## What Metropolitan adds to Shutoko and 2REAL

Metropolitan builds on SRP's roads and 2REAL's traffic. These are the differences in the **rc14 customer download**:

- **Navigation:** 83 visible destinations, a scrollable dropdown, clickable map markers, expanded map view and optional right-button panning. GPS supports both directions on connected roads, with turnaround guidance and independent cyan personal/amber Nightshift routes.
- **Driving companion:** telemetry and supported route commands for a separate desktop AI client. Voice and account access come from that client.
- **Traffic coordination:** local lane reservations, predictive civilian braking, conditional evasive steering, and earlier gap planning for eligible expressway merges.
- **Pursuit rules:** an optional fair-pursuit mode removes identified player-speed matching and lane-pursuit catch-up shortcuts.
- **Traffic continuity:** targeted nearby/visible-car cleanup protection and full-rate heading updates out to 200 metres.
- **Pit Crew:** offline full repair/refuel with a wheel or keyboard binding, plus SET FUEL for a chosen total tank amount.
- **With Tokyo Nightshift:** three-leg long-haul contracts with no delivery deadline, fixed yen fees, saved career consequences, and roadside tickets or conditional bribes. Install Nightshift 0.5.0-rc6.

Police chases, helicopters, lane changes, headlight reactions, crash deformation, racing progression and minimaps already exist in 2REAL. Metro changes selected behavior and connects it to its own navigation and companion systems. [Read the categorized comparison](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/comparison/) for attribution, release boundaries and limitations.

**Development only:** automatic Home spawning, model-specific police profiles, sharper local evasions, civilian player-safety trials and collision-lift correction remain local experiments outside rc14. Mocked checks do not establish driving quality; in-game validation of the customer changes remains pending.


## Map and fuel controls in rc14

Choose one of the 83 visible destinations from the dropdown, or click a map marker, then press **NAVIGATE**. The maximize icon at the upper right uses the app window for the map; the minus icon restores the normal controls. Scroll to zoom, left-drag to pan, or enable **Right mouse button pans map**. **FOLLOW CAR** recenters the view. Road checkpoints are road references, not promises of parking space.

GPS plans in either direction along existing connected roads and can display **TURN AROUND**. It retains road elevations and explicit connections; it does not connect stacked or disconnected roads. Route guidance cannot verify barriers or a safe physical maneuver. Normal session spawning is retained.

In **PIT CREW**, choose the total litres you want in the tank and press **SET FUEL**. The amount is limited to the current car's tank capacity. This can add or remove fuel in offline sessions, is disabled in replays, and invalidates the current lap. Full repair/refuel and its binding remain available.

## Roadside stops, tickets and bribes

With Metropolitan 0.3.0-rc14 and Tokyo Nightshift 0.5.0-rc6, pull over below 5 km/h with a slowing officer within 20 metres on your road level. Open Dispatch for the roadside decision. At pursuit peaks up to 100 mph, take or pay a JPY 22,500 ticket; above 100 mph, only a JPY 150,000 bribe is offered, with 20% acceptance. After last train contracts, fleeing a stop, and a refused bribe block both payment options. Refused bribes return the reservation. Successful payment releases the pursuit and patrol emergency lights switch off. Surrender or the roadside decision timeout fails an active run. Long-haul deliveries have no deadline, no speed bonus and no recurring police waves. See the [Nightshift guide](/ac-mods/nightshift/) for the three-leg job flow and upgrade details. Automated checks pass; driving validation of the packaged update remains pending. Prices, purchase keys and protected downloads are unchanged.

# Metropolitan complete guide

Updated September 13, 2026. Metropolitan 0.3.0-rc14.

# Metropolitan setup and driving guide

## Your $1 package

**Current customer release: Metropolitan 0.3.0-rc14.** [Get Metropolitan on Gumroad](https://consolecowboy.gumroad.com/l/ravn-assetto-corsa-telemetry).

Already purchased? [Download the latest approved Metropolitan ZIP](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/download/) using the license key in your Gumroad library or receipt. Your existing purchase covers this download; you do not need to buy again.

Metropolitan combines a road map, GPS route guidance, an animated light strip and assistant controls in one Assetto Corsa app. Its desktop connection lets a compatible AI assistant read driving information and supported navigation state. The AI client remains a separate program.

Pit Crew repair and refuel controls are included in Metropolitan. Tokyo Nightshift remains an optional **free add-on**, downloaded separately. Metropolitan costs $1; Nightshift is available for $0+.

