Hotfix Out Now + Nominate Ranch Sim in the Steam Awards!
Hey ranchers,
We've just released a hotfix which includes optimisation improvements and adds FSR tech to the game to help those of you on AMD cards and lower spec machines. We are also making adjustments to the weather to reduce the chance of rain, plus a handful of other fixes.
Fixes Removed "Early Access Version" label Fixed disable lightning setting Fixed create account screen The honey frame was incorrectly positioned in the female character's hands
Changes FSR 2.0 added (DLSS for non-NVIDIA/Old GPUs) Reduced bad weather probability (rain, fog, storm, lightning, snow) Tree textures slightly reduced Optimized render distance for trees and stones that are not visible from afar
Steam Awards
As you've likely seen by now, the Steam Awards are back! This is your chance to vote for all of your favourite games from the past year in various categories. While you are free to nominate Ranch Sim for any category you see fit, we're going for the Sit Back and Relax award.
We'd be delighted to receive your vote! And only mildly upset if we don't ;)
Thanks, The Ranch Sim Team
Ranch Sim - Quick Status Update!
Hello ranchers,
First of all, we want to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you for making Ranch Sim's 1.0 launch a great one! It's been amazing to see so many of you playing and offering feedback.
The game may be at 1.0, but this is not the end! We have lots more bug fixes, optimisation and content updates to come.
First Post-Launch Patch in Development
We just wanted to offer you a quick status update and let you know that work on the first post-launch hotfix is well underway. We're carefully reading all of your feedback, suggestions and bug reports and replying to what we can. Keep an eye out for more news soon!
What About Content Updates?
As previously announced, the first post-launch content update will be the pets update, introducing cats and dogs! Steam achievements are also on the way. Keep an eye out for news on these.
In the new year we'll reveal our post-launch roadmap. As always, we want to hear your thoughts and suggestions - make sure to join the Discord and let us know what you'd like to see added!
Thanks, The Ranch Sim Team
Ranch Simulator v1.0 Out Now! | Unreal Engine 5 Update Now Available
Hello ranchers,
We're excited to announce that Ranch Sim's huge Unreal Engine 5 update is out now, delivering enhanced visuals, lighting, environments, oil production and much more! This also marks the end of our Early Access period. While this is an exciting milestone it is certainly not the end - we have plenty more to come as we will be continuing to support the game after launch including with free updates and patches.
Unreal Engine 5 Update - Now Available for Everyone
This update features...
Enriched visuals (environments, lighting and more)
Optimisation improvements
New animal models
New animations
Oil production
New vehicle physics
And more
We want to offer a special thanks to those of you who played the unstable versions of this update and helped to test it!
Save Compatibility
We know that your ranch progress is important to you, so we want to be as clear as possible regarding save wipes. Please be aware that your old saves from the previous Unreal Engine 4 version of the game will not work with the new Unreal Engine 5 version. (And if you have played an unstable version of the UE5 update your save may not work with the public version of the update)
Now that we have hit v1.0, we foresee no further save wipes.
Unreal Engine 4 Version Still Available to Play
While we strongly encourage everyone to play the new and improved UE5 version of Ranch Sim, we also wanted to offer you the option of sticking to the old UE4 version and continuing to play with your existing saves.
Please be aware that all future Ranch Sim updates and patches will only be released for the UE5 version of the game. In addition, to play multiplayer with others, all players will need to be on the same branch (e.g. if you are playing the UE4 version you will not be able to play online with a friend who is playing the UE5 version).
To access the old UE4 version of the game, you will need to switch to the Unreal Engine 4 branch.
To access the UE4 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 ‘unreal_engine_4_branch’ (no password needed) - This will then download the old UE4 version for you
What's to Come?
We will be continuing to support the game after launch including with free updates and patches - focusing on bug fixes, quality of life improvements and optimisation. Do keep the feedback coming and let us know how you're getting on!
The first post-launch content update we will release is the much requested pets update! Keep an eye out for news on your fluffy friends - we'll be adding cats and dogs to the game.
We can also confirm that Steam achievements are on the way!
In the new year we'll reveal our post-launch roadmap. As always, we want to hear your thoughts and suggestions - make sure to join the Discord and let us know what you'd like to see added!
