B-spec mode

[bmw5150]

Why did PD make this mode?

"Yamauchi explained that while playing the game he often found himself competing in races simply to get access to the replay afterwards. This led to a desire to create a new way to play while enjoying what many consider to be the finest replays in the racing genre."

MasterGT

Good thinking from Yamauchi!!!!!!!! I can relate to that... This mode is gonna be fun, I just hope we can kinda hide the menus and displays on the screen by pressing a button that we can press again to have it back, cuz when I'm watching the race I don't like having the screen full of displays...

 

[cudadude2]

I just rewatched the B-spec 787B vid, at the end an interesing screen comes up. It not only gives the times that the cars ran the race in but also the cars weights and horse power figures. That'll be good for catching cheaters in our winter weekend race nights!

b

 

[TriplePlay]

^^^
I can't watch it yet, I'm still at school. I'll probably be able to see it later in the week, like thursday or friday. Can someone tell me if I'm missing much (I don't want to read the rest of the thread)??

 

[yeti]

Am I being a bit silly here or has PD missed an option for B-Spec... There is 1 to 5, Pit and Overtake... but what about driving defensively and stopping someone from overtaking by hogging the racing lines?

I reckon it would be pretty good to blast past everyone on level 5 and overtake... then drop it to level 1 and drive defensive and back up the field so they've all got to watch their own backs as well as trying to overtake?!

C.

 

[Sven]

I wonder if you can switch from A-spec to B-spec during the race...

I thought I read something about being able to do that, but I can't find it now. I hope it's an option.

I wonder if you'll be able to make a race plan and dictate a strategy. Because if you have to sit there and pay attention to things and tell the AI when to pit, it would kind of defeat the purpose of the mode in some cases. Like, you wouldn't be able to just start up a 12h race and let it run out overnight while you're sleeping.

Also, if you can really speed up the race to 4x speed, shouldn't that mean that they could be doing four times as many physics calculations per second at normal speed, to make these even more crazy realistic? Or wouldn't they be able to squeeze in a few more polys in normal races?

 

[Tacet_Blue]

I wonder if you can switch from A-spec to B-spec during the race...

I doubt it, as the option to choose from A-Spec to B-Spec is before the race starts.

Also, if you can really speed up the race to 4x speed, shouldn't that mean that they could be doing four times as many physics calculations per second at normal speed, to make these even more crazy realistic? Or wouldn't they be able to squeeze in a few more polys in normal races?

Yes there would be four times as many calcs per second, but the problem is in displaying them, not in doing them in the background I don't know of the GT4 stats, but Forza does 180 calculations per second but can only display at 30.

 

[Sven]

Didn't Kaz say that with PS3 he'd like to do 300 calculations per second? I don't see myself getting a TV that can do 300fps that soon, so why couldn't it be done in GT4?

 

[hellnback]

Another thought I might have to keep two separate memory card games now... one to track my actual driving progress and another to track my B-Spec Mode progress, keeping them totally separate...

It'd would've really been smokin if you could give the AI driver in B-Spec mode the commands via headset...

 

[PjotrStroganov]

I think this will already be done in your normal savegame. One record for B-spec and one for A-spec.

*edit: misread your post. Think the laptimes etc. will be separate. Don't know about progress. That's why I am skeptical about the B-spec mode. For some people it wil be the loser mode to finish the game. But maybe the b-spec mode will be more challenging than the A-spec mode. Who knows.

 

[cudadude2]

After watching the b-mode in operation, i'm thinking that the AI will be doing the same thing behind the sceanes to keep the races competitive. Slower drivers will play against an AI car running on 2 that wont make mistakes, While better drivers will forse the game to go leval 5 risking errors. just hope that level five is competitive. It looks good in the video racing other AI cars, but we all know what Han told Luke on the Falcon...

b

 

[prisonermonkeys]

So you just copied everything from the article?

Frankly I think it's going to be lame. Much like old Tyco slot cars. How hard do you want to squeeze the trigger? Too hard and it'll fly off in the curves. The fun lasts for about 15 minutes.

Even people who aren't good at driving in GT3/4 aren't going to like this. The fun factor won't be there.

I think the main point of B-Spec and KY's reason for including it is to teach the gamer about Racing Tactics. How many of you have found that you always win a race using the same tactics? B-Spec will be an opportunity to see how a race would play out if you used different tacts. The 1-5 scale with 1 being ultra-conservative and 5 being ultra-aggressive has to be used to show how different tactics work in different races. If you stick it on 5 for an endurance race, you're bound to come unstuck sooner or later, whereas 2 or 3 would be safer; but 5 would be excellent for a short race around the Motegi Oval, but 2 or 3 would get you nowhere fast. I like how the 'Overtake' command overrides any other comand so the CPU hunts down the car in front and overtakes my any means necessary.

The Coffee Breaks in GT Prologue seemed like pointless fun, but they were used to allow you to practice car control under non-racing conditions, so I think B-Spec mode will add an extra layer of depth, even if it doesn't show to begin. KY wants to make this the ultimate driving simulation so lessons on racing tactics are a natural first choice. Ignore it if you want, but I think B-Spec will be important and some later races in A-Spec mode may even need you to know about how racing tactics influence your driving. Hopefully B-Spec will be separate from A-Spec so we get 3 enite games - A-Spec, B-Spec and Arcade (aka C-Spec???).

 

[zonekill]

From what ive read about the B-spec, i dont really like it.
The only time i would use it is on the Motegi oval, then its maybe more exiting then drive yourself. But ok KY is putting something in GT4 for everyone.

I only hope that you can pause, rewind, fast forward the replay of the race i drove!! For me thats more fun then the B-spec mode, if you can look at that overtake or spin that you made over and over again!!!

 

[Touring Mars]

I'm not saying that B-Spec mode will change my life, but you must give PD some credit for innovation... for the first time, an intermediate between dull management games and the thrill of GT4 racing. I think it will grow on the doubters...

 

[Cosmic]

Let's hope Forza will not copy the B-spec mode

 

[T100]

What I really want is a prgramable CPU driver so I can just pick a really fast car and run a endurance then just put it on 3. But like I said it would be cool if they were programable so that you could tell the computer to pit like every 6 laps or something so I can just leave and do something else like when I'm ****ting or in school.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

What I really want is a prgramable CPU driver so I can just pick a really fast car and run a endurance then just put it on 3. But like I said it would be cool if they were programable so that you could tell the computer to pit like every 6 laps or something so I can just leave and do something else like when I'm ****ting or in school.

Yeah but that would take the fun out of it. One of the best things about GT is the Enduros - the challenge of attempting, lap after lap, to get your times within a second or so. As Touring Mars said, we gotta give KY credit for innovation.

 

[Touring Mars]

"B-Spec" as RPG and a simulator.

This is interesting... the official website, albeit in Japanese, has the term 'RPG' dotted around... http://www.playstation.jp/scej/title/gt4/about.html
... so does this mean that in B-Spec you will be able to create drivers, teams, have multiple personalities etc... ?? If so, I would agree with JohnBM01, this thing could have enormous potential to be quite fun, especially if you could also race within these 'RPG' type-scenarios 'in character'... (just nobody mention Sephiroth...!) I think that this mode could potentially add a degree of creativity into the game that previously didn't exist... although, it would be cool to be able to design your own liveries etc. as well, but I think it has been well agreed already that this ain't going to happen

(murmuring) Now let's see this track in GT5!

Don't you mean Nurburgring?