The new TRAFFIC panel and behavior improvements are included as an **optional experimental patch**. A compatible 2REAL TrafficTool 2.1.1 source build and its assets must already be installed. Run the [free compatibility checker](https://dustinlanders.com/downloads/Metropolitan-Traffic-Compatibility-Check.zip) before buying specifically for traffic. See the [traffic guide](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/traffic/) for supported conditions and rollback.

## Before you install

- Windows 10 or 11 and Assetto Corsa.
- Shutoko Revival Project **0.9.4 PTB1**, installed separately.
- A compatible Custom Shaders Patch installation with app build **3063 or newer**.
- Python **3.11 or newer**, available as `python.exe` in PowerShell. Select “Add Python to PATH” during Python setup.
- For the assistant connection: Codex desktop with plugin support, an eligible signed-in account and `codex.exe` available in PowerShell.

The purchase does not include the game, map, CSP, AI account access or 2REAL TrafficTool. The map and in-game controls can be used directly, but the supplied installer checks Python as part of setup. Voice runs through your desktop AI client.

## Install

1. Close Assetto Corsa. Use your Gumroad purchase key at the [download page](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/download/) and extract the ZIP's **entire folder**.
2. Open PowerShell as Administrator in the extracted folder.
3. Run:

```powershell
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process Bypass
.\Install-Metropolitan.ps1
```

For a different Steam library, provide the actual Assetto Corsa folder:

```powershell
.\Install-Metropolitan.ps1 -AssettoCorsaRoot "D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\assettocorsa"
```

Use `-CheckOnly` for a read-only prerequisite check. Existing users can use `-AppsOnly` to update the in-game app while preserving their assistant installation and registration.

The installer backs up replaced files, preserves installed add-ons and moves the old separate KITTChatGPT app out of the game’s app list. It does not change your CSP settings, car physics or controls. Keep the backups.

## Include the experimental traffic patch

Run the free checker first. With a compatible TrafficTool installation, use `Install-Metropolitan-With-Traffic.ps1` instead of the core-only installer. It validates prerequisites and source fingerprints before installation. The traffic patch replaces only its narrow file scope and creates verified backups. Different source builds or custom edits may be incompatible even when labeled 2.1.1.

Rc10 adds protection against cars disappearing during timer cleanup or just after passing you. It supports a fresh installation on the exact supported TrafficTool source or an upgrade from the unmodified rc9 patch. Existing buyers use the same key and download link; the rc9 ZIP in Gumroad remains a fallback. See the [traffic upgrade instructions](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/traffic/#upgrading-from-rc9).

The complete [traffic guide](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/traffic/) covers settings, dependencies, experimental limits and restoration. After installation and restart, open **Metropolitan > TRAFFIC**. The traffic provider must be enabled and running on the supported map.

## First drive

1. Enable Metropolitan in Content Manager’s Lua apps list.
2. Start single-player Practice on the supported Shutoko map.
3. Open Metropolitan from the in-game apps sidebar.
4. Use MAP to choose a supported destination. If using the assistant, open a new Codex task after plugin installation.
5. Try: **“Create a route from my current position to Hakozaki PA.”**

Metropolitan’s independent route is **cyan**. Nightshift’s job route is **amber**. Clearing one does not clear the other. A route planned between two landmarks is not guidance from your car until you reach its start.

## The window and the companion

**ROLL UP** leaves the animated light strip visible in a compact window. **EXPAND** restores the full app. Assistant Settings provides placement and wheel-binding controls. The light strip is decorative; it is not a police scanner.

Ask about current speed, fuel, tyre condition, a supported destination or the next reported maneuver. With Nightshift installed, ask about your active job, credits or reputation. With a compatible pursuit feed, ask about police separately from the helicopter.

The assistant receives snapshots when it reads the connection. That is not continuous screen vision or guaranteed automatic turn callouts. Voice must be started in the desktop client; installing the telemetry connection does not start a voice session.

## If something is missing

- **No app in the game:** confirm the install path, enable the Lua app in Content Manager, then restart Assetto Corsa.
- **No assistant tools:** open a new desktop task after installation and check that the plugin is enabled in that task.
- **No DISPATCH career:** install the separate Tokyo Nightshift add-on after Metropolitan.
- **No TRAFFIC controls:** update to rc10 and restart the game. If the tab waits for provider updates, confirm the compatible traffic patch is installed and TrafficTool is enabled. Do not reinstall CSP to look for it.
- **Route unavailable:** some landmarks, road connections and final approaches are outside the supported graph. Choose another supported destination rather than treating a bearing as a turn.
- **Old information:** refresh the relevant feed. An available connection does not prove that the game is still updating it.

