Taxi Life Dev Team Tackles Performance Issues and Responds to Player Feedback

Greetings, fellow drivers! It’s time for an update on Taxi Life, the immersive driving experience that hit the streets just a couple of weeks ago. Before we dive in, we want to express our gratitude for all the support and feedback we’ve received so far. Your messages of encouragement and constructive criticism have truly fueled our team during this initial phase. We’re thrilled to hear that many of you are enjoying cruising through the vibrant streets of Barcelona. Now, let’s get down to business and talk about what’s on the horizon for Taxi Life.

Driving Wheel Compatibility
One of the key pieces of feedback we’ve received is that there’s a limited selection of steering wheels compatible with the game. During the development process, we worked with the driving wheels that were readily available to us. However, we acknowledge that there’s room for expansion in this area. We’re currently working on a step-by-step plan to enhance compatibility and improve the performance of existing driving wheels. Rest assured, we’ll provide you with more details on this front very soon. In the meantime, we’re also addressing other issues you’ve encountered while playing the game.

AI Adjustments
Creating a realistic cityscape within Taxi Life posed a significant challenge for us. While we believe we’ve successfully captured the essence of Barcelona, our AI system is a complex beast with inherent randomization. We conducted extensive testing to strike the right balance, but it’s clear that more work needs to be done. Currently, our focus is on refining the behavior of AI-controlled vehicles. Specifically, we’re addressing the issue where cars randomly rear-end your taxi. This occurrence may vary from happening every five minutes to not at all, and we’re determined to iron out these inconsistencies. Additionally, we’re also tweaking the behavior of pedestrians, particularly those who tend to excessively use crosswalks and obstruct players. More details on these improvements are outlined below.

Performance Optimization & Bug Squashing
Performance-related concerns are on our radar as well. We’ve received reports of Taxi Life running poorly on high-end PCs, while surprisingly performing well on older machines. We understand the frustration caused by stuttering and frame loss, and we’re committed to rectifying these issues. Our goal is to deliver a smooth and enjoyable experience for as many players as possible.

Adding More Content?
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: expanding the game’s content. We’ve been inundated with fantastic suggestions and ideas from both our team and the community. However, it’s important to note that we’re currently focused on enhancing the existing features and addressing any lingering problems. We don’t want to sweep any issues under the rug by simply adding more content. That said, we’re eager to introduce new cars, expand the map, and incorporate additional cities into Taxi Life. But for now, our priority is to ensure that the foundation is solid before embarking on further adventures. Oh, and we’ve heard your requests for NPC taxis driving around the city, and we’ll be including them in the next patch!

What Lies Ahead in the Coming Weeks?
Our plan is to release regular patches every one or two weeks until Taxi Life reaches a level of quality that satisfies our players. In the upcoming days, we’ll be rolling out patches to address bugs and improve the AI system. Here’s a sneak peek at what these upcoming patches will bring:

– Decreased random collisions between AI vehicles and your car.
– A slight reduction in the number of pedestrians, addressing some of the crossing-related issues.
– We’ve compiled a list of popular steering wheel models, and we’ll be gradually adding support for them.
– Console players, fear not! We’re actively working on resolving performance issues specifically affecting Playstation 5 users. Our QA team is currently testing a solution, which should be available very soon.

Once again, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support. The Simteract Team is fully committed to delivering an exceptional Taxi Life experience, and we’re immensely grateful to have you on this journey with us. Stay tuned for more updates, and keep those ideas and feedback coming. We’re always listening.

Safe travels!

The Simteract Team