Steel Beasts Dynamic Terrain Will Come After New Terrain Engine

[Rinix]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz6Yeo0_FYc&lc=UgwzWDa54dDTIklnTJN4AaABAg.8w7a5n402iU8w7z84lLnOp
 

(as seen in this and the prervious Finnish Summer Day video; the map in both cases is based on a LIDAR scan, and will be part of the coming release).

[Rinix]

Screenshots of Kurganets-25: https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/55-we-love-screenshots/page/116/?tab=comments#comment-190802

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/12776-sb-pro-pe-41-new-features-and-stuff/page/8/?tab=comments#comment-190801

• Owners of SB Pro PE 2.6 and higher, on preorder: $25.- for the pure license update/pure download option; after the preorder phase: $30.-
• Owners of classic licenses version 2.5 and older: $80.- ("old upgrade" option in our web shop)
• Owners of time-based licenses: $0.-, you simply keep using the license that you have

In addition we will offer certain bundles since the new version also comes with a new user's manual, and a separate map installer. Of course, the PDF version of the user's manual is included in the installation, and the map files can be downloaded separately. Still, it's almost 16 GByte of map data, so we decided to produce USB sticks that will contain the map installer, along with a print batch of the new manual. And just so that we get to produce the right number of items, we will create a preorder option in our web shop,

• Version 4.1 license upgrade, USB "Map Stick", printed version 4.1 user manual, and a useful and beautiful surprise item (only available through preorder): $53.-
• USB "Map Stick", printed version 4.1 user manual: $29.50 (after preorder phase)
• Classic license 4.1 including printed manual, "map stick": $149.00

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/12776-sb-pro-pe-41-new-features-and-stuff/page/9/?tab=comments#comment-190808

The 16GB data map, is for full earth elevations?

The earth's surface is ~149 million km²; with a 78cm mesh and 16 bit per mesh post that would be approximately 444 Terabytes. Even with 90% compression efficiency we'd still talk about 4 Terabytes, so... no.
The 16 GBytes will essentially be a collection of the maps that were shipped with previous SB Pro PE versions, converted into the new map package format (which will spare you a few days of number crunching at home and a raised electricity bill). That way you can continue to play the vast majority of scenario files ever made for Steel Beasts without having to worry about map conversion. At least that's what we think that will happen. I can't rule out that there's the one or other user who is mostly playing scenarios based on custom maps that require individual conversion. But all the scenarios that are being shipped with SB Pro PE 4.1 (and previously with 4.0, and 3.0) should work "out of the box".

[Rinix]

• M151 Protector RWS
• M153 Protector RWS

[Frankie]

Nice to see the empty bullet casings being collected in a recepticle. Good for recycling the bullet casings.

[Rinix]

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/12776-sb-pro-pe-41-new-features-and-stuff/page/10/?tab=comments#comment-190933

@Ssnake which maps are in the map pack?

"A lot."
All the maps that got installed with SB Pro PE 4.0, plus those that we identified which were part of scenarios that are part of the 4.0 installation (with their embedded map data that we could identify). Community-owned map collections or uploads here to SteelBeasts.com are not part of it. The goal is that you can install SB Pro PE 4.1, run the map installer, and then play every tutorial, and every scenario that can be found in "Scenarios" (not "My Scenarios"...) without having to touch the map conversion tools.
I cannot rule out that there will be the odd exception to that rule, but that's the current development goal.

[Rinix]

Screenshots of a new, unidentified pickup truck: https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/12776-sb-pro-pe-41-new-features-and-stuff/page/10/?tab=comments#comment-190942

[Oleg]

I think this is Volkswagen Amarok.

[Rinix]

I think this is Volkswagen Amarok.

I agree, thank you.

[Rinix]

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/12776-sb-pro-pe-41-new-features-and-stuff/page/10/?tab=comments#comment-190948

We have implemented an AI change to exempt all civilian vehicles from enemy fire even if they belong to a hostile party. This vehicle is the exception from the exception (because "ACAB", or something; if you don't want them to draw fire, make them neutral or allied). It's a first step to add non-military, non-irregular combatants to the mix. One step at a time...

[Rinix]

• BMP T-15 Armata
• ARV T-16 Armata
• BTR B10 Kurganets
• Afganit active protection system confirmed
• AT-14 confirmed

I will be able to check all of these off my wish list when 4.1 is released.

[Rinix]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo7LaxHkSlI&lc=UgwvSkAo76SoP8gOj7J4AaABAg.8wHddH4Gaob8wHhGnkGAfn

Well, they're all in the "Prototypes" section, so the TTB doesn't feel so lonely.

[Rinix]

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/21/the-flare-path-invisible-hulls/
As part of the extensive interview, the following new vehicles are revealed, the T-14 Armata and K-17 Bumerang are on my wish list:

• Mercedes G 300 CDI
• T-14 Armata
• K-17 Bumerang
• Typhoon-K

[Frankie]

Amazing interview. Very detailed and informative. Nils baring his heart on the development process and what has been achieved so far. Nice to read his predictions of the future.

[Attila]

Yeah, finally SB Pro PE update is underway 👽

[Asid]

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/21/the-flare-path-invisible-hulls/
As part of the extensive interview, [...]

At the same time version 4.0 had already incorporated a lot of the changes to the render engine needed for the new terrain, so 4.0 was a release that sorta-kinda worked, but with significant losses in framerate with which nobody could be happy. So 2017 and 2018 were largely devoted to clambering out of the hole that we had dug for ourselves. What a magnificent hole that was!

With 4.0 we knew that the framerate was bleeding from a thousand paper cuts. Knowing that you need to heal paper cuts isn’t difficult. Healing the individual paper cut isn’t difficult. But handling a thousand, you run into scaling issues. That’s why it took three more years.

So we have to pay for getting the FPS bug fixed.