Full release is out.

The full release of Formula Fusion came out today.

Some new tracks [well fully rendered ones that those on the TPP would have seen in bare bones form before], and two new craft chassis, that will be new to everybody.

I'll post some videos over the weekend.

It's not where R8 want it to be, but they are sort of behind the 8 ball financially and need a influx of cash so they can get a fully fleshed out version working really well for console release, so it's still a work in progress, but at least it's playable.
We have been told to expect lots of updates and DLC over the coming months, guess we shall see what eventuates.
I was also told that there will definitely be Flight Stick and/ or Steering Wheel support for both the PC and PS4 versions....I think Flight Stick would be the best because FF is very sensitive to nose up/down, far more so than any wipeout game.

The other problem is that it hasn't been optimized yet, so ATM you are going to need both a powerful CPU and GPU and a fair whack of RAM, I'm not having any problems running it on my i7 GTX980 32G Ram PC, I'm getting a solid 60FPS with Epic settings, but others with lesser machines can't get it running apparently, so I'd check to see what the current minimum spec'd PC is needed beforehand if you are thinking of giving it a try [it's very cheap compared to a full PS4 game] and there will be a free cut back demo version available probably from the 5th June.

Formula Fusion is very very Nice.
I buy the Early Acces for 1 Year with 19sfr.
All update later for free.
And now the Full version for Free??
This is finanziell ruin.
Have R8 a Patreon.

No Patreon.

I don't think they sold that many early access to begin with [only R8 would know the figures ] This 'full release' on Steam is at a reduced cost to just inject some cash into the business so they can get the game onto console, it still needs work, which everybody that is playing it would agree, but what is there in the current build is still at least playable, and there has already been a update to help solve the high CPU / GPU usage some have been suffering.

I'd liken the situation to creating and cooking a complex recipe, you have to create the recipe, then you have to gather all your ingredients, and follow the individual steps to make the separate components, once you have done that you can start putting the dish together, then work on your presentation.
FF is at around 3/4 of the making the separate components stage, what they have is having it seasoning adjusted so it tastes how it needs to

Don't know much about Formula Fusion, but i can't help but think they should of just called it "WipEout Formula" in my opinon. I mean from what i gather thats more or less what it is right?
A variation of wipeout using stuff similar to wipeout. hence the reason why i think it should be called WipEout Formula... but i don't expect anyone to agree with me & i just know you've paragraphs of text to convince me i'm wrong...

It's more like a F1 AG Racing league, as in getting the right lines and the pitch of the craft nose at the correct angle for the track is paramount, the weapons are meant to be more of a hindrance than a out right craft destroyers

Actually they had in the last build internal Cockpit view, where you looked out through a windshield and had a control console and steering wheel in front of you, now I don't usually use that view [WO Fusion had it] as I prefer nose cam view, but I did notice that using internal cockpit view made judging the pitch of the craft nose a lot easier, as you can use the top of the dash as a reference.

They have removed it for this first version, but it will quickly be reinstated, but with different internal cockpit designs for each craft.
Which reminds me, I really should be making some videos of the new tracks and craft......I'll do that as soon as I post this.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blackwiggle

Which reminds me, I really should be making some videos of the new tracks and craft......I'll do that as soon as I post this.

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If you do, let me know... I would like to learn more about the game tbh for when a possible ps4 release happens... my fear is that it will mess with Omega's launch/reviews/ratings... ect.

It will be a while before it gets a PS4 port I think, but hopefully in time for a Xmas release.

This game could be huge [In Size= Content] if what I am seeing that is currently locked, compared to what is unlockable now.
I'm just talking about Campaign.

Wipeout Fury/ HD, 2048 etc, there are Campaign Events [Like Meltdown,Uplift, Warped ETC ] that contain the different race types, single race SL/TT, tracks and race modes/ Zone etc

Formula Fusion has 10 Events, only one is unlockable ATM.
Each event page [or at least the one that is currently available] is broken down into speed classes, slowest to fastest, FF has 5 speed classes FF4000, FF3000,FF2000,FF1000 and ELITE
So to progress you have to place 3rd or better in the majority of the races in that category , this then opens the last Tournament race in that speed class, again you have to finish 3rd or better, once you have beaten that, your reward is that it opens up new tracks and the next faster speed class.

