Work on the Maják stage is still ongoing. In this article, I'll briefly summarize what I've been working on over the past six months.
In the previous public update, the basic terrain of the stage was completed, approximately 4 kilometers long, for the DRY NEW variant. Since then, there have been several major improvements:
- completed most of the objects around the start area (buildings, benches, bus stops, etc.)
- created 4 weather variants
- prepared 3 surface condition variants (NEW/NORMAL/WORN)
- created distant scenery (superbowl)
- started working on rally-specific objects (tapes, barrels, signs, start area, etc.)
- improved road and environment textures — both visually and in terms of file size optimization
Some of these updates were already visible in the teaser video released in December, which showed footage from the start area and the Hazy LightCloud weather. The rest of the improvements are being presented publicly only now.
I'm not ready to call anything final yet, and it's quite likely that I'll continue refining most aspects. That said, the stage already looks noticeably better at first glance, and thanks to the rally objects, it's starting to feel much more like a real racing stage.
A significant amount of time was spent on different road condition combinations. RBR allows the use of specific textures (and physics) for 3 different surface states (NEW/NORMAL/WORN) combined with 3 levels of moisture (DRY/DAMP/WET). In total, this results in 9 variants, each of which can have different grip levels. Each of these also needs to be visually adjusted for different weather conditions (weather itself does not affect car handling, but textures can appear different under various lighting conditions).
At the same time, it's necessary to keep the size and number of textures under control to maintain good optimization. In the screenshots, you can already notice increasing debris in the cuts in some corners. My goal is to replicate real-world experience with changing road conditions as faithfully as possible, especially for crews starting later in the order.
In the distant surroundings of the stage, a transmitter has been added on top of Tlustá hora, at the location of the original "Maják" (meaning "lighthouse"), which also gave the stage its name. It's a distinctive landmark, also visible from the city center of Zlín. Around the stage, objects typical for Barum Rally are gradually appearing (yellow-blue tapes, barrels, signs, etc.).
I've also started working on textures for damp and wet conditions, but there's still more work to be done there. I'm gradually preparing character models for spectators as well. For now, I'm working on them separately, and I may have taken a slightly too perfectionist approach, so crowds will appear in one of the upcoming updates.
You can follow further progress on Instagram, Facebook, or Patreon. Any support is greatly appreciated and helps me dedicate more time to development.
You can combine both following and supporting on Patreon, where I post regular monthly development reports. There is also already the first article in a series about the history of the Maják stage.
