Is PCARS as Good as GT6?

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TT92

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OK there I did it :-) No one else was game so I thought I would give it a go.

All comments are relevant to my PS4 game.

I have played this now for nearly 20 hours, I have 20% of the trophies (well the ones that actually work anyway) and have played GT Prologue/5/6 since day one and have the Platinum trophies (on two accounts as well).

Where do I start? I suppose the best place is to say that if this is what 3 delays and better than 99.9% complete is I really would have hated to see it before ;-) And yes I have posted in the bugs and glitches thread with my main problems.

I suppose the main things I am finding difficult with PCARS as compared to GT6 is the lack of road feel. In GT6 I (and others) can feel the tyres working and can balance a car on the slip point. PCARS just is wishy washy and the cars slide without that feel and I am struggling with this a lot.

Now we all know that Kaz has an ego the size of Mt. Everest and loves to show off how his games look pretty, well SMS have obviously sat up and taken notice because it seems that every track I drove on in the touring car championships I was driving into the setting sun with all the pretty warm sun beams reflecting around the car. In short what a load of genital fondling! Then, when I thought this was as much as I could bear there was the night, historic race with a pale moon and sparkling stars! Arrrrggggghhhh!!!!!!! FFS it is supposed to be a racing game built by racers for racers! What next SMS, a Mars rover Buggy we can drive?

So much hype, so much promise and quite frankly I am a little disappointed. I was hoping to file my GT discs away and never get them out again but I am getting a little nostalgic already especially when I try to go online.

I really believe that SMS should actually have a look at how lobbies are set up in GT6 and just copy them. They work. Simple end of story. The fiasco that is PCARS online is appalling and that is without mentioning the lag. So why is it when we have on online lobby why can't the members change cars or have a drive around while waiting for the event to start? Again look at GT6.

I am now 50/50 about it BUT GT6 online beats PCARS hands down for functionality and user friendliness it is just a shame about the lag. But we are getting bad lag in PCARS as well plus I think it has more "rooster craniums" per capita than GT6 and that is really saying something!

So I won't ramble too much more but it should be interesting what others have to say.
 
Is it as good as GT6? That depends on your point of view. They are different types of games. If you like car collecting then GT6 by a country mile and then some. If you want car variety then again GT6. If you want to grind for credits and fill up your garage GT6. If you want engine swaps and custom liveries well you need an Xbox ;)

For online Can't say that I am real crazy about GT6 or PCars thus far both have their pros an cons but IMO Forza 2 set the bar high and no other game has reached it yet.

As far as graphics, sound and just racing in general PCars gets very high marks indeed. I think this is the first game I have ever driven a FWD car in that truly felt like a FWD car
 
I think they are both poor games. Project Cars might become a good game sometime in the distant future but GT6 will not.
 
I agree with @HBR-Roadhog, it really depends on what you think. I've heard that PCars has some very nice car sounds, but I've also heard that the game has a bunch of bugs and glitches. So in my opinion, PCars can as good as GT6, just in a way that I can't explain at the moment.
 
I think the two of these game have their respective benefits and disadvantages. Both can provide an equally impressive experience depending on what exactly you are looking for.
 
Comparing games as a whole is a futile exercise IMO, unless of course the games are very similar in scope and design and the end goals are similar. Forza vs. GT is a closer comparison than PCars to either one because they are aiming at different targets. Forza and GT are more of a shotgun approach trying to hit everything in sight and not being too discriminating, and PCars is aiming at a smaller audience that simply enjoys the thrill of driving and racing for it's own sake, without a lot of extras throw in like bigger budget games like Forza and GT tend to do. To succeed, PCars has to be better at it's narrower focus than other games, otherwise it's just a slimmed down version of what we have been playing for years.

I would compare the elements of the games that are directly comparable. Graphics, physics, sounds, FFB, UI etc. and even then it's very user specific. Everyone has different levels of preference and things they are willing to trade off. For me, physics/FFB and sound are the top priorities, graphics should be good but I'm not fussy on them being "perfect", although it's a bonus if they are. I'm fine with trading off graphics for car count for example so if I had a PS4 I'd be happy with the car detail, so long as I can get 30-40 cars on track. Others may not be. Some might think you can have 250k polygons on cars and 45 on track and hold up 60fps in most conditions.

To me there are just too many variables, and too much personal preference to give an objective opinion about one game over the other.
 
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Johnnypenso
too much personal preference to give an objective opinion about one game over the other.
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This!

I, for example, get a lot of fun out of being immersed in the game and just driving a car - and feeling it. Good FFB, sound, physics, graphics, such stuff helps. A great online lobby system, on the other hand, is completely wasted on me. I've spend a lot of Friday just hot lapping a few GT3 cars around Bathurst, Laguna Seca, the Nordschleife, Brno and Brands Hatch. Add great AI on top of that, for when I actually want to race, and voilá. PCARS does that very well and is, thus, the better game for me.