The type of events in Campaign are Single race [Like Wipeout, faster speed classes have more laps per race], Endurance [survive as long as you can before shield failure], Speed Lap [Still not sure how this on works, it's not the same as wipeout ] and Elimination [There are 10 craft on the track, the one that is running last at the start/finish line after each lap is eliminate].......you could probably chalk in Zone like mode, among others, as future DLC

The tracks vary for each race type by running forward or reverse, now you might think, big deal, how hard can that be, well you need to see just how long some of these tracks are, some are at least 2.5X to 3X as long as the longest track in HD/FURY....The Niagara track is 12km long !
Multiple doing 10 laps on one of these to beat a Elimination challenge, and remembering where all the speed pads and pickups are for both forward and reverse versions.....it takes a hell of a lot of concentration.

The other thing is that for Campaign you have the default VIXEN craft only, as you progress you win points which can be spent on craft upgrades, the tricky thing with this is that you could probably get through the FF4000 and FF3000 speed class challenges without changing anything on your craft, come FF2000 speed class though, things change dramatically.
The VIXEN craft unaltered at FF2000 speed class can become too fast for some tracks, can fly into the scenery or off the track, and just become unmanagable to steer correctly, or can not withstand being rammed by other craft/ hit the side walls at that speed etc, so you are forced to experiment with the upgrades.......flying off the track ?- Increase AG , Not surviving being rammed/hit side walls at speed ?- Increase hull weight, Too fast for track ?- change chassis material and air brake type....the combinations are huge
You might need to change something for race type, Speed class or track specifics [has it got jumps to make you airborne etc]....so this is not a arcade racer as such, like Wipeout where you can just pick a different craft for a specific track....nope, you have to build the specific craft yourself, save it and name it, it then becomes available as a option every time you start a race.

Now I'm no slouch when piloting wipeout craft, I can handle Phantom class OK [I'm no ACE pilot, that I know] , but Holy crap, I'm having difficulty getting through FF2000 speed class, it's just so FAST and I haven't totally remembered the reverse of some of the longer tracks, which is causing me to get 5th or 6th on these races [I just need to get a 3rd on one more race to open the FF2000 Tournament ]

R8 said they were going to make a AG racing game that will make your eyes bleed if I remember correctly.

Well might eyes aren't bleeding yet, but is bloody close, they are certainly watering, because I can't afford to blink......I'll be so glad when this gets ported to the PS4, then I won't have to use this horrid Xbox 360 controllers steering stick.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blackwiggle

I'm no slouch when piloting wipeout craft, I can handle Phantom class OK [I'm no ACE pilot, that I know] , but Holy crap, I'm having difficulty getting through FF2000 speed class, it's just so FAST and I haven't totally remembered the reverse of some of the longer tracks, which is causing me to get 5th or 6th on these races [I just need to get a 3rd on one more race to open the FF2000 Tournament ]

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Definitely, you have to be very precise with your cornering at ff2000 and up. I've played elite class online a few times and it's like the supersonic speed class on zone mode in Wipeout, except there's others on the track too :P

This is just a brief update on what has been going on behind the scenes with Formula Fusion.
We have had two updates to the game in the first week, the first was solely to fix the high processor usage the game was suffering, and the second was a further reduction of the same, plus other changes to AI performance etc.

I had been wondering why the game seemed so hard to play compared to previous TPP builds [I've only been playing the Campaign, and starting at the slowest speed classes, as you must, to unlock the faster ones....it's when I hit the faster speeds I noticed the problem], it's seems we have found why after I asked a question on the weekend....it's a really basic problem that will be easy to fix...thankfully :)
I'm surprised nobody else picked up on it, as it's going to be a BIG change in what people thought of the game as it is now, to when the next patch comes out and sorts it.

What the problem has been is that the accelerate button has been working exactly the same as Wipeout's, as in it's either full ON or OFF.
You might be thinking, well why is that a problem?
Well with Wipeout that doesn't really matter, as you can race all tracks at all speeds with your thumb permanently pressed down on the accelerate button, if your good enough and have learned the tracks well enough, you could probably get away with doing the same on most of the tracks of FF at the two slowest speed classes FF4000 & FF3000,[ Wipeout equivalent would be a slightly faster version of Venom & Flash ] ....but try the same at FF2000 and up, well you are going to start having serious problems.

I had tried re mapping my controller to use the right trigger button as a throttle , which was how the accelerate button used to work on previous builds [ Dec Build], but found it wasn't working on this 'Finished Release'..:paperbag:redface: for R8.
Likewise, re mapping the steering from D-Pad/ stick or Air brakes from one button to the other had left everything in Digital, rather that Analog control....No wonder people have been having problems with the game saying it's much too hard.

