☀️ Summer is coming, and we are NOT DEAD! Rust Rides Reboot, AI, and Co-op
Hello everyone! This is ZOAZ, the lead developer of the game. We haven't been in touch for a long time, and there are good reasons for that. I'm still here, and our team is actively working not just to meet your expectations, but to truly blow your minds.
The situation is a bit complicated, so I'll be blunt: Rust Rides will NOT be released in the form you saw it before. But don't rush to get upset! We haven't abandoned the game; we've reimagined it and rebuilt it from scratch. We discarded some old ideas to make room for true gaming innovations that you have NEVER seen before.
Let's break it all down.
🛑 REGARDING RUST RIDES: Course Change and New Philosophy
We are clearly transitioning to a different genre. From now on, we are moving towards co-op racing.
Yes, this is a significant concept shift. Previously, we bet on procedural infinite world generation: a network of high-speed tracks intertwining with rural roads across endless biomes. It worked and looked cool in the early stages, but we faced harsh reality: procedural solutions ruthlessly devour optimization and image quality.
Therefore, we made a choice in favor of detailing, photorealism, and stable FPS. We want every meter of the track to be engaging, not just algorithmically generated. Perhaps we'll return to generation experiments in the future, but right now, the focus is on quality.
Why does the Steam page still look the same?
We decided to update the description, trailers, and screenshots on the page only when the game is 70% ready. So, as soon as you see the Rust Rides page change drastically, you'll know we've entered the final stretch before release!
Regarding the title:
There is a high probability that the game will change its name, as "Rust Rides" might no longer fully reflect what our project has become. Currently, the project's working codename is CNS (seCret Name Sunrise). It sounds a bit silly, but let it be our little secret. Time will tell if we keep the RR abbreviation or switch to CNS.
🔥 WHAT'S NEW? Innovations, Graphics, and AI Magic
We're not just making a racing game. We are creating technologies that don't exist in other games. Our goal is not to make a quick buck off you, but to amaze you.
🚗 Your own car from a single photo (This is not a joke)
I work almost every day on an absolutely insane technology: a local, extremely lightweight, and reliable Artificial Intelligence integrated right into the game. It will give you the ability to GENERATE THE CAR you'll drive using just one photo!
This is a very fresh concept. Look at this image: both cars were generated by AI based on just one photo for each.
Right now, it's an early concept, but I'm doing everything I can to increase the resolution and texture quality.
A bit of technical nerdiness: my AI works completely differently from typical neural networks. To compress shape calculations, I use a 1D audio stream (the so-called "modem squeak"). This is an innovative, atypical, and highly efficient approach. I hope our competitors don't steal this idea before release! 😉
🌄 Photorealism and Optimization
We are on the path of creating the most pleasing visual experience possible. Our level designer literally sacrifices her weekends, combining work with her hobby, so you can immerse yourself in incredibly beautiful and atmospheric locations.
But beautiful graphics are worth nothing without optimization. I am personally responsible for that. Those who played the old Rust Rides builds know: we never had issues with FPS; the game flew even on older GTX series graphics cards.
And I have good news for you: we've preserved and improved our unique technology for combating texture blur in Unreal Engine (Overdrive pool). If your graphics card runs out of memory, we very carefully, at the driver level, clear the cache of old textures. No "blurry" graphics—we care about your PCs!
🛠 Modding: A New Approach to Steam Workshop
Modding is here to stay, but it will become more convenient. Previously, we processed proprietary FBX models directly in the game using heavy C++ libraries. We parsed polygons, broke them down into json files, and similarly cached properties (door opening speed, durability, etc.). It was very complicated.
Now, we are doing it differently. The game will support Steam Workshop, but all the tools will be moved to a separate, user-friendly Python application. This will speed up the workflow, allow us to easily support modern formats (like .gltf), and make creating mods much more enjoyable for you.
📡 Community Radar and Release Plans
When is the release? We really hope to release the game closer to summer vacation. We strongly hope that we won't have to postpone it anymore, and we apologize for the previous delays.
Right now, as the lead developer, I have only two vital tasks:
Not starve to death.
Make an incredible project with love for details and bold decisions for everyone who has been waiting for the game.
We sincerely hope for the support of the press and our community. Spread the news! We read every single one of your Reddit posts, we see every TikTok video. We hear you, and we are endlessly grateful for your patience.
We hope your summer starts right here with our game! ☻
With love and machine code,
Your ZOAZ and the development team.