*Official* Gran Turismo 5 Thread - One thread to rule them all

[Abel007]

I need 1 more gold trophy for the first license test. The long right hand sweeper after the downhill straight. I think the gold time is 14.000 flat and I am at 14.069 or something close. Seems to happen very often. They really did a good job at making the gold trophies a tad challenging for me at least. I am using a controller so hope that isn't killing my times too much.

Best car in garage: Civic Type R sedan. I know. I know. It's awesome.

 

[blurredvision]

I need 1 more gold trophy for the first license test. The long right hand sweeper after the downhill straight. I think the gold time is 14.000 flat and I am at 14.069 or something close. Seems to happen very often. They really did a good job at making the gold trophies a tad challenging for me at least. I am using a controller so hope that isn't killing my times too much.

I've found the license tests to vary greatly in difficulty. Some give you no room for error whatsoever while others seem very easy to get on the first or second try. I have 4 golds through the first 30 tests and those were gotten either on the first or second try.

My goal for licenses is to eventually get silver on everything I can, then I'll be happy. I'm not good enough to realistically vie for a gold every time, so I'm not going to bang my head against a wall trying for it unless I'm hitting times extremely close to the gold.

 

[RedRooster]

I drive manual tranny in real life and hate it in a racing game.

Agreed. The next innovation should be force feedback shifter on all these high end wheels. That would be cool.

 

[warcrow]

I played some more over the holiday weekend and have some more thoughts about GT5 for discussion:

- I love it when this game hits it's graphical stride. There are some times where I'm almost stunned at the level of graphical fidelity they managed to achieve. Technically it's impressive that it runs as smoothly as it does--especially at 1080P--but as someone who enjoyed arcade racers much more, I admit the lack of flare makes it appear a bit too "flat" at times. I understand that's the point of a Gran Turismo/simulation game, but I'm just saying my brain is wired to enjoy arcadey graphical pizazz more than this and I still find it gorgeous (at times). I know it might not appear so, I'm actually trying to compliment the game here.

I do have to admit that--and I know it's nitpicking, but I feel it's totally reasonable with GT5 since it's such a high profile title--at times I've wondered what Polyphony could have achieved if they bumped the resolution down to 720P. Perhaps less aliasing on shadows (it's bad, can we all admit that)? Better post-processing effects? A more solid 60 frames? To me the benefits for "a-bullet-point" 1080P is marginal over 720P. It seems the required processing power between the two is pretty large. I guess what I'm getting to is this: 1080P is a waste of time for GT5.

- If you do not own a car that fits the requirements of a race, finding something appropriate is too laborious. Last night I was trying to play the Lightweight Cup and none of the cars I own fit the bill. So a windows pops up with a lengthy list of all the applicable cars in the game, and I'm thinking "what am I supposed to do with this list? Write it all down? Why can't the game dump my into the new/used car lot with these cars available to pick from? I mean, this is the best they could come up with? I just found it unnecessarily tedious.

- Cart racing is a lot of fun! In fact the Special Events section is, so far, my favorite part of the game. Even though I use to own a 1970 VW bus (I was a totally hippy in a previous life), the Top Gear races have been the most frustrating races in the game for me. I understand the point of it all, so I've realized that I lack the skill or patience (or both) and have accepted the bronze medal mentally as a gold.

- Uncanny valley Jeff Gordon in creepy.

- Menus are still too slow to navigate. Not a new complaint, but worth mentioning.

- My absolute favorite feature in NFS Hot Pursuit is the "autolog" (a tracker of your race times vs your friends times, very easily presented to you before and after a race) and how well it's integrated into the game. GT5 doesn’t even have leaderboards, at least as far as I can tell. It feels like a massively overlooked feature, and I still find myself looking around for my PSN buddies scores after a race for comparison.

- Car damage being a progressive unlockable is a bad idea.

Lastly, I know it's going to sound like I'm trolling with this question but I swear I'm not: Do all the cars in the game sound like plastic boats when they bump into one another? You know the "bunk-bomp" sound? I'm hoping it's just limited to the Ford Taurus.

 

[Imported]

Totally agree with you on the cart racing. Its fun as hell.

The Top Gear events piss me off to no end.. I tried for about an hour on the bus one and promptly gave up.. only to curse even more at the Lotus one. I spun out on the first turn 7 times in a row.. :twisted:

I also miss what you call the "autolog". NFS:Shift had something similar to what you describe.

