Overview
Some interesting facts …
Entry
Fortunately, in games in general, this law works strictly on the contrary – bad forgotten in the next second after removal “Winchester” (if at all it misses), and good – prescribed for years. Those of you who play racing games at least ten years, are likely to agree that the number of “good” part of the trilogy deservedly ToCA Race Driver.
Company Codemasters recently commemorated by many things. For example, after GRID 2, where the games were cleaned Le Mans and the view from the cockpit, the developers explained by the fact that “we listened to the opinion of players and decided to remove these unwanted game, in their opinion, the elements.” And all would be well, just such “requests” the players did not have offspring. And here are themselves Codemasters decided something to remember.
Tracks
Racing circuits
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal
Autosport Speedway, Japan
Brands Hatch, United Kingdom
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Circuit del Jarama, Spain
Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Canada
Circuit of the Americas, USA
Hockenheimring, Germany
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana, USA
Istanbul Park, Turkey
Mount Panorama Bathurst, Australia
Okutama, Japan
Red Bull Ring, Austria
Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia
Yas Marina Circuit, United Arab Emirates
Street circuits
Barcelona, Spain
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Paris, France
San Francisco, California, USA
Washington, D.C., USA
Cars
Touring
Honda Civic Touring Car
Ford Focus ST Touring Car
Chevrolet Cruze Touring Car
BMW 320 Touring Car
MINI Miglia
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (Cat B Special)
Audi RS5 (Cat B Special)
Ford Racing Ute
Holden VE Commodore Ute
Mini John Cooper Works Challenge
Peugeot 408 SCB
ADC Presteza-14
Ford Falcon FG
Holden VF Commodore
Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Group A
Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) Group A
Endurance
Audi R8 LMS Ultra
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3
McLaren MP4-12C GT3
Aston Martin N24 V12 Zagato
Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
Nissan Nismo GT-R (R35) GT500
Honda HSV-010 GT
Ford GT40 Mk1
Lola B12/80
Mazda 787B
Open Wheel
Dallara F312
Ariel Atom 3.5
Caterham SP/300.R
Lola B05/52
Ariel Atom 500 V8
Dallara IndyCar
Caparo T1
Tuner
Ford Mustang Boss 302
Chevrolet Camaro SS
Dodge Challenger SRT8 392
Nissan Silvia (S15) spec-R Aero
Honda S2000
Mazda RX-7 Type RZ (FD3S)
Dodge Charger R/T
Plymouth AAR Cuda
Ford Mustang Boss 302 Modified
Chevrolet Camaro SS Modified
Honda S2000 Modified
Nissan 2003 (S15) Silvia Drift Tuned
Nissan 2004 (Z33) 350 Nismo Drift Tuned
Mazda RX-7 (FD3S) Drift Tuned
Nissan 2005 (R34) nismo GT-R Z-Tune
Mazda Panspeed RX-7 (FD3S)
Honda 5zigen Civic
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Team Orange
Nissan 2011 (Z34) Chris Forsberg Racing 370Z
Nissan 1993 (S13) Daijiro Yoshihara 240SX
Honda NSX R
Street
Mini John Cooper Works GP
Ford Focus ST
Volkswagen Golf R
Honda Integria Type R DC5
BMW 1 Series M Coupe
Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo 2
BMW M3 Coupe
Audi RS 5 Coupe
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
Aston Martin Vanquish
Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
BMW E30 Sport Evo
Alfa Romeo 4C
Pagani Huayra
SRT Viper GTS
Mazda Furai
McLaren MP4-12C
Aston Martin One-77
McLaren P1
Pagani Zonda Revolución
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport
Koenigsegg Agera R
McLaren F1 GT
From the steering wheel!
First, a little history. Up to the moment of birth and GRID DiRT in the form in which they are now known, Codemasters doing something very similar to Autosport. It was called a series of ToCA Race Driver.
It was a kind of “personal” version Series Gran Turismo: complex physics, plenty of cars, a lot of runs, unless that law need not get licking four hours the same turn. From 2003 to 2006 he published three parts, very loved by those for whom Need for Speed was too simple, but, for example, simulators company SimBin – too complicated.
Everything was fine until the door without knocking the new generation of consoles as the Xbox 360 and PS3. And Codemasters decided that people are tired of the routine in the race, and that all this complexity and scale of most casual players are not so necessary. A variety of needs, style, and ease of drive.
No sooner said than done: first appeared Colin Mcrae: DiRT, which although was not much smaller in scale than ToCA Race Driver 3, deliberately pushed his all on the second plan, bringing in the first place race itself. And when it appeared Race Driver: GRID, the general line of the Central Committee of Codemasters finally become clear – to make simple and interesting games that require minimum-brainer for the player.
But the problem has crept on the other hand – is the players themselves are tired of these games (sales DiRT: Showdown 2 and GRID were, to put it mildly, not a million). Urgently needed to solve something.
And developers did for example Criterion Games in 2010: knowing that a good idea in the race is relevant even twelve years later, they took the old, good, favorite people play, and made it to modern standards.
This represents Autosport – on the one hand, an attempt to correct the errors of GRID 2 (which would be more correct to call Project Gotham Racing 5), and on the other – a return to basics, when a series of Race Driver still bore the title word ToCA
The armor is strong, and our cars are fast …
The first two hours of play in the Autosport – all this breaking of racing honed reflexes on the next curbs and rear bumpers opponents (if you do not sit for hours for serious PC simulators, or at least not play Need for Speed: SHIFT).
