Licenses Pointless in GT5?

[aneyh]

I don't think the difficulty or lack of relevance of license tests is the big problem for me.

You see, in GT3 and GT4 (and to a lesser extent GT1), I would go back to the licenses and try to polish my times. The effort and time put in to extract every last possible millisecond of time in the tests was worth it. The goal in GT4 was to go 2-3% faster than gold times at least, usually much more than that. Due to the diversity of tracks and cars I was driving to the absolute limit, this helped make me a very fast GT4 driver.

The problem is, I can't do that in GT5. For one, many tests aren't time trials but instead are races. But the biggest problem is the Skid Recovery Force that is turned on in the tests. The physics are completely different from the physics in the rest of the game. It won't be worth it to work on the tests like I did in the previous 4 GTs.

I agree with SagarisGTB.

Used to sit there completing all the licences before I raced. When I got bored of racing I would go back and try to get silver and then gold in them.

Not sure if I can disable Skid Recovery with the wheel I'm using.

 

[Eric W]

The licenses are pointless to the point where they don't restrict any of the game play. In older generations of Gran Turismo you needed to complete the license tests in order to compete in different levels of the game. GT5 doesn't restrict events like this any longer.

While I do agree that having to have a certain level of license to compete in online racing wouldn't completely eliminate the stupidity in online racing but it may help restrict it to individuals who actually play the game. I would still like the option in setting up a room filtering on licenses and game level. Individual's who have reached level 40 have actually played the game and are more likely to be a better online competitor to race with.

Most of the individuals that I've booted from my rooms don't have any licenses and/or are at very low levels in the game and simply don't care in racing cleanly with you.

 

[Donald Rumsfeld]

When I first got GT5, I spent my time getting licenses because I thought I needed them to be able to play A-Spec

 

[vk56dehan]

When I first got GT5, I spent my time getting licenses because I thought I needed them to be able to play A-Spec

Lol...I did too. I didnt even go look at the races as I "knew" there was no point. After the first startup, I went straight to the NCD and checked out the R34 (1st High HP car I buy in any gt) to see how much it was...then went to the license tests and completed all but the last. Started Aspec and was like WTF!

 

[khooke]

I'm a GT purist, so I love the license tests. I actually miss the days when GT mode events were locked until you achieved a certain license. It made the game's progression feel alive. Like, you had to work to reach the next "level".

Exactly. In prior versions you had to get your licenses to compete in events. I'd like to see this come back, at least for GT6. It wouldn't make sense to add it to GT5 now for career mode since most of us have already played through most of the events anyway. For online races though it would be good to be able to specify a license requirement. I'd like to see qualifying for online races too.

 

[MrGrado]

there is qualifying for online races.

 

[vk56dehan]

there is qualifying for online races.

Qualifying for position though right? They are saying they want qualifying for entry to the room....almost like a license time trail test prior to entering to show your skill. I personally dont like the idea as it would get real old real quick. But, it probably be the most bullet proof way to keep bad drivers out.

 

[ebarbre]

You know, I've read a lot on this...and I'm a GT purist...but here has always been my issue. I liked it more when the license test were required to progress in the game. I like the Achievements. But I've always complained that the GOLD for most the tests was unrealistic. THAT is why there are so many bad drivers. The silver, in most cases requires you drive effectively, saving tires and what not. Most gold times require that you drive like an idiot...going too fast into turns and sliding around corners, driving half off the road. In tests with AI drivers, using them to help you keep speed around the corner, sticking them in the wall. Yet the original concept was to help you drive better...but because there are 5% of the population, the loudest criers...about the game being too easy. Those of us that want the achievement have to spend hours upon hours trying to do thoses tests. I'm currently on IB-2...got 16.006....and I can't shave off that last .006....I did that in my 5th try driving like an idiot...it's been an hour and can't do it. Now I have to do other things...so much for making it enjoyable.

 

[shmogt]

Lol ya license test are total waste. They need to do like the old ones where you must beat a certain level before you are allowed to continue to harder aspec events.

 

[vk56dehan]

You know, I've read a lot on this...and I'm a GT purist...but here has always been my issue. I liked it more when the license test were required to progress in the game. I like the Achievements. But I've always complained that the GOLD for most the tests was unrealistic. THAT is why there are so many bad drivers. The silver, in most cases requires you drive effectively, saving tires and what not. Most gold times require that you drive like an idiot...going too fast into turns and sliding around corners, driving half off the road. In tests with AI drivers, using them to help you keep speed around the corner, sticking them in the wall. Yet the original concept was to help you drive better...but because there are 5% of the population, the loudest criers...about the game being too easy. Those of us that want the achievement have to spend hours upon hours trying to do thoses tests. I'm currently on IB-2...got 16.006....and I can't shave off that last .006....I did that in my 5th try driving like an idiot...it's been an hour and can't do it. Now I have to do other things...so much for making it enjoyable.

