Payback: Abandoned cars Thread

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I only had a couple of unfortunate issues with the RX7, M3 and Amazon (getting trapped by bad driving more so than the cops), but otherwise got the job done first time with at least one account. What I have noticed is the police seem more tactical and forceful than before and aren't as shakeable. You have to fight to stay ahead and even on open ground they aren't as shakeable. The best place to fight them seem to be the wider tunnels. Bottle necks are a problem for you if the cops dogpile you and the open desert just saps your momentum. You can still out play them but you'll have the devils own to keep her straight enough to get a lead or from being turned by the cops when playing in the dirt.
 
I'm not sure what I would tweak about the cops, but I know I wish SOMETHING was tweaked. There's an incredible amount of rubber-banding. I don't like how you can expend a full can of NOS while the Crown Vics still pull ahead of you. I also don't like how you can't hardly out-maneuver them.... when they pull up beside me and start grinding me into oblivion I should be able to hard-brake and let them blow by, but it's like the cops have some special velocity-matching software that keeps them glued to you. Hey, come to think of it, maybe that's some of the secret House tech? :P

Oh, and one more thing.... the cops have absolutely no regard for human life whatsoever, it's like they deliberately use innocent road-goers as weapons to use against me. I feel like the AI needs to be tweaked in those areas, I'm just not sure how to do it.
 
CleanCut
I'm not sure what I would tweak about the cops, but I know I wish SOMETHING was tweaked. There's an incredible amount of rubber-banding. I don't like how you can expend a full can of NOS while the Crown Vics still pull ahead of you. I also don't like how you can't hardly out-maneuver them.... when they pull up beside me and start grinding me into oblivion I should be able to hard-brake and let them blow by, but it's like the cops have some special velocity-matching software that keeps them glued to you. Hey, come to think of it, maybe that's some of the secret House tech? :P

Oh, and one more thing.... the cops have absolutely no regard for human life whatsoever, it's like they deliberately use innocent road-goers as weapons to use against me. I feel like the AI needs to be tweaked in those areas, I'm just not sure how to do it.
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There is a possible trade off. Reduce or remove rubber banding, but increase spawn rates and include use of barriers and spike strips.
 
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I go back to, in my opinion, the best cop chase mechanic that the series ever had, and that's MW '05. You're right, there were a lot more road blocks and spike strips in that one.

It's not that I'm oblivious to the challenges they face. With the fact that you can off-road and drive anywhere on the map, if your car is vastly superior to the stock cop cars and they have no rubber-banding, then you could simply outrun them easily = no fun. One key difference with MW05 is that MW was almost all city - there were a lot more turns, city blocks, etc. that condensed the chase. With Payback's wide open spaces, getting everything just right would definitely be more difficult. Even road blocks and spike strips would have little effect out in the desert when you can simply leave the road and continue on.

I think another problem with the current design is that even when the checkpoints are not timed, like the abandoned car chases for instance, there is still an end destination and a route plotted out for you. One of the fun things in MW05 was getting into a chase and literally having nowhere specific to go and the objective simply being to outrun the Police. In such a system, cooldown spots are a must-have feature.

After thinking about it, my suggestions for improving the current system, in no particular order are:

A) Introduce free-roam cops with the same spawn-frequency as in 2015 (which is to say fairly infrequent). Maybe they can show up during a race event once in a while, and once the race is completed, allow us to pick a speed card, collect the cash, etc. as normal, and then transition into the cop chase in progress.

B) Introduce a new class of cop SUVs specifically designed for off-road. Plop them in the desert, and make it more challenging for us even if we leave the roadway.

C) Encourage us to leave the roadway by using more Rhinos, road blocks, and spike strips on the road. NO Rhinos on off-road.

D) Bring back heat levels... this would accomplish two things: 1) Make the Crown Vic have normal performance levels instead of supercar status it currently seems to have, and 2) make things more realistic and challenging during the later parts of the game when the player is driving exotics and such.

E) Make the player garages cooldown spots. But like in MW05, you can't be in direct sight of the cops to use them, otherwise the option disappears. Since there are only four garages, getting there would be no easy task and keep chases going to satisfactory length.

F) What I would do if I were in charge of Payback, is bundle all of the above suggestions and make it one of the DLCs and call it the "Hot Pursuit" bundle or something like that. I would also include police equipment like bumper guards, roof lights and police-related decals for purchase and customization.
 
CleanCut
I go back to, in my opinion, the best cop chase mechanic that the series ever had, and that's MW '05. You're right, there were a lot more road blocks and spike strips in that one.

It's not that I'm oblivious to the challenges they face. With the fact that you can off-road and drive anywhere on the map, if your car is vastly superior to the stock cop cars and they have no rubber-banding, then you could simply outrun them easily = no fun. One key difference with MW05 is that MW was almost all city - there were a lot more turns, city blocks, etc. that condensed the chase. With Payback's wide open spaces, getting everything just right would definitely be more difficult. Even road blocks and spike strips would have little effect out in the desert when you can simply leave the road and continue on.

