[h1]Hello mechanics![/h1] Service parks are one of the most crucial parts of the rallying infrastructure. We’ll talk about what they are, what happens there, how we did our research on them and how they will be implemented in Rally Mechanic Simulator in today’s devlog. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40282246/2d47725e5ba2d255c2e9c2ae13967f10423de89d.png[/img] [h2]What is a service park?[/h2] So, to start from the very top - you most likely already know what a service park is. However, as we want everyone to be on the same footing, here’s a small definition. [i]A service park is an area on the grounds of a rally. Its purpose is to be a logistics hub and a place where teams can set their tents and work on their vehicles. The area is also often frequented by the press and spectators - they can look at the cars up close and talk to the crews. This also means that sponsors and advertisers can use the spare space to advertise their brands. From our point of view, the part that is the most important is the ability to place your team’s tent/camp, the base of operations. [/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40282246/f74e1aab7609a6040e7644c0a8dd8e8c4fd90095.gif[/img] Also, as a side note, a service park is a similar term to a paddock in track racing. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40282246/1ee17119d205eb80513b51e4dff1fad0ebc01e82.png[/img] [h2]The tent’s where the magic happens[/h2] The key part of the park will be the player’s tent. It will contain the tools and appliances so the player will be able to work on the vehicle during the rallies. It will also feature your team’s sponsors’ branding. Likewise, other teams will also be present in the park and will be doing similar tasks to you. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40282246/02a5321c07c83e6a87d15f77126823378a7d002b.gif[/img] We believe that regular players will be spending approximately 50-60% of the time in the service park. However, it will be dependent on the playstyle, so it could be more, it could be less. More on that in the future, as it could branch out into a separate topic. Let’s just say that you will have a degree of freedom when it comes to preparing for the rally and making fixes and modifications to the car. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40282246/1ee17119d205eb80513b51e4dff1fad0ebc01e82.png[/img] [h2]We went to rallies to see them in real life [/h2] The “simulator” in the title obliges us to provide a high degree of accuracy to real life. Therefore, we had to do some research on how to create accurate service parks. There are two ways we went about it. The first one is relying on 3rd parties’ content. We scrolled through and watched countless pictures and videos of such parks on the internet. However, feeling that it was not enough, we decided to go a step further. Thus, we sent our team to some actual rallies. so they can have first-hand experience. The most prominent trip was to the “Barbórka” rally. It’s a well-known short rally in Poland. Even though it’s not a part of any series, the event is one of the most popular rallies in our country - frequented by professionals, semi-professionals and amateurs. This means that we had an opportunity to see a lot of great specialists and a vast array of cars: [list] [*] Various rally versions of Skoda Fabia dominated the event, however, there were also some purpose-built Fords, Hyundais and a Volkswagen and a Citroen that managed to get into the top 10. [*] Two legendary cars - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo and Subaru Impreza - had their fair share of representation. [*] To the joy of all, RWD cars were also present at the event, the most eye-catching was definitely a 911 GT3. [*] Some cars that have been historically associated with rallying, such as Renault Clio Williams, Lancia Delta Integrale HF and Ford Sierra Cosworth were also there. [*] Good old FWD and AWD civilian cars with mods could be spotted, like an Audi A3 or a bunch of Civics. [*] There were even some oldtimers, such as Lancia Fulvia and Fiat 126p. [/list] The variety of vehicles and degree of professionalism granted us a unique opportunity to see and learn about many different approaches and sides of car servicing during such an event - a huge thank you to all the members of the dev team, who actively learned and documented what we saw there. We’ve also had smaller excursions that supplemented us with even more knowledge. This means that the research done was thorough - we still expect to view more 3rd party materials, and maybe there will also be some expeditions further down the line as well. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40282246/66216344703393a0a111efbcf401480ab73cc489.png[/img] [b]A small disclaimer - we mentioned the cars above to show you that we’ve seen people work on them. This is not a declaration that cars made after them will be featured in the game. [/b] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40282246/1ee17119d205eb80513b51e4dff1fad0ebc01e82.png[/img] [h2]The implementation and accuracy[/h2] How will this knowledge be implemented in Rally Mechanic Simulator? Looking at service parks as a whole, we realised that there’s a specific vibe about them and we did our best to replicate it. The game is going to be the most accurate in how the tents look - not surprising, considering that you’ll spend a lot of time there. However, we also designed the tents of other teams in high detail. The next thing that’s always striking there are the advertisements and sponsor branding, so we decided to deliver a proper experience in this regard as well. At this point in time, we still think about how to implement visitors and onlookers into the game, as they will not be crucial and could pose some problems in terms of the game performance - we’ll see how it goes with them. Parks will also differ from each rally to another - as they do in real life - and you, as the player will be able to modify and expand the tent during the game’s progression. That sounds like a topic for the future, though, doesn’t it? To further enhance the immersion, we decided to put a lot of emphasis on the sounds. All the chatter, the clank of tools and the howling winds certainly add to the experience. They alone could make you feel like you were in the middle of a busy service park. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40282246/7ee675b0a81b3dc155e9f4d221a6240b3c0d217d.gif[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40282246/1ee17119d205eb80513b51e4dff1fad0ebc01e82.png[/img] [h2]Conclusion[/h2] To wrap it up, here are some bullet points: [list] [*] A service park is an area where all the mechanical work and logistics go on during rallies. [*] It’s in big part composed of tents where rally teams work on their vehicles. [*] You’ll spend a huge part of the game in said parks. [*] We’ve done a lot of research regarding service parks, including travels to rallies. [*] The game will be quite accurate when it comes to the portrayal of service parks with a slight degree of customizability; it’s still being worked on. [/list] So, how do you feel about that? We’re sure you’d already want to give it a shot. More articles about the game are coming soon and we’re working hard, so keep your fingers crossed! Cheers and see you next time (soon)! ----------------------- Make sure to join our social media and Discord server if you want to be up to date about Aztecs: The Last Sun and our other games. 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