New Forza Motorsport Details Coming at Xbox & Bethesda Developer_Direct On January 25

[Jezza819]

The fantasy tracks are always kind of a weird discussion in Forza-land, as they are often very polarizing circuits and the opinions on them vary pretty wildly, even with people on the same "side" of whether or not they like the track. It seems most wouldn't be too sad to see them go though, so if we are losing some, better them than good real world circuits.

Weird to think Lime Rock is likely to be removed though... I mean sure it's possible, but the series is really lacking when it comes to good short tracks so losing Lime Rock would be a big hit.

I only used Bernese Alps and Maple Valley occasionally. As far as I know I never used Rio or Prague over once or twice. I would hate to see Lime Rock deleted too.

 

[GBalao888]

I only used Bernese Alps and Maple Valley occasionally. As far as I know I never used Rio or Prague over once or twice. I would hate to see Lime Rock deleted too.

I think Rio de Janeiro should be removed in FM8, or at least, restyled in a way where it's suitable for safe, clean racing and is good for overtaking. Some of the layouts just lead to utter madness, especially in online races.

But... they're going to have to use real roads, like how the city tracks of PGR were made.

 

[MagpieRacer]

I think Rio de Janeiro should be removed in FM8, or at least, restyled in a way where it's suitable for safe, clean racing and is good for overtaking. Some of the layouts just lead to utter madness, especially in online races.

Or at least just removed from online rotation. I actually think it's one of the best fantasy street tracks there is. Really enjoyed Dubai as well.

 

[GBalao888]

Or at least just removed from online rotation.

That's the thing with most city tracks (especially if they're based on real roads), where they could end up being bad for clean racing, overtaking, or both.

I actually think it's one of the best fantasy street tracks there is. Really enjoyed Dubai as well.

City tracks are a dying breed in most modern games. I remember in the first FM it was just New York, Tokyo and a fictional one called "Pacific Shipyards".

 

[FordGTGuy]

The worse part about fantasy tracks in Forza is that they tend to gut the larger versions of the track in future titles.

Rally di Positano went from an awesome long technical track to a short forgettable one.

New York went from a long track with long straights and sharp corners to a track that was just boring.

Fujimi Kaido is a great track.

Bernese Alps was a nice distraction from more realistic tracks but not the best.

Maple Valley is probably the best all-round fictional track they have made.

I would like to see Willow Springs Raceway make it into FM8.

Any returning fantasy track definitely needs proper pit lanes.

 

[TheOE]

Fantasy Tracks are the soul of racing games that are not full simulation. It is great to have many real tracks, but it's a game - why shouldn't it have circuits that would not be feasable in real life?

I have raced on Silverstone in two dozens of racing games, but only one game allowed be to drive through the dunes of Dubai or the city of prague. Classic Gran Tourismo is known for its fantasy tracks (which sadly are mostly missing in GT7), and Forza also used to be like that.

Look how great it is to drive the Sidewinder Test Track or the full Positano Rallye. Both tracks are not made for racing but for driving. Just like Fujimi Kaido.

 

[MagpieRacer]

The worse part about fantasy tracks in Forza is that they tend to gut the larger versions of the track in future titles.

Rally di Positano went from an awesome long technical track to a short forgettable one.
View attachment 1224767

New York went from a long track with long straights and sharp corners to a track that was just boring.

Fujimi Kaido is a great track.
View attachment 1224768

Bernese Alps was a nice distraction from more realistic tracks but not the best.

Maple Valley is probably the best all-round fictional track they have made.

I would like to see Willow Springs Raceway make it into FM8.

Any returning fantasy track definitely needs proper pit lanes.

Positano was so underrated in FM3, thay was a great track to test handling. For me, Kaido has to come back, it was in the first, it was at its best in 4, it simply has to be in the new one. Question is whether it fits the new direction.

 

[TheOE]

Question is whether it fits the new direction.

During one of the interviews they said that they are prioritizing gameplay over track aestethic in future fantasy circuits.

 

[Imari]

Positano was so underrated in FM3, thay was a great track to test handling. For me, Kaido has to come back, it was in the first, it was at its best in 4, it simply has to be in the new one. Question is whether it fits the new direction.

Fujimi Kaido is and was great, but I think it runs into the same problems as city circuits when it comes to multiplayer. A lot of it is narrow, blind and with barriers right up against the track. When combined with drivers that could generously be described as amateur, it's a recipe for a lot of frustration.

