How Important is Diversity to You in Gran Turismo?

[JohnBM01]

GTPlanet, we don't live in a world where everyone looks and acts the same. Who you can you thank for that? Diversity. Diversity is a beautiful thing, both in life and in Gran Turismo. People love a variety of automobiles from category to nationality. We love this because it makes us feel that we are not relegated to one category or one nationality of car. Give or take any shots at too many Skylines and Lancers, there was lots of diversity from cars you see often and cars you don't see often, car and truck, variety among racing machines even. Obviously, I see diversity as one of the reasons why the Gran Turismo series has been so successful since opening up its arms to the world in GT2. My question to you is, I'll talk about how important diversity in Gran Turismo is, but how important is diversity to YOU?

Being the author of the thread, I'll go first.

Diversity is very important to me. Everything from cars and races are diverse and don't seem too much like you're doing the same thing all the time (other than go from Start to Finish). I loved the variety in GT4 in terms of races, automobiles, and even wheel selecting. When not racing, I'm usually testing out certain configurations on cars and modding to my delight. I feel like the proverbial child in a candy shop, and I'm treated to a number of sweet and delicious choices to my own personal pleasure. If I didn't have this diversity in options, cars, tracks, races, and such, the game would get too redundant on many levels, so it is only suitable that there is variety in all you can do in a GT game.

Let me ask the question to you now. How important is diversity in Gran Turismo... to you? The floor is yours.

 

[Emohawk]

It's the most important part of GT, as far as I'm concerned.
Give me PC speaker grade sound, give me AI that could be outsmarted by a block of wood, give me green on black vector graphics. As long as there's the number and variety of cars that has come to be representitive of the GT series, I'm happy. Add a diverse selection of race courses, both real and fictional, past and present, from around the world? That's pure gold 👍. And a race series for every little automotive niche represented by the car list? Just icing on the... gold. (Who wouldn't want icing on their gold? It's great! ... )

For all of GT3's improvments, I didn't enjoy it as much as GT2. For all the pretty shiny graphics, it just ended up being less. Fewer cars, fewer tracks, fewer races, no racing modifications, no used cars. What was most significant though, was that all the remaining cars were so... normal. From the Fiat 500 to the Venturi 400GT, from the Suzuki Cappuccino to the Vector W12, GT3 missed out on so many interesting cars from the fringes. There were a few strange ones, both hangers on and new, but GT3 just didn't represent the breadth and depth of automotive manufacturing that GT2 did. The reduced number of race series' is an obvious result of that cull of individuality (fewer cars = fewer races to do with them). And the missing courses? That just sucked.
GT4 was a major step back in the right direction. From the two of the first cars ever and the car that brought motoring to the general public, to it's collection of Q cars and fleet of Keis, to trucks and tuners, to Chaparrals and Cizetas; GT4 brought back diversity. And wow, it's great. Here's hoping GT5 is another step in the right direction 👍.

 

[Wakeem]

Even if you don't drive all of the lousier cars, I think driving the most popular cars while knowing that the crappier ones exist in the same game has a psychological effect. It seems to set a type of context for the car you are driving, you can actually feel the quality of the car since your're comparing it to all the other cars in the game. Driving a good car in a game where only the good cars exist kind of makes you take it for granted, which sounds trite but it has more of an affect than most people realize I think.

 

[niky]

An illustration of that effect. I started on NFS:MW just last month. This week, I haven't touched it at all. The lack of cars in NFS:MW... actually, the lack of defining characteristics that set apart the cars that are there besides speed+grip+weight... finally turned me off of the game. The moment I put Gran Turismo back into the PS2, it didn't come out again.

Why? GT4 has the same tracks we've been playing for years. And after a year of playing, the new tracks are kind of familiar, too. I've finished just about every race worth finishing. Some, more than a dozen times. The physics of GT are merely good for a new sim, and the AI is horrible. (Tell me, in what other game do you purposely handicap yourself with an uncompetitive car just to find any shred of challenge?). So why?

Well...

I just drove the ProtoMotors Spirra last month, on a lark. And you know what? It was an interesting car. It lacked rear-end grip. It was soft as hell. It was a modern, small, mid-engined car with a big Ford V8. It should have kicked the a$$ off of older cars like the NSX and the Esprit, but it didn't. I loved it. I struggled, babying the car around the track, looking for its grip limits. When I found them, I just let go and slid that car all over the place.

