City Car Driving 2.0 – Developer Diaries #4

You will have to continuously evaluate the road situation and constantly make decisions on the road.
A characteristic feature of the City Car Driving series is the constant tracking of traffic rules. In CCD 2.0. We make a special emphasis on all the accompanying elements of this idea, for example: compliance with high -speed mode, distances between cars, signals during maneuvering. We have made significant changes to the system of monitoring compliance with the rules, but so far we do not want to disclose all the details.

Realistic situations on the road will be recreated for you, where you interact with traffic. In early access, we are a great emphasis on interaction with all road users.

One of the main changes for the City Car Driving is the departure from fixed weather and the time of day selected before the start of driving, to their dynamic change during the ride. Now you will have to take into account the change of road conditions – a deterioration in visibility, a change in adhesion to the road and adjust the driving style "on the run", which will improve safe driving skills.

Since our game is a simulator, we pay close attention to the fact that the controls and the reaction of the machine to them correspond to reality as much as possible. For example, to start driving in a car with a mechanical gearbox, you will need to use a clutch and get used to the area of ​​it "Grabbing".

We try to test our game on all popular input devices, at each one to achieve good accuracy and responsiveness of management so that you can feel at the wheel of a real car.

One of our main tasks, along with safe driving, is the study of various types of roads: CCD 2.0 will provide you with a dense movement, highways, roads with turns and intersections, a suburban zone, and a one -way road.

We have already shown the urban environment with lively streets and skyscrapers, and now we are creating a forest area – we highlight the vegetation of special attention. Added water surfaces, mountains, rocks, bridges and other objects characteristic of the area in which the game will take place. The variety of environment elements enriches the game world and makes each location of a unique.

In addition, we added various historical and cultural features to the game. Different areas of the city will have its architectural styles and art objects. This will allow each location to be felt in a new way.

We will analyze on the example of one of the locations how to create a big city with its history.

It all starts with a concept, but instead of paper and napkins, we use graphic editors. We begin by drawing small sections, which, as the details of the puzzle, then structure and connect together.
If the task is not to repeat some real corner of our planet, then at the initial stage it works mainly the imagination. A network of roads, squares and areas "From the head", so that the result corresponds to the meaning of the future location.

Further along the assembled puzzle creates a location-prototype, the so-called "Black blockout". Black, because of the color of the objects of the losers that symbolize in it at home and roads.
In that "Blockout", Changes are made by wide strokes. We watch how the locations are connected, what is the dimension and silhouette of the future city.
In Unreal Engine, we use BSP geometry to build a location blockout, which allows you to easily and quickly set the approximate shape of future houses and road network.

After that, you can think over what the city quarters look like and clarify the shape of the road network. So "black" Blockout turns into "white".
Interactive objects, attractions are also installed on the blockout, and the routes of the player, traffic and pedestrians are laid.
The stage of the white blockout is considered completed when Leoel-designers, surrounding artists and a game designer have a complete understanding of what the location will be and that it will contain in itself.

After that, the white blockout is transferred to a special editor of the road network and logic, in which the final version is built. We had to create this editor ourselves, since no gaming engine can provide the capabilities of the road network required by us.

Also, at this stage, we think through the traffic rules in the city, determine the adjustable and unregulated intersections, unilateral traffic, movement along the lanes, the main and secondary roads, the speed mode, set the marking, set up the intensity and type of traffic, create a pedestrian network and pedestrian crossings, bus stops, and tram rails.

It is possible to list the volume of work in the editor of the road network almost endlessly: from building a common grid of roads to regulation of the height of the curbs (borders).
After setting the logical network, it is necessary to generate its geometry in the editor, which will represent the landscape in the game.

Intermediate, black landscape generations we try to start doing as soon as possible, since after them you can see the shape of the landscape with your own eyes, with all the changes in heights.
After the main work on the road network is completed, when all the shortcomings were identified and landscape artifacts were corrected, we perform finishing generation.

On the finished landscape, when the final version of the road network is already visible, we begin to design the location. Level designers, together with artists from the environment, perform architectural filling of the location in large objects.
At this stage, the visual image of the architecture of the new city arises. When all large objects are placed, interactive objects are installed, when the architecture and style of the city are completely built – the design stage can be considered completed.

After that, the final stage begins: we fill the location with objects and traffic rules, install traffic lights, signs, decals of complex marking, arrows in the lane of movement.

Then we install small objects, for example: fences, pillars, benches and other objects of urban environment. And proceed to the last group of objects – vegetation on locations. After installing all objects, the location can "paint" small details – apply cracks and hatches on the roads, garbage, paving slabs.

The development of the location is completed on this.

Will there be trailers in CCD2?

There will be no trailers in the early access, but after the release of the game we plan to add them.

Will there be trucks and buses available to manage the player?

The player will not have large -sized transport in the early access, but there will be vans, we will tell you more in a diary dedicated to traffic and transport.

And trucks and buses in traffic?

There is no early access, but we have an alternative, which we will also talk about in a diary dedicated to transport in the game.

Will play physics make elements of extreme driving, such as drift?

Our project is primarily training, and we do not encourage extreme driving in the conditions of urban movement. But this does not mean that the player’s transport will not be physically capable of this.

It is planned to support telemetry, eye tracking, and so on?

In early access is not planned.

In the next issue, we will talk about the technical side of the gaming mechanic, which we mentioned in previous diaries: gas station / hundred / car wash / garage, and show how exactly you can interact with them.

Development diaries come out every two weeks. Do not miss!