- 789
I've been thinking about GT4 improvements for a while now, as I have been playing GT4 a lot more of late. Let me know what you think.
General - No point talking about these as they have been covered before.
More cars.
More tracks.
More opponents.
Car and track damage.
Photo Mode
The photo mode was a excellent addition to the GT series, and I spend a lot of time taking pictures of my cars. However there is always room for improvement.
1. More photo locations from around the World, not just more locations in the States.
2. Improve the graphics on the tracks and allow the player to use a track as a photo location instead of having to drive round it.
3. Allow for multiple cars to be selected and positioned within photo mode.
4. Add a camera flash, and lighting rigs.
5. Add a "white room" so we can create a perfect photo with a plain background, like you get on the cover of most car magazines.
6. Improve the interface so car/location selection is speeded up.
7. Being able to add objects into the fore/back ground would be nice. i.e. car related items like tool box's, jacks, spare wheels etc.
8. A guide to taking photos for any novices would be a nice touch as well. Just a few examples of how different settings can change a picture for the better or worse.
Further Testing
My big problem with the GT licenses were that they never really taught you what you needed to know about racing, and how to spot the racing line on each track. All PD do is make you drive round a corner in a different car, and the point of the lesson is lost in the pursuit of getting gold.
1. I would much rather see license tests that had you drive the whole track with the racing line on the ground along with the breaking points for that car. Audio commentary would be nice if you strayed off the racing line, to tell you where you went wrong.
2. On top of this I'd like to see a real skid pan, where the name of the game is to control a skid in front and rear wheel drive cars.
3. Lessons where they teach you the merits of having traction control turned on/off.
4. An off road course to teach you how to drive on the loose stuff, and show you how the car should react. I want to see steep hill descents at slow speed and driving through deep water.
By all means keep some of the more basic lessons, like how to approach a type of corner, and then progress onto more interesting/challenging lessons like those above.
The Car and it's Racing Environment
Another problem with GT4 was that fact that the car never felt connected to it's environment, and car/track damage would help with this.
1. Skid marks left on the track until the end of the race at least.
2. More realistic dust kidded up.
3. Marks left on crash barriers and on the car after a slight coming together of metal and bodywork.
4. A moving/living environment. I want to see trees moving in the wind, and people moving about in the pits and the stands.
5. Racing flags system as well as marshals to pull cars to safety after a big crash.
6. Pit boards. Instead of having your lap time and position on screen at all times, I want my times and position displayed on a pit board when I only pass the pits.
Camera Action!
Not a difficult one to put in place, but I would like to see more interior and external camera angles. In any 3D gaming environment you should allow the player to adjust the camera as they see fit. So if you wanted, you could turn GT5 into a top down racer. I know that's taking things to the extreme, but you get the idea.
Another area where GT4 fails to do the simple things right is letting you set up your HUD. I want to be able to add/remove every element. So if I want to remove my position but keep the rear mirror then I should be able to select them on their own. Also I would like to select different types of gauge for my car. I'm not talking Need For Speed gauges, I'm talking about a proper fuel gauge with a needle. And on older cars you could even get the fuel gauge to mis-read when going up or down a steep hill : )
Rally
I was gutted when I first drove the rally stages in GT4. That stupid penalty system in tosh and must be scrapped. I want PD to totally rework the rally system, and make the game more realistic. I've had the pleasure of driving a rally car on gravel and it sure as hell didn't feel anything like that. It was like driving on sheet ice all the time. Yes there is less grip, but I get the impression PD didn't spend much time on the rally part of the game, and that was a major let down in my book.
1. Totally rework the rally engine.
2. Rally stages are very rarely circuits, they are point to point and against the clock.
3. Improve the spectators. I want to hear whistles and air horns blowing as I thunder along the course. Also I'd like to see the spectators move away from the fencing if you get too close.
4. I'd like to see a realistic service area between rally events where running repairs can be made to keep you going.
5. Add a couple of figure 8 rally special stages, like the one in the millennium stadium in Walesland.
The Cars The Stars
Not much to say about the quality of the car models, as they are all top notch. But there are a couple of minor things that could be changed.
1. When you run out of fuel, that's it game over! No coasting at 50mph until the end.
2. If a car doesn't have traction control, then I shouldn't be able to turn it on.
3. The ability to buy every car (that offers it) as a automatic. And not let the player switch between auto and manual when ever it suits them.
4. The ability to respray your car any colour for a price. You could even let the game take the car away from you for 2 weeks whilst the car is resprayed. Would be a nice touch.
5. In race/rally cars I don't want the option to listen to music. Pace notes whilst driving a rally car or a pit radio would be very nice, but a lot of work for PD to undertake.
Other Touches
Just some other points that need addressing in GT5.
1. I'd like an option before you entered a race which either let you race the cars the PS3 picks, or let your opponents change their car depending on what your driving to encourage closer racing.
2. You should be able to change your helmet and overalls.
I think that's about it for the time being. I'd love to hear what people think, so let me know.