## Upgrading and known limits

Metropolitan was previously called RAVN. Some internal folder names retain that name for compatibility. Do not delete the existing `RAVNNavigation` app just because it has the old identifier.

This is an early release. Automated package, navigation and interface checks do not replace an in-game test. Clean-machine assistant setup, the complete voice flow, current UI rendering and route coverage still have limits. See the [release and development notes](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/updates/) for the included experimental features and remaining validation work.

---

# Tokyo Nightshift career and setup guide

## Take the night shift

**Current customer release: Tokyo Nightshift 0.5.0-rc6.** [Get Nightshift on Gumroad](https://consolecowboy.gumroad.com/l/ravn-tokyo-nightshift). Enter **$0** to download free, or name a fair price to support development. Existing purchase keys and [protected download links](/ac-mods/nightshift/download/) still work.

Nightshift now offers **three-leg long-haul contracts with no delivery deadline**. Review the full itinerary, accept a fixed fee, and make each handoff. Driving faster does not increase your pay. The displayed ETA is only a planning estimate; it never fails a delivery or reduces the fee.

## Install or update

Install [Metropolitan **0.3.0-rc14**](/ac-mods/metropolitan/) first. Nightshift uses its add-on API 1, routes and locations. Use Shutoko Revival Project **0.9.4 PTB1** in single-player Practice. Police jobs and roadside decisions also need Metropolitan's compatible [TrafficTool patch](/ac-mods/traffic/).

1. Close Assetto Corsa and extract the entire Nightshift ZIP.
2. Run `Install-Tokyo-Nightshift.ps1` in PowerShell. For a custom game location, pass `-AssettoCorsaRoot` followed by the folder path. Add `-CheckOnly` to check compatibility without installing.
3. Start the game and open **Metropolitan → DISPATCH**.

The installer backs up the previous add-on. An old standalone ShutoRunner app is moved out of the game app list into that backup. CSP and TrafficTool are not changed by the Nightshift installer.

## Complete a run

1. Read the offer's four stops, total road distance and fixed yen fee. The itinerary contains a pickup, two checks and a final handoff.
2. Accept the job and follow the **amber** route to the pickup. Stay below **2 km/h for 15 seconds** to load.
3. Drive the three connected legs. At each destination, park for **20 continuous seconds**, then press the inspection or handoff confirmation in Dispatch.
4. If an encounter occurs, clear it and remain clear for **60 seconds** before continuing a handoff. Loss of the required police signal pauses clearance rather than assuming you escaped.
5. Confirm the final handoff to receive the full agreed fee once.

Moving out of a stop resets its parked check. You cannot confirm while being chased or during a roadside encounter. Personal navigation stays **cyan** and remains separate from the job route.

Routes aim for roughly **30, 45 or 60 km** across all three legs, depending on available connected stops. Offers can range from **20 to 90 km**. The ETA assumes 60 km/h for planning; follow the actual road's posted limit. Cargo damage and speed-limit scoring are not implemented.

## Clients and unlocks

- **Mika / No questions:** available at reputation 0 without police integration. No arranged interception; ordinary patrols still matter. Completion adds one reputation and reduces heat by one, down to zero.
- **Ren / The relay:** requires reputation 2 and the pursuit connection. Completion adds two reputation and one heat.
- **Iori / After last train:** requires reputation 5 and the pursuit connection. Completion adds three reputation and three heat.

Ren and Iori's contracts may request **one interception** after a quiet period of driving. Heat increases its chance. There are **no recurring police waves** in long-haul work. A request does not prove a chase has begun; observed pursuit status determines that.

Civilian-tail support is an optional integration. The current Metropolitan rc14 customer package does not include its provider, so this release does not supply civilian-tail encounters on its own.

## Money, progress and interrupted runs

Fees are shown in **fictional yen (JPY)** and are fixed when accepted. New contracts currently quote about **JPY 1.2–1.8 million**, depending on tier and route length. Time taken and speed do not change that fee.

