Wreckfest April Update Arrives (Alongside The Odd Hotfix)

Paul Jeffrey

Premium
Bugbear Entertainment and Nordic Games have released another major update to the awesome Wreckfest destruction derby style racing game on PC.

Crammed full of improvements and new content, the April update and subsequent hotfix releases have made yet another stride towards bringing this game to a long awaited full version 1 release state, drawing a console release ever closer in the coming months.

Highlights of the new update include some awesome free content in the form of the new track layouts, much improved adjustability options, extra parts and addons for some of the cars and a range of smaller, but still important improvements and additions.

As well as the new update, Bugbear and Nordic are reaching out to the players for some guidance on how the game should develop going forward by way of a new survey. Be sure to check out the link at the bottom of this article...

Wreckfest April Update.jpg


Wreckfest April Update Notes:

CONTENT
  • AI now uses El Matador in Class B too.
  • Added more customization parts for KillerBee, Tristar, Rammer, Gremlin.
  • Added a new paintjob for the lawnmower, improved paintjobs for El Matador and Roadcutter.
  • Added reverse routes for Mixed 5 Outer Loop and Mixed 5 Inner Loop.
  • Added a short route for Tarmac 1, both forward and reverse layouts.
  • Added and adjusted the start/finish lines for a number of tracks.
  • Improved environment art on a number of tracks.
  • Improved static cubemap locations on a number of tracks.
  • Balanced texture luminance ranges on a number of assets.
TECHNICAL
  • Fixed a particle system related crash.
  • Implemented shaded particles (particles are now darker when in the shade).
  • Implemented free camera smoothing.
  • Added sharpening and vignette post-processing effects.
  • In Dirt Speedway Figure 8 (possibly affecting other tracks as well), a wrong way indicator is no longer incorrectly displayed right after start.
  • In Custom Event and MP, the game now tries to pick a unique paint job for the AI player if available.
  • Grid start points are now created dynamically (work-in-progress, minor glitches possible especially in MP).
  • MP: It’s now possible to disallow the use of special vehicles (lawnmower) on a server.
GAMEPLAY
  • Folk racing style start is now used on a number of tracks that support it (i.e. they have a dedicated start area).
  • Improved lawnmower handling and gameplay.
  • Adjusted reverse gear ratios so that they match between different vehicles.
  • Contact timer is no longer used in deathmatch.
  • Improved AI aggression: AI now employs increased situational awareness to decide when to ram another car. On Novice AI Difficulty, the AI is more aggressive towards each other and less towards the player, while on Expert AI Difficulty the AI is more aggressive towards the player and less against other AI players.
  • In demolition derby, the AI is now less inclined to use reverse whenever the front of the car is damaged.
  • In demolition derby, if only one or two AI players are left they no longer only circle around the player like idiots.
  • AI now takes the loop in Crash Canyon only in one direction to prevent the traffic from piling up.
  • Automatic reversing camera is now enabled by default in derby game modes.
  • In HUD, reset prompt is now displayed automatically when driving into a wrong direction or out of track.
  • In race game modes, reset is now only allowed when vehicle speed is 10 km/h or less to discourage exploiting.
  • In Grass Arena, hay bales no longer appear weightless when hit.
CAREER
  • Adjusted a number of career series, especially in championships 3–5.
  • The post-race rewards screen is now only shown if the player actually receives a reward, instead of every time.
  • The post-race experience screen is no longer displayed if the player abandons the event.
  • Weather no longer changes every time when restarting the event.
  • A series is now considered (and marked) completed only if player receives points from it.
  • Championship progress bar now only goes up until the unlock points for the new championship have been reached.
  • In vehicle selection, ineligible vehicles are now grayed out so it’s easier to pick out an eligible vehicle.
  • Vehicle stats (and therefore eligibility in a series) are now updated correctly after upgrading the vehicle.
  • Relevant bonus targets (like spin, crash out, wreck a number of cars) now accumulate during multi-heat events.
USER INTERFACE

