If you are a fan of Farming Simulator 15, then you’ve probably already heard about the new DLC which was released on Thursday, 10 March for PC. I had mixed feelings about this new DLC when I heard about it. First, while I love the JCB DLC pack that came out last year. I was really disappointed in the IT Runner DLC. So much so, I initially passed on the New Holland DLC pack (I still need to review them here) but did finally purchase as I felt I could/would use them on my farms. But as I began hearing about the Holmer DLC and seeing pictures of them I did jump to conclusions and in my mind immediately compared it to the IT Runner and sort of decided I would give it a pass. After all, I really didn’t need another DLC pack of equipment collecting dust. Plus with FS2017 coming later this year….well, you get the point.
This morning as I was getting my Thursday morning off to a roaring start in the office, I decided to quickly check YouTube and see if any of my favorite farming YouTuber’s had released a video review of the new Holmer DLC. Low and behold, BradM73 had released a fantastic review showcasing the new DLC. As I enjoy harvesting sugar beets and also want to better utilize the massive amount of liquid manure my farm has accumulated, I decided to purchase the Holmer DLC. I’ll give it a proper test this evening and will certainly provide an update on my overall experience in the coming days.
Until then….please enjoy this wonderful video review from BradM73 and you can decide if the Holmer DLC is something you’ll add to your collection.
I must be 100% honest. While watching many of the Twitch streamers on Wednesday, 2 March 2016 (the release day) I had almost convinced myself to give this game a pass. At least for now. My reasoning for this was due to the fact that I just didn’t feel the game was 100% ready for prime time. But today I noticed they have pushed a patch out to address some of the performance issues many experienced on day 1 and while I don’t know with any degree of certainty know if all the issues regarding performance have been fully resolved, the action of the developer to listen to the customers and perform some optimization has convinced me to give the game a try.
A little fine print before I get started with my review. First, I’m an independent and non-professional blogger. Meaning, I am not earning any revenue (subscriptions, donations etc.) from my blogging or streaming activities. Second, I purchased Bus Simulator 16 via the Steam store and paid the same amount of money that any one else would pay. So my feedback is that of an unbiased customer who has no obligation to anyone other than those who read my blog or view my Twitch Live Streams. Having said all that, allow me to provide you my review.
After having spent a few hours playing Bus Simulator 16, I must say that I still believe this game needs more work. Actually, a lot of work! But first, let me get back to my game play. I purchased, downloaded and install Bus Simulator 16 on Thursday, 3 March. To date, I’ve invested a total of 5 hours (per Steam), but another 2 hours mucking about trying to get my Logitech G27 wheel and pedals to work. As I had mentioned in my post yesterday about this game, I had watched several live streamers on Tuesday (release day) who I know were using Logitech G27 wheels and pedals, and they made no mention of any issue. As a matter of fact, I even remember one well known streamer applaud the game developers for making it so easy. So you can imagine my surprise when after I installed the game, launched it and began to work through the process of configuring my G27 that I ran in to roadblock after roadblock. Basically the game would fully recognize the wheel and all buttons. But it simply would not recognize the pedals.
To make sure something hadn’t happened with my G27, I fired up American Truck Simulator and all worked fine. I then launched Farming Simulator 2015 and yep…all worked fine. For the heck of it, I even launched Euro Truck Simulator 2 (fully knowing what would happen) and yep…I wasn’t disappointed. It worked! Then back to Bus Simulator 16 and no worky. Grrrrr
It seems as if all user support is being handled via the Steam Discussion section. So I did some searching and found I was not alone. Many others had been pulling their hair out as well in trying to get the pedals working. Some of the info provided was as follows:
The need to have both the newest version of the Logitech gaming software installed and the older 5.10.x version. Now keep in mind that those of us using the G27 need the older 5.10.x version as the newer 8.x version is not for the G27 hardware and will not recognize it. But somehow, Bus Simulator 16 needs a .dll from the new version to assist with Force Feedback issues. Ok…so I installed the new version and tested. Still no worky.
Finally, further down in the discussion threads I found that with the G27 (perhaps other controllers as well) that having the option for “Combined Pedals” enabled in the Logitech Gaming Software will cause Bus Simulator 16 to not detect the G27 pedals. However, as those of us who have the G27’s know…games like ATS, ETS2 and Farming Simulator 15 need this option checked or they don’t work. From what I have read in the forums, more games require this option versus those that don’t. So I guess it is a bit of a head scratcher as to why they setup Bus Sim in this fashion.
