Gran Turismo 5 - Less than 2 months away now

[wco81]

That would mean the courses are generated on the fly rather than modeled and put in the game as data.

Instead the engine is able to create them.

That could mean the courses are random or different each time. Or it could be that textures are procedurally generated so they don't have to put in big art assets and try to move that data each time from the optical or hard disk each time. Detailed graphics can take up a lot of data and it might take too long to load that. Or it could be they can't load enough of that in RAM so they use the CPU to generate them in real time.

[Macca00]

After more time with GT5 I have to say, despite its faults, I'm really diggin' this game. The things that have drawn me to the series in the past - i.e. car collecting (no Skylines, please), reading about the different cars and those great license tests - are all still there and the driving model is fun. I'm not at a far enough 'experience' level in my game to unlock the non-boneheaded AI but even at around level 17 it does seem better than past games and I do like the expanded grid/field.

The load times do get better the more you play the game and it installs more stuff - right now it loads no slower than Forza 3 loads off my 360 harddrive.

I also love the special events like the Kart racing.

I don't think it's a better overall game than Forza 3 but I'm still impressed with how my frustrations have decreased the more I've played the game.


Online is still an absolute cluster-f*** though.....

[Rodster]

I don't think it's a better overall game than Forza 3 but I'm still impressed with how my frustrations have decreased the more I've played the game.

Online is still an absolute cluster-f*** though.....

That's where i'm at also only because I like the Forza series so much. Both racers are equally good but Forza comes across more polished than GT5. Hopefully GT5 will get there at some point. Currently there are things I like about GT5 over Forza 3 and vice versa. Online is a joke and is the reason for both patches. It appears even in offline mode GT5 access the GT5 online servers which has contributed to the congestion. What's funny is listening to the Sony guys saying the traffic congestion was unexpected, Orly? Your flagship title that's been delayed for about 4-5 years and you expected slow sales?

[fanatic]

Hey guys...haven't posted in a while (you're probably thinking, "who's this guy again?") but thought I would share some of my experiences with gt5 so far.

I've never been massive racing fan, but have put in a lot of time with titles like Colin McRae, PGR2, and Rallisport Challenge. Without a 360, I've pretty much held out on buying a racing game for the PS3 (although I did like trying out the first F1 game that came out, but was very disappointed in the arcade slant that the DIRT series has taken).

Made the day one purchase of gt5 and a day later, on a total whim, made the splash for a Logitech Driving Force GT wheel. It's my first wheel, and let me tell you...it's a game changer.

Because rally is one of racing genres I've developed a bit of an interest in over the years, I jumped right into the Swiss (I think) alpine track within the arcade mode. I realized how different this experience was going to be as soon as my wheel started rattling around, as it normally would if you took a dirt road downhill at high speeds. The feeling of truly "being there" was a first for me in home gaming, even more so than when Wii Motion Plus was introduced (joke).

So, even though gt5 has its well-documented flaws, I can't help but not care, when I've been given such a unique experience. If you can find this particular wheel on sale, I would grab one- feels very pro (leather like grip and feels substantial).

[pk500]

The Driving Force GT is an EXCELLENT wheel and easily the best value for money in Logitech's line. It has almost the same wheel internals as the more advanced G25 and G27 wheels. The G25 and G27 have far superior pedals and is made mainly of aluminum, not plastic, but they're also $225/$280 new, as opposed to the $99-$125 price at which you can find the DFGT.

I love my G25, but I received it as a gift. If I was in the market for a quality PC/console racing wheel, my target would be the DFGT.

Fanatic, I know an easy tweak involving a $2 sponge ball that will give you much better braking feel and control with DFGT pedals. I used it on my old Logitech Driving Force Pro, the predecessor of the DFGT.

Reply or DM me if interested.

[GTHobbes]

From Joystiq:

"You didn't really think that work was finished on Gran Turismo 5, did you? Car-obsessed creator Kazunori Yamauchi has been fielding questions from fans on his Twitter feed (translated at GTPlanet), revealing that a variety of fixes are in the works -- but also shedding light on some features we'll probably never see.

Yamauchi confirms that his team at Polyphony Digital is working to implement mechanical -- not just cosmetic -- damage in GT5 sometime in early December. Less time-consuming fixes include nixing the game's odd-looking "blocky" shadows, adding more online functionality (the lounge is mentioned) and possibly offering the option to disable the HUD overlay. Work to support Logitech's G25 and G27 racing wheels in still underway, he adds.

