My Suggestions & Feedback & Visual Nit Picking

Hello Spintires,

Just like most players who play Mudrunner,I want to add my feedback and make suggestions to help improve the game. I,unlike many,actually enjoy playing the game and find ways to make it enjoyable. I'm not one to just throw in the towel because I've completed the challenges with 3 stars,completed casual mode,and completed hardcore mode. I'm still enjoying it and waiting for the recently announced free DLC coming next month. But I would like to give my feedback in hopes of improving the longevity of the game. I also have a bit of nit picking on some graphical stuff,but that's because I'm a perfectionist. Nothing that has to be addressed,but thought I would bring them to your attention anyway.

I've put together a list of suggestions that I've thought about since I bought the Mudrunner. I'll start it off with ideas to improve the longevity of game play. What I mean by longevity is the amount of time spent for each playing session. My average sessions last about 3 1/2 hours as that's how long I can complete a map on casual mode,about 4 1/2 hours on hardcore mode. I do tend to game for pretty lengthy sessions,even more so on weekends. So here is what I have.

Miscellaneous:
1.) Change the appearance of the winch cable so it actually looks like a steel cable. The gray line we currently have is hideous.
2.) Remove the "Fuel Semi-Trailer" from having to be connected to a truck to refuel other trucks. It would be nice to drop off the trailer,but still have the truck available.
3.) Remove the "Utility Semi-Trailer" from having to be connected to a truck to refuel other trucks. Same reason as the trailer above.
4.) Remove the "Utility Trailer" from having to be connected to a truck to refuel other trucks. Same reason as the trailer above.
5.) Widen the "Garage Trailer" axles so the wheels are as wide as the trailer itself. It's a little to unstable and I've had it roll over onto it's side while towing it.
6.) Make the log secure cables on "Medium Log Cart" and "Long Log Cart" so they can be used by the crane grapples to lift for repositioning without having to change trucks. You can reposition it by grabbing the hitch beam or the crossbar of the stakes,but the cables would be much better.
7.) Random weather like rain sprinkle,normal rain,heavy rain,downpour rain,and thunderstorm would be awesome. This could also work with the active mud we currently have making things worse depending on the rain type. Maybe snow weather like very light snow,light snow,heavy snow,wet heavy snow,and blizzard. This could work the opposite of rain and make the roads freeze and become icy or just frozen hard.
8.) Add one additional player for multiplayer. I haven't played any multiplayer with anyone or my friends,but I think a total of four players would be more enjoyable. I believe it is currently three players,correct me if I'm wrong.

Garage:
1.) Fix the garage area so when viewing certain angles it doesn't darken your screen. It is rather annoying when your maneuvering your truck and trailer.
2.) Make the vehicle loadout menu only display when the vehicle isn't running and parking brake is engaged. It's annoying when I'm trying to park and it keeps appearing and disappearing as I'm parking.
3.) Make garage area dry dirt instead of mud. I've had numerous occurrences where the trailer was stuck and couldn't be moved.

Log Kiosks:
1.) Additional light poles to make loading trailers easier at night. Place on ends of stacked log pile by circle kiosks area and each end/middle of stacked log piles by square kiosks.
2.) Fix the log kiosk area so when viewing certain angles it doesn't darken your screen. Same reason as the garage area.
3.) Give us the ability to manually load our trucks with logs fully. Not the 12/13 we're able to before they start being removed from the trailers. Or increase it from 12/13 to 18 or 20 logs. The 12/13 log limit doesn't load a trailer higher than the stakes. When you pack them after 12/13 logs they pack higher than the trailer stakes. I think 18 or 20 should be fine before packing the load.

