BEAM NG Drive Alpha - First impressions.

A quick look at what you get when you buy into the Beam NG alpha. Played with an Xbox 360 controller.

I will be uploading a follow-up video in the next couple of days using a FFB wheel :)

Who we are

BeamNG is a young startup company developing a state of the art real time physics simulation engine. We are currently a team of two programmers and two artists that founded the company in 2011.

Our goals

Our main focus is on how things move rather than how things look on the screen. We aim to bring our expertise in real time soft-body physics and soft-body physics model design to the forefront of game physics simulation, making available the technology and know-how to as a wide an audience as possible. To achieve this, we are designing the engine and corresponding assets, so as to be independent of the underlying game engine and Operating System.
Right now the physics engine is running on a multicore CPU configuration, but we are also in the process of supporting GPUs via OpenCL.

Our mission

To have realistic, accurate, destructible and malleable physics everywhere. To make anything possible.

[doug]

yo! Beam NG released an update recently and I was pleasantly surprised at the drivability and FF. I'd be interested to see if you think it compares to AC!

[GamerMuscleVideos]

Maybe for off-road driving it could be the case that BeamNG produces a closer approximation of what a real car would do, I can see how cars with less rigidity when driven off road may simulate better in BeamNG than they would with an engine designed around accommodating relatively ridged race cars and specific tire contact with a competitively flat road.

I can see how both methods of simulation can have elements that are believable and unbelievable in various situations.

[GamerMuscleVideos]

If you play the latest version of the game, the tire model and car handling physics are still largely the same, in fact you can play with a wheel which makes it even more clear how unlike a real car it is to drive. I'm sure they will keep improving the game though as they develop it but I recommend you do some research before writing ridiculous comments.

[GamerMuscleVideos]

Yep spot on, though I'm sure they will improve the tire model over time. Its early days and Beam NG is very exciting, its fantastic having developers try different methods at physics.

[GamerMuscleVideos]

I cannot drive well with a 360 pad unless its a pure arcade game like Grid 2 or something, I find you really need a wheel to do small adjustments to steering and FFB is crucial for feeling subtle things like tire load.

[phipck]

Thats the point exactly. Most simulators create their own "physics rules" that the car adheres to. This is a list of contributing elements and affects which contribute to what you experience. Most of these games try to emulate reality and tweek their rules to make it comply to what we expect in reality. BeamNG comes from opposite side, its a physics engine, whatever you put in will react to real world rules.
I feel beamng's concept has the most potential. And this comments box is too small :-)

[Ckykyro]

most of the current 'simulators' are usually racing and drifting.
never see anyone hit a ditch while drifting and they end up in a rollover. DiRT does sometimes..

[GamerMuscleVideos]

As I said in another comment its possible that Beam NG's dynamics in terms of how the model as a whole reacts might be more realistic in some ways.

However BeamNG is simulating different things and using different methods with different priorities compared to Rfactor/AC/iracing.

Mind you in terms of how close one is to real life, AC RF and i racing are far more representative of Real cars and how real car tires work than Beam NG when it comes to how a car moves on a road.

[Rambleism]

Yes! Can’t wait for this 😮 Maybe rally stages one day!

[GamerMuscleVideos]

No it is wobbly, I have played all the current simulators on the market, Rfactor, NKP,i racing, Assetto corsa and others.

The cars in BeamNG in terms of raw handling are not exactly life like, though they are certainly more impressive than your average driving game.

There are different aspects to the complexity for example one thing BeamNG does do well is the deformation and dynamic aspects of the overall model after a crash.

But in terms of "Tire model" there are more realistic simulators.

[losslessification]

Thanks for this video It gives more information than BEAM have provided but early days.

[GamerMuscleVideos]

Drive a real car or try, NKP, i racing, RF2, RBR and then tell me that the tire model in beam NG is as good as any of those simulators.

Granted BeamNG is taking a different approach and is doing a different type of simulation but at this point in time in terms of how the cars in BeamNG grip and move on a road they are less realistic than other simulators on the market. Which is to be expected given that BeemNG is alpha and not trying to compete with raw road driving/racing simulators.

[domokun]

Yes I have to agree with you. As of right now it isn't too great but thats how all games work. I love the damage though! it makes up for the slight problems it has.

[derekraylewis]

Dude it's not wobbly. They are going with true shocks and springs physics rather than doing it like a game, which makes it somewhat easy for gamers. Cars in real life, when pushed this far, act like this unless specifically customized and tuned to handle these conditions. This game is revolutionary and ultra realistic. That's why it feels funny.

[GamerMuscleVideos]

Cannot Drive with a 360 pad ! Going to try it with my wheel soon :)

[domokun]

He's talking about driving physics not crash physics. Its not bad for alpha but compared to real life its a bit off when it comes to handling, acceleration, and braking.

[GamerMuscleVideos]

К сожалению, я не говорю на русском, спасибо за просмотр моего видео!
(Google перевод!)

[domokun]

I have to agree with GamerMuscle, The driving physics themselves aren't that great. There's lack of handling and for some vehicles lack of torque also. "Try driving a car".. I've driven plenty of cars and something about the game isn't right when it comes to handling and acceleration/braking. Its very sponge like and it just feels off.

[GamerMuscleVideos]

iracing, NKP, Rf1,RF2, GSC are tuned down ? You don't know what you are talking about I bet you haven't even played them..

Sure console driving games are tuned down sure to make sure that they work with a controller.

Obvious Beam NG is still in development but if you honestly think there tire model at this point in time can compete with i racing, NKP, GSC then you simply don't under stand the state of things.

Please do some research before writing such an uninformed comment.

[phipck]

have you driven a real car at these speeds on this kind of road type? This is where i feel people have a slightly misguided impression of what is "correct". Rfactor and Iracing go a long way to simulate racing, but they dont place a vehical on a real terrain. I mean no disrespect for your opinion, I just feel if i drove my daily drive at 60+mph round bends and over bumps like in BeamNG, it would react more like it does in your video and less like other "sims".