Wreckfest Survey Results Released

[Paul Jeffrey]

Bugbear Entertainment have released the results from the recent Next Car Game Wreckfest survey, with some interesting responses...

Back in early December Bugbear launched a fan survey for their current PC and soon to be console destruction derby style racing game Wreckfest, asking fans what they would consider key development priorities should be as the team ramp up work as the game pushed towards a version one release.

Wreckfest has in my opinion considerable potential to become a bit of a classic title, with just the right amount of realism and fun factor to allow the game appeal to both arcade players and simulation drivers alike. With good graphics, entertaining physics and the thrill of a big race accident, Wreckfest by all rights should really be scaling the heights of the racing game charts by now, especially considering it has been out in one form or another since back in 2014. Unfortunately for various reasons development has been slow to pick up pace in the last few years, and to help the team decide where best to focus resources Bugbear released a fan survey, asking the gamers exactly what they wanted the priorities to be over the remainder of the year. Thousands of people responded, many of who frequent the forums here at RaceDepartment, and now Bugbear have presented us with the results.

You can check out the full list of survey results HERE.

Unsurprisingly it looks like Wreckfest fans are keen to see a structured career mode within the game, with 2040 votes (68.3% of respondents) cast in favour of this option when responding to the "Of the following features, we should prioritize" question. This figure is backed up by the surprisingly large 66% majority voting for a preference to single player offline racing and 47.9% claiming a lack of career progression is preventing them from playing the title more often.

One of the most surprising results for me can be found in the question asking for a most favoured peripheral choice in game, with wheel users languishing behind their controller playing counterparts 26.6% to 51.3% in favour of a controller. Even keyboard players receive some love in the results, with 21.1% of 2985 responses admitting to using a keyboard as the preferred method of control in game.

All in all it is refreshing to see a modern game developer engaging in the community and taking on feedback when planning further development with a game. I hope this is the beginning of a big push by Bugbear to bring the title up to scratch and make the most of the obvious potential just sitting there waiting to be realised.

Next Car Game Wreckfest is available for Windows PC right now. A proposed console release is due sometime during 2017.

Check out the Wreckfest sub forum here at RaceDepartment for all the latest news, discussions and mods for this exciting no holes barred destruction derby style game. Head over and get involved in the conversation today!

Did you vote in the survey? Are you surprised by the results or are they broadly what you expected? What would you like to see developed in Wreckfest going forward? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[James Cook]

"One of the most surprising results for me can be found in the question asking for a most favoured peripheral choice in game, with wheel users languishing behind their controller playing counterparts 26.6% to 51.3% in favour of a controller."

Not surprising at all as far as I'm concerned. Wreckfest is essentially an arcade racing game that will naturally find itself at home with a more casual audience. I was expecting the controller share to be higher.

Perhaps we exist in a bit of a sim racing bubble on sites like this, but I would wager that most Wreckfest players aren't sim racers. I know most of the crew I used to play online with were not simmers.

 

[Pywackett-Barchetta]

As someone who plays just about everything single-player, with a controller, and mostly to find other career modes to play, the only thing that surprises me here is that I'm really not alone in it.

 

[@apocapollo]

Sim racers definitely exist in echo chambers. We shouldn't be surprised when we're the minority in a poll. There's a startup cost to starting sim racing, and then there's the actual setup that goes into the wheel settings of each game. In fact, I don't even bother to pull out my wheel for Wreckfest. I was one of those folks that answered gamepad.

Also take into account how popular Wreckfest was in the mainstream of gaming. Lots of non-sim racers were initially drawn in by the damage model.

Anyway, I hope Bugbear are serious about taking the results of this poll to heart. This game needs more lasting appeal than the typical "run a couple quick races and then go play something else."

And also please for the love of god fix v-sync and optimize the CPU load for older processors. The physics behind the particle and debris effects bring my fx8350 into the single digits. And then there's some goofy stuff going on with the poor v-sync that introduces some kind of extra frame latency after the framerate dips below 30.

 

[M D Gourley]

As a hardcore Sim Racer I was glad Bugbear added the opportunity to use a wheel, so for me personally this makes it a keeper on my PC....hopefully that will not change as it is a fantastic diversion for something different from the normal 'Drive carefully now, don't wreck me' etc Sims...lol....but in the end though
'The needs of the many out way the needs of the few'.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

"One of the most surprising results for me can be found in the question asking for a most favoured peripheral choice in game, with wheel users languishing behind their controller playing counterparts 26.6% to 51.3% in favour of a controller."

Not surprising at all as far as I'm concerned. Wreckfest is essentially an arcade racing game that will naturally find itself at home with a more casual audience. I was expecting the controller share to be higher.

Perhaps we exist in a bit of a sim racing bubble on sites like this, but I would wager that most Wreckfest players aren't sim racers. I know most of the crew I used to play online with were not simmers.

Personally despite having a full rig I never play arcade racers with a wheel as they rely on quick lock to lock movements and feedback isn't necessary to feel what the car is doing.

