path planning
  • Custom filtering allowed to all kind of controls instead of only axis
  • Automatically switch to manual gearbox when possible if using a hardware shifter (G27 and alike)
  • Improved Vehicle Selection

Bugfixes:
  • Fixed a problem causing the game to launch in a higher resolution / refresh rate than the display supports
  • Fixed V-Sync option not working properly: previosuly your windowed framerate could be higher than the fullscreen one. Please check if your vsync is on/off now.
  • Fixed a problem with the forest causing stuttering gameplay
  • Improved imposters generation
  • Added non-writable user path fallback: If the game cannot write to "My Documents" it will choose a folder relative to the installation folder as fallback
  • Fixed water reflecting debug objects
  • Fixed a problem causing the 'Controls' screen to become unresponsive or lag
  • Fix for scroll in the FFB's window for smaller resolutions
  • Fixed a bug causing Steam to take screenshots with keys not set to do that
  • Fixed chat usernames not working

Content:
  • Jungle Rock Island: More progress
  • Bolide: Improved dashboard deformation
  • Sunburst: Various fixes and improvements
  • Covet: Fixed collapsing suspension, improved roof stiffness
  • 200BX: Improved roof stiffness and various durability tweaks
BeamNG.drive - BeamNG


You can also read this update in our blog.

Features:
  • Added Brake Proportioning Valves
  • Improved AI's path planning
  • Custom filtering allowed to all kind of controls instead of only axis
  • Automatically switch to manual gearbox when possible if using a hardware shifter (G27 and alike)
  • Improved Vehicle Selection

Bugfixes:
  • Fixed a problem causing the game to launch in a higher resolution / refresh rate than the display supports
  • Fixed V-Sync option not working properly: previosuly your windowed framerate could be higher than the fullscreen one. Please check if your vsync is on/off now.
  • Fixed a problem with the forest causing stuttering gameplay
  • Improved imposters generation
  • Added non-writable user path fallback: If the game cannot write to "My Documents" it will choose a folder relative to the installation folder as fallback
  • Fixed water reflecting debug objects
  • Fixed a problem causing the 'Controls' screen to become unresponsive or lag
  • Fix for scroll in the FFB's window for smaller resolutions
  • Fixed a bug causing Steam to take screenshots with keys not set to do that
  • Fixed chat usernames not working

Content:
  • Jungle Rock Island: More progress
  • Bolide: Improved dashboard deformation
  • Sunburst: Various fixes and improvements
  • Covet: Fixed collapsing suspension, improved roof stiffness
  • 200BX: Improved roof stiffness and various durability tweaks
BeamNG.drive

Cars are hard. BeamNG.Drive may have just crashed onto Steam Early Access this week, but I don't get the feeling that the driving will get any easier. It's not that the controls are bad, it's actually the exact opposite. BeamNG.Drive probably has the most realistic driving of any car-based game I've played, so when I tried to play it like a videogame, things went predictably poor. Watch the video above to see how poor.

I could noticeably feel the difference between heavy cars and light cars, between a stock engine and a souped up one. I was confused why driving over simple speed bumps would tear my car to pieces, until I realized I was trying to drive over them at 60+ MPH—a feat completely achievable in a game like Grand Theft Auto 5, but near suicide in the real world. It took some time for me to adjust to how the game wanted me to play, but once I did I found there was actually a deeper level of control over what I could make the cars do. Nothing felt unintentional or unexpected about the driving, just very precise with a high learning curve

Fair warning though: while BeamNG.Drive is currently a fun sandbox game, it is definitely an Early Access game. There are only a handful of levels, no form of progression, only a couple of sparse game modes, and a whole suite of other missing features. The sound is particularly lacking, as there isn't any music, and the car sound effects are clearly placeholders. There is enjoyment to be had here and the softbody collisions can be really incredible to watch, but don't go into BeamNG.Drive expecting a finished game, as its Steam page says it is at least 12 months from being feature complete.

But if you already have BeamNG.Drive in Early Access, share pictures of your most glorious crashes in the comments below.

BeamNG.drive - BeamNG



You can also read this update in our blog.