Failure or abandonment pays nothing, removes one reputation down to zero, adds two heat up to 100, and creates one favor owed. With no active run, **JPY 75,000** settles one favor. A suspended long-haul run can resume in Dispatch on the layout where it began, keeping its itinerary, current leg and accepted fee.

On the first upgrade from rc5, career totals, outstanding fines and pending payment reservations carry into a separate long-haul profile. **One old credit becomes 15 fictional yen.** This is a game denomination change. An existing long-haul profile keeps its progress.

Old timed assignments remain in the legacy save; they cannot resume as long-haul contracts. Legacy save records are retained. Restoring the previous app does not merge earnings made afterward in the long-haul profile.

## Roadside stops, tickets and bribes

With Metropolitan rc13's traffic patch, stop below **5 km/h** with a slowing officer within **20 metres** on your road level. Open Dispatch for the roadside decision.

- At pursuit peaks up to **100 mph**, an ordinary ticket costs **JPY 22,500**. Pay now or take the ticket and settle it later in Dispatch.
- Above **100 mph**, only a **JPY 150,000 bribe** is offered, with **20% acceptance**. A refused bribe returns the reservation and escalates the stop.
- **After last train**, fleeing the stop, or a refused bribe blocks both payment options. Surrender or flee as the encounter allows.

The officer's decision countdown still applies. **Surrender or decision timeout fails an active run. This is a roadside countdown, not a delivery deadline.** Successful payment releases the pursuit, and released patrols turn off their emergency lights. Without the rc13 encounter integration, the legacy five-second stopped-player bust rule remains active when a pursuing officer is close enough.

## Troubleshooting and validation

If DISPATCH is missing, confirm Metropolitan is installed first and restart the game after updating. If Ren or Iori's work is locked, check reputation and pursuit readiness. If no routes are available, return to the supported layout and refresh Dispatch.

The release has automated LuaJIT gameplay, real customer-map routing, save migration, payment and Windows installer checks. In-game appearance, clean-machine installation and driving balance remain unverified for this packaged build.

[Back to the mod overview](/ac-mods/) · [Update notes](/ac-mods/#updates)

---

## Pit Crew

Pit Crew is included in Metropolitan's **PIT CREW** tab. Open it in an offline session and choose **FULL REPAIR + REFUEL** to restore the car and fuel in place. Repairs invalidate the current lap. Repair is disabled online and during replays.

Assign a wheel or keyboard button in this tab for quick repairs. The integrated control has its own binding, so reassign your preferred button if you previously used the standalone app. Your repair count is retained. You can disable the older Pit Crew app in Content Manager once you have switched to this tab.

No separate Pit Crew download is needed. Tokyo Nightshift remains a separately downloaded optional career add-on. In-game repair and layout validation is still pending.

## Assistant Settings

Open **ASSISTANT SETTINGS** at the top of Metropolitan for overlay placement, size, opacity and wheel bindings. Settings are always visible in this tab; the expandable panel at the bottom of the other tabs has been removed. Existing assistant preferences and bindings are retained.

# Experimental traffic setup and controls

Traffic is included in this purchase as an **optional experimental patch**, alongside Metropolitan's new TRAFFIC panel. It requires separately installed, compatible 2REAL TrafficTool 2.1.1 source and assets. The patch is not a standalone traffic engine or a bundle of 2REAL assets.

Rc10 adds a focused disappearing-car fix: cleanup timers retain nearby or visible cars, passing oncoming cars receive the same visibility protection as other traffic, and braking cars and physical wrecks are not treated as stationary traffic. Real driving validation of this change is still pending.

## Check compatibility before installing

Download the free checker from the website, or use the copy inside this package:

```powershell
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process Bypass
.\Check-Traffic-Compatibility.ps1
```

For a non-default Steam library, pass `-AssettoCorsaRoot "D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\assettocorsa"`.

The checker reads exact source fingerprints and accepts the supported original source or the approved rc9 through rc14 patch (rc14 retains rc13 traffic behavior). Different source builds with the same 2.1.1 version label, or custom edits, may fail. It makes no changes. If it reports incompatibility, do not force the patch or replace unrelated files to bypass the check. Metropolitan's core map and assistant can still be installed separately.

## Install

Close Assetto Corsa and extract the complete ZIP. Run `Install-Metropolitan-With-Traffic.ps1` in an administrator PowerShell. It checks both the main app and patch before installation. `-CheckOnly` is read-only; `-AppsOnly` preserves existing assistant registration. Python 3.11+ is required.

