So what? Is it perfect? Nope, but it is fun, and even moreso imho than the old ratbag dtr games. Yes, the AI can be an issue at times, and yes, I'm tired of being told "so spend what you got!", and no, "it isn't fair that you bump the ai, they spin out, caution flag is thrown, meantime, they bump you, you absolutely get spun out while holding your line, the field drives away/past you, no caution flag thrown". This is a vastly better version of those games with updated graphics and overall presentation (AI, variety of tracks, adjustability, etc.). The vehicles have a damage model which affects handling.Played all the old Ratbag dtr games back in the day. In practice and during the race meet the player is able to adjust the vehicle settings. When the player attracts sponsorship the sponsor's logo will appear on the vehicle. * oval, D-oval, tri-oval, egg shaped, figure 8 (with collisions)ġ8 vehicles accross the 3 classes.
* Late Model Class (professional, highly modified, fibreglass bodies)ģ0 tracks, with variations of: * length (1/8th to full mile) * Production Stock (more advanced, stock body, some modifications to mechanics allowed) * Hobby or Pure Stock (cheap, no modifications) * Purchasing new vehicles (a garage will store all the player's vehicles) Each competition has full simulation of practice, qualifying, heats and mains. There are 12 separate cities / competitions (local, regional and national) of varying difficulty levels in which the player may compete. Their career, from amateur to professional, spans several years in the game. By winning prize money and attracting sponsorship the player can purchase new vehicles and enter new classes of competition. The player starts with $1000 and must use this money to purchase a vehicle and enter the lowest class of competition, hobby stock. This may require adjustment to car settings and tactics. The result is that each time one races in qualifying, heats and mains the track handles slightly differently. However over the course of the night the track dries out and the water truck appears periodically re-wet the track. The dirt or clay must be wet by a water truck to create sufficient traction for racing.
This creates more than one optimum racing line and adds an extra level of complexity. The groove is more slippery than the rest of the track.
Grooves of hard packed dirt form on the standard racing line. This results in incredibly tight racing around short circuits, jockeying for position in a pack of vehicles, something never seen before in a game. This means that all the other cars race right along side you. In a field of 16 cars every single car uses the same physics engine with over 100 parameters for each car. Possibly the most important feature is the very tight racing.
Dirt Track Racing is the first ever game based on one of the most popular forms of motor racing in the US with more competitors than any other type of 4-wheel motor sport, racing at over 700 tracks all over the country.ĭTR captures the exact experience of competition, including realistic physics simulation, tuning/upgrading vehicles and progression through various series from hobby stock to the late model class.