GT League is Everything Good (and Bad) About Classic Gran Turismo

To put it simply: this is just a big missed opportunity.

I think that's a bit of an overstatement. It isn't GT4 levels of fleshed out, but that was never the promise.

Whether this was always part of the plan, or a quick band-aid after user feedback, it still improves the game IMO. Making more people more happy to play, more often, is always a win, for any game. In this day and age we can also look forward to continuous improvement. Yes, a Sport-style GT League in the PS2 days would've been a problem, but PD couldn't update games back then. Now it can, and I fully expect the team to build on this over 2018.

What I like about GT League is that it gives me more reasons to use some of the cars in my garage. I too often settle into favourites for the Sport Mode races since I feel swapping cars and getting comfortable with each one is detrimental to my rankings. The one-makes are a gamble too, so you don't really know which car you'll be driving every day — that can be fun, but it can also be a miss. GT League offers more opportunities, and it's fun figuring out what works best.
 
I guess more offline content is good, but offline is pointless as there are no offline saves.

Idk I felt the update was needless and after having finished every event (because that’s kinda how I’ve always played GT games), it felt like a waste of time.
Yeah I got to use some more cars, but I didn’t really enjoy using them. Never got to really test the cars limits or play around with their qwerks because the AI is so basic.

I’m not sure I got the sense of progression though. Chances are, unless your new to the game or haven’t done any of the other stuff, most of the League won’t be worth your while because it offers so little. And when you’ve done that’s stuff, chances are you’ll be high enough of a level to jump right into the ‘Endurance’ league. At which point, it just becomes a less enjoyable and less interesting tickbox like the other single player modes are.



GT League was, to me, a bore fest that seemed rushed together and senseless.
If you want to race the AI you’re better off making a custom Arcade race. You can turn off the ridiculous Boost settings, make it properly hard and give yourself time to learn the tracks properly. Rather than working your way to 2nd place over one lap, then spending the following two laps stalking 1st place so you can coast by on the last corner to victory
 
It is light on the content side, but it was sorta refreshing to see it nonetheless. PD stated it will be expanded right?
 
So here is what i like about GT League:
  • GT League, without it i (maybe) would not have bought the game.
  • Sense of progression with cups and good amounts of money too make.
  • Different cars for different occasions, you have to look for and buy the car that you need, thats great my favourite thing so far. It puts the attention on the car selection and the qualitiy of those 3D models.
Here is what i dont like about GT League:
  • Feels rushed: Lazy user interface, not showing you the progression of your cups in the overview pictures.
  • There are only 2 cups in the third league.
  • You dont get cars. The daily marathon should reward you wirht money, and the cups should reward you with cars.
Here is what i think should be changed in GT to make it more fun:
  1. No more cars after the daily marathon, give money, give xp or and that would be the best thing: outfits and liveries, because that would doesnt inflate your garage and its fun to have.
  2. Cars after completing cups and leagues, it will stop the inflation of cars, i mean i stopped caring much about my garage any more with is really saying something because i love my garage in GT 6.
  3. Buying cars should be much easier: It needs an overall search function where you can search all cars for stuff like power and engine type, or how else will you find midship engine cars for a specfic event without painfully looking through event starting fields...
  4. Building up your garage got inflated and made less fun by the daily give aways. Somthing needs to be done about the garage itself.. i am not sure what.
  5. UI in general feels not well thought through and has overlapping functionalties, or why does "Home" not feel like home? For me home is the "staring area".
 
Thanks for this article. It addresses common problems and pluses about the mode.

My hope was that it would be like GT3. Past GTs gave you a reason to repeat races over. You could win prize cars to sell or keep. In GT3, you can even win from a selection of 4 different cars after completing a championship race or endurance. It felt more rewarding than just say completing 3 single races from Sunday Cup.

Past GT also gave you more of a purpose to buy the cars from the dealership. In GT mode, it does give a little bit of that feeling, but you pretty much can rely on the daily prizes cars in most cases if you play often. The daily prizes are nice, but after awhile it gets to be a little tiring in my opinion. Before, I valued every car in the garage, because faster and rare cars had to be earned, but now you can just get them from the dailies.

But in the end I do understand. Content in the game is severely lacking, and it makes it hard to keep a variety of cars and opponents like in the past for this new GT mode. Perhaps the daily prize cars is to address concerns from those that feel content should be easier to get. I'm just keeping my hopes up that as content evolves, GT mode will also evolve, but not just through adding more races, rather a true change in sticking to its roots. Funny I say "evolve" when I want it to be like past GTs.

And I love the dynamic factor on the cars you use against the AI. I always wanted to be rewarded for using a handicapped car. It I'd probably the only thing I think they did right with this new GT mode.

Sorry if I didn't make sense. I'm currently on vacation with the wifey so I'm typing all this without much thought and in a hurry! Anyway fingers cross that GT Sport will keep on evolving!
 
