Whats great about gt4?

[tom deloford]

Hi

I have just got gt4 and I am having trouble getting into it. I bought a civic and did about 5 races. I havent played it since! I realise this game is huge, but its just a bit boring.I loved gt2 and 3. Has anyone got any ideas, whats the best route to get decent cars without all the banal civic driving!

The first thing is the graphics, I am used to pc gfx now and although the lighting effects are nice in gt4, the tiny resolution looks horrible on a pc monitor. Secondly, its so easy to cheat, you just charge into corners at full speed and smack into either a wall or another car because there is no proper damage model! How could they leave that in the game. Criminal. The driving model isn't a patch on gtr racing and neither are the graphics. Also what happened to the bonnet view!

Im sure the game gets better as you get into it but it seems its just not fun anymore.

[midzt]

To get some money I did the second race in the Special Conditions bit of the map. You win a car and you can get about 270,000 grand from it. That what I did anyway. I then bought a Mine's Skyline which is an alright car that can win a few races.

I'm kinda stuck atm tho.

Yeh it a shame that you can just cut corners tho. I was used F1 2004 on the PS2 where you actually get a penatly for cutting across the grass etc.

Saying that, I still love the game and it is quite addictive, although atm it's annoying cos I can't seem to win the Tuning Champioinship thing (can't remember what its called, the second set of races under Professional)

[Bunjiweb]

found it really boring once i played into it a bit.... GT4 would get a very average review from me...

Ben

[tom deloford]

Thanks midzt, Ill try it out.

[Merlin4458]

what platforms is this game out for? Is there anyway i can play it on my pc )

[nvening]

ps2 only

[Swafe]

After you get rolling the money soon builds up and you can buy whatever you like, I just won a car I can sell for 360k ! So must be worth a couple of mill new

[Auran]

A few of things;

Whilst you can still use the corner trick in the standard races - there are a couple of places where you can't

(1) Special conditions
(2) Missions (This get you decent cars, 1 every 10 missions)

In both of these you get a 5 second penalty wher you can't do more than 3000rpm in 2nd. So it pays to drive nice - of course in the special conditions race the other car tries to ram you off the road !!

It looks MUCH better on a TV than on a monitor, trust me

Press select to change the views - there is one with a bonnet

Turn off the traction controls etc. then you'll see how good the physics are ;-) you can also go faster if you know what your doing :-)

I'm 75% of the way through the Nurnberg Ring 24hrs at the moment - my PS2 hasn't been turned off for three days now - EEK!!!

[tom deloford]

Press select to change the views - there is one with a bonnet

I thought it was the roof?

Turn off the traction controls etc. then you'll see how good the physics are ;-) you can also go faster if you know what your doing :-)

Personally I dont think the physics are great, maybe I am spoled by GTR Racing which is simply awesome. (Especially the head movement, I always drive incar with look to apex and gforce simulation on, amazing!!) I am also thinking of getting TrackIR which this game supports. I think with the harware available GT4 is probably as good as it gets, cant wait for ps3 and hdtv!

[chriswood_7]

IMO whats the point in buying GT4 if your a PURE sim fan? I think we should set something straight.

Pepople who own a PS2 just want something a bit fun, something to play thats quite addictive (the GTA series always do well) and they dont want excessive realism. Thats left to us guys with PC sims, plus the makers of GT4 would not make as much money if it was too real, it wud just be boring for the non sim fans of us. I really think that GTR is the best sim available, but yes it is just that. Its a pure sim through and through... not winning races to buy other cars.

Go ask any average PS2 player.... ask them if they want a GT4 game which forgives the odd mistake, and you work your way through the game to get to the pinnacle and own all the cars tracks and god knows what else.

Or ask them if they want a game that if you go into the corner a few mph too quick ur into the barrier, game over, next race please. Oh and also using a PS2 control pad which is utter shi*e.

I bet 95% of people will just wanna race, win cars, win money etc... I know which i prefer, but i just get a bit sick of people comparing GT4 and GTR. They are two totally different racing games, GT4 is much much larger.. and there is more satisfaction when saving up for an induction kit to put on your 1.2L Lupo and noticing the difference, rather than trying the 550 Maranello or the Lotus in GTR.

