Wreckfest Updated, New Content Added

Paul Jeffrey

Premium
Next Car Game Wreckfest - June 2017 Update 5.jpg

With the month of June nearly at an end Bugbear Entertainment have released a significant new update for Next Car Game: Wreckfest, adding lots of fixes and some new content too...

Highlights from this latest update to the game include a couple of new circuits and more importantly a very first pass at visual vehicle customisation, although at this early stage the cars eligible for updates only have visual changes that do not currently effect handling or damage giving characteristics. This is something Bugbear will be looking to change in the future, however for now fans will have to make do with visual changes to the 'American 5' and 'American 3' machines.

In other Wreckfest news it appears that an early PlayStation 4 playable version of the game broke surface at the recent E3 event, giving fans confidence that a console version of the game will see the light of day in the coming months.

Check out the new trailer and June update build notes below:
CONTENT
  • Added a new track designed for rough racing and epic crashes: Crash Canyon – fans of our earlier games will surely recognize the inspiration.
  • Added a new work-in-progress track, Mixed 7.
  • Replaced the garage with a new, more spacious garage, still work-in-progress though.
  • Implemented vehicle visual customization with parts such as wheels, bumpers, grilles and many more. Please note that for now visual parts do not have a gameplay effect, but in future, parts will affect the weight of the car and increase or decrease the strength of the car as well as the damage it causes to the opposing party in collisions. For now, parts are only available for American 5 and to some extent, American 3, but all cars will eventually receive them. If you have any suggestions for parts you’d like to be added please let us know!
  • Added more performance parts: engines, pistons, valves, camshafts and so on, to allow for more in-depth performance upgrading in the upcoming career. Note that engines are basically per class now, however, installing the best available parts will allow the engine jump to the beginning of the next class. In case the car has a separate banger variant, not all engines are available for all variants.
  • Improved American 3, European 2, European 3 (II), Asian 1 models and gave them a demolition racer makeover.
  • Added new skins for many vehicles and removed some older ones.
ART
  • Replaced the user interface with a completely new, more modern one that’s actually usable with a gamepad as well. Please note that the new user interface is still heavy being worked on, and for example animations are missing, the art is not final and there are temporary placeholders screens that will be replaced completely. Feedback is still very much appreciated already.
  • Replaced the old broken Sandpit 1 with a new, completely overhauled version.
  • Overhauled Tarmac 1 to open up the environment, add proper runoff areas and generally make it look more like a real race track.
  • Improved the environment art of Tarmac 3.
  • Speedway 1 Figure 8 layout now has ramps in the inner areas to allow for getting back on track even when reset is disabled by the host.
  • Improved low frequency ambient occlusion.
  • Added animated track officials.
  • Updated tire effects.
  • Updated weathers.
DESIGN/PHYSICS
  • Increased the performance range of the cars and adjusted the class cutoff points. For now, the classes and class ranges are as follows:Class C = < PP180
  • Class B = PP180 – PP260
    Class A = PP260 >
  • Removed part wear and repair mechanic.
  • Removed crew mechanic.
  • Improved AI vehicle setups so that they make a better use of brakes now, making AI more challenging.
  • Crash landings (where the car would be rocketed in the air when touching ground after a jump) no longer occur.
  • Adjusted gearboxes and improved shifting logic to allow for more natural automatic shifting.
  • Improved stability control assist.
  • Improved force feedback for steering wheels.
  • In Elimination Race, maximum elimination interval is now 120 seconds.
  • It’s now possible to select assists in the pre-race screen without going back to the garage.
TECHNICAL
  • Optimized tire physics, reducing CPU load.
  • Improved acceleration estimation in the garage front-end.
  • Ragdoll now works properly.
  • Added clutter fade for grass.
KNOWN ISSUES
  • Clutter shadows are not working.
  • Leaderboards are disabled for now.
  • The backfire effect of the exhaust remains in the original location even when the exhaust is changed.
  • Location and track preview images are placeholders and descriptions are mostly missing.
  • AI sometimes rams other cars right after the green light when trying to navigate to the proper racing line.
  • In extremely rough landings (like after a crash) one or more wheels of the car may clip below the ground.
NOTES FOR CONTENT CREATORS
  • Some basic vehicle model visualization is now available for custom vehicles in the developer menu (opened by using the tilde key).
  • Custom tracks using textures from our official tracks will have textures missing due to asset restructuring.
  • To make a custom track compatible with the dedicated server it will need to have the new event db files created (check the updated example track)
  • Custom vehicles will need to have new tire files as well dummy parts for the new performance and visual parts assigned (check the updated example car).
  • For more information about updating custom content please check out this guide on our community forum: LINK.

