Content Concerns & Melodrama

Forza Horizon Legacy Horizon FH4 Discussion
1

After accepting this playlist thing with open arms, i am starting to get pretty disinterested with this laundry list stuff mainly because allmost all the “big rewards” of each season I’ve already acquired. And the season individual event rewards all seem pretty light on the stuff that most of us want and really only want: Noooo! not another Hello, Kitty! sweater, matching pair of San Rio moccasins, or sparkly face paint kits for drivatar, but NEW CARS! New ones! Fresh-faced! Even a returning old favorite will do!

I mean, I just want that “Squryl-what’s-behind-Curtain-#3? — A-New-Car!! :scream::hugs::sunglasses: OMG!!”-kinda feel for my vehicular rewards after completing another gauntlet of tedious busy-work. But faced with a bunch of (mostly) old hat to look forward to, instead I start to feel like the guy who for his five consonants and one vowel chose Q, K, W, P, X and Y, totally blew the five-letter puzzle, and went home with “fabulous parting gifts,” like a pair of his-and-hers matching waffle irons, a set of handsome calligraphy pens, and the Flowbee Haircutting System.

This is only the third (?) playlist, and now we’re already regurgitating exclusive exclusives at this rate? I’m sure at some point in the future the playlist gets set to autopilot and we’ll close and continue the giant loop and see redundant lists, but to already be recycling now makes me nervous about what’s left to come. By this point in Horizon 3, hadn’t they had already changed up wheel spin cars, and added some more barn finds, too, I think? (and btw, why no barn find on Fortune Island? Yeah, you’re right, best to leave that wreck unfinished and unpolished)

It just seems (to me) like PG (and surrogates on Twitter) are a bit heavy-handed in its self-congratulating over the massive amounts of new content, perhaps signaling the end is nigh for NEW new content, and I am most definitely not ready for PG to be close to hanging up their gloves when there’s still so much stuff that needs fixing as well as the stuff I’m still waiting for and totally expect in its entirety (complete open class rivals).

So, …this new playlist…it’s just not sexy enough. While I am encouraged by the custom adventures and anti grieving implementations (both of which really should have been ready to go on Day 1, updates touting “new” content and/or features that we already had in earlier editions of the franchise are kinda cheap and somewhat unfulfilling regardless of how welcome they may be) and am very hopeful and pre-gracious for the tiny mention of Rival-something, the re-playability of this game seems to be shrinking much faster than I thought it would, and I am very worried about this.

Bored with ennui playlist? Endgame m.i.a.? Rivals d.o.a.?Somewhat over the Deathwish Derby? Auction House slowing you down? Garage jam-packed with B, C, and D’s because there is insufficient game applications in which to apply them to? Stir-crazy and castaway on Abandoned Island? Tired of playing with paper driver-dolls and just need a good, exciting, tuning and racing game, but without any of the constant oh-it’s-too-hard-to-drive-unless-i’m-parked bellyaching for the removal of all difficulty levels?

Yeah, …me, too. Fingers crossed, though. :crossed_fingers:t2:
Hoping these kids can right the ship.

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2

It’s getting less boring though, now you can be an insurance salesman, and drive around in a Reliant Robbin.

These would be like my Dad’s game ideas…

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3

They changed the 80% rewards to repeated and already ingame rewards to make the whiners happy so they arent forced to play online
I wish it had stayed at 100%
Making the noisy majority happy while ignoring those that like to make an effort to win things

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4

Agreed. I guess the delicates all got spoiled from Horizon 3’s largely flat and forgiving terrain and all those old Forzathons that awarded you the car because you honked your horn twice.

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These are the people that dont like to make an effort as obvious by the thread title and they are changing the game to suit them
https://forums.forza.net/turn10_postsm1093138_Please-remove-playground-games-from-weekly-activities.aspx#post_1093138

They arent forced to do these things unless they want to
You can still get 94% without doing pgg
Take away the trial and its 88%

Wth
They have even reduced the difficulty level to highly skilled from expert
Really spoonfeeding now
Wheres my participation reward
Oh its in that other thread lol

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If you don’t like the reduction to highly skilled, why not just set yours to unbeatable, problem solved!

