New Gameplay Mode for GT5

[Biggles]

OK, in another thread I criticized the continuing "Arcade-style" gameplay in GT5P. Here's my (constructive) suggestion for a new "Career" mode game-play for GT5.

The player starts with enough money to buy one "C" class car, then enters a series of, say, ten "C" class races. There are cash prizes depending on how the player finishes in each race in the series. It is not possible to replay races in order to win more money/buy more cars. At the end of the series, if the player has accumulated enough points/prize money to buy a new car, he is able to buy a new car to enter the next series of ten "B" class races (alternatively, he can buy upgrades for his existing car to increase its performance to "B" class).

The player progresses through each series: "C", "B", "A", "S" & perhaps an "R" class series, in a linear progression. There is no replaying in order to win additional money, which means consistent performance & cautious, realistic driving is essential, in order to accumulate points/money & progress through the series. Optionally, there would be no restarting at all within a series, meaning the player would have to complete each series in total - believe me, this would really add to the concentration required & the tension of the racing.

Damage, sadly absent from GT up to now, could appear in a number of different forms. Damage suffered during a race would have to be fixed before each subsequent race in a series, in order to continue, using up valuable winnings & forcing the player to drive with the overall series in mind. The damage could be 1) purely notional, recorded by the software, but not effecting the performance during the actual race (presumably, very easy to programme), 2) mechanical effecting the actual performance of the car in-race (more programme-intensive), 3) mechanical & visual (the most programme intensive).

I'm not saying this has to be the only game mode in GT5, but it would make a great, more realistic addition to the Gran Turismo tradition & would be simple, elegant & exciting. 👍

(Any consulting fee from PD can be forwarded to Biggles c/o GTplanet. )

 

[Lanky_Man]

If I'm not wrong then this idea reminds me of how the old Juiced for the PS2 played.

You had to race through a calendar of events and each event was set up for specific classes - much like you've described - the only way you could enter the races of a higher class was if you could afford a faster car or could afford to upgrade one of your own. It also had a similar damage repairing system where you could damage your car both visually and performance-wise, although it wasn't really that impressive.

I would actually quite like this style of events organization for GT5 as it would finally give us a reason to use the calendar and i think you've got a good idea for the damage system being split into 3 styles. Personally i wouldn't mind leaving out visual damage all together as long as we could have some form of performance hindering damage - I wouldn't see much point in just notional damage as it would just feel like a waste of money and would really take away from PD's perfectionist approach to the game since it's not really realistic at all...

...i like the rest of the idea though

 

[Biggles]

If I'm not wrong then this idea reminds me of how the old Juiced for the PS2 played.

I wouldn't call it an amazingly original idea - it just seems sort of logical to me.

wouldn't see much point in just notional damage as it would just feel like a waste of money

Notional damage is only a "desperation" suggestion in the event that PD can't or won't implement (not likely, I hope) some form of actual damage. It would, at least, give an in-race incentive to avoid damaging your car - "the waste of money" being the whole point.

...i like the rest of the idea though

Thank you. Not much response from anyone else, yet...

 

[superwally]

Me likey.


Adds some of the challenge of a career mode like a Nascar game or F1CE. A game within a game, if you will.

 

[BB-ANDY-]

sounds very very good

 

[beer-2k]

Yeah, plus make it so that only good players that did good are allow to join certain online races only. Like if you raced the events with traction control 'on', there would be certain online events you can't race. Or like certain online races required a "x" amount of points acquired in the offline events. Better yet just give us private rooms. The end.

 

[Biggles]

Yeah, plus make it so that only good players that did good are allow to join certain online races only. Like if you raced the events with traction control 'on', there would be certain online events you can't race. Or like certain online races required a "x" amount of points acquired in the offline events. Better yet just give us private rooms. The end.

Well online is a separate issue - hopefully they'll sort it out soon: private rooms would do it. I'm just talking about the single-player game-mode here.

 

[FRYDPACZ]

I really like the idea of a series with car restrictions. A series or championship style event would most likely eliminate some of the questionable drivers who just look for big crashes and causing havoc. I am also a believer of qualifying (at least for the first race) after the first race the field can be lined up in reverse order of finishing the previous race but I think there should be some kind of qualifying for championship style races.

