Advice to Those Who Think GT5 Will be Very Difficult

[JohnBM01]

GTPlanet, I've had a vacation from this forum since I haven't had too much to chat about. I'm offering this thread for those who aren't very good at GT and think this one may be the toughest of all. Hopefully, we can try to help give you some confidence in taking on GT5 when it comes out. I'm speaking as a veteran of Gran Turismo. I've been playing Gran Turismo since about 1999. So I have about eight years experience of this series. I hope a lot of other Gran Turismo veterans (like myself) can help out and maybe give the inexperienced some advice. Hating on people because they aren't seasoned pros of GT5 gets a bit old. So why not help out a few of our inexperienced gamers? I'll express as many complaints I've seen and heard from people who played GT.



--- Longer Races ---
By talking to people in the past, the most common gripe I've heard made by people who played GT games is that they don't have time to do longer races. GT4 rectified that a bit with B-Spec. If you have a lot less time, just speed up the B-Spec and hope B-Spec wins for you.


--- Pack Racing Discipline ---
This was a former thread I posted about how much more challenging it will be to do races because of ten more opponents. I have a lot of experience in games where more than eight drivers share a track. Victory will not be easy with more cars to a track. The thing I'd recommend is that if you can't go through an entire pack of cars, then you need to qualify better (should qualifying be available for all races). Navigating your car around the track successfully also helps. Not every track has multiple lanes for passing. So what you have to do is make smart passes around the track. Another consideration is time. More cars on the track means races will probably have to be longert to allow better chances for passing all opposition. Think about the Ridge Racer games. You usually have 12 or 14 cars to pass and just enough time to climb all the way to the front.

--- Professional Driving Options ---
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has a professional driving model available as an option. Here's a key word for those uneasy about this issue= option. You are not required to drive with the professional driving model. You are not required or feel like pro driving's the only way to go. Work to your advantage and pay no mind to trying to being forced or pushed into racing the Pro model. I don't race Pro style in ToCA Race Driver 3 or GTR because I'm just not comfortable racing the more professional options. Race car mechanics are more precise and more realistic, but I race to win with a model I'm most comfortable with. So I don't race anything professional unless I've fully mastered the driving model. Don't be told to race pro model if you're not a pro-style driver.

--- The Nürburgring Nordschleife ---
Many fans were proud to see this track in GT4. Many more loved racing it. Some others find it a nightmare to race. Every time I make gripes about racing it, I get lynched online. With more cars to a track should we see this track return for GT5, think of this way- you have a better chance of going for the lead because the track is very long. Very long courses mean that you have to keep mistakes to a minimum (easier said than done here) and continually improve your position. Winning on this track is an absolute challenge. It's tough to win here, but not impossible. You just have to race this track many times and master every element of the track. If it helps, race slower cars rather than trying to find the fastest speed demons.



These are only a few concerns shared by GT gamers. I'd like for concerns about GT5 to be expressed in this thread and to get some help on being a better GT gamer once GT5 comes out in stores. I want you Gran Turismo veterans to help make things a bit easier for inexperienced GT gamers coming into Gran Turismo 5. So let's make things a little easier!

 

[Lain]

Good suggestions. I personally have to revert to standard physics for some of the faster vehicles in GT5P... I have a bad habit of stomping on the gas and spinning out with those cars under the Pro physics model.

 

[kart racer]

I will help all I can as I am also a vet of GT1 2 3 & 4. The best thing I did in GT5P was practice the online races in the lower classes. As I use a controller, not a wheel, there was no hope in **** that I could keep up. Once you are comfortable with your driving, the Pro setting seems easier to adjust to. Now if you don't have a wheel, the chances of winning is reduced but it can be done. I just won a couple in the F430 vs GT R 07 world event. Also read the online rules as there is a proper way to race online. And last but not least, ask questions.👍

 

[JohnBM01]

Allow me to add some more comments to help out those who may think GT5 will be difficult.



I hate losing. I can be opportunistic and even overaggressive when down. There are some times in which you begin to wonder if you'll ever win a race you've dreaded all of your life in GT. The only advice I can give is for you to actually study each race track as well as prepare your car for the track in question for the race in question. Take me... I was proud when I got a Jaguar XRJ9 for me to use in the Gran Turismo World Championship. However, I had an abysmal run, even finishing lapped at Hong Kong. What you need to do for races you feel your car can't compete is to maybe look for something better. If a race requires a certain type of car, just stick with that car. You can even look for the most capable car and try to buy it if you can. Most series that have no restriction on tires usually means you'll be up against the most capable cars. This is magnified a little more when you talk about the Mid/RWD series. Most mid-engined cars are more powerful machines than most other MR cars.

