Career discussion

[Cholton82]

Correct me if I'm wrong as I have no access to this game but we may not be racing too unlock cars and earn money etc but we are racing too get contract offers from better teams and championships . Yes I know you could start at the top but I plan on starting at the bottom and working my way up .

 

[DrJustice]

^ That's right.

Of course, if one wants to look at it that way, we can "unlock" series, events and cars in our career paths. I.e. there are rewards similar to those in a real racing career, just not the money part (people can always play a game of monopoly on the side ).

 

[VXR]

I'm definitely going to make a career as a touring car driver. It's the only class that will interest me.

 

[crowhop]

^ That's right.

Of course, if one wants to look at it that way, we can "unlock" series, events and cars in our career paths. I.e. there are rewards similar to those in a real racing career, just not the money part (people can always play a game of monopoly on the side ).

Are all cars and tracks accessible at all times in the non-career modes? I assume so.

 

[HEF51]

^Yes

 

[Johnnypenso]

IRL you race to earn a living, you win money and you use that money to buy things.

One of the things that has always appealed to me in games like Forza and GT is earning credits and collecting cars. The absence of a credits system is a concern to me. I know other games I have played which were just about racing and did not have a credit system were not nearly as much fun in single player mode.

It's pretty simple. To really get into Project Cars you really have to dig racing for it's own sake because that's what the game is all about. When you win a race the next thing is...another race. No cars to buy, no cars to paint, no wheels to look at...it's just not what the game is about. If you don't think that's going to float your boat then this game may not be for you which is perfectly understandable.

 

[Zakspeed_TV]

So straight out of the box i can hot lap any car, any track, without unlocking?

How refreshing 👍

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

Of course I am hoping that the game is a lot of fun and goes over well. I will try the career path and see how it goes. Of games I have played in the past though I quickly lost interest in the ones that let you just jump in any car and race on any track at any time.

Now of course in those games I wasn't online so there were no online leader boards to post times to and compare/compete with others and there was no online racing going on. I never really found any enjoyment in juts beating an AI opponent in the same or similar car. The need for credits was always an incentive to race the AI. Being able to buy and customize cars is a huge part of the game and not just GT and Forza.

Anyway I am not passing judgement until I have played the game myself and hopefully I will enjoy the offline mode and online modes. I just have some concerns about the lack of credits causing a lack of incentive to actually play the offline mode.

 

[Wolfe]

IMHO, the "grind" to earn or unlock things is what I consider playing the game. Ostensibly, you play a racing game to go racing. To get ahead in a game like GT/Forza, you have to...go racing. I understand some people just want to get straight to a higher level of racing, but that doesn't mean the rest of us are "conditioned" to enjoy working our way up. Besides, when a simulator does its job, the slower cars you drive at the beginning can be more enjoyable to toss around than a capable racecar on fat slicks. For me, anyway. I love the obscure little Japanese boxes in a game like Gran Turismo, too -- one of my favorite FFs in Enthusia is the Hondy City Turbo -- because they're cute and they're fun to drive.

It depends on the execution of the concept. If there's too much money to spend, it all becomes meaningless. Too little, and it becomes a "grind". In the end, whether you're hoping for a new car/upgrade or a little gold trophy in a checkbox, if you're playing to win, you're playing into the psychological reward of videogames. The reward, monetary or not, ought to line up with the effort required to earn it.

Personally, having access to everything can make a game a little boring. I routinely boot up old videogames I enjoy just to start from the bottom and unlock my way through the early stages of a game. In some games, that's the best part. I'm just hoping PCARS offers enough of a framework around my racing career that I can feel immersed by a single championship, instead of focusing longer-term goals like in GT/Forza (eg. what car to buy next). The problem with GT/Forza isn't the unlocking/credit system, IMO, it's the bland race formatting and AI that makes it monotonous to try to immerse yourself in every race. You need other goals beyond winning.

 

[Mike_grpA]

I'm very happy they didn't go the credit grind route with this game. I've grown weary of that format. When I was younger, and had all the time in the world to grind away with my friends on gt3 to get all the cool stuff, it was a ton of fun. Now I'm older, and have a family, and very little time for games. So when I play games, I don't want to spend all of that time grinding a boring race against brain dead ai chicanes, just to buy a car.

