I know everyone is excited about S3, but are the features a little ambitious for the devs? I mean, it is taking a very long time to get things like damage modeling, sounds, ect, how long is it going to take to get rain, wet tarmac, night racing. I know the devs are amazing at what they do, and deserve to be well respected for all of their hard work, but is the development plans for lfs a little ambitious/unrealistic? I think it is going to take a very long time, to do everything the devs have planned at the current rate of progression.

Only the dev team can answer that really.

We know nothing of their skills (other than the fact that they have mad-skillz!!11oneone), we know nothing of their timescales, we know nothing (significant) of their personal lives.

In short I think it's progressing at the pace they want, and I personally think that's the best way a project should grow.

depends on what features you are basing it on. So far, very little, if any have been confirmed by the devs as a certainty. Most of what these days are considered to be plans for S3 have spawned out of the community's collective head.

Basically I think that required features for S3 are limited to LFS' primary goals, which (in my interpretation) are making this sim as realistic as far as physics go, and to represent a wide variety of motorracing. The latter is primarily content related, which should take much less time once all the key physics features are implemented and completed.

I think as we speak (or type ), Eric is creating master pieces to be released in S2 Z

The last few updates we've seen have been huge, I think the devs are just making sure the programming side is bullet proof before adding more models, effects, and other things.

I supposed we havent seen anything too "major" for a while I agree, but its building up to a sweet climax

Where is that list of features for S3? Or is this just our wishlist? I have not come across this list from the devs or am i missing it?

We've only JUST got through discussing this question, a week ago. In the end, the thread was closed because to put it quite simply it finished up with totally inane garbage, going round and round in circles.

I, for one, am not ready to go back through it again. Please proceed with caution, and read the last thread, "how time flies".

That's the risk you take when you're an indie developer - it takes 3 guys a hell of a long time to do anything. Personal lives get in the way, finances can run a bit tight and time can just slip away from you.

But I'm sure they know what they're doing. Two of them are ex-Lionhead employees, and LFS has got this far. And if there's anything they're not sure of, I'm sure they can learn.

Yes, it is ambitious, that's why I like it

And I know the improvements will keep coming, maybe not fast, but they'll come.

Have you ever heard of "THINK BIG"??? Problem with aiming small with goals, is you just might hit it... Its much better to think big, even if you don't reach that goal, you will get alot closer, than if you thought small.

In goal setting; there is no such thing, as thinking too small.

V

Quote from stevewhite :

I know everyone is excited about S3, but are the features a little ambitious for the devs?

I didn't know that I was excited about S3....but in answer to the question: Nope.

Put it this way... Games with Much inferior Gameplay / collision detection / physics (i mention no names and will not use this for flaming.. but i think we all know the games i mean) manage weather, and dynamic lighting etc.. i dont see why LFS wont follow in the future.

I get a sneaking suspision they will come up with things we never dreamed of

only time will tell.

Is there such a thing as "too ambitious"?, ambition is good, and you can never have too much of a good thing

Quote from stevewhite :

I know everyone is excited about S3, but are the features a little ambitious for the devs? I mean, it is taking a very long time to get things like damage modeling, sounds, ect, how long is it going to take to get rain, wet tarmac, night racing. I know the devs are amazing at what they do, and deserve to be well respected for all of their hard work, but is the development plans for lfs a little ambitious/unrealistic? I think it is going to take a very long time, to do everything the devs have planned at the current rate of progression.

OK, so lets say the dev team would change their ambition level to normal. We would then get S2 final next week and S3 in half a year with 3 new features. And that's it.

How would that be any better than what we have and will be getting in the future at current form?

LFS is a growing living simulator, a love child of the devs and for us it is in its best form, not its worst. For gods sake, how is an ever-improving simulator a bad thing!?!?!? It's a dream come true !!!!!!! Please think first instead of posting nonsense again.

Years ago, saying we'd be where we are now would be seen as over ambitious. (if that makes any sense)

Ambition? of course!
But i think you're asking if the devs bit off more than they can chew.
No. they just took a really big bite.

Quote from Quietus :

Years ago, saying we'd be where we are now would be seen as over ambitious. (if that makes any sense)

Perfect sense .. who'd have thought we'd have a BMW Sauber in LFS for example?

it is mighty ambitious, but look what they have done in the past...

if the pace was any faster, mistakes would be made, and we would be shorted, with a cute-rate simulator.

they know what they're doing

Falcon... whenever i see your avatar out the corner of my eye, I always think it's the bloody Stig posting!!!!!!
sorry.. off topic, but i just had to say it

devs too ambitious? no.

considering three guys making a sim this level. I think the boundary is the average PC capabilities for now, not their ambition

Duke Nukem Forever is too ambitious....and it seems that this game will never be released....after xx (10?) years of development and huge team behind.

LFS has advanced to S2 in 6 years with only 3 guys programming, it's nice and entertaining racing simulator with great multiplayer and is still getting better.

Do you see the difference? (hope you understand, what i mean:schwitz

LFS is an amazing game, its the only racing game i play. I have always loved cars and racing. This game by far beats any other racing game out there. Im not saying its a bad thing that the devs have so much ambition, im just saying, have they bit off more then they can chew, in your opinion. I think they devs are well under way to making the best game of all time. Honestly, they are probably the only game developers that actually dont care about getting it finished asap, and getting a big cheque. They care about making a great game, no matter how long it takes. I think the big cheques are going to come, and im sure all of their hard work will pay off.

Well, to be honest i dont see a bright future unless they get more people on it. They have done amazing things, and lfs is outstanding, but slowly and surely newer sims will come our way, more flexible, bigger, better, nicer looking, better physics, more customizable, all the meanwhile the 3 will be working on patching up s2 beta. So potential customers will flock to the newer better sims, its a fact of life... and lfs will die a slow death since we all love it so much.

I highly, Highly doubt that.

the big companies are too busy studying profit margins to make anything this in depth, and focused.

Period.


The end.

Bring me more LFS, please.

I would be all for them opening up the doors for donations to help the process. I love the fact that they have done this with just the 3 of them, but imagine what they could accomplish if they had more resources at their finger tips? Unless they have commited to creating and maintaining LFS by themselves why not hire one or two more people to help the process out? They would still have full control but knock improvements and gruntwork out much faster.

Quote from BEEAH :

Unless they have commited to creating and maintaining LFS by themselves why not hire one or two more people to help the process out?

They have often times stated that they don't want other people on board.

Quote :

They would still have full control but knock improvements and gruntwork out much faster.

More people does not mean faster development.

Quote from RMachucaA :

slowly and surely newer sims will come our way, more flexible, bigger, better, nicer looking, better physics, more customizable, all the meanwhile the 3 will be working on patching up s2 beta. So potential customers will flock to the newer better sims, its a fact of life... and lfs will die a slow death since we all love it so much.

These types of discussions related to the pace of LFS development have been around for as long as I can remember and a comment like yours is made everytime. Yet, where are these new and better sims?