 

[Chapbass]

Yeah, the special events definitely can get you some solid cash. I'm up to level 15, main cars are my g35 for the early/early-mid races, my 62 buick special for just about anything (won it off the classic car cup all golds, 580 hp modded to 846), and now the veyron I just got. Also have a fully modded out Aston Martin DB9, since looks wise I think its my favorite car ever, but honestly its not that good of a performer.

Got about 500k in the bank, lookin at getting a higher end lambo or ferrari, but we'll see, since the veyron seems like it might be better, until i can get a lambo/ferrari on used cars just to do the specific races for them.

Kart racing is interesting...beginner ones were pretty fun, intermediate ones are just frustrating because it seems like all the carts really bunch up...maybe I've gotta try it some more.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

I use to own a 1970 VW bus (I was a totally hippy in a previous life), the Top Gear races have been the most frustrating races in the game for me. I understand the point of it all, so I've realized that I lack the skill or patience (or both) and have accepted the bronze medal mentally as a gold.

because of the Top Gear challenge, I will never buy a VW minivan. it's so effing slow, stupid POS can't even accelerate to 60mph in half a minute, with a rolling start.
it took me nearly half an hour to get gold.

dozens of times i was right there only to get disqualified by a collision or going off track, or being spun out by the guy behind me fighting for position.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Yeah, the special events definitely can get you some solid cash. I'm up to level 15, main cars are my g35 for the early/early-mid races, my 62 buick special for just about anything (won it off the classic car cup all golds, 580 hp modded to 846), and now the veyron I just got. Also have a fully modded out Aston Martin DB9, since looks wise I think its my favorite car ever, but honestly its not that good of a performer.

Got about 500k in the bank, lookin at getting a higher end lambo or ferrari, but we'll see, since the veyron seems like it might be better, until i can get a lambo/ferrari on used cars just to do the specific races for them.

Kart racing is interesting...beginner ones were pretty fun, intermediate ones are just frustrating because it seems like all the carts really bunch up...maybe I've gotta try it some more.

kart racing is super fun and easy to place gold for cash.
many of the races, i didn't even have to brake. talk about handling like its on rails.

 

[blurredvision]

I do have to admit that--and I know it's nitpicking, but I feel it's totally reasonable with GT5 since it's such a high profile title--at times I've wondered what Polyphony could have achieved if they bumped the resolution down to 720P. Perhaps less aliasing on shadows (it's bad, can we all admit that)? Better post-processing effects? A more solid 60 frames? To me the benefits for "a-bullet-point" 1080P is marginal over 720P. It seems the required processing power between the two is pretty large. I guess what I'm getting to is this: 1080P is a waste of time for GT5.

For more in-depth discussion on 1080p vs 720p in GT5, check here:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-gran-turismo-5-tech-analysis?page=6

There are differences in how the game is rendered based on which resolution you are racing at. Pretty interesting analysis of the game as a whole. It should shed some light on your thoughts of 720p over 1080p.

- If you do not own a car that fits the requirements of a race, finding something appropriate is too laborious.

Maybe I'm the only one, but I love this part of the GT series. I think having different series that requires you to go out and find different cars is part of the beauty of it. I like that it doesn't hold your hand. Now if you were to complain that the used dealer having constantly changing limited stock prohibits you from immediately buying a standard car that you need that isn't otherwise available, then I'd give you that. But I love having to find a car to race a series with. I don't find it laborious at all.

- Menus are still too slow to navigate. Not a new complaint, but worth mentioning.

I've found that as the game has been installing here and there as I've played, I don't find issue with the menus any longer. Loading is minor on my end and I never find myself uttering, "come on already."

- My absolute favorite feature in NFS Hot Pursuit is the "autolog" (a tracker of your race times vs your friends times, very easily presented to you before and after a race) and how well it's integrated into the game. GT5 doesn’t even have leaderboards, at least as far as I can tell. It feels like a massively overlooked feature, and I still find myself looking around for my PSN buddies scores after a race for comparison.

Leaderboards are on their way. They need them implemented before they can start the GT Academy thing, so I'd expect them sooner rather than later.

Stealth Edit: GT Academy registration starts on Dec 6th with the actual tournament starting Dec 20th, so expect the leaderboards by then.

- Car damage being a progressive unlockable is a bad idea.

I agree. It doesn't fully unlock until you hit level 40, which is ridiculous.