The main app and traffic provider have matching control channels. The separate `Install-Metropolitan-Traffic.ps1` checks the matching installed panel before applying the patch. Do not copy the patch's JSON file directly into TrafficTool; use the installer.

Restart the game, enable both apps, start single-player Practice on SRP 0.9.4 PTB1 and open **Metropolitan > TRAFFIC**. The panel waits for fresh provider updates before making changes available. Online sessions and replays are not supported for these controls.

## Upgrading from rc9

Use your existing Gumroad key at the [same download page](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/download/) to get rc14. Close Assetto Corsa, extract the entire new ZIP and run `Install-Metropolitan-With-Traffic.ps1`. The installer checks the exact rc9 files before upgrading the core and traffic patch and backs up the replaced files. Use `-CheckOnly` to check first or `-AppsOnly` to preserve assistant registration. You do not need to uninstall rc9 or buy again.

Custom TrafficTool edits and local experimental patches are outside the supported upgrade path and are rejected. Keep your earlier backups and the retained rc9 Gumroad download. Restoring the traffic backup made during the current upgrade returns its traffic files to their previous rc9 state.

## Everyday controls

Set manual traffic amount, automatic density, fixed speed or speed multiplier, ordinary lane changes, police, racers, pedestrians, extra cars and crash settings. These use the provider's existing saved settings.

Reducing traffic amount, including setting it to zero, can reset traffic and end pursuits. Changing automatic-density mode can do the same. Existing pursuits can continue when ordinary police spawning is disabled.

## Improvement switches

**Use improved lane changes** enables local reservations for eligible civilian highway lane changes. Separate road areas can be used at once; conflicting reserved space is rejected. This is separate from the ordinary traffic lane-change setting.

**Fair police pursuits** removes the identified player-speed matching and gap-based boosts in the existing lane-following pursuit behavior. Authored vehicle performance and configured limits remain. Turning it off selects prior behavior. It can change only when no ground pursuit is active and pursuit state is available. This is not a complete rewrite of police perception, search, spawning or tactics.

**Smoother heading updates** extends the full-rate heading-update distance from 40 m to 200 m to match the nearby movement range. It targets stepping in rotation, especially on long trucks. It does not change car models or prove that all stutters are fixed.

**Civilian collision avoidance** enables predictive braking for conflicts involving the player. It is not a complete general-purpose collision solver and cannot prevent every crash.

**Evasive steering** permits a move into a suitable adjacent lane after checking the path, available time, vehicle dimensions and surrounding obstacles. It requires collision avoidance, ordinary lane changes and improved lane coordination enabled, plus a running solo session. The current supported geometry is a suitable straight, parallel adjacent lane. If the required space or information cannot be confirmed, braking is the fallback.

The four behavior switches default on at the start of each session. The checkboxes show confirmed preferences; steering's status separately shows whether prerequisites permit it. A steering move already underway retains completion braking when either steering or avoidance is disabled. Other vehicles can change their movement after a forecast, so clearance is not guaranteed.

## Troubleshooting

- **No TRAFFIC tab:** restart after updating the core. rc8 did not contain this panel.
- **Waiting for provider:** confirm the patch installed, TrafficTool is enabled, the supported map is running and the game has been restarted. An ordinary unpatched TrafficTool does not publish the matching status.
- **Steering requested on but unavailable:** check the prerequisite settings and solo-session state. A compatible state permits attempts; it does not mean every threatened car will change lanes.
- **Fair-police switch locked:** end the ground pursuit, or wait for valid pursuit state. Do not change rules mid-chase by editing files.
- **Unsupported source:** keep the existing traffic installation intact. Exact file checks intentionally reject unknown builds and edits.

## Restore the traffic patch

Close the game and run:

```powershell
.\Install-Metropolitan-Traffic.ps1 -RestoreBackup "C:\...\assettocorsa\Metropolitan-backups\traffic\TIMESTAMP"
```

Use the actual backup path printed by the installer. Restore validates the backup and current files before changing anything. It refuses later custom edits, restores replaced originals and removes only the new patch modules recorded in that backup. It preserves the backup itself, Metropolitan core, unrelated TrafficTool files, assets, CSP and saves.

## Validation scope

Automated checks cover installer compatibility, output hashes, repeated installation, rollback, refusal of later edits, control freshness, pursuit locking and steering/braking logic. Geometry and mocked tests do not replace a real drive. The latest traffic changes still need in-game visual, handling and performance validation. This release is experimental; it does not promise collision-free traffic, a complete police redesign or a frame-rate improvement.

