Gran Turismo 7 “Power Pack” Paid DLC Now Available: New Races Including Endurance Events, Qualifying, and “Sophy 3.0”

[man_801]

I did the 3 lap historic le mans race today. I remembered reading here that many of you said that I could take the inters for an easy win. I skipped whatever Sarah had to say and equipped the inters... The track was mostly dry at the start and completely dry by lap 2.
On my second attempt, I had a good battle with the top 2 cars, and passed for the win in the Porsche curves on the last lap.

Fair to say I won't make the mistake of ignoring the radar again.

 

[vcx]

I finished 8 hours SPA endurance race. After 3 hours I made a mistake and lost my concentration and forgot to enter the pit. I had 1 lap gap between 2nd but my car had a problem (out of gas) and 80km/h speed I had to turn the track and then entered pit. That mistake was so bad because after pit I lost my advantage and my rival passed me and our gap between us was 1lap. Our role changed😅 he was 1st with a gap of 1lap against me and I was 2nd. The race was re-started for me at that point. Anyway my strategy was pit in every 20 laps and always stand on race-mids. Fuel map1. No rain dropped.

 

[mynameis66]

Not sure how what I posted relates to PC.

I did wonder that too.

 

[MMX]

The last update made the Alfa, no chili car, in the Oldtimer races handle way better than before, so using that car makes those races extremely easy. I'll have to go back, throw some pepper on them, and see if I can hang.

 

[Fezzik]

The last update made the Alfa, no chili car, in the Oldtimer races handle way better than before, so using that car makes those races extremely easy. I'll have to go back, throw some pepper on them, and see if I can hang.

Try the middle Merc, it’s really good.

 

[MMX]

Try the middle Merc, it’s really good.

I did before the update, at Sardegna, but couldn't put together an entire clean race. My fault, not the car.

 

[XSquareStickIt]

Hey all. Sorry if this has been answered before, but I'm contemplating on buying the Power Pack and I'm wondering if it is possible to earn the six Power Pack exclusive cars without touching the endurance races. Thanks in advance.

 

[Fezzik]

Hey all. Sorry if this has been answered before, but I'm contemplating on buying the Power Pack and I'm wondering if it is possible to earn the six Power Pack exclusive cars without touching the endurance races. Thanks in advance.

Yes. You just need stars to unlock them and you'll easily earn enough just doing the non-endurance races.

 

[art3mis]

I think someone at PD forgot to enable the "don't race hard and don't dive bomb when you're multiple laps down" setting for the AI.
I'm doing Le Mans Group C 24 Hour, I'm 160 laps in, it's been raining for the better part of 5 hours, and AI that are multiple laps down are dive bombing me into corners. pushing me in the middle if I'm on the line they want to take, and overall being a DR/SR D/D Nuisance!

I get it if I just put the lap on you and you want to fight it back. That's great racing and I love it. But if you're already 2 laps down and I come by to add another just move over and take it. I've already proven I'm significantly faster than you are, GTHO of my way already lol

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

I can also confirm seeing A.I. opponents dive bomb in races, one did it for instance on a Tokyo Expressway race. A driver in a Nismo 400R went straight at a wall on the top hairpin.

 

[CTRL Garage]

So far I’m 30/50 races done and I would recommend this power pack.

I usually have this approach for the difficulty levels:

• No pepper - no quali start at the back, in the lead fairly easily.
• 1 pepper - no quali start at the back, have a decent race through the field usually having a tight finish for 1st on the second to last lap.
• 2 pepper - need to qualify mid pack, have a decent race through the field usually having a tight finish for 1st on the second to last lap.

But there are outliers such as the Nurburgring Tourist where I have to qualify for no pepper race or European Oldtimers at Catalunya where 2 pepper start at the back and in the lead by the end of lap 2.

I like the races but the AI could be less aggressive on lunging into turns, could stick to its line more rather than backing out the way as soon as my nose gets near it and use more of the track as its lines are weird at times. Definitely not regular AI as someone mentioned but not human like either.

I wish we could have more car choices, like choose any car that’s on the grid but I’m still enjoying going through and trying the different options.

