Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - Killrob
The current openbeta version LCV4.1.11 seems to be in pretty good shape by now. All the cool new features added in the first release to openbeta, and in the 11 patches since November 12th, definitely outweigh the quirks left in this current version.


Holiday wishes from the Automation-Beam Championships (and Nev)

The recent smaller patches also saw some significant improvements to the BeamNG Exporter, making exported cars drive more naturally and better than ever before, with major improvements to car stability at speed, too. That should be plenty of reason alone to get this one merged with the default branch at this point.

Our plans are pretty straightforward and remain as previously mentioned: after a short holiday we’ll be back early January and work on a few more patches to polish up and fix issues in LCV4.1. After that, once again, we will jump into a longer development cycle for the next major milestone update, which will be the LCV4.2. This milestone will bring the turbo revamp and a massive round of improvements to the engine and car designer game mechanics and their balancing.

The early-January patches will come to the openbeta branch first, so if you want to stay updated early, then just remain in the openbeta branch, otherwise this will be a good time to switch over and opt out of the beta. Do so by right-clicking your game in the Steam Library, Properties, Betas, and select the branch you want to change to.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! (come on 2021, at least try ;)
Cheers!
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - Killrob
Another patch, some more BeamNG Exporter love in this one!
Looking pretty good so far for being a release candidate, let us know what issues you find.

LCV4.1.11 BeamNG Exporter Changes
  • More tire tweaks, more forgiving at the limit, slightly less stiff, bit more grip coefficient tweaking to match automation.
  • Better suspension toe (more front toe in on all cars, previously had 0 front toe also a little more rear toe in on RWD, more Rear Toe Out on FWD, AWD's adjust toe with torque split. Should give much more stable and drivable handling, and livelier FWD handling. Still adjustable in setup screen, but will be an offset toe range from before.
  • Automatic default tire pressure adjustment. Will set tire pressure between approximately 24 - 45 psi depending on how heavily loaded your tires are compared to their size. Should make heavy cars with skinny tires and light cars with wide tires more drivable. Pressures can still be adjusted in setup as usual.
  • Louder turbo sounds (now actually audible!)
  • Exhaust smoke much less if you have a low emissions car (with a cat), and higher if you don't. Still scales with AFR too.
  • Exported headlights now more transparent, taillights less transparent.

If things are working out with this patch we should be able to merge tomorrow and disappear for a little while until early January.

Cheers!
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - Killrob
While yesterday's update included lots of good fixes, it also exploded some parts of the game and your cars. ːsteamsaltyː This should fix it and add plenty more good changes!

This is a release candidate version for the merger with the public default branch of the game, which we'd like to do before (or on...) Christmas.

LCV4.1.10 Fixes & Improvements
  • Major overhaul of tire stats in BeamNG, tires are now more realistic, more forgiving in slides, respond more correctly to weight transfer and slip angle. Also change more with profile, taller profile tires should be a fair bit more imprecise and squishy now. All cars should drive better with more feel. Note: Cross Plys currently aren't as different to Radials as they should be - this will get attention in future.
  • Added measuring checker texture to basic primitive fixtures
  • Removed D3D10 button from launcher, as UE4.24 doesn't support it anymore
  • Updated transparent bulbs and faceted reflectors on headlights / indicators / taillights
  • Note: due to fixes / changes, lots of materials slots changed their order and numbering
  • Fixed exporter not being able to load cars
  • Fixed cars merging and destroying each other in the designer after photoscene / exporter visit
  • Fixed trim descriptions being overwritten and reset on trim saves.
  • Fixed global paints loading as black plastic and causing materials to be overwritten
  • Fixed angle of rotation snap setting option not being there anymore
  • Fixed Utility Budget and Offroad Budget target demographic breaking the forecaster
  • Fixed trim body not being selected properly in campaign play after selection for model body
  • Fixed weird spawning multiple-car-bodies inside the same car issue
  • Fixed mirrored fixture exporting both sides when centered on body
  • Fixed profit / loss not being displayed on a per model basis
  • Fixed 2D fixtures not saving undo steps when using gizmos scale / rotate / translate / clone

Thanks to the BeamNG team for helping us with getting the new tire parameters sorted for this update!

The plans are to get the merger with the default branch sorted very soon, then to have holidays, to come back in early January with some more fixes and polish for LCV4.1. Once done, we're moving onto the next large dev cycle which will be LCV4.2!

Cheers
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - Killrob
This update serves as a release candidate for the merger of the openbeta with the public default branch of the game, something we would like to get done before the holidays! A whole bunch of important fixes in this one. Check out the patch notes below.