Now, if online multiplayer is important to someone, or if that person's loving the idea of upgrading an everyday car to be a dominant race machine, well, PCARS just doesn't do that. GT does, though.

Now... Give Slightly Mad the budget, the network and the experience PD has - yeah, that thought's getting me all tingly :lol:
 
To me it is. I prefer offline racing in some sort of a career mode. In Gran Turismo 4 I loved to grind different races to buy cars. In GT5 I still loved to buy cars, but I began hating the grinding part. Therefore, to me, GT6 was about pure driving. Not collecting cars. All the cars carried over from GT4 were no longer any fun for me... So naturally, the fun in GT6 ran out, because AI (Well... No AI, you know)...

Project CARS is SOOOOOOO refreshing, and it makes me wanna drive and drive and drive and drive... Oh, and race and race and race and race. Never have I had fun practicing before qualifying before racing and racing again. It makes me want to improve my driving skills, and sadly, it makes me want to buy a Thrustmaster TX, which is quite expensive here in Denmark. Sigh.

So... I can't really compare GT6 to Project CARS, because GT6 as a game feels so outdated to me. That may be because I've played Gran Turismo since GT1.. I don't know. But Project CARS sure is a better game for me. It suits me better by now. I don't think I'll be going back to GT6.
 
I like both games. They have ups and downs. But if you ever driven a racecar or a trackday car you woule never complain about pccars physics beeing worse than GT6. Its A LOT better. A lot A lot better.

I dont know which game is the best it depends on what you are searching. But the phyics are way better in Pcars. A lot comes from the next gen hardware.
Most people i know who are in Reallife motorsport are impressed with the physics
 
HBR-Roadhog
Forza 2 set the bar high and no other game has reached it yet.
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Forza Motorsport 4 was in my mind the "perfect" racing game when it came to online support; it was robust, expansive and had a great set of features (not only in terms of races but also the way you could share and obtain user-generated content). I played the game day-in day-out for 3 years straight, not only in competitive racing leagues but also "just for fun" in Public Lobbies.

Gran Turismo 6 did do one thing better than Forza 4 however in that it had more motorsport-oriented lobby options (Qualifying, car tuning within a lobby, open practice sessions, proper tyre wear etc.) but overall Forza 4 is the high benchmark that I compare every new racing game to.
 
I am disappointed with PCars however I do enjoy the driving which is the main part for this games target audience.

I am totally underwhelmed by some parts of it tho, the online lobby system is a joke, offline players are covered as the AI are challenging but for players who want to run online and in there own series GT beats it hands down, I can't believe SMS got it so wrong.

Not going to compare graphics as it's PS3 vs PS4 - Both are pretty tho

In my mind:

Physics PCars
Offline PCars
Damage PCars
FFB PCars
AI PCars

Photo Mode GT
Replays GT
Car Count GT
Online GT
UI GT

PCars should have been better from the off, it should improve with patches but we'll see.

Can't deny I'm excited for GT7 tho :D
 
priesty_lfc
[...]the online lobby system is a joke, offline players are covered as the AI are challenging but for players who want to run online and in there own series GT beats it hands down[...]

  • Photo Mode GT
  • Replays GT
  • Car Count GT
  • Online GT
  • UI GT
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This is exactly why I haven't bought a PS4 and Project CARS yet. I pretty much exclusively race online these days, both in Open Lobbies and competitive racing leagues.

The features mentioned above are some of the most important to me personally and at this point I may just wait another 7 months and see how Forza Motorsport 6 pans out.
 
For me, the cars feel a lot better to drive in Project Cars. They feel solid....real!
The physics, FFB, graphics, sound and the AI make it very enjoyable to race..
....or, just go into free practise and drive! :dopey:.

I'm having a great time with the game!

:cheers:
 
 
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Johnnypenso
Which part of online? The lobby system? Netcode? Players?
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In pCars everything seems to be fine for me, no lag, lobby works and useable, there are some bugs that happen during the race (like cut track after pitstop) but other than that it's stable.

I'm just curious what is better about online in GT6? Not like I'm going to play it, but maybe we can get some ideas for improvement for pcars.
 
GT6 is much more socially friendly than PCars. Or so it seems. I have to reserve my remarks until I experience the game for myself. But I do know that GT has/will go to extremes to put the social aspect of it's game in the spot light.

The issue was and still is did PD lose it car driving feel and realism in the process of incorporating Facebook?
To me GT's lost the realism of car setup and driving feel. Anytime the basic rules of setup is lost or reversed you have problems that ruin what should be the real heart and sole of a driving game/simulator. That is the sensation driving either a performance or racing car. And having the setup of that car be realistic and true to physics.

I think PCars will fix it's on-line shortcomings. I also think they will find a way to deal with video glitches.
SMS does need to bring more social awareness into their game. Especially between the those who are on-line.
Not being able to hold on-line practice runs is a real thumbs down.

I'm not so sure GT will address what they are missing in terms of physics, driving feel and setup. If PD/Kaz fail to fix those things with their next game, they will lose a large chunk of followers to project cars. It's just that simple.