General - No point talking about these as they have been covered before.
More cars.
More tracks.
More opponents.
Car and track damage.
Photo Mode
The photo mode was a excellent addition to the GT series, and I spend a lot of time taking pictures of my cars. However there is always room for improvement.
1. More photo locations from around the World, not just more locations in the States.
2. Improve the graphics on the tracks and allow the player to use a track as a photo location instead of having to drive round it.
3. Allow for multiple cars to be selected and positioned within photo mode.
4. Add a camera flash, and lighting rigs.
5. Add a "white room" so we can create a perfect photo with a plain background, like you get on the cover of most car magazines.
6. Improve the interface so car/location selection is speeded up.
7. Being able to add objects into the fore/back ground would be nice. i.e. car related items like tool box's, jacks, spare wheels etc.
8. A guide to taking photos for any novices would be a nice touch as well. Just a few examples of how different settings can change a picture for the better or worse.
Further Testing
My big problem with the GT licenses were that they never really taught you what you needed to know about racing, and how to spot the racing line on each track. All PD do is make you drive round a corner in a different car, and the point of the lesson is lost in the pursuit of getting gold.
1. I would much rather see license tests that had you drive the whole track with the racing line on the ground along with the breaking points for that car. Audio commentary would be nice if you strayed off the racing line, to tell you where you went wrong.
2. On top of this I'd like to see a real skid pan, where the name of the game is to control a skid in front and rear wheel drive cars.
3. Lessons where they teach you the merits of having traction control turned on/off.
4. An off road course to teach you how to drive on the loose stuff, and show you how the car should react. I want to see steep hill descents at slow speed and driving through deep water.
By all means keep some of the more basic lessons, like how to approach a type of corner, and then progress onto more interesting/challenging lessons like those above.
The Car and it's Racing Environment
Another problem with GT4 was that fact that the car never felt connected to it's environment, and car/track damage would help with this.
1. Skid marks left on the track until the end of the race at least.
2. More realistic dust kidded up.
3. Marks left on crash barriers and on the car after a slight coming together of metal and bodywork.
4. A moving/living environment. I want to see trees moving in the wind, and people moving about in the pits and the stands.
5. Racing flags system as well as marshals to pull cars to safety after a big crash.
6. Pit boards. Instead of having your lap time and position on screen at all times, I want my times and position displayed on a pit board when I only pass the pits.
Camera Action!
Not a difficult one to put in place, but I would like to see more interior and external camera angles. In any 3D gaming environment you should allow the player to adjust the camera as they see fit. So if you wanted, you could turn GT5 into a top down racer. I know that's taking things to the extreme, but you get the idea.
Another area where GT4 fails to do the simple things right is letting you set up your HUD. I want to be able to add/remove every element. So if I want to remove my position but keep the rear mirror then I should be able to select them on their own. Also I would like to select different types of gauge for my car. I'm not talking Need For Speed gauges, I'm talking about a proper fuel gauge with a needle. And on older cars you could even get the fuel gauge to mis-read when going up or down a steep hill : )
Rally
I was gutted when I first drove the rally stages in GT4. That stupid penalty system in tosh and must be scrapped. I want PD to totally rework the rally system, and make the game more realistic. I've had the pleasure of driving a rally car on gravel and it sure as hell didn't feel anything like that. It was like driving on sheet ice all the time. Yes there is less grip, but I get the impression PD didn't spend much time on the rally part of the game, and that was a major let down in my book.
1. Totally rework the rally engine.
2. Rally stages are very rarely circuits, they are point to point and against the clock.
3. Improve the spectators. I want to hear whistles and air horns blowing as I thunder along the course. Also I'd like to see the spectators move away from the fencing if you get too close.
4. I'd like to see a realistic service area between rally events where running repairs can be made to keep you going.
5. Add a couple of figure 8 rally special stages, like the one in the millennium stadium in Walesland.
The Cars The Stars
Not much to say about the quality of the car models, as they are all top notch. But there are a couple of minor things that could be changed.
1. When you run out of fuel, that's it game over! No coasting at 50mph until the end.
2. If a car doesn't have traction control, then I shouldn't be able to turn it on.
3. The ability to buy every car (that offers it) as a automatic. And not let the player switch between auto and manual when ever it suits them.
4. The ability to respray your car any colour for a price. You could even let the game take the car away from you for 2 weeks whilst the car is resprayed. Would be a nice touch.
5. In race/rally cars I don't want the option to listen to music. Pace notes whilst driving a rally car or a pit radio would be very nice, but a lot of work for PD to undertake.
Other Touches
Just some other points that need addressing in GT5.
1. I'd like an option before you entered a race which either let you race the cars the PS3 picks, or let your opponents change their car depending on what your driving to encourage closer racing.
2. You should be able to change your helmet and overalls.
I think that's about it for the time being. I'd love to hear what people think, so let me know.
and Concept
