Repair Bench

As explained last week, I've been working on the repair system for vehicle components. I've implemented the first iteration of this system and wanted to share it with you.

During playthroughs, players will either acquire new components with issues that need to be fixed, or simply sustain issues on their vehicles. In this example, the player's radiator needs a new pipe fitted and some nuts and bolts replaced.

The challenge for players then, is acquiring the parts needed for the repair. Rather than implement a hands on system of replacing the piping and nuts and bolts by hand, I've opted for a UI system in the Repair Bench. The reason for this is to focus the game on getting the player out in the world exploring rather than doing repetitive menial tasks in the garage.

I feel the design of building an engine in something like My Summer Car is more akin to a puzzle game. Figuring out how the engine is put together is part of the charm. With Honcho, we're leaning more into ARP design. Replacing a pipe isn't going to be a one and done task, it's something players will do multiple times per playthrough. So reducing the repetition is a must here.

Let me give you an example of what I'm after. A player finds a new radiator, but it has a piping issue. To get this component up to full performance (100% condition), they'll need to get their hands on a piping part. They can do this by exploring routes and hoping to get that dopamine of finding that specific part they were looking for. Knowing they are one step closer to making a legendary vehicle when they return to the garage.

Part Acquisition

So with that implemented as a first iteration (there will be improvements to it, please do share suggestions). The next step is to get these parts acquirable in the world. There's several ways I'm looking at making parts acquirable in Honcho:

• Finding parts in abandoned cars (Kusahiro) along generated routes.

• Parts rewards for completing delivery jobs.

• Parts purchasable from Daizo Mechanics shops that can spawn along routes.

This is what I'll be working on now. If you have any other suggestions or questions feel free to drop them in the comments below.

P.S. The pedals on the truck are missing because they're still in development.

Current Steam Wishlists : 3436