The driving experience
Following the latest video and announcements about the game focusing on the <strong>graphics</strong> but also on <strong>the social aspect of the game</strong>, we will tell you more about the driving experience that the game offers. Indeed, driving in TDU is not only about racing but also an extraordinary realistic experience. And we want to highlight this feature of the game, which remains an important aspect in Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown. Many players who have already driven luxury cars in Ibiza or Oahu in <strong>TDU and TDU2</strong> remember the first time they drove, whether it was for a leisurely drive or races, and we want to offer the same sensations with TDUSC.
Unique physics for each car
The car physics in TDUSC is a very important aspect and emphasized in development. Whether it's supercars, sports cars, off-road vehicles, and many others, the cars must have physics that suit them. For some, TDU2 did not fulfill all the objectives in this aspect, with car physics considered too arcade-like, even unpredictable.
For each category of cars, there are several attributes such as internal combustion engines, hybrids, electric, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, turbocharged engines, and many other options. So many peculiarities and different choices depending on the cars you use, making each car model unique. What we want to bring in this third installment of TDU is a realistic aspect by giving each car a different character offered to the players. Depending on the car, there will be certain functions that will be more challenging to perform. If you have a front-wheel drive car, don't try to drift, otherwise it will be difficult to succeed. Similarly, supercars won't be suitable for off-road, even though they can still go there, and 4x4s will be specialized for these terrains but less effective on straight roads where speed is key.
Sound immersion
In addition to the sound of your engine, car rides are punctuated by the sound of music that will accompany you throughout your journey. We have worked on a wide selection of music to accompany your travels according to your mood. Six radios featuring six different themes are available on TDUSC: Hip Hop Planet, Absolut Club, Indie Rock, Classic Era, World Music, and Retro FM will be available in your everyday cars. They will all be hosted by their own jingles and DJs to make your journeys more enjoyable. In total, there are more than 10 hours of music per radio available in the game.
In Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, the radio function offers an unparalleled immersive experience during your car escapades. In addition to the sound of your engine, each journey is enveloped in a carefully selected sound atmosphere to match your mood
Game cameras
One of our recent videos has sparked some reactions regarding the game cameras, primarily the dynamism of the rear camera. This was done with the static Chase camera, more suitable for leisurely driving and visibility of the surroundings. TDUSC currently offers two Chase cameras, including a dynamic one. This camera adjusts based on the car's driving pace, considering speed and turns. For other cameras, you can find the interior view for a more immersive experience with a cockpit featuring a steering wheel, screen, driver's hand, and rearview mirror. Additionally, there's the dashboard view appreciated by players using a steering wheel, with it appearing in the game. Then, there are traditional views, including one from the hood as well as the bumper for a greater sense of speed.
The F.R.I.M is back in TDUSC!
The F.R.I.M makes its return in Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown. Earn money in the game by completing activities or driving with your favorite car. Like in Test Drive 2, this feature allows you to earn cash in open-world by adopting a specific driving style. If you maintain good control of your vehicle and are agile throughout your ride, you will continuously earn credits. This feature allows you to kickstart at the beginning of the game or receive money to access the car you want
The principle is simple: Perform stunts continuously without stopping to raise the F.R.I.M bar and increase your prize to get the Jackpot that you can claim. Once you are satisfied with your score, you can cash out to receive the amount. Here's what you can achieve to receive these rewards :
- High speed
- Last-minute maneuvers
- Wrong way driving
- Drifting
- Clean driving
- And many more!
Accumulating these actions can increase your F.R.I.M and earn you multipliers to obtain a larger and larger jackpot. But be careful to cash out at the right time, as it's possible to lose everything by getting into a car accident or stopping your vehicle. Thus, your F.R.I.M resets to zero, and you have to start all over again
Competition in TDU
Real-time conflict between the Streets and the Sharps
Many of you have already expressed your preferences for one of the two clans: the Streets and the Sharps. Whether it's for your preferences in terms of available cars, clothing, or music, you already have your clan in mind that you want to join. Thus, you will defend your own vision of luxury and the passion for automobiles
Behind its magnificent landscapes, Hong Kong is the stage for a battle between the two clans Street and Sharps for the influence they have in the streets of the island. In Test Drive Unlimited, it is possible to declare preferences for an influential clan and thus live according to their modus operandi, but it is entirely possible to not pledge allegiance to either of them. However, contributing to the reign of one of these two clans will allow you to reach your goals more quickly by unlocking exclusive rewards linked to your clan. Now that you are in the Solar Crown, you will have access to new cars, each more competitive than the other, whether they are for off-road or on-road racing. You will find the car that corresponds to each challenge you will face. Here are the options you will have:
- Participation in driving challenges: races on roads or off-roads, time trials...