Log Mills:
1.) Option to increase the amount of points needed to fill mill as 8 points equals 2 loads per mill. Options of 8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,or 24 points would increase session longevity and amount of loads to fill the mill. Possibly a casual and hardcore mode option,or hardcore mode only option.
2.) Possibly specify log types for filling mills. Something like 10 points for longs,6 points for shorts,8 points for mediums if mill point amount is set to 24 for example. If there is two mills on the map they could be set differently if desired. Possibly a casual and hardcore mode option,or hardcore mode only option.
3.) Possibly specify each mill for which types of logs are required to fill mills (all longs,all mediums,all shorts,longs & mediums,longs & shorts,mediums & shorts). This could be a secondary option if you want to quickly set mills for specific logs without specifying each log types points. For example,16 points and requires all longs,or 12 points and requires mediums and shorts. Possibly a casual and hardcore mode option,or hardcore mode only option.
4.) Add four poles placed vertically for long,medium,and short logs to optionally unload trailers manually. Set up like the log kiosks in casual mode with the dashed line box,one box for each log length. The logs would be placed between sets of four poles for stacking inside the dashed line box. Maybe a hardcore mode only option.
5.) Add light poles behind each log stacking area for manually unloading logs as it will help with seeing when stacking the logs.

Trucks:
1.) When equipped with crane and using crane to manually load trailer,make crane control menu disappear when log(s) are in crane grapple. The control menu impedes ability to see trailer stakes when loading long logs,especially the for the long log cart trailer.
2.) Increase the crane lights beam width to make seeing the ends of long logs easier. This will help judging the log in relation to the trailer stakes.
3.) Increase hydraulic power of main crane boom,secondary crane boom,and crane grapple (5 - 10% for main & secondary booms,20 - 40% for crane grapple). They just seem a little weak,even more so for the grapple.
4.) Make the crane booms work independently of each other,secondary boom shouldn't lower main boom when raising logs. They work independently of each other in real life applications. This is very frustrating when manually loading logs.
5.) Add stabilization bars off each side crane grapple,straight bar with crossbar at end with downward bent ends (crossbar same direction as grapple when opened). It will help secure the log(s) and keep it/them from slipping out or being grabbed funky. Sucks picking up logs and they make an X which makes them unsecure and occasionally having one slip out.
6.) Increase width of outriggers to increase stabilization of truck when using the crane stretched out off side of truck. I've almost tipped my truck over while loading logs.
7.) Add a counterweight loadout option for front bumper when hualing "Medium or Long Log Cart" trailers. There is so much weight on the trucks rear axles and barely enough on the steer axle to steer the truck. An option to add a counterweight on the front bumper would help,or make the option a much heavier front bumper which would act like a counterweight.
8.) Add automatic windshield wipers for when the windshield gets wet from crossing water. I think it would just be a cool feature and a little more realistic.
9.) Add the ability to change color of truck cabs,truck frames,and truck wheels. Also the ability to change the color of the "Medium Log Cart" and "Long Log Cart" frame and wheels. Possibly for other trailers too.
10.) Add a tri-axle heavy truck with various loadouts.

Trailers:
1.) Add a 5th wheel single axle dolly trailer. Could have variations for wheels depending on the truck it's being towed by.
2.) Add a 5th wheel double axle dolly trailer. Could have variations for wheels depending on the truck it's being towed by. Used with double axle double short,medium,long regular log trailers.
3.) Add a 5th wheel single axle regular log trailer for short logs (4 stakes).
4.) Add a 5th wheel double axle regular log trailer for double short logs (8 stakes). Short logs stacked between front 4 stakes and short logs stacked between rear 4 stakes.
5.) Add a 5th wheel double axle regular log trailer for medium logs (4 stakes).
6.) Add a 5th wheel double axle regular log trailer for long logs (6 stakes).
7.) Add a 5th wheel double axle drop deck trailer with hydraulic loading ramps. Could be used to haul K-700 to log kiosks or damaged single/double axle trucks.
8.) Add a 5th wheel triple axle drop deck trailer with hydraulic loading ramps. Could be used to haul D-535,D-537,and E-7310,damaged or not.

