DiRT 4 DiRT 4 Update 1.04 Released

[Paul Jeffrey]

Codemasters have released a small hotfix update for DiRT 4 recently, addressing a number of issues and updating the game to version 1.04.

Released on June 9th, DiRT 4 is the spiritual successor to the early Colin McRae Rally games created by Codemasters and released to popular acclaim from the gaming public back in the mid to late 1990's. Forming part of the DiRT series of games, DiRT 4 further adds to the franchise a number of new and interesting features designed specifically to address complaints about the longevity of a title that traditionally contains a limited selection of rally locations dotted throughout the core game experience.

Now complete with Codemasters own unique stage generation tool 'Your Stage' plus expanded career and mechanical elements, added to returning game modes alongside the traditional point to point stage racing featured in 2015's DiRT Rally, the new game has all the necessary ingredients to become something of a classic off road racing title in the years to come.

Now just over two weeks since the game first hit the digital shelves Codemasters have released another small update across all platforms, adding some important fixes to the game.

You can read the full 1.04 update changelog notes below:

• Rain effect on the car windscreen (which is observed using the head camera) will no longer stop functioning when proceeding into a heavy rain event after completing specific weather stages.
• Grade E car parts should no longer cause a crash.
• Fixes to Flavour of the Week Trophy/Achievement
• Incorrect rep earned in multiplayer due to an issue with host migration is now addressed.
• Leaderboard improvements when they are heavily populated or finding your own times.
• Tuning differentials now functions correctly.
• Corrected unlock conditions in the “What’s This” dialogues in Career.
• PC Only - Terminally damaging your vehicle and then changing Windows focus should no longer hang.
• PC Only – Fixed issues with resizing or de-focusing the game window.
• PC Only – R9 graphics cards crash when competing in rainy conditions is now resolved.
• PC Only – Switching from Ultra to High graphics mid-stage will no longer cause an issue with the stage shadowing.

DiRT 4 is available to purchase for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Steam PC right now.

Check out the DiRT 4 sub forum to get yourself involved with the DiRTy community and discuss this excellent new rally title from Codemasters. If DiRT 4 doesn't tickle your fancy then fear not, we also have a sub forum for the awesome DiRT Rally games for you to enjoy and interact within!

How are you finding DiRT 4 now? Do you like the game and think it a suitable addition to the DiRT franchise? Let us know in the comment section below!

 

[ShredatorFIN]

"DiRT 4 is the spiritual successor to the early Colin McRae Rally games"

Yeah, however not what official statements said it will be:

"If you loved the challenge of DiRT Rally, then you can switch to the Sim Handling mode and have an experience that is even closer to the real deal than we managed to achieve with DiRT Rally".

- Codemasters Chief Designer Paul Coleman -

I don't feel this promise was fullfilled.

Dirt Rally (despite it's flaws) remains the superior rally sim of the two, by good margin. The cars of Dirt4 are understeery and overly grippy boats, even with extreme setup changes. Too much understeer, like there was some invisible driving aids forced on. No on-throttle oversteer

They improved some details (jumps/braking) in physics and downgraded the big things, overall steering feel and steering with throttle pedal

 

[Joseph Wright]

Was not expecting to see my driving in this post. Wow am I terrible!

 

[clemencaman]

Without VR absolutely uninteresting

 

[BenCollins]

Without VR absolutely uninteresting

Not this again.

 

[BenCollins]

Without VR absolutely uninteresting

 

[RaceNut]

"DiRT 4 is the spiritual successor to the early Colin McRae Rally games"

Yeah, however not what official statements said it will be:

"If you loved the challenge of DiRT Rally, then you can switch to the Sim Handling mode and have an experience that is even closer to the real deal than we managed to achieve with DiRT Rally".

- Codemasters Chief Designer Paul Coleman -

I don't feel this promise was fullfilled.

Dirt Rally (despite it's flaws) remains the superior rally sim of the two, by good margin. The cars of Dirt4 are understeery and overly grippy boats, even with extreme setup changes. Too much understeer, like there was some invisible driving aids forced on. No on-throttle oversteer

They improved some details (jumps/braking) in physics and downgraded the big things, overall steering feel and steering with throttle pedal

I agree with your assessment regarding the Rally-handling but, there are those in the developer forums that claim it's the most realistic Rally Physics to date - better than Dirt Rally or RBR.

While I can believe that the physics of D4 are more advanced than DR, they also result in some very odd handling that requires major changes to the car-setup and steering settings; even then - some issues can't be resolved for many cars.

I do like the RallyX handling but, unless CM changes something with the Rally cars, I'm not likely to play the Rally mode beyond what I've tried so far. RallyX mode doesn't take long to progress through and there aren't enough locations IMO.

