Willow Springs... WHY?!

  • Thread starter Mr Marvel
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To each their own but Willow is probably the most engaging location in GT Sport for me right now.

Perhaps. But considering the location list that isn't really saying that much. And it really doesn't address the argument that there are real life locations that would have been just as good technically and had a broader appeal had Polyphony chosen to model them instead.

As far as similar US tracks, I would put both Watkins Glen and Road America in a game over Willow. They're all great driver's tracks that are relatively fast with extensive history, but two aren't set in the middle of a barren wasteland.
 
And it really doesn't address the argument that there are real life locations that would have been just as good technically and had a broader appeal had Polyphony chosen to model them instead.
Well from the feel of it, they laser scanned it for GT6 and already had the model to work with. They perhaps don't have that for the missing world circuits that have been in the other games (Le Mans, Laguna Seca, Monza, etc)

We know that they have done the same with Bathurst and there is a laser scanned point cloud available for purchase of the Nordschleife as well so it might be that they intend to use only precise data for real life circuits in Sport.
 
I do not want to be pessimistic, but I do not believe in many circuits added to the game.

By the end of 2018, I believe in four to six circuits added. The PD is very slow and stuck in his work.

And the circuits are not so much priority for her. She thinks more about creating new cars than new tracks.


The GT franchise has always been very weak of real tracks cast when compared to others games.

I do not understand this, honestly.

I do not know what the problem is with bringing tracks like Watkins Glen, Road America, Road Atlanta, Circuit of Americas, Abu Dhabi, Donington, Algarve.

Even the original circuits PD forgets ignore our requests, such as Red Rock Valley, El Capitan, Stage Route 11, which never showed up again.

I do not understand why the treatment so sloppy about the amount tracks.

I did not want it to be like this.
 
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BECAUSE!!

It's hardly a coincidence that Mount Panorama, Willow Springs and Brand's Hatch (all introduced in GT6) made it to GT Sport. They probably modeled these tracks with the PS4 in mind, perhaps even making one PS4 version and one PS3 version at the same time. Suzuka was given an update in 2014, it's possible that the PS4 version stems from this.

It's also no coincidence that the two GTRs released on 1.10 just happened to be 'premium' cars in GT6 ... recycled (but obviously polished) content anyone? ... I'm not complaining though, they should just recycle all the premium content from GT6 and I'm fairly sure that's exactly what they'll do.
 
It's also no coincidence that the two GTRs released on 1.10 just happened to be 'premium' cars in GT6 ... recycled (but obviously polished) content anyone? ... I'm not complaining though, they should just recycle all the premium content from GT6 and I'm fairly sure that's exactly what they'll do.

A lot of people have released detailed shots and the cars I have seen seem to have been remodelled entirely, for all the difference looks subtle on first glance.
 
Same applies with the rally courses and most of the vision gt cars, waste of time and resources for a game based on sport mode, could've used the time on more real world tracks.

Indeed, typically wasteful stuff, much like investing resources into future proofing their PS3 assets only to start from scratch for this game.
 
Perhaps. But considering the location list that isn't really saying that much. And it really doesn't address the argument that there are real life locations that would have been just as good technically and had a broader appeal had Polyphony chosen to model them instead.

As far as similar US tracks, I would put both Watkins Glen and Road America in a game over Willow. They're all great driver's tracks that are relatively fast with extensive history, but two aren't set in the middle of a barren wasteland.

We get it, you hate deserts. Calling that region a wasteland is pretty ignorant considering it has gorgeous vistas, and I for one, think horse thief mile is pretty breathtaking!
 
I think loss of resources and time are the clues of Tokyo, especially the lane with the huge straight. They are tedious! Nothing fun and challenging.

It is every decision taken without logic. It was preferable to bring Stage Route 11 or 5.

Definitely GTS has the worst cast of tracks from across the franchise.
 
We get it, you hate deserts. Calling that region a wasteland is pretty ignorant considering it has gorgeous vistas, and I for one, think horse thief mile is pretty breathtaking!

Uh, wasteland is technically pretty accurate. The land is uncultivated and barren. Being a wasteland doesn't mean that you can't enjoy looking at it, but it does mean that it generally doesn't have any real features of note. Perhaps you could stop calling me ignorant and alleviate your own linguistic ignorance first instead of just getting mad.

