I’m sorry if this is in the wrong place, but I’m not really sure where to put it!
Ok, so I would like to get some feedback on my idea for a new driving perspective for these ‘sim’ racing games that GT has been console at least, leader of since it launched back in the 90s. But before I explain what I have in mind I just want to give some background into my thought process so that if you don’t like my idea or if you feel like you can improve/expand you know where I’m coming from!
So, I think that it’s a fairly safe assumption to make that most of us here play sim racing games, even if that is simply Gran Turismo, and the way the people who make sim racing games design them is around simulating real life as best they can with visuals that look hyper-real to modelling the insides of cars for you to virtually sit in, to some even modelling helmet views to give you the ‘real’ racing experience. You can spend thousands of pounds/euros/dollars on equipment to make your virtual racing experience as realistic as possible, with triple displays, crazy wheels and peddles with feedback and rumble (things, I’m not sure what they are called) to give you physical feedback though the seat. If you look outside the commercial world of simulators and take a look at the F1 simulators Mclaren, Mercedes and Ferrari use, they have multi-million pound set-ups that even simulate G-forces. But there is a problem and the problem exists no matter how much money you spend. Trying to replicate the feeling of the car though the use of on-screen indicators, vibrations in the wheel, force feedback etc non, not even Ferrari’s F1 simulator is able to match reality, something Luca di Montezemolo has been fairly public about since F1’s testing ban.
So, with that in mind I got thinking, how would you best replicate the feeling of a car for a virtual environment, if painstakingly modelling every interior switch and spending millions to simulate a single car doesn’t really cut it?
Well this is my solution;
How many people use more than one display for playing a racing game? While I cannot really conduct much of a survey I would imagine that due to GT5 and 6 requiring multiple PlayStation’s not very many. So my solution the camera needs to be able to give you good awareness of your surroundings while still being connected to the car, so going back to F1, the TV-Pod style camera view is pretty much perfect. From this point of view you can see the whole front end of the car, you (as the camera) are positioned in the middle of the car and your able to see both the wheels and the sides of your car allowing you to see if anyone is getting close to your front end. While you might argue that this PoV already exists, I would argue that it really doesn’t and that it varies hugely depending on the car. Sometimes you’re on the roof of the car, others you’re on the bonnet and even then you can be in the middle, edge of the roof or bonnet. Open wheel cars fair even worse as the camera tends to be at a bit of an odd angle pointing down at the front wing.
So my TV-Pod style solution would be worked out to be at exactly the same point of the car, on every car a little bit like this;
The camera position is the black dot slightly forward of the central point of the car. (Cheers to my life partner Adrock for making the image for me)
But this is not the only change I would make. Another huge benefit of the TV-Pod view in the F1 games is that you’re able to see the steering wheel in the game, giving you even more visual keys as to the inputs you’re physically putting into the game. This is something I enjoy and that helps me a lot when using the cock-pit view for these kinds of games. So I would (in this view) put a translucency effect on the top of the car, essentially allowing you to see through the car (to an extent) so you could partially see the driver, but more importantly see the steering wheel and the movements its making while you drive.
I would also use this effect to allow you to see the tires and how they are moving and there general position at the front of the car, though the effect wouldn’t need to be as strong as it is on the cock-pit.
I know it’s a strange idea to have a semi-translucent car you slightly hover over (but are connected to) giving a better sense of realism, but this is simply an idea to help give the driver better awareness and a better connection to the car he/she is driving allowing them to become a better driver. I do think that it is a little silly that dev teams force this nonsensical notion of ‘realism’ while sitting in front of a TV that is relatively small compared to my own FoV using a controller or wheel. I also feel like it adds a layer of difficulty real drivers don’t have to contend with because they are getting a lot more feedback from the car though all of their own senses, senses which in a video game aren’t catered for, no matter what the budget.
But this is just an idea, I wish more teams would experiment with this kind of thing, but what do you guys think?
Cheers if you read it all!
Ok, so I would like to get some feedback on my idea for a new driving perspective for these ‘sim’ racing games that GT has been console at least, leader of since it launched back in the 90s. But before I explain what I have in mind I just want to give some background into my thought process so that if you don’t like my idea or if you feel like you can improve/expand you know where I’m coming from!
