My Second Opinions of GT2

[JohnBM01]

This is an editorial of mine involving Gran Turismo 2. I hope it's legal to talk about this, but I've been playing GT2 with ePSXe since I don't have a second PS1 Memory Card to put GT2 data on. So I've been playing it on my PC. I haven't been able to play GT2 effectively with GT1 data on it. What you're about to read is a second opinion of mine regarding the GT I've considered the worst of the GT series. What am I admitting about GT2? What challenges have I taken for this game in this throwback? Read on, enthused ones.

NOTE: I will use "RacingModify" or "RM" (as in Tourist Trophy) to mean Race-Modified cars.



Second Opinion: Draws to GT2
GTPlanet, a missing feeling from future GT games was the fact of being able to actually complete your best cars by way of Racing Modification. Having this operation to cars completes them as race cars. Just the feeling that I could create my own race cars was a very likeable feature. This was a feeling I've personally missed in GT3 and almost more so in GT4. I at least have been able to add rear wings to cars in GT4. Still, you don't have that feeling of a complete car you can take to the track as a complete race car.

There are a number of series I've raced in in which I feel some series could have benefitted from having pure racing machines. By pure racing machines, I mean street cars turned into race cars and have the Racing Modification to show for it. Think of the three nationality races in GT1 in the Special Events. You had U.S. vs. Japan, Japan vs. U.K., and U.S. vs. U.K.- all of which campaigned with RacingModify cars. The level of competition just felt like I was actually representing myself in a way that couldn't really be defined in any official race between the Sunday Cup and the Gran Turismo Cup. You may encounter a few RacingModify cars (like the Peugeot 306 and Shelby Cobra Daytona) in a few series, but you don't really race against them unless in Racing One-Make Races, the Super Touring Trophy, GT300, GT500, or the GT World League.

The feelings I've lately noticed is that having a car purely modified for racing shows that I have a proper race car. I'm not like most muscle car types who have sleepers and don't want to be very flashy about having a great car. I feel racing involves cars truly tuned and made for racing. You make money in GT games to turn cars into pure racing machines even if they don't truly look the part. I even want to feel like I'm part of something special when competiting in the official GT races. So I want to have a race car ready to go and complete to compete. You could even say I'm playing GT2 for Racing Modifications with a variety of cars. There are still a number of cars I'm still ashamed doesn't have any Racing Mod parts. Most of them I'm not very happy with. Sometimes it's certain designs, certain colors, certain changes, and that sort of thing. Like I was trying to choose between red and blue for my 1997 Acura NSX for the Racing Mod colors. Most of you know I love blue while also a fan of red. However, the blue wasn't the same beautiful blue as "Brilliant Blue" like you can find with the Nissan S15 Silvias. Maybe I get a bit picky on picking the best wheels to any car. Like I can't find the best gold-colored wheels to go with my blue cars. Blue and gold are my "official colors."

Now those series that could have been more fun with RacingModify cars? The Grand Touring Car Trophy comes to mind. Especially when you end up winning capable race cars, it would have been more interesting to go against production cars that have the RM treatment like with Super Touring Trophy. The official races ranging from Nationals to the GT World League could have been benefactors of RacingModify cars. This kind of methodology reminds me of Tourist Trophy in that the majority of the race events you take part in require racing bikes. In fact, only four series require street bikes. Everything else requires racing bikes. I just feel that if I'm going to be racing cars, I'd like to at least feel like I'm in a car completely made for racing. Not to mention doing it in an official race series. Just the feeling that I'm racing production cars fully-tuned for racing makes me feel like I'm actually fighting for something in my races. I hope to get this feeling for the upcoming GT5.

Just race the Super Touring Trophy to know what it's like to race a car fully-tuned for racing. I'm sure you'll love it if you enjoy enhancing every aspect of performance for cars as well as completing a fully-tuned car with a Racing Modification.



