Forza Motorsport 3

[McSpeed]

Might as well add Knockhill as well then. It may be short, but it's still an awesome track.

[Meatball]

Cadwell Park please. Flying over 'the mountain' foot on the floor

[amnesiac_3]

My one real main issue with Forza comes in the single player and how unbalanced the grids are especially in the earlier races. That is something that HAS to be fixed in my opinion.

Yeah, it's a major issue. Most of the time there were maybe one or two cars that would run away with the race. So much so that the rest of the cars may as well not be there. I never really understood it as a design decision.

[Vin]

Another vote for 60fps here too.

I'm not being an arse here, but if it's 60 i'll buy it, if it's 30 i'll not. The silky frame rate was a massive draw for me with forza 2 and i just hope they keep it 60 and make the cars and tracks a little more "there".

Is it too much to hope for it to look like GT Prologue? (which i think looks absolutely stunning in 60. Blue skies and the cars are so solid and colourful.)

Even at thirty, Forza was a good looking son of a bitch.

Still, I can imagine the pure wrath T10 would get if they decided thirty was the way to go to make Forza a bit more accessible.

[Major Britten]

They need to sort out the presentation and menus as well. Forza 3 will be going up against GT5 so if the graphics and presentation arent up to par with that it could get people going towards Sony's racer no matter how well it plays. But then this has always been Turn 10's biggest flaw, even Forza 1 which was running on more powerful hardware and had better physics still looked worse than GT4 and even PGR2. I know graphics arent everything but for me this was a huge problem for Forza 2, the menus and presentation were awful, the replays were shocking and there was no real sense of speed or excitement during races. But seeing how there was no real competition released at the same time it managed to get away with it, this time its going up against GT5 and like it or not both games will be compared to each other. At the moment, although I enjoyed the Forza series so far I still prefer Gran Turismo

[Dimahoo]

The problem is theres no sense of speed on many race tracks as they're so wide and open - emulating that large scale means you lose that.

The sense comes from the chassis vibration which is one thing games can't emulate.

I think cockpit views that move with the acceleration/deceleration/internal L/R inertia would work well as in LFS or whatever. Even with an external hood cam you could do it by moving the hood backwards, etc. Its a difficult one though.

I don't think the lack of speed was too bad really - certainly dropping out of the Hill on Maple into the home dogleg feels amazing -

(as does the drop between Flugplatz and Schwendenkruez or whatever its called at NordSchiefe)

[Sigourney Beaver]

Cadwell Park please. Flying over 'the mountain' foot on the floor

Yes! Yes! Yes!

[Dudley]

Yeah, it's a major issue. Most of the time there were maybe one or two cars that would run away with the race. So much so that the rest of the cars may as well not be there. I never really understood it as a design decision.

The field spread was fine, it just needed a field 3 times the size.

[bradigor]

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/03/turn-10-...za-watersports/

I know that is a bit of a piss take over the logo..... hopefully it is a bit of a link to weather effects in FM3

[DarthSquirrel]

Window decals, white paint on rims and let us paint the adjustable spoiler.

And while we're adding British tracks to a wishlist i'll throw in a vote for Thruxton.

[Meers]

They need to sort out the presentation and menus as well. Forza 3 will be going up against GT5 so if the graphics and presentation arent up to par with that it could get people going towards Sony's racer no matter how well it plays. But then this has always been Turn 10's biggest flaw, even Forza 1 which was running on more powerful hardware and had better physics still looked worse than GT4 and even PGR2. I know graphics arent everything but for me this was a huge problem for Forza 2, the menus and presentation were awful, the replays were shocking and there was no real sense of speed or excitement during races. But seeing how there was no real competition released at the same time it managed to get away with it, this time its going up against GT5 and like it or not both games will be compared to each other. At the moment, although I enjoyed the Forza series so far I still prefer Gran Turismo

Bullshit.

Mate, I'll take substance over style any day. FM2's UI/front end is functional enough and looks good. Having said that though, Race Pro's UI is a complete disaster and a good example of how NOT to do it. I admit T10 need to revise the UI a bit, but it's in no way shit compared to GT's illogical 'map' front end.

[Fugitive]

Bullshit.

Mate, I'll take substance over style any day. FM2's UI/front end is functional enough and looks good. Having said that though, Race Pro's UI is a complete disaster and a good example of how NOT to do it. I admit T10 need to revise the UI a bit, but it's in no way shit compared to GT's illogical 'map' front end.

Agree with you about Forza's front end, but not with your assessment of Race Pro's.

Sure, complex and stylish menus are impressive the first few times you use them, but after that they're a hindrance to getting straight into the action once you boot up a game.

Even Forza 2 requires too many button presses and analogue shifts before you can get going, and while DiRT's front end intially had a wow factor, it soon became annoying.

Race Pro's menu system is quick, simple and clean with the racing action almost instantly available*. Obviously, this is purely personal preference - I'm not interested in how fancy a menu system is, I'm just interested in the game behind it - and I can fully understand that for some, an enhanced menu system is an integral part of their gaming experience, but I can't be the only one who prefers function over form, surely?

* Yeah, yeah. We all know how flawed parts of that action is.

[Yasawas]

I didn't think the UI was that bad either, but a quicker method of changing cars would be very welcome.

You know when you try to enter an invalid car and it lets you choose a valid one from your garage? Just give me that list in text form, for every race. All you need is the name and maybe the colour, going back to the main menu time and again was a pain in the arse.

[amnesiac_3]

The field spread was fine, it just needed a field 3 times the size.

Really? Personally I didn't think so. The front couple of cars well and truly out-powered the rest of the field. "Spread" seems to imply similar cars with different pace, but what I'm replying to is certain cars in a different class to the rest of the field.

