Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Discussion Thread

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The trailer:
imagine-making-accolades-trailer-when-your-game-is-plagued-v0-ezrbld2vifod1.png


The review:
"an absolutely phenomenal driving experience when it works. 6/10"
Welcome to the world of artistic pullquotes. I'm sure that they could have found one in our review, but at 2.6/5... probably didn't want to.

I note Top Gear has reviewed it today and Mike Channell (not sure if he's still at Outside Xbox, but is definitely at TG; very, very nice guy) very much echoes my thoughts, saying: "Handling-wise it's a strange fish too. Braking for corners generates massive understeer"...

... but I guess he can't drive either, according to that chap earlier. Never mind that he drives (on the road and everything) and races a Ginetta G40...
 
I've been noticing most of the positive Steam reviews are all either strangely backhanded compliments or along the lines of "it's got a lot of problems and it really isn't that good, but buy it now anyway because it'll probably get better in about six months after they've updated it, honest!"

I guess people are just that desperate for an alternative to Forza Horizon that they're willing to wave this through now, even though it still needs a lot more work to even be considered on par. But still, buying a game on the expectation that it'll be better months in future is just rewarding mediocrity, and exactly the kind of behavior that causes these underbaked releases to happen in the first place.
 
Call me a fanboy or stone me - but I think that despite the many annoying problems, TDU SC actually has a good gaming atmosphere for me at the moment.

So far I've really had all GT'S since 1997! (import); all Forza (FM & FH); TDU's & The Crew's - every game ALWAYS from day 1! played (very often even took a few days vacation for it...) - that's why I would describe myself as a really neutral (racing) gamer.



Now to TDU SC:

I'm currently at game level 60(max.) & clan level 19 [@xbox version]
Played with Fanatec Podium F1 and partly with controller (offroad´s).

Bad:
  • The servers are currently crap (everyone knows this) => If you do a ~40 minute race and then drop out of the race after 30 minutes due to server problems, it's really frustrating!
  • What is absolutely annoying is the incomprehensible level of difficulty of the races - only time trials are honest!
  • Upgrades and setups are not necessarily structured logically either
  • Graphically there are of course more perfect titles...

B U T:
As mentioned at the beginning, despite all the adversities, there is a captivating gaming atmosphere which (I can't explain) FH, for example, is currently not providing.
Maybe it's day/night; sun/rain or the really fast feeling of speed. There is no plausible explanation for what drives you up to level 60 despite all the problems...
Even the sound of the vehicles is actually better than expected.

Anyone looking for a racing game to compete in realistic competition will probably be disappointed here, but if you just let yourself be carried away and cruise through the streets you will be gripped, which of course has to work with friends.

And of course the server problems MUST be fixed urgently and reliably - or offline access.

It remains to be hoped that, despite all the criticism, the title will not be dropped and will be improved, as the potential is definitely there.
 
Wow it really does look like a phone game. I guess getting the light right is not trivial in games? But I still don't understand how can you work on something for so long, spend so much money and time and then decide to release it like this? I know it's more or less a customary practice now yet it still baffles me.
 
I've been noticing most of the positive Steam reviews are all either strangely backhanded compliments or along the lines of "it's got a lot of problems and it really isn't that good, but buy it now anyway because it'll probably get better in about six months after they've updated it, honest!"

I guess people are just that desperate for an alternative to Forza Horizon that they're willing to wave this through now, even though it still needs a lot more work to even be considered on par. But still, buying a game on the expectation that it'll be better months in future is just rewarding mediocrity, and exactly the kind of behavior that causes these underbaked releases to happen in the first place.
We're also living in an era of increased animosity towards traditional games media where fans choose to echo the opinions of Youtube grifters who believe high scores on games they hate mean reviewers were paid off by the devs or low scores on games they like constitute bias against their hyped game.
 