Just last week I took out a Primera 20V. I'd driven it before and I wasn't impressed. But I had been driving other cars at the time that were better. Again, adjusting, and again, having fun. Then on to an Acura CL. No grip, no traction, a soft suspension and a horrible weight balance. Then on to an old Nissan Silvia, then a Camaro...

Each new car is a treat. Even the dogs. Tuning them is a love-hate thing, but always interesting, and utterly compelling. I can spend hours stuck on suspension settings or gear-ratios, tire choices and state of tune... (looking for just the right power) ...I could go on forever.

In other games, your choice of cars is limited either to racing cars or modern sports cars. Most of these machines have over 0.95 g of lateral grip. Some of them have in excess of 1.5. There are few cars that'll get from 0-60 in more than 5 or 6 seconds, most will do it in under 5. Many of these cars have a perfect 50:50 weight balance, and suspension tuning set up for great handling.

These cars are the pinnacle of automotive evolution. They take you right to the razor's edge, at speeds way in excess of what you'd see in daily driving. They're fast, powerful and competent. Well-balanced and poised, and utterly unflappable.

How utterly boring.

 

[Vonie]

Very.


(After 3 posts of endless reading, I figured you needed a break)

 

[Classic Anycar]

I want cars from every country that has ever successfully produced cars, be it the United States or Yugoslavia. If they built cars for at least one year, I want them.

I also want a good variety of prewar, postwar, used, and new cars per manufacturer. I want 20 different prewar Chevys, 20 different postwar Chevys, etc.

I also want the used cars spread out to include Asian, American, and European. If you look at the classifieds, you have quite a variety of countries in the used car section. BMWs, Chevys, Hondas, Hyundais, and Jaguars.

 

[crimson_menace]

I feel the diversity factor is what makes GT...GT.

I've played enough racers in my day to fill the book war/ peace 7fold.
This is one of the only games with and sort of depth.

It is always a pleasure playing any one of the games from the series. To pop in GT2 and drive the 200mph minivan, or the atlantique. That sort of diversity is good.

One Skyline vs. a purple one isn't the type of diversity that I'm talking about.

Dodge rams against Saleen s7's is always a challenge, and more of the stuff I speak of. GT is the only game that I've played, that actually has that possible.

GT's diversity is what keeps me playing, and going back to the older installments constantly.

 

[niky]

Very.


(After 3 posts of endless reading, I figured you needed a break)

 

[YSSMAN]

I personally just want to see a greater number of American, European, and Australian vehicles in comparison to the Japanese market cars. Yeah, having every version of the Skyline is great in all, but when there is one that is in there just because it is white or purple, it doesnt seem like it is all that special.

If there was one thing that surprised me about GT4, it was the use of Holden and Ford Australia in the game... I loved using the Falcon Typhoon and the Holden Monaro...

But in all, my biggest complaint is that they still pick and choose their cars in a manner that completely confuses me. Why have Cadilac in the game when I can only use the Cien concept? Where was the XLR? The CTS-V? I liked having real Aston Martins in the game, but I want more of the older models... The old V8 Vantage, the DB5, etc... There was also a severe lack of homegrown models like the Moslers, Nobles, Ultimas, Morgans, and Aieral...

 

[Disturbed07]

what he said. While there are plenty of Japanese cars I'd like to see yet, (American versions, basically) more than anything, I want to see more American and European cars added, and more real tracks, with great graphics and sound - I'll never put it away, I'll never stop. The AI doesnt bother me much, just let me drive around, and I'll be happy, like a free tour of the world, in a car

 

[Shizane2002]

Diversity is fine. Its a great thing. But integrating the entire Rally concept into the GT series should be something reserved for an "expansion" package or bonus disc. I'd pay $10 more for a two disc set seperating Rally from the rest of the game.

I love WRC in real life. But not when its applied to GT. Its obvious as to why I dont enjoy the disk space it consumes.

Alot more JGTC/Super GT, GT2, LMP, etc cars and more real world circuits could be thrown into the game if the Rally Mode wasnt there. And to be honest, I'd rather have Rally off on its own disc instead of wasting space on the primary game.

