Разработчик: Oriolus Software GmbH
Описание
With LOTUS, dreams and ideas come true – and the best of it: every good realization will find followers and supporters that are hoping for extensions or are looking for exhausting the adventure of simulation driving. They are waiting for you!
LOTUS, that means: L like Leitstelle, (German, control centre), O like omnibus, T like tram, U like underground, S like suburban train.
Features
- Modular structure: Buy and play only what you are interested in – vehicles of the railway, like trams or trains, or vehicles of the road, like buses and trolleybuses, or even other modules that will be released later.
- Realism: Driving physics, environmental physics, graphical effects, sounds, weather, seasons and the world coordinate system are uncompromisingly realistic – that is our first priority.
- Multiplayer: Driving different tours with friends, greeting each other at the meeting point, ensure the connection by radio, coordinate everything in the control centre on your own or follow the instructions of your colleague – this and much more is provided by the multiplayer of LOTUS.
- Map editor: With many tools, aids and quite a few ingenious gimmicks mountains are moved, embankments planned, tracks laid and streets tarmacked. Afterwards the landscape is shaped and decorated with buildings, trees, lights, stops, benches, fences and much more.
- Content tool: Whether a single scenery object or a whole vehicle – with the content tool the objects are configured. From material settings to complex animation, from the design of the physics, the sound settings and the import and debugging of scripts, the content tool accompanies and supports the developer.
- Plugin interface: A discarded crank, the board information system with display, a driver’s desk or a whole cockpit can be operated with the simulator and get information back from it by the use of the plugin interface.
Поддерживаемые языки: english, german
Системные требования
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7, 8, 10
- Processor: 2,6 GHz, 4 cores
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: 512 MB VRAM
- Storage: 10 GB available space
- VR Support: SteamVR. Keyboard and mouse required
- Additional Notes: OpenGL 3.3, Internet required for activation and multiplayer, some Intel HD graphics not supported
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: 3,5 GHz (the more the better), 4 cores
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: 6 GB VRAM
- Storage: 10 GB available space
- Additional Notes: OpenGL 3.3, Internet required for activation and multiplayer, some Intel HD graphics not supported
Отзывы пользователей
Unfortunately, I did not like it at all and asked for a refund after just 70 minutes of (attempted) play. I own many bus, tram and train simulators, on Lotus the interface is complicated and unintuitive, the worst I have ever tried. The graphics are mediocre, the maps small, and considering the price (I spent 97€ for the game + dlc) it was extremely disappointing. There is no real manual, on the official website there is a confusing guide largely dedicated to developers and little geared towards the humble simple gamer. It is still in early access (for many years now) and I do not recommend it to anyone who wants from a bus simulator and tram driving missions, speed to learn how to use it properly. Instead, I recommend it to anyone who wants to create and share models (of vehicles and maps) and who wants to go crazy with the (incomprehensible) sub-programmes for creating routes. (which do, however, require a couple of degrees in computer engineering and expertise in railways).
IMPORTANT INFO: The game is currently BROKEN on the latest AMD drivers as of this date the review was written (23.12.1) and won't work. Apparently the 22.5.1 drivers still work.
I would love to recommend this game in the future some day, but sadly it's just incomplete and broken right now. The priorities of the developers seem also very backwards to the detriment of the future of this game.
For example, the above mentioned AMD drivers issue has been reported in 2022 October and still haven't been fixed. Instead the developers seem to focus on trivial things like passengers and multiplayer with performance improvements and important bug fixes being a rare afterthough.
Also, the expensive DLCs are also very off-putting to me, especially when the game is barely in beta state and the promised content like Berlin and the other vehicles are nowehere near complete (By the way, the EA description says that the game was supposed to be in this state until early 2022. Of course things might have changed by the time this was written, but still).
Sure, you could say the same thing about Omsi 2, but at least it is a complete game with most DLCs being very high quality for their price.
In conclusion: if you want a complete and decent bus/tram game, just buy Omsi 2 instead . There are tons of freeware and paid content for it and will run on pretty much any hardware regardless of brand.