We traced the problem back to the build immediately before the final release, the control re mapping function had been disabled for that build, and what got reengaged in the final build wasn't what was meant to be.

SO, I'm guessing a new patch coming very soon to fix this very basic problem, and a lot of Nay Sayers will be getting a tap on the shoulder saying, excuse me, would you mind trying it again.

Hopefully they will edit their initial responses to the game.....not that those that have reviewed the game that I have seen, have any AG racing experience. :rolleyes:

YES, I WILL post videos, please bare with me.
But I'm NOT going to post videos until I know the game is up to the standard that I know everybody expects of a AG racer [Well In actuality, I think why post videos now, when it's not a true representation of what the game Will be like when you get your hands on it...seems pointless]....FF is very close, except for this main oversight which makes the game feel clunky.
I want to be able to show you just how good this game can be, and that means showing somebody being able to control all craft at all speed on all tracks....with the problem at the moment, that's not possible, there will be NO perfect laps at Elite speed ATM done by anybody....it will be worth the wait, trust me.

With the new Update become the Formula Fusion a
Menü configurations Save Bug.
I cant save a new configuration from Grafik,Sound and Controller,
ever come back my first Configuration.
I have the Musik to 0 and now i cant back justieren.

I miss a Tournament or Championchip Modus.
Wipeout have a Rennbox-Modus

Which version do you have?
It sounds to me like you are still on the last of the TPP builds, which had the remapping feature disabled.
Look at the top right of the Home screen and it should say Build Version 1.0.16

On the full version you have small tournament at the end of each speed class Campaign................ As for a Championship, interesting idea, I'll put it to them and see what happens, I don't think it would take much to add it in.
FF4000 is 6 different races + 3 race tournament
FF3000 is 8 different races + 3 race tournament
FF2000................... "....................."
FF1000...................."....................."
Elite ......................."....................."
The you have to beat the BEAST, which is like a super elite AI

It's the only way to open up all the tracks and their different versions [This might change], so at the end of Campaign, you should have.
El Muro
Niagara
Midtown Trafik
Fiyah! Fury
Atlas Torres
Freeway
Trans Atol
And all tracks except Freeway will have reverse, plus Night and Day versions of both Forward and Reverse tracks.

The thing is, this one Campaign opens up these 8 tracks and the variations, giving you 30 different ones....but in the Campaign menu there is already [Locked] 9 more Campaigns....That's a LOT of content ear marked for this game!

Apart from Campaign, you can choose
Quick Race -Against AI weapons active
Clean Race - Against AI NO weapons
Time Trial
Speed Lap [it differs from Wipeout as you are competing against the AI over a certain amount of laps that can still beat your time ]
Elimination [Nothing like Wipeouts, this works by eliminating whoever is coming last after each lap of a 10 lap race]
Endurance...This works like Zone does in Wipeout, where you keep racing till your health runs out, but without your speed gradually increasing

New Update 1.0.58
Physik easier and now the Ai to slowly in the Quick Race.
Tran Atol 3lap with 1.0.16 and Dragon in The Elite class=2min and 10-20 sec.(best Ai 2min 11sec-13sex )
and now with 1.0.58 and Dragon in the Elite class=2min 1-5sec.(best Ai 2min 11sec-13sex )and this is too slowly now)

crash barriers contakt Do not brake anymore.
The Formula fusion is to easy.
I need the Crash Barriers Break contakt from 1.0.16 back, please.

I'm looking at the 1.0.58 patch notes while it is updating.
From reading posts at the FF discussion page, it seemed a fairly well voice chorus of people that thought the game was too hard, personally I found it difficult in places, but I have put that down to the all the controls being in the digital domain, rather than the Analog ones of prior builds, which has made a vast difference [in the wrong direction] with the steering, air brakes and the total lack of throttle.

From reading the patch notes I'll post below, it seems that this hasn't been fixed in this update, which can probably be put down to the fact that I only asked them to check what was amiss early in the week, and they only just confirmed the problem a few days ago....so, I would expect it to be fixed in another patch early next week.

Looks like they have been busy from the size of the list....patch installed, I'll give it a go, I just hope they haven't dumbed it down too much by making it so easy it isn't a challenge for long time AG racers.....Glad to see they did something to stop the AI bunching :D

Build 1.0.58 is now live, here are the patch notes!