 

[blurredvision]

The Top Gear events piss me off to no end.. I tried for about an hour on the bus one and promptly gave up.. only to curse even more at the Lotus one. I spun out on the first turn 7 times in a row.. :twisted:

The intermediate Top Gear event starts with all assists turned off. Go back in and turn on some assists, especially Skid Force Reduction, and it'll be much easier to control. This is what I've read anyway, have yet to go in and try it myself.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Maybe I'm the only one, but I love this part of the GT series. I think having different series that requires you to go out and find different cars is part of the beauty of it. I like that it doesn't hold your hand. Now if you were to complain that the used dealer having constantly changing limited stock prohibits you from immediately buying a standard car that you need that isn't otherwise available, then I'd give you that. But I love having to find a car to race a series with. I don't find it laborious at all.

i believe he's arguing about the tediousness involved in acquiring the cars, esp. given how slow it is navigating around GT5.
something like a 'Purchase Now' from the list of car restrictions from the race menu, instead of trying to remember which ones qualify and then going to the dealership to purchase, which is 10 actions away.
most of these cars are not the most popular makes/models, which makes them harder to remember, and you don't want the mistake of purchasing the wrong car.

 

[warcrow]

because of the Top Gear challenge, I will never buy a VW minivan. it's so effing slow, stupid POS can't even accelerate to 60mph in half a minute, with a rolling start.

Ha--yup! I would actually lose speed going up hills, so I had to floor it about 1/2 a mile ahead of time so I could get to the top doing 60-65mph. It was charming though, I swear everyone loved riding in it.

 

[Imported]

The intermediate Top Gear event starts with all assists turned off. Go back in and turn on some assists, especially Skid Force Reduction, and it'll be much easier to control. This is what I've read anyway, have yet to go in and try it myself.

Awesome. Will have to try this when I get home tonight.. Thanks for the controller tip too!

 

[warcrow]

For more in-depth discussion on 1080p vs 720p in GT5, check here:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-gran-turismo-5-tech-analysis?page=6

Thanks for this link.

Maybe I'm the only one, but I love this part of the GT series.

I don't enjoy that part at all, I just wanted it easier to find the right car. But to be fair, this game is really geared for your type than mine.

Leaderboards are on their way. They need them implemented before they can start the GT Academy thing, so I'd expect them sooner rather than later.

Stealth Edit: GT Academy registration starts on Dec 6th with the actual tournament starting Dec 20th, so expect the leaderboards by then.

The tournaments, in theory, sound like a lot of fun for the gearheads and speed freaks who adore this franchise, but for folks like me a feature similar to NFSs autolog is perfect and more noncomital.

I agree. It doesn't fully unlock until you hit level 40, which is ridiculous.

40?! I didnt even know there was a level 40. :O What's the level cap? And so awesome cars unlock just by sheer leveling?

i believe he's arguing about the tediousness involved in acquiring the cars, esp. given how slow it is navigating around GT5. something like a 'Purchase Now' from the list of car restrictions from the race menu, instead of trying to remember which ones qualify and then going to the dealership to purchase, which is 10 actions away.
most of these cars are not the most popular makes/models, which makes them harder to remember, and you don't want the mistake of purchasing the wrong car.

That's right.

 

[fatpat268]

I must be the only person who loved the Top Gear Lotus challenge. I was hating GT5 up until that point, but I had a smile on my face throughout the entire race.

Sure, the Elise is very loose, yet it's very controllable. I honestly felt like I was doing a top gear shoot when I was power sliding around some of those corners.

Edit:

If you guys hated the top gear challenges, you'll REALLY hate the IC-10 and IA-10 license tests.

 

[Abel007]

I've found the license tests to vary greatly in difficulty. Some give you no room for error whatsoever while others seem very easy to get on the first or second try. I have 4 golds through the first 30 tests and those were gotten either on the first or second try.

My goal for licenses is to eventually get silver on everything I can, then I'll be happy. I'm not good enough to realistically vie for a gold every time, so I'm not going to bang my head against a wall trying for it unless I'm hitting times extremely close to the gold.

I completely agree. Some seem too easy (1st or 2nd try) and some seem near impossible (bet I am on my 50th try on the above) I am OCD about 'Gold Trophies" and such.

On another note, the intermediate Top Gear special is very tricky. You start out driving a Lotus. Oh hell yea! A Lotus! Then you realize it handles worse than the VW Bus because of the speed and MR setup. Stupid car can't take a high speed turn to save it's life.

 

[blurredvision]

The tournaments, in theory, sound like a lot of fun for the gearheads and speed freaks who adore this franchise, but for folks like me a feature similar to NFSs autolog is perfect and more noncomital.

I know nothing about autolog, how does it differ from a typical leaderboard setup?

40?! I didnt even know there was a level 40. :O What's the level cap? And so awesome cars unlock just by sheer leveling?