Those are my suggestions and feedback. I think many of those things will improve the game overall. Of course I don't expect all of it to become reality in Mudrunner,but I do hope some of it does. As i said I enjoy the game for what it currently is and as time goes on I like to think it has more possibilities and a future. The up and coming free DLC is a good start and I hope to see more. I'm also not going to express the desire or need for mods. Whether or not we see it doesn't bother me. Plus I'm sure you've heard about mods enough on the Facebook page and probably even here in the forums. The last thing I have is possible changes for certain truck loadouts and nit picking of visual things I've noticed with trucks and loadouts. So here it is.

C-256:
1.) Remove "Long Log Cart",lack of paved roads and lack of dried dirt to operate highway tractor trailer. Not suited for the deep mud we see in the game.

C-255:
1.) Move rear fenders back on "Fuel Cistern" because the front is going into the rear of fuel tank.

C-260:
1.) Move rear axles back as they are to close to the rear of fuel tank.
2.) Move rear fenders back because the front is going through the rear of the fuel tank.
3.) Remove front mud shields on "Log Carrier With Crane" because they are going through the fuel tank.
4.) Either remove rear mud shield on "Utility Attachment" or move brake lights back on truck frame extensions so they are behind the mud shield.
5.) End of secondary crane boom and hydraulic lines are going through the top of the truck cab.

B-130:
1.) Remove "Fuel Semi-Trailer" loadout,lack of paved roads and lack of dried dirt to operate highway tractor trailer. Not suited for the deep mud we see in the game.
2.) Remove "Garage Semi-Trailer" loadout,lack of paved roads and lack of dried dirt to operate highway tractor trailer. Not suited for the deep mud we see in the game.
3.) Remove "Utility Semi-Trailer" loadout,lack of paved roads and lack of dried dirt to operate highway tractor trailer. Same reason as the two above.
4.) "Utility Trailer" doesn't visually hook up to the trailer hitch.
5.) "Short Log Trailer" doesn't visually hook up to the trailer hitch.
6.) "Garage Trailer" doesn't visually hook up to the trailer hitch.
7.) "Garage Cart" doesn't visually hook up to the trailer hitch.

C-375:
1.) Support bars on mud shields on the "Log Carrier With Crane" are going through the fuel tanks.
2.) Add "Long Log Cart" to loadout. I see no reason why it couldn't have it available.

C-432010:
1.) Support bars on mud shields on the "Log Carrier With Crane" are going through the fuel tanks.
2.) Add "Long Log Cart" to loadout. I see no reason why it couldn't have it available.

B-131:
1.) Support bars on front mud shields are going through the fuel tanks.

C-4310:
1.) Move triple air tanks and fuel tanks forward towards the cab some to clear fenders on "Fuel Cistern" loadout.
2.) Move front mud shields slightly back towards the rear of the truck so they are mounted onto the pipe just behind the triple air tanks and also remove inner mud shield support bars on "Log Carrier With Crane" loadout.
3.) End of secondary crane boom on "Log Carrier With Crane" loadout is going through the top rear of truck cab,also hydraulic lines are inside the truck cab.

C-65111:
1.) Move front and rear mud shields in towards the rear axle tires because they are going through the rear brake lights and fuel tank guards.
2.) End of secondary crane boom on "Log Carrier With Crane" loadout is going through the top rear of truck cab,also hydraulic lines are inside the truck cab.
3.) Remove inner mud shield support bars on "Log Crane Carriage" loadout.
4.) "Medium Log Cart" doesn't visually hook up to the trailer hitch.
5.) "Spare Wheel" mounting bracket is going through left side front box between the truck frame and side guards.
6.) Move "Utility Attachment" forward towards the cab to better center the fenders and distribute the weight over rear axles,possibly remove rear mud shields as they are blocking the rear brake lights.

D-537:
1.) Remove mud shields on "Garage Parts" loadout because they are going through the rear axle tires and blocking rear brake lights.
2.) Remove mud shields on "Log Carriage" loadout because they are going through the rear axle tires and blocking rear brake lights.

