At E3, we here at PlayStationer.net had the chance to attend a DriveClub Q and A session with Paul Rustchynsky, Alex Perkins and Col Rodgers of Evolution Studios. Check out the transcript of the Q and A below, full of DriveClub information!

What is the slowest car in the game? Is the game solely focussed on super-fast cars?

We haven’t announced the slowest car in the game yet. The game will have everything from hot-hatches to Super and Hyper cars. Of all the cars we’ve announced so far, the slowest would be the Mercedes AMG A45, which goes from 0-60 in 4.5seconds…

Would you classify the game as arcade or simulator? Will it appeal more to car enthusiasts or will anyone have the ability to pick up and play?

Hopefully both. We’ve focussed on developing a handling model which will deliver an authentic racing experience. At the same time, we want people to just be able to pick up the game, jump in and have fun and because of this, the handling model will be accessable. The game however is deep enough to allow the more dedicated players the ability to shave off those miliseconds on lap times by getting the right breaking points, focussing on hitting the apexes, understanding their cars and following the right racing line.

Are there any real tracks in the game or are they all fictional? Any off roading?

No offroading. Tracks are based off real locations but tweaked to a point where we’ve used DEM data to get the correct geometry of the landscapes of the particular areas. We are aiming to capturing the heart on the soul of the location, the particular road types found in each type of location, the types of corners, the feel and the wear on the tarmack, the flora etc.

In relation to clubs themselves, are you tied to one club at a time? Can you drop in and out of clubs as you please?

You can only be in one club at any one time. The reason for this is that there are so many shared benefits of being within a club. If you are a member of one club and all your team mates are earning fame, they’re earning cash etc, this is essentially a shared pot so in essence, you get to revel in their rewards as well. Because of this, it is very important to pick the right club for you. Different clubs will have different focuses. It’s all about picking the club thats good for you.

Is there a limit to how many members per club?

There is a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 12.

How many tracks are there in the game?

We’re currently not talking numbers just yet. There are however various locations spread all over the planet, both southern and northern hemispheres. We’ll be announcing where and exactly how many later on but there are some definite surprises.

Graphics wise, can we expect 1080p and 60 frames per second?

The demo currently available here at E3 is running at 30fps but 60fps is something we are definitely targeting. Obviously we are a game in development and we are aiming towards the 60fps goal but we cannot make any promises right now. In terms of resolution, the game will run at 1080p native. You gotta love those pixels.

Will there be weather effects?

This is actually a question that comes up quite a bit. Obviously, what we’re currently focussed on is getting the game perfect and building a community around it first, but if there is a call for weather effects, nothing is currently off the cards at this point. The game that you play day 1 on PlayStation 4 is not going to be the same game you play a year down the line because it will have evolved a lot. We’re keeping the development architecture of the tracks etc very much open. We’re not closing off anything just yet. Time of day is something that will be implemented at launch.

Will DriveClub have dedicated servers?

Yes.

Is there a fixed structure in place for single player?

Yes there is, we have a championship mode that has a good deal of gameplay so if you do choose to play offline, you won’t be disappointed.

Is it necessary to complete the single player mode in order to unlock cars for multiplayer?

Not at all, you can play whatever way you want, whenever you want.

Will the solo player evolve in time?

Yes it will, as we add new locations etc into the game, these will be integrated into the single player experience.

PS Plus version aside, is it a full priced game?

Yes it is. It will be available day one at retail and on the PlayStation store as a digital download, as well as the PS Plus version, all available day one.

Can you describe the PS Plus version for us?

Yes, the PS Plus version will be the exact same as the full version, except that it may be missing a few assets such as cars or tracks, that will be found in the full version. However the online multiplayer, the asynchronous challenges and the single player campaign will all be present in the PS Plus version. The PS Plus version gives us to the biggest open community, day one. This game is all about socialising.

If I have the PS Plus version, can I buy additional content?

Absolutely, you can buy any/all of the content that you want. You could download the PS Plus version and then decide that you want to convert this to the full digital version, then you can pay a sum of money and everything else will be delivered to you.

Can you describe the visual and performance customisation?

As a club its very important that you have your own identity. You can create a club badge, add that to your car, create club liveries and share these with your other club members. There is no performance customisation in the game. We have spent a lot of time developing the handling model for each of the cars so we’ve made sure the handling of each of the cars feels authentic. We want to make sure the experience is just like driving the real car. We’ve specifically picked the top of the range cars and the best versions of those cars.

Will there be damage?

There will be yes. Obviously our focus is on the driving model, I mean, we’re not making Burnout, but the cars do damage, they deform and all that kind of stuff, so you are effectively scuffing up million pound supercars!

Besides your club progress, is there any personal progress, a ranking system or something like that?

Well everything that you do in the game is personal but then that all feeds into the club. If for example, you decide that you did not like the people in the club and wanted to move to another club, you would carry your points across to your new club.

In relation to challenging clubs, are you able to, say, set up an event where 3 of your club mates will race against 3 members of another club?

Absolutely, you can customise your own events and challenges, you can set wagers, or timelimits or a number of attempts a player can have to attempt your challenge, or you can also set up a schedule for an event to take place, ie. 2pm on a Saturday, and then if you were midgame, you would get a notification saying your event was about to start. (Similar to the notifications in Motorstorm RC). You can also completely customise these races. For example setting it in the middle of the night with the weather being overcast, restrict the camera view to cockpit only, and set it on one of the Scottish tracks that has no street lights, meaning you’ve got to drive with just your headlights on which can get quite hairy! I mean, driving along in something that can do 230-240mph with nothing but headlights and brick walls, it will be tense.

If I change my club, do I take my progress with me, and does my old club lose this progress?

Yes. Its all about good people, you have to trust people. When you recruit people into your club, you want to make sure they’re the right sort of people you want to play with. It’s going to be you know challenging to get into the best clubs. You’ll see the best clubs at the top of the league and wonder, how do I get into this club, how do I make my name in Driveclub and get in to that club? It’s all about social dynamics isn’t it.

Can you play against people that are in your club or organise events solely for your club?

Yes absolutely, there are no restrictions just because you’re in a club. Effectively you can look at everyone as individuals and everyone can send challenges and set up events for anyone.

Final question for the enthusiasts out there, will you support wheels and if so, which ones?

Yes, we’re trying to get as many wheels supported as possible. Obviously there’s going to be some potential issues with compatibility etc. Ultimately it’s up to the manufacturers; they have to make their wheel support the PlayStation 4 first. As long as that wheel supports the PlayStation 4, then we see no reason why we can’t.