 

[cvjoint]

I think someone at PD forgot to enable the "don't race hard and don't dive bomb when you're multiple laps down" setting for the AI.
I'm doing Le Mans Group C 24 Hour, I'm 160 laps in, it's been raining for the better part of 5 hours, and AI that are multiple laps down are dive bombing me into corners. pushing me in the middle if I'm on the line they want to take, and overall being a DR/SR D/D Nuisance!

I get it if I just put the lap on you and you want to fight it back. That's great racing and I love it. But if you're already 2 laps down and I come by to add another just move over and take it. I've already proven I'm significantly faster than you are, GTHO of my way already lol

I propose a rebrand from Sophie 3.0 to Esteban Ocon.

 

[GTvsForza]

Did the European Oldtimers races in the GTI branch of the Power Pack. I got scared when the game crashed after the Sardegna race, but thankfully it still counted. Just got the GT ONE races left, then I'll take a break before starting on the enduros.

 

[Il_Conte_Sky]

Managed to win the 6 Hours of Suzuka with the NSX with my No driving assists + Cockpit cam ruleset
Executed an almost perfect run + had a string of luck with Sophy messing up strategies (they fitted alot of Hard tires for no reason)



Here's the final stretch from my stream



Next target: 8 Hours of Spa

 

[pabloprp69]

Managed to win the 6 Hours of Suzuka with the NSX with my No driving assists + Cockpit cam ruleset
Executed an almost perfect run + had a string of luck with Sophy messing up strategies (they fitted alot of Hard tires for no reason)



Here's the final stretch from my stream



Next target: 8 Hours of Spa

Is this race any different from the regular easy races (using 2 peppers) in the power pack, or the AI here is improved? Is it just difficult because we have a much inferior car?

 

[Nebuc72]

Honestly think 3.0 is just leagues worse than 2.1

As far as I can tell Drumont's 962 is running stock, the speeds are about the same.
I did a quick comparison at Spa with 3.0 vs 2.1.

3.0 constantly brakes way too late, hits the brakes when it doesn't need to, never takes a proper racing line, lifts off the throttle constantly and thinks apexes are a suggestion. More like the regular AI does than 2.1 does.

Look at this comparison into the bus stop.
2.1 takes it as you expect. Holds to the left, brakes where you'd expect, drives it normally. Hits the apex!

3.0 at the same point is in the middle of the track, is carrying way more speed by braking late and absolutely bombs past the apex, lap after lap after lap. Cannot drive at all.

The apex comparison is ridiculous, it doesn't know where it is going at all. Good thing it has an extra 200hp on the player to make up for it in the straights.

2.1 lifts going into the apex of Blanchimont in this car which you don't need to do, but is getting back on throttle by the apex to accelerate out. Not a great performance, but only loses a few tenths against me.

3.0 pretends the throttle doesn't exist and slams on the brakes into Blanchimont, bleeding off an ungodly amount of speed for absolutely no reason. Again, this car takes this flat. Loses near enough up to a second to me here alone (just like normal AI!)

I do categorically think this is a worse racing experience than Custom Races provide, by a significant margin. It is a hampered, dumber and slower version of the experience we already have in the game.
A crying shame if you are coming into this expecting a competitive, proper, racing experience. It is a downgrade in all of those aspects.

Yes I am sorry the conditions are marginally different, this race was cloudy up until the last lap but it doesn't matter because 3.0 drives the same every lap anyway.

 

[Il_Conte_Sky]

Is this race any different from the regular easy races (using 2 peppers) in the power pack, or the AI here is improved? Is it just difficult because we have a much inferior car?

The last one you said. The NSX loses 0.7 to 1 second on each straight at Suzuka.
I've been able to almost match the top runners pace by lapping low 2:02s to 2:03s on Medium tyres for 15 laps stints, which amount to half an hour for each stint. My best lap was a 2:01.9xx
The problem is the top runners can extend their stints to 40 minutes so you have to make up a couple of extra pits' worth of time somehow, and that's where luck comes in and you have to pray Sophy fits Hard tyres
On top of that you're bound to bleed more time than Sophy every time you have to overtake or lap another car, so you have to be on your best pace and be efficient in traffic to even have a chance.
It's been a good challenge, albeit too artificial with how the car is underpowered. I'm fairly sure Sophy has the potential to be competitive on a more level playing field with the player than that

 

[SpacedInvader]

Honestly think 3.0 is just leagues worse than 2.1

As far as I can tell Drumont's 962 is running stock, the speeds are about the same.
I did a quick comparison at Spa with 3.0 vs 2.1.

