Some questions about FS17 versus FS15

[ACSoft]

I play actually with FS15. A modified version which was enhanced with DrawDistanceUpdater. I must say that I wouldn't probably have continued to play with this game, if I didn't founded this very smart tool. I know that FS17 has now some settings which allow to change some of the drawing distance, but apparently not for the shadow, wich is, to my view, very unfortunate.

So my questions about graphic are:
1)
For those who, like me, used DrawDistanceUpdater with FS15, does FS17 allow graphic settings which offer a similar or even better drawing distances experience ?
2)
Relatively to default FS15 setting, is the drawing distance of shadow increased in FS17 or is there an other way to tweak it, as apparently, this distance is not included in the FS17 settings ?


On thing which made me mad actually with FS15, is the very poor efficiency of the hired worker AI. Depending on machine used, they can left parts untreated. They are unable to manage properly non-rectangular field, etc... I read on forums, that, almost in the early days of FS17, the worker AI was even worst than in FS15. Some comments even used the term "catastrophic" !

So my questions about worker AI are:
3)
In the actual version, are the problems added by FS17, like worker turning in the wrong direction and redoing the part already treated, solved ?
4)
In the actual version, are the workers, at last, able to turn correctly, without to left behind untreated parts ?
5)
In FS15, they are quite a lot of activities were you cannot hire a worker, like cutting grass, etc... Is-it still the case in FS17, or or has this aspect of the workers been improved and how ?
6)
Are they any other significative improvements in FS17 worker AI and which one ?


Many thanks in forward fo your help on those questions.

[eric21]

The ai is alot better than fs15 and you can hire them to do grass, as grass is now am actual crop this time

[fenixguy]

They still require a lot of babysitting. In my opinion, they are much less predictable in FS17 than previous versions. In the other games, I could set the worker off and he/she would go until they got to what they thought was the end of the field or couldn't move anymore. Now I can set them off and 10 mins later, they might be in another field completely. I've even had them change directions from N/S to E/W and vice versa.

They are much better at avoiding obstacles and turning at the headlands. This is where FS17 workers shine; the way they can turn and then back up to line themselves up, even with a trailed implement.

So still not perfect, but better in many ways. I did have one drive in the river on Estancia the other day. I had never seen 'Helper __ has stopped due to unknown reasons'.

[ACSoft]

Thank a lot for these first informations about AI, but what about graphic subject !

Come on guys ! I am sure that many of you have played FS15 with a version modified by the tool DrawDistanceUpdater and therefore, you can answer to my 2 questions about graphics. So please, take 30 sec to tell me your feeling !

[LS09God]

All I can tell about the shadows is that there are limitations to how far they will be shown. The shadow draw distance is better then in FS15. But there are moments the shadows are gone from view on big open spaces. In GE you can alter the draw distance of the shadows. Takes a bit to long to explain how to do just that. With some tinkering you'll be able to find that out for yourself. You need to look at the SUN in the scenegraph for the map shadows, for that is the lightsource that generates the shadows. For lights on the farm you'll need to edit those separately to get it to your standerds.

BE AWARE of the lag monster. To many or to far shown shadows are killing your FPS.

[ACSoft]

Thanks Ls09God ! What you say is interesting.

You say that they are moments where shadow are gone from view on big open space. For sure, this is not something to improve realism, but I wonder if this, is in fact less severe than all these shadows poping suddenly from nowhere at short distance, like we had with FS15 ?

Maybe it is to avoid this that they decided to suppress shadows in some circumstances ?