I think the level cap is 50. Awesome cars do unlock by leveling, but the highest level I've seen for a car is somewhere around level 20-25. I browsed around the new dealerships for a while the other night and don't particularly remember anything over the low-20's, but I could either be mis-remembering or just didn't go into a manufacturer with a higher level unlock.

I do know that the first endurance race unlocks at level 25, which is typically seen as the most hardcore mode in GT games, so for them to still have cars locked at that level seems ludicrous.

 

[PHYRRO]

Stupid car can't take a high speed turn to save it's life.

I'm inclined to say you just suck at Gran Turismo...the Lotus challenge is pretty easy, and fun to boot. Better than the VW challenge, anyways...now THAT was annoying.

 

[blurredvision]

I'm inclined to say you just suck at Gran Turismo...the Lotus challenge is pretty easy, and fun to boot. Better than the VW challenge, anyways...now THAT was annoying.

Or maybe you're just better than average? The Lotus is definitely hard to control, especially when you consider that everything they have you drive up to that point has been pretty easy. It's obviously easier to control if you slow your pace considerably, but you have the added urgency of passing a lot of cars.

I don't suck at Gran Turismo and I can't control the thing either. I haven't put much time into it though because the AI always pushes into my rear fender around a turn and won't let up. Once that happens, you're fucked, because the other car HAS to be where you are and the programming isn't smart enough to stop. Stupid GT AI like always. This angers me more than driving the Lotus on ice.

 

[geno]

I don't suck at Gran Turismo and I can't control the thing either. I haven't put much time into it though because the AI always pushes into my rear fender around a turn and won't let up. Once that happens, you're fucked, because the other car HAS to be where you are and the programming isn't smart enough to stop. Stupid GT AI like always. This angers me more than driving the Lotus on ice.

I haven't tried that challenge, but I can attest to the stupid AI which feels like it was lifted from GT1

 

[Abel007]

I'm inclined to say you just suck at Gran Turismo...the Lotus challenge is pretty easy, and fun to boot. Better than the VW challenge, anyways...now THAT was annoying.

I feel privileged you made your first post just to say that I suck at a racing game. I am not sure why you would say that, but its simply not true. I have all assists turned off and the Lotus is NOT an easy, fun to boot car to drive on this circuit. The slight hint of a turn at any kind of speed above 40MPH and the rear end steps out with ease. I'd say it is better suited as a high speed drift car on a very wide track. I have not had as much issue driving any other cars in the game except the Lotus on this track. It is like the track is covered in ice in specific spots.

 

[Lotheron]

I feel privileged you made your first post just to say that I suck at a racing game. I am not sure why you would say that, but its simply not true. I have all assists turned off and the Lotus is NOT an easy, fun to boot car to drive on this circuit. The slight hint of a turn at any kind of speed above 40MPH and the rear end steps out with ease. I'd say it is better suited as a high speed drift car on a very wide track. I have not had as much issue driving any other cars in the game except the Lotus on this track. It is like the track is covered in ice in specific spots.

I would feel so privileged myself.

For those uninitiated, Waldo does not suck at racing.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

lol... changing the oil on a new car still gives you "bonus" HP

 

[Imported]

Noticed that when I was changing oil on any of the used cars I bought.

 

[warcrow]

Funny thing!

Last night I fired up the game and was pleased to be greeted by the car I had been previously driving. There it sat--almost smilingly so--in glorious 1080P. The soft-lighting effects nearly blinded me with their brilliance, and the reflections mirrored the rich artistic legacy of the buildings sitting nearby. It really was an incredible display of graphical fidelity, and honestly I felt like I standing there, that is until suddenly this GIGANTIC ROCKY CREATURE appeared out of nowhere and crushed my Tuscan dream. I couldn’t believe it! My controller dropped from my hands as I slowly realized it was just the heavily aliased, headlight sprites coming into view--what a bummer.

(it's a joke people, lighten up! )

Anywho I'll give GT5 this--it's held my interested longer than most other sim racing games. The king for me is still GT3--which I played for a few hours a day, lasting a couple weeks--but I think GT5 has a good chance at surpassing it. There seems to be a lot do that interest me, particularly the Special Cup stuff I find enjoyable.

Last night I focused on getting silvers in the first and second license tests so I could get the free car for my A-spec races, and I mostly enjoyed it. The license tests are a real time consuming process, and the heavy menu-bouncing one has to endure doesn’t help! But in the end it was a rewarding series of events, plus I got my car.

I also like that fact that restarting a race from within the game (IE: sitting on the track) is almost instantaneous affair (unlike NFS Hot Pursuit), I love that.

BTW, do you guys feel like it’s worth upgraded/tweaking these cars? So far I haven’t had to touch a thing.