LCV4.1.9 Fixes & Improvements
  • Fixed fixture light settings not saving correctly (properly now?!)
  • Fixed accessibility widget not working and added hold-down functionality to it
  • Further tweaked distribution of sales to go to better-matching demographics
  • Fixed sales data showing total preorders rather than new orders
  • Fixed issues with competitor car creating AI choices for seating and gearboxes
  • Fixed inconsistent step size in mass sign off loan repayment slider
  • Fixed everything supposedly having a -100% convertible penalty (didn't affect calculations)
  • Fixed the marker awareness not being initialized correctly on the first campaign month
  • Fixed dealership settings in campaign setup, now work as base level lower limit
  • Fixed error on sign-off and month tick after first facelift of car project in campaign
  • Fixed various Lua errors being spammed in the background in the engine designer
  • Fixed bug where factories wouldn't produce more despite having lots of preorders
  • Fixed market volatility setting in not being hooked up correctly
  • Fixed the fixture gizmo hide state resetting when selecting another fixture
  • Small performance optimizations for cars and fixtures
  • Added 0% margin warning to car projects
  • Fixed BeamNG Exporter issue with auto-locker diffs
  • Fixed exported cars not having some kind of assist (TC) causing BeamNG errors

We have some more fixes in the pipeline that will be coming with tomorrow's patch.
Cheers!
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - Killrob
A big update to the openbeta of the LCV4.1 that brings all kinds of good fixes and improvements, including some love for the BeamNG Exporter that will make driving a lot better! There are some additional changes coming for that very soon too, but thanks to these changes and the recent revamp of the tires in BeamNG, driving Automation cars is better than ever.


With lots of effort, it is possible to make crazy interiors! (crafted by doofus)

We also have some big fixes for campaign issues, finally fixing the unintuitive sales distribution. Have a look at the full changelog below!

Note: The first version of 4.1.8 had an issue with the BeamNG Exporter that now has been fixed. Make sure to get the game updating to get the hotfix.

LCV4.1.8 Car Designer Changes
  • Added description field for trims in final testing page
  • Added emoji support for descriptions (for everything but engine family / variant)
  • Moved the Design Room level selection to the options menu
  • Adjusted positions of the fixture UI buttons for better usability
  • Paint UI now automatically shows advanced or simple UI depending on paint settings
  • Fixed fixture light setting changes not saving
  • Fixed drag-cloning a fixture moving the original slightly in some instances
  • Fixed camera to focus on car when creating a new car model or changing model body
  • Fixed displaying invalid body slots in fixture paint selection
  • Fixed photo manager level unloading when exiting from the pause menu
  • Fixed fixture paints resetting when spawning the same body twice in photo scenes
  • Fixed extra intakes spawning until an exhaust is selected
  • Fixed basic paint UI not correctly showing selected colour / flake / shine
  • Fixed advanced paint sliders only displaying 1 decimal value and not accepting inputs
  • Fixed (potentially) cause of car body filters losing text / icons / logic
  • Fixed changing model body not updating the mesh / chassis settings until picking trim body
  • Fixed clicking rotate on the gizmo on the mirrored fixture side flipping the fixture
  • Fixed gizmo resetting to scale when clicking off and back to a fixture

LCV4.1.8 BeamNG Exporter Improvements
  • Numerous tweaks to beamng export parameters for fixture materials
  • Added horns to exported cars
  • Now using the new ESC/TC system created by DiamondBack
  • Gear diffs are now 1-way for FWD, 2-way for RWD, and 1- and 1.5-way for AWD
  • Improved torque / locking settings on LSDs
  • Added auto locker, and torque-vectoring diffs (electric in Automation)
  • Fixed that some LSDs in AWD cars create magical extra power
  • Fixed some beams not being created symetrically
  • Fixed grille alpha issues with car exports
  • Fixed cloth material not exporting correctly

LCV4.1.8 Campaign Changes
  • Fully revamped company prestige and reputation calculations
  • Added factory automation level stat to engineering page list of factories
  • Fixed bug with distribution of sales, not taking into account penalties (body, seats, etc.)
  • Fixed some factories being locked to not updating their minor tooling when at 0
  • Fixed viewing yearly financials within the news sections not pausing the game
  • Fixed campaign setup competition slider jumping weirdly on first click

Once again, many more fixes and improvements are on our ToDo list. Thank you all for posting about the issues you are finding, that is very helpful in making the process of polishing this version up quicker (especially when steps to recreate the issue are provided ;).

Cheers!
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - [CAMSO] Caswal
Killrob is having a nice long weekend away with his family, so I (Caswal) have been given the keys

In this little hotfix we address a few issues that popped up with 4.1.5 or were still present in it. Another avenue of potentially nuking your creations was closed and the material issues seen with mods should now be fixed. Here is the changelog:

LCV4.1.7 Hotfix Changes
  • Fixed issue where 'Lost Sales' due to too small of a dealerships, accumulated month to month rather than resetting. Causing massive sales, pre-orders and bizarre behaviour in the campaign.
  • Added Increasing the Trim Price will now cause you to lose pre-orders, in a non-linear fashion.
    Fixed engines not clearing their meshes when creating a new engine from the engine selection UI in the car designer.
  • Improved family UI disable/enable logic.
  • Added a more obvious Cancel button to engine selection UI in car designer
  • Added percentage of desire for car body type on demographic tooltips
  • Fixed advanced colour picker value slider working incorrectly.
  • Fixed Mod fixtures have invisible parts, and disappear when changing materials
  • Fixed Layering doesn't seem to work properly with mod fixtures
  • Fixed Company Prestige and Reputation not being loaded by the Market Calculation
  • Removed engine flywheel till it is implemented properly.
  • Fixed Headlight functionality (hopefully)

