Last week’s Tweak It clearly indicated that Xboxers are still in a minority around here. Either that or most of you think the Xbox 360’s NXE is brilliant and doesn’t need changing. Fortunately there were a number of you who did have some tweaks. Here are the edited highlights:
- Remove the adverts. Predictably this was the most popular suggestion given the 360’s more prominent advertising on the primary level of the NXE through the Spotlight and three Marketplace ‘channels’.
- Allow copying of music and video files to the 360’s HDD. Given the 360’s superior custom soundtracks option the ability to drop all or part of your existing music library on it sure would be useful. ~ Mason_Mk, FPS_Rockstar, OneShotWook
- Remember where you were when you switch ‘channels’. One of my pet hates. “If you accidentally press up or down and get to another row, which happens quite often with the 360 dpad, then you have to scroll over to the option you want again as it always resets to the far left option” ~ hazelam
This week we are asking you how you would tweak Polyphony Digital’s self-proclaimed “real driving simulator”, Gran Turismo 5. This isn’t the first time I’ve turned a critical eye on GT5. Last December, almost a month after launch, I contrasted what I perceived as being the good and bad about it, asking whether it was sublime or ridiculous.
Since then two of the five fixes I wanted have been made during the many updates the game has received. Those updates have brought many other changes such as adding Seasonal Events and improving the AI. There are always more improvements that could be made though. With three of my earlier ones still outstanding I am still going to add a couple more to kick off this week’s Tweak It discussion:
- An option to display corner names for real-world tracks all the time, not just when you are playing certain Special Events.
- An option to run the rendering engine, during races, in 720p mode, using the extra resources made available to improve shadow and alpha resolution and reduce the horrific screen-tear. Then scale it and slap the 1080p H.U.D. back on it. I think that would result in a better looking game and improve the experience.
In the eight months since the game’s release many of you should have been able to spend a good deal of quality time with it. How would you tweak Gran Turismo 5?
The Lone Steven
Allow the player to carjack other players. What? I want to drag Teffers out of his car and steal his car. :-p
Make it more enjoyable. I have seen the gameplay videos and it looks a tad bit boring imo. Aside from the racing and driving element that is.
yogdog
That’s, erm, the main part of it, the racing and driving element? :)
freezebug2
Add bikes :P
Mid race saves…although this is on the cards and being worked on, a big stumbling block is the saved replays which would have to be output into split scenes I would imagine due to their potential size.
Revamp the track editor as it is pretty simplistic and limited, I was hoping to be able to create tracks and not just manipulate the couple that they give you to play with.
The game for me though is pretty complete and close to what I’d waited all those years for but obviously a few tweaks here and there as people have mentioned would be welcome :)
ron_mcphatty
I think, like you said, shadows is a serious cock up. The rest of the game just looks so slick, boring old non-dynamic shadows for the day races would have kept the polished look. Oh and some randomness in the trees would have been nice instead of the copy and paste job with them all facing the same way. Other than that great game :)
cc_star
The 3 reasonably priced cars from Top Gear, shocking ommision. Probably never see it now thanks to their longer terms & more in depth agreement with Forza.
Standard to premium upgrade for all cars
Mid-race saves
Patch to fix awful shadows, spray & snow each of these looks like I drew them, failing that a resolution downgrade, fix the issues & an upscale like mentioned in the article
The option to install the whole game to HDD
Reduce the load times, the above point will help but load times are still way too long
cc_star
A whole new menu system, it’s terrible.
An actual track creator/editor as opposed to a generator & the ability to share & download these creations.
Different gamemodes (see Forza)
A more joined up community
Livery
An arcade-y arcade mode, where the stupendous graphics and physics play home to a bit more fun oversteer handling again with more game modes
AJ
Make it FUN and more customizable. Especially in the multiplayer aspect. Along with Call of Duty, GT5 is the game that my friends and I play the most. It sure does get boring just racing (which I suck at), drag racing (which is honour based [see: unreliable]), tag with Fiat 500s on a dirt track (which is a BLAST the first time but is also honour based).
