Clearly the answer is for Scavier to buyout Polyphony Digital and take the GT5:P graphics, tracks and car models and combine them with the LFS physics model.
Seriously though, I've had the Japanese version since a couple of days after release (and played every GT title to completion including all the prologues) and it was dissatisfaction after a month or two that led me here to LFS (which I read about on the GTPlanet forums). Yes the graphics are astounding but the shortfalls left me wanting for more - namely some form of damage, more realistic tyre modeling and to be frank, a community of people who are actually into racing rather than playing dodgems online.
Too many comments to reply to but here are a few thoughts;
- I wish people would stop calling the GT Prologues "demos" - they've always been intended as a "teaser" to keep people keen throughout the seriously extended development cycle (GT5:P in 1 year? You must be tripping!). Granted GT5:P is being used as a beta for the online functionality but what better way to iron out the issues?
- The GT series has always been plagued with delays. The OP wants to believe that the full GT5 will be on time but it's already looking like the AU, EU and NA versions will slip to early 2009.
- I've got a sneaking suspicion (or perhaps it's just wishful thinking) that the last big delay in GT5 (the one that pushed it back about a year) is due to the implementation of a damage system. Kazunori has said it'll have to be perfect (not just visually but physical modeling of damage and the impact to handling) and while perfection is in the eye of the beholder, it'd be nice to finally shut those Xbox360/Forza retards up! :P
- £30 for 2 1/2 years of play? £30 for nearly 50,000 miles of online racing? That's £1 a month, £1 for more than 1600 miles. I've been playing computer games of one sort or another for more than 25 years and in all that time I've never seen a single game that can give as much playability for such an extended period for such a small amount of money
Never before has so much been given by so few for so many?
- GT5:P online will be as good as useless until private races are possible - too many idiots. Are they actually confirmed for release? I don't believe so.
- I'd agree that more Australian based LFS racing servers (or at least one or two that are up the whole time) would be nice. I'm tossing up the option of colocating a box I've got sitting spare and running one myself - we'll see.
- The fact that the GT series will be played predominantly by people with sixaxis controllers means that the physics model HAS to be dumbed down so that cars will accept the all on or all off brake and accelerator. Yes you can run with simulation mode and a G25 but the underlying physics remains suspect.
Example: The first evening after I got LFS I was going for a spin around SO4 in a LX6 and every time I jumped off the accelerator (as you'd need to do in GT5:P with a controller and as I got lazy and used to doing with a G25) at the dip before the first first bend I'd lose control but after a lap or two I started to drive "properly" and ease off rather than snapping off and of course I went faster through the corner and maintained car control.
I'm also of the belief that the limitations enforced on PD through having to primarily support steering using a sixaxis (be it buttons or analog stick) are the reason that donuts and figure eights aren't possible.
Quite simply GT5:P doesn't have that level of detail in the car physics that LFS has. GT5:P is more forgiving and it needs to be to keep the "average" console GT player happy.
- I still haven't completely finished the GT5:P Japanese version as I've been playing LFS instead.
- I'll be picking up GT5:P Australian version tomorrow to checkout the new functionality and cars and will play for a while but expect I'll be back on LFS before the end of the night and really only go for a spin in GT5:P when I want the eye-candy.
- "People" are a bunch of whingers no matter what you do. Just witness the bitching and moaning on the GTPlanet forums about the lack of smoke, tyre marks, Track X, Car Y, blah blah blah. It's fricken tedious - just accept what's given to you, appreciate the improvements and if you don't like it, don't play it (goes for any and every game).
- If I was Scawen/Eric/Victor, I'd personally be working on the fundamentals for the final S2 release and it wouldn't be until S3 that I'd start introducing new cars and tracks. It makes business sense (gives a good reason for people to upgrade from S2) and it makes sense from a development standpoint (there's no point in having bling if the fundamentals suck).
- I would personally donate a few hundred dollars/euros/name your currency to Scavier to put towards getting a license and doing the work of modeling Nürburgring. Enough people doing the same _could_ get it done.........
- This is my first post. Hope to see you all online sometime soon!
