Figured it long ago.
The Crew kicks you to the title screen whenever you lose your internet connection
"It's not good news, I'm afraid," creative director admits.
The Crew's permanent internet connection requirements mean that players will be returned to the title screen whenever they lose their connection – even while playing solo, creative director Julian Gerighty has told VideoGamer.com.
"I think it's going to kick you out of the race," Gerighty said, discussing what happens when the player's connection drops. "It's one of those things that the game needs to work with an internet connection so I think you're going to lose the race you're in."
Asked to clarify where the player would be sent should they lose their connection, Gerighty replied: "Probably [the] title screen."
"It's not the most elegant of solutions," he continued. "It's not good news, I'm afraid, but it's just part and parcel of... You know, you're doing an instance on World of Warcraft, you lose your internet connection and that's it.
"I've got to admit though that I think our connection is a little bit more elegant than the Origin/EA server thing," he added, "but I'd have to get more details to give you a complete rundown. That said, it's safe to say that if you're doing a mission, you lose your internet connection, you're kicked back to the boot screen."
The game will rely on peer-to-peer connections, too, Gerighty says, leading to host migration whenever the host leaves.
"Yes, there's host migration," he added. "We have servers that handle most of the connections, but it's peer-to-peer also. So if you lose a connection, then the host will migrate to somebody else. That’s something that is very efficient today."
Again, though, Gerighty admits that host migration "won't be a great experience" for the player.
"It's something definitely that we've made huge progress with," he continued. "I mean, this was the team that did Test Drive Unlimited, so it's definitely improved from that and that was already ahead of it's time. It's something that we're still doing tests on. I'm sure it won't be a great experience, but it will be as little impacting as possible on the race."
As for why The Crew requires a permanent internet connection in the first place, though – especially when it doesn't take advantage of cloud processing - Gerighty says that "it's something that is completely natural for this game".
"It's a little bit like, if you think of World of Warcraft, nobody would ever complain about the fact that you need an internet connection to play," he says. "Just like that The Crew [requires] an internet connection to play. It doesn't stop you from playing solo. In fact, I'm more of a solo player. But you're playing in a world that's alive, that has anecdotes that emerge out of somebody who does a jump over you and that you try and catch him and you create a crew and you go on missions together. But you do need that internet connection for the game."
A permanent internet connection may not be the only thing that could rile players either – the game's adoption of microtransactions may disappoint some players, too...
To find out what Brett thought of the whole thing when he went hands-on with The Crew late last month, head through here.
The Crew launches later this year on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
The Crew will feature microtransactions that allow players to purchase new performance parts using real-world money, Ubisoft has revealed.
The system appears to be similar to the monetisation model found in many free-to-play games, with players able to earn in-game credits by completing missions and challenges, or short-cutting the process by purchasing currency with real cash.
"We can confirm that performance parts can be unlocked through progression as well as microtransactions," a Ubisoft representative told VideoGamer.com. "All content can be unlocked through progression, but for busy gamers who want to save some time, they will have the opportunity to buy some items in-game."
Judging by an earlier Q&A, the model appears to be divided into two individual forms of currency: $ and Crew Credits.
"Everything in the game has got this dual currency approach," creative director Julian Gerighty told us during a recent press tour. "We're not going to stop you from progressing [if you don't spend money], but it'll be more time."
What isn't yet clear, however, is how Ubisoft intends to avoid situations that could lead to pay-to-win scenarios. For example, could a player purchase additional upgrades using real money to give them an advantage over another equally-skilled player?
It also raises questions for Ubisoft's other online-only RPG The Division. Could that be due to implement microtransactions as well?
The Crew launches later this year on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
