An optimisation and bug fix patch is now available on the main branch, meaning it's available for all players!
Take a read of the details, which were previously announced:
This interim patch includes tweaked FSR and DLSS settings, as well as optimisations to some elements which were causing hits to performance such as anti-aliasing and chicken eggs. Large ranches with high volumes of animals should see improved FPS on some set ups.
This is in addition to the following:
- Optimized number of draw calls - Optimized textures and materials of stones, grass, trees and buildings - Removed unnecessary files from the game - Fixed issues when mounting horses - Fixed a bug with a mouse or gamepad when opening a building book - Eggs now break again - Fixed a bug where FSR made the picture too blurry - Fixed a bug where it was impossible to turn off TSR
What's Next?
We'll now be focusing on the horse breeding and tree growth update! Keep an eye out for more news.
Excalibur Games Summer Sale 2024
The Steam Summer Sale is here and Ranch Simulator is available at it's best discount yet! Check it out in the Excalibur Games Summer Sale 2024:
Thanks, The Ranch Sim Team
Now Available for Testing: Optimisation and Bug Fix Patch
Hey ranchers,
An optimisation and bug fix patch is now available for testing on the unstable branch! We want your help testing the patch before it goes live on the main branch!
This interim patch includes tweaked FSR and DLSS settings, as well as optimisations to some elements which were causing hits to performance such as anti-aliasing and chicken eggs. Large ranches with high volumes of animals should see improved FPS on some set ups.
This is in addition to the following:
- Optimized number of draw calls - Optimized textures and materials of stones, grass, trees and buildings - Removed unnecessary files from the game - Fixed issues when mounting horses - Fixed a bug with a mouse or gamepad when opening a building book - Eggs now break again - Fixed a bug where FSR made the picture too blurry - Fixed a bug where it was impossible to turn off TSR
How to Access the Unstable Branch
- Load up Steam and head to your Library - Right click on Ranch Simulator and then select ‘Properties’ - Head to the Beta tab and in the drop down select ‘unstable_branch’ (no password needed) - This will then download the new build for you
What's Next?
Once this patch is live on the main branch, we'll be working on the horse breeding and tree growth update! Keep an eye out for more news.
Excalibur Games Summer Sale 2024
The Steam Summer Sale is here and Ranch Simulator is available at it's best discount yet! Check it out in the Excalibur Games Summer Sale 2024:
Thanks, The Ranch Sim Team
Coming Soon: Optimisation and Bug Fix Update
Hello ranchers!
We hope you've been enjoying Ranch Sim and the latest update! (Hands up if you've unlocked all the achievements!)
We wanted to offer a quick update on the work going on behind the scenes and what you can expect from the next couple of updates.
Right now, we're working away on improving some aspects of the game which we know need attention. We've been listening to all of your feedback and are pleased to confirm that the next update will bring further improvements to optimisation, including improved FSR and DLSS! We've also optimised some elements which were causing hits to performance such as anti-aliasing and chicken eggs. Several minor gameplay bugs are also being addressed in this patch.
We don't have a release window to share for this update just yet, but do keep an eye out for news!
If you're looking forward to the horse breeding and tree growth update (and why wouldn't you be?!), don't worry! This update is still on the way too. It'll just release following this optimisation/bug fix update.
As always, keep the feedback coming!
Please note: At 2am ET/7am BST on 20 June, the Epic Online Services (EOS) will go down for 30 minutes for scheduled maintenance, followed by degraded service availability for up to 3 hours. This will result in Ranch Sim's multiplayer being unavailable for those 30 minutes, with potential issues for up to 3 hours following.
Thanks, The Ranch Sim Team
OUT NOW: Quality of Life + Achievements Update
Hello Ranchers,
We have just launched a quality of life update on the main branch, which introduces autosaves, convenient light switches and more! A big thank you to those of you who helped test the unstable branch version of this update.