I see it as more like driving an RC Car at which point a joystick is superior.

 

[Rupe Wilson]

So many members at RD drive mainly offline, ive never understood this, even with a sim, say like Assetto Corsa, but each to their own.
A online career mode would be epic. I remember teaming up with a few mates and doing the shooter games in story mode. so much fun..
for me any car game simply shines when you add the interaction of the human element.

This game cries out to be driven in a club, let your hair down with mates and have some fun..
Im not saying you have to have a wheel, just do it online. To me it needs a nice mix of sim and arcade elements which it has in abundance.
Come who wouldn't like to put a staff member in a ditch and carry on driving

Club racing could be fun with this game on a weekend. just don't pick on me to much please

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

A online career mode would be epic. I remember teaming up with a few mates and doing the shooter games in story mode. so much fun..

^^ This!

 

[Rob]

The console racing delimma is worse. I'd say wheel users are 20% if that. Anyone you try and take away assists, they scream body murder.

 

[Michael Hornbuckle]

It actually drives pretty nice with a wheel, just needs the ability to map a clutch.

 

[Sporadik]

VR support would also make this game so much more enjoyable. I know it would likely make some people motion sick, but it would be so cool in VR. I never had an issue with using a wheel (CSW V2, BMW, SQ/H Shifter) since I got this game last June.

 

[Paul Bennett]

Wreckfest has been my casual fix for some time now. Think it ticks all the simcade boxes big on fun factor, "just drive like ya stole it" or like that hire car you have on your hols
Got into a PM with the Dev on Bugbear forum, I may have some influence on the survey ..looks like it's going beta soon with an update planned end of the this week. A Wreckfest club at RD would be cool , straight racing an wrecking...setups an qualification are so last year

 

[Paul Bennett]

A online career mode would be epic. I remember teaming up with a few mates and doing the shooter games in story mode. so much fun..

^^ This!

WarThunder tanks are fun a nice an easy pace online, also has flight mode with VR looks cool.

 

[Metla]

I use my game pad to play wreckfest...even on my system set up with my wheel.

That aside, why the hell do they have that horrible system where parts gradually get damaged and need to be repaired, where in each race the car gets totally destroyed right before your eyes. Oh sweet, every panel fixed magially but the gearbox needs a bearing?

And I have to pay for it or my car slows down?

 

[Joakim Stensnæs]

Is it only me that find it a little bit worrying that the developers feel they have to do a survey, to find out which direction to take the game in?
- To me it shows a lack of understanding of what they are actually building and will probably end up with so many compromises, because they do not have a clear direction from within the team. So much so that the game will just end up being a mish-mash of alot of different visions for what this game could be.

Don't get me wrong, it's great to see a studio actively pursuing input from their community, but wreckfest has been underway for what, 3-4 years now? So if they REALLY wanted to make a great game, they'ed pursue a specific vision thet THEY believe the market wants, and think of new ways to create a unique and interresting game.

To not know, at this stage, wether your game should be an arcade game, a simulation, or something in-between just seems so out of touch to me.

I HOPE to be proven wrong, because I DO belive they can fill a void in the market with this game. And not just fill it, but actually create a game worth spending time with.

Thoughts?

 

[Keith Gregg]

It actually drives pretty nice with a wheel, just needs the ability to map a clutch.

I agree....a clutch would make this game for me personnally

 

[JPL083]

I use my game pad to play wreckfest...even on my system set up with my wheel.

That aside, why the hell do they have that horrible system where parts gradually get damaged and need to be repaired, where in each race the car gets totally destroyed right before your eyes. Oh sweet, every panel fixed magially but the gearbox needs a bearing?

And I have to pay for it or my car slows down?

Back in the days, that modern people dont have now any clue because all is handed to them, it was called a challenge what relates to this that you have to look out your car. I dont know when that day comes that modern people starts to having thoughs why they think everything is boring. BECAUSE NO CHALLENGE, in games press this to do that and that and climb here and jump here and blaablaablaa... And here. Drive and smash... Drive and smash... Soon, oh this is boring, all the same. But when added challenge like taking care of your car. WHY THIS IS HERE? BOOOOOO!!! I cannot understand...

 

[Keith Joyce]

A Wreckfest career mode would be a bit pointless. I mean, how far would you want to progress after a few laps in half a car that's compressed down to 300mm tall? You'd have to be med-evac'd (maybe x-plane for that) and carted off to the local hospital (second life?)

 

[TylerDurden4321]

21% KEYBOARD players *-*

 

[Ryan Soucy]

Not surprising at all as far as I'm concerned. Wreckfest is essentially an arcade racing game that will naturally find itself at home with a more casual audience. I was expecting the controller share to be higher.

This game used to my guilty pleasure game where I didn't have to power up the wheel and just grab the controller bang around. Then one day I tried it with the wheel and WOW. I never went back. I even went from the arcadey outside chase view to the in-car view. Its very very good. Now my killin' time game is The Crew. I probably won't try this with the wheel just in case I like it too much...