The wind dances to a different tune here and when it is almost done with its twirl it huffs and puffs and leaves you all dusty and crusty.
Rocks are the king of this dusty “jungle”. They stand majestic amid the dwindling vegetation.
The roads all lead to one thing, disintegration, so you best have your toolbox with you when you drive through those bumpy trails.
You will have a different winding snake of a terrain to conquer with each path you take. Choose wisely. So which will it be?
The vehicles are divided into three categories; Speed Buggy All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and Motorcycle. Each Vehicle will have unique properties as follows.
Each vehicle selected will determine the value of the fuel pickups and their frequency. The choice of vehicle will give a different aesthetic and challenge to the player which will enhance user retention and replay-ability
A vehicle is divided into 3 main parts; Front, Sides(Left and Right) and Back. A collision is mapped onto which general area the car was hit.
The Vehicle Navigation will be in 2 forms:
Fun mode is for those who want to have a classic runner feel with the ability to control the speed only through braking. This is for the audience that is new to this genre of games. Another audience is the persons with disability (permanent or temporary). The brakes/reverse buttons can be placed on either side of the phone. Pro mode is for those die-hard players who want to be in total control of the vehicle. Thus have a more invested and aesthetic feel to the execution of the game.
As a player, you get rewarded for consecutive logins, this leads up to a major reward after a certain number of times of signing in. The rewards will vary between;
As you play the rewards will be arranged across the road so that you have a choice on the kind of rewards you would like to receive thus impacting your decision on the path to take.
The rewards will be received on a daily and a monthly basis.
For daily rewards, you will be required to log daily or every 24 hours in order to receive the reward. Every consecutive log in yields compounds to a better prize. After 7 days the daily logins are reset to start from day 1.
A 24-hour countdown starts from the first login of the day. When the countdown elapses then you need to have logged in for the next day’s 24-hour countdown to begin. If you forget to log in then the counter resets and you start accumulating rewards from day 1 of the week even if you were way past mid-week with your achievements.
A typical weekly report of your daily rewards would look something like the table below.
| DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | |
| Reward | 100 Finkaroos | 200 Finkaroos | 2 Gems | Extra Fuel X litres | 500 Finkaroos+ Water bonus | 600 Finkaroos | Vehicle Part |
When you log in for 30 days you get rewarded regardless if you logged in each of those 30 days consecutively. After you receive your reward then the awarding system resets itself.
Every single great video game comes with its fair share of satisfying challenges. The Finke Desert Race Game is no different. The following are some of the challenges you will need to successfully go through within the game.
Obstacle 1: Camels and Kangaroos
Desert camels and kangaroos roam the desert freely. The player will need to drive at 5 Km/hr as the animals within this obstacle can cross the player’s path at any moment. They will also need to avoid hitting them or outrun them because otherwise, the player will lose time The animals can be alone, in pairs, in trios or in a group of 5-8.
Obstacle 2: Fog
This thick wall of vapour in the morning reduces the visibility distance of the player to 5 metres. The payer needs to navigate the rough terrain with poor visibility. Fog is a static obstacle that does not change and only disappears when the sun rises without causing any direct damage.
Obstacle 3: Dust Storm/Clouds
During the day strong swirling winds carry dust particles on the road reducing the visibility distance to 5 metres. This is, therefore, a slow-moving obstacle with no direct damage that travels at the speed of 1km/hr.
Obstacle 4: Spinifex
Spinifexes are balls of tough grass with porcupine-like needles. They prick players and can make vehicles overheat. It is therefore prudent for the players to avoid them on the road. This, therefore, serves as a static obstacle.
Obstacle 5: Rolls of sand/ Corrugated dirt/ mud
These compacted rolls of sand that look like bumps on the road can damage a vehicle depending on how the player approaches the road. The goal is to navigate through the rolls with the least damage possible.
Obstacle 6: Mud
Wet slippery soil with a dark appearance. The slippery nature of mud can increase friction slowing down the vehicle and reducing manoeuvrability.