I hope it's in, but I hope they also recognise that a game can have great tracks for single player and league racing that aren't necessarily suitable for open matchmaking.

The worse part about fantasy tracks in Forza is that they tend to gut the larger versions of the track in future titles.

Rally di Positano went from an awesome long technical track to a short forgettable one.
View attachment 1224767

New York went from a long track with long straights and sharp corners to a track that was just boring.

Fujimi Kaido is a great track.
View attachment 1224768

Bernese Alps was a nice distraction from more realistic tracks but not the best.

Maple Valley is probably the best all-round fictional track they have made.

I would like to see Willow Springs Raceway make it into FM8.

Any returning fantasy track definitely needs proper pit lanes.

I'd love to see them bring the Camino Viejo/Iberian International/Ladera set back, although it would be a relatively huge undertaking. There were a lot of good loops in there, and them all being connected made it kinda cool to learn a bit at a time.

 

[Morbid65]

The worse part about fantasy tracks in Forza is that they tend to gut the larger versions of the track in future titles.

Rally di Positano went from an awesome long technical track to a short forgettable one.

New York went from a long track with long straights and sharp corners to a track that was just boring.

Fujimi Kaido is a great track.

Bernese Alps was a nice distraction from more realistic tracks but not the best.

Maple Valley is probably the best all-round fictional track they have made.

I would like to see Willow Springs Raceway make it into FM8.

Any returning fantasy track definitely needs proper pit lanes.

New York's downgrade was awful, however the version with all the tire chicanes was pretty hilarious... not good, but hilarious.

I feel the opposite about Maple Valley though, that track is full of noob-trap corners and is generally a pretty terrible racing experience, and even though it looks like it should be fun to just drive, I find it to be understeer city. Granted, for racing it's not the pile up that Prague/Rio/Dubai often are, because Maple Valley actually has run off area... But that's almost worse in some ways. People just fly off the track and disappear and after the first lap its just hotlapping for everyone, where as at least at those crash places groups of people get into a massive crash, then continue racing with each other again as they all get going. I used to like it in the FM1 days, but I dunno what I was thinking then, and I can't remember the last time I had a good race around that place.

At first I thought the Maple Valley remake would be an improvement but I think it's actually worse now. Moving the pitlane so that you have to brake at the apex of a corner that is flat in 90% of cars to get into it is a terrible decision, then the way they designed the exit wall for the final corner means that if you crash while trying to avoid someone going into the pits, the wall angle sends you right back out into the track to collect more cars passing by and make the wreck even bigger.

For me, the FM1 fantasy tracks were by far and away the best they have done, with Alpine Ring being the best and Maple Valley being the worst. I think it would be fun to see them all remastered for the new game. I know some would argue "we don't need Blue Mountains because we have Bathurst" or "we already have Daytona, we don't need Sunset Peninsula Infield" but those tracks had their own character. Blue Mountains would probably actually be better than Bathurst for public lobby tier racing as it's noticeably wider than Bathurst, and Sunset Infield's layout was significantly different (and imo much more fun/interesting) than Daytona's roval layout.

I think Rio de Janeiro should be removed in FM8, or at least, restyled in a way where it's suitable for safe, clean racing and is good for overtaking. Some of the layouts just lead to utter madness, especially in online races.

But... they're going to have to use real roads, like how the city tracks of PGR were made.

Rio has grown on me and I kinda see it as our Macau, but yeah it's not a very good race track in general. Not that it was perfect, but they could just replace it with FM1's Rio street circuit and it would be an improvement for the quality of racing.

Rio's wildness can be fun though with competent drivers that don't just crash every 3 corners, and it's one of the few tracks in the game (along with Bathurst, Long Beach and the Nordschleife) where you can't just run 10/10ths all the time with minimal risk, so it can be interesting.

Rio is only marginally worse for it than the others though, Prague always has a ton of death in the bridge/alley/chicane section, and Dubai's mountain section and tunnel always have a bunch of crashes.

 

[fggnb]

Fantasy Tracks are the soul of racing games that are not full simulation. It is great to have many real tracks, but it's a game - why shouldn't it have circuits that would not be feasable in real life?

I have raced on Silverstone in two dozens of racing games, but only one game allowed be to drive through the dunes of Dubai or the city of prague. Classic Gran Tourismo is known for its fantasy tracks (which sadly are mostly missing in GT7), and Forza also used to be like that.

Look how great it is to drive the Sidewinder Test Track or the full Positano Rallye. Both tracks are not made for racing but for driving. Just like Fujimi Kaido.

