GT5's superior Racing Line

[JSAllen]

In almost every racing game you can buy, there is the option for a racing line to help guide you around the track and infirm you when it's best to start breaking.

It may be sleazed upon by the hardcore sim racer, but it is an important feature, especially if you're racing on an unfamiliar track or are new to racing games in general.

And, in my opinion, GT5 has the best racing line for one simple reason: its easier to see for the colourblind minority.

I myself am red/green colourblind, so on games like Forza, F1 2010, Shift 2 and Ferrari Challenge (which transits from light green to yellow to red), when I'm practicing on a track I've never raced on before, it's frustrating when I constantly end up in the gravel traps because I overshot the braking point. And all because my eyes can't pick up the yellow 'you should start braking now' part of the line.

I understand that colourblind people are a minority, and that there are ways around an partially visible racing line, but it's annoying that only one racing game producer acknowledges this disability that I, and many others, have. For that alone, I have respect for Kaz and the PD team. It's the one area where GT5 is head and shoulders above the competition.

Anyone else here agree, or disagree, with me? Leave your thoughts in the comments. But no nasty stuff please!

 

[Nightingale]

Knowing Polyphony, it's likely just a coincidence that colour-blind people are able to benefit from GT5's racing line; I don't think they made a conscious effort to cater to the vision-impaired. Fortunately, the colouration of the racing lines in GT games has hardly changed since they were first introduced in GT1 (albeit only in some of the license tests), so you'll probably be able to enjoy such a feature in future games.

 

[eran0004]

I have the same colorblindness and I totally agree. Although I haven't tried the racing line in Forza, but I used to play a motorcycle game with a similar racing line as you describe and it was very difficult to see the shift in colors...
GT5? No problem at all.

I also played some game (long time ago) which was some sort of first person shooter and the difference between enemies and friends was also based on red and green. But for me it was more a matter of "Do they shoot at me? Then I guess they're enemies. Time to return fire!"

I just hope game developers gets aware of colorblindness, because it's a really easy thing to adapt the interface to work for colorblind gamers as well. I believe Word of Warcraft has a colorblind mode, for instance...

Knowing Polyphony, it's likely just a coincidence that colour-blind people are able to benefit from GT5's racing line; I don't think they made a conscious effort to cater to the vision-impaired. Fortunately, the colouration of the racing lines in GT games has hardly changed since they were first introduced in GT1 (albeit only in some of the license tests), so you'll probably be able to enjoy such a feature in future games.

I don't think it's a coincidence. Alright, maybe they didn't think about colorblindness specifically when they designed the racing line, but it seems like they made some effort to make it really clear visually, because the brake zones are not just a change in color but also shape and brightness/darkness. It's too good to be just a coincidence.

EDIT: So unlike the games mentioned above, they didn't stop at the easiest solution - to just change colour - they did the other things as well. That's how good design is done.

 

[Nightingale]

"Do they shoot at me? Then I guess they're enemies. Time to return fire!"

Thanks to you, I will forever uncontrollably giggle whenever I think about colour-blind people.

 

[GTOne2Three]

I like Forza's style more. The colors arent exactly that, but the way it shifts dynamically.

Green=Go, Yellow=slow down, red=brake. It changes as you go, not as a red line that suddenly comes. The whole line changes as your looking at it.

 

[MartinDeShade]

The problem with Forza is that it doesn't really show you where to break. It will simply show red on the whole corner if you are going too fast. With GT5 while it isn't perfect it is probably the best driving line. It is only missing a yellow line for holding speed on a corner, but guess what you are on a long fast corner of course you hold the speed. Although I like Forza's ability to get bonus money for turning off aids like the driving lines, etc.

 

[TheFlyingKiwi]

Woohoo I'm not the only colour Deficiant person on GTp. Yes it's one of the reasons I like GT5 over other games. It maybe a bit more obvious and hits you in the eye but it's nicer. I also like how it doesn't have arrows and the fact that in the braking points it becomes a single line that changes colour on how much you need to brake.

 

[Willfred_1]

im colour blind to and gt5 line is far better than shift and f1

 

[iamjajo]

The stats say 1 in 10 people are colorblind. That number includes me. I failed my last flight physical for being colorblind, though I can differentiate green from red (more or less) depending on the shade and surrounding colors.

There are several iPhone apps to help people with color identification. Would be nice if they could build these capabilities into some form of glasses for regular use and real time assistance.

 

[diptob79]

There is a small blinking red dot in the HUD to remind you that you are in braking zone

hope it helps

 

[huskeR32]

I also played some game (long time ago) which was some sort of first person shooter and the difference between enemies and friends was also based on red and green. But for me it was more a matter of "Do they shoot at me? Then I guess they're enemies. Time to return fire!"

First, I laughed my a** off. Then I remembered all the times I was affected by the same problem. I really hope that game developers become more conscious of color-blindness when making games.

 

[huskeR32]

There is a small blinking red dot in the HUD to remind you that you are in braking zone

hope it helps

I hope you weren't implying that that little blinking light is as good of a guide as the racing line, and problem solved. That light requires you to focus off the track, and can't even come close to allowing the "looking ahead" that promotes better driving like a clearly visible racing line.