3.0 constantly brakes way too late, hits the brakes when it doesn't need to, never takes a proper racing line, lifts off the throttle constantly and thinks apexes are a suggestion. More like the regular AI does than 2.1 does.

Look at this comparison into the bus stop.
2.1 takes it as you expect. Holds to the left, brakes where you'd expect, drives it normally. Hits the apex!

View attachment 1499960

View attachment 1499961
3.0 at the same point is in the middle of the track, is carrying way more speed by braking late and absolutely bombs past the apex, lap after lap after lap. Cannot drive at all.

The apex comparison is ridiculous, it doesn't know where it is going at all. Good thing it has an extra 200hp on the player to make up for it in the straights.
View attachment 1499962
View attachment 1499963


2.1 lifts going into the apex of Blanchimont in this car which you don't need to do, but is getting back on throttle by the apex to accelerate out. Not a great performance, but only loses a few tenths against me.
View attachment 1499965

3.0 pretends the throttle doesn't exist and slams on the brakes into Blanchimont, bleeding off an ungodly amount of speed for absolutely no reason. Again, this car takes this flat. Loses near enough up to a second to me here alone (just like normal AI!)
View attachment 1499964


I do categorically think this is a worse racing experience than Custom Races provide, by a significant margin. It is a hampered, dumber and slower version of the experience we already have in the game.
A crying shame if you are coming into this expecting a competitive, proper, racing experience. It is a downgrade in all of those aspects.

Yes I am sorry the conditions are marginally different, this race was cloudy up until the last lap but it doesn't matter because 3.0 drives the same every lap anyway.

I wonder if it was different before the recent nerfing of the PP?

 

[GTvsForza]

Has anyone checked Miyazono in the Deep Forest Tuned race? I only finished 3rd before the patch and he was an absolute rocket in the 400R. I want to see if he's more nerfed before I try to do the race again.

 

[cvjoint]

I also noticed AI doesn't know how to take the first sequence of corners at Trial Mountain. I get over 1.5 seconds advantage in that first sector and I respect track limits. However, doing that race with chilly peppers I'm not fast on the tunnel straight and lose some speed to the AI there. Overall I enjoyed the AI smarts. I think they are smart enough for 99.9% of us. I suppose GT7 could appease everyone by releasing a 5 chilly pepper version that destroys everyone.

I see everyone criticizing the dive bombing by AI. But in F1 real drivers only need to stay on track with track limits to make a legal pass dive bombing and be near enough on the inside. They don't have to take a racing line or anything like that. So we're being a bit too tough on AI here. In reality I think it's fair, you have to take a defensive line and sacrifice some speed coming out.

 

[art3mis]

I propose a rebrand from Sophie 3.0 to Esteban Ocon.

I propose: Allatime Leavagap because that's how they race ;-)

I wonder if it was different before the recent nerfing of the PP?

It's my experience that it is NOT different before the nerfing. The AI could be easily gapped in the same places it can currently be gapped by driving the same way, taking apexes and intelligent racing lines. The AI can't take those same lines and brakes in weird spots both pre and post nerf.

I also noticed AI doesn't know how to take the first sequence of corners at Trial Mountain. I get over 1.5 seconds advantage in that first sector and I respect track limits. However, doing that race with chilly peppers I'm not fast on the tunnel straight and lose some speed to the AI there. Overall I enjoyed the AI smarts. I think they are smart enough for 99.9% of us. I suppose GT7 could appease everyone by releasing a 5 chilly pepper version that destroys everyone.

I see everyone criticizing the dive bombing by AI. But in F1 real drivers only need to stay on track with track limits to make a legal pass dive bombing and be near enough on the inside. They don't have to take a racing line or anything like that. So we're being a bit too tough on AI here. In reality I think it's fair, you have to take a defensive line and sacrifice some speed coming out.

Exactly this, the AI can't take complex corners. Maybe it's a function of how it was trained and the data on which it was trained.

The AI also can't be fast through the Porsche Curves at Le Mans, can't be fast through the Bus Stop Chicane at Daytona, can't be fast through Miss-Hit-Miss, Bergwerk, Klostertal, Wipperman through the entire section towards the Dottinger Hohe, and the Tiergarten all at Nurburgring.

