See Raycevik’s “I love racing games, they suck” video in regards to arguing over when the word “simulator” can and cannot be used.
All racing simulators are racing games. Running away from the simulator nomenclature so that you can excuse missing features, bugs, and bad game design isn’t going to do anything.
You can’t build a series that aims to replicate real life motorsport then ditch it when something doesn’t suit so that it falls into the simcade/arcade bin. This is especially funny when the same people claim that T10 have nailed things like physics and aerodynamics, are those things aiming to be life-like? Is that where the “simulation” line is drawn?
The only difference between a “simulator” and Forza is the commitment and ability to deliver a life-like facsimile of a race. GT isn’t a simulator either but it sure as hell does a better job of conveying the passion and energy of motorsport events and cars in general.
Or is it the case that the only element of FM that isn’t supposed to be life-like is the cartoonish gating of car components, everything else aims to be true to life? Where are we drawing the line, and when does that line move from arcade to sim? If iRacing puts a dancing clown in the pit lane, is it no longer a simulator?
Again, FM23 being a poor facsimile of all things motorsport isn’t excused because they don’t commit to simulation. Not being a simulator isn’t an excuse to have an awful progression system in place of literally any driver development systems. Is this game a tutorial about car components or is it a game about being as fast a driver as you can?
I always thought it was the latter, but apparently it’s about driving in circles unlocking exhaust pipes and not becoming a better driver through competitive development. The career with it’s terrible AI doesn’t develop drivers at all and multiplayer could be replaced with unranked private free play matches and no one would know the difference.
If you wanted real game design from passion, the car points system would be replaced by an upgrade/component school that would teach you step by step. You’re not learning anything by slowly applying upgrades one by one. The game shows you the parts description whether you buy it with fake upgrade coins or fake money. Things like a suspension upgrade aren’t learned by installing, they’re learned by actually modifying the tune, something that has nothing to do with this car XP system. The only thing this system does is stop you learning when you want to, but when you’re allowed to.
