Development Update: Accidents, Emergencies, and Learning When to Step Back

What's New in v0.4.4

The biggest addition to this update is the complete accident system. Vehicles can now collide with each other, blocking lanes and creating traffic chaos. When an accident occurs, you need to call a tow truck and hold the button to resolve the situation while managing the growing queue of waiting vehicles.

This wasn't just adding visual collisions - it required:

• Dynamic lane blocking that affects spawning
• Tow truck management with automatic dispatch
• Hold-to-resolve UI mechanics that feel responsive
• Proper cleanup to prevent ghost collisions

The accident system also integrates with the analytics pipeline, tracking when accidents happen, how quickly they're resolved, and how they impact player performance.

Mobile Optimization Continues

One thing I'm proud of in v0.4.4 was eliminating 120 expensive searches per second. The original code was calling FindFirstObjectByType constantly in hot paths, which killed performance on mid-range Android devices.

The solution was implementing a proper caching system in VehicleSelector. Now UI references are cached and only refreshed when necessary. It's these invisible optimizations that make the difference between a sluggish experience and smooth 60fps gameplay.

Tutorial Improvements and Localization

A major focus of this update was making the game more accessible to new players:

Enhanced Tutorial Flow:

• Clearer step-by-step guidance through core mechanics
• Better pacing that doesn't overwhelm beginners
• Visual indicators for what to check on each vehicle
• Improved feedback when making correct or incorrect decisions

Expanded English Localization:

• More UI elements and popups now fully translated
• Consistent terminology across all game systems
• Native English speakers should now feel right at home
• Continued refinement of Spanish translations

The tutorial now does a much better job of teaching the nuances of vehicle inspection without feeling like a wall of text. New players should have a smoother onboarding experience.

Quality of Life Improvements

Beyond the major systems, v0.4.4 brings several polish updates:

• Visual timer expiration effects when vehicles timeout
• Refined tow truck collision and pickup mechanics
• Smoke test validation on Android IL2CPP builds
• Updated analytics integration for climate events
• Documentation improvements for future features

The Dynamic Weather Saga

Here's where things got interesting - and, ultimately, where I had to make a tough call.

I started implementing a complete dynamic weather system with fog, rain, thunderstorms, and snow. The plan was ambitious: each weather condition would affect visibility, accident probability, and vehicle braking distances. Remote Config would control everything for live tuning.

The fog implementation worked somehow. Basic visibility reduction, simple particle effects, and gameplay impact all worked as expected. But it doesn't work on mobile devices correctly. Particle systems that look great on desktop absolutely tank mobile performance.

After spending way too much time fighting performance issues and realizing I was heading down a rabbit hole, I made a decision: postpone the complete weather system.

Why Stepping Back Was the Right Call

As a solo developer, scope management is critical. I could spend another 2-3 weeks perfecting weather systems, or I could focus on features that actually impact the core gameplay loop.

Looking at my roadmap, what players need before the beta launch is:

• Schedule-based violations (vehicles restricted by time of day)
• Cargo type restrictions and checks
• Dynamic spawning based on in-game hour
• Daily/weekly missions (already working!)
• Challenges mode
• Balanced economy with power-ups

Weather is polish. It's the cherry on top. But you need the cake first.

The fog stays because it's functional and performant. The rest will come in a future update when the core systems are rock solid and I have real player data about what devices people are using.

What's Next

I'm now focused on these gameplay updates:

• Schedule violations - Certain vehicles can only travel during specific hours
• Traffic light violations - Complete implementation of red light running
• Cargo restrictions - Commercial vehicles with prohibited loads

These features directly impact decision-making and add layers to the inspection process. They make the game deeper without sacrificing performance.

Lessons Learned

This whole weather detour taught me something valuable: perfect is the enemy of done.

In web development, I could spend months polishing features because infrastructure was stable. Game development is different - especially mobile. Every feature needs to be weighed against performance, scope, and what actually makes the game fun.

Sometimes the best code is the code you don't write yet.

Try It Out

The current build (v0.4.4) is available for download now. If you've been following development, you'll notice the accident system adds real tension to managing traffic flow.

Download the alpha and let me know:

• Accident frequency - too common or too rare?
• Tow truck response time - should it be faster?
• Emergency vehicle handling - clear enough?
• Does the tutorial explain everything clearly?
• Any UI elements still confusing in English?
• What features would you prioritize next?

Your input directly shapes where this project goes next. Thanks for being part of the journey.

Next update: Schedule violations, cargo restrictions, and smarter spawning. Stay tuned!