omg. i wasn't aware sports and shooting games were so advanced now. i'm back into LFS after 10 years off, but in the interim it seems the sports and fps simulations now include:
1) football fields dry out on certain patches due to local drainage and footfall, and clumps of dirt build up next to where the boots slide
2) consumption of ammunition affects the overall weight and thus speed of travel as well as speed of aiming
3) fps players can lend their load-out to another player who hasn't qualified in rank to get those items yet
4) participants performance is reduced until they warm up, and tails off again if they get too hot
5) the sports players can have restrictions to their aspiration (probably some sort of face-mask), or add a weight penalty if server decides
6) the contact with the ground is customizable, with different compounds on footwear depending on the type of session and the play style of each player (and every stud is simulated individually)
7) they have to deal with games of 8 hours and more, with each player being substituted once or more, making strategy of the utmost importance
8) the sandbox style of these games allows for football players to change to a demolition style and take each other out, for a last man standing to then proceed to the line
9) sandbox also allows the football players to add new lines and objects on to the sports field, and play at bank heists with cops and robbers
10) wear and tear on the equipment progressively causes drop in performance and increased chance of failure during a match
11) sound has evolved from samples to every single footstep being fully modelled as to how it echoes around the environment
there must be no reason to play the real thing any more. the sports grounds will no doubt stay empty when lock-down ends, due to lack of customization options compared to these true sandboxes