Hyperwheel Overdrive News

We've made many small improvements that add up to a decent overall effect on the gameplay experience, especially around the audiovisual cues of battle. Hyperwheel Overdrive v0.12.20 also includes various bugfixes and start-up loading optimizations. We've been refining many aspects of the game in the leadup to our crossplay Meta Quest release (no official date yet, but very soon!), which will be welcome many new players into the Hyperwheel Overdrive community.

We have also included a new setting placed somewhere in the menu for a big gameplay feature not yet released... so keen players who look around may find a reference to an upcoming feature ahead of announcement! We hope you figure it out! =)

[hr][/hr]v0.12.20 (Build 810): June 30, 2022

• improved performance during start-up and stage loading (spaced out loading processes)
  
• improved performance when creating new player / vehicle objects
  
• improved performance for various active script components
  
• fixed issue with hands appearing in unnaturally stiff pose until first grab
  
• added network delay to decal & driver suit customizations to limit memory use
  
• adjusted kill messages to use "sniped" verb if kill shot is 550m or more
  
• added 5 seconds to match countdown when it follows a stage change
  
• updated red mist death particle effect (increased visibility)
  
• changed out "bubble" kill message feed sound for more subtle sound
  
• increased vehicle & driver damage sound effect volume & range
  
• added occasional alternate vehicle damage sound effect for full damage shots
  
• added energy shield damage sound effect
  
• set vehicle damage sound effect to play for explosive damage
  
• added warning sound & text to damage message when health / armor is 50 or less
  
• added slight damage delay based on laser blast distance & speed (matches sound to visual)
  
• increased launch distance for Spiked Ball and Seeker Ball
  
• increased default launch power from 20% to 45%
  
• set race starting spawn positions based on previous race's positions
  
• made rocket target detection system select closest target when multiple targets are found

v0.12.19 (Build 789): June 6, 2022

• increased resistance for flight pitch steering (restored previous pitch feel)
  
• factored in angular velocity for flight air sound volume in addition to linear velocity
  
• fixed issue with lasers appearing from beside rifle when moving or rotating fast
  
• changed flags to use standard shader and a double-sided mesh
  
• fixed issue with low resolution driver suit textures sometimes being loaded
  
• added "Blue Orange" and "Gold" driver suit colors (unlockable)
  
• lightened up "Blue" driver suit color
  
• implemented dynamic respawn points for Target Shoot challenges
  
• added destruction sounds and animations for targets
  
• fixed blinding glare on some objects like box walls
  
• added additional screenshot size setting: "Max (2880p)"
  
• memory usage reductions for various object instances

v0.12.18 (Build 777): April 24, 2022

• fixed bug with wheels sometimes not detecting ground
  
• added down force to Seeker Balls when grounded to assist movement on terrain
  
• fixed bug that let Seeker Balls occasionally fly

v0.12.17 (Build 772): April 5, 2022

• refined stage loading logo display times depending on stage being loaded
  
• fixed potential throttle input error for bots
  
• fixed issue with projectiles sometimes hitting launcher or vehicle at launch
  
• fixed issue with rockets not appearing until some frames after launch
  
• made Rockets and Spy Rockets have some limited homing capabilities
  
• mirrored rifle model for left-handed cockpit item configurations
  
• changed Vector Stadium unlocking requirements to be based on ground & water mileage
  
• added Match HUD Mode setting which defaults to "Auto-Hide"
  
• changed Supersampling setting to use 5% instead of 10% increments
  
• increased UI text rendering sharpness

View full Hyperwheel Overdrive Changelog at NeonEngine.net

Hyperwheel Overdrive v0.12.16 is here! We've undergone a major effort in overhauling our bot AI system and turning it into something that works well enough for most situations in most stages. There is no aspect of our bot AI that was untouched during this work, and the result makes for much more dynamic play when playing with bots only. For example, a bot may use a spring to try to jump over you and shoot you from behind!

They will also attempt to collect green rings in collection challenges, can see player positions when their markers are visible (just like human players), and can vary their combat strategies at close range. The risk-based steering system has also had some big upgrades, which means that the bots can often drive around for awhile in Sky Fortress without being fried by the laser grid (we're working on it! =) ). They will also set targets to distant positions that they've detected are clear of obstructions, and bots flying planes will attempt to steer towards stage region center if they haven't seen another player (or bot) in a long time. The shooting system has been improved, so they will more consistently take shots at other players.

It's awesome watching a bunch of bot planes fly around the Vector Sky Course race track as they weave around each other, sometimes miscalculating a bit and sheering wings off in the process! The beautiful randomness that emerges from state machine AI systems can be a lot of fun, and this further improves the nature of Hyperwheel's sandbox fun on offer.