Second Opinion: 3000GT in GT2 Just as Fun as GT1
My flagship sports car in GT2 is the Mitsbushi 3000GT Twin Turbo MR. I hated GT2's version at first because you couldn't get 930hp like the GT1 version. However, I'm having as much fun with the GT2 version as I have with GT1's 3000GT. It's even fun how I can powerslide and drift after hard braking in corners with the setup I've given it. I didn't really like the green and white Puma colors, but don't really mind it now. I don't usually like green unless on most British cars (or the Renault Laguna).





Those were just two of my second opinions about the GT I dislike the most. The diversity of races and cars makes this game amazing. Racing Modifications can be addicting when you find cars that can be customized with Racing Modifications. Some cars disappointed me that don't have Racing Modifications. So Racing Modifications as well as racing a nicely-tuned 3000GT that have given me a few second opinions on GT2. Maybe for those of you who didn't like GT2 but came back to playing it, you probably have some second opinions too (unless you still hate it a lot).

 

[Parnelli Bone]

This is an editorial of mine involving Gran Turismo 2. I hope it's legal to talk about this, but I've been playing GT2 with ePSXe since I don't have a second PS1 Memory Card to put GT2 data on. So I've been playing it on my PC. I haven't been able to play GT2 effectively with GT1 data on it. What you're about to read is a second opinion of mine regarding the GT I've considered the worst of the GT series. What am I admitting about GT2? What challenges have I taken for this game in this throwback? Read on, enthused ones.

Don't worry. It's not technically legal, but you can talk about it here. sucahyo would certainly approve.

NOTE: I will use "RacingModify" or "RM" (as in Tourist Trophy) to mean Race-Modified cars.



Second Opinion: Draws to GT2
GTPlanet, a missing feeling from future GT games was the fact of being able to actually complete your best cars by way of Racing Modification. Having this operation to cars completes them as race cars. Just the feeling that I could create my own race cars was a very likeable feature. This was a feeling I've personally missed in GT3 and almost more so in GT4. I at least have been able to add rear wings to cars in GT4. Still, you don't have that feeling of a complete car you can take to the track as a complete race car.

Very much agreed. 👍 People can say how the first-gen GT games are primitive and suck, but you can't race-customize in later games. Not fully anyways. 👎 You can put a wing on cars in GT4, but it doesn't "feel" as complete as the cars in GT1 and 2.

There are a number of series I've raced in in which I feel some series could have benefitted from having pure racing machines. By pure racing machines, I mean street cars turned into race cars and have the Racing Modification to show for it. Think of the three nationality races in GT1 in the Special Events. You had U.S. vs. Japan, Japan vs. U.K., and U.S. vs. U.K.- all of which campaigned with RacingModify cars. The level of competition just felt like I was actually representing myself in a way that couldn't really be defined in any official race between the Sunday Cup and the Gran Turismo Cup. You may encounter a few RacingModify cars (like the Peugeot 306 and Shelby Cobra Daytona) in a few series, but you don't really race against them unless in Racing One-Make Races, the Super Touring Trophy, GT300, GT500, or the GT World League.

The feelings I've lately noticed is that having a car purely modified for racing shows that I have a proper race car. I'm not like most muscle car types who have sleepers and don't want to be very flashy about having a great car. I feel racing involves cars truly tuned and made for racing. You make money in GT games to turn cars into pure racing machines even if they don't truly look the part. I even want to feel like I'm part of something special when competiting in the official GT races. So I want to have a race car ready to go and complete to compete. You could even say I'm playing GT2 for Racing Modifications with a variety of cars. There are still a number of cars I'm still ashamed doesn't have any Racing Mod parts. Most of them I'm not very happy with. Sometimes it's certain designs, certain colors, certain changes, and that sort of thing. Like I was trying to choose between red and blue for my 1997 Acura NSX for the Racing Mod colors. Most of you know I love blue while also a fan of red. However, the blue wasn't the same beautiful blue as "Brilliant Blue" like you can find with the Nissan S15 Silvias. Maybe I get a bit picky on picking the best wheels to any car. Like I can't find the best gold-colored wheels to go with my blue cars. Blue and gold are my "official colors."