Bug fix for Midtown Reverse not completing laps correctly.
Campaign event select visuals display more information.
Optimisations to craft textures.
Kicking players in the lobby now works.
Updated some descriptions in the garage.
Leaderboard times are now only set in Time Trial.
New splash screen & icon.
Fixed the camera flicker on Midtown & Freeway.
Fixed a crash in multiplayer which would cause the host to hang at the starting grid.
Fixed an audio fading bug.
Tweaks to AI to avoid bunching.
Optimisations to craft exhausts.
New craft exhaust slot in skins selection.
Loading screen bug fix for multiplayer.
Fixed a bug causing Fiyah! Fury to force motion blur to be enabled.
Tweaks to the Python's handling, turning circle & Airbrake strafe.
Tweaks to Sabre's handling/performance.
Voxel, Dragon & Sabre top speed slightly nerfed.
Optimisations to Niagara.
Countdown delay reduces by 1 second.
Tracks can now be purchased with Tech Credits.
Fixed a bug causing arrows on the track textures to be displayed facing the wrong way.
Ghost can now be hidden by the player by changing "Hide Ghost Craft" in the settings menu.
Added events for previewing the Trails & Exhausts in the skins selection menu in the garage.
Fixed some focus issues with UI.
BOOST charge now increases based on your distance behind the leading pilot.
BOOST now has an initial impulse when activated.
Custom skins should now work correctly in multiplayer.
Returning to the lobby from a race will automatically select the craft used previously, skins & loadouts currently not supported.
Fixed a bug which sometimes caused BOOST charge to be used up without giving the BOOST in multiplayer.
Collisions should be much more forgiving now.
Teams can now be selected in the campaign, each Team has a different craft.
Fixed a bug causing map voting to post a vote for the wrong player when the host would attempt to vote sometimes.
Fixed a bug causing the lobby player counts to not be decreased sometimes when players disconnected.
Game version number can now be found in the Settings menu.
A whole bunch of other minor bug fixes that aren't really worth noting.
Tank has been nerfed heavily.


Known Bugs:

El Muro has a really low kill volume after one of its jumps, this is only a problem in elite speeds and will be addressed in the next patch.
When changing team in the campaign and backing back to the speed class selection the progress will say 0% instead of the correct progress.
Tech Credits still don't display correctly in multiplayer, however they are given correctly.
Skins Garage / Base Skin, Trail and Exhaust Cards all show “Placeholder".
Skins Garage / Base Skin does not give a description of the team selected. It does change the visual though.
Skins Garage / Trail does not give a description.
Skins Garage / Exhaust does not give a description.


We hope you enjoy this patch and we will be releasing another shortly, we're already heavy working away to get the next patch working as well as working on some new content which will be available soon! If you enjoy the game please consider leaving us a review with your thoughts on Formula Fusion, also you may want to consider joining the official Discord channel here: https://discord.gg/FdpNAcf

Enjoy and see you on the track!

Formula usion need a Hardcore Mode with Crash Barriors Break from 1.0.16
and 0 Live.
Medium Mode with Crash Barriors Break from 1.0.16 and 3 Live.
And a Easy Mode with Crash Barriors Break from this 1.0.58 and Unlimited Live.
In the 1.0.58 is the Loose from Live and Child energie more when crash in the Side Barriers.
and this compensate.
Only Mannhatten (forward) and Trans Atol (forward) is the Ai 2-3sec pro Lap too slowly.

Well I'm glad they sorted the Campaign out a bit.
Now you can choose a different chassis other than Vixen to upgrade, which should make Mannahatta and Trans Atol easier, although why they chose to have the two most technical tracks only being able to be opened at the two fastest speed classes in the first place didn't make sense, oh well, at least people can now open up tracks by winning prize money.

It will be interesting to see what happens when this game gets ported to the PS4, because at the Elite speed, both Manahatta and Trans Atol are far too twisting and turning for that speed class, I would liken it to trying to drive around Sebenco climb at Zone Subsonic speed from the start of the race.....then you have the Boost on top of that, and it's ridiculously fast.

I doubt people are going to be able to race each other competitively at these speeds on these tracks, at the moment at least, I think it would be more suited to those Wipeout players that like Zone mode and would want to go for the fastest time trial time, that will be challenging enough

As for actual craft modifications, I think there either needs to be a wider range available, with a bigger difference between them, or that the mods themselves can be tweaked between a certain range once fitted.
Otherwise I can see that people are going to pretty much all end up using the same mods on all craft with the current race types, as certain combos are just so much better than others on specific tracks, and some mods don't seem to make much, if any difference at all, well none that I have noticed [I'm talking about the AG mods ], I suppose if some of the tracks that we tested around a year ago were to be fully rendered, then they would, as you might find yourself flying off the track all the time otherwise.
As it is at the moment with the Analog controls not working, it's pretty much impossible to win certain race types without have the 'Assisted Handling' mod engaged, this especially true at Elite speed, you would be constantly blowing yourself up from hitting the side walls.

