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The Bus Update 3.1 - Beta

Update 3.1 of the Early Access of The Bus is now available as BETA for testing.

This beta adds new character models, multiple improvements and bug-fixes to The Bus.

For the full detailed list of changes, please, see the changelog below.

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Please create backup copies of your savegame files before switching to the EA BETA Update. Savegames may not be compatible with the new version of the game.

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ATTENTION: This is a BETA update. Technical problems, instability of the game as well as bugs during gameplay can be possible.

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 "The Bus"
  2. In the drop-menu, you click on the entry "Properties"
  3. In the window "The Bus - Properties" you select the tab "BETAS"
  4. In the field "Select the beta you would like to opt into:" select the entry "beta-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 Bus 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 0.23.84120 EA Beta
  • New Character Models
  • Multiplayer Voice Chat
  • Galaxis dashboard can now be exchanged
  • Support for DLSS and FSR + FrameGen
  • You can now choose between a male and female player character model
  • Improved multiplayer vehicle synchronisation for drivers
  • Fixed unable to move board computer in galaxis multiplayer
  • Fixed bus charging not working in multiplayer
  • You can now click any mirror or camera to disable them
  • Fixed Busses spawning on top of other busses
  • You can now right click while outside the bus to show cursor
  • Arcade Mode no longer blocks actions
  • Level Art Fixes
  • Performance Optimizations**


Changelog 0.23.84517 EA Beta
  • Fix allowed speed icon missing
  • Removed black objects on map
  • Fixed passengers leaving through front door
  • Fixed passengers waiting for front door when entering through rear door
  • Fixed passengers invisible when loading savegame
  • Fixed passenger voice with wrong pitch
  • Fixed passengers not appearing in mirrors
  • Fixed passenger feet colliding with door clearance trigger
  • Fixed passengers walking sideways inside the bus
  • Fixed passenger feet going through the floor
  • Fixed pedestrian groups not spawning at start
  • Fixed date and time not applying from server settings
  • Fixed AI vehicles not using lights at night in multiplayer
  • Fixed tree appearance in winter in multiplayer
  • Fixed controller keybinds resetting to default
  • Fixed hair crash on older amd hardware
  • Level Art Fixes
  • Performance Optimizations**
  • Known Issues: Distorted voices in voice chat



Changelog 0.23.84618 EA Beta
  • Added bus driver announcements
  • Fixed leftover black object
  • Passengers no longer wait for front door when rear door is open
  • Fixed passengers not entering to door halves
  • Fixed passengers not seeing occupied seats on servers
  • Level Art Fixes
  • Performance Optimizations**



* Only occurred during the BETA test of this update

** Please, be aware that the impact of performance optimisations varies from system to system due to hardware configurations, installed software, and other programs running in the background

The Bus - DLC Hamburg City coming soon!


The new Hamburg City add-on for The Bus takes you on two exciting routes through one of Germany's most famous cities - with iconic sights, a true-to-life cityscape and a licensed bus repaint by network service Hochbahn AG.



🚏 Two lines - Two sides of Hamburg:


Line 6: From the quiet Borgweg through the city center to the historic Speicherstadt.
Line 17: From colorful St. Pauli to Barmbek - with Reeperbahn, Millerntor and more.

🌆 A city full of life:

Over 60 stops, 500+ individual objects, 200 of which are completely new
Landmarks such as the Elbphilharmonie, TV tower, Spiegel building
Authentic details: circus, markets, bicycle boxes, red garbage cans and much more
Lively traffic with S-Bahn, U-Bahn, long-distance trains

🛠️ Included:

Officially licensed repaint
Two lines with up to 45 minutes travel time per route
Completely new assets and detailed routes
Developed in cooperation with Hamburger Hochbahn AG

The Bus - DLC Hamburg - Developer Diary

This week, we are focusing on an interesting section of the route network in The Bus DLC - Hamburg City, Saarlandstraße.
A place that, despite its rather quiet location in the game, catches the eye with its striking architecture and proximity to the subway station.




