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Update 21 - BETA - Behind the scenes

You may be wondering what we actually did for Update 21 to optimize performance? Here is a good example of optimization work in graphics.



Our programmers have identified various settings of graphical assets, which drag down performance and then implemented these warning symbols. So our graphic artists can now see directly in the game editor which assets still draw unnecessary performance and fix them immediately.

Many assets are instanced and the correction of a single error can remove several warning symbols at once. Correcting these unoptimized graphics assets bit by bit makes performance stay more consistent, resulting in fewer FPS drops, and slightly more performance.

Of course this is not all we have done for Update 21's on Optimization, but hopefully, it will give you some insight into the effort behind the optimizing process of this update.

Update 21 - BETA is now available for public testing



For Update 21 we have optimized a lot to get better performance. We hope that your PC systems will also benefit from this new update. In addition, we redesigned the physics of driving and vehicle sound systems to enhance the feeling of driving a large vehicle and make it more believable. Both of these changes, optimization and physics of driving, have been implemented based on your requests. Thus, we are looking forward to your feedback.

Please note that you can adjust the tilt of the vehicles in the options menu, see screenshot.



Nevertheless, we advise you to be careful at first to get used to the new behaviour of vehicle physics. Professional bus drivers in real life make it seem easy to drive buses, but the control of these large vehicles also requires a lot of skill, sensitivity and anticipatory driving around curves, serpentines and bottlenecks without any problems in our simulator too.

Unfortunately, we had to deactivate the DirectX 12 mode, because DX12 is causing crashes with the current version of Unreal Engine 4.22. As far as we know, Epic Games is working to implement DirectX 12 enhancements to Unreal Engine 4.23 for DirectX 11. Also, update 21 will not remain the only Fernbus Simulator update, which will improve the optimization.

Detailed information can be found in the Changelog below.

By testing this update and sending us your feedback you can make sure this update will be released smoothly and eventually with additional fixes too.

ATTENTION: This is a BETA Update. Please note that this version can cause technical problems and/or may cause instability of your computer system.


How to install the beta version of the update?

Quite easily:
  1. In your Library, you click with the right mouse button on the entry of the "Fernbus Simulator"
  2. In the drop-menu, you click on the entry "Properties"
  3. In the window "Fernbus Simulator - Properties" you select the tab "BETAS"
  4. In the field "Select the beta you would like to opt into:" select the entry "beta-"
  5. Now you can close the window and the beta version of the update should download right away
  6. After downloading the update you can start the Tourist Bus Simulator via the "PLAY" button
  7. In the main menu should now be the corresponding version number of the beta version of the update and you can test the update

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Changelog - 1.21.26876

- Optimized performance
- MAN Lion's Coach: Revised driving physics and sound system
- MAN Lion's Coach C: Revised driving physics and sound system
- Fixed a bug in the calculation of air resistance
- Backward rolling in neutral (N) fixed
- Force calculation of the wheels on edges like curbs fixed
- Shifting the gear transmission has been updated
- DirectX 12 (beta) had to be disabled
- Added option to disable TrackIR or other Headtracking devices (only visible if a Headtracking device is connected)



- The driving physics of trucks now has less horsepower
- Vegetation imposter materials updated for an improved visual look and better performance
- Leaves on the asphalt of highway gas stations removed
- Corrected buggy collision on a bridge near Mannheim
- Fixed MAN Lion's Coach C not appearing as parking bus
- The radio in MAN Lion's Coaches now fades out correctly the further you get away from the vehicle.
- New advanced audio options for volume levels of engine, turn signals, retarders, announcements, etc. added



- Maximum volume of turn signals increased
- Updated road materials and textures to physically-based rendering (PBR)
- Some building materials and textures updated (see eg Frankfurt Airport) to physically-based rendering (PBR)
- Trees on street in Kassel fixed
- In certain circumstances, passengers complained about a supposedly inactive WIFI
- The distance calculation in the tachograph has been corrected
- Added option to disable the visibility of the steering wheel
- and other minor fixes