As for what we won't be seeing, it sounds like face-tracking in GT mode and YouTube uploading of replays are out due to memory constraints. We'll also never get a chance to experience the cut "free roam" mode, in which players would have been able to drive around the gameworld, obeying traffic laws and stopping to get out of their cars to explore on foot. We imagine this was referred to internally as the "We Need Another Year of Development Time" mode.

[pk500]

The G25 and G27 aren't supported in the initial retail release? Are you sh*tting me?

[Rodster]

The G25 and G27 aren't supported in the initial retail release? Are you sh*tting me?

Sony axed many unsupported..err third party USB devices with firmware 3.50

[pk500]

The G25 and G27 aren't supported in the initial retail release? Are you sh*tting me?

Sony axed many unsupported..err third party USB devices with firmware 3.50

The DFGT is the officially licensed Gran Turismo wheel, so Sony probably wants to ensure that wheel is the one used with GT. That really pooches those who already have a G25 or G27 and want to play GT5, even if that's probably a small number.

I doubt anyone hardcore enough to shell out between $225-$300 for a gaming steering wheel takes GT5 too seriously, anyways.

[Rodster]

The DFGT is the officially licensed Gran Turismo wheel, so Sony probably wants to ensure that wheel is the one used with GT.

[TCrouch]

The G25 and G27 aren't supported in the initial retail release? Are you sh*tting me?

Sony axed many unsupported..err third party USB devices with firmware 3.50

The DFGT is the officially licensed Gran Turismo wheel, so Sony probably wants to ensure that wheel is the one used with GT. That really pooches those who already have a G25 or G27 and want to play GT5, even if that's probably a small number.

I doubt anyone hardcore enough to shell out between $225-$300 for a gaming steering wheel takes GT5 too seriously, anyways.

The G25 works fine with it. The only thing is the button configuration is a bit strange. The 4 red buttons on the shifter, for example, are L3/Select/Start/R3. The d-pad and "diamond" buttons are the controller's face buttons and it has all of the force effects and everything.

I'm betting what he means by future support would be the shifter itself. It's just sequential--it doesn't use the H-pattern.

[fletcher21]

I have loved GT since the very first one back on PS1. When GT1 came out, it was like winning the lottery for a car guy like me who didn't have the funds to buy a Viper or BMW. I have played all 5 of the games to death. I was underwhelmed at first, but now that I've put in some serious time (level 19 now) I'd have to say this is my all time favorite driving game. The RACING isn't even close to as intense as F12010, but the driving is just sublime. Turning laps in this game just feels so right. I was thinking that Forza was the better game, but now I'd have to give the nod to GT5. There are a lot of things missing in GT5 that Forza had (massive list of custom parts, custom swaps like a v8 into a Civic, drag racing, damage out of the box) but GT5 just feels so right. My good friend has a Z06 in real life and has one in this game. He has a nice wheel/pedal setup and was able to run .5 seconds faster at Laguna Seca than he has in real life, in his real life Z06 (He lives near the track)

Playing this game with the controller is obviously not ideal, but I will never pay big money for a wheel setup. My friend (hardcore gamer) has a wheel, pedals and even a racing seat LOL. I'd have to say I am very pleased with my $60 purchase. Assuming I log 120 hours on this game, that's .50 per hour of entertainment... Even PK can agree, that's a hell of a bargain.

[pk500]

Playing this game with the controller is obviously not ideal, but I will never pay big money for a wheel setup. My friend (hardcore gamer) has a wheel, pedals and even a racing seat LOL. I'd have to say I am very pleased with my $60 purchase. Assuming I log 120 hours on this game, that's .50 per hour of entertainment... Even PK can agree, that's a hell of a bargain.

That is value for money, dude. But I NEVER will drive a racing game without a wheel again after having enjoyed the sublime control and realism of a DFP and G25 in PC sims for the last four years. A quality wheel is worth it if you're really into racing games.

[dbdynsty25]

I'm pretty much in agreement with fletch about the driving aspect. It really is a fantastic DRIVING game. The rest is just ehhh...mediocre. The online portion is a travesty, the menus and menu design is atrocious and overall it just isn't very polished overall. It just seems poorly thought out overall...but whatever. I usually don't notice that stuff unless it's especially bad (think 2k series bad when it comes to menus)...but it hasn't really killed the enjoyment. The loading times are trying VERY hard to do that by themselves.