Another feature that has been requested and we've finally got around to implementing is race ghosts. Your best times will now feature an accompanying recorded ghost of your race. Races that are good enough to hit top 8 on the leaderboards will also have their ghost record submitted so that other players can play against your ghosts, which include your car color, decal, & driver suit customization that you were using when you set your record!

Here's a big list of all the changes since v0.12.12 (the last update we made a proper Steam announcement about):
[hr][/hr]v0.12.16 (Build 751): March 10, 2023

• major bot AI updates:
  • major plane flight improvements
    
  • bots now collect green rings with efficient target selection in Collection Challenges
    
  • bots now attempt to avoid water if they do not have a boat kit
    
  • raycast rates decreased to improve performance
    
  • improved power-up selection targeting (choosing power-ups in driving path)
    
  • bots will abort item target acquisition early if the item appears to be inaccessible
    
  • improved race & drive target steering
    
  • improved collision risk-factoring target steering algorithm
    
  • enabled targeting directional boosts during races & other match types
    
  • major improvements to non-targeted (risk-based) navigation system
    
  • bots seek out ramp-like surfaces in Free Play & Stunt matches
    
  • bots are aware of player markers just like players, and may use them to spot players
    
  • bots may take shots at explosives when players are within blast radius
    
  • bots with planes will eventually try to come back toward match region center
• optimized wheel raycasting system to significantly reduce raycasts
  
• updated match, health, and speed HUD to display info for player being spectated
  
• increased laser blast distance from 650m to 750m
  
• made laser blast damage fall off in the final 100m of range
  
• updated Sky Fortress geometry
  
• fixed bug where planes would slowly fall during match countdown
  
• made vehicle mod regions give cancelling power-ups for Planes and Boats on respawn
  
• fixed bug where a hand that holding an object could still toggle the menu
  
• improved homing system for Homing Rockets
  
• improved wheel engine audio dynamic volume & pitch adjusting

v0.12.15 (Build 748): February 20, 2023

• optimized wheel raycasting system to significantly reduce raycasts
  
• improved paddle wheel rendering efficiency and updated paddle models
  
• water rendering adjustments
  
• added warning 30 seconds before race automatically ended 3.5 minutes after 1st place finish
  
• fixed issues with some HyperCorp Complex lightmaps
  
• bumped default supersampling setting up to 1.1x from 1.0x
  
• increased world marker size and improved font rendering at distance
  
• fixed issue with world markers being rendered in front of menu

v0.12.14 (Build 730): January 13, 2023

• improved water graphics
  • restored tessellation & waves system
    
  • set tiling to decrease as camera moves away from surface
• changed out inactive race checkpoint transparent red material for solid dark red material
  
• additional CPU performance optimizations (shutting down unnecessary processes)
  
• increased range for full polygon terrain & set distant terrain to render more accurately
  
• fixed bug where last launched projectile could be re-grabbed when not in proximity

v0.12.13 (Build 720): January 6, 2023

• added Race Mode field to Match Setup:
  • Time Trial: no boost or vehicle mod power-ups in randoms, eligible for trophies & records
    
  • Arcade: all power-ups available in random, ineligible for trophies & records
• implemented Ghosts in races:
  • Ghost Mode setting: Off / Session / Local Records / Global Records
    
  • stores ghost data when records are set
    
  • uploads ghost data to global record system
    
  • "Session" mode allows you to race against ghosts with data from current session only
• implemented bHaptics support:
  • TactSuit X16 / X40
    
  • Tactal
    
  • Tactosy for Arms
• added haptics for menu sliders that use whole numbers
  
• added haptics and dust effects when tires are skidding
  
• adjusted dust particle effect
  
• fixed race spawn to populate best start positions first
  
• fixed bug with recycled grenades retaining "DANGER!" markers from end of previous life
  
• restored View & Comfort settings menu page headings
  
• implemented "Spectator Turning Mode" setting: Snap Turn / Smooth Turn
  • Snap Turn has "Turn Interval" setting: 30°, 45° (default), 60°, 90°, 120°, 180°
    
  • Smooth Turn has "Turn Speed" setting
• smoothed UI pointer position & rotation updates
  
• fixed UI button selection bugs (inactive buttons incorrectly being selectable)
  