LOTUS Simulator is a disappointment right now: while having the ex-developers of Omsi 2 on board sounds neat, it doesn't seem to help much. Right now, the game is worse (no offense) than Omsi 2 without any free or paid content. Without proper development and communication, the game seems to be doomed to be forever in the shadows of its more successful, older brother aka Omsi 2.
I got what I expected with EA - Tools to develop the content - maps and objects.
Sure, there are performance issues and lack of content (at least for Streets module), but the core is there.
Since I have only Streets module, I can tell that bus driving is very nice, but performance is the issue.
Just don't.
The rather hyper-fanboyish community of this game will rabidly defend Lotus, claiming any and all low performance is due to the oh so advanced graphics and the user's poorly equipped PC, but... Most of the graphics barely look any better than Omsi or OpenRails did over a decade ago, and still the framerate sits at 15fps, on an RTX 2060 at 1080p! . I can play The Witcher 3 on Ultra with RT off at 60fps locked, and at 40fps Medium with RT on! My PC isn't bad at all. Train Sim World 3 runs at almost maxed out graphics, at 50fps on average. Et cetera. I could go on. Not to mention, the graphics API used is OpenGL, instead of a more modern alternative, such as Vulkan or at least DirectX11/12. Certain graphics cards suffer poor performance even more due to issues with OpenGL.
The Price.
For early access, 40€ is unaccaptable, especially considering the poor performance, and the fact that you'd have to pay 40€ again for road vehicles.
For now this is a good simulator although it needs enhanced physics support, more than what is seen in Marcel Khunt's previous simulator OMSI 2 and the graphics need improvement, presently I cannot see any reflections in the mirrors on the Bombardier Flexity Berlin tram or on any of the MAN buses, base-game or Workshop. This game also needs improvement to run on Linux or macOS, presently on my Linux system, I cannot use the map editor or properly use the content tool and yes I know, this game is only officially supported on Microsoft Windows but it is an OpenGL (or was it some other technology?) game so it will work on other systems.
I should also add that I think this game is presently overpriced; I think that this game plus a module should be priced at the Euro equivalent of £22.00 so this means that LOTUS + Rails module should be £22 not it's current >£30 price and LOTUS + Streets module should be £22 and LOTUS + Rails and Streets module should be £40 because presently I think this game is overpriced for what you get and there are still tons of bugs, missing features, and random crashes...
EDIT: I have now tried the game inside of Windows 10 and the game runs perfectly although on my system, the graphics seems to be worse no matter what I change and everything seems to load slower even though I am running the game off a fast M.2 SSD on a system with 24GB of DDR4 RAM
RTX3080, medium preset <30 FPS. I said everything.
At this time there's just one bus mod, and it still uses the default engine soundset.
Blender is at version 3.1 but as the developer is focused on other things (not optimization) you need to use version <2.7 to create any model.
2018->Alpha
2022->Alpha
We can expect this game to leave the alpha stage in any moment as is. Like Omsi.
Time to update my review again.
Right now the program is still being developed, it will be adapted to a new engine and lots of changes, that we hope they'll be finally permanent. As this is an almost-permanent-early-access-open-beta, the main task right now is to develop content, hence that's why (I assume) they call this LOTUS Tools Early Access. There's plenty of base content waiting you to use it on your own maps.
There's a possibility to play this simulator as a normal consumer, because there's already playable content on Rails of LOTUS module. Apart of Berlin M1 which includes a short portion of the route with the GT6 tram, it includes another map called Bürgel. You can buy the Tram Düsseldorf DLC which already looks nice and it includes a lot of content. Not only that but you can check the Workshop and subscribe to interesting maps and content, like Wehrheim, Rheinhausen, Budapest Metro M1, Hannover Line 10 and vehicles like the B100S light rail vehicle or the TW2000, and more. And when you're tired of trying all of that stuff, you can start doing your own stuff. Check their Forum at https://www.lotus-simulator.de/ (they have a discord too).