Now those series that could have been more fun with RacingModify cars? The Grand Touring Car Trophy comes to mind. Especially when you end up winning capable race cars, it would have been more interesting to go against production cars that have the RM treatment like with Super Touring Trophy. The official races ranging from Nationals to the GT World League could have been benefactors of RacingModify cars. This kind of methodology reminds me of Tourist Trophy in that the majority of the race events you take part in require racing bikes. In fact, only four series require street bikes. Everything else requires racing bikes. I just feel that if I'm going to be racing cars, I'd like to at least feel like I'm in a car completely made for racing. Not to mention doing it in an official race series. Just the feeling that I'm racing production cars fully-tuned for racing makes me feel like I'm actually fighting for something in my races. I hope to get this feeling for the upcoming GT5.

Ha! Good luck! I have a feeling racemods will not be back. Too much programming is already involved just making the cars look as good as they do. As usual, the first edition of a GT game on "next-gen" console (GT3) will draw plenty of complaints as well as plenty of praise. But go on...say what you have to say my brother....

Just race the Super Touring Trophy to know what it's like to race a car fully-tuned for racing. I'm sure you'll love it if you enjoy enhancing every aspect of performance for cars as well as completing a fully-tuned car with a Racing Modification.

I LOVE the STT. I love it because you get a chance to make all those underpowered cars (the ones with just a couple hundred horses or whatever) into stars. Lots of low-powered cars in GT2 can still be race-kitted.

Second Opinion: 3000GT in GT2 Just as Fun as GT1
My flagship sports car in GT2 is the Mitsbushi 3000GT Twin Turbo MR. I hated GT2's version at first because you couldn't get 930hp like the GT1 version. However, I'm having as much fun with the GT2 version as I have with GT1's 3000GT. It's even fun how I can powerslide and drift after hard braking in corners with the setup I've given it. I didn't really like the green and white Puma colors, but don't really mind it now. I don't usually like green unless on most British cars (or the Renault Laguna).

You actually don't need 900 horspower to win any GT2 event. I took a fully-modded '92 3000GT all the way to the World Cup, with just under 700 hp.

Those were just two of my second opinions about the GT I dislike the most. The diversity of races and cars makes this game amazing. Racing Modifications can be addicting when you find cars that can be customized with Racing Modifications. Some cars disappointed me that don't have Racing Modifications. So Racing Modifications as well as racing a nicely-tuned 3000GT that have given me a few second opinions on GT2. Maybe for those of you who didn't like GT2 but came back to playing it, you probably have some second opinions too (unless you still hate it a lot).

Thanks for sharing. Keep coming back. (Sorry, that's what they say at the NA meetings I sometimes go to).

 

[superberkut]

Well, I really liked that write-up; I especially liked your opinions on RMs. They will be missed, but having two cars painted the exact same way, sponsors and all, would have been a bit of a compromise to the pursuit of realism that PD has embraced for GT. Still, your description was very accurate, and perhaps this is the real reason I liked them so much, pretty colours aside.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Well, I really liked that write-up; I especially liked your opinions on RMs. They will be missed, but having two cars painted the exact same way, sponsors and all, would have been a bit of a compromise to the pursuit of realism that PD has embraced for GT. Still, your description was very accurate, and perhaps this is the real reason I liked them so much, pretty colours aside.

And it's like JohnBM says: it just feels more "complete" to have a full-racing kit...it's not just a dumb wing (like in GT4), it's also a front spoiler...often fender flares are added, sometimes additional lights. Sometimes the entire profile of the body itself subtly changes.

And there's also the "surprise" factor. You RM a car, and you never know what it'll look like (if you're new to the game)...I'm still surprised after all this time by a race-kit I've never seen or forgotten about.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

Agree with everything said so far 👍. But why do you still hate GT2 when it has Racing Modifications later GTs don't have John? Is it possible to like a feature of a game and still hate it at the same time?