Dear players,

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown has been available to all players since September 12 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. If you haven’t seen it yet, we invite you to check out the launch trailer below:




This launch is the culmination of over six years of development by a little over 90 developers, animators, designers, artists, and many others. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is a project particularly close to our teams' hearts. It is now time to revisit most of the topics raised by the community with you, while also sharing information on the next stages of development.

As you know, September 5 marked the start of Early Unlock for Gold Edition owners. Beyond this Early Unlock, players also got to discover 6 exceptional cars in their garage, 3 exclusive sticker packs, and 3 unique legendary outfits.

However, the Early Unlock launch did not go as we had hoped. Many of you experienced connection and/or game access issues. From day one, we focused all our efforts on improving the game services to allow most players to enjoy the long-awaited Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown experience.

As mentioned in our previous official communication regarding the server issues, we continue every day to work tirelessly to resolve these problems once and for all. Today, although the majority of issues have been resolved, there are still persistent cases in certain regions/platforms, including an issue related to saves, which is currently being fixed. Several reasons explain this:

- Every day since September 5, new milestones of simultaneous players have been reached. This pushes the servers and the game’s databases to face new technical challenges, leading to unprecedented network issues. Although the previous playtest and beta phases helped us anticipate and prevent many imbalances for the launch, some technical scenarios could only be discovered with the player volume present at launch.

- Certain technical solutions also require extensive internal testing before deployment to ensure they don't cause side effects or additional issues.

- We prioritize "smooth" and "transparent" solutions for players as much as possible, rather than large maintenance periods that make the game unavailable and disconnect all players for several hours.

We are now confident in resolving the main issues encountered and still consider the improvement of technical services a priority.
Every day, new fixes are applied. In the coming days, larger operations will take place to deploy more profound fixes. These may sometimes require server maintenance or even the download of a patch. In any case, you will be informed in advance through our various social media channels!

Compensation


As also mentioned in our previous official communication regarding the server issues,
we confirm that compensation will be sent to all players who experienced incomplete gameplay due to connection/server issues.
We are especially thinking of Gold Edition owners who could not fully enjoy the Early Unlock starting on September 5.

Many of you are wondering about the nature of the compensation. We are considering compensation that matches the frustration caused by the issues encountered, while ensuring we don’t create unfairness for unaffected players or disrupt the unique progression balance of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.
Although it is too early to confirm what this compensation will be, rest assured, it will not simply be a number of Solar Coins or an Avatar cosmetic.


Optimization & Graphics

Beyond connection/server issues, optimization (framerate) and graphics on PC or consoles are also causing reactions.

Although optimization and graphical quality have been greatly improved since the first playtests or the latest betas, some of you feel there is still room for improvement. Rest assured, we are also working hard on these aspects.
A major update aimed at further improving the visual experience is currently in progress. We will share more details soon.


In the meantime, here are some important tips to ensure the best visual experience possible in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.

For PC players


First, ensure that your PC meets the official minimum and recommended requirements listed here.
We also remind you that an SSD is mandatory to play the game.

The read speed of an HDD is unfortunately not enough to display all the map textures and significantly lowers the framerate. So, make sure to install the game on your SSD. Also, feel free to use the various in-game graphic settings to find the best quality/performance balance, particularly through NVIDIA DLSS or AMD's FSR
technologies, which can help you achieve this. Updating your graphics drivers is also highly recommended.

For console players

The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S offer two interchangeable modes at any time:

A visual quality mode, allowing you to play in 1440p 30fps
A performance mode, allowing you to play in 1080p 60fps

Don’t hesitate to experiment with both modes to decide which suits your gaming experience best.
These modes will continue to be improved through updates to ensure an ever-higher/stable framerate, while optimizing graphical quality so you can enjoy Hong Kong Island and your cars in the best possible conditions!

Graphic optimization, like the game servers, remains a development priority for our teams, even after the game’s launch, in close collaboration with specific hardware manufacturers.

Next steps

The coming weeks will be eventful, both to improve your gaming experience and to offer you exclusive new content.