Say I get 2 hours per night to race. It would take me all week to save up for just 3 of the 20 mill cars on gt6. At the end of that week, I would be so sick of grinding that I wouldn't play the ps3 for a month lol. I just don't find it fun anymore, and what's more, I find it a bit of a rip off that I will never be able to drive all the cars on gt6, simply because I have a life, and a family, which is far more important than doing the red bull standard championship 20,000 times over lol.

Can't wait for a racing game where I can just do some good, proper RACING.

 

[FS7]

I don't get why some people complain about the lack of a credit system and not having to grind & buy cars in Pcars. One can still start from the bottom with a slower car and work their way up until they get to the faster cars if they wish. If people need the game to be locked and to force them to play career mode in a specific way in order to have a sense of progress and accomplishment then it's not a matter of game design, it's a matter of player mentality.

I find it a bit of a rip off that I will never be able to drive all the cars on gt6, simply because I have a life, and a family, which is far more important than doing the red bull standard championship 20,000 times over lol.

If PD had made all cars available from the start as courtesy cars in arcade mode & online people like you and me could focus on racing while people who want to grind & collect cars could still do so in career mode.

 

[Johnnypenso]

Different strokes of course. If I never see another game economy it'll be too soon but I get that it appeals to some people. IMO its especially important in games like Gran Turismo where the AI and offline racing is archaic at best, it at least gives you a purpose to play.

 

[mister dog]

When I was younger, and had all the time in the world to grind away with my friends on gt3 to get all the cool stuff, it was a ton of fun. Now I'm older, and have a family, and very little time for games. So when I play games, I don't want to spend all of that time grinding a boring race against brain dead ai chicanes, just to buy a car.

Say I get 2 hours per night to race. It would take me all week to save up for just 3 of the 20 mill cars on gt6.

Ah the night, the only time us family men can be left alone to play with our toys. The misses also give you crap when you can't get out of bed in the morning?

 

[Brend]

Is there going to be a career path that prominently deals with slower motorsport? Or is Touring Cars as low as it goes? Would love some MINI Cooper action.

 

[Rubencho]

Ah the night, the only time us family men can be left alone to play with our toys. The misses also give you crap when you can't get out of bed in the morning?

I don't have much time to spare as before and I feel glad about the PCars career system, I was annoyed when I couldn't finish an event in GT6 to have the Paint chip whether I didn't have time to finish the Event or simply I sucked... at the end it became stressful and playing became an obligation rather than a hobby

 

[mister dog]

I don't have much time to spare as before and I feel glad about the PCars career system, I was annoyed when I couldn't finish an event in GT6 to have the Paint chip whether I didn't have time to finish the Event or simply I sucked... at the end it became stressful and playing became an obligation rather than a hobby

That's also a bit because the career mode in GT6 is very 'uninspired' if i can put it politely. I don't mind having to earn credits in order to buy cars as long as i'm having fun doing so and it does not get repetitive. Thing is like yourself there's not much time to act like a kid and play videogames when there are real kids running around in the home, so it takes many months to actually finish something.

 

[FLX1981]

Is there going to be a career path that prominently deals with slower motorsport? Or is Touring Cars as low as it goes? Would love some MINI Cooper action.

Kart, Clio Cup, Ginetta G40 Cup, Formula Rookie (fictional Formula Ford-like car), there might also be a Caterham Classic series - not sure on the last one, though.

 

[Brend]

Kart, Clio Cup, Ginetta G40 Cup, Formula Rookie (fictional Formula Ford-like car), there might also be a Caterham Classic series - not sure on the last one, though.

Awesome, thanks. 👍

Now I'm even more excited.

 

[mister dog]

Kart, Clio Cup, Ginetta G40 Cup, Formula Rookie (fictional Formula Ford-like car), there might also be a Caterham Classic series - not sure on the last one, though.

But those will just be the stepping stones to go up to the faster rides, depending on which class you have chosen no? So it won't be a career path that is based on slower cars like @Classic desires?

 

[Brend]

But those will just be the stepping stones to go up to the faster rides, depending on which class you have chosen no? So it won't be a career path that is based on slower cars like @Classic desires?

Although if pCARS had this I would be incredibly impressed, having these types of race class is more than enough for me. These types of cars are always great fun to drive and hopefully people set up some online series too.

 

[FLX1981]

You can always stay in those low classes over several seasons and win the "defending champ" accolade, for example. You dont have to rise up to the higher tiers if you want to race only G40s etc.

 

[Fryto]

You can always stay in those low classes over several seasons and win the "defending champ" accolade, for example. You dont have to rise up to the higher tiers if you want to race only G40s etc.

