First of all, haven't been around for a while, and i didn't had a chance to test the new physics and stuff.. now that i did, i gotta say: BLOODY FANTASTIC!
The cars feels so much real now, it is unbeliavable, i am so thankfull for this, really, great stuff.
All i wanted to say is that with some small details LFS would be the ultimate king among the simulators.. When people first see the LFS, they are a bit dissapointed, i know, it's the case with my friends for example, it is only because of the curently modelled cockpits, because that is what they see, and that is what we see the most while driving.. It's not bad, but i have no doubts that Eric with his AMAZING graphic capabilities, can do some incredible work and make LFS look better then other games. I know that cockpits are not that important, because LFS is huge project, and there are other priorities, but just imagine some fresh new cockpits, 3D buttons, and stuff, something like in GTL.. I think it would REALLY add to the whole immersion stuff! And i know i am dreaming right now, but imagine something like animated Key chains, that move realistically while driving, with the animation when starting the engine(moving hand, putting the key in ignition, turning.. :Eyecrazy: ), and the animation for gear changes like in GTL.. I know that it must be a lag beatween changing the gear and animation, but nevertheless, it's a great detail.
I just had to say this.. i am full of enjoyment with this new patch, enjoy driving even more now!, but just can't get this vision of the new cockpits and stuff out of my head..

I don't know about the other animation things that you mentioned about the cockpit but I am in 100% agreement about the graphical improvements of the cockpits.

At the moment they don't live up to the rest of the graphics and physics in the game and need updating

Yeah they could be better- but the animated key-chain would be best left in your imagination.. ;-)

Indeed, there are lots of details such as this that would make LFS blow people away... Sparks etc... Honestly I WAS expecting cockpits in the patch, but hey, one thing at a time.

Quote from Boris Lozac :

And i know i am dreaming right now, but imagine something like animated Key chains, that move realistically while driving, with the animation when starting the engine(moving hand, putting the key in ignition, turning.. :Eyecrazy: ), and the animation for gear changes like in GTL.

I agree. You are dreaming.

Like you, I would love to see updated interiors for the GTR cars, and better textures for pretty much everything - especially the road cars. I'd also love to see a few simple changes to the UI. I even made a crude photochop mockup a while back suggesting specific changes. Hopefully those will make it in eventually.

I'm eager to see what the next patch will include, now that physics are more or less out of the way. That said, I'm SUPER happy with the current game and my friends and I really can't get enough now that the tire model has been fixed.

Due to a family holiday I too had been away for a few weeks before the latest patch release and the improvement is immense. In the FOX I can now go onto the grass and still be able to keep going forward instead of in circles

I was kinda disappointed because we didn't get yet new cockpits. Still weird that Eric basicly redid the FO8 cockpit in 3 days (remember those teaser pics that first had the gray dashes and then the FO8 got suddenly updated with the cool new wheel dash?). I don't think new GT/alll cars cockpits would take so long time to update. When I'm driving GTRs I definately don't feel like sitting in a GTR car.

Quote from deggis :

When I'm driving GTRs I definately don't feel like sitting in a GTR car.

Yep, the FZR's wood veneer and LCD climate control panel don't really give the feeling of "being there".

I also was hoping that we'd be getting updated interiors for the cars, especially the GTRs. But the fact that we didn't isn't really that bad, because of course purely graphical things such as interiors can be introduced with a physics-compatible patch whenever they're ready.

I can live without swinging key chains or driver animation to change gear, but some touches of effects and flashy bits would always be welcome. Things like sparks, glowing brake discs, etc, have all been mentioned before. They'd be nice, but I'd sooner have fully working undertrays, engine & brake heat, radiator & engine damage, and a more comprehensive damage system.

Quote from STROBE :

They'd be nice, but I'd sooner have fully working undertrays, engine & brake heat, radiator & engine damage, and a more comprehensive damage system.

People keep saying things like that but the physics and other coding improvements are down solely to Scawen. It isn't like they take up Eric's time and it isn't like Eric making more realistic looking cockpits would take up Scawen's time.

Yeah, some better cockpits would be nice, and maybe differing cockpits. The FOX, FO8 and BF1 look amazing compared to the rest, maybe it would be nice to give differnt cars differnt cockpits, its feels odd flying around in the FXR with a full interior when really it should be a shell with a rollcage.