As always, many more issues on our list and much more to come in terms of improvements too!
Cheers
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - Killrob
In this little hotfix we address a few issues that popped up with 4.1.5 or were still present in it. Another avenue of potentially nuking your creations was closed and the material issues seen with mods should now be fixed. Here is the changelog:

LCV4.1.6 Hotfix Changes
  • Fixed issues with materials not displaying correctly, especially with mods
  • Fixed exiting campaign causing various lua errors
  • Fixed engine aesthetic controls not working in campaign
  • Fixed specific issue with cars exploding when going from photo scene back to the designer
  • Fixed wrinkle height paint slider being inversed
  • Added tooltip to company prestige and reputation in hub
  • Added photo mode button to the Car Museum

Again, many more issues on our list and much more to come in terms of improvements too!
Cheers
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - Killrob
With this new openbeta patch, we have some big under the hood improvements and fixes. One of the most commonly pointed out bugs, where cars spawned inside each other, was fixed.

LCV4.1.5 Fixes & Improvements
  • Big backend change: threaded SQLite transactions, and non-blocking market calculations
  • New faster system for exchanging data from Lua to UI
  • Added new glass material to fixture material lists that shares car window transparency
  • Fixed car bodies not despawning correctly in the car designer
  • Fixed campaign end screen not showing car data
  • Fixed project selections for factories not displaying buttons to select facelifts
  • Fixed sandbox car and engine managers not correctly disabling buttons after deletion
  • Fixed steering not resetting when leaving the photoscene
  • Fixed SteamAPI initialization, BeamNG exports not having Steam Nickname applied
  • Fixed startup loading screen errant references, faster initial load of loading screen
  • Fixed the red outline around 2D rocker cover text
  • Fixed dashboard fixtures getting breakable tag in BeamNG
  • Fixed engine covers for a 5-valve V12 reading 50 valve instead of 60
  • Early Access prompt will only show once per game version now
  • Fixed gizmo not showing up on placement of first fixture
  • Fixed stock months indicator in campaign hub calendar
  • Fixed tooltip for trim numbers on calendar, displays preorder change and total
  • Fixed out-of-range sensitivity values for sliders on fixture UI
  • Fixed (potentially) bodies not highlighting sometimes when mousing over body paint slots
  • Fixed (hopefully) a few common game crash reasons

Many more fixes and improvements to come to LCV4.1!
Cheers
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - Killrob
Big fixes to the lighting and another big overhaul of usability is coming in this update, along with several important fixes. Here is the changelog:

LCV4.1.4 Fixes & Improvements
  • Big fixes and improvements to design room and photoscene lighting
  • Many more fixes to light functionality
  • Various improvements to the fixture gizmo
  • Added some rollcage parts and exhaust pipes to 3d fixtures
  • Implemented optional angle snapping for fixture rotation
  • Made clicking nothing when a fixture is selected cause deselection
  • Slowed down gizmo scale/move/rotate speeds a bunch
  • Fixed "Mod Loading Warning" falsely showing on startup
  • Fixed not being able to spawn the same car more than once (3rd time's the charm!)
  • Fixed various materials showing incorrectly
  • Fixed the gizmo not having different colors in blind mode
  • Implemented optimized data handling backend, partly used in campaign hub

Still plenty on our list, but we do hope the rather broken feeling 4.1.3 is well behind us with 4.1.4.
Cheers!
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game - Killrob
In this patch we have more important fixes to the fixture system and UI for you, along with one of the major last missing bits of the campaign changes for 4.1. The latter is changing the calculations around factory refreshes and factory build / retool times, both becoming shorter.

Please Note: Lighting is broken in the 80s design room, colors are messed up. For now, use a different design room until it is fixed.

  • Tweaked fixture gizmo functionality and visuals, still WIP
  • Fixed fixture gizmo sizing issues
  • Lots of visual adjustments to taillights, still WIP, but much improved
  • Likely fixed nasty issue where cars in same photoscene swapped fixtures
  • Fixed same car not being possible to spawn twice in a photoscene (really now)
  • Fixed not being able to place fixtures after spawning another car in a photo scene
  • Fixed wings / spoilers placement on the sides of cars
  • Improved lighting in photoscenes
  • Full revamp of factory costs, build times, and refresh mechanics
  • Fixed issue where engine facelifts cause car factory production to half or reduce significantly
  • Fixed ordering flipping on campaign calendar when in "Show All" Mode
  • Fixed calendar current time (red vertical line) being covered by other calendar elements
  • Fixed locking of fixtures not working
  • Fixed 80s body being at the bottom of body selection
  • Fixed exporter issue turning transparency = 0 windows white
  • Fixed the compression slider updating the whole engine, causing jitter
  • Fixed engines not picking a default valve cover when built

Many more things to tweak and fix in the coming days and weeks.
Cheers!
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