 

[DannyJigg]

I also suffer from partial red/green colour blindness. It doesn't usually affect me enough to be a problem but does mean there are certain jobs I should avoid. Te racing line in GT5 is really clear, and a lot better than the one in shift. On a related point, the place where the developers slipped up is battlefield bad company 2: Vietnam. I also can't tell the difference between the 2 sides, unless they start shooting me. Glad it's not just me

 

[djanikowski]

On a related point, the place where the developers slipped up is battlefield bad company 2: Vietnam. I also can't tell the difference between the 2 sides, unless they start shooting me. Glad it's not just me

Did you try checking the "Color Blind" option in the options?

 

[will-i-am]

xxxxxx

 

[will-i-am]

another way to help you with the line off is to look at the groove on the track, darker shaded area is basically the line. on the speedo or tach it flashes what gear to go to when you come to a corner. i dont use it for the gear but as a brake ref. this will help alot when you play online in rooms where lines are not allowed. soon after youll memorize the turns quicker. may mess up at first but youll remember quickly

 

[StingrayX]

I like how the driving line is dynamic, so the braking shows up however fast you are going or how slow.

 

[oboe67]

In almost every racing game you can buy, there is the option for a racing line to help guide you around the track and infirm you when it's best to start breaking.

It may be sleazed upon by the hardcore sim racer, but it is an important feature, especially if you're racing on an unfamiliar track or are new to racing games in general.

And, in my opinion, GT5 has the best racing line for one simple reason: its easier to see for the colourblind minority.

I myself am red/green colourblind, so on games like Forza, F1 2010, Shift 2 and Ferrari Challenge (which transits from light green to yellow to red), when I'm practicing on a track I've never raced on before, it's frustrating when I constantly end up in the gravel traps because I overshot the braking point. And all because my eyes can't pick up the yellow 'you should start braking now' part of the line.

I understand that colourblind people are a minority, and that there are ways around an partially visible racing line, but it's annoying that only one racing game producer acknowledges this disability that I, and many others, have. For that alone, I have respect for Kaz and the PD team. It's the one area where GT5 is head and shoulders above the competition.

Anyone else here agree, or disagree, with me? Leave your thoughts in the comments. But no nasty stuff please!

I have to respectful disagree. To the fortunate ones who don't suffer from colour blindness, I would say the racing line in Supercar Challenger is far superior to that in GT5. The braking points are much, much more accurate, and the gradation of colour tells you how to trail brake and/or gradually apply the throttle. To me GT5's driving line gave incorrect and inconsistent braking points, and doesn't tell you whether you should go full throttle or just partial throttle.
But then I had a colour-blind friend playing at my place, playing GT5 Prologue and Supercar Challenge. He couldn't take advantage of the superior driving line in Supercar Challenge.

 

[noswald]

I understand the difficulties that people have with color blindness even tough I'm not color blind myself. (Psychology major with lots of neuropsychology classes.) I have to add that NASCAR The Game 2011 doesn't have a racing line, but a nice warning sign that pops up and tells you to slow down or brake. It works, but I do like the GT5 line better.

 

[maxpontiac]

I agree big time with the topic of this thread.

 

[SavageEvil]

I have to respectful disagree. To the fortunate ones who don't suffer from colour blindness, I would say the racing line in Supercar Challenger is far superior to that in GT5. The braking points are much, much more accurate, and the gradation of colour tells you how to trail brake and/or gradually apply the throttle. To me GT5's driving line gave incorrect and inconsistent braking points, and doesn't tell you whether you should go full throttle or just partial throttle.
But then I had a colour-blind friend playing at my place, playing GT5 Prologue and Supercar Challenge. He couldn't take advantage of the superior driving line in Supercar Challenge.

What are you disagreeing with? His opinion is based on his impaired ability to recognize certain color hues and gradients. I have never used the braking line as I like to push my car and use visual cues on the course and the feel through the wheel. FM3 has a pretty good one that changes according to your speed in real time, GT3 had it as well on the A and B license tests. What you were describing sounds exactly like the one in FM3.

 

[IceMan PJN]

And, in my opinion, GT5 has the best racing line for one simple reason: its easier to see for the colourblind minority.

While it may be superior in the case of the colorblind, in general it's still inferior to FM3. I would gladly take FM3's race line over GT5's any day, although I'm just saying that as a matter of which is better since I don't use the race line in either game. I used the race line in FM2, but for FM3 I started off immediately without it, and in GT5 I only used the race line for the demo but not for the full game.

Still, excluding the colorblind, Forza's is better.

 

[FelipeMartins]

i'm not colorblind but i too like the racing line of gt5 over others games i think the colors are more "comfortable" and for the part saying that the braking points are not that accurate i think that the racing line is just to help you with tracks you dont know and the objective is to you create your own racing line

 

[No_OBsT33R]

Nice, I'm glad it's done in a way that is useable to those who need it and have a handicap. It's bad enough you guys have to deal with little things like this at all. More consideration needs to be applied to more things in life.