First major patch

Very soon, our first major patch will be available for all PC, PS5, and XS|X players. This update will include
more than 300 fixes, varying in importance and based on your feedback. They may concern visual issues on Hong Kong Island or the different interfaces, but also gameplay balancing for AIs or races.

Beyond these fixes, this patch will also significantly improve game optimization (framerate) on all platforms. The minimum and recommended configurations will be updated accordingly. It will also improve the compatibility and functionality of certain peripherals (steering wheels, shifters, pedals, etc.). As a reminder, you can check the list of compatible peripherals as well as known issues here.
This patch is currently undergoing thorough checks and intensive tests to ensure everything is functional once applied to the game and to reduce risks during deployment. We will share detailed information and the release date on our various social media channels.

Dev Diary in preparation

Beyond the technical optimization topics that are currently a priority for our teams, we are also closely monitoring your feedback on our social media (Discord, X, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, Steam), as well as from content creators (YouTube/Twitch) more broadly. This helps us better understand your feedback on the game itself: gameplay, features, balance, etc.

Very soon, Alain Jarniou, Creative Director at KT Racing, will return with you in a "Dev Diary" video to discuss the game’s launch and the main topics at the heart of community discussions (optimization, offline mode, balancing, AI, etc.).

Post-launch content announcement video

For those who haven’t seen it yet, we have already announced most of the updates you can expect in the first year after launch: the return of Ibiza, clan wars, the return of the casino, and answers on topics eagerly awaited by the community: real estate, motorcycles, improvements to steering wheel rotation, etc.



Finally, as already mentioned, we are pleased to see many players embracing the game exactly as we had always envisioned. Seeing you share numerous photos of your garages or screenshots of your best drives with friends at sunrise or sunset on social media warms our hearts and represents the unique vision of automotive passion in Test Drive Unlimited. And this is just the beginning!
 
I sincerely hope that they’ll implement an offline mode. That and further performance optimaztion for the PS5 are pretty much the only things that stand between KT Racing and my wallet.
 
As also mentioned in our previous official communication regarding the server issues,
we confirm that compensation will be sent to all players who experienced incomplete gameplay due to connection/server issues.
We are especially thinking of Gold Edition owners who could not fully enjoy the Early Unlock starting on September 5.

Many of you are wondering about the nature of the compensation. We are considering compensation that matches the frustration caused by the issues encountered, while ensuring we don’t create unfairness for unaffected players (...)
Well if the servers were the issue and nobody was able to play reliably, how exactly do they determine who was unaffected by...

We are especially thinking of Gold Edition owners

...oh, right.
 
Why does the lighting in the promo video look so different from what I see from real game shots/videos?
 
Tdu solar crown is a big mess glad i didin’t buy it, better to wait.


You mean like Sony did with driveclub? I bet you current Sony wishes they weren’t incredibly so, so short sighted when it came to evolution studios and driveclub. Best arcade racer on the PS4 by far. For that matter the PS5 as well sadly. IMO Still the best handling arcade racer of all time, and the best looking racer of all 8th generation console racing games.


I think gt7 looks better in many aspects campared to driveclub, but yes both look impressive as hole,

I could never get in to it because of its handling.
 
Sadly, this is one of those games that excited me when it was first announced, though far from perfect, I do have fond memories of the Test Drive series over the generations. But the more news that came out up to now, the less excited I have been.

I'm more than content to give this game a miss, not least because I have very little interest in gaming online, but nothing about the game has tempted me to reconsider that.
 
I wished they remade the first TDU in Hawaii. Or released the modded version of TDU Platinum to the public. I hope there will be a way to make the console version look better the game looks last gen to me. I also expected a lot more cars and some newer models but the list isn’t bad. I expected more from such a highly anticipated game that came from such a good line of previous games. It’s not too late for them to clean-up this train-wreck. I can’t recommend this game at the moment. On a positive note the map is cool and the sound of the turbocharged vehicles are really really good.
 
