SnowRunner 1221

March has come to an end, and the developers have published the development news for this month, as well as shared future plans. 
Patch 12.2 and its changes
First of all, the developers noted update 12.2, which introduces a very important change for consoles. This concerns the increase of the RAM limit, but only on consoles. In addition, the update includes a number of game improvements as well as fixes for already known bugs. Well, such updates will be released constantly, since the game still has a large number of bugs, and the developers are promptly fixing them.
Mods for consoles and developers’ recommendations for modders
The next point is mods for consoles, a long-discussed topic that all console players are familiar with. Mods consume quite a lot of RAM, which is quite critical for consoles. In their blog, the developers asked modders to reduce RAM usage to the possible minimum. This will give users the opportunity to play with a larger number of mods simultaneously. 
It is very important to name vehicle material files according to the plan specified by the developers, as this makes it easier to adjust texture streaming, which in turn affects game performance. Overall, this concerns modders or those planning to create their own mods for consoles. This is also an important recommendation for PC versions of mods. If the instructions are not followed, some mods may not be approved for consoles, and all the hard work will simply not pay off. 
But even if all mods are perfectly optimized, this will not solve the problem of the limit on the number of mods used simultaneously, and the problem lies with the consoles themselves.
Moderation of mods for consoles
Many know well that mods for consoles go through moderation and testing. Until this moderation is passed, the mod is not published, and players do not have access to it. In case of rejection by the developers, the mod can be resubmitted. However, before resubmitting, it is necessary to fix the errors that caused the rejection.
Checking one mod takes a lot of time. A mod can be resubmitted multiple times. The most important thing is to achieve a good result so that the mod works correctly. The problem is that mods have already been published that caused unstable game performance on consoles. Because of this, it was decided to take this process more seriously and moderate everything more strictly. This method has a huge downside – the moderation time varies greatly. Thus, it is impossible to predict how long it will take for a mod to pass the check or be rejected. Some mods can be checked very quickly, while others may remain in moderation for a long time, for weeks. 
This approach to moderation is encouraging, but the downsides are significant. It was decided to prioritize publishing mods that have already passed moderation before. That is, if a mod was updated or something similar and goes for re-moderation – such modifications are reviewed first. Next, high-quality large mods for various vehicles and maps will be considered. And only last will be mods that introduce gameplay and balance changes.
This is not the final approach, and this system will definitely be refined to moderate all added mods for consoles as quickly and efficiently as possible.
SnowRunner on Nintendo Switch
Good news for Nintendo Switch fans – soon you will be able to play SnowRunner on this device. Very soon, you will be able to pre-order the game. This is the full SnowRunner game that you can play anywhere. However, as you might expect, the graphics will be worse due to system limitations. Starting May 18, you will be able to start playing SnowRunner on Switch.
Fourth phase of the seasonal pass
Of course, how could we do without news about the seasonal pass. It is known that the events will take place in Russia. As always, the seasonal pass will introduce new types of equipment, vehicles, skins, gameplay improvements. And, of course, new huge maps – 4 of them, each huge, about 4 sq. km. 
The maps are diverse, and in each you will need to perform various interesting tasks: helping people at the cosmodrome, building pipes, constructing different roads, repairing them, and much more. In general, your driving skills will definitely come in handy.
Soon, in the coming weeks, those interested will be able to test the fourth phase of the seasonal pass on the public test server. As usual, bugs will be fixed based on the tests, and the update will be officially released once everything is polished and presentable. 
Truck tournament
And finally, the last thing the developers reported on is the truck tournament, which is in full swing. Already 18 vehicles have been knocked out of the tournament, but there is still more to come. The tournament runs 3 days a week: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. 