Thats just my opinion guys

[Auran]

I'm with Chriswood on this one, and will add / say the following;

1. Realism is one thing i.e. being able to force look etc. but don't get that mixed up with realism in terms of physics of motion. The cars on GT4 handle pretty much like real cars. Yes the systems to dampen out handling and braking reduce the realism, but you can turn them off If you want to see how real it gets, try driving a Speed 12 around in the wet

2. The real point of the GT series is the scope of what you can do, in terms of the type of tracks / cars / conditions / tuning. There is no other game that lets you do all of this, and slowly work through it, such that you get a real sense of acheivement once you get that car you've been after etc.

3. Yes there is no damage - but as I said before the missions and special conditions have 5 second penalties for hiting walls / opponents a bit hard. This is far more of a penalty than just denting your wing etc. and they cheat by ramming you into the wall to ensure you incur the penalty

I will admit though, it has started to warp my head a bit (excuse the pun) - having done the 24hrs Nurnberg Ring Endurance Ring I've started seeing the track in my dreams with the background music playing as well.....

[nvening]

well i just ordered

[autopilot]

The cars on GT4 handle pretty much like real cars.

I really have to strongly disagree with that point. I pretty much agree with the rest of your post, but that to me is one of the things that put me right off the GT games. I have experience of real track racing. I have taken part in the Renaut challange and driven a Golf GTI on Outon park. My dad used to rally and I have been pasenger in a Mark One Escort down fire tracks in Hafron forest at 100+ MPH (i really did crap it).
I'm not saying the GT games are the worst, they are some of the best in some ways, but no game has nailed it quite yet. GTR and Richard Burns Rally are the closest i have come arcross and its not just about damage modeling. However, it has to be the bouncing off the walls that really put me off. Not exciting for me. It does not seem like a challange and I just don't get the 'fear' you get when your are pushing your car to the absolute limit and right on the edge of complete dissaster as you cane it around a bend. Thats what does it for me. You could make your best time ever or you could trash you car completely in an instant - I could not care if I was driving a yellow 258 Bonzongo 4 litre V8 turbo special edition with modded rear spoilers and custom dampers. Anyway, handling is just part of the driving experience. I sound like a driving SIM zealot, sorry buts that just what i like

But any game experience is subjective and GT4 is exactly what some people want. It's a console game and I don't think it would be quite as well recieved on the PC. We generally want different things for differnet reasons. GT does what it says on the tin, and does it well. But loads of options/cars does not make a game less shallow for me. For me it's a shallow game in many respects, but there is nothing wrong with that as obviously thats what some people want. I don't dismiss it, but I will never bother with them again. It's just not for me.

Just don't get me started on Need for Speed though, car porn for chavs...

[Auran]

I accept your point about banging into the walls, but when it actually comes down to how the cars respond to your input, e.g. steering. Then how they react is pretty realistic. Plus every car reacts differently, so you have to learn all their little quirks

I also accept your point about 'fear', but I've never found any game that instilled fear in me, exhilleration maybe. Fear is being a passenger in a Porsche GT2 with your mate driving (who's a semi-pro racing driver), coming into roundabouts at over a ton and then he just brakes sticks the back end out, powersliding it all the way round, finally booting it out again in a big powerweave

Where it does really well is in simulating differential grip across the car. For example on one of the "special conditions" races you have to go across a wooden bridge in a set of bends set up as a type of chicane. Either side of the bridge is hard earth with loose gravel on top. As soon as your front tyres touch the bridge you can feel the sudden change in grip in terms of the way the car handles. One of my mates that has a GT Force pro, has said that it gives you a serious jolt as you go from low to high traction.

Still your right about PC bods wanting different things to PS2 junkies, and in part thats down to the different control systems. FPS on consoles are a bitch to play compared to PC's with mouse look !!

Finally, yes Need for Speed is a bit like Car Porn - but the drag racing is fun and certainly challenging, especially on the hardest settings.