I’ve had some great fun with the game since it launched, currently rank 46 and saving up credits for my first hypercar later. Curious to see how the devs recover/react to the launch backlash and how the game will evolve the next couple of months.

Ive been a Forza Horizon fan ever since I bought my OG Xbox One and FH2 but damn since FH4 and FH5 that formula has started to bore me to the back of my teeth. I will always get the next FH games though since I still love the series even in its stagnated form, but I find games like TDUSC and TCM really refreshing in the open racing game genre compared to FH.

Either way, the more great games that release in this space, the better we the consumers/gamers are 😎
 
Solar Crown runs pretty badly on my i7-9700K and 2070 Super but I've already put more time into it than Motorfest.
Hong Kong is grabbing me way more than Oahu, and no one is trying to proselytize to me mid-race the way that Motorfest's "characters" try to do.
 
Just started yesterday on PS5. Having fun but it sure is wonky and quirky.

Graphical Stuff:
It runs a bit better than the demo ran on my i7 and 4070 (on LOW!) when on Performance mode (60fps but not while in cockpit nor while crossing an intersection). Graphics mode looks much worse, with terrible banding in the sky and very few apparent improvements. HDR settings don't change anything, because HDR doesn't work (yet). The unsightly "white glow" on cars is present most of the time and it seems to be an artefact of the reflections of the city; my car looks nicer in the mountains at night. Turn the contrast up. The trees are pretty.

Gameplay stuff: I love the map, looking forward to more expansions but HK already has lots of roads. I'm pleased to see petrol stations have a use, but it's not refuelling, unfortunately. RWD understeer is unexpected and strange. The assist settings are in a tiny "car menu", not the options section, and that's where you can switch to manual gears 😀. I have not encountered another player in my first two hours. Game has crashed twice, one hard crash while car was stationary, one forced quit when my pause map disappeared, and I tried entering a building to fix it and got stuck in grey.

Looking forward to patches for stability, performance, shiny surfaces and HDR.
 
Not sure if this true but the game is apparently running on cloud software, which means that you're essentially "streaming" it - hence why the graphical quality changes depending on connection strength. I think this explains why the game cannot run at 4K 60FPS. Why would you do that? Why can't the game be run from your PC or console? Why put payers into such a restrictive box? What a scam. Forcing players to use servers that limit the graphical capability of the game is a joke.
 
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I am up to 97% of the roads. I did a few races initially but haven’t done any since. Just doing the roads, I am now Reputation 35 and Clan 7 with over 5 million SC, from the Radiant Prizes.
 
Not sure if this true but the game is apparently running on cloud software, which means that you're essentially "streaming" it - hence why the graphical quality changes depending on connection strength. I think this explains why the game cannot run at 4K 60FPS. Why would you do that? Why can't the game be run from your PC or console? Why put payers into such a restrictive box? What a scam. Forcing players to use servers that limit the graphical capability of the game is a joke.
Source on this? I haven't heard anything about this being streamed.
 
Not sure if this true but the game is apparently running on cloud software, which means that you're essentially "streaming" it - hence why the graphical quality changes depending on connection strength. I think this explains why the game cannot run at 4K 60FPS. Why would you do that? Why can't the game be run from your PC or console? Why put payers into such a restrictive box? What a scam. Forcing players to use servers that limit the graphical capability of the game is a joke.
Source on this? I haven't heard anything about this being streamed.
It's not.

Firstly, it isn't: there's practically no uptick in my network traffic when playing it. Secondly, they'd be required to advertise minimum bandwidth requirements.
 
Not sure if this true but the game is apparently running on cloud software, which means that you're essentially "streaming" it - hence why the graphical quality changes depending on connection strength. I think this explains why the game cannot run at 4K 60FPS. Why would you do that? Why can't the game be run from your PC or console? Why put payers into such a restrictive box? What a scam. Forcing players to use servers that limit the graphical capability of the game is a joke.
No idea where you heard that, but it sounds unlikely. If you were streaming the game there’d be no point in cancelling the PS4 version.
 
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