Paul Jeffrey
Premium
That time of year is here again.. the sun is out, the Formula One season is in full swing and everyone is wondering if this can be the year where Ferrari finally pull everything together for a consistent season. As is the tradition come the summer months, Codemasters over in England are putting the final finishing touches to their latest in a long line of official Formula One videogames, this year with the bold promise of allowing fans to #makeheadlines as they look to further expand the off track career mechanics of a game that is gradually developing into a more fully polished and flushed out title than previous generations of the franchise.
With F1 2018 already well under development and due to drop as early as this coming August, Codemasters have released the first of a four part "developer diary" video series, where they dig a little deeper into the game mechanics to give us a preview of what is new in Formula One 2018...
As well as the new developer diary entry (the first of four), Codemasters have also released a mini interview with Game Director Lee Mather, who once again provides some interesting little insights into what the latest officially licenced Formula One game from Codemasters will be all about. You can read the full interview below:
In this dev diary, we’re introduced to Claire – the new reporter character in F1 2018 – could you tell us a little about her? How will players interact with her throughout their career mode?
As you’ve mentioned, Claire is a journalist who follows the F1 roadshow to each of the races. She’ll crop up throughout the season, sometimes to ask about on-track incidents, sometimes to discuss rivalries or on-track battles, other times to talk about the season. She’ll also be interested to know how things are going with you and your team, and any potential team moves and contract negotiations, as well as departmental morale. Everything the player says to Claire will impact upon their Career in some way. Claire will approach the player with time pressured interviews, with between 2 and 4 possible answers, all of which will have some sort of an outcome.
The dev diary talks about sportsmanship and showmanship – could you tell us more? How can a player play towards one or the other?
Something which is very evident in the world of F1 is the personality of the drivers. That’s something we felt should play a big part in the Career of the player in F1 2018. The way in which you chose to answer certain questions will determine what sort of a character you are. As a racing driver, do you exhibit sportsmanship or showmanship – when you’re facing the press, do you answer in a more diplomatic fashion or do you answer with something in a more confident or even arrogant way?
How will choosing one over the other affect the player?
Firstly, if the player is seen to be more acutely one type or the other, they’ll open up some additional answer choices, which are even more suited to their character, so if you’re already answering in a more overly confident way, you’ll be able to take that even further. The personality of the player will also impact upon which teams find them most appealing, as well as when they’re re-negotiating with their current team. As in the sport of F1, being fast on track isn’t the whole story, offering the team the complete package is key, so some teams will have a preference for a driver of a certain character type, this will impact on the players overall value to the team. This will be particularly important when negotiating a contract.
Talking about contract negotiations, how will that work in F1 2018?
In F1 2018 we wanted the player to be the master of their own destiny. Something the community asked about in the past has been moving back down to a lower performing team, and not always moving up. By giving the player the chance to pick the team they want to drive for it’s then up to them to negotiate the deal to ensure they not only get the drive, but they get the best package based on how the team currently value them as a driver. During the negotiation phase, the player will get three attempts to gain or renew their contract based on the goals they are prepared to set for themselves, and the perks which they expect from the team.
What are you most excited for the community to play in F1 2018’s career mode?
I’m really excited to see the character of the people who are playing the game. I feel like we’ll see a larger number of characters moving towards the showmanship end of the scale, as some of the more confident, and almost arrogant answers, are very appealing!
And finally, could you tell us which team you’re going to be starting out with in your own career mode?
I’ve been giving this some thought this week, having started with Toro Rosso last year, and my beloved Renault the year before. I should probably tease this, and create a click bait style thumbnail for a new blog post, but I won’t, I’ll announce it now. This year, when I start my career play through outside of work, I’m going to pick Sauber, with Charles Leclerc as my team mate. They’re showing such fantastic improvement this season, the car feels great in game, Charles is really showing his class, and I think the car looks fantastic.
Formula One 2018 is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC August 24th 2018.
Don't forget to check out the new F1 2018 sub forum for all the latest news, mods and racing events for F1 2018.. including our very first PlayStation 4 F1 league!
Like what you see here at RaceDepartment? Don't forget to like, subscribe and follow us on social media!
RaceDepartment YouTube
RaceDepartment Twitter
RaceDepartment Facebook
RaceDepartment Twitch
RaceDepartment Instagram
Do you enjoy the off track type activities of recent F1 games? Would you like to see more of this kind of action in future racing titles? Let us know in the comments section below!
Last edited:
