It’s finally here! The first iteration of the Auction House, where players can list vehicles and bid against each other!
Will you get a bargain? Will you pay over the odds out of sheer desperation? Will you bid on something that you probably shouldn’t have? It’s like real-life, except the money is pretend and you won’t get ejected from your home by your friends / parents / significant other for your poor financial (& practical) decisions!
As this is the first iteration, and a massively complex feature by itself, for now auctions are purely player-driven, with no computer citizens taking part. However, this feature does now address a need within the game to cater for vehicle trades where the vehicle value is not easily definable and is instead better defined by you - the players!
Apologies to members that it has taken this long. I knew it would never be easy to make this feature, and whilst initial progress was rapid, it soon became apparent that there was an awful lot to think about.
Players must have the first property upgrade, i.e. a Terraced House (two or more parking spaces) to create listings or bid in the Auction House. It is an advanced feature, with pre-paid bids and reserved parking (explained below), and therefore it is aimed at more experienced players.
Basically: You list to sell.
Basically: You bid to buy.
As part of the Auction House, the following is also worth noting:
In short: Vehicle prices are now more consistent and more accurate.
In short: The game can cancel other actions for you more easily, where you would otherwise have to do it manually if you want to do activities with your vehicle, e.g. auction it.
There has been considerable work, and further groundwork laid to improve how vehicle interactions work in-game e.g. cases where you can’t use a vehicle for a given reason e.g. you can’t make use of vehicles in auctions, there are limits of what you can do if a vehicle is advertised in the classifieds etc... Should improve player experience and smooth out the development of future actions in the future.
For example, negating the need to manually cancel classified adverts, the game will instead be able to do it for you if you wanted to proceed.
Whilst I do not wish to increase membership pricing, I may be forced to increase prices roughly in-line with inflation in the near future. It looks like the last time I increased pricing was September 2023, and unfortunately the cost of living has only continued to rise since then.
During this time, I have tried to absorb price rises across many aspects of running the game, even including from the payment providers themselves! Membership keeps the lights on, puts food on the table, and allows me to keep working on this game as my job.
As before, existing members will be unaffected by these changes, provided you do not switch member tiers and that you keep your subscription running. It will unfortunately affect those who buy annual memberships through Ko-fi going forwards as there is no automatic renewal. Annual memberships will, however, still continue to enjoy a discount versus monthly.
I will give members a further heads-up ahead of any price change.
There have been the following recent event(s) on the community Discord that are worth checking out!
Many thanks to those that organised these, they are fantastic to see!
If this is something that tickles your interest, then please check out the #events channel on the community discord server! https://discord.com/channels/885205134165020692/1090272722464018553
Want to know more about the game and its development? Members get the inside track with exclusive member updates! Every contribution matters, with membership starting at just £2.50 a month! (when paid yearly)
Don't miss out on the full experience!
Welcome to the 31st Members Choice Pack!
2000 Selene 7-S 7.0 :
An American supercar built with classic transatlantic collaboration. With a top speed well over 200, it harnessed the culture of the new millennium.
1998 Marque-Denizen MCLC GTR 6.9 Straßenversion :
Honey, I shrunk, or rather sat on, my car?! This racing homologation special did a convincing job of toeing the family line whilst being a pure-bred race car for the road.
1961 & 1969 Lead Roamer Series 2A 2.25 SWB :
This second-generation evolution of the British utility vehicle / institution cemented the model’s distinctive look during the duration of its tenure.
1962 Ogol XS1 1.0 :
(Bonus) This odd-looking coupé conjoined a fibreglass body shell onto the then relatively recent foundations of a well-regarded British compact car. It offered elegant looks with low running costs.
1998 Verdhent Onoma 3.0 i V6 24v Elite :
(MotorNation's Choice) Often overlooked, with its bland yet somehow also unusual-looking body. This competent and tidy handling cruiser had a lot to offer the public, but only if they could leave badge snobbery at the door.
The following vehicles were also updated:
As usual, the above vehicles may be available new or secondhand in the classifieds, as appropriate, from time to time.
All players can access these vehicles.
A massive thank you to those who contributed towards getting these in-game!
Thanks to feedback from the community, I have made tweaks to the handling of the following vehicles. These may still have room for improvement, but they will hopefully be a step in the right direction:
In a wider improvement, the game now supports more granularity for vehicle handling characteristics.
This finishes tonight at midnight UTC, so finalise your votes before then!
I'm really bad at remembering to include these here, but always want to! There have been the following recent events on the community Discord that are worth checking out!
28th May: We’re going to Monaco…
24th May: Caffeine and Machine
3rd May: Shitbox Central
15th Feb: Region vs Region Face Off…
Many thanks to those that organised these, they are fantastic to see!
If this is something that tickles your interest, then please check out the #events channel on the community discord server! https://discord.com/channels/885205134165020692/1090272722464018553
Unfortunately, as I regretfully informed Members about back in April, the next "Big" update has been delayed. This has all been discussed in the April Members update, and I plan to share a further Members update in the next couple of weeks.
In short, as the game has grown, the speed of progress has slowed. This has not been because of a lack of effort, but a combination of factors. Regrettably, this has now resulted in me facing significant burnout. Because of this I’ve been trying to take time out to rest while balancing business-as-usual tasks such as car packs. I want to work as efficiently as possible and sometimes rest is the best way of achieving that in the long term.
Want to know more about the game and its development? Members get the inside track with exclusive member updates! Every contribution matters, with membership starting at just £2.50 a month! (when paid yearly)
Don't miss out on the full experience!
Welcome to the 30th Members Choice Pack!
1995 Mitsalithi Lender 2.0 Evolution III GSR :
This third-generation grey import favourite featured more aggressive styling and more purpose than ever, further setting the tone for future evolutions of the formula.
1987 RUHM CYB 3.4 :
Despite being based on an already highly capable sports car, this provided many upgrades. With striking yellow paintwork and a talented driver at the wheel, this car pushed the boundaries of what people thought possible.
1995 Chevalier Chivalry 2.2 LS :
On the subject of third generations, here’s another in pre-facelift form. This humble sedan provided competent transport for many across the Americas.
1999 Chevalier Colette 5.7 Hardtop:
(Bonus) Picking up the pace, just a tad over the last vehicle, this extensively redesigned American sports car offered an awful lot of fun for the money!
1993 Lead Roamer Ridge Roamer 4.2 Verve LSE :
(MotorNation's Choice) This late first-generation model, with an increased displacement, ensured that this hunk of British beef could certainly haul despite weighing over 2 tons!
As usual, the above vehicles may be available new or secondhand in the classifieds, as appropriate, from time to time.
All players can access these vehicles.
A massive thank you to those that have contributed towards getting these in-game!
Members have already had an insight into this, but a new major feature is going to be added to the game soon. As is now usual, the mobile app / next generation of the game, otherwise remains the key priority.
Want to know more about the game and its development? Members get the inside track with exclusive member updates! Every contribution matters, with membership starting at just £2.50 a month! (when paid yearly)
Don't miss out on the full experience!