OK…now with that resolved, let’s play Bus Simulator 16. As I mentioned earlier, I have 5 hours of game play. I feel this is substantial enough to provide a “First View” and as the game is still new…I want others to have the opportunity to read this review as soon as possible. I will post follow up articles as I continue to accumulate more time in the game and of course as (hopefully) patches are released to resolve some of the problems plaguing the overall game play. To my knowledge, one patch has already been pushed out to address various performance and functional issues. All time spent playing the game has been with that patch installed.
Things I like
Language Support – I truly applaud Stillalive Studios for making this game multi-language. While the game developers are German and the game play takes place in a fictional city in Germany, they have done a great job in supporting other languages.
Entrepreneurial Simulation – It’s possible Bus Simulator 16 is more of a simulation of running a bus company than it really is about driving a bus. But of course, you get to do that too. The game play requires you to purchase additional busses, hire drivers and establish efficient routes. As you play along the city rewards you by granting you access to additional parts of the city.
Mod Support – I believe without this important piece, this game would quickly die. These types of games take on a completely different life when the mod community starts working their magic. By allowing mod support from day one, it will allow for a lot of game customization that the developers just won’t have the time or ability to perform. Once the mods start rolling in, I believe the level of excitement for the game will also increase and that will be a win-win for all parties.
Modern Feeling – Unlike OMSI 2 which depicts bus service in Spandau in 1986 and 1994, Bus Simulator 16 has a more modern appearance.
Learning as you play along – Taking the tutorial which is offered at the start of the game is both comical and informational. Plus in order to unlock certain things in the game, the process makes you paint a bus, apply decals etc. Just play the tutorial and you’ll laugh and learn all at the same time.
Performance – I can’t attest to what the in-game performance was like before the patch was released. But I can tell you that my gaming system (with my new 980Ti) doesn’t even work up a sweat with this game. While I think there is room for improvement, it hasn’t performed in such a way that I couldn’t play and enjoy the game.
Things I dislike
GPS Map Rotation – This is HUGE. While your bus is equipped with a GPS SatNav device (a tablet on the dash). The arrow which indicates the position of the bus does not function correctly. The map doesn’t auto-rotate and it can be a bit confusing as to which direction you should turn. While it can be worked out with a little patience…with everything else you need to look out for when driving (AI Cars, AI People) etc. This simply just needs to be fixed by a patch.
Steering Wheel Support – As I shared before, better support for our wheels and pedals is not only appreciated, it needs to be a requirement. With all other driving games that I know of requiring “Combined Pedals” to be enabled in the Logitech gaming software, just patch this game to also require that and we’ll all be happy. Also, why should I be required to install a set of drivers for a version of a Logitech product that I don’t own?
No TrackIR Support and poor camera support – I was somewhat late in using TrackIR for most of my simulation games. I’ve only had my TrackIR unit for about 18 months. But in that time I’ve grown to use it in Flight Sim and ETS2/ATS. Yes there are times I don’t use it, but I very much like the fact that the functionality is there. But there is no TrackIR support in Bus Simulator 16. Surprisingly, some of the comments from the developers tend to lead me to believe it will not be high on their priority list. This is unfortunate because the in-game camera view system is also very disappointing.
No other AI busses – I’ve spent 5 hours driving around my little virtual city and I’m the only bus on the road. I see cars, I see the occasional police car and those bloody ambulances….but no other busses. I just looked outside my office window and within 2-3 minutes I saw three city busses drive by.
In-Bus Events (passengers standing in the way of the door) – OK…this is really getting old. Occasionally, as driver you’ll need to go to the back of the bus because a passenger is standing (just standing) in the doorway entrance. I wouldn’t mind if this type of event occurred once in every 3-4 hours of game play. But experiencing it more frequently is more of a pain in my opinion.
Multiplayer doesn’t mean what we think it should mean – The game features what is called multiplayer functionality. You can invite your friends to drive your established bus routes which will help you grow your business at a faster rate. But you won’t see your friends driving around in other busses. So multiplayer isn’t really what we think it is or what we’ve come to know it to be. When I think multiplayer, I think flying an airplane on VATSIM or the MP servers for ETS2 and ATS, or even the multiplayer functionality of Farming Simulator where you can invite friends into the game to help you farm your land. That is Cool….this….not so much!
