I really think a bike pack for a GT game is still the way forward for PD to revisit the TT formula. Hopefully they are still working on this; I mean, there was no reason for B-Spec bobs to need to "cancel wheelies" in GT6, was there? But it was written into the game engine...
Thanks for the impressions. I have to say the bikes feel lively enough for me in DC already, I can't imagine how much of a handful a proper sim like TT is! Bike wobble especially feels so convincing in DC (and nerve wracking), I can't imagine what riders in real life feel when getting them at TT IOM
TT is not really a handful, it is one of the most natural sims out there. There are plenty of aids, just like in GT4, which it's based on. You do have to get used to the bike controls, though, setting up turns in advance and being smooth, start slow etc.
"Wobble" is very unnerving on a real bike, because there's always that thought in the back of your mind that you might provoke a tank slapper. Racers really impress me with their ability to ride through almost anything, especially those unhinged road racers. But the same is true of circuit racers;
Marco Melandri, for instance, sets his bike up so it's very twitchy to suit his style, but it has consequences at speed...
I think the sounds are ok, but then again I don't know how most of these bikes sound
I like the Kawasaki H2R with its turbo BOV sound, it's just so brutal. What I find weird though is EBR bikes have this strange whining sound when you brake, almost like the sound LMP1 hybrids make when recharging their batteries
They are just a bit thin and sound rushed or badly recorded. RIDE 3 is much better if you get the chance to compare. You can't get away with one sound source for bikes. The EBR sample set is probably exhibiting dyno noise! The H2 is supercharged
A second wave of turbo bikes is imminent, though.
Good point regarding onboard camera. I cannot for the life of me stomach the onboard camera with bikes. Probably because I'm not used leaning my head AGAINST the turn, but also it just wobbles so much during transitions. I never noticed how smooth and predictable TT's onboard camera is.
That camera and the rider animation that drives it (to an extent) is the single reason for TT's playability and authentic feel. It is a true marvel of player-in-the-loop systems design. Feedback is everything, and PD just nailed it with that (aspect of the) game.
Many people can't get on with the first-person leaning, and the exterior views often more clearly show your trajectory, especially if you're not used to inferring it from parallax alone.
How does the new TT IOM game compare to Ride 3? I assume those two are probably the "best" bike games atm. I've heard terrible things about MotoGP/SBK games
TT IOM has serious handling flaws, to do with the tyre model. It's worse than TT's (by PD) tyre model issues, mainly because it is far less avoidable and occurs under braking as well as under power, and the tyres simply will not re-grip until the bike is arrow straight. In TT it is just under power, and the insane flywheel effect of the drivetrain sustains it, otherwise the tyre model usually gets a grip again.
The sense of speed and the circuits themselves are sublime, though. It has low-speed steering issues like a lot of bike sims.
I have fond memories of SBK 2000, and other early Milestone games, but I haven't played them since they came out, really. I haven't played a MotoGP game in over a decade, so I don't know about their current state. I never did try GP500, or that other (now classic) Isle of Man game people are fond of.
RIDE 3 is a little rough (I think Milestone are rushing games out as fast as they can), but it's steadily been getting better with each iteration. It is the most playable in the series, for sure, despite some weird control issues like excessive deadzones and hidden aids.