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As if 100% was challenging, it was just a tedious move to incentivize players to log in at least every 3 days.
The change from 100% to 80% didn’t alter the difficulty at all. Just a common-sense fix to give players a little bit of choice of what to play to achieve the goal

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8

I’m fine with challenging content. Over in Motorsport 7 right now, they’re having a challenge to beat ten professional IndyCar drivers. I’m having a great time trying to beat my time; I’ve been in the top 1% in the world, and just outside it in the US, every time I’ve checked. That’s a challenge, laying down consistently fast laps and searching for that few hundredths of a second to move up the leaderboard without putting it into the wall.

Playground Games and Online Adventure aren’t challenging content; they’re just busywork. The only skill they test is your ability to put up with the other players.

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I, too, love a challenge. And I’m soooo jealous of all the love and attention Rivals is showered with over in FM7. And believe you me, as a former collegiate track and cross country workhorse, I know the value of a hundredth of a second and few savor maneuvering up a leaderboard more than I do.

However, I wholeheartedly disagree with games and online as “not challenging,” but in fact, “just busywork.” Arena games allow players to push a vehicle to the limit and via tuning, fully realize a cars full potential and versatility. A good arena group can be a lot of fun, a skilled group can be thrilling. But you can’t be a chump and expect any car with any tune to shine. There’s a good deal of strategy involved and success requires pre-game tuning and testing.

Online Adventures in my opinion is still broken, but competition is still competition. I’d love for online to always be some solid and clean online runs, and am hopeful for the recent anti grieving measures, but sometimes just putting on the armor and a running the guantlet roller derby mindset as a change of pace isn’t all too bad. For me, as aggravating as, say, The Trial can be, I’d rather do that than yet another run with 24 AI, single-file.

So, again, I think you’re letting your attitude towards encountering random insane people color your perception on “challenges” v “busywork.” Things that require skill, patience, performance…those are challenges. Things that are completed without having to think about what youre doing, mindless workflows requiring zero investment of heart, that’s busy work.

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10

You can still get to 100%, right? The majority got pleased and you were not hurt in any way, why are you complaining?

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11

Conceptually I don’t mind the stories and businesses, however, the Reliant and any other weird three-wheeled vehicle from the Island of Misfit Toys I can do without, full stop.

But it is really becoming a chore to find some reason to keep me from logging out and firing up Horizon 3. I want to do, what I want to do, when I want to do it. Now it’s just busywork and tasks with all the things that I loved having been removed.

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12

I feel like a huge part of the community is lacking perspective. Three Horizon titles in a row you got the car pass, two expansions, and thats it; practically zero changes/updates to gameplay or features. Yet here we are getting FREE monthly updates/contents and its not “sexy enough.” Off the top of my head in the last two or three months we’ve gotten:

Ford RTR Widebody Mustangs
Ferrari 599xx Evo
Nissan 300zx
Pontiac '65 GTO
Merc AMGT GT 4 door
Apollo Emozi-whatever
BMW Z4
BMW M3 GTR
Chevelle Supersport

Along with tons of gameplay updates and more on the way. In no way would i suggest that this game doesn’t have problems but implying that there isn’t enough effort being put into content is tripe.

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I feel like a huge part of the Horizon community forum lacks the ability to fully read through thread posts before playing contrarian.

Perspective? Perhaps, …on some level, seeing as I truly started Forza’ing with Horizon 3 (not counting any on-and-off-again flirtations back as early as Motorsport 3), so objectively, that’s where my gameplay/experience/perspective begins.

That said, however, I’ve no real beef with expansions; loved Blizzard Mtn, never gave Islandtopia much chance, too busy on the mountain. I genuinely like Fortune Island, but it has this “zombie” feel to it. It’s kinda dead, wants to live. An incomplete work. I’m hot for where the idea was headed, but it needs to go back in the oven an roast for awhile.