DLC Neoplan Skyliner
- Revised driving physics and sound system

DLC ComfortClass HD
- Revised driving physics and sound system
- Dashboard display corrected

DLC VDL Futura FHD2
- Revised driving physics and sound system
- Bodywork can now get dirty in the DLC Football Team Bus
- Gearshift can now be controlled via hotkeys
- Passengers on certain seats can now be counted correctly after a rest
- Fixed warning sounds with the luggage hatches open
- Fixed collision of the player with the vehicle's doors
- Animation of the driver's window corrected
- Timing of the sounds of both two doors when closing corrected


DLC Austria // Switzerland
- Corrected buggy collision in a tunnel tube near Vienna


DLC Usedom
- Navi now leads correctly to Sellin


DLC Football Team Bus
- Team bus no longer catapults itself in Leipzig and Hanover
- Team bus no longer appears, under certain circumstances, on other coaches
- Bodywork of the DLC VDL Futura FHD2 can now get dirty

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Changelog 1.21.27082

- Game crashes near Frankfurt Aiport
- Busses are pumping/jumping/bouncy
- MAN Lion's Coach suspension unbalanced
- MAN Lion's Coach C suspension unbalanced
- Parking busses/coaches are losing their repaints without DLC Football Team Bus installed
- Improved driving physics of MAN Lion's Coach and Lion's Coach C thanks to community feedback
- Lane markings on highways are extremely stretched
- A/C supposedly too cold when driving out of a bus stop
- AI cars disappear on a junction in Leverkusen
- Mouse Control (Middle Mouse Button) usability updated and some minor bugs fixed
- Announcements played is counted twice in the results of the route
- Cheater removed from Highscore
- Street lanterns and AI car lights turn their lights on too late in the night, and vice versa
- Achievement "Metropolitan" doesn't work
- The blue garbage can has a life of its own – physics gone crazy
- World Map Tooltips added
- Very rare traffic manager bug causing the performance to drop significantly and permanently for the duration of the current session
- Light flares of certain light sources seen through the vehicle's windshield are not being displayed correctly
- The sound volume of the intro videos too loud
- Misc. level art and vegetation fixes

DLC ComfortClass HD
- ComfortClass S 519 HD suspension unbalanced
- Stop Brake On/Off do not work properly

DLC Football Team Bus
- Parking busses/coaches no longer appear as Team Busses in other locations that around football/soccer stadiums
- Invalid icons visible on world map and navigation in the "Vanilla" Fernbus Simulator mode "Freeplay"
Invalid starting locations in the "Vanilla" Fernbus Simulator mode "Freeplay"

DLC Austria / Switzerland
- Leaves and wetness in Zurich tunnel
- Disappearing AI cars on bridge outwards of Zurich
- Rain in a tunnel west of Zurich
- Pillar clipping through a bridge near Innsbruck
- The texture of rockfall protection not loading

DLC Multimedia Package
- Oil slick texture not loading correctly

DLC Rennsteig
- Some level art fixes

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Changelog 1.21.27147

- In Freeplay Mode on Realistic Controls and Customized Controls you can now start from the depot
- In Freeplay Mode on Realistic Controls the starting position in Berlin is not at the ZOB, but at the Main Station marker from DLC Football Team Bus
- Some bus stop markers from DLC Football Team Bus are visible in Fernbus Sim without the DLC installed
- Preparations for DLC MAN Lion's Intercity

Update 21 BETA - Scheduled for next week

We're are really close to release the public beta of update 21 for Fernbus Sim. We estimate the build to be ready along the coming week.



As soon as the public beta will be available for download on Steam we will make an announcement.

New Dev Diary in production

We're currently recording a new Dev Diary which will be released along the coming weeks.



So, stay tuned and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel TML Studios TV and hit that notification bell if you want to know exactly when the next dev diary hits the channel.

In the meantime, you can write your guesses below what the Dev Diary is going to be about.

Preview of Update 21: New VDL Futura FHD2 driving physics

The optimizations for the upcoming update are almost complete and we have already updated the driving physics of the VDL Futura FHD2's.

You can soon convince yourself of the new driving experience of your buses. The public beta of the next update is about to start soon.