Development Update #37
Hello! This update shows some race gameplay with newly re-written AI. The AI is driving a Zenki JZX100 Chaser with a full Uras style-L kit. This is the same "Akira" driver as in the Prologue who is a member of G-Company but for the race characters from the new crew "Rival Dealers" were used so you could see something new.
The player car has 450hp with street tires and prototype brakes. This is an easier AI opponent with medium rep.
AI had to be unexpectedly rewritten to work on touge roads. It was previously a waypoint/navmesh system entirely, then with colliders for "brake areas". It was serviceable on mostly straight expressway roads with lots of dynamic traffic but wasn't playable on a tight mountain road like the new map; it was functional but failed too often and just wasn't good. I tried a lot of other options but it just needed to be re-written to a different system type. It now runs along a spline (continuous smooth route) and breaks back into navmesh to avoid hazards.
This has allowed the AI cars to not only follow the road very well and smoothly, but has allowed them to have much more sophisticated braking/cornering speed. They now trail brake around curves and start braking at same area as the players would.
There is still room for improvement and some quirks that need to be ironed out, but that will come with user testing; not enough time to polish it right now.
Private testing target is now January because of this AI rewrite. Not much left to do now, a few finishing touches before the first version is ready to start testing.
Work that remains, in order of current priority;
Private Alpha scripted intro, 50% finished. Will be finished before new year.
Import other new garages, mostly just the exterior buildings for now.
Many small fixes/polish, specially to S15 customization.
Global crew rep ranking; I'd really like to add this as quickly as possible before testing starts, It'll really give the Demo a better gameplay loop.
New Crews (Endless Appeal and G-company are fully playable with their new cars models, other crews will come in a few weeks. Doing minimum amount to enter testing as fast as possible)
See all you in a few weeks!