One of the most important things to remember is that most races usually last for some while. So while you may not be winning at present, you still have plenty of time. If a race will likely require a visit to the pits, you may want to try things like early pitting. Your car may benefit from fresh tires and a full load of fuel while everybody else still has to pit. You can still win on strategy even if you don't have the right car to win the race. The important thing to remember for all of this is to learn offensive and defensive manuvers and strategies to help you win. The thing to remember is being that first car to see the checkered flag. So don't give up!



We'll need some more GT veterans to offer their advice to those who think GT5 will probably be impossible to beat (at least in their view).

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I don't have a problem with difficult. In fact, I'd welcome it. I have going from last to first in the first two corners, which made rolling starts a little more fun than standing ones (though I'd still get to first in the space of about four corners, then). A harder difficulty will make the game just that little bit more fun. Because as impressive as it is, a win ratio of 100% in GT4 isn't all that difficult; the only race where it was a challenge was the Formul GT at the Nurburgring.

 

[RedSuinit]

What's so bad about GT5 being difficult? More gametime if you ask me! I would welcome a little more difficulty, i.e. better AI that were actually decent, instead of the robots that are implemented in the game now. I want to have to struggle to pass someone, not just do a race a few times, memorize a pattern, then do it. So difficulty? Bring it on!

 

[Bones Brigade]

Yeah, I'd kinda prefer something were winning is not a necessity. I will welcome a level of difficulty that is beyond me. Finishing first in EVERY RACE is actually pretty silly if you think about it.

Having said that, my advice would just be: dont be discouraged. Be content with every lap content and take each pass as it's own victory. No one ever passes 15 cars in one lap in real life. One pass per lap is probably a pretty lofty goal in real racing. So if you HAVE to beat the game with no aids in pro mode, take it easy and congratulate yourself when you keep up with the cars who started ahead of you. Take losses in stride and set small goals. And remember that as with most games, you can't expect to choose the most difficult settings and be flawless or even beat the game at all. Some games wont even allow you to choose the highest difficulty settings until you complete the lower ones. And if you're really not that interested, there is always a higher powered car and easier settings.

 

[Sniffs]

What's so bad about GT5 being difficult? More gametime if you ask me! I would welcome a little more difficulty, i.e. better AI that were actually decent, instead of the robots that are implemented in the game now. I want to have to struggle to pass someone, not just do a race a few times, memorize a pattern, then do it. So difficulty? Bring it on!

YOU bring it on, mister.

for those of us from the one button era (and I still have a working atari), every upgrade in generation renders the games harder and harder and harder to the point where you don't wanna be bothered, and would rather go find a copy of pong for hours of mindless fun.

althought I agree about the AI's (4 had a nascar AI tacked on), the harder a game gets, the more frustrated I get. having a learning disability (and at my age) doesn't help, either.

I know you young geniuses can whup through must games collecting every item and still complete a time trial (I use you guy's walkthroughs when I get stuck), but for God's sake, some of us are slow, yet.

 

[Jay]

YOU bring it on, mister.

for those of us from the one button era (and I still have a working atari), every upgrade in generation renders the games harder and harder and harder to the point where you don't wanna be bothered, and would rather go find a copy of pong for hours of mindless fun.

I am from the one button era, and on my PC even the keyboard doesn't have enough buttons for some of my Simulators, but yeah some atari games are still awesome.

 

[Denur]

Be content with every lap content and take each pass as it's own victory. No one ever passes 15 cars in one lap in real life. ... Take losses in stride and set small goals.

Hear hear 👍

Too bad there are so many losers around whose only goal is to win and to win at all (and everyone elses) cost.

 

[Duke]

--- Longer Races ---
By talking to people in the past, the most common gripe I've heard made by people who played GT games is that they don't have time to do longer races.

I think most of the races are too short, particularly in GT4. There were hundreds of stupid little 2- or 3-lappers, populated by me, 4 total shmoes, and 1 incredibly fast hotshoe at the front. In order to catch the hotshoe in 2 laps, I needed an overkill car that would pass the 4 shmoes by the third turn of the first lap. This is crappy racecraft, crappy game design, and crappy entertainment. If they insist on this format for GT5, it's going to be even worse with 16 cars on course. I sincerely hope that GT5 is populated by 8- to 12-lap races with a very evenly-matched field.