You would be REALLY surprised when you do gold it because you drove the test correctly. Do it right, and you will gold eventually. Going too fast in corners, braking too late, taking outside the driveline because the hypotenuse is technically less distance, etc...actually hurts your time dramatically. Patience is bliss. Btw, doing a test for the 5th time really isnt very many times. If your having a hard time, move on and come back to it. You will be surprised what a difference a fresh mind does.

 

[diptob79]

Just to show that license system is useless

Didn't play license, a-spec, b-spec, special events. Live up my career only from online races and seasonal ocassionally.
But I'm not supporting the idea of filtering online lobbies based on licenses. Maybe filter for high difficulty /prize value for seasonal events?

 

[ebarbre]

You would be REALLY surprised when you do gold it because you drove the test correctly. Do it right, and you will gold eventually. Going too fast in corners, braking too late, taking outside the driveline because the hypotenuse is technically less distance, etc...actually hurts your time dramatically. Patience is bliss. Btw, doing a test for the 5th time really isnt very many times. If your having a hard time, move on and come back to it. You will be surprised what a difference a fresh mind does.

I've driven the correct lines, and all I ever get is silvers....always a tenth of a second or so short of the gold times. I can run those consistently. Most of the golds I've gotten have been from messing with the settings to basically "drift" more. And trust me..I've done it more than 5 times. just saying I've started this crappy driving techniques and I've gotten a lot more golds than I have driving the right way. And the special events are basically an extension of the license tests....

I would be all for making them necessary for events again, even online. I see no reason it shouldn't. If they want it to continue to be an aspect of the game...if not...get rid of them. I don't like not being able to buy a car because of lvl, though. When I have to wait 100 game days for the damn car to show up again in the used car dealership.

 

[Morgoth_666]

It's perfectly possible to get all golds driving the "right"way, and without messing with any settings. There are only about half a dozen really challenging golds -- IIRC IB-2 is one of them(La Sarthe from Indianapolis through Arnage?).

If I get frustrated I usually stop improving. If I give it a break and come back another time with my patience re-charged I can generally finish it. Chasing thousandths in particular is a bad bad thing for me.

The difficulty is oddly variable, they didn't do a good job at that but probably never did..

 

[carracerptp]

I race with many drivers that are very fast, very clean and only have slivers...
When I did the license test last week for gold (never really bothered before), SRF was on. IMHO SRF makes then useless in teaching you how to drive.
At best they can help you in a TT, but in a race? no. keeping a good line and not using need for speed passing techniques is a different skill altogether.
I have seen really fast drivers act like s when in a pack.

 

[shirakawaa]

PD should rename "Licences" to "Driving Puzzles" (or "challenges"), because that's what they are.
And also remove SRF permanently from them.

A "Virtual GT Academy" feature could be implemented in order to make players really learn driving basics, racetrack driving, theory, etc, without pointless things that have nothing to do with actual racing.

 

[ebarbre]

PD should rename "Licences" to "Driving Puzzles" (or "challenges"), because that's what they are.
And also remove SRF permanently from them.

A "Virtual GT Academy" feature could be implemented in order to make players really learn driving basics, racetrack driving, theory, etc, without pointless things that have nothing to do with actual racing.

I would totally agree with that. That, and I don't like the auto disqualification if you go off course or hit another car too hard. It's not that I want to be able to do whatever I want. But in going through the S license tests, I find that the AI drivers will do whatever they want to do....I've been barely in the lead and had them bump me off the track right before the end...and on the Nurb at 3/4 of the way through...that is quite frustrating. I've also been rear-ended by the computer in the Jeff Gordon thing and gotten disqualified....all I was doing was slowing down for the corner. It's so infuriating I turned off the game.

 

[slowman]

Just to show that license system is useless

Didn't play license, a-spec, b-spec, special events. Live up my career only from online races and seasonal ocassionally.
But I'm not supporting the idea of filtering online lobbies based on licenses. Maybe filter for high difficulty /prize value for seasonal events?

That doesn't show anything about how "the license system is useless". All you're showing us is how much of the game you're missing out on.