That’s right, every flown away spoiler and diffuser, have to remember that on the highway is necessary to think that the car should feel, and most importantly, if it is necessary to slow down somewhere – so there must slow down (and up, and not during a turn)
At first it seems that local competition is not balanced. You can bring all pursuers ten tram driving formular car, and with the same ease pointless ass ram rival in street race. How so, you ask? It’s very simple – customize your car. And setting in Autosport solves a lot.
Take, for example, the same street racing. Pass Circle in training, looking at the behavior of the machine. “Yeah … it’s something I do not like the speaker. It is necessary to shorten the gear ratios. Yes, and it turns somewhat reluctantly included … So, open differential and increase ground clearance. A more sensitive suspension weaken “(but be careful – with stability control off a preset is very risky). And so everywhere. “Teach materiel” – is the main mantra in Autosport.
In fact, each of his discipline – it is a separate game within the game. And not just a game, a game that is very familiar. For example, the type of Tuner race completely copied from Need for Speed: SHIFT. Competitions class Endurance – tracing with SHIFT 2 Unleashed. But street racing – defiantly clogged sledgehammer in one GRID patterns 1 and 2.
That’s just the style of competitors Autosport reason not learned – it’s more austere game. No bulk fonts nor chic flown cards or glare light at boot – all game appearance emphasizes its seriousness and partly some straightness. Even the same loss in the menu is able to get exactly 5 minutes. Just like old times.
At some point, even the question arises – “People that you did it on purpose? If the game is the claim (no more than) the seriousness, then, must necessarily look pale and ugly? “Fortunately, all this does not have to think about – Autosport skillfully focuses your attention on the gameplay.
Car physics here is complicated compared to GRID 1 and 2 – the machines appeared mass inertia felt clearer and properly put in the rotation just can not each machine. Felt very good coverage – if asphalt ring road is perfectly smooth fabric, does not create any problems, on the pavement in some Paris car falls slightly “bully”, so as not to scratch the road front bumper.
Stick is broken, stick Gnehm …
All major races (or at least claiming to be such) have a common problem – they get bored too quickly. Recall, for example, how far you have Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends. And developers have solved this problem very simple, like all brilliant, way – you have a very tough time limit.
Of course, there is a training and qualification (not everywhere). But, first, neither one nor the other is not required (although highly desirable). Secondly, further motivating the time limit. Want to learn the track in training and set up the machine for the race? Learn and adjust to strictly allocated ten minutes, here you do not Formula 1. Do you want to get through the qualification place at the start higher? Mobilize all his skill and composure, and show class generously allocated for game three laps. And do not say that this is not enough – for round-two Schumacher become. And thirdly, because the game is not boring banal.
Events though not vary with stroboscopic speed as in all races Codemasters (except series F1), but not exhausting, as mentioned above Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends. Duration of all this, of course, can be increased, but this is not recommended.
And those games are lacking that is more typical for console racing than for computer – Player motivation. First roller, roller disciplines (though these riders, as in Gran Turismo 5 and SHIFT 2 Unleashed, call no one), the movie is at the end and everything. Machine issued in the same way as in DiRT 3 – after the contract with the sponsor, so that not fight for that.
Some special higher purpose, such as in the game Need for Speed: Most Wanted (which is hopefully not need to explain) here either. So the only incentive to chase Autosport – this race itself.
Prior to release they caused the greatest concern. Developers had to endure a very delicate balance. On the one hand, it was too pereuslozhnyat physics. This would force players to get used to each type of racing in general and each machine in particular, and it would badly impact on diversity.
On the other – what’s the point so different competition if your driving experience in each of them will not differ from one another? Problem was, to put it mildly, is not simple. Praise Codemasters, that they were able to do it. But, as stated in a famous anecdote, “there is a nuance.”
And Autosport – amazingly flexible game. The same level of complexity allows, as in the series F1, fine-tune their preferences under a dozen different parameters.
For example, on the most sustainable car butting with the most evil opponents. Or, conversely, trying to cope with a real fireball Formula 3 without fear of losing an important race. This opens up an amazing breadth of scope for experimentation.
Autosport gives a unique opportunity to literally bit by bit, grain by grain to become a pilot-class. Want to learn how to control gas – turn off the stability control and jump behind the wheel of a rear-wheel machine. Want to learn how to brake in time – sit down for a formula car and turn off the optimal trajectory.
At the same time, even without a history of physics complexity is beneficial – the player learns and practices himself driving aspect, excluding behavioral characteristics of each particular car.
Conclusion
But the main point Autosport still not the case. It is similar to the race, which typically produce a new generation of consoles in the early days of their existence – the forgotten series, the old concept and longstanding fans as a target audience.
And it is unclear why the list of platforms appear Xbox 360 and PS3, but not Xbox One and PS4. But you know, those people who dashed off in a cloud of kilometers ToCA Race Driver 3 and now chase in GRID: Autosport, it’s not interesting. Even the difference in time between games was eight years – as much as between Test Drive: Le Mans (1998), and Test Drive Unlimited (2006) – another pair of “game restart from scratch” at the dawn of the last generation of consoles.
Of course, Autosport no restart is not. This is just a spin-off, checking out on the glory of his predecessor. And much of the race, as we have already seen many times, they know how to do it like no other…