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However, I haven't said anything about whether I like or dislike deserts in general. I'm not even saying anything about your passion for them. The point I'm making is that your "gorgeous vistas" are basically limited to two, a hill in one direction and a flat expanse of wastelandbarren land with scrub in all the others. OK, that's fine, but if it's one of a very limited number of tracks that you're spending upwards of two years to model for your game, do you really think that this is the best that they could do? Especially for a game with such a strong focus on visual quality to the expense of basically everything else?

This is a commercial game, which is supposed to be designed to appeal to a wide market (unless Polyphony is really going down the iRacing route of also being super niche and selling less than 100,000 copies). That means making sure that your content (what little of it there is) is as engaging as possible to a wide audience. I feel like if you want a track that's a good drive and also looks great then you can do a lot better than Willow. And you can probably do better in terms of relevance to the motorsport theme as well.

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Now that's not a terrible looking place. It has a certain wide open charm to it, but at the same time it's hard to deny that there really isn't much going on there. The palette is limited, and the track surroundings are very limited both in general and in the sense of supporting a motorsports event with things like grandstands. Motorsports being the central pillar that GTS is built around, if you'll recall.

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Now, to a certain extent you could just have palette swapped brown for green and gotten this. But that would be to ignore that there's significantly more going on trackside and nearby, that the track goes through both open wastelandmown lawns and forest, and that it's clearly set up to host major motorsports events. It's got grandstands and barriers and runoff and catch fences and sand traps. In terms of supporting the concept of GTS as a motorsports simulator, Watkins Glen is head and shoulders above Willow.

Do you start to see now that it's not so much about whether your piece of land is green or brown or sandy, it's about what's going on around it in a motorsport or racing sense? Gran Turismo Sport is a racing game, one that is heavily focused on motorsports and competition. Why have a track that is in the middle of a barren nowhere instead of one of the multitude of fully kitted out tracks available? I mean, I can't even find Willow on the list of FIA licensed circuits, despite Polyphony and Sony marketing the FIA collaboration as a big part of the game.

https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/tableaulicencescircuit.pdf

Hell, if you still want a track in the middle of a wastelandbeautiful yet somewhat desolate area, perhaps look at something like the Circuit of the Americas?
 
Indeed, typically wasteful stuff, much like investing resources into future proofing their PS3 assets only to start from scratch for this game.

The strangest thing is not using the ps3 models as ''standard'' models for GT Sport, they wouldn't look as out of place as the PS2 models did in GT5 and 6 .

Although i'm glad there are no standard models in GT Sport, it has a level of polish i we haven't seen in GT since the PS2 days, just needs more content that's all.
 
A lot of people have released detailed shots and the cars I have seen seem to have been remodelled entirely, for all the difference looks subtle on first glance.
I'm not suggesting they have used the models as straight up inclusions, of course they would increase the number of polygons to their existing wireframe models as well as adding extra nodes to surfaces where there was once just textures, like radiators hiding behind grilles etc. or brake discs where there were none. It's the same technique used to recycle or port tracks from one PC game to another, it saves a heap of time and effort not to mention the need to get the actual car for scanning. There's absolutely nothing wrong with them doing it that way, I just mentioned it as a bit of a sign of things to come and would bet the next cars will be, mostly from their existing catalog of premium models in GT6...as well as a track or two.
 
I am a massive fan of this track and i have had some of the most intense close races using the Stingray so on that basis a big thumbs up from me for Big Willow :)
 
I'm not a fan of Big Willow, but I think the two smaller layouts work quite well for certain classes of car.

... but like them or not, I think it adds variety to the game which is important.
 
It's certainly one of my least favourite tracks on GT Sport. There's so many great and iconic tracks in the US alone they could have done instead, Laguna, Sebring, Daytona, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta,etc.

I think Polophony is slow because Kaz seems like a slow and very ponderous man. I was watching the GT video with him and Lewis Hamilton..and he seems like that. Takes his time in everything even talking! Lol

Also I think he spends way too much time chatting with race drivers and celebrities.. maybe that's why it took so long. :)
 
It spends a lot of time to discover the real and real Ferrari's red. Kaz waste a lot of time creating VGT cars, to get pat on the back and applause at car shows.

He spends a lot of time digitizing and creating ridiculous clues, like those in Tokyo, instead of adding the original clues that the community really loves.

The community loves the classic tracks because they are different, challenging and with identity. I do not understand bringing these tracks from Tokyo, when we love Seatle, Stage Route, Rome Night GT2, Monaco etc.

We love because they have insane and challenging curves, not because they have long straight lines.

As Barrichello said it, "I love running because of corners, not because of straight lines." Kaz looks the opposite. Lol.
 
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