Advertising and Art Work – The advertising banners and art work included in the game is some pretty weak sauce. Makes the game feel like it is geared towards children. I completely understand issues with licensing and copyright infringement. But the advertising banners provided in the game look nothing like advertising banners. The developers could have spent more effort and come up with some nice looking banners, using fictional company names instead of what they provided. Of course, the modding community is already working hard to provide real life company banners and better art work. Thank you!
Human AI looked better in Second Life when it debuted in 2003. I did play Second Life for about 5 minutes back in 2003 or 2004 when it first came out. The human AI in Bus Simulator 16 is pretty bad…but it is better than OMSI 2.
Is it really a Simulator? I have a very narrow definition of what makes a game become worthy of the term simulator. While many of the elements are there…so many just are not (at this point in time).
Price – Perhaps with everything I’ve pointed out, the price is a bit high. Especially if you compare it to say American Truck Simulator at $19.99 versus Bus Simulator 16 regular price of $24.99 (currently on sale at $22.49). While I realize there are some differences between what ATS offers and what Bus Simulator 16 offers, ATS is far more aligned with the definition of a simulation based game than Bus Sim 16 (at this time).
GPS/SatNav really needs work.
Not sure what we are advertising on our bus roof, but they are bringing in $2000 per week.
This idiot was just standing in the door way. When I asked him to move, he tells me he didn’t realize he was in the way.
My final thoughts. I’ve been blogging about simulation games and my personal activities and game play in these simulation based games for over 5 years. I truly hope that in this span of time I’ve provided more help, direction, tips and general insight into these games through this blog than to use this blog as a mechanism to complain and be negative. I realize I’ve pointed out a lot of areas that I feel fall short of a game being called a simulator. I’m not picking on this game or singling it out. I truly hope that in time (sooner rather than later) I can return to the subject of Bus Simulator 16 and be able, without any hesitation say…this is truly a simulator. But right now, this games falls really short of using the word simulator in the title.
Going forward, other than to hopefully report on some good news regarding patches to Bus Simulator 16 and to showcase cool mods, I’m really not sure how much content I’ll be able to provide. As it currently stands, the game really doesn’t lend itself to provide detailed adventure type stories the way I do with the Trucker’s Logbook for ATS/ETS2 etc. But we’ll see.
Well…that really is all I can come up with for now. I’ll hammer away at Bus Simulator 16 more over the weekend and try to grow my bus empire.
Until next time…
When you step on the bus, please have the exact change and take a seat.
The invention of the wheel (circa 3500 BC) was an incredible turning point in the history of civilization. The edition of the Logitech G27 setup has also been just as incredible with regards to my game play with Euro Truck Simulator 2. As I had previously mentioned in this blog post, I recently ordered the Logitech G27 steering wheel and TrackIR both arrived from Amazon and I wasted no time in getting the G27 setup. As I had used the Logitech Xbox type controller (F310) for several weeks accumulating over 30,000 km driven, 35 deliveries, over 35 real hours playing the game spanning some 59 virtual game days….I wanted to first get used to the G27 controls before I installed and started using the TrackIR.
The unboxing, install/setup of the G27 was quick and easy. If you don’t already own a Logitech device, you’ll want to make sure you install the Logitech software available here. I also found this YouTube video to be extremely helpful and saved time in getting everything setup and working as intended. The G27 requires one USB connection to your gaming PC and requires a connection to AC power (via the supplied AC power adapter). The accelerator/brake/clutch along with the gear shift console all plug into the base of the wheel. Once you get all the cables connected, the wheel and gear shifter consoles then clamp down to the desk surface. The setup in ETS2 couldn’t be easier. Refer to the YouTube video I mentioned earlier.
While I certainly enjoy the extra immersion factor this setup provides, the main benefit I’ve found is much smoother drive/steering control than what I had experienced on the Logitech Xbox type controller I had been using. With the Logitech F310 controller, I would steer with my left thumb but found the act of turning was not natural in look and feel and very choppy. With the G27, the action of turning is smooth and the same experience as in driving any vehicle (car, truck etc.).
