rollercoaster

just about all gt games since the third one have a simple pattern that i follow. start off doing the easy to intermediate races and then when you have to use group c, le mans prototypes, formula cars or whatever else, i get bored and just go back to racing the earlier races. i figured out recently that the reason for this is because i believe there are three types of people who play gt. 1) casual gamers. these people will buy the game, complete around 10% of it and then never look at it again. they make up the majority and are completely overwhelmed by how deep gran turismo is. 2) sport car drivers. this is where i land. the sport car driver is someone who just loves driving. ridiculously fast lap times are nice, but not why we play. if you look at the posts i write about the s2000, there were a few adjustments i made that made the car slower, but increased the fun-to-drive factor. sport car drivers probably never finish the game. we just want to drive. 3) race car driver. to these people, speed is everything. car is an oversteering nightmare that tries to kill you at every turn? doesn't matter, because if you get it right, it's .002 seconds faster! these people live to beat the game. they can't wait to get into the advanced portion of the game and make as much money as they can and just go fast.

lately, however, i've been straddling the line between sport car and race car driver. i have moments where i'm bored with the game, and i go back and drive a 71hp racing modified suzuki cappuccino, or my light weight, but stock powered honda integra type-r. but then i started racing in the racing series events (nascar, dtm, super gt). i'll be honest, nascar chewed me up and spit me out. i have no concept of how to race like that. even on the road courses, i was getting killed. then i bought a dtm audi tt (dtm is german touring cars, kevin) and spent an hour making adjustments to it. i had shaved off 5 seconds from the car as i bought it but was still afraid that i was going to get my ass handed to me like in nascar. turns out that i do just suck at nascar. the time spent dialing in the audi made it perfectly balanced and i crushed it. i did the same with super gt. i was starting the see the dark side.

then i bought a formula gt car. 933hp and 1210lbs. the car is so fast that the first three gears bang off the rev limiter before i can physically shift using the steering wheel mounted paddle. i spent the same amount of time dialing it in and the car is crazy fast. i have to look so much farther ahead than in any other car. for the first time since gt3, i don't have the ability to get the most out of the car. it's better than me. i can't reach its limits and i know it. there's nothing fun about it. to be honest, i'm terrified half the time i'm driving it. but i want to go faster. that's all that matter in that car.

i'll leave you with this; at 242mph, turis' frame rate is still rock solid. that's nucking futs.