GT League would be perfect in its current state if they just add races for GR3 and GR4, hopefully a championship series. Assuming they didn't include it because they're hoping that you race them online
 
Could do with more variety in gt league as well in sport as league only really caters for n class cars AFAIK ONLY LV. 29. could do with a couple of gr 1 sport mode races as well
 
The problem with GT League is that it is the same thing we've been given since GT1 in 'chase the rabbit' scenarios that are played out, and without even halfway decent AI, it makes everything a chore. Then again, so is much of the Race missions, but at least those had some interesting scenarios like the 6 lap sprint to the finish at Interlagos and trying to time your pit stop. Doesn't help too that most races are using stock vehicles, and so the scenarios present in GT League are hilariously unmatched.

It is so painfully obvious at this point that the AI in GT games, but especially now in a sim racing marketplace like GT is in, where Assetto Corsa and PCARS 2 have raised the bar for smart AI that presents an actual challenge and actually acts like racers instead of just slot cars in a straight line, that playing through GT League is a silly chore.

It's amazing to think that Polyphony, in their infinite wisdom, thought it'd be better to throw the baby out with the bath water and go with the esports route instead of, you know, actually making a half way decent AI and not relying on chase the rabbit scenarios.

If this is PD's solution to the problem of lack of single player content, then frankly, they shouldn't bother because the solutions run so much deeper then something that can be 'remedied' by a simple content patch.

I guess more offline content is good, but offline is pointless as there are no offline saves.

Idk I felt the update was needless and after having finished every event (because that’s kinda how I’ve always played GT games), it felt like a waste of time.
Yeah I got to use some more cars, but I didn’t really enjoy using them. Never got to really test the cars limits or play around with their qwerks because the AI is so basic.

I’m not sure I got the sense of progression though. Chances are, unless your new to the game or haven’t done any of the other stuff, most of the League won’t be worth your while because it offers so little. And when you’ve done that’s stuff, chances are you’ll be high enough of a level to jump right into the ‘Endurance’ league. At which point, it just becomes a less enjoyable and less interesting tickbox like the other single player modes are.



GT League was, to me, a bore fest that seemed rushed together and senseless.
If you want to race the AI you’re better off making a custom Arcade race. You can turn off the ridiculous Boost settings, make it properly hard and give yourself time to learn the tracks properly. Rather than working your way to 2nd place over one lap, then spending the following two laps stalking 1st place so you can coast by on the last corner to victory

To the bolded: I'm new to the game having bought it over the holidays, and even then, I have completely avoided GT League because it is so obviously hacked together and is dreadfully boring. There is legitimately no point to the mode at all, and really just feels like a bone to placate fans with. One that obviously wasn't made with any sort of care, really.
 
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@Silver Arrows
I don't see how someone could think PD didn't care at all when they thought of making GT League. In my opinion, the fact that they even bothered to make one at all speaks volumes about how PD cares about their fans. Not to mention it was free, most other games would charge a hefty sum for a 12-car pack.

Anyways, the update was free and wasn't very large. GT League was never intended to be the GT that people were missing from Sport. It was just a small update that was a nod to older GT fans and give players a few more hours of offline content over the holidays.

Now I'll address the community as a whole: Posting huge rants about a small free content update for Christmas speaks a lot about the entitlement in this community. It was never intended to be a full game or a gigantic expansion, just a stocking stuffer for the holidays.
 
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I was on the fence about buying this game, then the GT league update was announced and the game went on sale. The funny thing is that I spend way more time playing sport mode than I do the single player. But I like having the GT league there. It's given me the incentive to actually use some of the cars in my garage that rarely make an appearance in Sport mode.

Hopefully more events show up with further updates, especially when new tracks are added.
 
The problem with GT League is that it is the same thing we've been given since GT1 in 'chase the rabbit' scenarios that are played out, and without even halfway decent AI, it makes everything a chore.

I have to agree, although its mucht better then GT6 i think. But what i really dont get is that PD just dont do a "Project Cars" setup for a few cups where you have to qualify and then do the race, even give you a pracitce session and stuff. I mean if the chase the rabbit scenario is there too, fine. But mix it up.
 
I'm new to the game having bought it over the holidays, and even then, I have completely avoided GT League because it is so obviously hacked together and is dreadfully boring.

You've no first-hand experience with it, but you know how the experience is? That's... interesting.

There is legitimately no point to the mode at all

Well, I mean, that's not true at all — I even covered some of the points in the article!

I don't see how someone could think PD didn't care at all when they thought of making GT League. In my opinion, the fact that they even bothered to make one at all speaks volumes about how PD cares about their fans.

One could make the argument that it was done in an effort to bag more sales and improve the bottom line. Still technically about the fans — just those who may not have been sold on the Sport concept exclusively.

Adding content is always a good way to keep existing players active. What's unique about the 1.10 update is that it doesn't really serve the stated main aspect of the game — Sport Mode — outside of any of the new vehicles popping up as one-make options in the dailies. It doesn't really reinforce GT's USP; it broadens the game's appeal though, which I'd argue is just as important, if not more so.

entitlement

Inigo Montoya may want a word with you.
 