The great thing about the G27 are all the programmable buttons. I’m using the right/left paddle shifters to control right/left turn signals and have programmed the smaller buttons on the steering wheel to handle cruise control functions. Finally I’ve setup the many buttons on the gear shift device to handle other frequently used options such as headlights, wipers etc.
I’m also enjoying the manual shifting options this setup allows. Again the immersion factor this setup provides to the simulation is fantastic. As I’ve previously held a class A CDL (commercial drivers license) and have driven large trucks, I can say that while the G27 shifting setup is not that of a large diesel truck…it is the best setup for the price. Of course, you can also setup ETS2 for automatic transmission driving.
Again, I plan to spend a little more time with the G27 setup before I introduce my new TrackIR. I’m also looking forward to configuring the G27 with Farming Simulator 2015 as well.
If you have been thinking about adding a steering wheel controller to your ETS2 game play, the Logitech G27 is a great choice and I believe you’ll enjoy it.
As I posted yesterday, Saitek is due to announce today the pre-order process for their add-on hardware for Farming Simulator. The development effort was a team effort between GIANTS (developer of Farming Simulator) and Saitek (well known developer/manufacture of gaming equipment). Unfortunately, the news which broke yesterday from Saitek left more questions than it provided answers. There was no mention of cost or product availability. But I’m sure this information will all be provided today when the pre-order process opens up.
I wanted to share a few brief thoughts before I actually learn of the cost/availability for the product. I’m writing this article early on Thursday morning with the expectation the pre-order process will launch sometime today as Saitek indicated yesterday. So here goes…
First, I think this announcement and partnership between Saitek and GIANTS is good news for the Farming Simulator franchise. Regardless of the cost, quality etc. of the Saitek product….I don’t think Saitek would waste their time to spend $$$ in R&D (research and development) to bring a product such as this to market if they didn’t feel there would be some longevity to the Farming Simulator franchise beyond FS2015.
Second, from the picture included in yesterdays email announcement, I’m not really sure what to make of the overall quality impression that image leaves me with. To me it just doesn’t look like it will be priced in the range of say the Logitech G27 ($240 USD per Amazon). It also doesn’t appear to be of the same level of quality as the Logitech product.
Third, it most likely won’t function with other driving type games. Also, at the present time it is unclear if this is for PC only or if this device will also function with the console platforms. So again the price point can’t really be anywhere near the G27 for it to be successful.
Drum Roll Please…..
The announcement has just hit and here are the details….
The full kit (including steering wheel, pedals and vehicle side panel is $299.99. The Steering wheel and pedals only is $149.99 and the side panel only is $149.99. See the Saitek website for pre-order info. It looks like general availablilty of the product is Fall 2015 and this is ONLY for PC and Mac. You can read all the specifications here (no need for me to type it all again).
The price of this is somewhat surprising to me. But if the units are plug and play, ready to go and all truly function the way the information claims then perhaps it is justified. After all, even if you purchase the Logitech G27, you still need to purchase a joystick to get the same functionality. So this may really just be geared for the hard-core farming simulator enthusiasts who don’t tend to play other driving games or don’t mind having multiple driving setups for different driving games.
Will I buy this product? Right now the jury is still out. I’m going to think it over, spend more time reading through all the information available and also wait until after next weeks E3 Conferencein Los Angeles where Saitek states the hardware will be on display. Unfortunately, I will not be attending the conference, but hopefully there will be some coverage of this product available somewhere.
In closing, while we know a little more today than we did yesterday. At this point we’ll have to wonder just how easy or difficult the setup will be. If the setup is “plug and play” then I would say…HUGE BONUS for this product. Time will tell. Perhaps Saitek would consider sending me a demo unit to try? I’ll ask as all they can say is no. But then again, I’m not that well established in the FS2015 blogsphere. But I’ll ask anyway.
I’m curious if anyone else is planning to pre-order tomorrow? I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what the pre-order price will be. But I will admit that I’m curious about this and may just pull the trigger.
What about you?
If you were not aware of this announcement, then follow this link and sign up for their email mailing list. This is all I did a few weeks ago. Hopefully you’ll receive the email tomorrow announcing the pre-order process is live.