- Exploration with the discovery of new things like districts, roads, secret locations...
- Search for competition wrecks to obtain iconic cars, only accessible by exploring the island.
- Using the F.R.I.M to receive Solar Crown rewards by mastering driving.
Instant challenges
As you stroll peacefully through the streets of Hong Kong Island, with ambient melodies lulling you, you suddenly hear an engine behind you, signaling its presence. A player seems to be exploring the city at the same time as you. They express their intentions, and you only have a few pieces of information about them, such as their name, clan, performance index, and the amount at stake. A duel presents itself to determine who, between the two of you, will be the better player but also who will best represent their clan. You can't let this challenge pass without reacting, so you accept, and you see an unprecedented track being constructed before your eyes, randomly generated on the map based on your position on the island. Now the race begins. May the best player win.
With each challenge, each player will have previously defined in their profile the amount they are willing to wager. The goal is simple: win the race against your rival by crossing the finish line before them. If you win your duel and your opponent is from the opposing clan to yours, you not only win the bet, but also gain influence within your clan and contribute to its development in the Solar Crown
Instant Challenges are a fast and dynamic way to duel against other players, with no vehicle restrictions. It's a 100% improvised and organized test between players who want to challenge each other. Of course, if this activity doesn't fit your racing style because you prefer to participate in more organized races, don't worry, you can always disable these spontaneous activities. While you won't be provoked by other players, you also won't be able to contribute influence to your clan.
Live events
On Hong Kong Island, new types of temporary activities appear every week, offering you exclusive rewards or granting you large amounts of Solar Coins. Here are the types of activities that could be available to you:
- Lifestyle battles increase the clashes between the two clans Street and Sharps. During these challenges, the clans must showcase their visions of luxury and racing on the island. There are a total of 5: LB Instant Challenge (the clan that has won the most Instant Challenges on the island), LB Frantic Spender (the clan that has spent the most money), LB Maximum Gain (the clan that has accumulated the maximum amount of money), LB Need 4 FRIM (the clan that has won the maximum SC in FRIM), and Betting Challenge (the clan that has won the maximum SC by betting on Instant Challenges).
- Hot Head: Time attacks are randomly selected every day on Hong Kong Island. Players must achieve the best possible time and be in the top of the leaderboard before the end of the day. Depending on their position, they will receive a more or less significant sum.
- High Stakes: In the same process as Hot Heads, time attacks are randomly selected to become High Stakes. Thus, a new reference time is set. In order to beat it, participants have a total of 3 attempts and must pay an entry fee to participate. These entry fees are not in vain as they form a jackpot that will go to all players who do better than the reference time.
During playtest #2, some of you were able to try out the Hot Heads and Instant Challenge modes, which was the perfect opportunity to compete against the top players of the Solar Crown and thus choose and defend your clan long before everything begins.
Varied races
In Test Drive Unlimited, you can participate in different types of races to boost your reputation within the Solar Crown. In TDU, we want to highlight stories that are written together through the clans as well as the races offered by the game.
We wanted to highlight the multiplayer function of the game, which makes races more or less interesting when there is rivalry. However, if there is a lack of players in race sessions, AI opponents fill the remaining spots. Each race has a varying number of restrictions to participate. These can involve the categories of cars used for the race, the years, the brands of the cars, a specific model, the allowed transmission type between FWD, RWD, and 4WD, the type of powertrain between thermal, hybrid, or electric, and finally the IP (performance index) of the car. A race always has at least one restriction and can accumulate up to three.
In addition to the restrictions that allow for an infinite possibility of possible races, there is also the type of race that can vary, for example:
- Circuit: A race on a closed loop with checkpoints to adhere to. The number of laps may vary.
- Sprint: From point A to point B passing through checkpoints not to be missed.
- Time Attack: A solo ground race where the goal is to reach a given point through checkpoints and cross the finish line before the countdown ends. The faster you cross the line, the higher you'll rank. You'll also have the opportunity to compete against another player's ghost from the ranking and thus improve your time and driving skills.
- Domination: A race from point A to point B where the goal is to earn points at each checkpoint passage. The player who has accumulated the most points at the end of the race wins it. In each DOMINATION race, a special checkpoint is randomly set to double your points collected there.
Other modes of races, challenges, and trials are planned in the upcoming updates of Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown, some of which are highly appreciated from TDU2..
A race towards the ultimate title.