I think another problem with the current design is that even when the checkpoints are not timed, like the abandoned car chases for instance, there is still an end destination and a route plotted out for you. One of the fun things in MW05 was getting into a chase and literally having nowhere specific to go and the objective simply being to outrun the Police. In such a system, cooldown spots are a must-have feature.

After thinking about it, my suggestions for improving the current system, in no particular order are:

A) Introduce free-roam cops with the same spawn-frequency as in 2015 (which is to say fairly infrequent). Maybe they can show up during a race event once in a while, and once the race is completed, allow us to pick a speed card, collect the cash, etc. as normal, and then transition into the cop chase in progress.

B) Introduce a new class of cop SUVs specifically designed for off-road. Plop them in the desert, and make it more challenging for us even if we leave the roadway.

C) Encourage us to leave the roadway by using more Rhinos, road blocks, and spike strips on the road. NO Rhinos on off-road.

D) Bring back heat levels... this would accomplish two things: 1) Make the Crown Vic have normal performance levels instead of supercar status it currently seems to have, and 2) make things more realistic and challenging during the later parts of the game when the player is driving exotics and such.

E) Make the player garages cooldown spots. But like in MW05, you can't be in direct sight of the cops to use them, otherwise the option disappears. Since there are only four garages, getting there would be no easy task and keep chases going to satisfactory length.

F) What I would do if I were in charge of Payback, is bundle all of the above suggestions and make it one of the DLCs and call it the "Hot Pursuit" bundle or something like that. I would also include police equipment like bumper guards, roof lights and police-related decals for purchase and customization.
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Just a few things to finesse your ideas. I agree with infrequency in free roam. Add cop shops for a bit of cop baiting but otherwise just the odd cruiser or hot spot. Even put in a few challenges regarding the cops. In certain events have a fixed higher heat level with the appropriate vehicles, such as the abandoned cars (fix the chasers to vettes and chargers). Off roaders is a great idea as we are already penalised with reduced speed in the rough (totally off track).
 
By "cop shops" you mean like the doughnut shop and whatnot where they would frequently hang out? I like it! You could trigger a chase in such an area by doing a burnout or donuts.

FWIW, I enjoyed the pursuit breakers in MW05, however I was trying to make suggestions that would be more feasible with the current game. IMO pursuit breakers is a dynamic that is pretty intrinsic to the design of the game-world. I wouldn't expect them to be able to do that big of an overhaul to the system, but it would be nice.
 
^^^ Yes, one of the things that breaks the immersion for me is the fact that the lower tiered cop cars are faster than whatever I'm driving regardless of performance level.

My suggestion with introducing heat levels would also include re-balancing the cop car performance. Just like the player cars which can have 3 tiers of performance, the cop cars could be similar. Heat level 1 would send Crown Vics at you that are in tier level 1. Heat level 2 would send Challengers/Mustangs/Camaros at you or some equivalent. Heat level 3 would introduce Corvettes or exotics.

If you are in a tier 1 car, then the Crown Vics will be up to the task. I don't want to see any rubber-banding... if you're faster, then great, if not, you have a chase on your hands. Even if you are in a tier 3 exotic, chases should start against tier 1 cops. The difference would be that the AI would know immediately that the tier 1 cops are outclassed, and so police chatter would indicate an immediate escalation of the heat level.

If the player is in an 'average' car however (150-450 HP), the heat levels would progress this way: Heat level 1 would introduce roadblocks. If the player dodges one or more road blocks, the heat level would climb to tier 2. Tier 2 would include spike strips and Rhinos. If the player dodges a spike strip and 2 Rhinos, then the heat level goes to 3 which inserts helicopter pursuit.

What do you think?
 
Thought the 2000 GT-R would be released this week, right? SYKE!

Instead, you've got another chance to pick up the RX-7.


Although if you already have the Mazda, it's not all bad news... Provided you are able to wait another week.
 
I hope they don't go full Forza 7 and start rehashing abandoned cars week after week. Although, after the Skyline, how many more are there before they're out of them to release?
 
^^^ The Skyline is the last one.

And judging by the threads over at the official forums, they had better rehash the cars week after week. I've never seen anything like it... twelve year olds everywhere have their pitchforks out because they missed out on the previous releases and 'Ghost better make it right and give them another chance, dangit!' LOL
 
Oh, I thought they just ended up in the dealership after their release and instead of getting it for free you just had to buy it. I didn't know they were locked down.

I guess a rehash is worthwhile then.
 
There is now an incentive to collect an abandoned car you already own - The class for the P130 has changed:
 
^^^ I hadn't thought of it but that's a good idea... changing the car class each time a car is re-released. We had talked before about how annoying it was to want a car for a different class than what is specified. Allowing us to pick once we get the car back to the garage is the most elegant solution, but doing it this way creates incentive to keep playing.
 
cudwieser
You're kidding...right!