And, as always, we want to know what you think of this latest update, so do keep the feedback coming on the Steam forums and our Discord!
Take a read of all the details, which were previously announced:
Life is better on the ranch, but it isn't always easy. So we've have been hard at work on a quality of life update, which will make your in-game lives a little easier!
This update introduces autosaves - you can still save manually of course, but autosaving now occurs every ten minutes by default. One less thing to worry about! We've also added an option to save and quit when exiting the game via the menu.
And we've also added light switches, which allow you to turn on various lights in your buildings and houses at once. To set up a switch, simply open the construction book, place your light switch where desired, left click on the light switch, left click on the lights you wish to connect to the switch, and then left click on the switch again. Ta-da! You can still turn your lights on and off manually if you wish.
The long awaited, much requested Steam achievements are also here! We have 39 Steam achievements for you to unlock. Achievement hunters, have at it!
Last but not least, you can now modify the colour of your coolers. Lovely.
We've also snuck a couple bug fixes into this update.
- Fixed an issue with horses not training in paddocks - Fixed an issue with controller interaction when creating a character
What's Next?
Next up, we'll now be working on an update which includes tree growth (so you can chop down more trees and produce more wood), a trailer to transport logs, and horse breeding! Keep an eye out for news.
Thanks, The Ranch Sim Team
Quality of Life + Achievements Update: Unstable Version Now Available!
Hello Ranchers,
Life is better on the ranch, but it isn't always easy. So we've have been hard at work on a quality of life update, which will make your in-game lives a little easier!
An early version of this update is available now for testing on the unstable branch. The public version of this update will release for everyone within the coming days.
This update introduces autosaves - you can still save manually of course, but autosaving now occurs every ten minutes by default. One less thing to worry about! We've also added an option to save and quit when exiting the game via the menu.
And we've also added light switches, which allow you to turn on various lights in your buildings and houses at once. To set up a switch, simply open the construction book, place your light switch where desired, left click on the light switch, left click on the lights you wish to connect to the switch, and then left click on the switch again. Ta-da! You can still turn your lights on and off manually if you wish.
The long awaited, much requested Steam achievements are also here! We have 39 Steam achievements for you to unlock. Achievement hunters, have at it!
Last but not least, you can now modify the colour of your coolers. Lovely.
We've also snuck a couple bug fixes into this update.
- Fixed an issue with horses not training in paddocks - Fixed an issue with controller interaction when creating a character
How to Access the Unstable Branch
To access the unstable branch, do the following: - Load up Steam and head to your Library - Right click on Ranch Simulator and then select ‘Properties’ - Head to the Beta tab and in the drop down select ‘unstable_branch’ (no password needed) - This will then download the new build for you.
We want to know what you think of this latest update, so do keep the feedback coming on the Steam forums and our Discord!
What's Next?
Once the public version of this update is out, we will start work on the next one! This will include horse breeding, tree growth and a log trailer.
Thanks, The Ranch Sim Team
Cats and Dogs Update Out Now | Revamped Driving Handling and Physics
Hello ranchers,
We have a big update for you today which adds cats and dogs as well as revamped driving steering and physics! Thank you for your patience, and we can't wait to hear what you think of the update!
Cats and Dogs
A Dachshund, a Rottweiler and a German Shepherd are now available to purchase from the general store! You can get these dogs to follow you, and even get them to fetch items for you. Your furry doggo friends will even help defend you from predators such as wolves and bears, and revive you when unconscious! Make sure to build a dog house for your pooch to rest in.
We've also added four different colour cats you can purchase in the general store. All pets can be named by buying a collar from the general store, which can also be customised with different colours using paint. Make sure to feed your four legged friends and give them enough water! (And give them plenty of pets on the head too!)
Driving Handling and Physics
We've heard loud and clear from you that our driving handling and physics needed attention, so we've given them an overhaul. Tweaks have been made to improve stability and drivability for all vehicles and trailers - let us know what you think of the new handling!