Julian, who develops Tram Düsseldorf, prepared some tutorials on youtube, for you to use the development tools (Content Editor and Map Editor) at https://www.youtube.com/@CaptnUnbrauchbar
Summing it up: I recommend you to buy only Rails of LOTUS and Tram Düsseldorf, that's all on paid content. Check the Workshop and do your own content whenever you want.
Who isn't LOTUS for? People who want a simcade or arcade experience that mainstream games offer and lots of fully developed content available.
Very bad, not optimizated game.
Developers interested only in money.
Two modules of this game cost 39.99+39.99 euro, but game is not completed, i have 25 fps in powerful pc (i5 9400 6/6, 16 gb ram, GTX1070 8GB).
The game has been in its early stage in steam since 2018. Developers say they 're not in a hurry.
I asked when the optimization would be corrected, and in response I got a ban from Janine (author of the game). She interested only in money, she does not care for lotus users. Support for polite questions answers with hamstring.
Game is too bad for now. Low fps and so on. I don't recommend it to buy for now because developers are interested in money only. Its too raw to sell at so high price.
To be quite honest I'm really frustrated about the price of the LOTUS modules and the add-on's. As this is an alpha, the makers should really be encouraging us to get on board. I was really excited to get on with developing my buses for this game but I'm not being taken for a ride and I certainly don't have bottomless pockets. Please sort it out and realise that it's the modder's that make the game last so long (and help increase sales) and the players that allow you to do what you're doing. Show us all some respect and lower the price. I for one am holding out for The Bus.
unplayable, too high price for nothing
Almost 2 years after EA and still no schedules, traffic and passangers. Waste of money at this moment.
The game itself is decent for being a early accses game or "EA" as it's called ingame, decent realism decent simulation somewhat bad controls. But that's not the point here, i'm calling out everyone to write poor reviews to lower the stats before another poor soul buys this, the price is 40€ for an unfinnished indie game. Thats basicaly like going to a resturant ordering somthing fancy for 40€ and all you get is some microwave quick food. But thats not the worst you need to pay 40€ THREE ****** TIMES THREE TIMES!!! If you wanna get the full game. 34€ for a dlc that gives you literraly nothing execpt one map one tram thats not even that diffrent execpt for the coulour interior and some diffrent parts of the cab for the price of a full game. Now thats what i like to call EA if you know what i mean. And don't get me started about their "revolutionary" multiplayer, oh yeah leave that half finnished and everything else aswell and move on to BUSSES, because you promised trains, metros, trams heck even cable cars. What did we get? One tram one ****** TRAM ACOMPANIED BY ONE ******* MAP THATS LITTERALY JUST A LOOP! Pathetic. Yes i know the purpose of the game is to serve as a platform for the community to create the trains. BUT AT LEAST FINNISH THE ****** TOOLS FOR THE TRAINS BEFORE HEADING ON TO THE NEXT THING. Get your priorities straight. AND DON'T CHARGE AN ORDINARY CIVILIAN THE PRICE OF A FULL TRIPLE A GAME FOR ONE DLC CONTAINING ONE DIFFRENT SETUP FOR THE SAME ****** TRAM! Your greedy. Your game isn't even finnished yet you still release dlc the price of the game who in term aren't even finnished either. I have almost completly forgot that this is review not an angry letter to the greedy devs. Well my conclusion is this game is selling you unfinnished trash in disguise. It's trying to steal your pocket. Stay away from it.
I bought this game with rails module before, and now if you want buses you need to REBUY the whole game for FULL price, to just unlock bus that is already in game.
You don't even get any discount for owning game, DLC price is same as base game.
Avoid this game at any cost.
Refund requested
Not recommended
How come I need to buy the whole game again when a new module comes out?
£32.99 for the base game where you can do nothing but drive a tram around in circles in empty streets. Want a map, pay an extra £31.00 but still empty streets. After a year of release even in early access I expected more for £60 but no, nothing just a simulator that does nothing. They say its going to be great, better than Omsi etc. but when? if this is the progress a year after early access came out, I guess it will be 2045 before we see a playable simulator.