Obstacle 7: Sand
Loose sand can easily lead to a vehicle sliding and getting stuck. The sand decreases friction causing vehicle handling to be less responsive. And there you have it if it does not challenge, you it does not excite or change you. The Finke Desert Race Game makes sure it brings the experience of racing in the real Finke desert at the comfort and convenience of your phone.
The Rush
August craves and chases the adrenaline rush he gets from riding, every time he wakes up he spends every single minute of his day thinking of ways to satisfy this chase.
He tries to ride to work as often as he can but it is never the same. Traffic, rules and regulations force him to slow down his pace.
However, all is not lost these mini-challenges of navigating human, car traffic and the mundane things in life is simply a chance to practice for the most fulfilling challenge of his life “The Finke Desert Race”.
August decides to focus on the end goal. June is not too far away and it is worth the short adrenaline breathing space.
The Introduction
August has a group of adrenaline junkie friends, one of the newbies in the group introduces him to Finke Desert Race Game. The objective of the player is to be the ‘King of the Desert’. The player’s task is to navigate their motorbike as far and as fast as they can on the track while avoiding obstacles.
The player will need to keep a keen eye on the fuel, oil and temperature gauge while avoiding obstacles that may wreck the vehicle (writing off or blowing the engine).
A player loses if; the motorbike is 100% damaged (written off), they voluntarily pull out (Did Not Finish – DNF) or if they run out of fuel.
The Virtual Practice
August tries it out and within no time he is hooked. He loves the way the game resembles the real-life terrain he has gotten so fond of with every real-life Finke Desert Race he’s participated in.
He introduces more of his friends to the game and soon they all start competing against each other to see who leads on the leaderboard.
The Leaderboard
The leaderboard will be accessed in two locations the garage before a race and at the end of a run. Each player’s distance and time taken is tracked.
The player with the longest distance covered is the winner. In the case of a tie in the distance covered, the determiner is the amount of time each player has taken. The player with the least time is the winner. August has found his muse, it will keep him excited and occupied with the absolute love of his life racing. And when the time comes for him to hit the real road then he will simply do so with even more vigour because now he gets to live the best of both worlds.
Finke Desert Race Game (FDRG) is a mobile racing game (bike and off-road vehicles) where the player is tasked with dashing through the tumultuous Finke desert at the highest speed possible in order to win. Each player is timed differently for the duration of the race.
FDRG is inspired by the real-life Finke Desert Race, an off-road, multi-terrain two-day race for bikes, cars, buggies and quads through desert country from Alice Springs to the small Aputula (an aboriginal) community. The race started in 1976.
It has been held every year since then on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June. “Finke” is commonly known as one of the biggest annual sporting events in the Northern Territory and has the reputation of being one of the most difficult off-road courses in one of the most remote places in the world. The Game captures the essence of the real-life Finke Desert Race and adds some spice to it. Unlike the real-life competition where there are restrictions such as age limits, FDRG can be played by your 7-year-old daughter to your 90-year-old grandfather. The Finke Desert Race is at the Palm of your hands, it’s time for an adventure and a test of skill.
Queen’s birthday?
Ever wondered why Australia celebrates the British Queens’ birthday? In June Australians get a day off to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Even more interesting is the fact that the Queen was actually born in April.
This is a tradition that started way before Queen Elizabeth was crowned Queen. Her father King George VI announced his birthday will be celebrated in June even though he was born in December because this new date did not clash with Christmas and summer is in June in the UK. Thanks to this new change people could add good weather to the celebrations.
When King George VI died Queen Elizabeth II suggested they keep the tradition and celebrate her birthday in June as well. Australia today with the exclusion of some parts, as a former British colony, celebrates this day as a mark of respect for the monarch. In addition, they decided to celebrate on Monday so that people could have a long weekend. This would become the basis on which the Finke Desert Race would be born.
There and Back
Finke Desert Race was started in 1976. It has been held every year since then on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. The first race was titled “there and back” and it was organized by a group of local motorbike riders to race from Alice Springs Inland Dragway to the Finke River and return. The race went on successfully and from then on it is held annually. The race is commonly known as one of the biggest annual sporting events in the Northern Territory. It has the reputation of being one of the most difficult off-road courses in one of the most remote places in the world.
