TOCA 3 details emerge
by:
John
-
posted:
9/15/2005 11:12:00 PM
More On:
I can hear
Dave Gamble's ears prick up as I type the word TOCA into the admin
right now. He's probably sensed the press release when it was sent out
today with all of it's information about the new damage engine being
built into the next version of teh classic racing sim. Click the link
for all of the juicy details.
New York (Sept. 15, 2005) – Renowned for delivering the most realistic
and impressive crashes, collisions and damage effects in racing games,
Codemasters’ TOCA series is about to up the ante.
For TOCA Race
Driver 3, a hugely advanced version of the series’ proprietary Terminal
Damage Engine is being designed to deliver 100 times the level of
damage effect detail.
TOCA Race Driver 3’s advanced Terminal
Damage Engine will be even richer in its damage visuals thanks to
incredible particle effects and, most importantly, far deeper in terms
of physics that effect the driver’s car handling and ultimately the
race result.
The additional particle effects create hugely
impressive visuals that really show the punishment the car is
receiving: sparks fly spectacularly when it bottoms out and ends up
grounding the car. Windshields will shatter, wings will get ripped off,
spoilers will break and fly from the car. Plus, new game effects will
show incremental amounts of damage as bodywork realistically deforms
around crumple zones during a race.
Keeping an eye on the
state of the car’s tires is key; watching for wear and temperature. Any
impact to the tires can send the wheels into misalignment, resulting in
juddering drive as players head for the pit lane. If tires become too
worn during a race, they’ll overheat and, if there’s no let up, they’ll
finally burst, sending the car crashing down on its steel wheel rims,
kicking up a shower of sparks and smoke.
Similarly, if a car’s
coolant system fails, the radiator will overheat and smoke begins
pouring from under the hood. Too much strain and the smoke will billow
from the car as the radiator finally blows.
These spectacular
damage physics even run across all the AI opponents’ cars, making
racing a truly thrilling, test of nerves and racing expertise. All this
detail means that long-term races become more engaging and tactical.
It’s not always the fastest driver who will cross the finishing line
first; those who employ better pit-stop strategies and keep an eye on
tire wear can reap rewards.
Every race team has a budget to
spend on car tuning through the course of a race season and there are
up to 27 upgradeable parts for each car including real tuning parts
from Brembo, Bridgestone Motorsport and OMP.
To make a car
more robust, players can replace the roll cage, add engine struts, and
improve its suspension, tires and brake pads. For those who are
confident in their racing abilities, the engine’s horsepower can be
increased but must be careful as the radiator and coolant system may
not be able to take the additional strain!
With so many
different racing experiences and real racing cars, TOCA Race Driver 3
is revving up for a release in February 2006. Get yourself in the
driving seat with more online at www.codemasters.com/tocaracedriver3.
About Codemasters
Codemasters
is a global interactive entertainment company with offices in New York
City, England, France, Spain, Holland and Germany. Founded in the UK in
1986, Codemasters publishes award-winning software for the PC, next
generation video game consoles and online gaming. Codemasters develops
original titles such as Operation Flashpoint (PC Game-of-the-year) and
ToCA Race Driver, as well as games based on top licensed properties
including American Idol, MTV Music Generator and IndyCar Series.
Additional information about Codemasters and its products can be found
at www.codemasters.com.