Well there it all is. Lot's of suggestions and feedback on various things. Also some suggestions for trucks I listed as well as nit picking visuals. Sorry for such a long thread,but it's all stuff I wanted to share for you to consider. I want to see the game improve and have long life. It's a different style of game and there really isn't anything else out there like it. Definitely a different type of game for me to play compared to the other stuff I normally play. It can be challenging and it's just a slower more relaxed type of game play. I'll try to check back on this as much as I can. I thoroughly enjoy playing it and really need to play some multiplayer with friends. Thank you for the excellent game regardless of what the masses say about it.

Sincerely,
Wolf_Fangs1381

Excellent post, I have not had as much experience or playtime on Mudrunner as yourself but an excellent list of
improvements and observations. I do hope the developers read this and can implement some of the suggestions.

seems as though you have put some time into this and will agree with the vast majority of it. i do have one question, what platform are you playing on? makes a big difference.
there is a reason the game is mod supported (for PC). which means more than just mods in the workshop and tools. now i do not play on console, but for PC...
MP is 4 player
there are mods so you can change your winch line (it is easy enough to make your own as well, which is what i do)
fueling from a trailer with no truck? the pump on a fuel trailer for pumping the fuel is generally powered off the truck.
there is weather mods for the original (unsure how much of this has been converted for MR though).
the number of logs you can spawn in or need to complete an objective. since it only takes 2-4 logs for a load. 12-13 seems plenty enough, if not you can mod your files for more i believe, but have not tested it. same with the objectives. you can mod your files to take more if wanted.

as for the rest of the suggestions that would need to be done by the game devs.

one other little thing though i feel you missed, the spare wheel repair addon (example 4320) has a wheel and tank. if the wheel has repair shouldn't the tank carry a bit of extra fuel as well? although this is something that could be modded as well, but i feel should have been like this from the start.

last edited by A Former User

Turrican77,

Yes I have spent a lot of time playing the game. I've played all the maps on casual mode at least 6 times each. Then I switched over to hardcore mode but so far I've only played the maps once each,maybe twice on a couple maps. I enjoy playing and going about things differently each time I play. I've literally had trucks stuck in the mud over the axles,just to see if I can get them out without the use for a rescue truck. It makes things interesting and entertaining. I also knew what I was getting when I purchased the game,unlike so many that have done nothing but complain. Sure it can get boring,but only if you make it boring. I'm sure playing multiplayer with some friends can make for some interesting situations. I have yet to play multiplayer,kind of waiting for my brother to get it,but I have another friend who also has it. But with everything I have mentioned on improving the game overall,I hope the development team takes note and we see some of these implemented.

8up local,

I play Mudrunner on PlayStation 4 and I probably should have mentioned that. So playing on PlayStation I don't have the luxury of making changes with mods. Hopefully the development team figures out a way to bring mods for us console players. We'll just have to see what happens in the future. Regardless,I will still enjoy the game and play it when I feel like I need a change from the usual types of games I play.

As for the refueling from a unconnected fuel trailer,you have a point. I guess I overlooked that. But having to switch trucks to refuel when you're playing offline by yourself is just a pain. In multiplayer,how it is would be fine because some could operate it while others are hauling logs or loading trailers. It's just an inconvenience while playing offline single player.

The only reason I brought up the log amount being increased when manually loading,is simple. I want to fully load my trailers before packing them. You manually load 12/13 and then you have to pack them,which clearly adds more logs on load. It takes me literally 5 minutes (real time) to load short and mediums logs. Takes me about 10 minutes (again,real time) to load long logs. So it doesn't take me long to load a trailer and any increase in the amount of time loading would be welcomed.

I'll have to look at the 4320 and the spare wheel loadout. If that's the case,then yes it should definitely count as extra fuel. I don't drive that truck very much,but I will definitely take a look. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Sincerely,
Wolf_Fangs1381

incredible, it would be great if the developers see your suggestions, I'm sure they would be very happy for your observations, I also play on PS4 and I still enjoy playing with friends and alone