Off to the Races - TCPD Update #14!

I told you I'd be trying to push updates more frequently, and here we are! The latest update for Tristan Cole's Pro Driver focuses mainly on improving checkpoint races and UI screens, as well as some other vehicle gameplay and level design updates. Read the full patch notes for the latest dev build below!

• Last things, be sure to follow TCPD on Steam to get the latest updates and wishlist now to get notified when it finally releases!

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🔳 Latest Changes (5/16/26 build)

• Gameplay updates!

  • Vehicle physics and handling improvements:

    • Grind dismounts (jumping and rail ends) now work consistently and keep momentum.

    • Vert ramps transfers are much smoother.

    • Updated landing momentum to keep speed.

    • Speed up vehicle reversing.

    • Tried adding some a bumpstop to prevent occasional bottoming out.

  • Give half boost meter as incentive for doing loop trick.

• Updated checkpoint races!

  • Four races in each district now available at garages.

  • Updated win condition - you can now get Gold, Silver, or Bronze times.

    • Each race has a bonus score limit - hit it to receive an extra cash bonus!

  • Most races now unlock a car customization part.

  • Improved UI for race selection & completion status.

  • Added ability to restart & quit races.

  • Some checkpoints now have extra directional arrows for navigation (on top of UI arrow).

• General changes:

  • Various updates to LATC:

    • More props and detail across rooftops.

    • Added a couple new props around the map like scaffolding.

    • Testing out hittables on sides of buildings (like awnings) for wall rides.

    • Highway walls fixed so player can't clip through.

    • Less pedestrian dialogue when running away.

  • General UI changes:

    • Better controller compatibility.

    • Added selection sound to most menus.

    • Updated a couple menus to use headunit style.

    • Restart & quit buttons added for objectives.

    • Change no cash popup to visual & sound cue.

  • Customization now saves properly when exiting menu.

  • Added one additional street race route.

This is not a full list of changes, it's been a while so there's too many to list even if I had kept track! I encourage you to explore the city to see what's changed, have fun doing some races, and try to break things!

🔳 What's Next?!

This go around I focused mainly on races and making related changes while testing them out. Originally I planned to have each race work double duty and have a reverse night race - that quickly fell apart when I realized that some races like the rooftop runs were impossible to reverse without major rework. I really liked the roof races and constantly changing elevations, so I decided to just let those ride for now.

I started working on improving street races, but right now I don't find them very fun. The random encounter and betting aspect is cool, but the AI is horrible right now. I added a secondary route, but quickly ran into issues where if I didn't guide the AI racer exactly, they just got stuck and there was no real threat of losing. I'm going to revisit these and determine if I want to keep them. If I do, they will likely be all night races, and I will ensure the AI can at least do basic things like grind and jump out of the way of obstacles so there's a chance of losing your money.

One thing I was struggled with was adding a point requirement for races. I tried several variations, but nothing felt quite right. It's hard to force a points requirement alongside a time requirement and make it feel like the two can work together. There's already incentive for tricks (besides being cool) - that's how you stay in boost! So instead of 'requiring' the player to get a certain score for any medals, I added a score bonus to each race that gives you a bit of extra cash when you hit it. In addition to simplifying win conditions, this also allows the player to keep racing after they've got gold and earn some money even if they don't beat their best time!

I still want scoring style points to be a central part of the game, so I've got an idea for an alternate mode that will focus on stunts as the main win condition instead of speed. Think competition mode from the early THPS games....more on that soon. 👀

Here's what I have planned for the immediate future:

• Game mode updates:

  • Implement some form of night races.

  • Revisit street races: investigate AI improvements and more routes in all districts.

  • Work on an alternate 'race' mode focused on scoring.

  • Re-add objective lists that can be accessed via garages.

• Taxi mode updates:

  • Updated passenger timings & calculations.

  • Improve passenger actor performance during game mode.

  • Rework ratings system.

  • Improve navigation system and UI for destinations.

• Gameplay & vehicle updates:

  • Fix vehicle being bouncy & sliding so much when landing off wheels.

  • Fix donut trick registration and revisit controls for ground tricks.

• Other changes:

  • Continue to improve/fix controller UI navigation for all menus.

  • Investigate some type of map/navigation system.

  • More improvements and polish to the city of LATC.

Plus whatever else pops up on my todo lists! Have any suggestions or ideas of what you'd like to see in TCPD? Let me know!

Send me any constructive feedback, positive or negative. I need your help to make"TCPD"the best possible game it can be, so please post or message me with any comments or suggestions you may have!