DRAFTYCAR Roadmap

Cloud Saves
This is something that was very close to making the initial release of the game. It was working on Android, but crashed on iOS every time. My goal is to have a simple email/password login where your entire career data is backed up. If you get a new phone, or want to switch between a tablet and phone, this will enable that. This has to happen. The current local save solution is not acceptable nor reliable.

I will also be working on multiple save slots, so you can have multiple careers on the same device.

Leaderboards
All-time wins leaderboard, championships, etc. Compare against friends and rivals.

Pit Stops
This is definitely the hardest thing (outside of multiplayer) I am going to attempt to do, but pit stops are awesome, and I love the idea of having to manage a full pit crew, include strategy, etc. But, I don’t want to promise this feature for the next version of the game. AAA studios can’t even get pit stops right sometimes, so it’s a very ambitious goal that may not come to fruition. I’ll see what I can do!

Full Standings
One of the biggest requests is to see the full standings so you know who your championship rivals are. I should be able to figure this out no problem for the next release.

Employees
Didn’t pay your spotter’s salary? Well, looks like you don’t have a spotter this week! Increasing your head count at the shop can reduce your repair times and better prepare your cars for races. If you don’t have the proper head count for the amount of cars you’re racing, you’ll suffer from random issues throughout the season. In addition, you’ll need to hire some business folks to look for sponsors and increase your likelihood of getting an offer.

Off-Season
Right now, there isn’t much to do during the off-season. This will change dramatically. You’ll need to tear apart your cars, rebuild them, tear apart your haulers, rebuild those, and other equipment that keeps the business operational. The off-season will also be when contracts are signed for sponsors, your drivers, your employees and more.

Engine Program
Work with an established engine program or start your own! Manage all of the intricacies that make engine building hard.

Fab Shop
Damage repair can take shorter or longer depending on your resources. The goal is to replicate real life, so hopefully I’m able to get some insight from real race teams in regards to repairing damaged vehicles. Also, it will be possible to damage a vehicle to the point where it sits in a racecar graveyard, somewhere in the woods.

Shop Upgrades
This is an easy and obvious one. Shop upgrades (including buying a completely new shop) was actually planned for the first iteration of the game, but the scope of the project just got out of hand. In the next version of the game, you may not even start off with a shop. You may just get some one-off races, scrape by, then eventually be able to afford a small shed. Upgrade all the way up to a multi-million dollar facility that can house 50 cars. There is a lot to plan out here, but I’m 90% sure this will be included in the new app.

New Tracks
The game will include some new tracks with varying characteristics and scenery. Also, the distance between your shop and the various racetracks will impact travel costs on a week-to-week basis. You may choose to run select races that are close to home when first starting your career. Race lengths will also vary in distance… For example, the season opening race should pay more money and be 10 laps in length.

Hire Drivers
In the current game, you get promoted to the Grand National or Pro Cup Series and there is very little reason to keep your older Rookie Rush chassis around. Our goal is to make that decision a little more difficult. Should you decide to hold onto your Rookie fleet, you will be presented with the option to hire drivers to continue racing at the lower ranks. These drivers will vary wildly in skills. You will have some very poor drivers offer to buy the ride, which will give you an immediate return-on-investment, or you can go after the best up-and-coming talent for a premium price tag. The choice of how to run your business is up to you. 

Hire Teammates
In order to get ya even more invested in the outcome of your races, you’ll be able to race alongside of other cars you own. Hire up to 3 drivers to race in the same series as you. Just make sure you have the car inventory to support the amount of drivers you employ, or you might have some big issues in the competition meeting on Monday! This will require a fairly complex system – it will be a pretty massive undertaking, but I’m ready to grind it out.

Better Announcer
I’ve had a former announcer reach out to me and offer his voice for the game. Also, hoping to improve the announcer calls so they react to crashes, battles for the lead, etc.

Car Stats
Stats for each individual car has been requested and I think it’s a good idea to validate which downforce or engine profile is the way to go. 

Better Spotter
The announcer right now doesn’t tell you which lane is moving, where to block, etc. My plan is to fix that. 

Enhanced Hero/Villain System
The current implementation of this is basic and doesn’t really establish you as one or the other when it comes to the fans. When you’re a villain, you should hear and feel it. Likewise when you’re a hero. And, this really should have no impact on whether or not you get sponsor offers… It may impact the companies who want to partner with you, but that’s about it. 

Villains should also have a tougher time racing their competitors. They should have some AI opponents retaliate from time to time. This is a relatively simple project, it will just take some time to think out all the possible scenarios. 

Improved Sound Effects
The sound effects are pretty basic, and don’t always capture the intensity of a crash. This will be reworked and improved.

Improved Celebrations/Animations
There should be a way to do a burnout! 

Press, Interviews and Autographs
Answer difficult questions from the media, and choose how to handle certain situations that can impact your hero/villain reputation. Also, I plan to create a minigame for autograph signings, instead of the current rewarded ads. 

Lightning Mode
Lightning Mode will be enhanced so you can have varying race lengths, difficulty, physics, etc. There will also be an “Official” mode that will be a big challenge. This will impact your Lightning Mode Rating. (Name is a work in progress)

Daily Challenges
I want to include some daily challenges and reward players who are able to complete them successfully.

Removing Ads
My ultimate goal is to remove ads. No guarantees, but that’s the goal. They’ve played an important role for the launch of this game (it was the most simple way to make money that I could figure out how to implement) but for the future, I am looking for companies who want to advertise in DRAFTYCAR in a more organic way. Perhaps a victory lane backdrop, sponsoring a track on the schedule, being on a car, or being a sponsor offer. I believe this can actually enhance the realism of the game.

If you’d like to partner, my email is bryan@speedwaylabs.com. I’m sure we can figure something out!

In-App Purchases
Because the goal is to remove in-game ads and I cannot work for free (I would work for free if I didn’t have 3 kids and a wife), there will be some in-app purchases. No, DRAFTYCAR isn’t becoming pay-to-win. In-app purchases will be in good spirit and not predatory. If  you have any ideas for things you’d actually pay for, shoot me an email.

Did I Miss Something?
I probably missed a lot, but don’t worry, I’ve taken notes from every email that has hit my inbox. I’ve tried to reply to most of them, but I probably missed a few. If I don’t reply, please feel free to email me again with anything else that comes to mind. 

DRAFTYCAR wouldn’t be possible without the feedback I’ve been hearing for about a decade. So keep the feedback coming!