We've just released a patch addressing some common issues and crashes :)

Bugfixes:
  • Fixed backward compatibility of mods: name.cs file is used now as well as the part configs are working now. Also removed 'unknown' category.
  • Fixed startup default resolution possibly too big for screen
  • Fixed screen stuttering in scenarios: Avoiding redundant state changes in rendering
  • Adding missing runtime DLLs for launcher in case the vcredist failed to install properly
  • Fixed missing default unit system: defaults to imperial now
  • Fixed problems with the theme colors
  • Fixed a crash involving missing decals
  • Upgraded LuaJIT version: lots of fixes, fixes some Lua memory problems
  • Fixed issue with xinput where it showed strange messages about missing DLLs to users
  • Fixed crash on particles upon context switch
  • Fixed crash on inability to write the imposter texture to disk
  • Fixed vehicle "types" are populated from the actual vehicles.
  • Fix for an issue with fullscreen toggling
  • Fixed an issue with the vehicle cache
  • Improvements to key binder
  • Added brake information for wheels in GUI streams
  • Increased the speed of the clutch

Content:
  • Improved performance on JRI by roughly 10%
  • Completed a new stretch of road on JRI
  • Added new dirt road textures to JRI
  • Added new vegetation object to JRI (alternate species of the filler)
  • Updated old barriers on Derby
  • Hatch: fixed incorrect deformation of windshield cracks, suspension improvements, pbrake shudder reduced
  • Added "vehicle-filter" to UI selector
BeamNG.drive - BeamNG



You can also read this update in our blog.


We've just released a patch addressing some common issues and crashes :)

Bugfixes:
  • Fixed backward compatibility of mods: name.cs file is used now as well as the part configs are working now. Also removed 'unknown' category.
  • Fixed startup default resolution possibly too big for screen
  • Fixed screen stuttering in scenarios: Avoiding redundant state changes in rendering
  • Adding missing runtime DLLs for launcher in case the vcredist failed to install properly
  • Fixed missing default unit system: defaults to imperial now
  • Fixed problems with the theme colors
  • Fixed a crash involving missing decals
  • Upgraded LuaJIT version: lots of fixes, fixes some Lua memory problems
  • Fixed issue with xinput where it showed strange messages about missing DLLs to users
  • Fixed crash on particles upon context switch
  • Fixed crash on inability to write the imposter texture to disk
  • Fixed vehicle "types" are populated from the actual vehicles.
  • Fix for an issue with fullscreen toggling
  • Fixed an issue with the vehicle cache
  • Improvements to key binder
  • Added brake information for wheels in GUI streams
  • Increased the speed of the clutch

Content:
  • Improved performance on JRI by roughly 10%
  • Completed a new stretch of road on JRI
  • Added new dirt road textures to JRI
  • Added new vegetation object to JRI (alternate species of the filler)
  • Updated old barriers on Derby
  • Hatch: fixed incorrect deformation of windshield cracks, suspension improvements, pbrake shudder reduced
  • Added "vehicle-filter" to UI selector
BeamNG.drive - BeamNG



You can also read this update in our blog.


version 0.4.0.2 (hotfix #2):
Bugfixes:
  • fixes graphics card containing a whitespace at the end of their name reloading the settings every frame resulting in unchangable settings, bad performance and randomly moving tacho
  • fixed vehicle selector not scrolling correctly
  • added missing runtime dlls for the launcher in case the Steam installer fails to install them correctly
Content:
  • added missing UI app thumbnails
  • JRI optimization

version 0.4.0.1 (hotfix #1):
Bugfixes:
  • Don't run the x64 exe if on Windows less than 7 SP 1

