Super Unofficial DiRT 4 Thread (PS4/XB1/PC)

[GranTurismo guy]

Oh my god a 205

Sold

 

[CSMDuty11]

(the historic car is a Peugeot 106 I think?):

If the "K/H205 PUG" license plate is anything to go by...
EDIT: tree'd, whoops.

 

[MeanElf]

Their current-gen engine used in F1 2015 and 2016 is still referred to as the EGO engine, it's just version 4.0 as opposed to version 3.0 which powered their last previous-gen titles.

Based on the currently available footage I'd say DiRT 4 is definitely using a newer engine; the differences in individual graphical elements are subtle but on the whole the game has a strikingly more lively look, as was the case with the leap from F1 2014 to F1 2015 (and further, F1 2016).

So, unlikely there will be a photo mode. Paul Coleman mentioned not long after the DR console release that the EGO engine wasn't strong enough to include this.

 

[Silver Arrows]

A few screencaps to add to @ProjectWHaT 's findings.

Disciplines screen (the historic car is a Peugeot 106 I think?):

The separate handling models that have been mooted will have separate leaderboards:

Custom championships are in the Freeplay mode:

There is a 6th option on the rally location screen - I think it says "Mystery" with a question mark icon. This could be just a pre-alpha oddity and is perhaps meaningless.

To the first image, I'm surprised they are using the old DiRT 2/3 key font types.

Admittingly I never played Colin Mcrae Rally so I don't know. However, it annoyed me that people wanted a WRC game out a series that frankly wasn't Colin Mcrae Rally AND just basically ignored everything else, blaming it solely on Ken Block (and basically anyone American because we "Destroyed" Dirt). Not everyone was saying that I will say, but their were so many complaints that resorted to straight nationalism over a game.

It reminds me wayyyyyy too much of the dick measuring contests that Shin Megami Tensei and Persona fans would have over which game was better, and in a more micro sense, Persona 1/2 vs 3/4 fans would have on the same margins.

 

[Joey D]

Awesome, can't wait! I do hope they stick with their plans to tone down the physics from Dirt Rally because half the fun of the Dirt games is the simcade aspect of it. Dirt Rally is fun, but it's a bit more of of challenge then I'd really like out of a game.

 

[ELmarcotuff]

I hope we can be stupid like in DiRT2 and put rallycross cars on Landrush tracks, also one of there amazing soundtracks, examples are DiRT2, DiRT3, and DiRT Showdown

 

[Scaff]

Admittingly I never played Colin Mcrae Rally so I don't know. However, it annoyed me that people wanted a WRC game out a series that frankly wasn't Colin Mcrae Rally AND just basically ignored everything else, blaming it solely on Ken Block (and basically anyone American because we "Destroyed" Dirt). Not everyone was saying that I will say, but their were so many complaints that resorted to straight nationalism over a game.

While the Dirt series may not have carried the Colin McRae name in the US, it did in the rest of the world for the first two. As such Dirt is a Colin McRae series.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McRae_Rally

 

[glassjaw]

To the first image, I'm surprised they are using the old DiRT 2/3 key font types/

I hope they switch Roboto for another font. The Project Cars vibes are strong.

Aside from UI nitpicking, it really does look great. But I don't understand the situation with the stage generator. Are there pre-existing stages in the game, or are they all procedurally generated? And if they're not, do we have any footage of a generated stage yet? Watching those videos, at one point it looks like the player loads a generated stage, but then the film cuts to buggy gameplay before we get to see it.

 

[nascarfan1400]

So so so happy that Landrush is back!!

 

[LeGeNd-1]

I'm cautiously optimistic about this. Dirt Rally was not numbered 4 for a reason - they were trying to break out of the Dirt mold of being arcadey and not enough focus on rallying. This being number 4, I think will just be a Dirt 3 sequel with a hardcore mode tacked on. From experience you really can't half-arse physics in a game. It's either sim or arcade. Simcade almost never satisfies either side of the fence. Arcade physics with "sim" mode (or vice versa), almost always never works well either. You really have to commit to one side.

Just when I thought Codies have returned to their roots, they have me in doubt again. I really hope my fears are unfounded in June.

More content is good, but I was hoping they didn't cut out stages from DR. It just doesn't make sense. Track generator is good to an extent, but like GT5's generator after 10 or so tracks everything starts to feel same ol' same ol' with no personality. Sure it gives variety, but it will never have the same cachet as a proper hand designed track.

I like the driving school mode more than anything really. Though veteran players will likely find it boring, it's a much needed feature in sims to ease newbies into the physics. I miss driving school in old sims like F1 2002, GTR2, LFS, etc.