---

# Release history and traffic development

## Customer releases

The current customer packages are **Metropolitan 0.3.0-rc12 ($1)** and **Tokyo Nightshift 0.5.0-rc2 ($0+)**. Nightshift uses Gumroad’s name-a-fair-price checkout: enter $0 or contribute if you choose.

Metropolitan provides the map, route guidance, compact animated light strip and assistant connection. Nightshift adds a saved delivery career inside DISPATCH and requires Metropolitan. Pit Crew is included in Metropolitan’s PIT CREW tab.

[Browse the products and installation guides](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/#releases). [Verify package file sizes and checksums](https://dustinlanders.com/downloads/release-checksums.json).

## September 10: rc10 disappearing-car fix

Rc10 adds a focused fix to rc9's traffic patch. Cleanup timers now retain nearby or visible cars. Oncoming cars no longer lose that protection just after passing the player when a lane is full. A car still braking is not counted as stationary, and physical wrecks remain under their crash cleanup rules.

The change passed 105 mocked logic regressions. Actual in-game disappearance, driving feel and performance still need validation. Normal distance and route-end removal remain, so this does not establish that every possible disappearance is fixed.

Fresh installs require the exact supported TrafficTool source; upgrades accept the approved rc9 files. Other source edits are rejected. [Use the rc9 upgrade instructions](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/traffic/#upgrading-from-rc9). The newer evasive-skid, rear-approach and headlight-yield trials are not included in rc10.

Existing buyers use their same Gumroad key at the [protected download page](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/download/). The approved ZIP is delivered privately from Netlify; the rc9 ZIP retained in Gumroad is a fallback. No new purchase or key is required.

## September 8: four new behavior controls

Metropolitan rc9 now includes **Fair police pursuits**, **Smoother heading updates**, **Civilian collision avoidance** and **Evasive steering** under **TRAFFIC > TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS**.

Each setting defaults on for a new session. Checkboxes report settings confirmed by the provider; opening the panel does not silently change traffic. Stale provider updates make controls unavailable rather than displaying an old setting as current. The steering status distinguishes a requested setting from availability.

Police behavior can change only when the provider confirms there is no active ground pursuit. A disabled evasion setting prevents new moves while retaining braking for a maneuver already underway. The new panel and provider were installed with the game closed, with backups and matching-file verification.

**Availability:** included in rc9 as an optional experimental patch. The panel needs its matching patched provider and a separately installed compatible 2REAL TrafficTool source build. Run the [free checker](https://dustinlanders.com/downloads/Metropolitan-Traffic-Compatibility-Check.zip) before installing or purchasing specifically for traffic; a version label alone does not establish compatibility.

## Evasive steering: space matters

Civilian avoidance now goes beyond braking when the situation permits. The prototype forecasts the car’s movement through an adjacent-lane maneuver and checks the space occupied by the player, other traffic and barriers. It considers the time available, vehicle dimensions and lateral acceleration before starting.

The current scope is deliberately narrow: a solo session, a suitable straight parallel adjacent lane, adequate room and time, ordinary lane changes enabled, and improved lane coordination enabled. If those checks cannot confirm a suitable path, the car keeps its braking response. Unknown or unavailable collision information prevents a new evasive move.

Turning off a setting does not abruptly abandon a maneuver already in progress. The car retains its completion braking. This does not guarantee collision avoidance: another vehicle can change speed or direction after the forecast, and some conflicts are already too close.

The aim is believable braking and steering. It is not a scripted spin every time the player enters oncoming traffic.

## Civilian braking: notice the threat

The new helper predicts a possible collision with the player and applies a braking response as the threat develops. It is part of the civilian driver path, with steering considered when its additional checks allow it.

This is an improvement to the specific player-versus-traffic interaction we investigated. It is not a claim of complete autonomous driving, universal obstacle avoidance or crash-free traffic.

## Police: remove the catch-up shortcuts

The installed lane-following pursuit code had explicit player-speed matching and catch-up assistance. The fair-pursuit prototype removes the identified player-relative speed boosts and distance-driven catch-up behavior, using authored vehicle performance and configured limits instead.

The goal is a chase whose outcome depends more on driving and the cars’ capabilities. This is not yet a complete police redesign. Perception, loss of sight, searching, response tactics and spawning are separate areas for further work.

