After a period with quite a few more hours of coding under my belt, I can finally publish a major update for Spirit of Eternal Racer. This new version, which sits at v0.5.2 after a couple of quick revisions, represents a massive leap in quality compared to the previous demo back in January (0.4).
Many of these improvements stem directly from the feedback I've found on forums and social media. Issues like the proportion of the cars on track or the need for greater visual realism were pending tasks that I was really eager to tackle.
Cars Redesigned from Scratch and Better Track Scale
One of the most frequent comments was that the overall scale didn't quite fit, making the vehicles look way too small. To fix this, I attacked the problem from two fronts:
- Realistic Sprites: I have completely remade all the cars from scratch. They now feature better proportions, a much higher level of detail, and more animation sprites to better represent turning.
- Dynamic Effects: The cars are no longer static; the wheels now have their own spinning animation with multiple frames. Additionally, the road now features skidmarks on the asphalt. It might seem like a minor detail, but I think it adds quite a bit to the sensation of speed and dynamism.
Furthermore, the road has been subtly narrowed. As a result, the game feels much more proportionate; it no longer gives the impression of driving on an infinite airstrip. Also, in the latest v0.5.2 revision, I have re-tweaked the scale relative to the road.
The Challenge of Spa-Francorchamps and the New Collision Physics
One of the most beloved circuits for any motorsport enthusiast is Spa-Francorchamps. Introducing this legendary track into a pseudo-3D (2.5D) engine has been a real challenge. Its iconic elevation changes and steep slopes pushed the engine to its limits, exposing bugs on large and prolonged inclines. This forced me to polish a few details, and the result translates that roller-coaster feeling pretty well (always keeping in mind that this is a pseudo-3D game).
While you could only collide with other cars in the previous version, the time has come to pay the price if you make mistakes on the track:
- Solid Scenery Elements: The collision system now extends to fences, lampposts, and trees. Crashing into them will stop you dead in your tracks and push you back onto the circuit realistically.
- Impact Animations: If you hit a wall or another rival from the side with enough force, the car will suffer a loss of control with an animation that goes through all of its angles. Minor scrapes will have a smaller effect and will just displace your car sideways.
USB Steering Wheel Support on Linux and Refined Control
This is, without a doubt, one of the features I was most excited to implement. If you play on Linux, you can now use your USB steering wheel! The game now detects these devices and includes a step-by-step calibration wizard to configure the steering axis and pedals. You can also use it with gamepads, following the exact same calibration steps.
For those of you still using a keyboard, I have refined the steering behavior. What I'm aiming for is that a quick tap produces a slight correction (ideal for straights without making the car uncontrollable), while holding the key down increases the steering angle gradually.
In any case, it's quite likely that I will review the car's handling behavior when turning with any type of controller (and the corresponding animation) in the future. I'd love to get your thoughts and feedback on how this feels.
Smarter (and Adjustable) Rivals Alongside a Revamped Interface
The rivals' intelligence has also received its share of attention. I have optimized their racing lines through corners and, keeping all kinds of players in mind, I've added three difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, and Hard) which you can change at any time from the menu. Additionally, I fixed annoying bugs (such as rivals accelerating aimlessly in the gravel traps or the last person crossing the finish line being bugged as the winner).
As for the menus, the UI has undergone a complete facelift. I've replaced flat backgrounds with carefully crafted screens featuring a spotlight effect that highlights the active panel. The garage screen, for instance, went from being a simple car selector to recreating a real scene where the vehicles are displayed in a modern garage.
The Jump to v0.5.2: Amiga Optimization and Bug Fixes
As usually happens whenever a new version drops, testing brings minor details to light. That sounds great to say, but I have to admit that after releasing 0.5.1, there were a few things that slipped past me, which I discovered thanks to user comments. This led to v0.5.2, which focuses heavily on stability, with special care given to the Amiga version:
- Fixed an issue on Amiga where the car's turning animation wouldn't trigger when using a classic joystick.
- The framerate on the retro platform has been capped by default to stable 60 FPS, given that PiStorm setups with a CM4 can push up to 80 FPS.
Download the Demo
The build system now generates clean Linux binaries in AppImage format. For users of the classic platform, the .lha file is already fully updated to v0.5.2.
You can download the demo on my itch.io profile:
As always, your feedback is highly appreciated. I'm incredibly interested to know what you think of the steering feel with this new system and how the difficulty balance feels to you.