Does enhanced realism mean the end of original race tracks?

[nick77]

Whilst original tracks makes sense from, I presume, a licencing point of view there seems to me to be a clash, that I have first noted in this game, between the realism created by the driving physics and the visual modeling of the cars with the ficticious race tracks. Do you see the future as one where only real tracks will be in the game (maybe backed up by a course generator)?

 

[BrandonW77]

I hope so! The last few original tracks they've made have been rubbish.

 

[Streeto]

I don't think so, the fantasy tracks have always been a big part of the franchise.

They're here to stay, in my opinion.

This would also mean no course maker, since those are not real tracks either.

 

[nick77]

It's only really the original tracks that I don't think fit very well. The city courses have some base in reality and the dirt and snow are better for being fantasy.

Maybe the new and more ambitious track points the way forward.

 

[Lewis_Hamilton_]

Nothing wrong with fantasy tracks as long as there's a good balance between them and real life locations.

 

[nick77]

Nothing wrong with fantasy tracks as long as there's a good balance between them and real life locations.

Would you not prefer just real life tracks, if that was possible?

 

[Aloha62_2]

I enjoy the fantasy tracks more then most of the real life versions. For me the spirit of GT will always be tracks like High Speed Ring and it's own GP track, Grand Valley. In comparison most real tracks simply aren't as fun to drive IMHO.

Gran Turismo has already lost so much of it's soul, I see no need to gut it further.

 

[Lewis_Hamilton_]

Would you not prefer just real life tracks, if that was possible?

I'd have to say nope, not when there are real tracks like the modern layout of Fuji and many other Tilke designed garbage. Compare those to the likes of El Capitan, Special Stage Route 11 - or if we're including GT6 only circuits; Deep Forest, Apricot Hill...

Fantasy tracks allow you to create anything you can imagine, there is no limitation with either the layout or environment. As I said though, you need a good balance between the two, there are some great real life tracks too and it's great to simulate being on them. Unfortunately, a lot of them are losing a ton of character and challenge over the years.

 

[Samus]

I would certainly like to keep most of the original tracks but I think some of them would benefit from being made more realistic. Not complete overhauls removing everything we've become used to with the tracks but just a little more believable. You wouldn't race on a track in real life with rockfaces exposed to the track so a simple concrete barrier and catch fence would be good on say appropriate parts of Trial Mountain, like Bathurst.Also on Trial Mountain no real track would have a huge ramp like bump exposed on the end of the last turn.

There are other parts here and there on several original tracks that just need some tweaks to make them more believable as a real track.

 

[Johnnypenso]

I'm also a fan of fantasy tracks but like Samus, I'd like them to be plausible as a real world track. The big jump at Cape Ring for example is so arcade it isn't funny and IMO doesn't belong on a simulator. I'd like to see elements in fantasy tracks we don't see or are scarce in real tracks today. No chicanes for example. Multiple apex and changing radius curves, more slightly banked corners, off camber corners. I also don't want the fantasy tracks to be butter smooth like Apricot Hill. Give us some bumps and dips and various track imperfections that hammer the FFB so we can really feel our way around the course.

 

[TRLWNC7396]

The smoothness is relative. When a track is cared for and maintained, it can be smooth (CAN, not always IS ).

But, Each has its own "attitude". I think they did pretty well with making each one unique.

Also, I agree about the Cape Ring jump. Fun, but silly.

 

[Tornado]

I personally think the at times outrageous scenery (the huge suspension bridge carved into the side of a mountain over a lake that leads to two tunnels, for example) is one of the main reasons why the original tracks are so great.

Certainly, I'd be very disappointed if realism and need to emulate modern track safety concepts became such a factor that those beautiful original tracks were removed in favor of parking lot-esque Tilkedromes that aren't nearly as enjoyable to race on.