Interesting times ahead.

Just to show others how fast it can get :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT9uMwr54_o

I think the only chassis you could use would be the Sabre one seen in the video above [closest to wipeouts Feiser ], I suspect 'Assisted Handling' and Hydraulic brakes' was the two main mods used, I haven't attempted the new Trans Atol properly yet, to me they messed it up from the previous version, it doesn't flow like the old one did.

I must say, a impressive lap by Eggplant....No, that video is not sped up if you are wondering, it is actually that fast [It doesn't come with that cheesey 8bit racer music thankfully]

Version prior to the changes and putting in the mag strip circle, at a much slower speed
https://youtu.be/m3P4w-ztrTY

I started playing FF a couple of weeks ago. I like it a lot. The Garage/Craft/Cards system could do with improvement but the actual feel of the game is pretty nice. Very satisfying when you get it right, it's hard work!

Hey, blackwiggle... I am surprised you guys don't have a Patreon or Kickstarter yet, they might really help. Advertisements (where appropriate, such as on official videos, during loading screens) would also be a good idea until the game gets a console release. I personally HATE the way advertisements are implemented in free-to-play games, but I fully support their inclusion for the sake of furthering the game's development.

Remember this list of ideas:
- Advertisements on loading screens (double check where you source them from, that way they don't inject malware into anyone's computers)
- Advertisements on official videos (I will turn off my ad blocker just for you guys)
- Speak to the guys at Digital Foundry and Rerez about supporting your game and giving feedback.
- Maybe stream some gameplay (with ads) on Twitch as well
- If you can get permission from any of the musicians, then original music composed for the game should be put up on bandcamp. The PWYW model is a good way to get some extra money without hurting anyone who can't afford it.
- Set up a Patreon for R8 if you haven't already. This is very important.
- Talk to the BallisticNG developers, they might be able to give some useful feedback.
- I don't remember what engine the game runs on, but if it is Unreal Engine 4 like I think it is, then making it available on the Switch, Xbox One and Linux might be a walk in the park. This would open up the game to many more customers, especially with the lack of any realistic Anti-Gravity games on Microsoft's platform.

Unfortunately, that is all I can do for now. I'll buy the game as soon as I can afford it myself.

Once it's been tweaked enough for console release there is want to release on Xbone and Switch, the problem is getting a publisher willing to pay for that and the PR that goes with it.
At the moment, PS4 is definite [I estimate around Xmas, but it could be later ]

The problem with the last release is the throttle isn't active [it's just digital ON/OFF like wipeout] and the air brakes and steering are digital rather than analog, all these thing should be fixed in the next patch [They have been active in previous test builds].....the game plays quite differently once you have throttle control [I've used the Xbox controller in the past with the throttle mapped to right trigger], it's much easier to control your racing line for a start, so hitting those speed pads that are close to the edge of the track and near the side walls is a LOT easier.

Analogue control is one of the greatest inventions in the history of gaming. It is sad that I can't convince anyone that analogue thrusters actually have some use in a racing game.

I really do hope that your game includes some tutorials.

There's a new update to the game.
Changes listed below.
As you will read, the game is in a constant cycle of fine tuning, and I mean everything, from the look of the craft, the handling, to craft specs, music, the way weapons work, you name it, and it could be changed.
The game couldn't really be called the Full Release, as truth be told, it's just a renaming of what was an advance Alpha build, and as you can see, that still remains true just from the changes in this update, and expect a lot more as well.

Build 1.0.168 is now live, here are the patch notes!

Changes

Added "Automatically detect settings" to the settings menu.
Added camera shake effect when taking damage, can be tweaked in settings.
Added music selection screen to main menu so you can disable tracks you don't like. (temporary placement)
New Oforia music pack, 8 tracks.
New Dub Fx music pack, 13 tracks.
Python BOOST constant increased.
Craft rebalancing.
Reblance of Tech Credit rewards for completing events.


