Could BeamNG.drive Become The Ultimate Rally Simulator?

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When you think of rally simulators, Richard Burns Rally or EA Sports WRC probably spring to mind. Could BeamNG.drive take the crown one day?

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BeamNG Rally 1.0 Dirt Stage. Image credit: Track Broseff

BeamNG Rally Stages

Within the vanilla version of BeamNG, rally stages are plentiful. Whether it be timed scenarios in specific cars or time trials in whichever car you choose. There is so much variety before you even come close to adding mods. Check out our Top 5 Best Time Trials Circuits to get some ideas if there are just too many options to choose from.

There are plenty of challenging stages built into BeamNG with timed ‘Rally-like’ scenarios. Both modded stages and built-in ones are available on each map in the game. Below is my favourite stage outside of the main mod focus for this piece. Dead Horse Rally Stage.

Dead Horse BeamNG Rally Stage

Utah’s most famous rally stage, Dead Horse Rally Stage, is a modded effort from author rootCBR. This 11.8 km long gravel stage will take all of your concentration. Starting at the old airfield and leading past the tallest cliffs and canyonlands Utah has to offer.

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Dead Horse BeamNG Rally Stage. Image Credit: rootCBR

Sega Rally Re-Creation

For those of you who are of a certain age, the Sega Rally franchise will bring you back to the 90s. BeamNG Author Dsden has brought a handful of the Sega Rally stages to the title. Check out the comparison video below to see the surprising level of accuracy across one of the tarmac stages.


Two environments are available within this mod, the forest terrain and the desert terrain. Both terrains include recreations of classic stages as well as a few alterations to make them work with BeamNG. The AI race as the Sega AI did, but be aware of BeamNG’s famous soft body physics. Hitting jumps or punting drivers out of the way is nearly impossible if you want to finish the race.

Not only has the Sega rally mod added a handful of the iconic stages to BeamNG, but the incorporation of two free-to-download mods that perfectly re-create the iconic Castrol liveried Toyota Celica as well as the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo II.

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Image Credit: Dsden

Car Choice​

From vintage rally legends to modern sequential machinery; BeamNG has it all to offer. Not only are there endless stages and maps to choose from, but the variety of vehicles to tackle these stages is mind-blowing.

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Pictured above is just a small selection of the vehicles that are on offer for you to tackle both the modded stages and the vanilla ones with. Configurations can be created from base model vehicles in the ‘Garage’ mode from the main menu.

There is an abundance of rally configurations available in the base game or from the Mod repository if creating your cars isn’t something you want to spend time doing. From the 4WD Hirochi Sunburst to the modded vintage Satsuma FWD car. There’s a rally car for every stage and every player.

Beta Project BeamNG Rally 1.0​

BeamNG Rally 1.0 is the real reason for this piece. Created and published by Track Broseff on the BeamNG repository, this mod breathes a fresh new life into BeamNG. From custom rally stages on dirt and tarmac to custom car configurations based on real-world American Rally Association rules. BeamNG Rally 1.0 is the answer to every rally driver’s dreams.

Over 88 miles/141 kilometres of rally stage are available, and all stages can also be run in reverse within the time trial menus. The maps range from Utah to Jungle Rock Island and everything in between. The real draw to this specific rally mod, however, is the inclusion of pace notes. A revolutionary addition that has put BeamNG on the map for rally fans.

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Future Ideas​

More rallies on all suitable vanilla maps. Hirochi raceway could be made into a rallycross-type stage, mirroring the likes of Brands Hatch’s Winter rally stages. There is also a classic version of Hirochi raceway available, opening up the opportunity to have a classic version of the rallycross-like course for older generations of cars.

Different eras such as modern WRC and Group A/B. The inclusion of WRC-like cars is already in the mod with the Cherrier Vivace, however, a replica livery of modern machinery would go a long way. As for groups B and A, there are car mods available that could be utilised. Some further configurations and additional parts could be added to base content cars as well.

Custom rally parts. More classic rally parts such as light bars, body kits and classic liveries would be a great addition to further edit the configurations given by the mod creator.

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East Coast USA Stage. Image credit: Track Broseff
Have you given BeamNG.drive’s rally stages a try? Let us know how you do over on X @RaceDepartment or down in the comments below.
About author
Connor Minniss
Website Content Editor & Motorsport Photographer aiming to bring you the best of the best within the world of sim racing.

Comments

Have potential, but will be hard to beat RBR content and online structure.

IMHO, it will never get there if they try to mimic other titles success. They need to find BNG's own formula... and if I knew what formula is that, I would develop my own success rally title or mod lol... but I now that rally is a pretty competitive theme in every genre (arcade, simcade and simulation) and the main titles are big hitters.
 