[Meers]

That's what I meant; I prefer functionality over form too, and indeed, RP's menus are straightforward, but they could look a bit better.

FM3 needs a better shortcut menu system indeed; FM2 had too many presses.

[amnesiac_3]

Even Forza 2 requires too many button presses and analogue shifts before you can get going

I agree entirely. There's nothing inherently wrong with the Forza 2 interface, but it was a maze of button pressing to accomplish simple tasks at times. It was hardly intuitive.

Race Pro, on the other hand, has less going on with respect to complexity of options and therefore accommodates a simpler interface.

[Dudley]

Really? Personally I didn't think so. The front couple of cars well and truly out-powered the rest of the field. "Spread" seems to imply similar cars with different pace, but what I'm replying to is certain cars in a different class to the rest of the field.

It'd be ok if 1/4 of the cars raced off if there were 24 cars not 8, because you'd have a full 6 racing off, yet the crapper people would still have a decent number to race.

Is what I meant

[Dimahoo]

The new races should be good. Can't wait for some point and point and drift.

Not sure if drift will be everyone at once and how it'll score - everyone at once would stop people scoring unless you go in some timed chain.

[Sigourney Beaver]

Excuse the prequel talk but thanks to this thread I've started FM2 career mode again tonight on my new 360 (got up to about level 35 ish on my old 360.) I'm going for the hardest difficulty and only the digital dash on-screen and I'm loving it. I went for the Honda CR-X SiR to start with and I'm doing as much as I can with it before either buying a new car or tuning a prize car to enter other events. I'm surprised how far I've got without needing to do any engine upgrades.

There's not a lot to fix in the game really. The lighting could be beter and the menu system is indeed begging for a button to take you straight back to the main screen but all it needs is some new tracks and race types. Oh, what about a rally mode?

[Meers]

I'd love a rally mode! Anything BUT a drift mode, really. I detest drifting - it's not racing, it's willy-waving!

[bradigor]

Think it is Joe who mentioned it as a standalone game last night....but an A1 GP Mode to cover open wheel racers would be a dream.

[Philly]

A replay mode where there isn't a massive race results block right in the middle of the screen obscuring all the lovely paint jobs. That's what i want. Bit of a bizarre choice in the first place taht one. Or a nice spinning model of the car that won next to the race results too.

All that work on the amazing decal system, and we never really got a good look at other peoples cars other than the photo mode.

[supert3d]

I've just got back into Forza 2 and honestly, I'm not sure how much it could be bettered within the current generational limits. One criticism I do have though is that the replays are incredibly 'zoomy' meaning that they are quite uncomfortable to watch. I'd prefer a static panning camera in forza3.

[Meers]

I've just got back into Forza 2 and honestly, I'm not sure how much it could be bettered within the current generational limits. One criticism I do have though is that the replays are incredibly 'zoomy' meaning that they are quite uncomfortable to watch. I'd prefer a static panning camera in forza3.

Too right. The best replay mode I've seen in recent gaming years is that of the Gran Turismo series. It even zooms out intelligently to keep a group of cars in one global shot.

[McSpeed]

Think it is Joe who mentioned it as a standalone game last night....but an A1 GP Mode to cover open wheel racers would be a dream.

It was Meerman who mentioned it first, but indeed. There should be open wheel racers in FM3, it's a rather different way of racing really.

Too right. The best replay mode I've seen in recent gaming years is that of the Gran Turismo series. It even zooms out intelligently to keep a group of cars in one global shot.

Though there's a lot of slowdown in the replay mode of GT5 Prologue - I certainly wouldn't like that in Forza 3. Instead, give me a replay mode like the one in PGR4, with a good set of dynamic camera's.

[smint]

When I attempt to play online, other than with people on here in specially-"manufactured" single marque series, I tend to find I'm racing with eight people in eight different cars. Seven of these cars (those being driven by everyone else) are about twice as powerful as the eightth (mine), despite me selecting what I believe is the best car I have that conforms to the regulations. I may be missing something, but I can't see a way of electing only to race in equivalent (preferably identical) machinery? I'm not even sure it's possible to set up a race where everyone has the same car, right down to tuning?

If I'm right about this, then I want it sorted in FM3, please. If I'm wrong, please tell me what I should be doing!

[Wilbo]

Crashes should have much more serious consequences, so more damage would be nice - including effects, e.g. bump causes loss of rear wing, meaning much less downforce.

Also, does Forza 3 have to feel so understeery!? Please gawd either less races or less laps per series in single player.

[Sekiro]

A more accurate recreation of the 'ring, better dynamics all round and a proper sim mode would be nice.

[supert3d]

Just thought of something else, when you graze the wall and it almost automatically turns you into the wall, that's really infuriating.

As just mentioned, better crash damage would be great because at the moment it's rather cosmetic rather than catastrophic. Does anyone remember the first videos of the XBOX360's power and they had a car driving full speed into a solid wall? That please.

I can imagine the car manufacturers wouldn't be too pleased seeing their cars being flattened.

[bradigor]

Whoa there on the crash physics. Even a slight bit of damage on your car on a 50 lapper of Sunset Infield will see your race effectively ended as you lose maximum speed. Same on The 'Ring or any track that sees you spend time at top speed.

It may not look as pretty as GRID, but it certainly affects your race.

Crashes should have much more serious consequences, so more damage would be nice - including effects, e.g. bump causes loss of rear wing, meaning much less downforce.

Also, does Forza 3 have to feel so understeery!? Please gawd either less races or less laps per series in single player.

Less laps? Really? I would prefer more laps. I want the endurance races to be exactly that. 10 Lap races should be the minimum in my opinion.

Also, does Forza 3 have to feel so understeery!?

Couldn't tell you. I haven't played it yet