I do feel that the tuning setup aspect of PCars is far superior to that of GT. If GT incorporates parts of PCars and PCars incorporates parts of GT, the resulting games could be astounding and truly worthy of the "Next Gen" title.
 
PJTierney
This is exactly why I haven't bought a PS4 and Project CARS yet. I pretty much exclusively race online these days, both in Open Lobbies and competitive racing leagues.

The features mentioned above are some of the most important to me personally and at this point I may just wait another 7 months and see how Forza Motorsport 6 pans out.
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Could also wait for future updates. SMS seem to have a lot of things planned for pCars, including new features.
 
Pseudopod
Maybe. Good netcode can give players a better experience on a bad connection than bad netcode on a decent connection.
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Exactly what I experienced in pcars. I can drive with players who had 700(!!!) ping without too much of a problem. I mean I have to stay a bit away, but the prediction code in pcars works well. At least in my experience. I remember playing Dota on 200+ ping and it was unplayable.
 
PJTierney
Forza Motorsport 4 was in my mind the "perfect" racing game when it came to online support; it was robust, expansive and had a great set of features (not only in terms of races but also the way you could share and obtain user-generated content). I played the game day-in day-out for 3 years straight, not only in competitive racing leagues but also "just for fun" in Public Lobbies.

Gran Turismo 6 did do one thing better than Forza 4 however in that it had more motorsport-oriented lobby options (Qualifying, car tuning within a lobby, open practice sessions, proper tyre wear etc.) but overall Forza 4 is the high benchmark that I compare every new racing game to.
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Forza 2 had a few things that Forza 4 was missing. Ability to tune in the lobby was a biggie, also had a driver ranking system and a quick match system that used the driver ranking. They also had weekly online tournaments.
 
FuriousDemon
In pCars everything seems to be fine for me, no lag, lobby works and useable, there are some bugs that happen during the race (like cut track after pitstop) but other than that it's stable. .
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There is lag when people join or leave the room and you are on track. Also the game will regularly crash. The lobby system IMHO is flawed. You can't go on track and practice until it starts, you can't change your car once until the start of the next event, there needs to be some sort of messaging system like in GT6 so players and/or the host can communicate and it would be nice if you could make it wheel or controller only lobbies.

FuriousDemon
I'm just curious what is better about online in GT6? Not like I'm going to play it, but maybe we can get some ideas for improvement for pcars.
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Here is a list:

Being able to practice while waiting for the event to start
A penalty system for crashing into someone (there doesn't seem to be any in Pcars)
Able to change cars right up to the start of the event
Messaging players so all lobby members see the dialogue (good for warnings)
On this same theme voting to kick a bad player
Being able to set weight and power limits to even up fields
Host being able to change all the rules without having to restart the lobby
For players looking at a lobby to join have some indication of the hosts network strength or ping

These are some of my main ones that I have so far found. I have not been online very much because not many of my friends don't have the game and most online lobbies that I have gone into are full of people that can't drive or are on hand controllers (same thing really). And because of the lack of communication they seem very unfriendly :-(

I hope some of this helps.
 
TT92
There is lag when people join or leave the room and you are on track. Also the game will regularly crash. The lobby system IMHO is flawed. You can't go on track and practice until it starts, you can't change your car once until the start of the next event, there needs to be some sort of messaging system like in GT6 so players and/or the host can communicate and it would be nice if you could make it wheel or controller only lobbies.



Here is a list:

Being able to practice while waiting for the event to start

It's there. You can have practice session and qualifying and warmup before the race, just need to be set up in the lobby. There is JIP system. That's what I do every time. I'm not going to be sitting around waiting for people.
A penalty system for crashing into someone (there doesn't seem to be any in Pcars)

There is a flag and penalty system. I already got DQ once for unintentionally crashing into someone. It's not always perfect though.
Able to change cars right up to the start of the event
For this one you would have to exit and enter the lobby, but like I said with JIP you can do this. The JIP stops accepting new players 3 minutes before the final qualifying session is over and race is about to start.
Messaging players so all lobby members see the dialogue (good for warnings)
Also there, but maybe PC only(?)
On this same theme voting to kick a bad player
It's there, again maybe PC only?
Being able to set weight and power limits to even up fields
This one isn't mandatory, setups are not locked, but I agree good idea. The only way to do it now is to ask people to manually adjust their setup, but obviously works only in league.
Host being able to change all the rules without having to restart the lobby
Its there, again maybe PC only?
For players looking at a lobby to join have some indication of the hosts network strength or ping
Only way now is if you enter lobby, so I agree needs to be improved.
These are some of my main ones that I have so far found. I have not been online very much because not many of my friends don't have the game and most online lobbies that I have gone into are full of people that can't drive or are on hand controllers (same thing really). And because of the lack of communication they seem very unfriendly :-(

I hope some of this helps.
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Please see my answers in the quote in bold! Looks lie either there is a misunderstanding or console version just lacks some things
 

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