Of course not.

We need Reiza to make an rally game with real rally stages on the Madness Engine. That has real potential, the dirt in the rallycross DLC is amazing. Even a simple rally stage DLC would be awesome. But beamng, nah. It's not going to be a serious rally title.
 
Of course not.

We need Reiza to make an rally game with real rally stages on the Madness Engine. That has real potential, the dirt in the rallycross DLC is amazing. Even a simple rally stage DLC would be awesome. But beamng, nah. It's not going to be a serious rally title.
Been playing AMS2 since it was first available and only very recently gave dirt a real effort. I was very surprised by how good it felt and how engaging the drive was. Would be pretty awesome to see rally added to AMS2's depth of content, would be a hell of a good time. Hell, soak up some of the Codemasters team that got laid off to help build out the content.
 
Been playing AMS2 since it was first available and only very recently gave dirt a real effort. I was very surprised by how good it felt and how engaging the drive was. Would be pretty awesome to see rally added to AMS2's depth of content, would be a hell of a good time. Hell, soak up some of the Codemasters team that got laid off to help build out the content.
As much as I like AMS2 and how it also handles dirt racing physics: what AMS2 definitely does not need is expanding its scope any further. To make matters worse, rallying is not just about physics: is about setting up a cohesive scenario with rulesets, routes, stages, service areas, etc. If you simply set individual stage times and get a new car and new tyres for every stage, then it's not rallying, it's a tech demo of it.

What I'm describing above, is what games like RBR or Dirt Rally 2.0 can do, and games like Assetto Corsa cannot do, and that's regardless of physics. If BeamNG Rally Project can do it, then I will be very interested in trying it.
 
As much as I like AMS2 and how it also handles dirt racing physics: what AMS2 definitely does not need is expanding its scope any further. To make matters worse, rallying is not just about physics: is about setting up a cohesive scenario with rulesets, routes, stages, service areas, etc. If you simply set individual stage times and get a new car and new tyres for every stage, then it's not rallying, it's a tech demo of it.

What I'm describing above, is what games like RBR or Dirt Rally 2.0 can do, and games like Assetto Corsa cannot do, and that's regardless of physics. If BeamNG Rally Project can do it, then I will be very interested in trying it.
Do not disagree with any of that, just daydreaming about a handful of even fictional rally stages to tear ass around (a la tech demo you mentioned). AMS2 most definitely does not need to branch off serious development effort elsewhere considering the workload required to get their planned content in the game and the general dynamics where they want them. Now if they magical a boatload of fresh cash out of somewhere and dump that into a whole new rally team...I wouldn't complain.
 
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I have tried some of the rally "missions" in Beamng (wheel and all) and my impression is that the offroad ones feel much better than the tarmac ones. For sure though they are fun so the more the merrier!
This is something you can hear all the time in all rally sims. Probably there is more complexity in simulating tire work on hard surface, even though loose surfaces themselves are more complex. Also tarmac rallies can't be as fun with high performance tires being way sharper and suspension stiffer, less high performance and more classic stuff should be more fun on tarmac.
 
nothing can beat RBR , after few months to know this game i didnt play any rally game except this masterpiece but i think beamng will be good but not better than RBR in rally stages
 
Premium
Absolutely would get on board with BeamNG as a Rally Sim:geek:, vehicles can handle very well, great suspension, tire deformation etc.....and of course, 'Damage' as this would give an IRL experience ( personal opinion only ;)).

Will have to put this on my list of things to definitely try out:)

Great write up Connor:D

Having some fun rallying around various maps:inlove:

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3 BeamNG Hiroshi Sunburst RALLY at JOHNSON VALLEY copy.jpg
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1 BeamNG Hiroshi Sunburst RALLY at JOHNSON VALLEY copy.jpg
 
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This is something you can hear all the time in all rally sims. Probably there is more complexity in simulating tire work on hard surface, even though loose surfaces themselves are more complex. Also tarmac rallies can't be as fun with high performance tires being way sharper and suspension stiffer, less high performance and more classic stuff should be more fun on tarmac.

I heard something similar in GamerMuscle video about The Last Garage.
 
As a huge BeamNG fan....... No.

Its not just about the physics, the game has a pretty terrible level of detail for the terrain and since there's not a single bit of moving or deforming terrain a small mound of sand your wheel goes over will act as if you just went over a one wheel ramp made out of asphalt.

The damage of the soft body physics however is a pretty impressive and nice thing to add to rally games in general tho.
 

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