Hello again! I've got about 16 hours on the Dirt: Rally clock and would like to give some in-depth constructive feedback of my own in addition to my initial impressions. 1a. Stages. I know you spent a ton of time making these stages awesome, but the game needs more of them. Many more. I'm already to the point where I think "...do I really want to play this and just cycle through Wales, Greece, and Monte yet again?" This rarely happened in the original Dirt, which I probably have over 100 hours clocked on. Anyway, the stages in this game are fantastic, but there needs to be more variety, and made unlockable as you go, so you get do "discover" new countries stages. See 3b for a bit more on this. 1b. Stage Weather. Throw a bit more chaos of that in. Maybe it's just the progress I've only made so far, but it seems like the weather is always very fair. It'd be cool to see still (no wind) stages for Greece with dust hanging in the air from the competitor in front of you and have to fight through that, or Greece with rain, Wales with snow falling and only mild roadside accumulation, and rain to snow changes mid-stage in Monaco. 1c. Event Structure: Perhaps something like there's three different series of events you can choose from for each "Championship year" you drive your car in. For instance, I click "Championships", then pick my car, then it brings me to an event menu where there's 3 boxes, each containing 3 (or so) different countries, always different, and always random, and I can only pick one, and that's the "Championship Series" I race in for that race season in that rally car. And add a bonus for placing top 3. This could add some good intrigue to the game, as well. 1d. Stages in general. Someone said that long, fast, flowing gravel stages would be a nice addition, and I agree. Also, distance listings as you view the stage menu for the event would be really nice to know. 1e. Side note. Rally Raids, like even a little of Dakar or Baja 1000, and the cars/trucks/class 1 buggy's and trophy trucks that compete in them would be really cool to include. I loved the Raid's from DiRT 1 and would like to see more of this. It's still rally, afterall, just a different version of it. Also, super specials would be cool to have back. 2a. Cars. The selection right now is great. But again, there needs to be more. Maybe have the current ones as the "Buyable's" and the new ones as cars you win or something. But more cars for every era. I've made my list in a previous post, so I'll leave that alone. 2b. Cars Upgrades. I really like the idea a few people have had about adding specifically better parts, or buying upgrades instead of just unlocking them as you progress. It gives that feel of player choice, a lot like in real Rally, where figuring out what kind of parts to buy and learning them once installed is a big choice, and can have great, or marginal gains in performance. Tire choices would also be a big plus. 2c. Cars Liveries: I'm not so picky on making my own, but more options, especially classic ones like the Rothmans, Olio, Alitalia, etc liveries would be a good addition. Being able to change wheel color (and in some cases, size) would be good, too. 2d. Car Damage and Restarts. I'm not so hardcore as to want this game to be RBR, because that game isn't fun, it's self inflicted torture. If driving a rally car were that hard, all drivers would DNF. However, the damage model in this game is a bit odd. I love the tire flex, the flats, the brake grinding after too many stages, etc. But the rest of it is a little weak. Sorry to keep calling back to DiRT 1, but the damage model in that game was fantastic; when you'd accidentally center-punch a tree, that was it, terminal damage. This game could use a much more comprehensive damage model like that. In line with that, the restarts. In the launch video you guys recorded (the hour long one), you'd mentioned how you want to limit peoples restarts. I think a good way to do this (maybe) is to increase the damage model and allow more flex on the finish times (even more than there currently is) so that it encourages people to keep going; to press on regardless, as it were, and still have the chance of doing well. Perhaps limit restarts to five per race? This needs to thus be applied to the CPU, that they have more problems on their sim run, too, not just the guys at the bottom of the leaderboard. The pit crew view from CMR3 was really cool and would be fun to see again. Also, the wood fences crumble like kindling. Something tells me they don't go down that easy, since they're like 6 inches diameter and stuck in the ground. 3a. Format. I love the clean appearance, but winning or even placing in the top three in a championship event overall comes with so little fanfare that it's like someone just tossed you a soggy sandwich in a wet paper sack as a reward for your hard days work. I know that's about how real rally is at the grassroots level, but this is a game, and as such, should include a bit of flare. I don't expect a parade, but just something to make it seem like it was time well spent. Unlocks are good this way. Also, stats are fun, like in the original DiRT. 3b. Format of Events and the Menu. I love the original DiRT. I know it sounds like I want you to remake that (which I kinda do) but it was a fantastic game, and the layout of events available was really cool, as well as the variety. This game doesn't seem like one that will have that much, but that doesn't mean it can't have some subtle and aesthetically pleasing menu designs. 3c. Buttons 1,2,3,4. This makes no sense on a controller or steering wheel, it's very confusing. If it's a menu item like that, let the keyboard numbers automatically double for whatever is listed. 4a. Gameplay: Grip Levels and Handling. BRAVO! You nailed it, I think the cars handling characteristics are awesome. In my opinion, you don't need to change anything. The grip for the RWD's is perfect(ly slippy) and throttle based, the FWD is very LFB heavy for proper handling, and the 4WD's push a little and handle like they're pulling from the front and pushing from the rear drive wheels. I play this on a controller/gamepad, not a steering wheel, for whatever that's worth. I might add that I've raced rally in real life in all different wheelbase platforms, and this game accurately simulates the feel of a rally car. 4b. Gameplay WRC: Sense of speed/actual speed in the WRC cars seems a little underwhelming for what they are. 4c. Effects: LOVE THE DUST! :D Thank you for flooding the dry roads with it, and how it pours over the hood on certain plow-in turns. Again, freaking nailed it. 4d. RBR: Repeat, not a fun game, don't replicate it's wall-punching drivability difficulty. You've done so great already in making this game drive perfect, don't fix what isn't broken. But for those who want to torture themselves, maybe the option to lower the grip could be added? 5a. Replay. The replay cameras, while some are good, there's too much in-car, and too much helo. I agree with the other guy in this thread somewhere who recommended a lot more out of car shots. I want more go-pro wheel shots and such, but I really want cool drone views and "pro cameraman" views, too. Like the drone at the start line, who's footage we never see...That person also suggested being able to cut our replays together through for youtube clips, and that'd be a cool feature for that one perfect run, etc. 5b. Replay music. It's pretty dull. I didn't love the music from Dirt 2 and 3, but it was really good at keeping the blood flowing while you watch your killer replay. A specific little fix: There's a couple notes that seemed to come way late in Monte Carlo Turini Descent, a right 4 and a right 3 tightens, not in sequence. Thanks for your time, I hope my feedback is helpful. I just want to see this game be the best rally game ever. :)