I think GT5’s BIGGEST downfall really is the standard cars. With over two thirds of the cars being standard, they’re the ones you will easily end up driving because of the much wider range from the somewhat newer premium cars.
One of my most used features withing the game is the Photo Mode. Seriously, check it out:(http://www.flickr.com/photos/62229868@N03/sets/72157627343577470/with/6003287517/) <– And those are only my favorite. I have well over 1,000 pictures saved on my HDD. Anyways, the thing I HATE is that I can't take good pictures of the standard model cars. The edges of headlights and windows look like they're made from Lego blocks. It's disgusting. Also, the disgusting jagged edges when taking action shots of a car with either smoke or water "rooster-tailing" behind it. I mean come on. If they spent SIX YEARS (or was it more…?) developing the game, it should be graphically perfect.
There are lots of other little things, but I think the FUN FACTOR and the BEAUTY of the game can really be touched on.
AJ
Oh my God and yes, a Livery. I would LOVE to design my own cars. Even if it’s just stripes.
Baxteros
I can’t add much more to this, you guys have covered most of my wants. What I really wanted that I don’t think you’ve mentioned is the ability to set up clans or car clubs, and online leaderboards. Unfortunately due to GT5 not living up to my expectations after waiting so long I’ve become somewhat dismayed with the racing scene. It was like someone burst my balloon when it first came out and the subsequent patches have not fixed the hole that made it explode. Would have loved to have been part of a TSA clan where we’d be ranked for our cumulative online performances and had a collective garage of cars we could share like a massive race team. But alas it seems we may have to wait another ten years for GT6 to see such advancements. Soney I don’t care about 1080p++ double anti quintux antiaaliasing to sell your 5D TVs I want a community racing simulation. And a better rendition of Jeff Gordon, not Jeff Tracy.
Deathbrin
Forza?
hazelam
the only thing i can think of is having a mode that’s a bit more forgiving for less technically skilled drivers.
i’d like to see a game where i don’t need to know the exact braking point for each corner and the precise point to get back on the throttle.
because i don’t want to study the tracks in enough details to learn all that stuff.
i want to have fun racing expensive cars.
i know the game is marketed as “the real driving simulator” but i don’t see that making it more accessible would be a bad thing for the series.
polyphony digital should be aiming to get as many people playing their game as they can, not making some something that only appeals to the most dedicated motorheads.
they should be bringing these less hardcore players into the fold rather than taking some “this game isn’t for you” elitist attitude, not that i really believe that’s the way anybody at PD really thinks.
considering how long they take to make these games and how much they must cost, expanding the fanbase is a must i think.
in short i’m saying, these are games, bring back the fun.
Deathbrin
Well, you don’t venture into sims then? :) Both PS3 and GT are positioned as “luxury items” really.
Deathbrin
Besides, GT5 is really accessible and there’s lots of opportunities to learn and improve your skills. I mean, have you even tried the expert modes?
hazelam
i haven’t played gt5 yet, so maybe they’ve made it more accessible for that version, in which case, well, great.
but i have played most of the other games in the series, and in previous versions accessibility wasn’t exactly a key feature.
Deathbrin
But it’s perfect… right?
Zephyre
Dump the used car dealership and make every car available to buy in the showroom. If you want some level of exclusivity, then make it so that you can’t buy any car that’s awarded as a prize for completing an event.
Stop awarding duplicate prizes in A/B spec modes.
Work on B Spec intelligence – if I have to watch my B Spec driver crash into the chicane at Monza EVERY lap once more I’ll kill someone
Zephyre
And by Monza I meant Monaco of course
DR-DAVROS
Or in GT5 case – Côte d’Azur
Not tried B spec much must try the remote race at some point.
e8
Ability to fast forward & rewind replays.