• improved loading speed of Match and Match Setup menu pages
  
• set match HUD to be disappear when menu is open
  
• decreased grenade / rocket explosion volume
  
• changed grenade explosion sound
  
• decreased vehicle / grenade / rocket splash & shot splash volume
  
• changed power-up item creation sound
  
• added sound for grabbing / ungrabbing rifle
  
• added sound for launcher cover sliding open / closed
  
• added sound for match end
  
• delayed end-of-race functions to be closer to ghost recording end
  
• disabled forced respawn in races and increased race respawn time from 2 to 2.5 seconds
  
• increased laser blast distance from 550m to 650m
  
• restored driver suit reflections
  
• adjusted Rocky Ruins Raceway terrain

View full Hyperwheel Overdrive Changelog at NeonEngine.net

Hyperwheel Overdrive v0.12.12 has arrived and brings support for two different types of third-party software: LIV (for mixed reality capture), and Sim Racing Studio. The former includes our new LIV Camera Cube feature that lets you drag a cube in 6 different directions for custom camera modes (this only affects your LIV camera). You can control how your viewers see the match as it unfolds. Just remember to tend to your actual driving & shooting as the main priority. =)

The Sim Racing Studio support involves a new setting to expose telemetry data to Sim Racing Studio for potential use with a motion simulator seat... we're excited about the prospect of trying one with Hyperwheel!

We've also added unlockable Golden Ring & Stunt Gap Lists. After all prior unlockable conditions are satisfied, the lists will appear in Free Play, ready to be found. Once you have picked up a list, you can access the list to see which golden rings and stunt gaps you have already collected/landed, and which ones are still to be found/performed. This means that it is now feasible to 100% complete the game.

Message feed shows player is racing 3.129 seconds faster than the gold trophy time.

Completing laps in a race now gives detailed information about how your race is stacking up against either the other players (in the case of multiplayer or against bots), the nearest trophy time (if you don't have a gold trophy yet), or your current #1 race time for the track if you're playing single player and already have a gold. It'll even give you an estimated completion time based on current performance after each lap!

We have also refreshed the Hyperwheel Overdrive Demo to include the latest bug fixes, UI revisions, and settings. Invite a friend to try it out!
[hr][/hr]v0.12.12 (Build 702): December 9, 2022

• implemented unlockable Golden Ring & Stunt Gap lists for each stage:
  • collect race trophies for the ring list or stunt trophies for the stunt gaps list
    
  • after satisfying prior conditions, find the hidden List in Free Play to unlock list
    
  • lists of rings and stunt gaps with captions can be opened from the Progress page
    
  • adjusted some unlockable conditions
• adjusted some golden rings & stunt gaps in various stages
  
• added some additional stunt gaps to various stages
  
• fixed bug with stunt gaps-based unlockables not evaluating after landing unique stunt gap
  
• fixed bug with stunt gaps not always triggering
  
• exposed telemetry data to Sim Racing Studio API (optional via a General Setting)
  
• fixed UI pointer tooltip position for short tooltip messages
  
• set unlockable panel to show up after trophy panel is closed if both being made active
  
• made power-ups and rings more efficient by taking colliders out of the animation
  
• added race time target difference info logging upon lap completion:
  • uses leader time if not in first place with multiple players
    
  • uses trophy time if player doesn't yet have gold
    
  • uses top race time if player already has gold and is in first place
• expanded various vehicle decals to underside and/or axle connectors:
  • Checker, Dots, Dragon, Fat Stripe, Heptagram, Hexagons, Radial Saw, Rings, Octagram
    
  • Outward Spiral, Skull, Stones, Super Stripe, Tiger, Tiles, Tribal Star, V Lines, Zig Zags
• swapped out redundant "Flames" decal (similar to "Fire") with new "Yin Yang" decal
  
• added new "Biohazard" decal
  
• revised various race trophy times
  
• raised Boat Training Track starting spawn points so tires don't spawn in the floor
  
• increased message feed queue delay from 0.5 to 2 seconds to improve readability
  
• grouped total race & lap time messages when multiple records set to reduce feed spam
  
• improved stunt manager & stunt gap script efficiency (cached objects)
  
• improved world marker positioning algorithm
  
• set world markers not to fade out when too close
  
• set custom height offsets for different marker types (like player markers vs. checkpoints)
  
• fixed race HUD bug where race time and lap time weren't quite up to date at finish time
  
• set race HUD times to show millisecond accuracy after race is over
  
• added pointer hover rotation interactivity to vehicle display on Customize menu page
  
• implemented shot hit particle effects & hole decals for shots of remote players
  
• adjusted Stored Data deletion buttons to all be current stage-specific except "Clear All"
  
• omitted locked & beta stages from being saved & auto-loaded on next app start
  
• fixed forward position resetting bug when toggling between driver & spectator view
  
