On the road to DiRT 4′s June release, the official Codemasters blog has had a weekly review of the various features and gameplay elements players can expect when the game is in their hands. First we had a look at the innovative “Your Stage” track creator and then the “Landrush” gameplay mode. This time around, a core element of the title’s career mode has been tackled, as we get a look at the in-depth team management we’ll be able to tackle in the rally racer.
The first aspect of team management you’ll be in charge of comes in the form of the “Branding Suite”. This is where you’ll be able to decide your team name, livery, sponsors and the numbers each driver in the team will race with. Sponsors will be key to ensuring healthy finances to fund your team in the long run. Another interesting element that’s been incorporated is the standardization that will be applied to your chosen team colors.
Rather than simply appearing on the car, your chosen palette with also show up in locations like the service area canopy and on the transport vehicles that take you to and from rally events. Although this is a minor change in the grand scheme of the game, it’ll certainly help with the immersion of the career. The actual livery itself isn’t fully customizable but you’ll be able to use Codemasters-provided patterns and designs to make your team stand out.
Staff management will also be a bit more in-depth than that provided in DiRT Rally. Your team will start with a small selection of core employees with important roles but through expansion of your team you’ll be able to branch out to include positions like spotters in Rallycross and PR agents. Interestingly, staff members hired will actually have personality traits that could positively or negatively impact your start-up rally team.
The facilities your staff will have to work within can also be upgraded throughout the game. The addition of this should improve the dynamic nature of the career and help stop it feeling too sterile and predictable.
Finally, we’ve received information on the garage feature of the career mode. Cars will have a good variation of statistics related to their life in your racing team. Mileage covered, how many terminal breakdowns, total number of podium finishes and more will be shown to the player. All this becomes important information too, as it will directly affect the resale value of the respective car.
The money earned through driving or resale can then be used to purchase cars through regular dealerships or classified ads, which promises to house some rarities to add to your collection. If you’re hoping to add some of the more legendary vehicles in the game to your roster, be sure to keep an eye out here.
The level of detail Codemasters has went to in the team management tools is impressive. Whilst DiRT Rally felt a bit lacking in this area, the core elements of effectively building a motorsport team seem to be well represented. We’ll be able to see for ourselves when the game releases in the summer.
[source: Codemasters Blog]
See more articles on DiRT 4 Road Book.
