Early Experimental Preview of Career Concept

They were released for the last release and mentioned in the changelog, just there to be able to mess around with weights in freeroam for now. I certainly want to see them better implemented when it comes time for Career Mode deliveries though!

 

Small update!

This next release will be bringing "fluid transport" to the delivery gameplay, and the intent was to effectively wrap-up development on the core delivery gameplay systems, while transitioning into new systems for drag racing, drifting, and general time trials. The base concept was, "Lets get delivery wrapped up and in a state that players can play perpetually while we transition to the Motorsports Branch and all of the parallel development there such as UI elements and overall UX, scoring and rewards systems, and general development." However, as is always the case in development, as we progressed through the delivery gameplay we uncovered some exciting ideas and possibilities that lead to having to rework some things or even start over on others. This means, we won't be very far ahead at all with the Motorsports Branch gameplay, and won't be able to tie a nice bow on the delivery gameplay and confidently call it "done."

It's bittersweet, as on one hand we've got the delivery gameplay systems doing some really exciting things, and on the other hand, the more adrenaline fueled gameplay is yet further delayed. This also means general balancing isn't really possible yet as I refuse to try and balance rewards and overall costs to only ONE skill within ONE branch - the delivery skill within the labourer branch. (I still say Labourer Branch, the majority of the company prefers the American spelling of "Laborer" ... I will die on this hill and keep calling it "Labourer" ahah)

So with the next release still a ways away, I just wanted to temper expectations and take the temperature of the folks here and hopefully motivate both the teams and the community at the same time!

I shared some WIP shots recently of me going over the container yard at Spearleaf Marine Logistics — and I wrapped that up shortly after — and I've also made really big progress with the Shuffleboard Logistics area on the mainland, across from the current commercial garage/Shuffleboard near the drag strip. I'd like to share so much more with everyone but that'd ruin all the surprises and things are changing hourly, daily, and weekly anyway, so hold tight!

Without giving too much away, here's a quick shot that hints at what has become of the area!

 

I can't comment on when the next release is (it's not up to me, and I'm dug down deep and focused on my small areas of development) but I can say that we are planning on releasing the next update, and then another one around Christmas time as per usual

Regarding the Motorsports gameplay, it's all listed/shown in the Branches screen ATM within Career Mode! For me personally though, I'm most excited for Time Trials and AI Races - time trials are the epitome of driving discipline to me, it's all about self-control and maximizing your abilities on every input and really knowing your vehicle. AI races are an excellent way to spice things up though and when you have another opponent to steal your attention, that's when the racing really becomes alive!

The first steps for Drag Racing and Time Trials are because they fall into place within the first level of Apex Racing skill within the Motorsports Branch itself, so it's a good place to start so that we can get something released while developing the system(s) for them.

 

Oh and to add to my response to your original question: This is a new area that I'm building! Specifically for the delivery gameplay, and is proving to be an exxxcceeellleenntt drift park area as well, I'm morphing it daily for better truck and trailer drivability while keeping it technically fun and challenging — albeit accessible — for drifting! The area I'm working on is the lot across from the current Shuffleboard Logistics/Commercial Garage.

 

Happy you found it! Admittedly, it's been a while since I last checked the changelogs myself. The focus on Career Mode is generally more about patching together the work-in-progress features just enough to make them release-ready for any given update. This approach leads to a cycle where we pause development four weeks before release to allow the QA team to ensure everything else in the game functions as expected. After release, we tackle any emerging bugs for a week or two and then the Career Mode team pivots back to development.

Typically, the highlights of our releases are the maps and vehicles, which means Career Mode isn't always polished for each release. Of course, we aim for each release to be just solid enough to demonstrate progress is happening and that it's moving forward.

As for the scale of our upcoming updates, I believe that’s been covered on our social media and update logs. There was quite a bit of buzz about it a few months ago. I'm sure it's out there if you take another look!

 

Hey there, I'm glad you brought this up! I've actually been keen on adding toll booths for a while now, and we've even just recently remastered the toll booths at the highway entrance by Lens Flare Studios.

From a gameplay perspective, incorporating tolls makes a lot of sense, though I have had concerns about it feeling like just another expense—kind of like real life, right? But we want to keep the game fun and engaging, which is why I haven't gone overboard with things like speed cameras yet! Moving forward, I'll consider introducing a minimal toll fee; it's something we're still thinking about! It's really encouraging to see that ideas like this resonate with our community. It confirms that we're on the right track with Career Mode, and hearing this from you is genuinely uplifting!

 

The toll at the end of the highway, is actually at the "start" of the highway!

I really wish that highway could be extended for miles and miles! Maybe one day......

The bridge on the map was modeled after the San Francisco Bay Bridge, and there is a maaaassive toll booth on that thing. A sort of drive-through automated transponder, "ding $2" would be fine in Career Mode IMO, but right now super low priority of course.