--- Pack Racing Discipline ---
The thing I'd recommend is that if you can't go through an entire pack of cars, then you need to qualify better (should qualifying be available for all races). Navigating your car around the track successfully also helps.

--- Professional Driving Options ---
You are not required to drive with the professional driving model.

--- The Nürburgring Nordschleife ---
Very long courses mean that you have to keep mistakes to a minimum (easier said than done here) and continually improve your position.

You just have to race this track many times and master every element of the track.

Why is any of this news?

 

[Pupik]

I don't mind some of the 2-3 lap races, it's just that there were a few too many in GT4, tons in GT2, but in-between, we had 10-lap races with the Toyota Vitz at places like the Test Course. Some of the little underpowered cars aren't much fun for more than a few laps.

GT4 wasn't too bad, but with the exception of the Endurance Races, Formula GT, Gran Turismo World Champs, and the Real Circuit Tours (?...Extreme 8-race set), there was no focus on pit strategy nor long races.

Striking a balance between GT3 and GT4 race-lengths would be a good mix.

 

[GT_Fanatic]

I think one of the main strategies in winning races is learning the amount of laps you can go before having to pit and change tyres. for instance, if your running third in a race and the two other cars are a fair distance in front, and they decided not to pit when they should of, then they're going to be pretty easy to catch due to their tyres being almost bald and your on fresh tyres because you pitted at the right time. When they do pit then you can gain a very good lead on them while they're spending time in the pits.

 

[JohnBM01]

I'm okay with 2-3 lap races myself. I consider myself a cross between a casual gamer and hardcore gamer. I'd personally cringe with much longer races since I can't usually make time to do longer races. It isn't like I put in GT4 and immediately race a 1,000km or 24 hour race. I think races will need to be just a touch longer to allow for more time to pass every car on the track (or as many as possible, of course) to win. More realistic tire wear and fuel consumption is also something I'd be interested in because I've seen races last about 50 minutes where the teams don't have to go make a pit stop. Maybe PD makes the consumption and tire wear more frequesnt to resemble a longer race than it actually is. Fuel and tires don't wear out in real life as fast as it does in GT. They may well be like the ToCA Race Driver series in which some races require a mandantory pit stop. Just pit in at least once before the race ends.

More harcore types would want something similar to real race lengths. I'm just saying for some people, some races seem too long and not many can make the time. What am I supposed to do, hate on them and make fun of them and call them the most pathetic piles of meat and bones on Mother Earth? How about some more perspective? The PC version of "Sports Car GT" (because the PS1 version was pure crap) gave you the ability to choose race lengths. Since I can't really last in very long races, I set the time limit to low. First race at the fantasy Chatham track is about 10 minutes. However, your car is suspect to increased tire wear and fuel (about 4x consumption). So even though the race is short, you can't just go all the way without needing to visit the pits. One may well say that races will need to be longer and even include a pit stop at some point. (I know I'm going to get some disagreements on this one) Some of the first Núrburgring Nordschleife races are only one lap around a 12-13 mile course. Just fine because I can't imagine doing much longer races on this track (let alone being forced to race it with LMPs in the Gran Turismo World Championship and GT All-Stars) especially in races of lower difficulty.

So you have to evaluate your car as well as your driving ability. Then make adjustments to races where you know you can't win heads-up. It's all about staying competitive. That's even if you overpower your car. Recent cars I've bought in GT4 was just to leave the NA and Turbo upgrades alone and try to win without the various NA and Turbo upgrades (not including stuff like Port and Polish, Computer, Intercooler, etc.). One of the worst moments for me in a PD-made racing game was trying to clear the 2-lap trial at Tsukuba riding a Yamaha TZ250 in Tourist Trophy. Don't even get me started with Mission 34 in GT4. Longer races mean better chances to win even if you're well out of it.

Without hating on me... any other advice to gamers?

 

[SUPER NUMBBER]

DON'T SETTLE FOR BRONZE LICENSES! If you can go for gold, GO FOR IT! Licenses, believe it or not, are not there to give you an extra challenge; you're supposed to learn racing technique from them. But if you're barely grazing bronze you'll always be the last in the Pro races. At least try and get all Silver Medals (or all Gold in the B License).

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Yeah, but I just want to race. Licence tests don't count towards the percentage completion, so I don't see any point in sitting around for hours at a time trying to shave a few hundreths of a second off my lap times.

