So how’s this for an idea: an update to Forza Horizon 3 which adds a fourth transmission option for the “purists?” (If that’s the correct word?) that will be a “realistic” mode that will set the transmission mode to match the car you’re driving. Many cars in FH3 including the newly added Ford P71 Crown Victoria are automatics, and what this “realistic” mode will do is set the transmission to automatic when you get in that car, and then when you change cars at the autoshow to say the Acura RSX the transmission will be set to manual w/ clutch as that car is a manual. Not only will this “realistic” mode change the transmission setting, but also in this mode the automatic transmissions will behave more like actual automatics. Now when you take off even in automatic mode the car will act as if there is a clutch being let out. In “realistic” mode the car will take off like an automatic at more even RPM as the torque converters engage. They should also take a bit longer to shift. This will also make the car shift earlier if you’re not going full throttle, and kick down if you where to stab on the gas suddenly. I believe this would add a lot of depth to the game as now you would have to choose between a less powerful manual car, or a more powerful car but with a dim-witted and slushy automatic transmission. For example. Another thing that would improve I think would be the driving, this would make the driving experience more closely resemble that of the actual car.
It would also be fun if the face buttons were made to shift the automatic transmission, with “X” being reverse and pressing “B” once would shift into neutral and pressing it twice would shift into drive. Also adding the sport transmission to an automatic car would set the car to manual w/ clutch and the racing transmission make it sequential.
Thing is, several car parameters in this game are treated as difficulty modifiers, rather than as realistic differences between cars. Auto/manual tranny, ABS, traction control, stability control, are all important design attributes of the cars themselves (IRL), and not difficulty settings. That’s just an arcadey-game thing. I agree with you on principle, but the Forza games are already designed in an incompatible way with your wishes.
I already change the setting based on the car I’m driving, but it’d be nice if I didn’t have to go to the difficulty settings every time. It’d be really great if I could set difficulty presets for cars, so it would change the transmission, traction control, ABS, etc. settings automatically.
Man…I thought I was the only one that remembered Enthusia. Looking back at it, actually a pretty solid semi-simulator. Just overshadowded because of bad timing. GT4 came out a few months earlier.
As far as the request goes, the only way I see you being able to do this future is by manually changing the transmission in the Difficulty menu.
I honestly feel that game had one of the most natural and realistic handling models of any console driving game for a while there, it’s unfortunate it was so overlooked. The use of the HUD to convey weight transfer and momentum worked really well, there were a lot of cool ideas in that game.
That’s a good point, where it will be simply be a matter of say “OEM Mode” where the car will remain in its original transmission configuration. But then that mode could become tricky quickly where if you wanted to try other non-OEM modes you’ll have to switch to one or the other transmission choices…hmmm. It really won’t take much work do accomplish this new mode, but I don’t think they will do it anytime soon.
I’ve wanted this in Forza for a while now, but it kind of goes against the whole difficulty and bonus system, since you’d presumably still be penalized for not overriding everything to manual w/ clutch.
I’d settle for a fully adjustable 5 speed gearbox.
Race transmission is 6 speed for most of the cars I drive, and Street transmission is 5 speed but only the final is adjustable…
Of course, you could always tune gears 1-5 to suit your needs and just don’t shift into 6th. If you use manual shifting, that is. That would be like having a 5-speed race transmission.
I like the idea, as long as you can swap it out in the upgrade shop.
There are a few cars (eg. Ford XB Falcon, Dodge Challenger, Holden Monaro) that can be made to sound like automatics (albeit with shift kits installed) in m/c if you shift just right.