Once I find out all the details on pricing and timeframe for availability, then I’ll post another blog posting (most likely tomorrow)
Finally, check out a brand new community geared towards all things simulation (including Farming Simulator). It’s free to join and we’d love to have you. The new community is called PC-SG. Stop by and say hello.
If you tell any hardcore flight sim enthusiast that Microsoft FSX, Prepar3D or even X-Plane is just a game, they’ll tell you that YOU are wrong. Flight simulation is NOT a game, it is a simulator. But can the same be said about Farming Simulator 2015?
I started my virtual farm endeavors about three months ago. In this span of time I’ve learned much about virtual farming. I’ve farmed on the default maps using just the default “in game” equipment and I’ve experimented with mod maps and mod equipment. Just like Flight Simulator, Farming Simulator is greatly enhanced by all the add-ons or mods (modifications) which are developed by those who enjoy the world of virtual farming. In my opinion, the key success to the Farming Simulator franchise is the mods. Take them away….and I believe the game goes away as well.
The topic of this blog posting is whether or not the software application Farming Simulator 2015 is “just a game” or whether it is is more…
In the short span of time I’ve been writing blog articles devoted to Farming Simulator, I’ve made many references and comparisons between Farming Simulator 2015 (FS2015) and Flight Simulator (FSX/P3D etc.) Of course, each application represents something completely different from the other.
Now I’m sure some Harvard educated individual with a PHD might tell you the key differences in what makes up a simulation versus “just a game”. For me, (and my non-PHD education) I’ll just say that I consider a simulation as a tool to provide some level of instruction, guidance, training etc. Or more simply put, through participation and study with the simulation…knowledge, skill and perhaps luck is gained which “might” be applied in the real world.
But wait….I’m not saying that having flown a Boeing 737-800 in P3D will automagically allow me (or anyone else) the ability to fly the aircraft in the real world. I’m simply saying that through repetitive use/practice AND the appropriate real world training/instructor program, one could go from FSX to a real world pilot. The same could be said with experience on the VATSIM network (VATSIM is the virtual air traffic ATC for the flight simulation hobby). Because VATSIM is mostly based on real-world procedures, a teenager who spends most of his teen years developing his skills controlling on VATSIM could (if they have the interest) take that experience into the real world and become an air traffic controller. I actually know several real life examples of this happening. Same with pilots…
So…back to Farming Simulator. Is it just a game? Or could it be more?
Again, with about 90 days of experience I would say it is both. Or perhaps allow me to rephrase and say it certainly could be both. Like with Flight Sim, if someone is using the application to simply fly around and not caring about process and procedures, then probably to them it is just a game. However, to someone who properly flies the aircraft, who follows the correct procedures and can safely navigate from point A to point B and safely land…then they probably consider it a simulator or simulation.
Now in all honesty, Farming Simulator (and the equipment available to use) is somewhat lacking with respect to allowing better simulation and immersion. Comparing it once again to FSX or P3D (and especially with regards to some payware aircraft), FS2015 is truly lacking. In FS2015 there really is no negative impact to how one drives a tractor versus flying the A2A Cessna (as an example). There also really is no negative impact with weather and one can drive all over their planted crops and no damage will be caused to either the crop or the equipment.
But….could someone like myself (a middle-aged, IT Professional) spend time with FS2015 then go out and purchase some land, purchase some equipment and become a farmer? I’d say absolutely yes. But I remind you of my background which I shared in my first posting. While today I’m a middle-aged IT Professional, in my past I spent four years in high school gaining agriculture experience through the FFA program. I raised livestock. I’ve driven tractors and I also once held a class A commercial drivers license (CDL) in the Great State of Texas. But I realize I’m the exception to the rule. But I do believe some value could be gained and applied from FS2015 to the real world. So yes…Farming Simulator 2015 can very much be considered a simulation and that is how I refer to it.
Regardless of how you view Farming Simulator 2015 (Game or Simulation), it is wonderful fun and I enjoy it very much. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go harvest some wheat and feed the cows.