Those are all areas where even the slowest chili pepper car can make large gaps on the AI field just at three big tracks.
It also suffers maximizing speed at Trial Mountain from the sweeper left after the downhill all the way to the start/finish line.

If the GT7 AI were given DR/SR ratings here's mine:
Base AI: A/S - Almost always clean, doesn't bomb, doesn't take weird lines
Sophy 2.0 -A+/S - Keeps it clean enough to not get penalties but dirtier than the S I give the base game AI. Brakes normally, takes good lines, is fast enough to be hard to beat if you set up the customs right.
Sophy 3.0 - C/D - Slower than it should be on average with flashes of unbeatable speed, can't drive straight, can't keep it clean, can't not wreck itself OR players. Like it's got flashes of brilliance but overall it drives like someone who got the game for Christmas and it's the last day of Winter Break.

Edit the 2nd: F1 isn't the only motorsport and people have been complaning about how they drive for a good 5 years now. Shoving your nose into the Vortex of Danger and saying "either back out or we both crash" is bad driving, not great racing.
Vortex of Danger

 

[05XR8]

Honestly think 3.0 is just leagues worse than 2.1

As far as I can tell Drumont's 962 is running stock, the speeds are about the same.
I did a quick comparison at Spa with 3.0 vs 2.1.

3.0 constantly brakes way too late, hits the brakes when it doesn't need to, never takes a proper racing line, lifts off the throttle constantly and thinks apexes are a suggestion. More like the regular AI does than 2.1 does.

Look at this comparison into the bus stop.
2.1 takes it as you expect. Holds to the left, brakes where you'd expect, drives it normally. Hits the apex!

View attachment 1499960

View attachment 1499961
3.0 at the same point is in the middle of the track, is carrying way more speed by braking late and absolutely bombs past the apex, lap after lap after lap. Cannot drive at all.

The apex comparison is ridiculous, it doesn't know where it is going at all. Good thing it has an extra 200hp on the player to make up for it in the straights.
View attachment 1499962
View attachment 1499963


2.1 lifts going into the apex of Blanchimont in this car which you don't need to do, but is getting back on throttle by the apex to accelerate out. Not a great performance, but only loses a few tenths against me.
View attachment 1499965

3.0 pretends the throttle doesn't exist and slams on the brakes into Blanchimont, bleeding off an ungodly amount of speed for absolutely no reason. Again, this car takes this flat. Loses near enough up to a second to me here alone (just like normal AI!)
View attachment 1499964


I do categorically think this is a worse racing experience than Custom Races provide, by a significant margin. It is a hampered, dumber and slower version of the experience we already have in the game.
A crying shame if you are coming into this expecting a competitive, proper, racing experience. It is a downgrade in all of those aspects.

Yes I am sorry the conditions are marginally different, this race was cloudy up until the last lap but it doesn't matter because 3.0 drives the same every lap anyway.

Yeah, man. It’s why I say 3PO isn’t the SOPHY I know. Feels like 2.1 does so many calculations to the trajectory I take, SOPHY will calculate to take an optimum line to counter my move. 3PO is like an on/off switch.

I nearly think 3PO is a way for PD to make their own adjustments to “SOPHY” behaviour on the fly. Only reason why I can think it was so quick for PD to change the faux agent overnight.

 

[pabloprp69]

Honestly think 3.0 is just leagues worse than 2.1

As far as I can tell Drumont's 962 is running stock, the speeds are about the same.
I did a quick comparison at Spa with 3.0 vs 2.1.

3.0 constantly brakes way too late, hits the brakes when it doesn't need to, never takes a proper racing line, lifts off the throttle constantly and thinks apexes are a suggestion. More like the regular AI does than 2.1 does.

Look at this comparison into the bus stop.
2.1 takes it as you expect. Holds to the left, brakes where you'd expect, drives it normally. Hits the apex!

View attachment 1499960

View attachment 1499961
3.0 at the same point is in the middle of the track, is carrying way more speed by braking late and absolutely bombs past the apex, lap after lap after lap. Cannot drive at all.

