Eurogamer also put up a preview of SEGA Rally, so I'm going to quote stuff that wasn't mentioned by us before or was explained more clearly than my translation. Also, to Tekuno: they (and some other sites) mention 'persistent
surface deformation', but I don't know whether or not that classifies under terrain or track deformation.
Eurogamer said:
Although SEGA remains coy on the subject, judging by the demonstration, you'll be able to relive the boxy glamour of the original vehicles, and as you'll know if you've been following Eurogamer's previous coverage, races will take place across various videogamey environments, from deserts to arctic wastes, with each environment home to three courses.
The course in the demo looks lovely. Taking place in a tropical idyll, it boasts swaying scenery, lush palm trees, lagoons with boats bobbing on the surface, and the occasional local villager cycling around. And the detail is staggering: the engine throb is the dictionary definition of throaty; all the environments and vehicles are self-shadowing; you can see the suspension of each wheel bouncing independently; and the dust haze and mud that splatters the cars matches the surfaces that they're driving through - which means they'll even wash off when you splash through puddles.
With that said, time to answer some questions:
Bildi said:
I just remembered how awesome the muddy hillclimbs in RSC2 were - you really felt like you were drowning in mud. Looking at the guy play the game, did Revo give off that impression? I imagine with the ruts in the road it will be an even more awesome feeling than RSC2.
It already looked pretty good in its current state, considering the particle effects were a Work-in-Progress. Mark didn't drive too well (which he jokingly admitted himself as well), but the 'muddy feel of the game' gave a good impression regardless. Hopefully, we don't have to wait too long for 60 fps footage with finished mud effects and a skilled driver.
PanopticBlue said:
And to comment on the your other point about how the track deformation wouldnt affect other drivers? guess what? In the WRC, a driver who races the stage anytime after the first driver will be affected by the 'real life track deformation' or whatever you want to call it. Not trying to start a war here. in case you hadnt noticed, yeah I love my Sega Rally and just wanted the truth to be known.
No no, I didn't say it wouldn't affect other drivers: I said that the developers thought the technology behind the deformation would be pointless if they solely went with point-to-point racing. You wouldn't even see what the engine would truly be capable of, as it'll always be generated behind you if you're in the lead. And you'll only have one 'lap' per track anyway. Besides: as was mentioned in the preview, SEGA Rally is supposed to be the comeback for the franchise in the West, and I think it was mentioned that they thought racing through more than one lap would appeal people the most.
I personally don't think it would've been worth the effort to develop a randomizer that deformed the track when it was your turn to race from point-to-point, because other drivers
supposedly drove before you did. You'd have to start dead last every single time so that the deformation could really influence your car. The structure they have now, makes sense for games like Motorstorm and the new SEGA Rally (i.e. games that want to show off their deformation technology).
No offense taken by the way, if you were worried about eventual flames. I can understand fans being somewhat worried about this game, but it looks like SEGA is taking this sequel seriously. Founding a new company solely for this game (and future racers) should indicate that, anyways.