Developer Update - Spring 2023

In this developer blog, we'll provide an overview of the key updates that we're currently working on. We’re still working with reduced capacity in terms of developers, but recently added a new developer to work alongside me. They are helping to upgrade the app and working in areas where I can’t, which has unlocked a lot of new possibilities. We’re making good progress towards an app update, more on that later in the blog.

2023 Car Model (WIP)

We've received numerous requests from the iGP Manager community for a new 2023 car model, and we’re pleased to announce that work is underway. We’re doubly pleased to announce that this work is being carried out by our former in-house artist from Ukraine, who had to leave the team in 2022 due to the escalation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We are delighted to have him back with us. Currently, we’re working on upgrading the aerodynamics to a modern spec with aggressive styling.

Once the model is complete, we will begin texturing it, then preparing various versions of it for different scenes. The livery editor and AR modes can use a much higher density mesh than the race viewer, for example, and this update provides a great opportunity for us to increase the resolution and quality of the car graphics throughout iGP Manager. A lot of attention is going into these details now, as the car is finalised.

New Driver Model (WIP)

Along with the 2023 car, we have also revived another project we had to postpone last year, to introduce a new 3D driver model into iGP Manager. Like the new car, it features a higher density mesh, as well as a frontal head restraint device and will enable higher quality driver animations. They will also be placed in the new car and used to create higher-fidelity onboard footage.

Racing Update (WIP)

Together with our team of volunteers from the community, we have been working on refining the racing mechanics to make the racing experience better. Our main focus has been on improving overtaking opportunities when there is a significant speed difference between cars. This has involved rebalancing dirty air, slipstream, DRS and even increasing the top speed of cars slightly, to allow more overtaking on push levels alone, without the need for overtaking aids like DRS or boost.

It’s also worth mentioning to all managers that Push Level 3 is the best defensive push level, not Push Level 1, as many believe it to be currently. This has remained the case since 2011 iGP Manager, where PL3 was clearly labelled as “Hold Position”. We will be modifying the icons above push levels to make this clearer in a future app update too.

In addition to this, we will be modifying the way push levels work and enabling some degree of defensive driving to counteract the easier overtaking. These changes will all give managers more control, creating a more dynamic strategic racing environment.

New App Release (WIP)

The new developer we are working with is developing a new app release for both iOS and Android platforms, with WebGL, desktop and Huawei AppGallery updates to follow. This will address several long-standing issues and restore our ability to perform regular app updates. Over the past year, technical limitations hindered our capacity to update the app as often as we would have liked. With this new release, all our SDKs, APIs, and other related components will be updated. This will allow us to fix long-standing bugs, ensuring a smoother gameplay experience for you and a smoother development experience for us!

Other Upgrades and Improvements

Also, in response to some recent reports of ping and latency issues, we've increased our server capacity for live race simulations by 25%. This improvement allows us to distribute the network load more evenly, reduce latency, and minimize edge cases of lag. We will continue to monitor and adjust our server capacity based on your feedback to provide the best possible racing experience.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and we look forward to sharing these updates with you in the near future.

We also anticipate some exciting news regarding investment in the coming months. Stay tuned and happy racing!