The apex comparison is ridiculous, it doesn't know where it is going at all. Good thing it has an extra 200hp on the player to make up for it in the straights.
View attachment 1499962
View attachment 1499963


2.1 lifts going into the apex of Blanchimont in this car which you don't need to do, but is getting back on throttle by the apex to accelerate out. Not a great performance, but only loses a few tenths against me.
View attachment 1499965

3.0 pretends the throttle doesn't exist and slams on the brakes into Blanchimont, bleeding off an ungodly amount of speed for absolutely no reason. Again, this car takes this flat. Loses near enough up to a second to me here alone (just like normal AI!)
View attachment 1499964


I do categorically think this is a worse racing experience than Custom Races provide, by a significant margin. It is a hampered, dumber and slower version of the experience we already have in the game.
A crying shame if you are coming into this expecting a competitive, proper, racing experience. It is a downgrade in all of those aspects.

Yes I am sorry the conditions are marginally different, this race was cloudy up until the last lap but it doesn't matter because 3.0 drives the same every lap anyway.

@Nebuc72, I really appreciate the deep analysis you provided. Some of us have been saying since launch that “Sophy 3.0” feels like a step backward, and you clearly backed that up with evidence.

It honestly blows my mind that PD had the - dare I say—audacity to market this as the next level or an evolution of Sophy, when it’s clearly a downgrade. And don’t even get me started on the update that made it even slower.

As you pointed out, Custom Mode 2.1 offers a far better experience overall.

It’s incredibly disappointing and frustrating to see this unfold, especially since many of us were genuinely excited to see what the next iteration of Sophy could deliver. In its current state, it plays almost exactly like the regular AI, with only minor tweaks. And, of course, with the added handicap of the player being stuck in an inferior car.

I'm losing the motivation to keep playing through the dlc, because what's the point? I wanted what they promised, close racing and a real challenge. Instead, we can start from the back and breeze through most races -yes, using the two pepper cars.

 

[Nebuc72]

@Nebuc72, I really appreciate the deep analysis you provided. Some of us have been saying since launch that “Sophy 3.0” feels like a step backward, and you clearly backed that up with evidence.

It honestly blows my mind that PD had the - dare I say—audacity to market this as the next level or an evolution of Sophy, when it’s clearly a downgrade. And don’t even get me started on the update that made it even slower.

As you pointed out, Custom Mode 2.1 offers a far better experience overall.

It’s incredibly disappointing and frustrating to see this unfold, especially since many of us were genuinely excited to see what the next iteration of Sophy could deliver. In its current state, it plays almost exactly like the regular AI, with only minor tweaks. And, of course, with the added handicap of the player being stuck in an inferior car.

I'm losing the motivation to keep playing through the dlc, because what's the point? I wanted what they promised, close racing and a real challenge. Instead, we can start from the back and breeze through most races -yes, using the two pepper cars.

Thank you, it's no problem. I think it's important for people to see and know when they are charging (quite a bit of) money for this and advertising a specific type of experience for it.

Ultimately, you just do not get that experience from this pack - I'm in the same boat as you are where I'm really struggling for any motivation to finish it. The racing experience is significantly worse than the Sophy we already have and really all it has going for it over even the World Circuits races is the fact there's qualifying.

I really don't know why they've gone in this direction. It is just straight up observably poor driving.
2.1 is often a genuinely fun experience even without putting much effort into the race setup.

 

[05XR8]

Not to mention I’m doing the World Circuit WTC800 at Spa grind. I’ll get 1,500,000 Cr. for the win. Meanwhile the real24 hours spent doing the PP only yields 4,000,000 Cr.? It shouldn’t be about the credits, but that’s a bit wack for probably doing it one time only.

If it were as competitive as 2.1 with the same reward, it’d be justifiable.

 

[benjoi84]

Thank you, it's no problem. I think it's important for people to see and know when they are charging (quite a bit of) money for this and advertising a specific type of experience for it.

Ultimately, you just do not get that experience from this pack - I'm in the same boat as you are where I'm really struggling for any motivation to finish it. The racing experience is significantly worse than the Sophy we already have and really all it has going for it over even the World Circuits races is the fact there's qualifying.

I really don't know why they've gone in this direction. It is just straight up observably poor driving.
2.1 is often a genuinely fun experience even without putting much effort into the race setup.

It's a very valid angle, not least because my consistent gripe with the Sophy 2.1 custom race ecosystem was the amount of "users manual" information i would have had to digest and reproduce in order to 'get it right'. I know it's not something that would take too much time in reality, once one gets the hang of it, but it just turns me off.

