So, I get the slowest car in GT500 and we are now reducing slip stream to weak. I always thought the slipstream was ridiculous but thought at least it would be a useful advantage to me this season being that I am driving a dog. Yet another strike against the SC430. It is a good thing we can limit the slip stream but the timing sucks for me.
Then in season 2 we get Trial Mountain, which I love, and we dump it for Spa? How about dumping Le Sarthe for Spa? I love Spa and think it should be added but with weak slipstream and never ending straights at Sarthe, I fear I have no chance in hell to finish well at Sarthe. It was already looking like a rough one to compete in and then throw in the weak slipstream and it will likely be a joke trying to keep up. It is a double whammy going to the slow SC430 while losing the slip stream boost.
If I remember from an old F1 game, Spa is pretty fast paced so replacing Trial mountain with spa is another strike against the SC430. A fast paced track should be dropped for Spa, not a slower and more technical track like Trial Mountain. Another strike against the SC430.
I feel the bar has been raised, after the fact, to my detriment in these two ways which adds to the handicap I am already faced with and accepted when I chose the SC430 over the Supra. Now I am regretting the decision. I am not saying the changes are intentionally attempting to limit the SC430 more (as if that is needed) but that is exactly what the changes will do. Perhaps I can overcome the additional handicaps and this will be a mute point but I am not happy about it nonetheless.
I am already giving up about 10pp from the GT-R and the tire wear on the SC430 isn't nearly as good as the GT-R. My fastest lap times at Suzuka so far are in the 1:55s which is way off the 1:54s people are or will be running and that would be ok if the tires would last, but they haven't so far with the current tune. Anything I do to increase tire life puts me in the high 1:55s or low 1:56s. Not exactly competitive times for a two stop run that my tire wear is currently dictating. I surely hope I improve a lot.
The changes most definitely add another handicap to an already handicapped car while giving the NSX an increased speed advantage by dumping the slipstream. Spa will also be easier to run for the NSX than Trial Mountain. Trial Mountain has limited straight sections so it negates the speed advantage of the NSX while being more technical which challenges the handling of the NSX more. I see the balance of the GT-R being unaffected by the change but they will be further hindered on tracks like Sarthe and Monza, as compared to the NSX. To me that just balances those two a bit more. You can't say that about the SC430. It loses on both counts.
I can see from the posts that a lot of guys liked dropping Trail Mountain for Spa. Seems like it is a done deal. Too bad for me I guess. I have no idea how I am going to perform in the SC430 over the season but I can tell you that the changes will definitely make it even harder so I am obviously against them as they stand. Perhaps I am making more out of it than I should? I hope so! Either way, I didn't need the added challenge, IMO.
After the disappointment with the limited DLC track offering, this is yet another disappointment. I like Spa but could care less about Go Karts. After a year of GT5, you would think they could have offered a few more tracks, especially considering they have so many others already designed that they could have offered. At least they could have given us 2 GP courses. I think PD is a little too concerned about paint, suits, and pictures when most of us just want to race. The artsy fartsy stuff is fine as long as the it takes a back seat to the racing aspect of the game. I think it has caused limitations in the DLC track offering because they are too busy with the photo mode and race suits.
Only 2 TRACKS! One is a freakin' go kart track! Come on man!
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