That would be my idea of diversity. Its apparent that the game is already diverse enough. It could be more though. With the implementation of more manufacturers, circuits, and modifications the game would be almost as realistic as real-life.

Im into street car tuning. And I also like my share of European tuners as well as their exotic counter-parts. The US doesnt have much of a market to interest me anymore. So my focus lies heavily in aftermarket tuning and european car enthusiasm.

If Polyphony would start implementing a customization process for the cars like NFS Underground 2 has...that would make my day. You know they are going to add more cars and tracks...hopefully Ferrari this time. I dont know what the current situation is with that though...but hopefully some Ferraris would make it in.

Its already diverse enough. Rally needs to go, tuning needs to come in, and more and more cars. GT is by far the most solid car game there is. But we'll see.

 

[95GTIVR6]

What will really make you appreciate the diversity of GT4 is when you go off to play another game like Forza Motorsport. While this game may have its positive points, every time I play it, I find something else that just cant even compete with the GT series.

In Forza, you can pretty much bet on what cars (and what EVEN colors!) you will be racing against. It is ALWAYS THE SAME! But with GT, because of the vast amount of cars, you never really know what you are going to race.

There are also MANY different types of vehicles, from sub 70 hp vehicles to those above 700, race cars to concept cars, rally's to just plain racing.

 

[Fusha4u]

Ahhh, diversity! The spice of life some say...and hailing from Toronto I totally agree. Having all kinds of different cultures, ethneticities and so on and so forth I'm constantly learning something new about a certain ethnic group or culture. I say this because its same thing with GT, always learning something new about a certain car or manufacturer. The manufacturer races IMO was the best new idea PD has has implemented in the GT series peroid. If it didn't count towards the completed % would anyone here have driven the Renault Menage (or whatever that thing is called) on thier own? Experiencing the "lesser power or handling" cars lets us appreciate when we get ourselves into a great car. Keep bringing the diversity and more of it. More tracks, more cars, more races, more of everything. The GT series of games are the only games that I know of that people actually keep even after the next installment is released!! How many people here have 2 or more of the 4? And in comparison how many of you have let's say Madden 06 and Madden 02 - not many if any - right? So in closing it is because of the diversity of the series that it has us all hooked and keeps us coming back for more. Therefore diversity is a good thing!!

 

[Wakeem]

Experiencing the "lesser power or handling" cars lets us appreciate when we get ourselves into a great car.

I think the truest test of a simulator is seeing how much fun you can have with the worst car in the game, or atleast, the car you are least likely to drive. You'd be satidfied with most any car in real life and most any one track for a long time, months even, because its the highest level of simulation.

 

[Disturbed07]

I think the truest test of a simulator is seeing how much fun you can have with the worst car in the game, or atleast, the car you are least likely to drive. You'd be satidfied with most any car in real life and most any one track for a long time, months even, because its the highest level of simulation.

I think these may just be the truest words ever spoken
And this is what I've been wanting from GT for a long time, part of the reason I'm so critical of it

 

[Encyclopedia]

Diversity is just about everything for me in GT. Because the driving physics doesn't really impress me, and the sound is certainly not good enough.

The driving physics will most likely be improved greatly with the new hardware though, so maybe diversity will play a bit of a lesser part for me in the next installment.

 

[greenlightning]

Having a large number of cars from all parts of the globe is the number one reason that I play GT4. It is truly just about the only PS2 game that I play on a weekly basis. The amount of tracks and variety of them is great. GT4 has something for just about anybody. Hopefully in the next one the qty. of cars from the differnt manufactors will be more evenly dispersed. I would say that having a huge number of cars is the number one thing that GT series has and it will be a long time before another game has more.

 

[JohnBM01]

I think if PD is smart, they'll likely allow other countries and other car companies to be featured in GT. Why not give Malaysia a holler and look into Proton? Perhaps put in Hispana-Suiza (Spain)? How do we keep diversity fresh in GT?

 

[Mt. Lynx]

Diversity is utterly important, and I´d say even GT3 was more diverse than most games out there, and GT4 is just on the top of the hill!
To keep it fresh, we need more cars, mainly American, European and Aussie cars, more tracks, mainly RL tracks, day/night and weathertransisions!

 

[Disturbed07]

If the cars all sound like real life counterparts, that'll create some extra divirsity, without adding anything else (not that I dont wanna see anything else)