----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDIT Playtest build is ready! I'm uploading right now. I'll make public in the incoming days. I'll take a "break" to get back to work in the map creation for few days prior to release, aswell as play Tokyo Xtreme Racer, a moment I've been waiting to happen for about 15 years. I need to focus first on the next tasks to be full steam by the time the playtest is public. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the initial playtest release in June 2023 featuring the short strip of 1.2 km, barebones with just some mesh vegetation, we went to the full track in late 2023, with its 11.7 km featuring scan and mesh vegetation. 2024 was a year of upgrades and optimizations, including the tune manager, UI code, but most importantly, research in the technical topics from the playtest feedback, addressing issues like CPU spikes or memory overflow in hardware like the Steam Deck, point cloud render optimizations, among others. The track creation process from scan data, and more specifically using the data itself as a graphical element, is a novel approach that requires a lot of research and trial and error. Yet, the good news is that the track production workflow is production-ready, and in fact, already in use for the upcoming new tracks. In the first half of 2025, at least an extra 20 km will be drivable, adding three new sections. Additionally, two tracks are already in pre-production, one including a mountain highway for maximum speed lovers. Mesh virtualization and improved texture streaming will be implemented as well in the first half of the year, potentially solving for good the CPU hiccups that come from parsing big chunks of vegetation meshes. This will also reduce load times substantially, making the game playable again on the Steam Deck. Updated/fixed support for steering wheel, with support for modern wheels, will come in 2025; I just need to make room for the new hardware. While I'm happy with the physics, there are moments where the behavior of the car is not as predictable as I would desire. Despite tuning suspensions and anti-rolls, there are moments where the handling seems off. I thought this could be coming from the road mesh itself, but upon adding a new section that features smoother road surface, the handling artifacts show up eventually, which I suspect come from the friction evaluation. Hence, a simplified friction model will be tested, as the current 60-parameter model is hard to tweak, and for modders, in the current model, a single parameter changed slightly can have substantial repercussions, making it a ticking bomb for inexperienced modders. The second half of the year is planned to be much more code intense, wiring all the content and technologies together, making the game mature into beta stage. For late 2025 to early 2026, Route 152 from the base of Mt. Fuji up to the road's end will be added. It's an amazing road with high elevation changes and a lot of turns of different nature, with many hairpins. This one should be the last track to be added for release. Additional tracks will be added after release, but as of now, these are enough to develop the plot and experience different race styles and locations. At most, I would add an extra coastal route, but I can't promise. Music tracks are already in production. The script is developing at a good pace and by the second half of 2025 will be submitted for review. I would like to express appreciation to those who have supported and reported feedback during the playtest, thank you! I can also see the interest in the steadily growing wishlist. Welcome to all newcomers! The playtest has been off for a while now. I did not work much on the playtest specifically, yet let me know if you would like to reopen it for Christmas to make some runs. Best, Pablo Vidaurre