Currently, one can choose to have or not to have ABS, TC, etc on any car, unless prohibited by event settings. It is not realistic to have aids in an old car, and not realistic to deny the use of aids from new cars that have them as stock. Then again, aids should be available to make the game enjoyable for casual players. I'd like to suggest the following:
Car-based aids: If a car has ABS, TC, etc as stock, it has them in the game. If it does not have them, they can be purchased and added to the car with the cost of some credits and an increase in PP. Also include some checks for the events, so that a 1960s car with added TC will not be able to enter an event meant for 1960s cars.
Besides electronic aids, the same should apply for transmissions. If the car comes as stock with MT, it is MT, and if it comes as AT, it is AT. If the real car has poorer performance with AT than with MT, so should the in-game car. MT can be swapped for AT and vice versa, with a credit cost and some PP adjustment (up or down).
All settings for car-based aids are stored in the car setups. They can be adjusted while driving if that's possible with real world equivalents. Adjustment while driving is done like it's done now for TC etc.
Game-based aids: Regardless of whether or not any car-based aids are installed, there are game-based aids available. Braking aid (equals ABS), acceleration aid (equals TC, with no power loss), shifting aid (AT with no power loss), steering aid, perhaps others. Perhaps some mild or strong variants of these. Driving line also falls into this category. These are selected from the pause menu and settings are remembered until changed (so they are the same for every car). Times done with game-based aids are not accepted for online leaderboards, and online lobbies may choose to disallow them. Some trophies (for completing the career mode) are only awarded if these are not used. But everything in career mode can be completed with these, thus making the game more accessible for casual players.
Car-based aids: If a car has ABS, TC, etc as stock, it has them in the game. If it does not have them, they can be purchased and added to the car with the cost of some credits and an increase in PP. Also include some checks for the events, so that a 1960s car with added TC will not be able to enter an event meant for 1960s cars.
Besides electronic aids, the same should apply for transmissions. If the car comes as stock with MT, it is MT, and if it comes as AT, it is AT. If the real car has poorer performance with AT than with MT, so should the in-game car. MT can be swapped for AT and vice versa, with a credit cost and some PP adjustment (up or down).
All settings for car-based aids are stored in the car setups. They can be adjusted while driving if that's possible with real world equivalents. Adjustment while driving is done like it's done now for TC etc.
Game-based aids: Regardless of whether or not any car-based aids are installed, there are game-based aids available. Braking aid (equals ABS), acceleration aid (equals TC, with no power loss), shifting aid (AT with no power loss), steering aid, perhaps others. Perhaps some mild or strong variants of these. Driving line also falls into this category. These are selected from the pause menu and settings are remembered until changed (so they are the same for every car). Times done with game-based aids are not accepted for online leaderboards, and online lobbies may choose to disallow them. Some trophies (for completing the career mode) are only awarded if these are not used. But everything in career mode can be completed with these, thus making the game more accessible for casual players.