• added "Show UI in screenshots" setting to Capture Settings menu page

v0.12.11 (Build 694): November 25, 2022

• integrated LIV software for mixed reality recording
  • added setting to show/hide driver avatar for mixed reality capture
    
  • implemented custom mixed reality camera position & rotation while menu is open
    
  • implemented setting for switching post-processing to mixed reality camera
    
  • implemented camera control cube for changing camera perspectives on the fly
• added "Play Style" label to Control Settings and View & Comfort Settings menu pages
  
• moved screenshot settings from General Settings to new "Media Capture Settings" page
  
• smoothed out slider and scrollbar dragging
  
• added mesh-based glow effect to wheels for when post-processing unavailable
  
• fixed power-up quantity text position bug
  
• fixed bug where hands were stuck in unnatural stiff open position until first grab
  

View full Hyperwheel Overdrive Changelog at NeonEngine.net

With Hyperwheel Overdrive v0.12.10, we've revamped the car customization UI. Recently, we've also made some big graphical enhancements (to terrain texturing as well as grass/vegetation). As shown below.


As you can see, we've significantly upped the amount of vegetation (while keeping it performant) and also made the terrain textures look better when really close and far away (look at the cliffside off to the right).

The release of v0.12.10 also brings us that much closer to our Meta Quest 2 release, which will contain all content that the Steam / PC version does, which is an important fact because the Quest version will be fully cross-play compatible with the PC version for online play, which we anticipate will help improve the player base a lot. If you're interested in seeing what it looks like on the mobile VR side, we've begun sharing screenshots & videos of the Quest version on our Twitter profile!


Check out that spiffy new Customize Car & Driver page! We've added a fourth standard slot (in addition to the 3 team-based ones), a 3D display of your car for quick reference, and "Previous" buttons (previously, we only allowed players to cycle to the next option, making to tough to fine-tune color selections). We've also color-coded all customization slots for easy reference. Spiffy indeed!

We've also added a new car/boat/plane combo race track to Flatland. Alright, we've got a pretty big backlog of changes to list for you, our players (although the lists for all v0.12.x versions are available for review in-game as well), so on with it:

v0.12.10 (Build 684): November 18, 2022

• updated Oculus SDK to latest version
  
• decreased initial player vehicle spawn time on application start by 2 seconds
  
• increased spectator movement & rotation speed
  
• made spectator movement & rotation less sensitive
  
• added server setting to allow crossplay between latest version & beta when compatible
  
• restored pointer drag functionality for sliders (was switching to analog stick automatically)
  
• restored pointer drag functionality for menu page scrollbars
  
• improved pointer UI drag position accuracy
  
• set analog stick dragging incremental sliders to speed up the rate over time
  
• added new "Screenshot Size" setting with 3 options: 1080p, 1440p, 2160p
  
• overhauled "Customize Car" menu page:
  • added "Previous" buttons to each selector for easier customization
    
  • added Customization Slot D
    
  • set slot button colors to be based on chosen primary colors
    
  • added "Randomize" button for quick customization
    
  • added 3D vehicle display to let players preview changes
• vehicle & driver customization changes:
  • set default color & decal selections for all customization slots for new players
    
  • tweaked many existing vehicle colors
    
  • renamed and reordered some existing vehicle colors
    
  • added "Yellow Green" and "Neon Green" vehicle color options
    
  • enforced team colors restrictions on Driver Suits

v0.12.9 (Build 660): November 4, 2022

• disabled podium for races & challenges when there is only one player
  
• added delay before opening menu when a player dies and when the match ends
  
• additional improvements to terrain vegetation
  
• fixed rifle position & rotation update smoothness when held with two hands
  
• fixed bugs in match info display on Match menu page for Capture The Flag
  
• fixed match HUD text alignment & color issues

v0.12.8 (Build 646): October 27, 2022

• big graphics improvements to terrain & vegetation:
  • updated terrain textures in Volcanica & HyperCorp Complex
    
  • added detail & distance resampling system for terrain textures
    
  • updated grass / vegetation system to latest version
    
  • increased vegetation density & grass size in Volcanica & HyperCorp Complex
    
  • improved grass rendering efficiency (draw calls & pixel fill rate)
    
  • restored high tree quality (was using versions intended for upcoming mobile release)
    
  • added a "Vegetation Draw Distance" graphics setting
• fixed bug that was preventing grass / vegetation rendering
  
• fixed issue with HyperCorp Complex grass being really dark (almost black)
  