I purchased in September 2018 and refunded, a year later I purchased again and the game is no different so guess what.... refunded.. I think I am actually going to give up on this altogether, seems like the devs are just out for a quick buck, this shows in the £31 map addon that you must have to play the £32 base early access trash!
You would be better off spending your money on a chocolate tea pot, you will get more use out of it!
Basegame should come with a full map. It, however, does not. When buying the game keep in mind you will need to buy the DLC to actually have a map.
It is a great start with great potential, but I can not say that I recommend it yet.
Update 29-5-2020
Yea, the makers kinda killed the game. Too little base content, overly expensive DLC's on a game that is not yet finished (And unstable).
Update 6/8/2020
*multiple DLC's...
Update 02-08-2023
No updates for a year on an early access game. The game is dead, and in the current state it's not exactly great either.
It's hard to say with this simulator. I've played many of the transport games out now, from trains to buses, trucks and cars; I've got to say that LOTUS falls under one of those good sims! However, pre-note: this game ISN'T finished by any means, so don't expect it to be.
When you launch the game, you are met with one tram and one map, the map included has about 700ft of track to drive on, in one massive circle, two stops. It's not great in terms of content, but it does look amazing, and I have to say that the physics and handling are next level to any other tram simulation, as well as the graphics (they're stunning!).
One thing that is good is that Steam Workshop is widely integrated into the sim, meaning mods can be applied almost instantly, with this, some amazing community maps have been added, allowing for a far better experience.
One thing that I really hate is how the simulator charges £32 for the game, with all of the features mentioned above, but then also charges £30 for the first DLC! The game isn't finished! It confuses me why they have a DLC for the game, when all you get is 700ft on the base game, you don't even get a new tram. This isn't worth the money for what you get, but it's worth the money if it was as cheap as £20.
I'm suprised!
The game runs really smooth so far. And we are only using the 32bit engine for now. I think the game will finally run much smoother and will allow much better gameplay compared to OMSI 2.
But! If you buy the game now you ONLY Get the Rails Module! Not the streets! So If you want to drive a bus in the feature you need to pay once again.
----EDIT on 29.04.2020----
Sadly to this day I can't change my review of the game. There has been extremely little process in the 2 years it has been out in early access.
But hey, let's already start selling DLCs, which are with AAA+ pricing + the pricing of the core game itself:40€ for Rail, and 40€ for Street modules, totalling 80€). Ridiculus considering how slow the process is.
And let's not mention that a lot of non-german content creators for OMSI/LOTUS are reporting that the staff/team of LOTUS are quite hostile (especially to non-german authors because they are too lazy to write tutorials and stuff in English from the start).
Now they are "limiting" OMSI forums to try to push people onto LOTUS even though this game still doesn't support most of the features needed yet so it could replace OMSI.
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I would not reccomend to buy this yet, unless you're addon developer or you really want to support the developers and give early feedback!
It's getting closer and closer to being in stage where I can reccomend this to everybody, but not yet. Currently most of the folks would get bored as there yet isn't content and what does exists is still not fully ready.
Most fun can be had in the Multiplayer as you get other players and then there is at least some life in the world. Otherwise there is no AI yet (no traffic, no passengers etc), no schedules etc.
Due to the fact that we don't have AI yet, which is the most computer taxing content of the game, it's still too early to say how performance fares also.
Soon, my padawans, soon.
I think it will be a very good simulation. I hope one day will be a simulation about Amsterdam, Moscow, Budapest. I waiting for CKD trams and also combinos. At the moment it is good because we can see how is the simulator is developing. And I gladly help with the testing if it's necessary. Personally I am a tram driver and previously I was train driver in real life. So I know a lot about this job. :)
PROS:
+Real driving mechanism
+real lightning (personally I really like)
CONTRA: In this stage the game right now has a test map to make everything shown. Tram is good. No traffic and lights but still in kid shoe this great simulator.
Waiting for the tool.
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Дополнительная информация
| Разработчик | Oriolus Software GmbH |
| Платформы | Windows |
| Ограничение возраста | Нет |
| Дата релиза | 21.01.2025 |
| Отзывы пользователей | 31% положительных (77) |