The Farming Simulator license exists since 2008 but does not have a wrinkle! Fourteen years later, the publisher continues to innovate, with the Platinum version scheduled for November 15, 2022, a short year after the initial release of opus 22 (November 22, 2021).
This version brings together all the content already released, and adds new ones. In total, more than five hundred authentic vehicles and tools, covering a hundred brands from the agricultural world. The best known: Volvo, John Deere, Komatsu, Pfanzelt, IMEX, Koller and Schwarzmüller. Finally, known, I admit that apart from Volvo... Isn't it an excellent transition to talk about one of the flagship vehicles added recently, the Volvo L200H? This high lift wheel loader is perfect for grabbing large amounts of tree trunks and putting them in a trailer. A set of second, smaller grippers provide unparalleled precision, even with a single trunk. Afterwards, it seems that it is not profitable in terms of fuel consumption, but it is not as if the virtual gasoline of our equally virtual machines was going to run out, is it?
We were treated to a demonstration of a few other machines, including a very strange one, with ropes, which allows you to pull trees that are difficult to access with large cables. Forest management is at the center of the Platinum version, ranging from cutting to transporting trunks to a sawmill. The production chain goes even further, with the possibility of managing and transporting certain finished products made from wood. It even seems to include a mine, with a steel mill, but I don't know exactly how it works on this side (nor what is the link with agriculture, but that's another debate). In any case, all these resources give the opportunity to carry out great projects... Like for example building a boat or repairing an abandoned roller coaster! These new optional objectives are offered on the new map of Silverrun Forest, a new map inspired by the Pacific Northwest and its wooded landscapes, which I let you discover in this video:
A word on adding dead trees. I can't decently speak of novelty. Let's say it's an additional activity, perfect for experimenting with the marking of trunks. Different colors are proposed, without the real color code of the loggers being imposed. Everyone is free to choose their own meanings. This may appeal to the RP communities! Of course, if you want fewer trees, and more fields, to go back to the good old basics of Farming Simulator, no worries. This card, like the others, remains editable.
We took the opportunity to ask a few questions:
- overloading is not taken into account (in real life, transport trucks cannot exceed a maximum weight), but the game indirectly manages this through its physics. If too many items are put in a truck, the excess simply falls off.
- the physics are designed in such a way as to avoid vehicles from turning over as much as possible. In the worst case, the map resets to bring everyone back home.
- the eSport continues on version 19. It is not yet time to upgrade to 22, even if it is envisaged.
- vehicle modeling often begins with files provided by the brands (the quality of which must then be lowered). In some cases, the team is forced to travel to take the captures directly on a machine.
- the team in charge of the sound effects is often called upon to go on site to capture the sound of the machines.
Until November 15, you can also take advantage of the Vermeer Pack, released August 23, which adds the Vermeer ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler. In concrete terms, it is a machine that allows you to create hay bales very quickly, comfortable and manageable (with a large steering angle). In addition, it is autonomous, i.e. there is no need for a tractor:
