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If you play one computer game this year.....

2K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  DougPadgett 
#1 ·
Hi, didn't quite know if this was the right forum, its also quite a long post, it will take a couple of minutes to read so if you can't be bothered I'll sum it up in a paragraph:

New racing game coming out this summer on xbox 360 which is a proper racing simulation, taken to extremes, basically much time and effort has been spent trying to make the perfect racing simulation, its not out yet but when it comes out its definitely worth a rent just to see if its like driving in real life, especially as the only saab they have in the game isn't the 2007 93 model, its the 98-2002 93 :cheesy:

Forza 2 is designed to be assessable to anyone who likes cars, not just those who like computer games.



Long version:
I'm quite into computer games and forza motorsport on the xbox was/is one of the best driving simulators availible, especially the fact that you could drive a 1999 viggen, forza motorsport 2 is nearly out and its a game that the more you read about the more you want to try it for yourself, you can spend just as long customising the car (both cosmetically and more importantly performance wise) as you can racing in the game.

ie you can get a stock saab in the game, mod it with real world mods and properly do it in stages, ie you want to turn a stock 93 aero into a stage 5 450 horse power monster and take on performance cars then you can, and every mod is a real world modification from real company's.

combined with the force feedback steering wheel and pedals it could theoretically help you set better times/ get to know the tracks and lines better for real life, unfortunately the only track in the uk in the game is silverstone, though there's a few circuits in europe including nurburgring.


Some quotes from gaming press:


the most obvious area where Forza 2 excels is in its physics model. Indeed, in the bid to scale next-generation heights of simulation accuracy, the team put in three months on the tyre system alone. That's the amount of time it took to accurately model the effects of pressure, wear and heat (on the inside and outside of the tyre), as well as looking into load sensitivity - which is, apparently, the efficiency of the tyre under an increasing load. It's not something you'd usually expect in a motor racing videogame, and it required the use of proprietary real-world data from the likes of Yokohama, Toyo, Michelin and Bridgestone.

All of the tracks have also had a suitably next-gen, high-definition makeover, with the development team using GPS and aerial satellite data and some 3,000 photos to recreate each track. They even recorded air pressure and temperature to make sure their simulation will be rigorously accurate. But the fruits of these labours are best illustrated in some of the new tracks, like Sebring, which is an ex-airfield constructed out of mismatched slabs of concrete. In the real world, this surface puts considerable stress on a car (and a driver's kidneys, apparently). And in the game, too, thanks to an underlying physics model that runs its calculations at 360 per second (in contrast with most other racing games: they employ a model that runs at 60 per second, which wouldn't pick up the closely-spaced bumps at high speeds).

The physics also get a workout if you crash. Bowing to pressure from fans of the original game, Forza 2 will, unlike the original, feature full simulation damage - so if you drive into a wall, the chances are you won't be driving anywhere afterwards. And the game's AI Drivatar system has also been improved, with other drivers exhibiting a more pronounced sense of personality (and the top driver, M. Rossi, regularly frustrating testers with his check-braking, bumping, blocking and just general skulduggery).

What all this advanced physics modelling means is that there is plenty of opportunity to play around with real-world cars in ways they weren't meant to be played with. "What this game is in many ways is a motor sports sandbox where you can go and play with things and trust that we've done the math, that we've done the research to say this is really possible," says Greenawalt. Which leads, of course, into playing with the game's performance upgrade options.

As Greenawalt puts it, "your first car is kind of like your first love." And so while Forza 2 will obviously include plenty of scope for the automotive equivalent of getting off with a superhot model, there's also plenty of scope for a more long-term romance if you're looking for personality. Which is a laboured way of saying that the cars in the game range from the likes of the Honda Civic Type-R to custom-built race cars. And while most motor racing games these days allow you to customise your vehicle to some extent, what sets Forza 2 apart is the scale and range of its upgrade options. In the original Forza there were 20 different types of upgrades, each with their own sub-categories. Forza 2, however, boasts 50 per cent more, including ten different types of upgrade devoted to the engine alone.

Greenawalt proceeded to demonstrate these upgrades by taking the aforementioned Honda Civic Type-R and adding a new intake to push it from class D to C, before adding cams and valves to push it into class B, the natural habitat of the likes of the Audi RS 4. "If you had a Honda Civic Type R and you were to weight-reduce it down to say 900kilos and put it up to 600 horsepower with racing slicks for the downforce, it should be able to compete against Enzos and things like that," he says. And of course you can do all that because they've done the math. Or maths, as we like to call it over here.

One upshot of this extensive upgrade system is that it will turn gamers into car lovers by educating them about different aspects of car design ("What does a conical air filter do?" asks Greenawalt. "Provides isolation from hot air to improve engine performance," says the Internet). Sunday drivers/mere mortals will also be helped out by a full complement of driving assists, from a visible racing line, through ABS to being....
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=75989


Giving the game to two professional racing drivers with the actual track and identical cars to what their racing in real life on the same day, there views:
http://forzamotorsport.net/news/pitpassreports/pitpass38.htm
On average, it took the drivers about two laps to nail the feel of the game and dial into both the physics and the handling of the wheel/pedals. It was fascinating to see their learning process happen in real-time in front of my eyes. The impressive thing to note was that none of the Risi drivers battled the game in order to tame a familiar and simulated, yet ultimately different reality with their #62 Ferrari on Sebring.

Two laps to reprogram their training to the weight and feel of the Xbox 360 Force Feedback Wheel and its much-lighter gas and brake pedals. Still, all three drivers were able to recover quickly from slippage and oversteer, as well as hit their lines with regularity. By all accounts, these drivers, who likely never play videogames, were clocking in very competitive times in their GT2 car.

Soon, Melo and Salo began a friendly bout of smack-talking, taking turns on the simulator, chasing each other's ghost on the track, and lopping off seconds with every other go. After about 3 laps each, they were shaving laptimes down to the 2:03 to 2:04 mark. At one point, Mika Salo turns to me and asks, "Do you guys have (the circuit) Long Beach in this game? I've never driven it before and I need to learn it for the next race." Although I had to explain that Forza Motorsport 2 was not a dedicated ALMS game, it felt great to have Mika Salo tell you that Forza Motorsport 2 and the triple-screen setup is something he would purchase to practice for races.
I don't work or have any affiliation with this game, I just loved the first one, and this one promises to be more of the same, its an enjoyable use of time when stuck inside in front of the tv.
 
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#2 ·
not sure if it is the right forum but i agree i like the fact that saab, volvo, and other less noticed brands are actually in a racing game... the game looks good but im not about to buy an xbox360 for just one game
 
#4 ·
I will be buying this game the day it comes out. I have the force feedback steering wheel an use it on PGR3 and have been waiting patiently for this one for a while.

It also has the car i owned before i purchased my 9-3 a VW MK2 golf

Talk about having a great selection of vehicles.

Lee
 
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