@Silver Arrows
I don't see how someone could think PD didn't care at all when they thought of making GT League. In my opinion, the fact that they even bothered to make one at all speaks volumes about how PD cares about their fans. Not to mention it was free, most other games would charge a hefty sum for a 12-car pack.

There is the very distinct possibility that PD didn't intend to put GT League in the game until people raised hell to get it, and PD had to work on the back foot to get it out before more damage came.

You've no first-hand experience with it, but you know how the experience is? That's... interesting.



Well, I mean, that's not true at all — I even covered some of the points in the article!



One could make the argument that it was done in an effort to bag more sales and improve the bottom line. Still technically about the fans — just those who may not have been sold on the Sport concept exclusively.

Adding content is always a good way to keep existing players active. What's unique about the 1.10 update is that it doesn't really serve the stated main aspect of the game — Sport Mode — outside of any of the new vehicles popping up as one-make options in the dailies. It doesn't really reinforce GT's USP; it broadens the game's appeal though, which I'd argue is just as important, if not more so.



Inigo Montoya may want a word with you.

I have played GT League, and after two events, I have avoided it because of the boredom. Poor wording on my part.

To the second part: compared to PCARS 2's career mode, hell, even Forza 7's, GT League feels horrifically lacking even putting it in the context of a mode added in a free update. As I have been saying a lot in GT sport threads, it certainly would feel a bit better if the AI were in any way shape or form actually good, but it isn't. It's the same chase the rabbit scenarios with the topping of crappy AI that feels like a slot car. It's really just an addition to the litany of problems that GT Sport has that goes absolutely back to the core of how the game is built, and how Polyphony seemingly still continues to lag behind competitors in the sim racing marketplace.

That being said, I'm having a much better time playing GT Sport then I am playing Forza 7, which I also got around the same time as GT Sport, which has lead to some very interesting back and forth comparisons as I've played them both. The two games still lag behind PCARS 2 IMO in many aspects.
 
I was disappointed by GT League, but i enjoyed the endurance races and yes, this is a fine opportunity to use street cars like the Skylines or the RX7. I hope they will add more events and endurance races in the future, but i think its kinda pointless to go mad about it. Its just a FREE update like everything else that was added post launch, simply a nice addition to the campaign mode.

At the end of the day, this is an online game, its all about multiplayer and i think nothing beats the thrill of a good sport mode race against other human beings.
 
"Suddenly the now-second-place car gets a dramatic surge in power, like it’s had a canister of NOS hidden under the passenger seat..."

I haven't tried the league races yet, but I noticed this watching replays in the arcade races. After you get the lead, the AI cars become faster even though they're lines and speeds don't change. They can still go through a corner up to 30mph slower than you, but they'll lose absolutely no ground doing it.
 
Maybe entitlement was a strong word, but I'm still in the position that there wasn't really much to get upset or angry over in update 1.10's GT League. It might not have lived up to series' expectations, but in the game's current state was it really ever going to? Maybe the hype culture got to some people. It's still free stuff and adds more content to sport mode at the same time. It's not going to break the current game or become another game itself entirely either. Pretty inoffensive if you ask me.
 
I believe there is no point in groing through GT League if there is no sense of progression. I remember starting with 10k and getting the Honda Prelude which was one of the best for the money and slowly but steadily grinding myself towards better cars. Now, you just do 10 miles and you get a free LMP1 car. Thats just blowing all of the fun grinding away. Seriously, as an ex-hardcore fan of GT, I really don't play this game at all. Its just very lost and confused upon its true nature (or classic nature).
 
GT League would be perfect in its current state if they just add races for GR3 and GR4, hopefully a championship series. Assuming they didn't include it because they're hoping that you race them online
Seems like, if it really was a response to feedback and not planned all along, then because it was put together quite quickly, they may have not completed the functionality in time to link the individual races together into a championship. That function to do them separately or do the full 'championship' of all the races in order, doesn't yet exist anywhere else in the game, and may come with a further update. Seems like a simple thing to add, but they might want to add the ability to save/pause between rounds which might add complication.

That's why the levels seem so sparse at the moment; I suspect, when they add linked series, they will also add Gp.4, Gp.3 and other old championships (SuperGT, La Festa Italiano, Tous France Championnat, etc) into the League gameplay. If they couldn't do championships straight off, they wouldn't want to just add in the series as individual races and then have to change the format to include a championship element later on. That, and the fact that they could do with more tracks and cars to include :)
 
I don't feel like GT games of old were especially great when it came to progression either. If you are like me then you'd probably just spam "Like the Wind" or some other B-spec series like the Touring Car Championship from GT4 with B-spec Bob to grind for cash. For me at least, getting those uber-expensive vehicles seldom felt like I earned them, more like a test of patience.
 
GT League feels like an afterthought. PD were onto something with the Group 4 and Group 3 categories, even if they did try to shoehorn every manufacturer into them. Seeing an FF cup with spot races with the leader starting half a minute up the road is relapsing into bad habits. Not immersive at all, and a little embarrassing considering the FIA affiliation.
 
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