There could even be a cut off time that you have to beat so that the slower racers restricted ... well maybe this one is not the best idea but I'm all for CHAMPIONSHIPS.

 

[Magneto]

I agree with some of the things beeing said here. But I do see one problem though.
PD will NEVER EVER do this, and the reason is simple: They spend insane amounts of money developing the game, and will therefor not add things that might cause them to sell less copies. And let's face it. 99% of people that buy GT1-2-3-4-5 are not hardcore racers such as most of the people on this forum. They will with these restrictions in mind not buy it because somebody told them it was to difficult or slow progressing, or buy it and become one of those that tells people how "crap" it has become.
Let's remember that B-spec appeared on GT4 and I suspect this was to allow more people to get through the longer games without falling asleep. I used B-spec in most of the endurence races naturally (I don't have the time to drive Le-Mans for 24h).

But I am prepared to offer a solution. Many FPS games make you choose difficulty at the beginning. So why not have 3 choices in the beginning? Like; 1.Standard career. 2.Linear career 3.Start in standard career, then play in the linear career when and if you choose.
As for the online gaming, we MUST have the option to customize our own races and sttings, and the ability to online allow people you invite, that have enough A-Spec points or allow anybody to join. This is because I have yet to drive a single race online in GT5P in any PPclass without getting rammed or screwed by some soul-less sorry excuse for a humanbeing. Don't get me wrong, many people are a joy to race with but the ones that have no control over their vehicle at all, or F you over intentionally can go to hell!

 

[Biggles]

I agree with some of the things beeing said here. But I do see one problem though.
PD will NEVER EVER do this, and the reason is simple: They spend insane amounts of money developing the game, and will therefor not add things that might cause them to sell less copies. And let's face it. 99% of people that buy GT1-2-3-4-5 are not hardcore racers such as most of the people on this forum. They will with these restrictions in mind not buy it because somebody told them it was to difficult or slow progressing, or buy it and become one of those that tells people how "crap" it has become.
Let's remember that B-spec appeared on GT4 and I suspect this was to allow more people to get through the longer games without falling asleep. I used B-spec in most of the endurence races naturally (I don't have the time to drive Le-Mans for 24h).

But I am prepared to offer a solution. Many FPS games make you choose difficulty at the beginning. So why not have 3 choices in the beginning? Like; 1.Standard career. 2.Linear career 3.Start in standard career, then play in the linear career when and if you choose.
As for the online gaming, we MUST have the option to customize our own races and sttings, and the ability to online allow people you invite, that have enough A-Spec points or allow anybody to join. This is because I have yet to drive a single race online in GT5P in any PPclass without getting rammed or screwed by some soul-less sorry excuse for a humanbeing. Don't get me wrong, many people are a joy to race with but the ones that have no control over their vehicle at all, or F you over intentionally can go to hell!

Again, I'm not talking about online, because that is a separate issue where the structure of the race & level of difficulty depends (or at least will depend, when they get it sorted out), on the other participants.

I am talking about the single-player game. I totally agree that PD wouldn't want to make the game too difficult for a "general" audience. But the "career" structure wouldn't necessarily make it any more difficult - like you suggest, you would be able to pick your difficulty level at the beginning of your career.

As it exists, some of the "mission/races" in GT5P are very difficult, beyond the ability of a "casual" gamer to successfully complete. I would just ask any GTPers: when you successfully complete one of the very difficult mission/races (which takes endless repetition to learn the "pattern" & get it "just right"), do you go back & run it again "for fun"? No. You think: "at last I got that @&$#*%! done!" In contrast in F1:CE I'm happy to run the "same" races over & over again, because they're always different & always fun & once I master than at one difficulty level, I can move on to the next difficulty level & continue to enjoy the challenge.

I just feel that now that GT5P has done such an amazing job with the actual driving experience, it's time that they focused some energy on up-dating & improving the game-play structure.

 

[Noah]

Sounds like a decent idea.