why did PD map the stars?

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stormbringer

stormbringer

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Whats the point of PD accurately mapping the sky and stars?
sure its pretty, but what does it have to do with a car racing game?
Is the north star handy for navigation purposes here?
Is there really any time for one to gaze at the stars while racing?
If we were in flying cars, maybe it would have a more significant use

Maybe its use lies in photo travel. id still rather have a better, more realistic looking car, surroundings, lighting and pedestrians than accurately modeled stars above my car.

And noones really gonna appreciate the star model, except say they look pretty. I doubt anyones gonna be able to use constellations as their photo backgrounds. theyre too tiny.....
"Dude, I took a pic of my gallardo and check it out, the digital planet mars is in the background....awesome!!"

Its a useless feature imo.

That said, i sure like the way the clouds and sky looks. very pretty. But i cant help but think that all that effort on PDs part is a waste for GT fans. Especially in a console as limited as the PS3
All that memory space couldve gone into modeling a better driving experience.

Atleast Bspec seems to be gone. Thank God for that. That was an aweful waste of space and memory too, imo. PD should concentrate on improving tires, brakes, physics, graphics etc...after all, thats why i buy this game.
 
stormbringer
Whats the point of PD accurately mapping the sky and stars?
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PD didn't hand place each individual star if that's the reason why you think it's absurd. I'm not saying I know development behind the scenes, but I think they're just bragging about making pretty good dynamic skyboxes for a racing game. The stars and stuff in the sky probably move and orbit in a realistic and accurate fashion as they would in real life. Don't worry, it didn't steal valuable time from the modelers when they could be making more premiums 👍

I don't think they're useless, really well made skyboxes can definitely add to the immersion when you're racing in the dark or rallying through a giant wasteland. Same goes for the new clouds, they're fantastic. Good graphics benefit from more than just car models and track geoemtry, like great lighting and sky ambience.
 
Anonanon
PD didn't hand place each individual star if that's the reason why you think it's absurd. I'm not saying I know development behind the scenes, but I think they're just bragging about making pretty good dynamic skyboxes for a racing game. The stars and stuff in the sky probably move and orbit in a realistic and accurate fashion as they would in real life. Don't worry, it didn't steal valuable time from the modelers when they could be making more premiums 👍

I don't think they're useless, really well made skyboxes can definitely add to the immersion when you're racing in the dark or rallying through a giant wasteland. Same goes for the new clouds, they're fantastic. Good graphics benefit from more than just car models and track geoemtry, like great lighting and sky ambience.
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I guess it was one of the things that they could add whilst still being able to run the game on PS3, maybe if they had all premium cars then the game would be too large for PS3 to handle?
 
It's so we can have astrophotography threads on gtp!
"Dude, I took a pic of my gallardo and check it out, the digital planet mars is in the background....awesome!!"
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Am I the only one who would get a kick out of that?

It is a very curious design choice to implement astronomical simulation over, say, multi class endurance racing or challenging AI. But I guess it's not like we would've gotten any of those much-craved features if they hadn't implemented astronomical simulation. I'm ok with it.

I'm looking forward to better looking skies in GT6. IMO cloud simulations left much to desire in 5.
 
;)

GT_STARS.jpg
 
Having worked in software design it is not totally questionable as to why PD would add something that is relatively easy to implement. These are usually considered as delighters, or features that can increase satisfaction when implemented but customers will not care much about if it was not in the product. So wondering why PD included this is not as hard to figure out as opposed to why they skipped performance and expressed needs such as better AI or sounds.

To make it simple, it adds a delighter into the game at very little expense.
 
I like to think of GT as a simulator doing it's best at promoting itself as something else. The beauty simulator anyone? GT is pretty much that. If you want a real sim you can always go to what everyone says is more realistic, which is iRacing. No stars there.
 
stormbringer
Whats the point of PD accurately mapping the sky and stars?
sure its pretty, but what does it have to do with a car racing game?...
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And then you say...
stormbringer
...That said, i sure like the way the clouds and sky looks. very pretty...
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Surely the one is the same as the other? It's just a matter of what you like really.

I'm with the majority of replies on this thread - it's just dots really. Implementing a good night sky alongside the clouds/weather does not mean PD would have had the time or the facilities to implement other features that proportionately are far tougher to realise.
 
jimipitbull
would you have preferred a livery editor?
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No, to be honest I don't care too much about livery editor.
GT has some issues that I can live with, but to me, the sounds are too important part of a racing/driving simulator.
I feel GT like almost a perfect work ruined by those boring sounds, it's like eating a beautiful cake with terrible taste.
 
Well to be honest. One of the most memorable things I've had in GT6 so far:

Driving at night at Spa in a BMW Z4 gt3 in cockpitview. Visibility is somewhat limeted, because of the cockpitview. Then going trough Ea Rouge for the fist time at night.... BAM!!! Look at all those stars! It was really, really something. I forgat I had to turn, spun out and paused the game.... Man that was awesome.

It's just a nice detail PD put in the game. I love it. In fact I really, really love GT6.
 
Probably because it takes your eyes away from the fact there is loads of stuff missing.... like the BIGGIE ... realistic Sounds.

OOOOOO look at the stars ...
 
It’s mostly the ears that drives the sound to our brains, not the eyes.;)

Having realistic milky way coordinates doesn't involve hiring the MIT’s hall of fame. It is (caricaturatly) a simple equation organizing the rotation of a spherical texture mapping.

Integrating a solid new sound engine is a lot more demanding thing. They are aware of the flaws, they are working on it, and will eventually succeed in integrating it on a relatively limited and aging platform.👍
 

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