Weapons

Weapons now cause some visual effects to happen when being hit.
Smoke Bomb effect tweaks.
Energy Bolt visuals tweaked.
Weapons no longer have enforced Utility/Offensive. You can now choose any weapon in any slot.
Weapon slots have 2 upgrade slots each.
Utility Weapons now have upgrade cards.
Removed Flares.
Removed Energy Leach.
Energy Bolts lifetime increased to 5 seconds from 3.
Shockwave should now apply impulses correctly in multiplayer.
Tank rework, tank now grants weapon damage immunity.


Skins

Shark Skins.
Pixel Skins.
The Beast Trail.
Samurai Skins.
Wonderkind Skins.
HotRod Skins.
OkMen Skins.


Bug Fixes

Bug fix to stop "Waiting for Players" to sometimes persist after race starts.
Updated a couple of icons that still used the placeholder icon.
Fixed a gate that was clipping through the track on Fiyah! Fury.
Performance fix to rain effect on track textures.
Fixed a bad mesh that was out of place on Fiyah! Fury.
Fixed a bad kill volume that was clipping through the track on Mannahatta.
Performance increases to multiple textures in the game.
Fixes to The Beast on Trans Atol Reverse.
Fixed some bad splines in Atlas Torres & Freeway.
Fixed a bug that caused player stats to not record Shots Fired correctly.
Performance fixes to various particle systems.
Fixed a bug that would cause "Card NONE has been removed" to be displayed when returning to main menu & the "Fromula" typo.
Fixed a bug that would cause the Loading Screen to not be displayed when joining a lobby from a steam invite.
Fixed a bug that would cause Mannahatta's lighting levels to be blinding on low settings.
Fixed a bug that caused controllers to vibrate constantly on Endurance mode.
Fixed a boost pad on Mannahatta that was clipping into the track.
Fixed an issue which caused disabled collisions in clean race to not work.
Fixed a bug which would cause the campaign to say "102%" when completed.
Fixed a bug in the garage which would occasionally cause a crash when changing cards.
Fixed a bug in the main menu which would occasionally cause a crash.
Perfomance fixed to Niagara.
Fixed a bug which caused rebinding analogue controls to become digital.
Default FPS cap is now unlimited with Vsync enabled. (will only affect first time installation).
Fixed a kill volume on Fiyah! Fury which was clipping through the track.
Fixed a bug which would cause you to get stuck at the results screen of The Beast event.
Fixed a bug which caused time trail ghosts to be recorded in all game modes.
Tweaked the resolution of the team videos in campaign.
Fixed perfect lap in multiplayer. Perfectionist Achievement is now attainable.
Fixed a bug that caused the "Shield Low" & "Health Low" notifications to not work correctly in multiplayer.
Performance fix to audio effects.
Fixed a bug which would sometimes cause the event banner at the start of a race to not close correctly.
Fixed a bug which caused BOOST audio to play indefinitely sometimes.
Fixed a bug causing the UI to flicker when two racers get the same time on Speed Lap.



Known Issues:

Mannahatta track texture is bugged, will be fixed in a coming patch.
when returning to a lobby sometimes skins aren't applied correctly. Changing craft fixes this.


The leaderboards have been wiped for this update. This may happen again over the coming week or two, once we start the official racing seasons we will begin storing leaderboards on the Formula Fusion website.

We hope you all enjoy the update, see you on the track!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Amaroq Dricaldari

Analogue control is one of the greatest inventions in the history of gaming. It is sad that I can't convince anyone that analogue thrusters actually have some use in a racing game..

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I've actually been thinking about this a lot lately. Analog acceleration seems like a no-brainer for racing games, and it's surprising that almost none have the option.

In fact, the only time I've ever seen it implemented was when I tried the demo for MotorStorm RC. Are there any others?

GT series, F1 series, even motorstorm series have analog acceleration. pretty much every racing game that isn't strictly arcade.

Yes of course you are correct, it's just been many many years since I've played any of those games so I had forgotten just how many game do have it.
Still possibly a first for a AG racer, I can't remember in Star Wars Pod Racer on the Nintendo 64 had it.
There is still a possibility that FF will have steering wheel support, there is a lot they can do with it, as it's R8's only game, so they have a big list of things they want to try and implement, VR being one.

I wrote up my general thoughts / disappointment on the game over on the steam forums if anyone is interested.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/38967...67615872396283

I read your review, and quite a comprehensive one it is as well.

For a lot of your review I would agree with the points you mention, but on others, it seems like you wrote them some time ago, possibly in a earlier draft before the last update [time taken before race start for example, which has been shortened, and probably will be again]

Without going into the sordid details yet again about the early problems R8 had making formula Fusion, I think it fair to say that what was promised in the Kickstarter Campaign [I'm not entirely sure what that was, as I've been on the Test Pilot Program, not the KS or EA ones ] has yet to eventuate ....and it might never be the Wipeout games SL never made.

