SnowRunner news 142

According to the developers, SnowRunner will be evolutionary in many ways, including the interaction aspect and surface physics. Their goal is to develop the best surface physics and ensure the most efficient interaction with existing vehicles.

Screenshots are placed according to the points.


Base Viscosity

An interesting innovation in the game is base viscosity. Let's start with the fact that surfaces in SnowRunner will be of two types: deformable and non-deformable. For example, deformable surfaces include sand, mud, grass, and so on, while the second category includes concrete, asphalt, and other solid surfaces. This was also present in other games. However, now deformable surfaces will have their own level of viscosity. This means that the chance of getting stuck changes depending on the surface. Thus, the chance of getting stuck in mud or sand is higher than the chance of getting stuck while driving on grass. A sensible innovation, since in Mudrunner all surfaces had the same viscosity.

Moreover, in SnowRunner, identical surfaces can have different viscosities. For example, in lighter mud, the chance of getting stuck is lower than in darker mud. The darker the surface, the higher the chance of getting stuck.

For map developers, an interesting feature called "Deformation Data" has also been added. Regular players will not be able to see it. However, thanks to this feature, map developers can create various types of swamps, mud, and other places where players can easily get stuck. Such areas are painted using a special brush.

Yes, something similar could be found in Mudrunner. However, in SnowRunner, hidden deformations on certain surfaces cannot be too deep. That is, now everything is much more realistic, and driving on certain surfaces has become more predictable and easier.

A completely new feature in the new game is wet surfaces. Map developers will be able to make desired surfaces wet using a special brush. Previously, all surfaces in games looked dry. The new feature is called the "wetness mask" and adds a really cool capability. The wetness mask strongly affects the surface viscosity, since the wetter the place, the higher the chance of getting stuck. This can be used for various purposes.


Driving on Snow

SnowRunner has snow, lots of snow. At the same time, driving on snow differs from driving on mud. The depth of snow varies in different areas, and in some places, it will be easy to drive through, while in others, you will have to try hard. Map developers will be able to select the snow depth using a brush. Depending on the depth, the vehicle's behavior changes significantly.

Snow depth affects both gameplay in general and visual effects. For example, if the snow level is low, the wheels will dig into the mud, and in the case of a large amount of snow and high snow clumps, snow will fly out from under the wheels, and the vehicle's behavior will change significantly. Off-road tires will greatly facilitate driving on snow.

The color factor does not affect snow, which is quite reasonable, as with other viscous surfaces. That is, if the snow color is darker in certain areas for various reasons, it is unlikely to affect passability. At the same time, the wetness mask does not work on snow, meaning snow has a fixed "wetness."

If the maps are winter-themed, applying the wetness mask to non-deformable surfaces will turn these surfaces into ice. That is, vehicles will start sliding on this area unless certain types of tires are used.

The vehicle's weight also greatly influences many things. If the vehicle is heavily loaded or weighs a lot, passability will be significantly lower. That is, the vehicle will get stuck more easily in mud, snow, swamps, and so on. Consequently, you will constantly have to monitor the weight of your equipment so as not to complicate your progress.


Driving on Water

As in Mudrunner, in SnowRunner players will have the ability to drive on water. At the same time, the mechanics are almost identical. The heavier the vehicle, the less chance of various types of damage: flipping over, and so on. However, in SnowRunner, vehicles can be equipped with snorkels. Thanks to snorkels, the maximum depth at which the vehicle will not suffer any damage is determined.

Continuing the "Vehicle Presentation" series for SnowRunner. Our guest today is the Khan Lo4F - a multifunctional vehicle that was actively used by both the military and the civilian population of the Eastern Bloc, including in the most inaccessible corners of the Soviet Union. The vehicle is still in use today.

Model: Khan Lo4F

Length: 4.5 m
Width: 2 m
Fuel tank capacity: 80 liters

All-wheel drive: always active
Diff lock: always active
Role: reconnaissance

On the official developer website - Epic Games Store, the SnowRunner pre-order has appeared with a release date and prices.

Standard Edition: 1399 rubles
Premium Edition (game + season pass): 2099 rubles

SnowRunner release date: April 28, 2020

System requirements will be specified later.

SnowRunner pre-order for PC on the official website (Epic Games Store).

SnowRunner launches on April 28 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The pre-order option is officially open, news about this was released yesterday. With the pre-order, you will receive the Navistar 5000-MV.