Full Patch Notes
Cats and Dogs - Cats and dogs have been added to the game - Cats can be purchased in 4 colours - Cats can be picked up and petted - 3 breeds of dogs can be purchased - Dogs can be commanded to follow by pressing the whistle key (H) - While following, dogs will protect the player they are following from aggressive animals - While following, dogs can be commanded to fetch an item by looking at the item and pressing the whistle key (H) - Dogs will sit in passenger seats in cars when owner gets it (takes up a seat which can no longer be used by a player) - Dog house has been added to the blueprint book (In coop tab) - Dogs can revive a player if they are following a player when they are unconscious - Pet collars added to the store which can be used to name your pets and can be painted different colours using paint - Pet food added to the store - Pet food bowl added to store, can be used to feed pets with water and food
New - Added compact ladder item to help people reach hard to get to areas - Wolves, deer, and bears now have idle animations for sitting and resting - Livestock now not only walk and stand, but can also sit and lie down
Fixes and Changes - Changed parameters of all vehicles and trailers, improving stability and drivability - Fixed issues with character shadows - Optimised vehicle models - Added engine sounds to town traffic - Town traffic is now faster - Fixed radio - Fixed spawning issues with vehicle trailer at hardware store
If you're wondering what's next for Ranch Sim, make sure to read our latest roadmap announcement.
Ranch Sim is 55% Off in the Excalibur Games Publisher Sale
Ranch Simulator is currently available at 55% off, our biggest Steam discount to date, as part of the Excalibur Games Publisher Sale!
Make sure to check out this limited time discount on the sale page.
First Half of 2024 Roadmap Revealed
Hello, and welcome to our first news update of the year!
We're excited to reveal what we've got planned for the first half of 2024.
Coming Soon: Cats and Dogs Update Next Up: Quality of Life Update Followed by: Horse and Tree Update
First up is the Cats and Dogs Update, adding the much-anticipated furry friends to your ranch. We're also focusing on improvements to driving and steering, with alterations to suspension, centres of gravity and more. Last but not least, there will be further optimisations, bug fixes and improvements included in this update.
Then, we'll be moving onto the Quality of Life Update - this will focus on community requested features which make playing the game a smoother experience. We'll be adding an autosave feature, and introducing the option to save and quit without the need to go to a bed and sleep in-game. You can also expect to be able to customise the colour of your coolers so you can transport your produce in style, plus light switches.
Following that, we'll move onto the next update: we've heard you - you want to be able to chop more trees down! So we will be introducing a tree growth mechanic, as well as a trailer to transport logs, in the third planned update. We'll also be adding horse breeding.
We can't wait to get these updates into your hands! Keep an eye out for news on update releases and as always, keep the feedback coming on the Steam forums and our Discord.
Happy ranching!
Thanks for a Great 2023!
Hey ranchers,
As 2023 comes to a close, we wanted to say a big thank you for playing... and offer a little sneak peek at the highly anticipated cats and dogs update!
It's been another fantastic year for Ranch Sim, with a successful 1.0 launch back in November - and none of that would have been possible without you all, our community! We can't overstate how much we appreciate you all playing the game, sharing your excitement, offering feedback, reporting bugs and posting your screenshots and videos. So... thanks for being you!
And we want to say a special thank you to our team of community mods, the Ranch Sim 'Sheriffs', who help to keep the community fun, welcoming and friendly!
Coming Early 2024
In early 2024 we'll be releasing the much requested cats and dogs update, as well as more bug fixes and improvements based on community feedback.
We know that dogs and cats are highly anticipated by the community, so we're excited to offer you a new sneak peek at some of the little friends available in the upcoming update.
Thanks again, and we wish you all a happy holidays and a fantastic new year!
See you in 2024. The Ranch Sim Team
Hotfix - 28th November 2023
Fixed an issue related to multiplayer cross play between Epic and Steam platforms