 

[RedSuinit]

YOU bring it on, mister.

for those of us from the one button era (and I still have a working atari), every upgrade in generation renders the games harder and harder and harder to the point where you don't wanna be bothered, and would rather go find a copy of pong for hours of mindless fun.

althought I agree about the AI's (4 had a nascar AI tacked on), the harder a game gets, the more frustrated I get. having a learning disability (and at my age) doesn't help, either.

I know you young geniuses can whup through must games collecting every item and still complete a time trial (I use you guy's walkthroughs when I get stuck), but for God's sake, some of us are slow, yet.

I can understand that, and I wasn't trying to imply that I was AWESOME or anybody who doesn't want it more difficult must be stupid, something or other. There are races on GT5 that I can just barely beat. I just feel like the racing will feel a little more realistic if the AI was a little bit better and it wasn't quite a "You HAVE to place in the top 3 to continue so memorize the AI moves, so you can win" kind of game play, that's all.

 

[JohnBM01]

Don't settle for Bronze is a good tip. Part of your betterment in GT has to do with adapting and improving your abilities. As a multi-year veteran of the Gran Turismo series, even I tend to go back to license tests to do better. My biggest accomplishment in any racing game in GT or TT was going All-Silver in Tourist Trophy. I've never All-Gold a single license test set. That even includes that one silver for the A-License in GT3 (the one with the Camaro at Seattle is still a silver). I tend to have a "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" feeling within me that I tend to level up my abilities with experience. My experience makes me better able handle a car around a track. Sometimes you need to run extra races just to give you a little more confidence in passing license tests with better results. Don't settle for Bronze. It's still an accomplishment even if you go all bronze in the B-License tests. You should even be able to knock out a silver or gold pretty easily.

As far as doing them in general, every GT is a new experience. I don't trade over licenses or resources from another GT to another. And you'll be unable to do this for the PS3's GT5. Since every GT is new, treat it as a new experience. Everyone goes from nobody to champion through hard work and dedication. If you don't have both, stay FAR away from GT5.

 

[amar212]

Use brakes. Period.

I guess that is the only and best advice you can give to someoone in realms of Gran Turismo games in general.

 

[OnlyMe]

--- Longer Races ---
By talking to people in the past, the most common gripe I've heard made by people who played GT games is that they don't have time to do longer races. GT4 rectified that a bit with B-Spec. If you have a lot less time, just speed up the B-Spec and hope B-Spec wins for you.

I really love the longer races and enduro's. But I'm one of those guys with little time, so I haven't completed any of them in GT4 or GT3. I find it very frustrating that Polyphony didn't include a 'save race'-option while pitting in such a race. Only way I can complete these races is to keep my ps2 running for about 4 months or so.

I know there's B-spec, but I don't buy racing games to have the computer drive my races for me. I want to drive them myself.

So I really hope there'll be a save-option while pitting in long races in GT5. For me it's far more important than damage/private on-line racing rooms etc... There are other racing games that do have such a save-option (eg Le Mans 24 hrs), so it can't be that hard to put it in...

 

[Sniffs]

"don't settle for bronze": well, I'm coming in one second under the silver times, but I do have to settle. some of us don't have the reflexes (though I'd love to try the licence tests with a "made for the game" steering wheel, and see if any of those little habits transfered over to RL, or if I got a better time)

"use the brakes": huh? i keep getting told NOT to, especially in real life. (i just downshift on some curves)

 

[JohnBM01]

There's also mid-race saves in the NASCAR Racing sims for the PC and even EA Sports' NASCAR 08 (haven't played NASCAR '09 yet). You have to make the game be able to save the exact same location of your car and others. That even includes what speeds were run as well as how the other cars are racing. I think this would be disabled in multiplayer races.

A feature like that would provide some comfort and in being able to run longer races comfortably. A similar option would be for the game to Auto-Save or ask for you if you want to save the game at every 20% complete or 25% complete mark. What would this mean? Say a race lasts 40 laps at a track. When you complete Lap 10 (25% complete), you will be asked if you want to save the game. A 20% complete mark in a 40-lap race would be Lap 8. I'd only enable this feature for races that could last more than 10 minutes. So a six-minute race probably wouldn't have this feature. I'd welcome the ability to have save points in races. I'm saying this because not everyone has the time or patience to run a long race. What am I supposed to do with them in response? Tell whem to stop whining? That would be easy, but since I don't like making fun of or flaming people, I choose to make things more acceptable to people. Not everybody's hardcore in GT (or even in life). When a game is more adaptable and friendly to gamers, it's more enjoyable for the inexperienced.