So, I think that it’s a fairly safe assumption to make that most of us here play sim racing games, even if that is simply Gran Turismo, and the way the people who make sim racing games design them is around simulating real life as best they can with visuals that look hyper-real to modelling the insides of cars for you to virtually sit in, to some even modelling helmet views to give you the ‘real’ racing experience. You can spend thousands of pounds/euros/dollars on equipment to make your virtual racing experience as realistic as possible, with triple displays, crazy wheels and peddles with feedback and rumble (things, I’m not sure what they are called) to give you physical feedback though the seat. If you look outside the commercial world of simulators and take a look at the F1 simulators Mclaren, Mercedes and Ferrari use, they have multi-million pound set-ups that even simulate G-forces. But there is a problem and the problem exists no matter how much money you spend. Trying to replicate the feeling of the car though the use of on-screen indicators, vibrations in the wheel, force feedback etc non, not even Ferrari’s F1 simulator is able to match reality, something Luca di Montezemolo has been fairly public about since F1’s testing ban.
So, with that in mind I got thinking, how would you best replicate the feeling of a car for a virtual environment, if painstakingly modelling every interior switch and spending millions to simulate a single car doesn’t really cut it?
Well this is my solution;
How many people use more than one display for playing a racing game? While I cannot really conduct much of a survey I would imagine that due to GT5 and 6 requiring multiple PlayStation’s not very many. So my solution the camera needs to be able to give you good awareness of your surroundings while still being connected to the car, so going back to F1, the TV-Pod style camera view is pretty much perfect. From this point of view you can see the whole front end of the car, you (as the camera) are positioned in the middle of the car and your able to see both the wheels and the sides of your car allowing you to see if anyone is getting close to your front end. While you might argue that this PoV already exists, I would argue that it really doesn’t and that it varies hugely depending on the car. Sometimes you’re on the roof of the car, others you’re on the bonnet and even then you can be in the middle, edge of the roof or bonnet. Open wheel cars fair even worse as the camera tends to be at a bit of an odd angle pointing down at the front wing.
So my TV-Pod style solution would be worked out to be at exactly the same point of the car, on every car a little bit like this;
The camera position is the black dot slightly forward of the central point of the car. (Cheers to my life partner Adrock for making the image for me)
But this is not the only change I would make. Another huge benefit of the TV-Pod view in the F1 games is that you’re able to see the steering wheel in the game, giving you even more visual keys as to the inputs you’re physically putting into the game. This is something I enjoy and that helps me a lot when using the cock-pit view for these kinds of games. So I would (in this view) put a translucency effect on the top of the car, essentially allowing you to see through the car (to an extent) so you could partially see the driver, but more importantly see the steering wheel and the movements its making while you drive.
I would also use this effect to allow you to see the tires and how they are moving and there general position at the front of the car, though the effect wouldn’t need to be as strong as it is on the cock-pit.
I know it’s a strange idea to have a semi-translucent car you slightly hover over (but are connected to) giving a better sense of realism, but this is simply an idea to help give the driver better awareness and a better connection to the car he/she is driving allowing them to become a better driver. I do think that it is a little silly that dev teams force this nonsensical notion of ‘realism’ while sitting in front of a TV that is relatively small compared to my own FoV using a controller or wheel. I also feel like it adds a layer of difficulty real drivers don’t have to contend with because they are getting a lot more feedback from the car though all of their own senses, senses which in a video game aren’t catered for, no matter what the budget.
But this is just an idea, I wish more teams would experiment with this kind of thing, but what do you guys think?
Cheers if you read it all!
Personally, I'm happy with the Drivers Eye view we have currently. Coupled with the look left, look right, & look back buttons, it's plenty realistic & usable. That said, I'm all for options, so the more the merrier in my opinion. I'm also with you on the point about the inconsistency in Hood View (Roof View as well), as it's all over the place when using different cars. I wouldn't use the option of a transparent car, but if somebody else liked it good for them.