Car Pass? VIP? Yup, I was all-in for both H3 & H4. As a newer-ish player, largely unfamiliar with car history, I’ve always gotten maximum value for car pass vehicles. It’s “all” new to me, so I’m a more easier to please customer than most in that regard. Not sure why you brought this up as this wasn’t something I touched on as a concern (rather, that I fear we’re akready close to the end overall - details!)

What I said wasn’t sexy enough was this new playlist; only the 3rd ever (as it itself is a “new feature”), and already the goals for completion are riddled with repeats. That, coupled with my growing dissatisfaction of multiplayer and the murdering of Rivals, is leaving me feeling pretty bored with what to you is all razzle dazzle ooh la la — and that’s great for you, I’m glad somebody is happy. The little list you rattled off is, well, okay, a list? And? Personally, Mustangs and BMW’s are things I already got plenty of, so MORE is, well, meh.

And never did I say “waanh Im not getting anything.” I got it all, already, that’s the thing. I’m not interested in doing chores for things I’ve had for some time now. But offer something new and different, no matter how unpopular or unsavory, and I would quietly toil away with another laundry list. Pinto? Chevette? Sure okay, rather that than stuff I’ve already got. (And for what it’s worth, I have absolutely no problem with the locking of content, rewards, etc)

Furthermore, nowhere did I say they weren’t putting in enough effort into creating content. While the implementation and strategy of the newer content has been borderline disastrous, the quality of the the content itself has been great. I’m not a big fan of the playlist right now, but it’s attractive and easy to use. I enjoy the stories and businesses, and also find arena fun and challenging. What I find lacking or unenthused about is with the stuff that seems to blow your dress up. Your little list of cars largely uninterest me. Drift Adventures, NO thanks. Playlists? Didn’t need it, didn’t want it. Seasonal events are not real exciting, just carbon copy AI running along single file right behind you in redundant predictable fashion. The route creator, which I had real high hopes for, is a disappointment. Not at all easy to use or intuitive, lacks customization and all the event polishing and immersion “additives” we’re accustomed to seeing and take for granted, all which make creating a something interesting and engaging enough to a very fussy and impossible to please community near impossible.

And tripe? I’ll tell you what’s tripe. Having said and considering alllll that above, and adding insult to injury, they begin taking AWAY the things that I DO (did?) LOVE. Multiplayer, ranked… all messed up. Still no solo’ing arena games. Cross country eliminations, freeroam rush removals, online class restrictions removing lower classes, and the murder and butchering of Rivals have close to destroyed this game for me, so please, you’ll forgive me when I roll my eyes as you squeal over being spoo n fed another “new,” “exclusive,” carbon copy model car to brave running thru wonky, near-broken, redundant events. You can save all your bleating for someone else.

Happy Motoring! :red_car::raising_hand_man:t2:

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14

Well, it’s not fair to compare Horizon 4 to its predecessors in this matter. Horizon 4 was built with a “live service” concept, the others weren’t. Of course you have to offer a steady flow of new/changing content to keep the player interest up. A major reason why we have seasons that change weekly.
You may ask: “Where is the revenue in providing this service without MTAs?”
I’m pretty convinced the game was originally based around a “wheelspins for cash” concept. The whole progression system, cosmetics & miscellaneous screem it. Why it was pulled and how they justify their “live service” model now, I don’t know.
You want “live service”? You have to provide content.

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Yeah PG remove features that have been in forza games since FM1 so they can bring each month this new content that replayability is almost zero. For example FH3 we have custom championship that we was able to make what we want, in FH4 we have weekly championship with zero creativity allways same amount laps and zero variation with class choises. Rivals mode is just joke comparing other forza games (FM7 screw this up also before they fixed it 10 months after launch) Weekly playlist is just boring chore and even fun part of weekly PR stunts is gone after playlist because now those are so mutch easier than they was before playlist.

Things like new horizon stories are great thing they add but problem for that is that is not enough end game for peoples who have done everything and collect everything so in many peoples those are just one hour and done and never touch them again. Showcase remix are even worst because those are 2 minutes and done and never touch them again.

Even online racing is worst than even in forza games like serious who thing is good idea to make racing game without solo online races. Horizon life MP races could be good feature but it’s just done poorly because getting full lobby is impossible.