Quote from Stellios :

Yeah, some better cockpits would be nice, and maybe differing cockpits. The FOX, FO8 and BF1 look amazing compared to the rest, maybe it would be nice to give differnt cars differnt cockpits, its feels odd flying around in the FXR with a full interior when really it should be a shell with a rollcage.

I think maybe the GTR's are getting new cockpits next.. just a hunch, but maybe they are done with the open wheelers you mentioned, and now working on GTR's? The fox looks awesome now.. hope the rest of the cars are up to those standards eventually- that would be cool.

Quote from joshdifabio :

People keep saying things like that but the physics and other coding improvements are down solely to Scawen. It isn't like they take up Eric's time and it isn't like Eric making more realistic looking cockpits would take up Scawen's time.

Very true. But remember that any changes Eric makes still have to be implemented into the LFS code by Scawen. I know little about software development but if Eric does the modelling, texturing and other art-related stuff, then he can't just draw a BF1 steering wheel and have it magically appear in-game with all sorts of lights and information on it. Scawen has to program it as such, and I'm guessing the same (and probably more) applies to whole new interiors like what everyone is wanting for the GTR cars (and to a lesser extent, the other cars too). As such, I'd prefer Scawen's priority to be getting the desired physical/technical features into the game, and Eric's work can introduced whenever the opportunity presents itself. I was hoping it would be with this patch, but not to worry if it wasn't, because there's other things currently lacking from LFS which have a more profound effect on the gameplay.

You can expect cockpits to be improved in the future.

I actually like the idea of the key chain, or the furry dice hanging from the mirror, or something similar.. because it intimates the motion.. the G forces and bumps etc. It would provide more than just eye candy. Subliminally I think it could really assist a driver who's right on the edge of the limit.. with a keychain or furry dice almost at 45 degrees from perpendicular, in the top corner of his/her vision.. that's solid info, fuel-injected into the subconscious.

I concede that the furry dice is a tad cliché, but the idea isn't truly that difficult to implement. All the physics are there. I've done the same thing in Flash, in the past.

Quote from STROBE :

Very true. But remember that any changes Eric makes still have to be implemented into the LFS code by Scawen. I know little about software development but if Eric does the modelling, texturing and other art-related stuff, then he can't just draw a BF1 steering wheel and have it magically appear in-game with all sorts of lights and information on it. Scawen has to program it as such, and I'm guessing the same (and probably more) applies to whole new interiors like what everyone is wanting for the GTR cars (and to a lesser extent, the other cars too). As such, I'd prefer Scawen's priority to be getting the desired physical/technical features into the game, and Eric's work can introduced whenever the opportunity presents itself. I was hoping it would be with this patch, but not to worry if it wasn't, because there's other things currently lacking from LFS which have a more profound effect on the gameplay.

If he is only changing the shapes of things (the 3d models) and the textures and not actually adding any new features then this shouldn't require any coding. Even so, the difficulty of the coding that goes into the features we have in our cockpits is, i'm sure, nothing compared with tyre physics etc. and i think it won't really take any time for scawen. This is demonstrated by the cockpit changes that we got in just 1 or 2 days before the release of the patch. (Adding the fuel readout on the wheel etc. took him no time).

I know this is a lil off topic, but Boris have you tried Cross Racing Championship, or CRC? the incockpit details and animations are supreme, you can even use the mouse as a virtual gear shifter, works quite well. Although physics are leaning towards arcady its worth the play around with type game.
But back on topic, the whole same textures for gtr cars as the road cars are annoying so I have a few tweaked interiors to help quinch my taste for racing interiors. Otherwise I don't care if it's s3 we dont see new cockpits, this game is bomb as it is with physics and graphics that are still pretty high on the cool factor scale.

Quote from SamH :

I actually like the idea of the key chain, or the furry dice hanging from the mirror, or something similar.. because it intimates the motion.. the G forces and bumps etc. It would provide more than just eye candy. Subliminally I think it could really assist a driver who's right on the edge of the limit.. with a keychain or furry dice almost at 45 degrees from perpendicular, in the top corner of his/her vision.. that's solid info, fuel-injected into the subconscious.

I concede that the furry dice is a tad cliché, but the idea isn't truly that difficult to implement. All the physics are there. I've done the same thing in Flash, in the past.

Exactly. You would really feel like you are in a car, because it would move acording to your driving. So if it is not hard to implement as you say, i think it is an awesome improvement suggestion. I am holding my fingers crossed.. ;-)

Quote from Gunn :

You can expect cockpits to be improved in the future.

We can expect lots of things to be improved in the future... but we want them now.