Sharing an update on the latest rev of Track Star which pushed today. The headline is I've changed offseason training to be decision-based vs. a flat boost.
In prior versions, every player got an overly generous stat bump in the offseason. This was a relic from when I was tuning the game and used offseason training as a way to balance the builds. But it was always placeholder and given my desire for the game to have tradeoffs and strategies, it needed an adjustment.
In the new update, players now can choose from a variety of offseason training methods that will boost different stats. Every offseason, you'll be offered a selection of training options depending on your build, from which you can choose one. Examples include:
Core Stat Training — a +5 to one core stat (ex. Speed for a sprinter), at the cost of starting next season with less energy for training. This would represent the most "aggressive" strategy.
Build-specific Training (ex. Hurdles Form Work) — Targeted gains in the skills that matter most for your build with no energy penalty.
Generic options (Recovery Focus, Technique Camp, All-Around Development) — Balanced gains that ensure you start the following season with max energy.
That's the new strategic layer: go heavy on your specialty and pay for it in energy, or stay balanced and start the season fresh. My hope is that this now gives players different approaches not just in how they handle offseason, but in how they train.
This update also includes a few bug fixes, see below:
Fixed the "Five PBs" career milestone — it was set up incorrectly so no one could achieve it, which made it a pretty lousy milestone!
Your results in week 1 of freshman year should no longer immediately be a personal best, which was annoying!
Fixed a training bonus bug that could grant too many stat points by applying per training instead of per week
Several world events were not firing based on the formula, addressed that which should increase variety
Hope everyone had a chance to try the demo during Next Fest! Game is still on target to launch July 15.