Unless something changed you can only win that accolade in the top tiers.
If you pause the following vid at 0:33, you can see the requirements for completing the 3 career goals:

 

[Mike_grpA]

Ah the night, the only time us family men can be left alone to play with our toys. The misses also give you crap when you can't get out of bed in the morning?

Hahaha seems you and I both appreciate our nightly "me time". I always get up early though, so no complaints from the mrs lol. I try to get to bed not too long after midnight, so I can still get up around 7am.

 

[InSight]

Unless something changed you can only win that accolade in the top tiers.
If you pause the following vid at 0:33, you can see the requirements for completing the 3 career goals:

One thing I noticed is they measure P and Q in minutes, but race is in laps. Will we have the ability to set race to a fixed time? GT3 and endurance is a big part of the game.

 

[JohnScoonsBeard]

Unless something changed you can only win that accolade in the top tiers.
If you pause the following vid at 0:33, you can see the requirements for completing the 3 career goals:

Even so I think it's still right to say you can still stay in those classes for your entire career if you like.

Does anyone know if you can adjust the length of races or the level/ aggression of the AI in career mode from race to race? E.g. Add 1% to the AI level each race.

 

[mister dog]

Hahaha seems you and I both appreciate our nightly "me time". I always get up early though, so no complaints from the mrs lol. I try to get to bed not too long after midnight, so I can still get up around 7am.

"Not too long after midnight" usually means 1am no?

 

[JohnScoonsBeard]

I'm in the same boat. Have to be up early when the kids provide my alarm clock. Worryingly I've been falling asleep straight after their bedtime this last week around 8pm. This has meant no later evening/night gaming. I actually feel worse having had 9 hours sleep than I have with my usual 6-7. I think it's my body getting extra rest in ahead of Project Cars.

 

[Wolfe]

Although if pCARS had this I would be incredibly impressed, having these types of race class is more than enough for me. These types of cars are always great fun to drive and hopefully people set up some online series too.

I'm sure I will feel most at home in cars like the Ginetta G40, Caterham Classic, and Group A touring cars.

I don't get why some people complain about the lack of a credit system and not having to grind & buy cars in Pcars. One can still start from the bottom with a slower car and work their way up until they get to the faster cars if they wish. If people need the game to be locked and to force them to play career mode in a specific way in order to have a sense of progress and accomplishment then it's not a matter of game design, it's a matter of player mentality.

If PD had made all cars available from the start as courtesy cars in arcade mode & online people like you and me could focus on racing while people who want to grind & collect cars could still do so in career mode.

I don't think anyone here would argue against a "free play" mode like you describe (I guess some of us who aren't Gran Turismo players take that accomodation for granted). The point isn't that it's better to withhold content behind a padlock, it's about providing a context for long-term play. A racing career mode with unrestricted access to everything is a bit like a game of Monopoly where players are allowed to move to any space they want on any turn. It's realistic enough -- real life entrepreneurs don't drive in circles to tour properties for sale -- but don't be surprised if others ask, "how long could that last?" Taking time to earn your assets is straightforward game design.

If PCARS is going to succeed where other sims have failed to break out of their niche, it's SMS's responsibility to provide other goals and rewards, not the player's. Based on what I know about the career mode (trying not to spoil too much), I'm personally not worried, but it's a legitimate concern.

 

[Mike_grpA]

"Not too long after midnight" usually means 1am no?

Hahahaha. Usually, about the time I start hating myself for depriving myself of a good night's sleep - that's when I'll turn everything off and head to bed. Of course, first thing next morning I'm hating myself even more when I'm dragging myself around the house, coffee in hand, like the undead, trying to jump-start my brain before the day begins lol.

Then, after my boy's in bed, and the mrs starts reading a book/goes on the laptop/goes to watch a movie in bed, at about 9pm - 10pm, IT'S ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!

 

[regnar]

Does anyone know if you can adjust the length of races or the level/ aggression of the AI in career mode from race to race? E.g. Add 1% to the AI level each race.

Between each race there is three options, Session Length (0-100%), I think default is 7%, Opponent Skill (Beginner to Ace) & Allow Restarts (Yes/No).

Currently running the Clio Cup under the Touring Cars, each race starts out with practice, qualifying
& two races, mandatory pitting on the second race.

In the latest build notes Laguna Seca they are reducing the grid size from 36 to 26 to allow enough room in the pit area between cars.