• fixed post-processing (bloom / glow) for screenshot camera

v0.12.7 (Build 641): October 21, 2022

• added sounds and forces to Sky Fortress engines
  
• fixed bug that caused remote player driver to sometimes stop animating
  
• fixed bug that was preventing player & objective markers from displaying
  
• fixed bug that prevented rotating dynamic objects from rotating for client players

v0.12.6 (Build 625): October 7, 2022

• added new Flatland Pro Course race track
  
• updated rifle & launcher model (decreased number of meshes, redesigned launcher)
  
• fixed issue with rifle HUD position sometimes being offset from the rifle
  
• implemented surface splashes and water resistance for standard grenades
  
• improved particle effect recycling efficiency
  
• massively improved shot hole decal performance (implemented pooling)
  
• implemented shot hit particle effects & hole decals for shots of remote players
  
• moved sprites to a shared sprite atlas to improve UI performance
  
• various UI optimizations (both HUD & menu system)
  
• refactored various systems to improve performance & made many small optimizations
  
• increased Smasher torque
  
• fixed third-person follow cam moving around when vehicle stopped
  
• improved third-person power-up interactivity
  
• fixed bug with grounded gyro sometimes engaging when boat goes airborne from water
  
• improved flight rotation physics & stability with no pitch input
  
• fixed 3D Comfort Cage setting
  
• fixed point steering input negation that occurred at speed with certain head/hand angles
  
• adjusted deadzones for point steering
  
• replaced a Flatland box wall with a kicker ramp to make tutorial flight section easier
  
• restored more detailed tire material
  
• altered Spiked Ball material
  
• improved kicker ramp texture display when viewed from a distance
  
• recreated octagon tower ramp texture at 2x resolution
  
• turned off voice chat system when in single player
  
• improved smoothness of point steering sphere
  
• fixed menu layering issues

View full Hyperwheel Overdrive Changelog at NeonEngine.net

Hyperwheel Overdrive has moved beyond Early Access to full release on 2022.07.20!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
We are so excited to have moved beyond Early Access on July 20. The Early Access program was great for helping us refine the product with player feedback, but Hyperwheel has matured significantly over the 28 months since Early Access launch and is now ready to be considered a full-featured game and reviewed as such. Of course, we will continue to improve the game in major ways from here; leaving Early Access should not be taken to mean development is complete. In fact, we have plenty of unpublished Hyperwheel content that we'll be adding to the game going forward, along with stuff we haven't even created yet. We are also working towards an AppLab release which will improve online sessions a lot.

[h2]Enjoy the Brand New Demo![/h2]

To celebrate our launch, we published a brand new time-unlimited demo that includes all power-ups and vehicle types! There's tons of sandbox fun to be had in the FREE DEMO. Download and play it now if you don't own the game yet! Here's some demo footage:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]And the Updates...[/h2]

Lastly, the v0.12.4 update is live now! In v0.12.3 published on July 19, we made some big improvements to the auto-braking system, allowing players to more smoothly auto-brake and for it to activate at low speeds as well as the usual "when the menu is open" situation. Vert ramp tire traction also got revised a bit. The other big thing with v0.12.3 is the new voice instructions in our revised tutorial system. We also included instructions for the thruster controls which previously wasn't covered in the tutorial system. The rest, plus the new v0.12.4 update, is mostly a bunch of bugfixes of various flavors. Things are now set up great for our next content update! Changelog as usual:

v0.12.4 (Build 567): July 29, 2022

• fixed bug that auto-armed recycled grenades when taken from pool
  
• restored missing laser rifle launcher attachment geometry
  
• resolved intro menu closing bug when player opened menu quickly enough
  
• fixed tutorial flag position in Vector Stadium
  
• fixed formatting issue with health text when using infinite health

v0.12.3 (Build 564): July 19, 2022

• revised tutorial system:
  • added voice instructions
    
  • changed "Stunt" section to "Aerial" and provided instructions for Thruster Controls
    
  • added floating marker UI for highlighting things
    
  • fixed reference controller button highlighting
• fixed controller haptics bug where wheel damage caused both controllers to vibrate
  
• revised auto-braking system to decrease jitter and slow down more smoothly
  
• set auto-braking system to engage when throttles are zero and vehicle is moving slowly
  
• tweaked tire traction for vert ramps
  
• made vehicle velocity add up to 20% additional grenade launch force
  
• increased message time from 7.5 seconds to 9 seconds in message feed
  
• fixed bug that prevented unlockable panels from displaying when content was unlocked
  
• fixed bug in calculating number of landed stunt gaps for current stage

View full Hyperwheel Overdrive Changelog at NeonEngine.net