The new session switch can select the fair behavior or restore the prior behavior. It is locked during an active ground pursuit or when pursuit state is unavailable, so the rules do not change halfway through a chase.

## Truck motion: more frequent heading updates nearby

Long trucks exaggerate visible steps in rotation during turns. The local change expands the distance for full-rate heading updates from 40 meters to 200 meters, matching the existing nearby movement range. It leaves the underlying position-update schedule intact.

This addresses one plausible source of uneven-looking rotation. It does not change the truck models, add rendered frames or prove that every motion issue is resolved.

## Lane coordination and everyday controls

The reservation prototype coordinates cars competing for the same road space while allowing independent lane changes in different areas. Its session switch remains separate from the provider’s ordinary lane-change setting.

The TRAFFIC tab also brings together:

- Manual traffic amount and automatic density.
- Fixed traffic speed or a speed multiplier.
- Ordinary lane changes, police, racers and pedestrians.
- Extra cars and crash settings.
- Simulation status and optional lane-coordination statistics.

Ordinary controls retain the traffic provider’s existing saving behavior. Reducing traffic amount or changing automatic mode can reset traffic and end pursuits. Existing pursuits can continue after the ordinary police-spawning switch is disabled.

## Performance investigation

A short diagnostic drive recorded repeated stalls while crash-deformation data was prepared. Some sampled stalls were roughly 20 to 55 milliseconds. That is evidence for one source of occasional stutter; it does not explain all close-range traffic motion or establish an overall frame-rate improvement.

The diagnostic callback counts cannot be treated as rendered game frame rate. Further before-and-after driving measurements are needed to separate heading updates, preparation stalls and other motion issues.

## What has been checked

The latest local files were backed up, installed and checked against their staged hashes. The control changes passed automated Lua compilation, request validation, feature-gating and steering/braking regression checks. Those checks include stale-request handling, pursuit locking, maneuver completion and the steering prerequisites.

**Still to verify:** the latest panel’s appearance and input in game, actual pursuit feel, civilian behavior around changing traffic, truck motion through real corners, and performance over repeat drives. Mocked or geometric checks are not the same as a completed road test.

## Public availability and next steps

The rc10 purchase includes the TRAFFIC panel, source-delta patch, combined installer, read-only compatibility checker and restore support. A separately installed 2REAL TrafficTool 2.1.1 source build must match the supported fingerprints. The traffic engine, vehicles, sounds and textures are not redistributed in this package.

The immediate priorities are real driving validation, reproducible before-and-after checks and clear installation support. The traffic patch is an experimental component of the $1 purchase. Its included status does not mean driving validation is complete. Read the [traffic setup guide](https://dustinlanders.com/ac-mods/traffic/) for prerequisites and restore instructions.

## Rc9 packaging and installation

The new installer reconstructs five modified TrafficTool files from the supported originals and adds eight patch modules. It verifies every source before writing, checks output hashes, backs up originals and supports guarded restoration. Unsupported files are rejected. A repeated installation of the same patch does not reapply changes. The core/traffic installer checks both prerequisites before beginning.

Ten automated installer scenarios cover exact reconstruction, idempotency, rollback, unexpected source files, later edits, integrity failures and the running-game guard. These are file and logic checks, not in-game validation.

## Earlier release changes

**Metropolitan 0.3.0-rc8:** the RAVN project takes the Metropolitan name while preserving its internal compatibility identifiers. The main app combines MAP, the compact light-strip mode and assistant controls. Optional add-ons use the same window.

**Tokyo Nightshift 0.5.0-rc2:** a Metropolitan career add-on with Quiet courier, Express and Hot cargo tiers, saved credits and reputation, heat and favors, interrupted-job handling and an amber delivery route. Legacy standalone career balances remain separate.

**Pit Crew:** formerly standalone, now included in Metropolitan’s PIT CREW tab with direct activation and a configurable wheel or keyboard binding. Repairs retain position and invalidate the current lap.

## Rc12 expressway merging

Earlier gap planning and bounded speed matching help eligible merging traffic make room. Current forward gaps, projected rear gaps, players and pedestrians gate entry; blocked gaps retain stopping behavior. Source and installer validation passed, with real driving validation pending. Exact supported originals and rc9/rc10/rc11 upgrades are accepted. Newer local headlight-yield and avoidance experiments are excluded.