Q&A with Jesse Abney

Q&A session with the producer of the new Need for Speed SHIFT, presented by NFSUnlimited.net

NFSUnlimited.net: We are all big fans of visual tuning in Need for Speed games. What should we expect from SHIFT? And we are interested in details: the limit on the number of vinyl layers, the total number of different vinyls, body kits, licensed parts... And will the size of the rear spoiler affect car performance? Will there be Autosculpt?

Jess: The limit is 1000 vinyls (unclear in what sense: on the car or their total number - AsBest's note).
We have relationships with more than 250 manufacturers and aftermarket companies whose logos we would like to use in liveries in the WTCC manner.
Body upgrades leading to increased downforce can be adjusted independently, such as separating the adjustment parameters for wing and splitter downforce.
Both external and internal upgrade parts are fully licensed copies of parts from original manufacturers and the aftermarket. In some cases, car artists such as Andy Blackmore and Carl Jarrett created specific sets that expand the existing range of parts and make SHIFT's visual style unique.

NFSUnlimited.net: You mentioned that performance settings will be quite deep: changing gear ratios, aerodynamics, brake balance, differential. How do you compare the number of tuning options with previous NFS installments (particularly Underground 2 and ProStreet), as well as with other racing games? Will we get any specific tuning features, such as a dyno or in-race settings?

Jess: There will be no dyno, however Slightly Mad created the most realistic car tuning options. Their passion for professional racing placed them under an obligation to make SHIFT the most authentic racing game in the Need for Speed series to date.

NFSUnlimited.net: What about performance upgrades? Will we simply raise part levels (as in previous NFS games), or will we be able to choose different parts with different characteristics?

Jess: SHIFT will feature both individual parts and part sets. They will then be divided into zones. As noted above, expect fairly deep interrelationships with different options for how these parts will be obtained, installed and tuned. The game has a certain level of dependency, meaning that some upgrades affect others. Simply put, the upgrade tuning options will be divided into groups: brakes, transmission, suspension, engine, etc.

NFSUnlimited.net: What should we expect from career – will we unlock cars and car parts gradually, or will everything already be available, but purchasing will be limited by the amount of money earned? Will we have our own garage with cars available outside career? Do we have to finish career before we can successfully play online?

Jess: Expect that, along with a system of unlocking as you win races and achieve in-game achievements, you will have to save money to access upgrades. SHIFT's career has a large number of events, as well as its own reward mechanism for participating in each race. This doesn't mean you have to always win to unlock something or receive a reward, but it will allow the player to progress and upgrade the car even if they didn't finish first.
As for the garage and online, the "buy and play" option will also be present in SHIFT. Immediately after installing the game, a certain number of cars will be available for racing. As you progress through Career, more options will become available both in Quick Race and for Online mode.

NFSUnlimited.net: One of the most important features of the game is the car list. Can you, at least approximately, say how many cars we should expect? After the reveal of the old Nissan Skyline, should we expect a special class of classics and the division of other cars into different classes?

Jess: With DLC and post-release content development, we are not limited to a manufacturer agreement for the boxed version only; we plan to update the game's content and features over the following year.
Some classics representing the foundation of NFS have already been revealed, with even more representatives of this kind expected. Several big surprises are planned during the year.
Competitions are based on a group system, but there are also special events determined by a particular specific manufacturer.

NFSUnlimited.net: How many tracks can we expect? Will there be any really long tracks (over 20 km), and will they all be circuits, or can we expect tracks split into stages? Maybe you can mention any special tracks?

Jess: We'll announce very soon. We've shown very few tracks to the press over the past few months. The good thing is that each track is presented in variants; for example, Brands Hatch has F1 and GP formats. The tracks created by SMS itself in London and Tokyo also have several different variations. We've already talked about Road America, Willow Springs and Laguna Seca…

NFSUnlimited.net: We've already heard that the game will have regular circuit racing and drift modes. Can you name anything else? Any special online modes and the number of racers who can compete online at the same time?

Jess: A maximum of 16 racers can compete simultaneously, both offline and online.
The Need for Speed principle is many modes and race types, including those created specifically for Online. We can't yet talk about all the game modes currently planned, but expect more information in the coming weeks and months.

NFSUnlimited.net: With graphics that look truly stunning, what PC will be required to run SHIFT?

Jess: Minimum requirements are always increasing. This is a consequence of meeting the requirements of Moore's Law. However, next-generation game engines are characterized by scalability. Although optimization work is still ongoing, I think it will be great to run the game at the same speed and with the same visual effects as on the configuration for Undercover.

Source: www.nfsworld.ru