We are pleased to announce that you can now enjoy the content of the fourth phase of the SnowRunner seasonal pass. Naturally, the update is currently available only for testing on the public test server. Anyone interested can participate, and based on feedback, the developers will fix bugs and improve the content. The fourth phase is still in development, so don’t expect anything special just yet.
New Content
A whole new region has been added, consisting of 4 large maps. This is the Amur region. In the new region, you can visit the Cosmodrome, the Ursk River, and other locations.New vehicles have been added. There are 2 in total: the ZiKZ 605-R and the Khan 317 Sentinel.New types of decorations. In total, there are 5 hood ornaments for your vehicles, as well as new paint jobs for three vehicles: ZiKZ 5368, Tuz 420 "Tatarin", Azov 64131.As always after such updates, new challenges have been added to the game. There are 4 in total.
Hard Mode in SnowRunner
In this mode, trailers can only be scrapped, not sold.It is impossible to skip game time.Trucks are sold at half price, not full price.Vehicle evacuation costs money.Vehicles can only be taken out of the parking lot after payment.Vehicle repairs in the garage cost money.You now have to pay for auto-loading cargo.Fueling at gas stations is paid.After the 3rd attempt to participate in competitions, you can no longer enter.Familiar mission markers have been replaced by areas where you need to search for the objective.
Bug Fixes
The trailer now properly attaches to the truck’s fifth wheel. There was a bug with unlimited cargo when unloading on the loading platform. The issue has been fixed.Vehicle engines no longer start automatically.Fixed a multiplayer bug with incorrect counts of created cargo points.The text displaying the total fuel amount in the special generator window is now less transparent. Fixed a bug with inverted controls when turning the grapple. Controls are now normal.In multiplayer, there was a bug causing the winch sound to hang for other players. This no longer occurs.In co-op, the fuel amount value in the generator in the crafting menu now updates immediately.Fixed a bug where players lost all unpacked logs in single-player after loading them in multiplayer.In multiplayer, when trying to load cargo simultaneously with the host, the player lost the ability to load cargo entirely. The bug has been fixed.Fixed a bug on the “Swamps” map where it was impossible to load medium logs from the central station.Some mods for unknown reasons simply did not load on personal computers or got stuck in the queue. The issue has been fixed.Fixed a bug during the “Delivery of the Installation” mission where after restarting, the drilling rig did not reappear. Improved Logitech G923 controls, fixed control errors.
Truck Changes
Camera positioning during customization of the Caterpillar CT680 is now much more convenient. Truck frames used to remain in the same position when entering the garage; this has been fixed. This bug affected the Azov 42-20 Antarctica and Caterpillar 745C trucks.Another bug with the Azov 42-20 Antarctica was fixed. When exiting the garage, the truck’s mudguards lost their collision and stretched sideways, causing a visual glitch. This will no longer happen.Changed the steering knuckles of the Western Star 49X.
Other Changes
Now if the player has too much cargo in the trailer, a notification will appear warning that some cargo will be removed during packing.In missions with the seismic vibrator, distance is now displayed more accurately in miles. Now in the parking lot and in the store, you can filter to show only modified trucks.When towing, you can now start the engine of the towed vehicle. 
Modding
Added crafting zones, generator, logging, manual unloading, as well as support for mutators and brushes. The editor now includes a metal detector function.You can now set DLC requirements. This is done to enable vehicle tweaks.Added support for third-party cargo. 

The patch number 13.0 for the public test server was released quite recently. Now, small patches that fix errors from the major update will be released more frequently. Most fixes are made based on feedback from beta testers, so you can also report issues to the developers. Today, patch number 13.1 was released, which introduced certain fixes, namely:
The Amur region received improvements, various bugs were fixed.Players can now play on all four maps of the new region.The actions of creating and loading cargo were delayed. This bug was present in multiplayer. All fixed.To unlock new hood ornaments, you need to complete challenges. Previously, the ornaments were immediately available.If you start a new game in the new hardcore mode, trucks from the DLC will be removed from the garage.There was a bug with the "Weather Conditions" competition. Previously, if the competition ended in failure, it was impossible to retry it. This issue has been fixed.The supply refill zone at the Big Salmon Peak location no longer functions as a service station.Short logs are now available. 

SnowRunner developers have released a minor patch with fixes for the public test server. Issues were addressed based on reports from regular player-testers, so you can also join the public test server at any time and help the developers polish the new major update.
Vehicles
Khan 317 Sentinel and ZiKZ 605-R received updated models;ZiKZ 605-R – addons have been reworked, and fixes applied. Suspension has also been fixed.
Hard Mode
If players enter the supply replenishment zone without addons or a trailer with repair points – a message appears notifying them of this.Rendering improvements have been made in the search area. This was done to improve visibility in snowy regions.
Fixes
Mods subscribed to by the player now appear correctly.It is no longer possible to create public cooperative games if mods are present.Fixed the description of the "For Hard-to-Reach Places" mission. The number of cargos in the description now matches the actual number on the map.Fixed a bug in the "Key to Start" contract. This concerns a bug with the hangar platform and the locomotive. The "Compatibility" button in the truck shop now works properly when clicked with the mouse.Fixed a cooperative bug where attempting to detach the winch would, for unknown reasons, cause a double click. This will no longer happen. 

The latest update has been released for the SnowRunner public test server. The patch includes some changes to vehicle models as well as bug fixes. Let's review the full list of changes in patch 13.4. 
The Khan 317 Sentinel vehicle received a number of changes. The model of this vehicle was updated. Additionally, the addons were redesigned.The ZiKZ 605-R received updated sounds.In hardcore mode, there used to be a "skip tutorial" label. However, since the tutorial is disabled in this mode anyway, this label (option) will no longer appear.The crane no longer automatically resets when you open the cargo control window.The player interface hiding system has been slightly improved. Now, when this option is enabled, developer tools will also be hidden.The "Production Means" mission now has a marker during its execution.The option for the on or off state of the towed vehicle now correctly displays when using your own trailer for towing. 
You can read the news about the previous patch here.

Another small patch 13.5 has become available for the PTS:- Fixed a bug where trucks visually repaired themselves after re-entering the game in hard mode;- Improved the suspension of the ZiKZ 605-R;- Fixed missing icons in the user interface;- Fixed controls for the log loader.

PTS patches for SnowRunner are released at an incredible speed and frequency. A new update numbered 13.6 was recently released. Change log:
ZiKZ 605-R and Khan 317 Sentinel now have their own images in the store.ZiKZ 605-R received customization improvements.The rocket semi-trailer now has higher quality collision.Fixed a bug that prevented winches from being properly attached in certain places when the interface overlapped attachment points.“Northern Emblem” curtains will no longer disappear randomly.Some objects had textures of too low quality. Fixed.There is a competition called “Fuel Eight” in the game, and in the description of this competition, the rewards section was overlapped by the cancel button. This issue has been fixed.Fixed an error with the logging trailer regarding the display of its capacity.