version 0.4.0.0 (steam early access release):
Features:
  • Major work on the UI: lots of new things and bugfixes
  • Added scenarios
  • Configurable force feedback settings
  • Remember last window size when toggling fullscreen
  • Dynamic steering for keyboard
  • Filtered input for gamepad - Linearity, smoothing, spring
  • Improved default inputmaps for G25/G27
  • Prefab features: Ability to add decalroads into them, Global positioned prefabs
  • Added new tacho based on SVG (see tacho.svg)
  • Re-introducing AI Flee mode using the new AI mode (see AIControl app)
  • Added new race UI features: some apps, improved preset support, reset button in uiedit mode
  • Improved sand and mud groundmodels
  • Added vehicles' glass reflections
Bugfixes:
  • Improved display of level and scenario selection
  • Fixed cursor hiding when over interface
  • Fixes on DecalRoad's having incorrect UVs
  • Fix potential crash on x64 due to bad pointer cast
  • More objects exposed to Lua properly now making them usable in lua
  • Fixes crashes on 32Bit vs 64Bit pointer problems
  • Fix window problems after docking mode (windows and cursor keys)
  • Fixed T3DLua printf not trying to interpret format tags and filling it with garbage
  • Clouds, Forest, Water and Grass now use simulation time: it slows down with the game properly now
  • Removed the old, laggy T3D Cursor that was showing by chance sometimes
  • Fixed random crashed on 64Bit due to png library problem
  • Fixed a crash when full screen have not focus during level load
  • Fixed luasocket sandbox not working properly
  • Add msg for alert users about some incompatible apps with game in fullscreen mode: Bandicam, etc
  • Allow precipitation to have 0 drops (and so disabling it)
  • Improved Lua crash reporting: it writes the stackdump to the log upon crashing now
  • Inut: Fix nonlinearity, fixed input events leaking to the inputmap, FFB options, Disable FFB while the user is using UI
  • Fixed input focus between the UI and the game: now working on click instead of mousemove
  • Input filtering for scenarios: now possible to filter out events so they are not usable in there
  • Fixed big problem on non-ASCII characters and the UI and game interface: special characters should display properly now
  • Fixed inability to create inputmaps from scratch
  • Improved FPS limiter
  • Lua extensions can now have more than one argument
  • Fixed UI Focus problems
  • Water reflection now only uses dynamic reflection or static cubemap, not both as before
  • Options now have an order, not randomly anymore
  • Fixed loading screen up
  • Manual waypoints are preserved: no optimization of the map code of them
  • added vislog for removed nodes: ui apps > aicontrol > vislog
  • Fixed issue with audio provider
  • Fix to allow static objects to use instance color
  • Old automatic waypoint generation disabled
  • Added ability to load custom part configs on scenario start
  • Vehicles no longer reload twice when choosing preset (loading time now faster)
  • Fixed a problems when packing prefabs
  • Cursor hiding when rotating camera
Content:
  • Updated some assets' textures
  • Minor improvements to some assets on Gridmap
  • Various updates to Small Island
  • Various updates to Industrial
  • New props (Haybales, Saw Horse Barrier, Traffic Tube, Wall)
  • JRI - added more forest
  • Bolide: suspension geometry changes, steering and FFB improvements, new tires, fixed fenders' color
  • Hatch: brake balance, steering lock improvements, scrub radius tweaks, suspension improvements
  • 200BX: headlight shake fix, drift version upgraded to race brakes, reduced drift tire grip, added rollcage and widebody kit weight
  • T75/65: tire and steering tweaks, fixed drivetrain breaking too easily
  • Van: FFB improvements, shake reduced, detailed V8 engine added, fixed engine clipping, added liftkit, updated decals
  • Pickup: suspension improvements, steering speed adjusted, bed more stable for object interactions, tuning, Added box
  • Sunburst: brake disc, wheel spacing, suspension tuning, improved FFB, swaybar tweaks, Reduced and tweaked weight, restored lost sunburst normalmap detail
  • Grand Marshal: reduced shaking, fixed damaged break light texture
  • Moonhawk: tire tweaks, reduced shake, mesh improvements, added door glass
  • Window reflections and broken glass textures for all vehicles
  • Fix for dragCoef causing low top speeds
  • Improved ground models: reduced gravel friction, increased grass friction
  • Added static cubemaps to levels for lowest lighting
  • Added grass particles
  • Hirochi Raceway: updated preview images, added chalk markings for scenarios
  • East Coast USA: Improved textures and materials, vegetation
  • Industrial preview images updated
  • Added rally start and finish gates
  • World editor: Added navigraph visualization to view "AI path" (also scenario debug in there), Decalroad selection improvement (can now select the top road over others), Template feature for decalroads, drivability to DecalRoad editor (for AI), Removed "scripted" tab and other useless items, Streamlined world editor object list (defaults to current level, ignore cache folder), Advanced Text rendering in the editor: now non-overlapping and with background. To disable: F11 > eye icon > advanced text
  • Lighting fixes and improvements for all maps
  • Tweaked tire screech sounds threshold

Stats: 1349 SVN commits
BeamNG.drive - BeamNG



You can also read this update in our blog.


version 0.4.0.2 (hotfix #2):
Bugfixes:
  • fixes graphics card containing a whitespace at the end of their name reloading the settings every frame resulting in unchangable settings, bad performance and randomly moving tacho
  • fixed vehicle selector not scrolling correctly
  • added missing runtime dlls for the launcher in case the Steam installer fails to install them correctly
Content:
  • added missing UI app thumbnails
  • JRI optimization

version 0.4.0.1 (hotfix #1):
Bugfixes:
  • Don't run the x64 exe if on Windows less than 7 SP 1