The Solar Crown aims to bring together the most influential drivers in the world into the respective two clans, but above all to determine and show which ones are the best. That's why the organization Radiant has decided to establish a competition within the Solar Crown.
From level 20, races are randomly selected across different districts of Hong Kong Island to become competitive races. Why randomly? Because in Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown, we don't want to reward the player who is the best at a single race with a car they excel at. No, being the best player in the Solar Crown is above all about being a well-rounded player who excels with all the cars in their garage. The most versatile player in the Solar Crown will therefore be rewarded and highlighted
The more you participate in competitive races, the more points you will earn based on your placement in them. Solar Crown drivers can move from Bronze to Diamond rank and reach the top of the competitive aspect of TDU, thus gathering the best pilots of the Solar Crown. Among the strongest players, the best of them will become the Solar King/Queen at the end of each season and will become the new emblematic figure of the Solar Crown. But don't worry, for each ranking, you will win more and more numerous and interesting rewards. For the Solar Kings/Queens, you will receive a new exclusive car in your garage to test in your next race. At the end of the season, players' rankings are reset to make way for a new competition
A tailored driving experience
Optimizing your car through the garage is an important aspect to consider to maximize your chances of victory. Rest assured, you don't need to be a mechanical expert to achieve effective results. In TDUSC, optimizing your car is designed to be as accessible as possible
Driving aids
Whether you're a beginner looking to simply enjoy your newly purchased car and avoid technical issues or accidents, or an expert driver aiming to reach the highest level of competition and already having extensive road experience, driving aids help you more easily achieve your goals through various essential settings such as:
- The TCS (Traction Control System), for better control of your traction on the road, adjustable from 0 to 100%
- The ABS system (Anti-Lock Braking System), for better control of your brakes, adjustable from 0 to 100%
- The gearbox adjustable in semi-automatic or manual.
To determine which settings to use for better performance and to be the top player in the overall rankings as well as in all your races, you can use 3 presets available in the game: Novice, Intermediate, or Expert. These presets automatically adjust the driving assistance settings for you, according to your preferences. Adjusting these settings will also determine your gain of Solar Coins during your activities on the island of Hong Kong: The fewer driving aids you have, the more significant rewards you will receive
Car settings
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown aims to be as realistic as possible while remaining fun and accessible. It should offer players a technical aspect of car tuning by allowing maximum customization and going into detail for each part, so players can see the modifications made to their car. However, it should also have an intuitive aspect to prevent players from getting lost with the multitude of possible adjustments or making incorrect settings resulting in negligible differences in their car. Here are the optimizations you can make, which are clear and concrete:
- The acceleration power
- The maximum speed
- The braking
- The handling
Purchasing new mechanical parts
As already explained in previous TDU articles about workshops, mechanical modifications also allow you to upgrade your cars. The modifications can be to improve your performance, but mainly it's to access races that require certain conditions. Some changes and modifications have a direct impact on the car's performance, such as intakes, exhausts, brakes, transmission, aerodynamics, and cooling, while others mainly affect the behavior depending on race conditions: gearbox length, tire choice to adapt to the terrain, suspension type. These changes may be related to the different races offered with different terrains, but also to the special weather conditions on the island of Hong Kong
Changes in driving modes
Driving modes allow you to fine-tune your car settings. For the most experienced players, they have the ability to customize and adjust their own modes that then impact (without going into details) the speed, stability, handling, and braking of the car. But don't worry, to simplify things, there is a factory preset and 3 possible presets among the following:
- Sport: Focused on sporty driving at high speeds, suitable for highways thanks to precise steering. The Sport mode maintains smooth driving while allowing for excessive speed.
- Dirt: Geared towards off-road racing on dirt and gravel, the Dirt mode has a preset with responsive steering and a short gearbox for frequent accelerations.
- Dynamique: Designed for players who enjoy urban racing in tight spaces, equipped with a short gearbox for frequent accelerations.
- All Terrain: As the name suggests, it offers secure driving on all types of terrain (asphalt, paths, etc.).
- Rain: This mode is suitable for rainy weather conditions, providing safer driving on slippery surfaces.
- Circuit: This is a responsive but demanding driving mode, equipped with a long gearbox to fully utilize the engine's power. It stiffens the vehicle, making it more stable, but it is more sensitive to road unpredictability.
- Cross Country: Suitable for obstacle courses with its short gearbox providing torque and softer suspensions, this mode allows for competitiveness in off-road driving.
- Comfort: A safer and more comfortable driving mode, suitable for cruising and exploration.