  • MP: In server browser it’s now shown whether the server is configured for normal or realistic damage.
  • MP: In server browser, the list of servers is now only displayed after the data files have been verified.
  • MP: In lobby, the maximum number of players is now displayed correctly.
  • Added descriptions for all performance upgrades.
  • Implemented a new pre-race screen.
  • Implemented a new championship selection screen.
  • A number of user-interface fixes and improvements.
AUDIO
  • Added new engine audio for the lawnmower.
  • Added new engine audio for Gremlin.
  • Improved Speedeamon audio.
  • Contact audio no longer keeps repeating when the vehicle is resting on its top or side.
KNOWN ISSUES
  • MP, while in lobby cars may occasionally appear falling under the scene when the track changes.
  • MP,while in lobby spectating is glitched (no cars visible) if the race is not in progress.
  • MP, after returning to the lobby the car may appear to be in flames if it was wrecked in the event before.
Hotfix 1 Notes:
  • Fixed a number of menu system related crashes.
  • Vignette and Sharpening effects can now be enabled/disabled in the Settings menu.
  • Random AI players with derby liveries no longer appear in racing events.
  • Changing Tristar Front Fenders no longer results in the game crashing.
  • Speedbird Rear Wheel 3 now has the correct texture.
  • In a number of weathers dust is no longer too dark when in the shade.
  • In Replay, when entering free camera the camera is is now dropped in the current car position.
  • Various minor environment art improvements and fixes.
Hotfix 2 Notes:
  • Server Browser no longer crashes after quitting multiplayer and going back to the server browser.
  • Game no longer intermittently crashes during a menu texture loading.
  • MP: Kick and ban voting now works properly.
  • MP: Changing server info is now allowed only when in lobby to prevent issues.
  • Wrong way indicator is no longer incorrectly displayed at race start on Speedway 2 Oval Loop.
  • In Career, there’s now a reduced chance of AI players with duplicate paint jobs appearing.
  • Game controller vibration/rumble is now disabled correctly after a controller is changed.
  • Gremlin front and rear chains are now uninstalled with the bumpers.
  • Added new engine audio for Panther RS.
  • Minor environment art improvements and fixes.
NOTES FOR CONTENT CREATORS
  • For custom track backward compatibility, runtime grid generation can now be disabled in the event specific bbTrackData (.tcat) file by using the new flag. After enabling the flag, legacy manually placed start points will be used.


SURVEY!

Additionally, Bugbear and Nordic Games are reaching out to the gaming community to help shape the future direction of the title. If you want to give your own opinion, you can complete this quick official survey found HERE and help move the title the direction you would like to see it go in the coming months.

Wreckfest is available for PC with console versions due to release during 2018.

Check out the Wreckfest Sub Forum here at RaceDepartment for the latest news and discussions regarding the sim. For added excitement we have an already immensely popular and exciting Racing Club, details of which can be found here.

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Happy with the April update (and subsequent hotfix releases)? Liking Wreckfest atm? Would you consider the console version once it releases? Let us know in the comments section below!
 
Last edited:
I'm in since Friday Hooked me up Really nice game play so much fun.

Today turned a car next lap he tried to revenge me and hit me wrong angle and crashed into a tree. I got take down :)
 
Starting to look and feel like a proper release. The graphics engine rewrite has come a long way in a short-ish amount of time and the track and career modes are being fleshed out.

As already mentioned, BugBear have really upped their efforts to ship decent updates each month.
 
I feel the physics are underrated and don't get enough praise. I can't remember reading anything about them but to me they rival RBR NGP physics. Both the Volvo 245 and the Saab V4 handle very lifelike and the way left foot braking works with the FWD cars lacks competition in any sim I've ever tried to date.
 
  • Deleted member 197115

No VR, but good wheel support including OSW, separate pedals and hand brake. Very nice FFB, btw.
 
is this worth the money? £24.99 is relatively cheap for a game these days but is it worth the buy now? i loved the flatout series when bugbear made it but it just worries me that one day the development for this will just stop
 

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