 

[Samus]

I personally think the at times outrageous scenery (the huge suspension bridge carved into the side of a mountain that leads to two tunnels, for example) is one of the main reasons why the original tracks are so great. Certainly, I'd be very disappointed if realism and need to emulate track safety became such a factor that those original tracks were removed in favor of Tilkedromes.

Personally I've no problem with unlikely scenery, it's just the unsafe tracksides that I think need sorting. As long as there is a barrier of some sort between the track and the crazily unsafe scenery It'd feel more realistic. I think Bathurst is a good example, it has some pretty extraordinary scenery that isn't exactly super safe now without the concrete barriers it would be deadly. A lot of the GT originals are similar.

Also there is that track in Argentina I forget the name of that is pretty crazy but it has barriers and catch fencing.

Another example, this on Deep Forest:

It's obviously a straight but bareface rock on one side and one little barrier between cars and a huge plummet to death on the other doesn't feel realistic.

 

[sparkytooth]

I don't see a reason for them to leave, as long as they're racing courses.

 

[TRLWNC7396]

All is relative....

It adds to the "flavor" of that track. Sure, it's not real, but, since when was GT ever COMPLETELY real....?

 

[twitcher]

The original tracks are some of my favorites. They have really nice flow to them.

The virtual world is a blank canvas. Why would you want to use it to only recreate reality, instead if also creating something completely new? Let you imagination run wild!

I do agree with a few of the points in regards to fixing up a couple if the original tracks to make them slightly more realistic. Either slightly more like an actual racetrack, or more like an actual road (sort of thinking of the Isle of Mann TT track...hardly anything in the way of barriers and such).

For drifting, I'd argue that the original tracks are better than the real world tracks in the sense that with most of them (GVS, Trial Mtn., Deep Forest, A-Ring, SSR5, Madrid, London) you can link nearly the entire track without losing drift (in both directions). The real world tracks have some great sections, but aren't great candidates for full laps (Tsukuba & Suzuka East being the exceptions).

I do wish they would add some variety to the original tracks with varying widths, and more bumps and character.

 

[TRLWNC7396]

Course maker....

 

[gitslautriv]

GT needs unique tracks to keep some form of identity rather than relying on only real circuits, as too many racers do. A healthy mix of real and designed is good.

 

[stuff1138]

There's too many good GT originals. If they got rid of all of them that would be reason for me to stop buying new games in the series.

 

[Awong124]

I would certainly like to keep most of the original tracks but I think some of them would benefit from being made more realistic. Not complete overhauls removing everything we've become used to with the tracks but just a little more believable. You wouldn't race on a track in real life with rockfaces exposed to the track so a simple concrete barrier and catch fence would be good on say appropriate parts of Trial Mountain, like Bathurst.Also on Trial Mountain no real track would have a huge ramp like bump exposed on the end of the last turn.

There are other parts here and there on several original tracks that just need some tweaks to make them more believable as a real track.

Personally I've no problem with unlikely scenery, it's just the unsafe tracksides that I think need sorting. As long as there is a barrier of some sort between the track and the crazily unsafe scenery It'd feel more realistic. I think Bathurst is a good example, it has some pretty extraordinary scenery that isn't exactly super safe now without the concrete barriers it would be deadly. A lot of the GT originals are similar.

Also there is that track in Argentina I forget the name of that is pretty crazy but it has barriers and catch fencing.

Another example, this on Deep Forest:

It's obviously a straight but bareface rock on one side and one little barrier between cars and a huge plummet to death on the other doesn't feel realistic.

That is exactly how I feel about the issue.

 

[binbin90]

I believe they have to stay, Original tracks provide a variety as most real world tracks are already seen on many other racing games

 

[TRLWNC7396]

And I do hope more are created!

 

[binbin90]

And I do hope more are created!

I agree

 

[stuff1138]

And I do hope more are created!

Indeed!

 

[gitslautriv]

I believe they have to stay, Original tracks provide a variety as most real world tracks are already seen on many other racing games

Not at all a dig at real circuits, but I agree about the variety as opposed to other games.