Celebrate v1.0 Launch With our Biggest Discount Yet
If you've been considering gifting a copy of Ranch Sim to a friend so you can take on the rancher's life together, now's a fantastic time to do it. We're celebrating the game's v1.0 launch with our biggest discount yet.
Lumen global lighting system added (option for high end PCs. Increases GPU resource consumption, recommended to be used in conjunction with DLSS)
Improved version of the game world, using all the features of the new engine
New TSR anti-aliasing system
New improved wolf model and animations
New improved models and animations of roosters and chicks
Ability to skip all introductory quests at the start of the game
Ability to build an oil rig for additional passive income
Improved performance with a large number of animals
Now you can destroy the tent
Added new horse locomotion with additional animations and movements
Full controller support (key remapping for controllers coming soon)
Reworked animations
New car physics
The garage and old barn are now completely destructible
New items icons in the store
Increased cooler capacity
Sound from rain and wind is now muffled indoors
Leaves flying in the air in a strong wind
Thank you!
Lastly, we just wanted to say a massive thank you to every single one of you who have supported us by purchasing Ranch Sim in Early Access. It sounds cliché, but we genuinely couldn't have done any of this without you - without your passion, feedback, suggestions, bug reports and everything else.
We hope you enjoy the UE5 update and are looking forward to our post-launch updates!
Thanks, The Ranch Sim Team
Unstable Update - 1.01
Fixes
Fixed an issue where players would get launched away from their vehicles when exiting them.
Unstable Update - 1.0
Fixes
Vehicles no longer spin or react strangely when items or animals are placed in them
Sleep animation fixed
Correct icons for Oil well
Can now use E when naming ranch or animals
Unstable Update - 0.99
Further UI Fixes and Adjustments
Addressed an issue with selling items at the general or hardware stores
Axe animation fixes
Rifle can now be selected correctly when using a controller
Unstable update - 0.98
Thank you all again for the support and bug reports over the last few weeks. We have another update to the unstable branch for you today.
We have made some adjustments to the weather and extended the ranch area to encompass all the fields. See below for the full changes and fixes.
Changes
Further tweaks have been made to vehicles and trailers
Chance of bad weather reduced
Further changes made to UI for better controller support
Extended buildable area for the ranch to encompass all farmable fields
Fixes
Now able to scroll through items in cooler and basket (again)
Purchased items no longer blend with the paint in the selling/buying areas
Fixed lighting in more areas (Car dealership, houses, etc)
Clients are now able to interact with prefab house items correctly
You can now empty trailers manually (Seeder etc)
Adjustments made to help prevent flying off when exiting vehicles (Not completely fixed)
Ranch Simulator Exits Early Access on 3 November!
Hey ranchers,
We're delighted to announce that Ranch Simulator will leave Early Access and transition to v1.0 on 3 November 2023!
As you may have heard, we currently have the big Unreal Engine 5 update available on the unstable branch for community testing - if you haven't already, take a look at our previous announcement to see how you could be playing an early version of the UE5 update right now!
We continue to work on the update, making tweaks based on your feedback. We'll be releasing the final version of this update on the public branch when ready, and then we'll be transitioning to v1.0 on 3 November.
So What Happens Now? Are You Still Going to be Updating the Game?
Absolutely. We will be continuing to support the game after launch including with free updates and patches. The first post-launch content update we will release is the much requested pets update! Keep an eye out for news on your fluffy friends - we'll be adding cats and dogs to the game.
In the new year we'll reveal our post-launch roadmap. As always, we want to hear your thoughts and suggestions - make sure to join the Discord and let us know what you'd like to see added!
What's This About Save Data Compatibility?
We know that your ranch progress is important to you, so we want to be as clear as possible regarding save wipes. Please be aware that your old saves from the previous Unreal Engine 4 version of the game will not work with the new Unreal Engine 5 version. As a reminder, here's what we shared previously:
Previous saves are not compatible with the new UE5 version of the game. We don’t take this lightly, but to deliver the major enhancements this update brings it was simply unavoidable. Please also be aware that new saves from the current unstable version might not be compatible with further unstable versions of this update and the final version of the update which will go onto the public branch. Once the final version of this update is live on the public branch, we foresee no further save wipes.