Now I'm thinking that the time i might end up sinking into these much longer curated races i may as well be spending getting my head around all the tips and tricks posted in various places in this forum, and finally start assembling my own grids in Custom Mode. God knows I've got enough cars by now.

I am still a sucker for a progression tree, though!

 

[equalitus]

Because it's exactly the same every time. Miyazono finishes 2nd every single time, unless he beats you. There's no universe where he doesn't finish 2nd even when you knock him so far off track he's dead last to start the race. That's a scripted result. Whether or not the game achieves that script via hard coding it or via sandbagging the other cars doesn't matter at all, it's scripted to finish the way it finishes.

There's no reason to tune individual cars to each Sophy driver for the PP when you can just use the same Sophy 2.0 that exists in the base game and provides great custom racing. Tuning them individually is PD admitting that Sophy 3.0 is a failure and that hard coded results is the only thing they can figure out.

I also tested at Tsukuba what happens when you spin someone headed into a hairpin.

If the spin takes them to the outside of the corner they rejoin before the hairpin. If the spin takes them to the inside of the corner they cut across the track and rejoin on the other side. They're scripted/programmed to take very specific lines through these corners and if you force them to deviate they literally wreck themselves and others to get back on script.

If true then obviously we should petition/demand that PD&Sony implements Sophy 2.0 at the next update. Game improved but not solved totally... yet.

 

[ScottPuss20]

I did the Gran Turismo 300 race in the MR2 on Kyoto and won from pole position without too much trouble. Aside from some brief competition with T.Sasaki, who ended up going off the road, the race was uneventful. Similar deal with the Mustang Mach Forty in the Muscle Car race on Laguna Seca. However the race I had in the FF Tuning Battle on Dragon Trail Gardens was by far the most exciting. I started first but dropped to 4th very quickly so I had to fight back and make some decisive moves in a really short time frame. The most decisive being this one on Takuma Miyazono:

It was quite the send with only a few corners remaining. I came out the other side ahead but not by much.

He was right with me in the braking zone for the last 2 corners.

I got a better exit off the last corner and it was just enough to secure victory. Had I not made the move when I did, I wouldn't have had a chance. Proper do or die stuff. For a 3 lap battle with AI, it doesn't get much better.

 

[equalitus]

Why don't you just accept, that you are not good enough to beat the AI in some races and why the heck is winning those races so important to you ?

In any other post you complain about more or less the same thing that annoys you-over and over again since this PP came out...so one post for that topic would have been enough...why don't you just play(or don't play if you don't like this game and do something else instead), why do you have to win every race ?

Sorry for this rant, but feels like the 10th posting to the same topic were you write more or less exactly the same like in any other posting before...

PD can do a lot of good and bad stuff, but they rigidly and fundamentally deny us options/choices [for many races be it one make or championship] that were prevalent in GT3-4-5. Except choosing the AI cars. For almost all players winning is 99% important for game pleasure and for credits. In the real world getting podium is extraordinarily success. In gaming, being in the top 1 is the only acceptable outcome. Even if it sometimes takes a few attempts. Else it is very boring!

 

[Lomic]

Reflecting on the Power Pack brought me to 2 ideas.

First idea : to me Power Pack is like custom races, but prepared by PD, with a nice selection of tuned and livered cars, only caveat is I have to use also one of three tuned and livered cars, not any car of my garage that is compliant with event rules. (And I don't mind too much that point)

Second idea : if PD can build custom races with a selection of tuned and livered cars, that I mostly don't have (the cars with those liveries and tunes, and even sometimes the cars themself), what is preventing custom races from other players to be shared ??

The argument I've read the most was : "if you don't possess those exact cars and tunes, how do you want to be able to play a custom race made by someone else ?"

Well the PP nullifies that argument, IMHO.

Nothing prevents custom races to be shared, and seeing how some people dedicate hours to build great custom races (replicating historical racing events, or other deeply themed races), I really would love that the possibility of sharing custom race would exist.

Plus I don't have time nor want to spend it carefully crafting a custom races, buying all the cars needed to be able to apply different liveries, setup tunes for every car, test many parameters, in order to create a great custom race. And I am not even talking about a custom race with 20 cars having a high value (which is hard to do credit wise).