If this helps, play MORE racing games and get plenty of experience from them. The reason why I've done so well with racing games is because I'm a veteran of racing games. I remember playing "R.C. Pro Am" for the NES back when I was a 4th Grader (1992-1993). Never thought I'd play many more racing games as well as enjoy them. I've played various arcade and sim racing games. This even honed my skills in Gran Turismo once I started getting the hang of it. So you may want to practice playing more racing games.

 

[SUPER NUMBBER]

Yeah, but I just want to race. Licence tests don't count towards the percentage completion, so I don't see any point in sitting around for hours at a time trying to shave a few hundreths of a second off my lap times.

Well, you're gonna need those seconds when you're in a dogfight with the best GT players in the world...

That's the point I'm trying to make...don't focus solely on finishing the game; try to actually become a good racer. And the way to do that is by perfecting the license tests.

 

[tupacrulez]

you all seem to be forgetting one key thing:

The game is only as hard as you make it. if you can't handle 200 A spec point races, make a better, more overpowering car, and do them for 10 points, or whatever. Also, the game will never be hard enough for some, or easy enough for most. The thing is the more realistic GT becomes, the harder it will become. in reality, few professional races are under 20 laps of the average track. But casual players don't want a single race to take 40 or more minutes, particularly in a 15 race series. so PD shortens things for accessibility. then they have the more elitist racers saying "This junk is too short!", and complaining there.

So they never really please everyone. not to mention the actual difficulty. Like I said, this game is only as hard as you make it. if you can pass the licenses with a bronze, you CAN beat this game, and you CAN have fun. I did the GTWC on all bronze licenses, first time around. Yes, it was difficult, but I pulled it off. However, if i wanted to, I coulda thrown a turbo and super hards on a minolta, and prayed for the best, and probably won.

At the same time, I went back recently, and did it in a 905. still easy, but a slightly more increased challenge due to the cars nuances. it was harder, but only because I MADE it harder. I plan on trying it with a CLK GTR later this month. See? you can make the game as hard as you want, or, you can walk into the 4000MM or less championship in the pro hall with a fully modded Lotus Elise and throw down. It's up to you. Don't complain that the game is too hard, because in 90% of the races, you can make the game easier.

 

[JohnBM01]

If this helps for hints, get aggressive. Tag some fenders and knock them into the grass. Because I have a bad attitude about losing races I can actually win, I let the pack know my intentions to win if they want to make a fussbudget with me. Yeah, there can be a little jackass in my driving as well. Even the best of drivers have tagged fenders (unintentionally and intentionally) and spun cars to get victory. Never be afraid to take chances. Even if full-on damage is implemented, take those chances. It's the way I have to win against thug AI in ToCA Race Driver games. Almost as if I can't win on skill, so I have to get tough and try to whack opposing cars as best as I can. Rough driving is not recommended. But sometimes, you have to get tough to get a win. You learn this from Burnout games.

Again, absolutely NOT recommended, but that's there if it helps.

 

[Viper-Fan]

Watch demonstrations of each licence test (S licence). You'll get an idea of the right braking lines, apexs and the best overview of the track in question. Also, I think it will be a good idea if PD went back to a race league structure similar to GT3's. Where beginners start with C class cars and race GT300 cars in the GT World Championship.

 

[Super_Spig]

As I'm quite new to GT (only started with GT4), this best advice that I can give is try to use Manual gear changes from the momument you start. I completed nearly half of GT4 with Automatic, and when I changed to Manual it was a breath of fresh air.

Manual changes make you much more involved with the car and it makes the game feel more alive. And it actually makes the game easier!

I don't want to sound stupid by saying this, but for me it made a big difference despite it being so obvious to other people who started from GT1.

 

[Viper-Fan]

As I'm quite new to GT (only started with GT4), this best advice that I can give is try to use Manual gear changes from the momument you start. I completed nearly half of GT4 with Automatic, and when I changed to Manual it was a breath of fresh air.

Manual changes make you much more involved with the car and it makes the game feel more alive. And it actually makes the game easier!

I don't want to sound stupid by saying this, but for me it made a big difference despite it being so obvious to other people who started from GT1.

You don't sound stupid, I fully agree with your idea of using MT. I've played every GT game and have only just made the transition from AT to MT during GT4 like you. However, beginners may find downshifting a bit difficult at first.

 

[Super_Spig]

Thanks Viper-Fan, and I did find downshifiting a bit difficult at first but now my GT5 Prologue Mines GT-R runs like a dream around Suzuka

 

[audikiller008]

thanks.....