Totally agree, but now players are not players anymore and want REALISM and SIM RACING, to feel as they were a true race driver. Fictional tracks are for arcade peasants.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Totally agree, but now players are not players anymore and want REALISM and SIM RACING, to feel as they were a true race driver. Fictional tracks are for arcade peasants.

The 10% killing games for the 90%.

 

[Stupornaut]

Fujimi Kaido is and was great, but I think it runs into the same problems as city circuits when it comes to multiplayer. A lot of it is narrow, blind and with barriers right up against the track. When combined with drivers that could generously be described as amateur, it's a recipe for a lot of frustration.

I am pretty sure that any negative feelings I hold towards Fujimi Kaido are bound to the completely deranged idea, exhibited in FM4's career mode (or was it FM3's? or both?), that it is a track suitable for LMP races.

 

[MagpieRacer]

I am pretty sure that any negative feelings I hold towards Fujimi Kaido are bound to the completely deranged idea, exhibited in FM4's career mode (or was it FM3's? or both?), that it is a track suitable for LMP races.

I think it was both, I do remember racing LMPs round it a few times. Definitely best suited to smaller hatches amd sports cars. LMPs were a real workout with a wheel.

I'd like to think that even with their refocus on the game design, that there is still a place for something like Kaido and maybe even Positano (was and would still be a fantastic rally location).

Perhaps Hakone is a hint, maybe we'll see something like Grid Legends with Okutama, where there's a GP style track and a mountain section. Wishful thinking maybe but who knows.

 

[Stupornaut]

I think it was both, I do remember racing LMPs round it a few times. Definitely best suited to smaller hatches amd sports cars. LMPs were a real workout with a wheel.

I'd like to think that even with their refocus on the game design, that there is still a place for something like Kaido and maybe even Positano (was and would still be a fantastic rally location).

Perhaps Hakone is a hint, maybe we'll see something like Grid Legends with Okutama, where there's a GP style track and a mountain section. Wishful thinking maybe but who knows.

Yeah, the whole feel of the Camino Viejo complex was pretty remarkable that way, too.

 

[PJTierney]

I am pretty sure that any negative feelings I hold towards Fujimi Kaido are bound to the completely deranged idea, exhibited in FM4's career mode (or was it FM3's? or both?), that it is a track suitable for LMP races.

Fujimi Kaido was an excellent soapbox racing route. Start at the top, hold the clutch and wheeee!

 

[MagpieRacer]

Fujimi Kaido was an excellent soapbox racing route. Start at the top, hold the clutch and wheeee!

I think I actually did that with the Renault Twingo, good memories.

 

[willbsn13]

 

[nukleabomb]

where did you find that

 

[turk1993]

I mean we all expected this tbh. After the jan 25 event they will deep dive in the new trailer and give some more info on the stream. Just like they did last time and just like they did with Forza Horizon 5.

 

[nukleabomb]

Seems to be 1.5 hours long because FH5 stream starts 10:30 AM PT


Edit: cant find that livestream image anywhere

 

[Bilu]

Seems to be 1.5 hours long because FH5 stream starts 10:30 AM PT


Edit: cant find that livestream image anywhere

 

[nukleabomb]

Ah instagram


those sneaky buggers

 

[PJTierney]

I think I actually did that with the Renault Twingo, good memories.

Kaido soapbox runs were the only place in the game where F-Class cars could legitimately beat X-Class cars.

(Yes, for the new kids around here, Forza used to have cars go all the way down to F)

 

[fokuzx2]

oh and how i loved F-class "racing". a mate of mine and me often did "pick your 10k ****box and spend no more than 5k on it" racing. these were the times...

sorry for the OT, just got dragged down memory lane.

 

[Ls2BluGoat]

Fantasy Tracks are the soul of racing games that are not full simulation. It is great to have many real tracks, but it's a game - why shouldn't it have circuits that would not be feasable in real life?

I have raced on Silverstone in two dozens of racing games, but only one game allowed be to drive through the dunes of Dubai or the city of prague. Classic Gran Tourismo is known for its fantasy tracks (which sadly are mostly missing in GT7), and Forza also used to be like that.

Look how great it is to drive the Sidewinder Test Track or the full Positano Rallye. Both tracks are not made for racing but for driving. Just like Fujimi Kaido.

Almost forgot how good FM3 has held up.

Side note: The vtec crossover at 0:48 into the video is gloriously represented. As an audiophile, small details like that really reinforce the appreciation I have for the earlier FM series.