Something like Rocket League would be good : 10 pre-races to class the driver.
What could also help with the Sportsmanship Rating is only calculating it based on a certain amount of previous races. Say anywhere from 10-50.
If it's calculated as an average over that span of time, you no longer are permanently damaged by a ram-happy race at Tokyo. The current system — which seemingly adds to SR every clean sector, and lowers it based on heavy contact with other cars, off-track excursions, and wall bumps — could be kept in place, and would actually encourage people to partake in longer races, since there'd be more opportunity for a higher SR there.
Currently, it's simply accumulative. There's a serious problem with that approach: clean, fast folks that pick up the game a few months after release will have a much harder time getting matched with people that are truly level with them.
The steering and braking assists shouldn't be in the game. If you want to learn how to properly race, the game should teach you where to apply the brakes and turn in. When the game is holding your hand and doing the actions for you, you'll never learn.
It does that already: there's the flashing brake/gear indicator, and the green turn markers.
There's no reason not to have those assists in the game, other than a sense of elitism. They're optional, and they make the game more accessible to people who don't have a ton of experience.
All PD needs to do to encourage folks to not permanently use the assists — though there's nothing inherently wrong with that — is incentivize them. Do what Forza does, and offer extra credits to people who turn them off.
Slow vehicle unlocking. I have limited time to play each day, and I want to experience all of the available cars before my time (and the beta) runs out. Unlocking one car each day is tedious, to say the least. I like the idea of driving to get yourself rewards, but the cars should be unlocked after every 25 miles you travel, or by completing some other challenge. Perhaps consistently beating your previous lap time three times in a row on the same course. That will encourage players to improve their skills.
Eh, it's a beta, not a demo. I mean, I appreciate PD putting in the gamey aspect of a "daily routine", but it's not the primary focus of the CBT version, IMO. Especially since all signs point to a more traditional credit-based system in the final product.
Not to mention driver aids kicking in when you go off track. Also insanely unrealistic.
Ugh, this has always driven me nuts about the PS3-era GT games.