Do they have put effort making new content? Yes. But do they have make effort to long term replaybility? Because IMO there is FH4 biggest problem abaout content.

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16

That is one way of looking at it, and you most certainly have a right to feel the way you do.

On the other hand, it can be argued that an incomplete game was released, and the things that should have been in the game from the start are being slowing dribbled out to us. For me, getting additional free cars and updates, while nice, just shows me how incomplete the original game was.

Again, just my thoughts and another way to look at the situation.

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17

The playlists have always been a poor replacement for an endgame that this game is seriously lacking. They removed custom championships all so they could push this “game as a service” stuff down our throats.

Welcome to a terrible implementation of a terrible idea. The ironic thing is that is would probably take far less work from the devs to just give us the old FH3 style endgame.

Unfortunately, the concept of limited content and constant adversarial goals appeals to the average human, so we get this market-tested chore machine over an actual better product. Blame humanity I guess.

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18

I don’t think content is poor or missing.

Whats missing is end game replayability.

You do the festival playlists (once, twice …) but once you did it 10 times … it’s pretty boring. Always the same races, always the same tracks with the same classes.

There are also few “good tracks” where you can actually enjoy racing. AI is bad and every race feels like a catch up race where the first is always faster than everyone else.

Online is trash and I barely played it. It may be an online game but some people just like playing offline.

There is also not enough challenges with less known cars. Do you use your Ford Crown Victoria to race ? no. The First Ford Focus ? no. Opel Manta ? nope.

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19

I largely concur.

While the Goliath-like super routes are a welcome inclusion, they’re not a substitute for endgame. That’s where Rivals, literally the cornerstone of the game, is supposed to come in and be the lynchpin, underpinning the entire expanse of the game, from the beginning and to the very end.

And I feel you with the lack of “good tracks.” I used to luvvv me some River Rush, Yarra-Yarra Bridge, the Gorge, and Ice Lake, to name a few. Here in H4, few feel “cozy” to me, though I do have s growing affinity for a number of dirt courses.

And to your final point, again totally agree. This is first season in some time now that didn’t showcase Monster Rally in B-class, for example. (Three or four seasons ago, two consecutive seasons ran Monster Rally B’s for playground games — it’s clear they weren’t even trying.) So many classifications, but weak on showcasing vehicular diversity. And redundancy with multiplayer too because online play reduced to just S1, A, and limited S2 and B. With the Bone Shaker and Hoonigan Ford RS200 dominating most of those classes as the preferred vehicle of choice, there is little opportunity or motivation to use any one of the literally hundreds of overlooked cars, many of which are extremely versatile. And without full, open class rivals, there is little to do with old friends like the International Scout or Porsche 356A. Not every car is going to be a S2/X-class Drag-Dart Superstar, and that’s okay. The genius of this game is with its versatility; I’ll never understand why they want to lock that all away.

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The using of ONLY the fastest cars ALL THE TIME is one of the most annoying aspects of MP racing for me. Even more so when the person using them is a fast skilled racer. Is it an ego thing or what? “No way I’m losing a single race online bro.” V12 rocketship with bare minimum handling or whatever the known fastest car is for that class/terrain. What grinds my gears even more is that these people who do this THINK they are sooooo good. It’s like “Hello knucklehead I could do what you’re doing and so could everyone else but since there are 100s of vehicles in the game I choose to NOT use the same 4 vehicles all night long!” I swear some of these people have like 7 cars tops in their garage. I guess it makes life easier when you don’t have to worry about sorting through tons of vehicles while the timer is counting down. Instead you just go straight to the fastest car in the game. Rinse and repeat. Smh.

What makes H4 annoying is that without open class rivals you can’t build and tune cars to find vehicles that can sometimes beat these overpowered constant usage cars. You just have to take your chances and hope the car you built is competitive or you get to follow the known fastest car around the track all night. I built many of cars that could beat the known fastest cars in H3. Of course that was before everyone put a v12 with turbo and no tires in the lower class cars. Meh! Bring back open class rivals!!!

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