Wait just a sec, before you go nutso on me for this one, hear me out.

I’ve been hooked on Forza Motorsport 3 for the last 6 months or so, invested around 70 Hours, made driver level 45 and own about 100 cars. So obviously I am comfortable in saying it’s a great driving game, perhaps the best I’ve ever played. But it’s not a racing game.

Now I’m generally not for the ‘hardcore simulation’ style of driving game, I play with the gears in Auto, the ABS firmly on and the Traction Control constantly kicking in to save my rear-end, yet even I can say ‘racing’ games today are just too soft, too passive an experience.

Considering I generally don’t have the talent to disable these driver assists, I’d like to take my need for simulation in a different direction.

What I mean is to say that the rules of real circuit racing don’t make it into our driving games, or are simplified by the introduction of some contrived system to mimic certain aspects of racing such as time penalties. But imagine for a second if they did enforce the rules and standards of professional racing.

There’s a couple key aspects that I feel defines professional circuit racing but for what I can only imagine is simplicities sake are left out of modern games: Marshal Flags, Penalties, Pitt-Stops & Degradation.

Here’s how I envision how these factors might be implemented.

• Marshal Flags – Red, Yellow, Black etc. There should be marshal’s track side to inform the player of racing conditions, even deploying the safety car if required; and that means leaving debris out on track! Black flags also lead on to my next point.
• Penalties – Very few racing games penalise players for reckless or intentionally destructive driving styles. Cars bounce of each other without care or worry, except for the (possibly quite innocent) driver who’s pushed off track or sent running circles because of collisions.I personally would love to see the addition of AI race day marshal’s, drive through penalties (black flags) and even disqualifications.Not saying this must be the case, but the option would be tremendously welcome. Too many times have I been shunted off the road while trying to race online with the general public.
• Pitt-stops – Sure, some games have them at the moment; but where are the pitt-crews?! Usually your car just takes a slow burn down the magical repairs tunnel before returning onto the circuit renewed! Ridiculous.How about some Pitt-crew character model’s & animations. Let’s see refuelling, tire replacement, panel changes etc.
• Degradation – Tires & fuel, they should burn out & require replenishing / replacing. Now a few games these days actually take these factors into account, but often are only implemented to the 1 timeframe; long races. A quick few laps around a circuit, even a session of decent length will never see the need for players to dash into the pitt’s for a top up.

  Where’s the option to make these factors relative to the length of the race created, optional of course. If I only want to run 10 laps of a circuit but would like a more ‘authentic’ race day experience, why not make these factors relative so that I will have to duck in for more fuel before the end of the race?

I realise some of these suggestions are pretty radical, which is why I’m referring to them as ‘Race Day Simulation’ options. I wouldn’t advocate that games need these features, but how much more exciting will it make racing against your friends to have these options available. To my mind, very!

Forza Motorsport 3 has nailed the ‘feel’ of what it’s like to drive a sports performance vehicle; yet neglecting all the factors above lead me to conclude it can’t seriously be considered a racing game.

I’m not generally a huge motor-sport fan, but I follow the Formula One season with great passion. To my mind, what makes the sport fascinating to watch are the rules & conditions placed upon both drivers & constructors.

Imagine if the drivers were given free reign to try pass each other however possible, perhaps the sheer carnage would pull a lower-brow crowd, but watching good drivers get swiped off the road constantly would get old very quick.

The same, I have found, is true of driving games passing themselves off as racing.