 

[JohnBM01]

Let's get something straight. I hated GT2 because of a lack of execution. Among many things, Rome-Night never got too much usage (basically left for dead), two drag racing cars... but no proper drag strip, not having the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR (without cheating), all among other things I cannot name. Even GT1 had RM treatment. I just feel that in later GT games, they were more fun than GT2, but the feeling of having a completed race car felt missing in GT2. That even means if we can't equip completed race cars with wings, splitters, diffusers, and stuff like that, there was still execution problems that didn't make me enjoy GT2 as much. I even liked playing GT3 over GT2 until I stopped really playing GT3 for a while.

It is not only about RacingModify cars, but being able to convert many kinds of cars into racing machines. Complete racing machines, as I put it. The feeling of completed cars isn't truly present in any GT since GT2. Not even a rear wing for cars in GT4 is any real justice for completing my race cars. You see, I tend to want a pure racer for cars I've worked on to be bigtime racing machines. Even if we don't get full racing modifications for cars in GT5, I at least want to be able to put on custom driving numbers (like Tourist Trophy) for GT5. To me, you can complete cars you've fully tuned for racing and want to actually look the part. That's been missing since GT2. I've never hated RacingModify cars or performing that. GT2's novelty seemed to wear off of me after I thought about GT3 and GT4.

I will be discussing Racing Modifications in the GT5 forums in some of my threads. This is a GT2 forum, so I'll go no further than GT2 here.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

I see, I understand now 👍. I also feel that GT2 has the worst 'build' quality out of all GT games. A shame really, if PD had taken a few more months to develop it then we all won't be here discussing GT2's shortcomings.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Well I'm really digging GT2. It's not perfect, the Ai isn't realistic, but it's just fun man. Also, I'm liking the fact that many races take just a few minutes to accomplish. It's a different kind of gaming experience than later games.

I mean, I like GT4 a lot, but when I play, I know I'm gonna be sitting there for awhile....it takes more practice and more concentration. Whereas GT2 (to me) is just 'get in and go!'

John BM: Agreed about Rome Nite! I didn't care much about the drag-racing stuff, but ROME NITE rocks. It's the best-looking track in the game, and you can barely get on it!

You can talk about other GT games to some extent. It won't bother me. Just don't start a GT5 competition here or something!

 

[superberkut]

And it's like JohnBM says: it just feels more "complete" to have a full-racing kit...it's not just a dumb wing (like in GT4), it's also a front spoiler...often fender flares are added, sometimes additional lights. Sometimes the entire profile of the body itself subtly changes.

And there's also the "surprise" factor. You RM a car, and you never know what it'll look like (if you're new to the game)...i'm still surprised after all this time by a race-kit i've never seen or forgotten about.

Group 5 is the polar opposite to GT4's cars. As for the surprise factor, I appreciate it too.

GT2's execution, yes. But it's kind of nice having a game with so much freedom to explore all of its nuancies. But certainly John brings up a very good and well-worded, if infrequently-mentioned opinion on this installment.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Group 5 is the polar opposite to GT4's cars.

What do you mean? What is Group 5?

 

[superberkut]

It was what spawned the Silhouette Formula in 1976 that the R-31 Skyline in GT2 follows. The rules were very liberal in that day. Often, due to the fact that the car was not limited to any bodywork restrictions below the cab/roof area, the cars often sported outrageous fenders, air intakes, scoops, and, 'running boards'. A good example is the BMW 3.0 CSL racers of this formula, as well as the Ford Sierras of the day.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

It was what spawned the Silhouette Formula in 1976 that the R-31 Skyline in GT2 follows. The rules were very liberal in that day. Often, due to the fact that the car was not limited to any bodywork restrictions below the cab/roof area, the cars often sported outrageous fenders, air intakes, scoops, and, 'running boards'. A good example is the BMW 3.0 CSL racers of this formula, as well as the Ford Sierras of the day.