Next Car Game: Wreckfest is available for PC via the Steam Network now, with a tentative date of late 2017 / early 2018 for a console release.

Next Car Game Wreckfest - June 2017 Update 2.png
Next Car Game Wreckfest - June 2017 Update 3.jpg
Next Car Game Wreckfest - June 2017 Update 4.jpg
Next Car Game Wreckfest - June 2017 Update.png


Check out the Wreckfest sub forum here at RaceDepartment to stay on top of all the latest news and discussion regarding both this game and new title Stuntfest. Head over and join in with the community today.

Have you tried the new update yet? what do you think of the latest build? Do you like the new content? Let us know in the comments section below!
 
Last edited:
Wow, a 7 GB update, I hope is worth it. Haven't played Wreckfest in months.

I wish they updated this game more frequently, they have been pushing the definitive release date for years now.
 
I wonder will this game ever left "early access" state ?

Development on Next Car Game began in 2012, and was first announced by Bugbear Entertainment on August 27, 2013 on the Next Car Game blog. In an interview with IGN, lead game designer Janne Suur-Näkki stated that the game should reach a “feature-complete state” in 2014 according to the team’s estimates, with all key features implemented. In a press release published by Eurogamer Next Car Game was officially announced for PC and other "yet to be announced platforms". Depending on whether enough money can be raised, the developers are also prepared to develop the game for consoles and Mac.
Due to lack of publisher support, the development team provided early access to the game via pre-orders on the official Next Car Game website as well as Steam Early Access and also created a Kickstarter campaign as alternate means of raising revenue in order to develop the game.
The overhaul of the physics engine has caused updates to the game to slow significantly. The game was last updated in April 2017. Bugbear themselves have stated they are not happy with the current pace of development.


I really wonder why ? :rolleyes:
 
(where the car would be rocketed in the air when touching ground after a jump)

Do we get a complimentary broken back too!!

In extremely rough landings (like after a crash) one or more wheels of the car may clip below the ground.

No fix needed here. I remember watching a drive shaft come loose (pointing toward the front) and turn the car into a pole vaulter. Tires were half in the dirt I'm sure.

Have you tried the new update yet? what do you think of the latest build? Do you like the new content?
Let us know in the comments section below!

No
Never played it
don't know
Wish I had it
Now you know.

Thanks for keeping up with this Paul. I'm really looking forward to it on the XBO. The crash physics are sorely missing from games, due to licensing issues.
 
I wonder will this game ever left "early access" state ?

Development on Next Car Game began in 2012, and was first announced by Bugbear Entertainment on August 27, 2013 on the Next Car Game blog. In an interview with IGN, lead game designer Janne Suur-Näkki stated that the game should reach a “feature-complete state” in 2014 according to the team’s estimates, with all key features implemented. In a press release published by Eurogamer Next Car Game was officially announced for PC and other "yet to be announced platforms". Depending on whether enough money can be raised, the developers are also prepared to develop the game for consoles and Mac.
Due to lack of publisher support, the development team provided early access to the game via pre-orders on the official Next Car Game website as well as Steam Early Access and also created a Kickstarter campaign as alternate means of raising revenue in order to develop the game.
The overhaul of the physics engine has caused updates to the game to slow significantly. The game was last updated in April 2017. Bugbear themselves have stated they are not happy with the current pace of development.


I really wonder why ? :rolleyes:


The same can be said for a vast majority of titles on Steam, Early Access is just a trend like Laser Scanning!
 
The same can be said for a vast majority of titles on Steam, Early Access is just a trend like Laser Scanning!
Agree. But, come on... five years in developement and still in early access ? It's not only game like that that I follow for years and prey it will finally reach true 1.0 version but that doesn't make it justifiable. I think it's way too long. You can think otherwise ofc.
 

M D Gourley

Premium
Have you tried the new update yet? what do you think of the latest build? Do you like the new content?
Yes, I have tried it and I like it and this latest build looks great (on my system anyway) and once I spent half an hour getting my T300RS and other controllers set up it worked fine...until I wanted to make another adjustment to one of my add on / multiple controller settings it would not save once I went back into a new race....had this problem always with 2 controllers of the same description eg 2x TH8RS.
All in All I am still enjoying Wreckfest and will always keep it on my playlist for that something different.
 

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