Things have been busy down on the farm. In an earlier post, I mentioned having some small challenges I was dealing. These challenges were with regards to the overall stability of the Farming Simulator 2015 application. I couldn’t understand why the crashes were occuring. The PC I run FS 2015 on is fully capable and it was just rebuilt a few weeks ago. To be very honest, I’m not really sure what the root cause was. I just know that I did manage to resolve it and the sim has been 100% stable for some 20+ hours of game play. In short, I reinstalled Farming Simulator 2015 and removed all installed Mods. I also began game play on a brand new map (or new map to me). I’m currently farming on Ringwoods 1.7.1 and am very happy with both the layout of the map and the stability and performance of the game play. Ringwoods is essentially the default Westbridge Hills map, but much improved and redesigned. There is so much to do on this map that from time to time I feel overwhelmed. As the name implies, there is a lot of logging opportunities on this map. Perhaps one day I’ll give logging an honest try, but for now I’m just not that impressed with how it all works. Perhaps this is a subject for another blog post. Now on to the topic of the day…
I learned about the Courseplay mod some time ago. I had watched a few YouTube videos and read much commentary about the mod in various forums setup to support the community. While I didn’t immediately dismiss the mod, I wasn’t really sure I would use it. After all, I enjoy performing many of the tasks required in Farming Simulator 2015 myself, but I also realize that running a large farm (or certainly hoping it becomes large) can’t be done with just one person. So I installed the Courseplay (CP) mod and began experimenting.
One of the first tasks I setup was having Courseplay handle the movement of Silage down at the BGA. A very helpful YouTube video got me started in setting up the default wheel loader to handle almost two full silos of silage I just created. Being able to use Courseplay to automate this task will allow me to do other things on the farm, while the hired help assists in earning a lot of money in the sell of the silage at the BGA. The task of setting up Courseplay to empty the silo is a little more advanced than some of the other CP tasks, once you get it setup not much will go wrong. Meaning there isn’t as many challenges to over come with traffic and collisions you may experience with other tasks. Just with this first CP setup, my competent worker generated almost two million dollars by moving/selling silage. Cha-ching…brand new equipment. I like…I like!
The next task I setup for Courseplay was hauling grain from my farms silo to the various sale points on the map. Setting up CP to handle this task was super simple and it works really well. All you need to do is drive from your storage silo to the sell point allowing CP to record the course. Then you save it and activate it to allow your hired worker to help generate even more revenue for your small farm.
To be honest, I figured this would be the extent of my CP setup (at least for now). But I then watch a few YT videos on using CP to automate the emptying of the combine and transporting that material back to the farms silo. Again, to be honest…this was not an easy process. It’s not difficult to do, just a bit of a pain (you know where) with dealing with traffic, collisions with trees and all the bloody fences on the Ringwoods map. Now what I’ve found through a lot of trial and error (mostly error) is CP appears to work a little better (especially with all the fences in Ringwoods) when you setup the combine course starting in the Northeast corner, heading South with two headlands in a counter clock wise rotation. Again, for me this seems to limit the number of collisions my hired help seem to make when running into fence posts, trees and most importantly…each other.
While it’s not perfect, I also know that Courseplay itself is also not perfect. Of course, I’m not a developer and it’s easy for us to play “armchair quarterback” in these situations. But what I find a bit mindboggling is CP does a pretty darn good job controlling the combine. But CP tends to struggle in controlling the other vehicles working in conjunction with the combine on any given field. Now I’ll also admit that I’m not sure how Courseplay works. But I would assume in combine mode, the combine would be (or should be) the master vehicle and it would (or should) control all the other vehicles. It calls for the other tractor/trailer vehicles to approach for offload AND as it is master, it knows where it is in relation to the map and also knows where the other vehicles are. When an approaching tractor/trailer comes too close to the combine, then CP should make sure the tractor/trailer navigates clear of the combine. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Many times the tractor hauling the tipper gets too close to the combine and both get stuck in traffic. Again, the combine obviously knows where it is on the map and the combine knows where it is going to go next. All other CP controlled vehicles should yield to the combine.
With regards to the fences and trees…..well I don’t think I can fault Courseplay. CP knows the field dimensions and setting up the combine to perform two headland cuts does provide plenty of buffer zone for both the combine (especially with the 41’ header) to perform its maneuvers and for the most part allows the supporting vehicles (tractor pulling tipper) to maneuver. I’ve found when I create the route the tractor/tipper follows from the field to silo, that if I make the start/stop points as close to the field as possible, it leaves plenty of room for the tractor/tipper to maneuver without a collision to a fence or tree. At least in theory….