The way it's been explained to me by R8 personnel in PM's is that FF intends to be a racer first and foremost, with far less importance on weapons................. In all honesty, I think they would love to be able to not have weapons at all, but it's been promised, as it's expected of a AG game that touted itself as 'Wipeout's spiritual successor' and as such, is a promise that shall be fore-filled.

Fact is, the Steam release is Not what they are pinning their hopes on, it's a PS4 release where they shall be making their money........... the Steam release is basically a big Alpha build that people have paid to be on, they will get a full game eventually, but just what it turns out like is yet to be determined.

Apart from releasing this game far too early [which they readily admit], and calling it a finished product, which it is definitely NOT [It went from middle to late Alpha build, to full release because they need the cash injection] the biggest problem is, as you mentioned, no explanation on how things work, or what changes what with the card system [We on the TPP did get a list of what changes what when we first got to test the card system, I did post a copy at the steam FF general discussion pages, but I expect that a lot of those spec's would have been altered in successive builds since then, if not the actual cards themselves being removed entirely, and replaced with new or different ones]
https://steamcommunity.com/app/38967...7837619040908/

THE CRAFT
We all know how Wipeout craft work, how they all handle differently, and how they all have their own very easily identifiable 'Look'
As you mentioned, nothing similar could be said about that with the FF craft, this is where FF veers away from Wipeout.
From what R8 have given us, it would seem their intent is to make FF look more like a online AG F1 game, where like F1, the craft are all pretty similar.
In FF's case, instead of wholly different craft with different handling traits, FF has 5 different chassis types which give the craft their basic handling trait, but can be changed with different speed class engines, then handling modded somewhat with the card system.
Everything from the basic craft [chassis] handling and the card system itself, is under constant review and alteration, so don't be surprised if in the next build there is some big changes to what you have currently....hopefully better.

THE TRACKS
You are correct in assuming that the tracks were built first, then the surrounding added later, In a answer to a post at the Steam forum about FF Campaign, you can see how the tracks were constructed in some videos I made of some of the 12+ Test Tracks we were given to rate as part of the TPP [none of the tracks seen in these videos have yet been seen fully fleshed out and rendered].
https://steamcommunity.com/app/38967...4299575487133/

The lack of interesting dips and humps in the tracks is something I mentioned to them years ago..... If they ever do something about it, who knows?

As for Mag Strips and semi transparent translucent Blue tracks, I agree with you, I loathe them as well, I hate the Wipeout FURY tracks because of them, the 2048 don't seem quite as bad.
Trans Atol in FF used to be my favorite track until they changed it and put a bloody great mag strip loop on it, and ruined it for me....see how it was originally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3P4w-ztrTY

You mentioned that on some of the Wipeout tracks they had things going on in the background / surroundings giving the tracks atmosphere, I agree with you that aspect is sadly missing in FF.
There is a track we tested in the TPP that has a monorail running above the track, and in comes down at places near the start finish lines which the craft can hit into....personally I felt it just to arcade like in comparison to the other tracks tested and voted it last, and I found it a annoying 'Feature' in a racing game, besides, the tracks was extremely twisty with a lot of hairpins, and it made you feel like you were driving in a Micro Machines or Table Top Racing game, I just hope it's the last we have seen of that one.

SHIP HANDLING
The slow down you mentioned when cornering is off putting compared to a Wipeout game, where you can race around the tracks with your thumb constantly 100% on the accelerator.
This isn't quite a noticeable when using a Xbox controller and one of the sprung trigger controls as the throttle, the problem has been that for all builds on the 'Full Release' version, this mapping of analog throttle control hasn't been operative until the last build, it's all been digital [on/off throttle control] previously, this was a mistake that wasn't realized till I mentioned it to them a few months ago, and they tested it, found the problem and recently fixed it..... I suggest trying this throttle remapping, it doesn't cure the slow down when cornering entirely, but makes it more realistic, like if playing a F1 racing game, which is the intention.