OH I see. Is this IMSA stuff? Sorry, it's been many years...I used to know all the groupings when I was a teen.

 

[superberkut]

IMSA was part of it, but it was mostly FIA.

On topic, perhaps the bigger compromise in realism is being able to purchase classic race-cars at the dealership, and race against identical cars with the same numbers and paintschemes. This suddenly seems even more so than excluding RM schemes for that same reason. (but only as a possibility)

 

[JohnBM01]

A not-really-important disappointment of GT2 was the music. I kind of got a bit tired from some of the themes in GT2 compared to GT1. You know... visit TVR in GT1 and let its music take you over. I still think "Lose Control" by Ash (for a guy who usually isn't crazy over rock music like most people) is one of the coolest songs in any GT game. Especially that guitar riff at the bridge is just awesome. In GT2, (again, not a real rock fan) that Stone Temple Pilots song is cool as well as "Super Bon Bon." I like jazzy music, but didn't really dig some of the music after a while. Thankfully starting with GT3, you can have your own playlists. Just my thing.

 

[Viper-Fan]

I haven't got a second opinion, the day I got it I was addicted. The thing that stood out for me was the sheer diversity of the car list 👍. Best one of any GT game IMO. It's great to drive everyday cars as well e.g. BMW 323ti Compact. Thats what was lacking in GT4, PD only chose to implement top of the range cars.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

The music in any PS1 game is too repetitive since you can't do the playlist thing. Even in GT4, sometimes I'll have music on, but after awhile, I've heard all there is to hear.

...so off it goes.

My 2nd opinion of GT2 (since I'm slowly going thru it again) is it's just as fun as the first time. It seems so easy now, especially after the madness of trying to control some of the cars in GT4

Even my front-drive Infiniti G20 in that story...it's pretty much: point it there, and it goes there! Not so in GT4...in fact, the G20 in GT4 is extremely messy to drive; not a good beginner's car at all like it is in the 1st and 2nd games.

 

[superberkut]

A not-really-important disappointment of GT2 was the music. I kind of got a bit tired from some of the themes in GT2 compared to GT1. You know... visit TVR in GT1 and let its music take you over. I still think "Lose Control" by Ash (for a guy who usually isn't crazy over rock music like most people) is one of the coolest songs in any GT game. Especially that guitar riff at the bridge is just awesome. In GT2, (again, not a real rock fan) that Stone Temple Pilots song is cool as well as "Super Bon Bon." I like jazzy music, but didn't really dig some of the music after a while. Thankfully starting with GT3, you can have your own playlists. Just my thing.

I liked Ash, too.

As for GT2, I liked the menu music better than some of the tracks, but it at least was inconspicuous, as opposed to the multitude of controversial tracks of GT4. I guess that comes with having a selectable playlist.

 

[kjb]

Yeah the music in GT2 is sometimes bad. I agree with John RM is where it is at. Don't get me wrong I love GT4 but I really wish they had race modification so many cars so many possibilities oh well what can you do.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Yeah the music in GT2 is sometimes bad. I agree with John RM is where it is at. Don't get me wrong I love GT4 but I really wish they had race modification so many cars so many possibilities oh well what can you do.

Even if you like the music, how many times can anyone listen to those same 6 or 7 songs!

 

[JohnBM01]

GT3 had a good innovation- turn music and sounds on or off depending on where you race. Too bad you couldn't adjust the volume... I even have the "Music at the Speed of Sound" CD featuring a few songs that weren't included in GT2. There was this Creed song I liked as well as "Push Eject" by the electro/rock duo known as the Boom Boom Satellites (I even had that song as my profile song on Myspace once).

One thing I REALLY hated about GT2 was how you had to exit Sim Mode just to load and save manually. GT1 was so simple when you're at My Home. What could have been Load and Save was replaced by License Credits. A good thing about GT2 was that you could know what color car you had just by noticing the little color icon for each car. They would be in better detail in future GTs, but this was a start.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

One thing I REALLY hated about GT2 was how you had to exit Sim Mode just to load and save manually. GT1 was so simple when you're at My Home. What could have been Load and Save was replaced by License Credits.