version 0.4.0.0 (steam early access release):
Features:
  • Major work on the UI: lots of new things and bugfixes
  • Added scenarios
  • Configurable force feedback settings
  • Remember last window size when toggling fullscreen
  • Dynamic steering for keyboard
  • Filtered input for gamepad - Linearity, smoothing, spring
  • Improved default inputmaps for G25/G27
  • Prefab features: Ability to add decalroads into them, Global positioned prefabs
  • Added new tacho based on SVG (see tacho.svg)
  • Re-introducing AI Flee mode using the new AI mode (see AIControl app)
  • Added new race UI features: some apps, improved preset support, reset button in uiedit mode
  • Improved sand and mud groundmodels
  • Added vehicles' glass reflections
Bugfixes:
  • Improved display of level and scenario selection
  • Fixed cursor hiding when over interface
  • Fixes on DecalRoad's having incorrect UVs
  • Fix potential crash on x64 due to bad pointer cast
  • More objects exposed to Lua properly now making them usable in lua
  • Fixes crashes on 32Bit vs 64Bit pointer problems
  • Fix window problems after docking mode (windows and cursor keys)
  • Fixed T3DLua printf not trying to interpret format tags and filling it with garbage
  • Clouds, Forest, Water and Grass now use simulation time: it slows down with the game properly now
  • Removed the old, laggy T3D Cursor that was showing by chance sometimes
  • Fixed random crashed on 64Bit due to png library problem
  • Fixed a crash when full screen have not focus during level load
  • Fixed luasocket sandbox not working properly
  • Add msg for alert users about some incompatible apps with game in fullscreen mode: Bandicam, etc
  • Allow precipitation to have 0 drops (and so disabling it)
  • Improved Lua crash reporting: it writes the stackdump to the log upon crashing now
  • Inut: Fix nonlinearity, fixed input events leaking to the inputmap, FFB options, Disable FFB while the user is using UI
  • Fixed input focus between the UI and the game: now working on click instead of mousemove
  • Input filtering for scenarios: now possible to filter out events so they are not usable in there
  • Fixed big problem on non-ASCII characters and the UI and game interface: special characters should display properly now
  • Fixed inability to create inputmaps from scratch
  • Improved FPS limiter
  • Lua extensions can now have more than one argument
  • Fixed UI Focus problems
  • Water reflection now only uses dynamic reflection or static cubemap, not both as before
  • Options now have an order, not randomly anymore
  • Fixed loading screen up
  • Manual waypoints are preserved: no optimization of the map code of them
  • added vislog for removed nodes: ui apps > aicontrol > vislog
  • Fixed issue with audio provider
  • Fix to allow static objects to use instance color
  • Old automatic waypoint generation disabled
  • Added ability to load custom part configs on scenario start
  • Vehicles no longer reload twice when choosing preset (loading time now faster)
  • Fixed a problems when packing prefabs
  • Cursor hiding when rotating camera
Content:
  • Updated some assets' textures
  • Minor improvements to some assets on Gridmap
  • Various updates to Small Island
  • Various updates to Industrial
  • New props (Haybales, Saw Horse Barrier, Traffic Tube, Wall)
  • JRI - added more forest
  • Bolide: suspension geometry changes, steering and FFB improvements, new tires, fixed fenders' color
  • Hatch: brake balance, steering lock improvements, scrub radius tweaks, suspension improvements
  • 200BX: headlight shake fix, drift version upgraded to race brakes, reduced drift tire grip, added rollcage and widebody kit weight
  • T75/65: tire and steering tweaks, fixed drivetrain breaking too easily
  • Van: FFB improvements, shake reduced, detailed V8 engine added, fixed engine clipping, added liftkit, updated decals
  • Pickup: suspension improvements, steering speed adjusted, bed more stable for object interactions, tuning, Added box
  • Sunburst: brake disc, wheel spacing, suspension tuning, improved FFB, swaybar tweaks, Reduced and tweaked weight, restored lost sunburst normalmap detail
  • Grand Marshal: reduced shaking, fixed damaged break light texture
  • Moonhawk: tire tweaks, reduced shake, mesh improvements, added door glass
  • Window reflections and broken glass textures for all vehicles
  • Fix for dragCoef causing low top speeds
  • Improved ground models: reduced gravel friction, increased grass friction
  • Added static cubemaps to levels for lowest lighting
  • Added grass particles
  • Hirochi Raceway: updated preview images, added chalk markings for scenarios
  • East Coast USA: Improved textures and materials, vegetation
  • Industrial preview images updated
  • Added rally start and finish gates
  • World editor: Added navigraph visualization to view "AI path" (also scenario debug in there), Decalroad selection improvement (can now select the top road over others), Template feature for decalroads, drivability to DecalRoad editor (for AI), Removed "scripted" tab and other useless items, Streamlined world editor object list (defaults to current level, ignore cache folder), Advanced Text rendering in the editor: now non-overlapping and with background. To disable: F11 > eye icon > advanced text
  • Lighting fixes and improvements for all maps
  • Tweaked tire screech sounds threshold

Stats: 1349 SVN commits
...