UI and HUD
I agree with you.
God there have been so many different designs and changes to those designs over the different test builds, personally the very last TPP build was the best, it was compact, at the bottom of the screen, and all the needed info was easy to read without having to move your eyes around the screen.
Why they changed it I don't know, I think it might of clashed with some of the 'Internal Cockpit' view [which I don't think anybody else except TPP have seen yet [lt was in the last TPP build, but they removed it for the full release because they want to have different ones for each chassis type ]

MIS
Again I agree with you.
Tutorials will be written, but it's rather pointless writing a manual / tutorial for something that is in a state of constant change.
We are looking at eventually doing a full set of tutorial videos, one on general craft handling/ piloting and race modes, another on craft speed classes and craft builds, and another on the CARD system, including craft and weapon modification

There was a patch shortly after release which reduce the timer before the race starts from something like 10 to 8. When I posted the review and even with last weeks update I make it 8 seconds from the "press [whatever] to skip" prompt vanishing to the actual countdown starting, thats insane!
If R8 games aren't fully dedicated to weapons then they should seriously consider removing them from the game. Advertising a feature on the store page and then in game that feature being completely unnecessary to the game and being severely under developed reflects really poorly on the overall quality. The weapons need a serious rethink both in terms of how they work in game with the cards and how they look and feel. If R8 games can't or don't want put in the work then they should probably be removed since there's barely any point to them right now apart from being able to say "we have weapons like wipeout!".

I'm not convinced FF on PS4 will be a huge success either, especially with omega collection out. While they are very different games the omega collection has a lot of content in it and all the systems in the game work well together and makes sense. FF seems like a mashup of ideas which sounded good on paper but in practice don't work well together. R8 have a lot of work a head of them if they want and are banking on the PS4 launch being successful This probably involves making large changes to many of the systems such as the upgrade cards, weapons, and teams. I'm not convinced because I haven't seen any of the devs say they are looking at making these large changes. All of the updates so far (including 1.1) have been bug / polish and some new skins. Maybe R8 are working on large changes behind the scenes but if they are they should probably be talking with the community about it since a lot of the problems with FF could be traced back to a lack of interaction / talking / getting feedback with their backers / TPP / EA testers.

I'd put money on the lack of small bumps on the tracks being a deliberate choice since it would highlight how glued to the track the ships really are. It would probably feel like the last section of mag lock on moa therma so they stuck to large jumps since thats what their physics system works well with. I remember playing the monorail track as well and I'm surprised it made it as far as it did. Here's hoping it doesn't crop up again.

I've never been impressed with any of the HUDs (especially visually) throughout early access / TPP but the latest iteration is definitely a step down from the previous. Hopefully another HUD is in the works which will actually be good this time. I'm also pleased to see there's a help section in 1.1 now. It's no replacement for a full tutorial system but at least it's something and shows R8 are aware of the issue.

I think an interesting thing to note is the devs responses to why teams doesn't have their own ships or why the tracks lack spectators and other moving parts. They said ideally they would have those things but they don't have the time or resources since the assets take a long time to make at the quality they set. While FF does look very pretty it sounds like the quality they set themselves for the size of their team means the game is worse off for it. Looking back it seems like it would have been a better choice to either set the bar lower for the assets or choosing a more stylistic art direction, both of which probably would have allowed for much faster asset creation and would have allowed more content to be added to the game and probably would have solved many of the issues I've got surrounding the teams and track decorations.

when is the ps4 release?

They have not given a date for a PS4 release.
It still needs a lot of work, even in the last update a week or so ago they changed some of the CARD system that alters how some of the weapons can work.

I honestly don't know how people will find FF when it is released on the PS4, it's morphed so many times, not always for the better, the updates have been like having a girfriend turning up with a new hairstyle every couple of months, some look OK, others seem ridiculous.

As it is ATM, I expect a few will buy it, then either give up playing it, or slag it off as unfinished.

The Omega Pack might have got people fed up with AG racing already, if it hasn't Redout probably will, when your looking at being the third AG Racing game to come out within 18 months of each other, there's usually not much of a audience left that is prepared to put in the hours need to learn the game to get the most out of it.
FF is designed to mainly be played online, if people want that I don't know, looking at the empty boards of online room with the Omega Pack, I don't think they do, or maybe it the huge difference in ability with those who are playing online that is keeping new people from playing online [it's no fun being thrashed in every race]

I suppose since pretty much everybody will be in the same boat re: piloting ability with FF, you won't have the huge chasm between a rank newbie and a long term WO pilot, like the Omega Pack suffers.
By the same token, it will be dead easy for WO pilots to get the grips with FF, but tactics will have to differ, as the pickup pads aren't random like WO, you'll have to judge if you need shield energy or be prepared to risk it and continue aiming for the speed pads [both are easy to miss]