 

[Wolfe]

From experience you really can't half-arse physics in a game. It's either sim or arcade. Simcade almost never satisfies either side of the fence. Arcade physics with "sim" mode (or vice versa), almost always never works well either. You really have to commit to one side.

Isn't it fair to assume that "Simulation" will be DiRT Rally physics while "Normal" will be like DiRT 3 physics? I'm sure the two modes run the same engine with different parameters, but D3 was okay to drive and people like how DR drives, so Codemasters would have to put in effort to bungle it up.

Granted, that's something Codemasters seems liable to do.

...Track generator is good to an extent, but like GT5's generator after 10 or so tracks everything starts to feel same ol' same ol' with no personality. Sure it gives variety, but it will never have the same cachet as a proper hand designed track.

In a typical rally game, you can't even do ten stages in a locale without driving on one that doesn't just feel the same, but is literally the same.

I wonder if it actually generates anything, or if it traces a randomized path upon a network of hand-crafted roads and trails on a map. Actually, that would explain the bit about there being a "free-play area", like the multiple open maps in Baja: Edge of Control.

 

[RACECAR]

While the Dirt series may not have carried the Colin McRae name in the US, it did in the rest of the world for the first two. As such Dirt is a Colin McRae series.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McRae_Rally

I believe Colin Mcrae's name was definately on the first one here in the US. This only seemed to happen with Dirt 2 from memory as I do recall a friend of mine showing me the one he got and I immediately noticed that. I'm not saying Dirt isn't a Colin Mcrae series, I'm saying Dirt was marketed as a game that featured multiple categories of off-road racing so it seemed silly to want one series to be like the other one.

 

[Dimse91]

Can not wait for this! i Really hope they will not make it trashy arcade game and keep it like DIrt Rally !

Hoping for the best !

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Dirt Rally was not numbered 4 for a reason - they were trying to break out of the Dirt mold of being arcadey and not enough focus on rallying. This being number 4, I think will just be a Dirt 3 sequel with a hardcore mode tacked on.

So, what - you think Dirt Rally is becoming a side franchise?

That might explain the lack of licenced WRC cars.

 

[Scaff]

I believe Colin Mcrae's name was definately on the first one here in the US. This only seemed to happen with Dirt 2 from memory as I do recall a friend of mine showing me the one he got and I immediately noticed that. I'm not saying Dirt isn't a Colin Mcrae series, I'm saying Dirt was marketed as a game that featured multiple categories of off-road racing so it seemed silly to want one series to be like the other one.

I agree that dirt is a series with different categories of off road racing, and I for one love that. My issue was never that side of it, just elements of the presentation of it.

I would however disagree that it's two series, as DR was more of an experiment than a rebirth of a dedicated rally series.

Personally I would like to see all categories of racing grow within the Dirt series, with physics option to suit all.

 

[Magdelayna]

Im most excited about the Rally Cross licence...i really enjoyed it in DR with the close racing and getting to know your rivals but there were too few tracks and it was short lived.

Hoping to see a full championship and building rivalries with teams and drivers - this is what Codies are great at,they nailed it with Grid AS and its what AC and Pcars sorely misses.

 

[MXH]

It does seem odd because the WRC has been pretty forgiving with the licences in the past - Dirt Rally, WRC 6 and Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo all had World Rally Cars with the proper (if not necessarily current) liveries. So unless the entire approach to games has changed, I can't see that being the cause.

If they issue is a quasi-livery editor, with the player sticking sponsor decals on their cars, it wouldn't be too hard to block them from doing it to WRC cars, so I can't see that being the cause either.

I got myself an answer from Paul. Welcome to the world of exclusivity deals.

KickUp said:

ZoliRX said:
'morning @Kick_Up! Could you explain the absence of the modern WRC cars, if possible? Is it the FIA dicking around with the license or is there some exclusivity involved that stopped you from attaing it?

Yep, basically that. It's sad but that's how some roll

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Welcome to the world of exclusivity deals.

Well, on the plus side, hopefully this means that the FIA are getting serious about it rather than just handing out the official licence to the first person who shows up and asks politely. Probably because they see the potential in the eWRC.

 

[MeanElf]

So, what - you think Dirt Rally is becoming a side franchise?

That was my impression, that DR was to be an experiment which would be more focused on the pure rallying with closer to RBR physics parameters than the DiRT series had given. They were testing the waters, reportedly and that DiRT Rally 2 would be bigger and better. I agree with @LeGeNd-1 - that they still need to continue with that trajectory alongside D4 as D4 alone isn't really a continuation of DR's rally purism.

Don't get me wrong though. I enjoyed all of the DiRT series thoroughly, but I also enjoyed where DR was heading too.

...That might explain the lack of licensed WRC cars.