Yup. I know....GT1 to this day still has the best load/save system. You can load or save from the start screen. You can load or save from the garage. I forget if you can save from racing screens, but I think you can save after a race is complete. 👍

In GT2, even tho you can save after a race, I was always afraid to do this because...who knows? maybe my garage is being wiped out somehow! I know the garage thing only happens after max speed tests, but I couldn't help but be extra cautious. I never save without consulting the situation in my garage first, even if that means navigating back to the dumb start-up screen
`

`
A good thing about GT2 was that you could know what color car you had just by noticing the little color icon for each car. They would be in better detail in future GTs, but this was a start.

I also like the fact that in every race, the ads and banners change. Like in one race, there will be a Castrol billboard. Well, go back to the same exact track on a different day, and that billboard will now be something else.

A small detail, but interesting nonetheless. I also dig the way GT2 will allow 2 duplicates of the same car in the same race. In other words, it's possible 2 TVR Griffiths might show up in the GT Cup. Or 2 Audi TTs in the Sunday Cup. Again, a small, inconsequential detail that few notice, but in later games, PD dropped this feature.

 

[Kingofweasles]

"A not-really-important disapointment of GT2 was the music. I kinda got a bit tired from some of the themes in GT2 compared to GT1. You know...Go to TVR in GT1 and let the music take you over."

LOL So true! For me it was the Honda/Acura dealership...The TVR dealer was awesome too!

Anyways, one thing i thought was a little odd in GT2 was how prize money was awarded. I always thought that there was TOO much money to go around in that game...Like, i've re-started GT2 and i'm around 16% complete & i have over 500,000 credits! O_O

Compare that to GT1, where it took me until 40% to get that much money! That's also another problem: Because there is so much cash just lying around, you really don't have to work on you're driving skills all that much; You can just tune you're car up to the point were you JUST CAN'T LOSE.

Oh, and anyone notice how HARD GT1 & GT2 are? I mean, compared to GT4, GT2 is downright BRUTAL! Like, winning by MAYBE 3 tenths of a second instead of 3 seconds every time?

 

[Parnelli Bone]

"A not-really-important disapointment of GT2 was the music. I kinda got a bit tired from some of the themes in GT2 compared to GT1. You know...Go to TVR in GT1 and let the music take you over."

LOL So true! For me it was the Honda/Acura dealership...The TVR dealer was awesome too!

GT1 has the BEST music overall. Even the menu music rocks! It gets you pumped up to race.

Funny thing is, my first time thru GT1 I had all the music turned off. But I missed some real good (original, rockin) music.

Anyways, one thing i thought was a little odd in GT2 was how prize money was awarded. I always thought that there was TOO much money to go around in that game...Like, i've re-started GT2 and i'm around 16% complete & i have over 500,000 credits! O_O

Compare that to GT1, where it took me until 40% to get that much money! That's also another problem: Because there is so much cash just lying around, you really don't have to work on you're driving skills all that much; You can just tune you're car up to the point were you JUST CAN'T LOSE.

Yeah, that's one way to go thru the game. True. It all depends how challenged you want to be.

I mean, you win a lot of cash in GT2 very easily, but you'll also have to spend a lot if you want to pay for all those racing mods in the manufacturer's races. 💡

Oh, and anyone notice how HARD GT1 & GT2 are? I mean, compared to GT4, GT2 is downright BRUTAL! Like, winning by MAYBE 3 tenths of a second instead of 3 seconds every time?

Well any GT game can be brutal if you choose to make it so. You can enter a car in GT2 that'll kill the competition very easily, and same goes with GT4. The only difference between the 2 games is GT2 has those horsepower limits, but if you're a pro player, the limits won't mean a thing because you can enter cars with a lot less power than the limit and still smoke 'em.

