Need for Rally: A post-mortem


It's been a few exciting months ever since I started this game and this proof of concept is slowly on its way to become a real game.

With enthusiasm I am making my first game ever using Unreal Engine.

Initially I wanted to publish another version (0.06) this month but unexpectedly, a game-breaking bug occurred that delayed the version. Until I figured out what was wrong, I started working on features for the next version, such as a main menu with racetrack picker and different maps.

Instead, have a little post mortem!

I learned a lot doing this project and can't wait to share that with you.

Driver view as of 0.06. Includes working speedometer & RPM display


Don't forget to to follow me on Twitter  for early development insights and check my website for more information!

Feasibility

As I worked on this prototype I evaluated the following requirements for feasibility, to find out what is within my grasp as solo indie developer. 

The great news is: most of these planned features seem viable. Here is a list!

  • Online Functionality & Multiplayer 
  • Different Racing Modes: Circuit Race, A-B Race, Pursuit, Sandbox
  • Racetrack Editor
  • Immersion: Climate, Weather,  Day & Night circles, a certain realism

One big feature that might not make it:

  • Vehicle Editor, due to Unreal's cumbersome vehicle implementation. I will continue to find a viable solution, but might settle with Vehicle Customization instead.

An early test for day/night circles


In the following I want to go into detail what went well, wrong, or could have been done better.

Things that slowed me down

  • Screenshots and videos need to be taken much easier from within the editor!
  • I spent a lot of time figuring out how to do things right in Unreal. Still am new to the tech after all!
  • I still need a lot of time to learn about shaders before being able to do what I want, particularly with terrain
  • I spent extra time on sound design for vehicles. It was worth it, but was it really necessary?

Things that sped me up

  • 3D asset creation is easy and insanely fast due to the simple low-poly style
  • Unreal Engine's features are so extensive that I can quickly add components that roughly complete the project’s vision, although these still need adjustments or customization

Things that I need to work on

  • There is no proper QA-methodology in place, except for thorough manual testing and debugging. Some time needs to be spent to figure out how Automated Testing works in UE
  • Work on an in-game console for playtesting purposes

Things I like about the prototype

  • Art Direction: I really love the aesthetic of the prototype! It should be kept that way in the future
  • Sound Design: I spent a bit of extra time to create realistic vehicle sounds, but it adds to the immersion
  • Unreal Engine continues to prove to be a handy and good fit for the project goals. Overall tech stack choice is satisfactory so far!
  • I personally love the first person driver view

Things I do not like about the prototype

  • The HUD is still a little wonky/cluttered. I want a better speed indicator and a slimmer overall design
  • While Vehicle Sound Design is nice, it can still be improved further
  • Wheel particles should be emitted when the wheel direction deviates from travel direction too

Outlook

Great things are to come! An excerpt of features that I am considering to add:

  • Climate, Weather,  Day & Night circles
  • Vehicle damage and dirtiness
  • realistic sound design
  • Police Chase mode
  • Local coop Multiplayer, with 1-4 players
  • Online leaderboard

We are already heading to the next version in light speed and I cannot wait to share it with you!

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to follow me on itch!

Files

rallyfever_0.05-windows64x.zip 626 MB
Jan 21, 2024

Get Rally Fever Prototype

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