The WRC license seems to be a tricky thing as far as I can see. It's almost like the EA/Porsche license agreement, being exclusive to one developer. I'm not even sure if it can be granted to more than one, but that is the way it seems to have been going so far. I also wonder how expensive the license would be as Milestone held it for a fixed term of five years and they are a small studio.

EDIT: that appears to have been answered by @MXH

 

[prisonermonkeys]

The WRC license seems to be a tricky thing as far as I can see.

It looks like the licences in Dirt Rally were negotiated with the individual car manufacturers. For example, the Volkswagen Polo R WRC appears as the "Volkswagen Polo Rally", and while the Fiesta Rally has a works livery, it's an old one - M-Sport were using the Abu Dhabi design in 2013. Likewise Citroën, who allowed the C4 WRC to appear, but it runs a blank livery because the official licence was awarded to Milestone for Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo.

My guess is that the FIA wants to consolidate everything under one title. They're pushing into the realm of e-sports, what with their official sanctioning of Gran Turismo Sport and the Vegas Formula E race. It has a lot of potential, because raving games are probably the one video game genre with the potential to have a transferral of skills into the real world. But to make it work, they need one officially-licenced title.

Codemasters are probably the best-positioned developer to make that title. They already have the Formula One and World Rallycross licences, and a lot of experience working in the sub-genre of rally games. The problem is that Dirt 4 isn't just a rally game - it's rally, rallycross and buggies. That probably dilutes their position.

 

[Strainer79]

Hello, has there been any rumours about some early acces action on steam?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

The game has quite literally just been announced. As of eighteen hours ago, we had no idea that the game was even in development.

 

[Jay84]

Looking forward to this, I must say its good for them to have BOTH a more causal handling model and the Sim model, that way everyone can be happy.

 

[lskill909]

Seems like there will come more locations. Have a look at "Mystery?"
Hope to see all the locations back from Dirt Rally (Monte-Carlo, Greece, Finland and Germany). It`s just the same engine as in Dirt Rally and so I think it`d be definetely possible to add this locations to Dirt 4.

 

[JC_Dude]

Seems like there will come more locations. Have a look at "Mystery?"

I think it means just "random".

 

[lancia delta hf]

Ah brilliant, it really does look like a "generator" rather than an "editor" then. I know others would prefer the tools/customisation to actually make the stages themselves but for me this is exactly what I want - let the game do all the work, and pop out unseen stages to your heart's content, with the press of a single button (almost). Procedurally generated goodness. 👍 If the quality of the stages - and crucially the consistency of pacenotes and AI on them - all stand up to at least some degree, this will probably be one of my all-time favourite racing game features.

In the video, the longest stage I saw generated was 8 miles - what were the longest stages in Dirt Rally? 5-6 miles?

I'm having deja vu, I'm pretty sure I've seen this in another rally game (not V-Rally) in the lat 10ish years.

 

[The Stig Farmer]

DiRT 4 Road Book 1

We’ve expanded our Rallycross content too, with classes including RX2, WRX Supercars and Group B

 

[2clicks]

I know I'm late, but man this is exciting news! It just confuses me that the Evolution devs are not part of the development. It would've made sense for them to be part of it since rally games are what they started out with.

also one of there amazing soundtracks, examples are DiRT2, DiRT3, and DiRT Showdown

I really hope the soundtrack is more like DiRT Rally's and less like the DiRT games which preceded it. Always better to have music exclusively composed than to have licensed tunes. In my opinion, it also keeps with the throwback era. Although if they are going to go down the licensed route, then I hope that they use this as the menu music:

 

[SlimCharles]

Seems like there will come more locations. Have a look at "Mystery?"
Hope to see all the locations back from Dirt Rally (Monte-Carlo, Greece, Finland and Germany). It`s just the same engine as in Dirt Rally and so I think it`d be definetely possible to add this locations to Dirt 4.

Im afraid Findland and Monte are not comming...

 

[ProjectWHaT]

DiRT 4 Road Book 1



View attachment 623389

Also

And then rounding off this insanely cool package of disciplines comes brand-new Joyride, which sees the DirtFish Rally School double as a playground. As well as a free-play space, you’ll be able to tackle Laptime challenges and Smash challenges, with the ability to trade challenges and times with your friends. For those of you who loved some of the stuff we had in DiRT 3, this is donuts without the DudeBro.

That said, if you loved DiRT Rally’s simulation engine then you have nothing to fear. In fact we’ve made significant improvements to it with new aerodynamics, more accurate modelling of suspension geometry, new tyre models and better damage simulation. On top of all that we’ve made huge improvements in our lighting tech, arm over arm animation and character modelling so there is plenty to look forward to.