 

[Kingofweasles]

"Well any GT game can be brutal if you choose to make it so. You can enter a car in GT2 that'll kill the competition very easily, and same goes with GT4. The only difference between the 2 games is GT2 has those horsepower limits, but if you're a pro player, the limits won't mean a thing cuz you can enter cars with alot less power than the limit and still smoke 'em."

True Parnelli,, but i was talking about how the computer races you. Did anyone else notice how the A.I. catches up at certain points on a track? Or that they can go through turns MUCH faster than you can? That was what i was trying to get to.

That and it seems to me that in GT2, if you make a mistake in a race you're not going to win, while in GT4 you can get away with little bobbles here and there and STILL win with ease. The A.I. in GT4 seems...more content with finishing behind you than in GT2, like there's no "Urgency" in how it races you.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

True Parnelli,, but i was talking about how the computer races you. Did anyone else notice how the A.I. catches up at certain points on a track? Or that they can go through turns MUCH faster than you can? That was what i was trying to get to.

That's called "rubber-band" effect. Yeah, I've noticed it a lot now that I'm playing GT2...it's not very realistic, but it does make for a very intense experience.

I don't know about the Ai "going thru turns much faster than I can" tho...I always blew 'em away in the corners. I had to, since I have a habit of underpowering most of my cars.

That and it seems to me that in GT2, if you make a mistake in a race you're not going to win, while in GT4 you can get away with little bobbles here and there and STILL win with ease. The A.I. in GT4 seems...more content with finishing behind you than in GT2, like there's no "Urgency" in how it races you.

Hmmm I disagree. I find GT4 much harder than 2. So let's agree to disagree.

 

[Kingofweasles]

^Fine by me! Oh, this is off-topic and all, but i REALLY like you're GT2 story!

 

[Parnelli Bone]

^Fine by me! Oh, this is off-topic and all, but i REALLY like you're GT2 story!

Thanks. I have more to tell, it's just a matter of me sittin down and typing. Too early in the morning for that, now.

Here's a good way to put it (back on topic)

GT2 has that rubber-band Ai, which keeps cars swarming around you and makes the race feel exciting. But in reality, you can still enter a car with too much power and blow everyone away, just as you can in GT4.

The difference is, GT2 has most its Ai programmed within a certain parameter (similar power-to-weight ratios. This was proven awhile ago by Sucahyo). so if you have some skill, you can enter a car within that parameter (or beyond it) and crush.

In GT4, the Ai isn't always programmed this way. Some cars shine above others. This is why you'll see one or 2 cars up in the front lines battling with you, yet others may straggle far behind.

Another reason I feel GT2 is easier: the cars themselves are simply easier to drive. The physics model of GT2 isn't as complex. That's why as I drive my Infiniti G20 in GT2, I find that it behaves itself 90% of the time. The GT4 G20 would be understeering and wheel-spinning all over the place if I were to push it as hard as the GT2 one (even stock with sport tires), yet the GT2 one has very minimal understeer and wheel spin is also minimal and shows up mostly in 1st gear for a second or 2, and then is magically gone.

Since the G20 was one of my first cars in both GT2 and GT4, the difference to me is prominent. When I started GT2 (March of 2004) I was an intermediate driver. Not as good as I am now, yet within a few hours, I apparently won some Sunday cuppage.

When I started GT4, on the other hand (officially January of last year) I had to remove myself from the Sunday Cup races for a few days and do lots of practicing because all a sudden I couldn't drive the G20! And this is after I had completed both GT2 and GT3, and had many golds under my belt!

 

[Kingofweasles]

^ I see. It took me a while to get to grips with GT4's physics too. Once i figured it out though it felt like old times!

 

[JohnBM01]

That's a great thing about Gran Turismo that most people fail to recognize- driving a car that you own that's in the game and race them to victory. Everyone wants Ferraris, but what about all the daily and weekend cars? Guess you can't please everyone seems like.

 

[superberkut]

Of course. I really have missed out on that myself.