In closing, perhaps some of the issues Courseplay has with tractor/tipper collisions with the combine is due to the poor drive physics in FS2015. Fortunately within CP you can adjust speeds. Based on info I’ve seen in various YT videos I’ve set my field speed to be 20 mph and may even bump it down to 18 or even 15 to see if that helps. I’ll let you know.
If you are looking to automate more of the tasks on your farm, then the Courseplay mod will certainly help. The current stable version of Courseplay is 4.01 and is available from theCourseplay website. If Courseplay helps you (and it will), then please consider making a donation/contribution to the developers of this wonderful mod. You can donate via their website.
That is all for today. I need to tend to the cows, sheep and chickens now. Plus the wheat on field 17 won’t harvest itself. At least not without me getting the process started with Courseplay.
I first purchased and played Farming Simulator 2015 (Steam version) a couple of weeks ago. As I stated in my welcome post earlier, I’ve spent the past 30 years playing computer based flight simulation programs. I started out on the Commodore 64 version which later became the popular Microsoft Flight Simulator and today I pretty much fly the new Lockheed Martin Prepar3D (P3D). Of course, it takes quite a beast of a PC to run flight sim and all the various add-ons I use for as much immersion as I can get from the software. My setup truly is “As Real As It Gets”.
So when I purchased, installed and began my experience with Giant’s Farm Simulator 2015 I was impressed. Wait…actually…I was REALLY Impressed! While I won’t tell you the software doesn’t have issues and opportunities, I will tell you that out of the box the level of detail, the level of immersion is perhaps better than I have with P3D, Orbx etc. and my PC (a pretty hefty machine) just purrs like a kitten when running Farm Simulator 2015 at the highest graphic settings available in the game. This is very cool as it takes me many, many, many hours to get FSX or P3D setup the way I want it. Of course, in all fairness to flight sim….P3D (even at version 2.5) is still very old in game/program standards and is lacking the flexibility of a 64-bit application.
Farming Simulator 2015 has both a 32-bit version and THANKFULLY also a 64-bit version. As is the case with both FSX and P3D (Flight Sim), they are both 32-bit applications and are limited by how much total system RAM they can access and use. Regardless of the amount of RAM installed in your machine, a 32-bit application will only access 4GB. Again, regardless if you have 8, 16, 32 or more GB’s of RAM….a 32-bit application will only leverage up to 4 GB of that RAM and if it exceeds 4GB of VAS (Virtual Address Space) it will crash. With a 64-bit application (like Farming Simulator 2015), it is not restricted to just 4 GB of RAM. It can (and will) stretch its legs out and a system with 8, 16 or more GB of RAM will work well. Now what I don’t yet know about Farming Simulator is whether it utilizes more of the GPU or CPU. Perhaps it load balances, but FSX and P3D are both very much CPU intensive. Which means even if you throw down the cold, hard cash and put a 3-4GB video card in the system, FSX/P3D will still hammer the CPU and barely touch the GPU. OK enough about Flight Sim.
As I stated, I’m truly impressed with the experience of Farming Simulator 2015. What separates a game from a true simulation is the immersion factor and I feel the level of immersion is very high with Farming Simulator 2015. The landscape, the equipment, the crops….the stalks of barley and wheat look amazing. To get to this level with flight sim you must spend a few hundred dollars on add-on scenery. With Farming Simulator 2015, this comes out-of-the-box. Awesome….
Regarding tractors, trucks and other machinery….well they are simply beautiful. At the present time, the amount of DLC (payware add-ons is somewhat limited), but this isn’t an issue as the default or in-game equipment looks stunning. Also, after a few hours of field work the equipment will get dirty and muddy. Not to worry, a few minutes with a pressure washer (available as a placeable object) and they equipment looks like it did when brand new.
As time goes by, I’ll provide more content along with some screen captures showing my farm adventures. In the mean time, if you think you might be interested in doing a little farm simulation of your own. Then please check out the official Farming Simulator website and also this extremely helpful Gaming Guide website which provides very detailed explanations into how to get started with your very own virtual farm.
The invention of the wheel (circa 3500 BC) was an incredible turning point in the history of civilization. The edition of the Logitech G27 setup has also been just as incredible with regards to my game play with Euro Truck Simulator 2. 