"My Stage" looks great on paper but, DR stages had more character and the repetitive nature of generated stages provides plenty of Deja vu moments - if you like that sort of thing.

In it's current form, Dirt4 feels like a title that I paid too much for considering its limited appeal.

 

[Case_]

The 1.04 update was released June 22nd on PC, BTW, so this is quite old news for some of us.

 

[ShredatorFIN]

I agree with your assessment regarding the Rally-handling but, there are those in the developer forums that claim it's the most realistic Rally Physics to date - better than Dirt Rally or RBR.

While I can believe that the physics of D4 are more advanced than DR, they also result in some very odd handling that requires major changes to the car-setup and steering settings; even then - some issues can't be resolved for many cars.

Yep, and I have no doubt about Codemasters good intentions. But they are no Kunos or Reiza, simply lacking the confidence and know-how regarding physics, despite being larger studio. Seems like with Dirt Rally they found the needle in the haystack, by half-blind luck. And now lost it again.

Like Paul Coleman said in the post-launch stream, replying to a physics complaint.. they had to change everything, wasn't possible to copypaste just cars from Dirt Rally, it's done from scratch. And something got lost along the way...

Creating realistic physics is not easy, only few teams in the world have the required talent. Lots and lots of big studios make racing games (or even "sims") but not capable of creating that, even if they wanted... I'm sure Codies tried their best, maybe (hopefully) they will try to correct it.

 

[Emerson Meyer]

I just can't play Solitaire without VR anymore.

 

[Akra]

So...we just ignoring those rear wheel physics?

I totally need some VR just for menus now btw. My eyes can't cope with primitive 2D menus like you cave men. I'm actually moving onto 4D soon, and going to Ultra Virtual Reality. Don't try and keep up with me.

 

[Case_]

Yep, and I have no doubt about Codemasters good intentions. But they are no Kunos or Reiza, simply lacking the confidence and know-how regarding physics, despite being larger studio. Seems like with Dirt Rally they found the needle in the haystack, by half-blind luck. And now lost it again.

I'd say the rallycross physics are pretty good and an improvement over Dirt Rally. So I wouldn't say they lost or lack anything, it's just that the rally physics didn't get the treatment needed to finetune.

 

[RaceNut]

So...we just ignoring those rear wheel physics?

I totally need some VR just for menus now btw. My eyes can't cope with primitive 2D menus like you cave men. I'm actually moving onto 4D soon, and going to Ultra Virtual Reality. Don't try and keep up with me.

LOL- we've had 4D for a long time already in Sim-racing; motion, SimVibe + tactile, SimWind, etc.

Really though, I get why people want VR in Rally, it's really very impressive in 3D - up close and personal. In the case of Dirt4, as things currently stand - it's not worth investing the effort (adding VR or requesting support) IMO, unless CM address the title's short-comings in regard to Sim handling.

Dirt Rally is still a better drive - especially from a Rally-sim perspective, and it has VR support to boot.

 

[ShredatorFIN]

I'd say the rallycross physics are pretty good and an improvement over Dirt Rally. So I wouldn't say they lost or lack anything, it's just that the rally physics didn't get the treatment needed to finetune.

They have completely different tyres. RX tyres are based on data Cooper Tyres gave Codies. And rally tyre is based on... their best guess afaik. They didn't have data for other than RX tyre. Possible culprit. Also for RX they got more pro driver feedback, Chris Meeke was handling rally alone and had experience only on modern rally cars. Which aren't IMO any better, FWD are okay and that's about it

 

[Jan Larsen]

So...we just ignoring those rear wheel physics?

Guess so. At least they fixed the diffs

 

[cmtr]

Guess so. At least they fixed the diffs

What was the problem with the diffs and what is fixed?

 

[antirussia81]

So...we just ignoring those rear wheel physics?

I totally need some VR just for menus now btw. My eyes can't cope with primitive 2D menus like you cave men. I'm actually moving onto 4D soon, and going to Ultra Virtual Reality. Don't try and keep up with me.

Just 4D? Pffff... With my ex-girlfriend I had access to 70D - and it was quite a long time ago...

 

[Andrew W]

We've got a nose dive going on. Codemasters, pull up!!

It seems like the handful of shady articles prior to release didn't help all that much.

 

[Jan Larsen]

What was the problem with the diffs and what is fixed?

If you adjusted the diffs, it would affect the car opposite of what it should actually do. A clear bug.

 

[Akra]

iRacing had that for years. If you followed another car closely, you got more front grip, and the car would oversteer.

Real life wishes it was this realistic.