For the time being the old UE4 version of the game is still available on the default branch so that you have the option to continue playing that with your existing saves if you choose. When the UE5 update moves to the public branch, a new branch will be created for the old UE4 version. Make sure to give your new saves different names from your previous UE4 save files to avoid accidentally overwriting them!
That's all for now, ranchers. The Ranch Sim Team
Unstable update - 0.971
Thank you all again for the feedback and bug reports. We have been hard at work addressing these issues and our second round of fixes is now here.
We have made some changes to the load/save game area in the menu. Save games will now track the version number they were last used with. Certain warnings will be displayed for incompatible or older saves, or saves created during the unstable testing campaign.
Previous unstable saves from version 0.95/96 should still load regardless of being marked as outdated. Once they are loaded and you save next time, this will update with the latest version number.
Fixes
Headers are now able to be connected to the Harvester
Fixed issues with the rifle reticule
Hints which are viewed should no longer be displayed
Hints should now have the correct buttons
Fixed issues with scrolling through items in coolers
Fertilizer trailer now works as intended
Wild animals will no longer spawn in the ground
Adjusted vehicle lights
Moved the quest marker when visiting the hardware store for the first time
Pour feed quest mark should now be closer to the ground
Camera should be the right way when waking up
Small pickup tail lights are no longer on all the time
Can no longer clip through the walls of the green building near best burger
Bees are now lower on their trees
Oil rig production speed shouldn't be affected by game load
Updated the map on bus stops
Engine sounds for the large pickup are now correctly affected by volume controls
Addressed an issue with the Oil Rig UI
UTV now has slightly more power
Best Burger multiplier screen should now always show
Load game button on death screen fixed
Fixed issues with character clothing not always fitting the character depending on their size
Rain will now show correctly during storms
Can no longer turn on table saws when still in their box
Lighting in barn buildings adjusted
Unreal Engine 5 Update - Now Available on the Unstable Branch!
Hey ranchers,
Ranch Sim’s big Unreal Engine 5 update is available now to play on the unstable branch! This is an early version of the update which we're rolling out for community testing - so expect to run into issues and bugs. (Feel free to stick to the public/default branch if you would rather play the update later on once it has gone through more testing and polish and has officially released!)
We need your help and want lots of you playing the unstable version and sharing your thoughts, feedback and bug reports as we continue to add to and modify the update!
Included in the current build… - Enriched visuals (environments, lighting and more) - Optimisation improvements - New animal models - New animations - Oil production - Enhanced horse movement - New vehicle physics - And more
Save Compatibility
PLEASE NOTE: Previous saves are not compatible with the new UE5 version of the game. We don’t take this lightly, but to deliver the major enhancements this update brings it was simply unavoidable. Please also be aware that new saves from today’s unstable version might not be compatible with further unstable versions of this update and the final version of the update which will go onto the public branch. Once the final version of this update is live on the public branch, we foresee no further save wipes.
For the time being the old UE4 version of the game is still available on the default branch so that you have the option to continue playing that with your existing saves if you choose. When the UE5 update moves to the public branch, a new branch will be created for the old UE4 version. Make sure to give your new saves different names from your previous UE4 save files to avoid accidentally overwriting them!
Accessing 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.
Unstable Patch Notes
- Lumen global lighting system (option for high end PCs, increases GPU resource consumption - recommended to be used in conjunction with DLSS) - Improved version of the map, using all the features of the new engine - New TSR anti-aliasing system - New improved wolf model and animations - New improved models and animations of roosters and chicks - Ability to skip all introductory quests at the start of the game - Ability to build an oil rig for additional passive income - Improved performance with a large number of animals - Now you can destroy the tent - Added new horse locomotion with additional animations and movements (under development) - Added gamepad control (key remapping and interface for the gamepad is not configured yet) - Rain sounds are now muted indoors - Reworked Animations - New car physics - The garage and old barn are now completely destructible - New items icons in the store - Increased cooler capacity - Sound from rain and wind is now muffled indoors - Leaves now fly in the air in a strong wind - Added rainbows