How'd it go?
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I haven't played the game yet today, I'll report back a bit later on. ;)

Edit: Actually wasn't bad at all! The full capacity nitrous heavily outweighed the disadvantage of Drag-Spec handling. Got the Plymouth back to the garage on the first attempt!
 
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FT-1
I haven't played the game yet today, I'll report back a bit later on. ;)

Edit: Actually wasn't bad at all! The full capacity nitrous heavily outweighed the disadvantage of Drag-Spec handling. Got the Plymouth back to the garage on the first attempt!
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Just have to get her sideways when it counts. ;) :)
 
^^^ That's awesome!

I hate to admit it, but I gave up on trying to get a second Volvo Amazon. After three attempts I almost rage-quit... the car is too slow, and now that it's runner class it doesn't go in the dirt as well. Added to those facts is that the location near the dam is a **** to get to again after you get busted 14 miles away. They REALLY need a "restart" feature on the abandoned car chases.
 
CleanCut
^^^ That's awesome!

I hate to admit it, but I gave up on trying to get a second Volvo Amazon. After three attempts I almost rage-quit... the car is too slow, and now that it's runner class it doesn't go in the dirt as well. Added to those facts is that the location near the dam is a **** to get to again after you get busted 14 miles away. They REALLY need a "restart" feature on the abandoned car chases.
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I find there is a need to hit and run lest you get swamped. A bit of cut and swerve seems to help if you have some nitro left. nitro preservation is essential imo (I usually pump the nitro button instead of holding as you have more control and get to top speed quicker from stand still as you run out otherwise).

Also spotted a key weakness during chases in general, but chasing cops won't touch you in a corner. Those spawned into a turn might get in your way, but all attacks happen on straights. Find a good twisty road for racers and drift to save your life.
 
I have not experienced your hypothesis about them staying away in a corner at all. They always got me in the same general vicinity, which is to say in the off-road bits where there are switchback curves and rocky barriers jutting out from either angle. What would happen inevitably is that I would slide into a drift to go around a corner and then some pig would ram into me and shove me right into a rocky outcrop. My car would be pointed at the sky, unable to go forward, and they would immediately block me in with two other cars.

I was playing more of an "outrun" style rather than "seek and destroy." I suppose if I concentrated on wrecking more of them then maybe I would have a better chance in that one section. But I'm doubtful seeing as how they just spawn more cops ahead of you anyway. I dunno, I'm not an all-pro racer by any means but I'm no slouch either, been playing NFS for 15 years... I feel like there are some routes/car combinations that are just more difficult than others. I considered trying to forge my own path rather than follow the predefined route, but I was afraid of failure trying to go the other direction, which is a lot further distance to travel.

Oh well, the Volvo is done anyway, time to move on to the 'Cuda. I have all of the abandoned cars from the first go-around and I sold/bought them into the classes I want, so I'm only attempting to collect them again in order to resell for cash.
 
I took an alt route for the skyline by heading to the river and following the rx7 route. As for tapping you in the turn, the cops will certainly banzai you in the braking zone, but through the turn they seemed to stay off my bumper. A quick squirt of nitro keeps them behind out of the turn. The random spawns tend to be near stationary until you get close, speeding up once you're near, often beside them. This is when you attack to knock some health from them so that if they do get along side you again, you have less to take off them to take them out. Generally if the cops have a straight line to you they go for you. If they can't get a clean(ish) hit they hang on until they can charge you. The only serious dangers are rhinos. If you can see it, try to dummy it and let it nail some of the pursuers, otherwise stay to the inside of the turn and most of the time you'll miss the rhino. Those ere the tricks and observations that seemed to work for me :)

Let us know how you get on with the cuda :)
 
^^^ Should be fun since it's a drag car!

Unfortunately I don't have time to go exploring the whole map... can anyone tell me where it is? The frustrating thing about the same cars recycling is that I never know if the Youtube guides are for the new location or the old one, and I don't have time to sift through them.
 
CleanCut
^^^ Should be fun since it's a drag car!

Unfortunately I don't have time to go exploring the whole map... can anyone tell me where it is? The frustrating thing about the same cars recycling is that I never know if the Youtube guides are for the new location or the old one, and I don't have time to sift through them.
Click to expand...
CleanCut
^^^ Should be fun since it's a drag car!

Unfortunately I don't have time to go exploring the whole map... can anyone tell me where it is? The frustrating thing about the same cars recycling is that I never know if the Youtube guides are for the new location or the old one, and I don't have time to sift through them.
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@ 0:10 into the vid

It's the same place as the volvo 242. Should be a fairly straight run as you've a freeway near by and some desert to play with otherwise straight and open roads to exploit.
 
^^^ Thanks! I guess they are using the same locations in addition to the same cars. I didn't have any trouble with the 242 from that location, one of the easier cop chases as I recall.
 
When I initially acquired the Volvo 242, I sold it in favour of an off-road spec 242... :ouch: Oh well, I can still sell this for cash too.
 

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