Information about 37 different achievements that can be earned in SnowRunner has become available on the Xboxachievements website:

Some of them:

- Repair all the pipes in Alaska
- Find all vehicle upgrades in Michigan
- Crush 500 pumpkins
- Earn 100,000 credits
- Find all Lenin monuments in Taimyr
- Deliver all 3 oil rigs to their destinations in Alaska
- Complete each region on a single tank of fuel.

SnowRunner is a wonderful game where players not only complete various tasks but also explore the edge of civilization, becoming pioneers of different dangerous and hard-to-pass terrains. The player battles the elements, completing tasks of varying difficulty in a wide range of locations. Overall, SnowRunner features three regions: Michigan, Alaska, and Taimyr.

The maps have been significantly redesigned, with improved detail and overall size. For example, some maps in MudRunner are 3-4 times smaller than those in SnowRunner. The developers want to further enhance cooperative play capabilities. Exploring large maps cooperatively is very engaging, and they want to see how it turns out. The territories are truly vast, and conquering them will require joint efforts.

Alaska and Michigan each consist of 4 different maps, while Taimyr has three. The regions and maps differ significantly in overall style and design, so exploring each map and region individually will be an interesting process. Each map will also have its own musical accompaniment and story.

The difficulty of the maps steadily increases. As you progress through the campaign, you will notice that the next map becomes more challenging. However, players are not restricted and can explore any region at any time. This does not mean the game will be either too easy or too hard. Everything is balanced, and on easy maps, you will encounter difficult quests, while on hard maps, there will be easier ones.

Moreover, during the main campaign, you will often move between maps. That is, after accepting a task on one map, there is a good chance you will need to travel to another map. To do this, you must reach a specific point on the map and transition using special tunnels. There will also be cases where moving to another location requires completing a series of different actions/tasks.


Michigan

The initial location where players’ journey begins. As mentioned above, you can explore any map/region at any time. However, if you follow the increasing difficulty level, Michigan is the easiest and first region. Michigan is located in America. It is a very dangerous area with many dense forests and, worse yet, swamps covered with various oil fields. Large companies compete with each other trying to earn income, and you will have to work for such companies. Michigan mainly features a lot of off-road terrain. However, compared to the other two regions, there are many more good roads here.


Alaska

In MudRunner, you traversed areas covered with deep, sticky mud. Welcome to Alaska – the complete opposite of the aforementioned terrains. Alaska is entirely covered with snow and ice. You definitely need to get winter tires, as there is a high chance you will slip off the road without them. Speaking of roads, in Alaska, roads are quite narrow, and falling off these narrow roads can lead to plunging and crashing.
Alaska is a rather wild area, mostly featuring frozen lakes, snow-covered rocks, and other difficult-to-pass terrains. However, even here you can find traces of civilization: various buildings, an airport, and so on. You just need to look carefully. A huge pipeline runs through all the maps of Alaska, and it’s not just a decorative detail. Your goal is to maintain the operation of this facility.


Taimyr

Taimyr is the last and arguably the most difficult area, the toughest region. It is also the only region in SnowRunner located in Russia. Taimyr is a peninsula, and on this peninsula, you won’t find any roads—don’t even try. The terrain is mostly covered with taiga and swamps. It is a harsh region where you will really have to work hard to complete the necessary tasks.

Among Taimyr’s tasks is the search for oil fields. For this, a new tool is used: the seismic module. But the tasks vary widely. As mentioned above, even in Taimyr, you can find easy tasks, and difficult tasks can be found somewhere in Michigan.

The developers presented us with the off-road vehicle International PayStar 5070 in the weekly "Vehicle Showcase" series - a multifunctional machine capable of performing a wide range of tasks in various conditions. Its versatility and fuel efficiency make it an excellent choice for daily work.

Model: International PayStar 5070

Length: 8.1 m
Width: 2.4 m
Fuel tank capacity: 240 liters

All-wheel drive: switchable
Diff lock: switchable
Role: off-road vehicle

In SnowRunner, you will conquer the off-road terrains of Alaska, Michigan, and Taimyr. Rushing rivers, sticky mud, snow drifts, frozen lakes – dangers lurk at every turn in this vast open world.

Explore the map from lookout towers, plan your route, upgrade and modify your vehicles in the garage (changing tire types, suspension, engine, and other equipment). And don’t forget to complete missions.

You don’t have to play alone; you can invite up to 3 friends to dive into the adventure together!

SnowRunner launches on April 28 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC (on the Epic Games Store). You can already pre-order SnowRunner and SnowRunner Premium Edition (to get access to exclusive bonuses).