I think the main problem here is the FPS drop when all cars are packed at the start of the race. Things can get quite tense if the cars have custom liveries, or on certain sections of certain circuits, or depending on the time of day and the weather.
Now if they want to bring in multi class racing, cars could start the race at different points of the track depending on their category, just like at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. That could be an answer to this specific issue.
Cars in a category you are not competing in might also have simplified physics.
If the PS4 currently can still handle everything in the PS5 version’s single player as far as visuals and stuttering goes, and PD seemingly intends to keep supporting GT7 long-term, I don’t see why they can’t add some more PS5 exclusive functionality to it with larger grids.
As it stands, the PS5 version exclusively offers:
- 4 Player split screen
- Sophy AI
- Power Pack DLC
I don’t see why they couldn’t offer a large grid mode with standard AI and ray tracing deactivated for PS5 users. Surely the system can handle it, especially since GT Sport’s debug mode could run something like 37 cars with minimal performance loss on the PS4.
Yeah, here we go:
Genuinely I’m surprised this wasn’t an expansion of functionality that came with Spec III/Power Pack.
Gr.1 still a total mess to BoP.
That's the problem when they just lump in cars into the same class just because they compete in a certain major series throughout the years.
I am still happy though, at least I can finally make an LMH/LMDH custom race grid.
If the GR010 Hybrid is to go by, I expect these new ones to perform worse than the LMP and VGTs. 🤔
Yeah, even just LMP1 hybrid is a fairly dramatic pace difference from Hypercar and LMP1 Diesel era (R18/908). Funnily enough, those two eras are extremely close on pace, despite being nearly 20 years apart. You could at least get away with several nerfing LMP1-H, I mean, Alpine’s original Hypercar entry was a modified and detuned LMP1-L, using the Oreca-Rebellion chassis to fill the grid as the “A480” before they had the A424 ready. They’ve also been using GTE, GT2, and older LMGT1 cars in Group 3, and for me, detuning a similar-ish car type is somewhat acceptable to me. Overpowering slower cars past how they were ever expected to perform to meet a faster class just doesn’t sit right with me.
Group C both has enough entires and is so wildly different that it absolutely warrants a separate category. They were designed for the chicane-less Le Mans layout, and are just impossible to balance on short vs long tracks.
VGTs are just so weird because some were imagined as theoretical Le Mans Hypercars before the rules were finalized, imaginary “gen 2” GT1, “unlimited” race cars, or were just reconverted to a racing machine by PD to add something to the class. They have wildly varying power and drivetrains and aero concepts, which in theory is cool, but when you mix it with real cars, it fundamentally has to nerf what they are. I think it’s completely warranted to separate them as their own class, though the Mazda tows the line between realistic Le Mans prototype and fantasy.
Plausibly:
- Group C (literal Group C cars, plus maybe some additional historic prototypes like the 917)
- Group 1 (LMP1 Diesel, LMH, detuned LMP1-H, maybe leave it open to LMP2 if any of those are added down the line)
- VGT-1 (All the VGTs that were pushed into Group 1 currently, plus anything that was designed as a racing prototype)
I’d also argue that the older Grand Tourers need a class, potentially a “Group A” or “Group D”, used for the pre-70’s racers, like the Ferrari 250 and 330, Ford GTs, Shelby Daytona, Aston DB3S, etc, but that may be a separate topic.
I've mentioned before that given the endurance racing theme of these Hypercars, perhaps Sebring would be a good addition.
Also to complete the endurance racing trifecta (Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans).
As it stands we already have 3 out of 5 of the IMSA endurance calendar, and quite a lot of tracks previously or currently used in WEC, even in just Hypercar era.
We have Daytona, Glen, and Road America already. IMSA has cycled Indy and Road America as a mid-season 6hr event, recently kicking Indy back to a sprint/GP round, and we also already have Laguna, which is a medium 2hr 40min GP event. Technically as it stands we have 4 existing IMSA events at our fingertips.
So on the IMSA GTP side, valuable additions would be:
- Sebring
- Road America
- Indianapolis Speedway+Infield
For WEC, off the current calendar we already have Le Mans, Brazil, Fuji, and Spa, so that’s already half of the accurate races covered. In the first few years of hypercar, the Italian round was held at Monza, and late LMP1 era was ran at Nurburgring GP for a few years, so that could expand the in-game championship to 6.
Other tracks WEC used:
- Sebring (previous season opener, double-headed with IMSA)
- Portimao (early years of Hypercar)
- Silverstone (mainstay of the start of LMP1, went away with COVID era. Likely returning to the IRL calendar next year)
- Shanghai (mainstay of the start of LMP1, went away with COVID era. Chinese involvement is increasing in the sport, and we could see a return to the calendar in a few years)
- Hermanos Rodriguez/Mexican GP course (brief appearance during golden age of LMP1-H)
I think Sebring would by FAR be the most functional addition, being part of both championships, having unique surface characteristics, and hosting all manner of racing outside of prototypes. Silverstone, while not my favorite track to drive in sim, would also be a major fan favorite with a lot of use. Shanghai or Indy would be good, the Chinese track being new to GT players, and Indy doubling with the oval, which covers multiple disciplines with a single scan. I’d imagine Portimao and Road America wooed be fantastic, but I don’t have much experience with them.
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