[toonarmy]

Honestly, this is the smoothest racing game I have played on a console when it comes to the control. Everything feels so right. I also like the sense of speed. I do not know if the silky framerate has much to do with it, but I get a better sense of speed in GT5 than in FM3 and RacePro. The DS3 is still working out really well for me. Looks like the HKS won't be released until next week, or I would have already tried it out as well.

As for using a wheel, I got the MS wheel and liked it, however my problem is how uncomfortable it is to race for a long period of time without a good setup. I would love to have a Race Seat, but do not want to pay that much and I have limited space for storage in the area where I game (No desire to get one of those PVC or couch-based setups). I don't see how gamers who just clamp the wheel to a table and put the pedals on the floor can stand to race for long periods of time without their feet and legs feeling like crap.

[Rodster]

I still find sense of speed pretty poor in GT5, 90mph still feels like 40mph but the gameplay is pretty smooth at 60fps until screen-tear rears it's ugly head.

[fanatic]

As for using a wheel, I got the MS wheel and liked it, however my problem is how uncomfortable it is to race for a long period of time without a good setup. I would love to have a Race Seat, but do not want to pay that much and I have limited space for storage in the area where I game (No desire to get one of those PVC or couch-based setups). I don't see how gamers who just clamp the wheel to a table and put the pedals on the floor can stand to race for long periods of time without their feet and legs feeling like crap.

I've been trying to figure out a setup as well, and am thinking about getting this table from Ikea (Canadian $24.99):

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/70176519

I did a search and found someone's impressions who said it worked well for his wheel - so worth a shot maybe.

[10spro]

I played the game for the first time in 3D today. Beautiful. Was a position short of getting my A license, gotta keep trying. I understand when you bump into the opponent and they disqualify you but you also have to start all over when the AI does that to you.

[GTHobbes]

I played the game for the first time in 3D today. Beautiful. Was a position short of getting my A license, gotta keep trying. I understand when you bump into the opponent and they disqualify you but you also have to start all over when the AI does that to you.

Glad someone's had a chance to see the 3D. Look forward to hearing more impressions.

[10spro]

I played the game for the first time in 3D today. Beautiful. Was a position short of getting my A license, gotta keep trying. I understand when you bump into the opponent and they disqualify you but you also have to start all over when the AI does that to you.

Glad someone's had a chance to see the 3D. Look forward to hearing more impressions.

In general, the 3D effect works very well in GT5. It's not like you'll be able to use it to judge distances and try to shave some milliseconds from tight corners, but it does enhance the experience in a subtle way. I wouldn't play continuously the game in 3D as your vision may go crazy after awhile, but playing it from the cockpit view was a blast especially the narrow track of Nurburgring.

[dbdynsty25]

This is exactly what I was talking about a few posts up...Ars complains about the menus being distracting and I completely agree.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010 ... mpaign=rss

[XXXIV]

I never thought I'd enjoy it, but I kinda like the B-Spec stuff. I haven't watched any replays of my own races so far, but it's kinda cool watching a "live replay" of sorts in the B-Spec mode and crap. It's not exactly edge-of-your-seat gaming, but it's a nice diversion.

After more time with GT5 I have to say, despite its faults, I'm really diggin' this game. The things that have drawn me to the series in the past - i.e. car collecting (no Skylines, please), reading about the different cars and those great license tests - are all still there and the driving model is fun..

This is what I have been waiting on before buying. One video game racing expert and one doctor...Im almost set to buy.

One question for Macca. That is if, as I assume, you are using the controller...I dont plan on buying a wheel. How does the throttle handle using the dual shock as opposed to a 360 controller? Will I want to throw my controller through my lcd ?

[XXXIV]

oops!!!

Edited in the wrong place....

The same question from previous post applies to anyone else who races on both systems without a wheel.

[toonarmy]

I know these have been posted on this forum before, but I cannot recommend enough these 4.99 triggers that easily snap onto the DS3 lower triggers:

http://www.amazon.com/PS3-Dual-Triggers ... 525&sr=8-1

I actually like the comfort and feel of the DS3 over the 360 controller for racing games with these badboys snapped into place. I am finding the gas/break control to be sublime with the DS3.

[XXXIV]

I know these have been posted on this forum before, but I cannot recommend enough these 4.99 triggers that easily snap onto the DS3 lower triggers:

http://www.amazon.com/PS3-Dual-Triggers ... 525&sr=8-1

I actually like the comfort and feel of the DS3 over the 360 controller for racing games with these badboys snapped into place. I am finding the gas/break control to be sublime with the DS3.

Thanks for the quick answer....

I already own those lil guys. I did have F1