Even though bus route 17 does not pass directly by the station in the simulation, there is a clear view of the striking station and the adjacent bridge structures from the intersection at Wiesendamm.
This visual presence was reason enough for us to integrate the area into the game true to the original - including a small special feature: at irregular intervals, a Hamburg subway train will also be seen crossing the bridge, providing additional dynamics.



As usual, the images shown are from the current development phase. Some elements - especially the signage - still serve as placeholders, but they already convey an atmospheric impression of the surroundings.



The subway station was opened in 1912 and is part of the U3 ring line, one of Hamburg's oldest subway lines.
The station has only borne the name Saarlandstraße since 1970 and was previously called Bahnhof Stadtpark.

The station is located above ground on an embankment with a striking steel bridge over Saarlandstraße and the Barmbeker Strichkanal to the east.
This is a typical feature of Hamburg's elevated railway architecture of the time. The station was named after the street of the same name, which in turn was named after Saarland in the 1920s.
In the early days, the station was an important transfer point for workers from the surrounding residential and industrial areas, who found connections to the city center here.



Today, Saarlandstraße is no longer a classic transportation hub, but it remains an important part of the U3.
It connects the Winterhude district with the rest of the Hochbahn network and is particularly popular with commuters and residents.
Its proximity to the Alster, Stadtpark and Jarrestraße also makes the area attractive for leisure trips.
The architecture of the station with the adjoining railroad bridges has been largely preserved in its original state to this day and is a listed building. This makes the area not only functional, but also remarkable from an architectural and historical point of view.



In the virtual realization, we attach particular importance to the depiction of the characteristic brick facades, the curved bridge structure and the typical signal and traffic lights.

All of this contributes to creating an authentic cityscape that Hamburgers will immediately recognize - and that will also make newcomers want to explore the city digitally.

Do you have any questions, suggestions or requests for upcoming topics?

Then write to us as always: [email protected]

See you next time - and have fun exploring Hamburg in The Bus!

Your Halycon Media development team

Hamburg DLC - First insights!

Today we take a first look at the upcoming Hamburg DLC for The Bus! 🚍
Even though the add-on is still in development, we would like to show you two of the planned lines, as well as the first new decorative elements and details about the city environment.

👉

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The Bus - DLC Hamburg - Developer diary

This week, we are taking a look at one of the most famous and at the same time most complex buildings in the Hanseatic city: Hamburg Central Station.
With over 500,000 passengers a day, it is one of the busiest train stations in Europe - and is therefore also a central part of the route network in The Bus DLC - Hamburg City.



In the simulation, the bus routes run along the Steintorwall and Steintordamm - i.e. directly alongside the main station.
The bus stops are located directly at the pedestrian exits to the platforms, which makes for a particularly realistic transfer scenario.
Even though many of the platform details are not directly visible from above, it was important to us to recreate them true to the original in order to make the atmosphere of the location tangible.

As always, the images shown are from a development phase that has not yet been finalized.
The overhead line is currently still being reworked, as are the platform areas, which will later be supplemented with suitable decorations and other objects.
In the finished game, regional trains, Metronom trains and even a few long-distance trains will be seen there alongside suburban trains - some of which will be visible from the street, making them a real eye-catcher in the cityscape.

A look at the history of the main station shows how deeply rooted this transportation hub is in urban life:
The station was opened in 1906 and replaced several smaller terminus stations.
The imposing steel and glass hall construction was an architectural masterpiece in its day - and remains so to this day.
The track layout is characterized by its central location: connections branch out from here in all directions - from the city centre to the suburbs, from northern Germany to the south.

This networking is also noticeable in the simulation. The area around the main station represents a kind of heart of the route, both in terms of passenger flows and from a transport planning perspective.
The digital implementation is correspondingly complex - with a particular focus on the street space, the traffic mix and the characteristic surroundings.

The replication of the track areas and the central station is one of the larger implementations in the Hamburg City-Map.
We already have an entry about the central station in the developer diary, which is linked below.

Our goal is to create the most vivid, detailed image of Hamburg Central Station possible - a place that millions know and that you can experience in a completely new way in The Bus.

As always, we welcome your questions and suggestions at:
[email protected]

See you next time - and have fun on your virtual commute through Hamburg!

Your Halycon Media Development