Xpand Rally Damage Trailer

Techland, developer of Xpand Rally, has revealed the next of the game's unique features, the complex model of simulation and visualization of car damage and parts wear and the way that driver injuries influence car handling in the game.

The movie, available by following the download tab above, follows a car through a race and allows you to witness every step as it is damaged to the point of destruction.

The parameters of all objects in the game are fully configurable so it is possible to set their various features individually : coefficients of friction, elasticity, number of degrees of freedom, maximum velocities and many others. That makes all objects surrounding the tracks have individual influence on the car during a collision depending on their physical parameters. A good example is plastic posts frequently placed on the
road shoulders that can be easily mowed down by the car. Although it depends on the velocity of the car the influence on its damage will remain insignificant. It will be limited to impacts of bumpers, sometimes the bonnet or only to scratches of the paint when a post is hit with the side of the car.

Road signs are a similar case but due to their physical properties they will have some more influence on the car. The signs are much heavier and harder which makes the forces affecting the car during a collision cause more damage. All drivers know about those dependencies on the roads and having the choice between mowing a plastic post or a road sign they will choose the first option taking care of their cars and health.

Because the cars in Xpand Rally, with their mass and velocity, are subject to all physical laws known from the real world, just like in real life it will be much better to hit a road sign than a tree. In the same way crashing into fences, low walls or buildings will have the expected effect on the players car.

As we have now made clear what mechanisms apply to car damage, lets discuss the damage itself. In Xpand Rally the possible damage types are:

- paint scratches
- damage of the body of the car, such as:
-impact and partial or full detachments of bumpers
- full and partial detachments of spoilers
- impact of: wings, doors, bonnets, roof
- full and partial detachments of doors and bonnets
- cracking and full breaking of glasses in all windows
- damage of reflectors and wipers
- damage of suspension and brakes
- ripping tires and their loss
- flapping wheels and their detachment
- damage of springs and dampers
- damage of stabilizers
- damage of brakes of separate wheels
- damage of engine and transmission system
- damage of the cooling and lubrication system resulting in engine
overheating and seizing
- damage of the turbine influencing the power of the engine
- damage of the engine decreasing its power and finally stopping
the vehicle
- damage of the clutch and gearbox eliminating gears or impeding
their usage

In the game all damage is shown either by direct visualization if it's possible (e.g. body of the car) or by HUD display and indicators of: engine temperature, suspensions and steering system, brakes, transmission and engine, turbocharger and electrics.

Besides of damages that are results of collisions most of parts important to car handling undergo the simulation of wearing due to exploitation. Thus drivers preferring spectacular drives with long side slides and often blocking wheels will have to more often invest in changing tires. The wearing of parts has special meaning for both driving the car and the
economical layer of the game. It's important to add that the way in which parts wear out features elements of risk management. Players that drive cleanly and effectively, not damaging their cars much and so being able to repair them inexpensively will more likely successfully finish a race. However, each who risks driving a strongly impaired car can expect malfunctions, the result of wearing out various parts that will either make
driving much harder or even make it impossible to finish a race.

Driver's injuries system is a completely new element in rally games. The HUD in the game displays the driver's physical condition. During subsequent collisions not only the car is damaged but also driver's injuries are simulated and symbolically visualized as the change of color of various parts of the indicator. The health condition of the driver has direct
impact on his reactions to sudden situations on the road and to how efficiently he handles the car. Head injuries can cause blurred vision that will surely affect driver's judgments and his reaction time. Limbs injuries can cause altered reactions to the attempts of turning, accelerating or braking. These features simulate a true-life scenario where a driver complaining about his shoulder aching would manipulate the driving wheel in limited range or slower. The intention of the developers of the game are that the driver's injuries simulation system should increase the effect of realism of Xpand Rally.