Forza Motorsport 3

:( No. I was sad about this too.

Considering it was so immensely successful in professional motorsports, I can't understand why they don't include it. :(
 
IGN video review


Gametrailers also has a comparison vid of Laguna Seca in Shift, Forza 2 and Forza 3

My thoughts:

Shift's actual track surface is more accurate, but the surrounding detail is way off. The trees are wrong, the bridges are wrong, the ground is wrong (green grass doesn't exist at Laguna).

Forza 3 looks more real, however. The trees are the right oak trees, even the two Skip Barber classrooms and the gift tent look perfect, and the paths up the hill are exactly right. The problem is, the track surface is weird. The rumble strips are the wrong color, turn 9 is not sharp enough or banked enough - it's too constant in radius, the Corkscrew starts to dip before the apex of 8a rather than between 8a and 8b as in real life, and turn 1 isn't tight enough (the kink in the main straight, not Andretti).


And also a gorgeous replay vid of Road Atlanta. They've really made the trackside a lot more lush, it looks fantastic.
 
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Anyone know if the AI in the demo and game are the same? The IGN review made it sound the hard AI was actually hard. I had no trouble beating them in the demo, in FM2 I had difficulties with the really fast cars but not now.
 
^Same here. I beat the hell out of the AI on hard.

Then again, it was Hilary doing the review.

He sucks.

At everything.
 
Needs more Volvo. Also, no Toyota Camry stock car? No CoT?


VVVV


True. And people are still grumbling over whether or not the CoT was a smart idea. Still, would've been nice to see all four manufacturers in there (Toyota came in before the CoT)

The Camry stock car wasn't even in the last two official Nascar games. Something about EA and Toyota couldn't reach a deal for it. Could be the same thing here.

And the CoT was a good idea, but here isn't the time or place to discuss that.

The Stock Cars are probably high powered Late Models so they bi-passed NASCAR.

I don't think they had to go through Nascar at all since it's the old car. Just get the manufacturers to agree to let them use the designs, since I haven't actually seen them use the Nascar name anywhere.
 
Forza 3 looks more real, however. The trees are the right oak trees, even the two Skip Barber classrooms and the gift tent look perfect, and the paths up the hill are exactly right. The problem is, the track surface is weird. The rumble strips are the wrong color, turn 9 is not sharp enough or banked enough - it's too constant in radius, the Corkscrew starts to dip before the apex of 8a rather than between 8a and 8b as in real life, and turn 1 isn't tight enough (the kink in the main straight, not Andretti).

I didn't see enough of Turn 1 to judge whether or not they got it right... nor Rainey... but it just seems ridiculous that Turn 10 can't get the colour of the rumble strips right... It honestly adds to the ambiance. And yeah, I was used to red and white when I first started going to Laguna but now I'm entirely set with blue and white.

Speaking of the Corkscrew, I can't remember another game that gets it better than NFS: Shift did. The steepness, the changeover from a to b, it all feels right.

And btw, you already are starting to go downhill by 8a, 8a is not flat, it just does not have the sharp decrease of angle that the midchicaine has ;)

In terms of green grass... You just need to be there at the right time of year. Usually SCCA's first event there in March/early April has plenty of green all around

laguna_seca04s.jpg



**EDIT** you're right, Rainey doesn't look steep enough at all. But I've noticed that racing games hardly ever get angles right when it comes to elevation changes. Maybe something just gets lost in translation
 
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Maybe it's just me, but I could care less about trees and grass....

It does kind of matter when it's pretty much your home track and you're there at least 8 - 10 times a year. It becomes like your outside home. And when you know how it's supposed to look, and something's way off...you say..

Well that sucks now doesn't it?
 
The silly things you can do with that, like with all the other silly SUVs and trucks.
 
It does kind of matter when it's pretty much your home track and you're there at least 8 - 10 times a year. It becomes like your outside home. And when you know how it's supposed to look, and something's way off...you say..

Well that sucks now doesn't it?

Nah, in your case, I just say "Eh, just a game. I'm on the real thing."
 
And btw, you already are starting to go downhill by 8a, 8a is not flat, it just does not have the sharp decrease of angle that the midchicaine has ;)

In terms of green grass... You just need to be there at the right time of year. Usually SCCA's first event there in March/early April has plenty of green all around

Yeah I know it kinda goes downhill but the main crest is just after the first apex there. In FM2 you turn in and you're already pointing down.

I guess I need to go there more often. I've never ever seen green grass like that! Though, Infineon is brown most of they year, but for the first couple months of the season it's like racing in a field in Ireland. Tons of grass, all the way right up to the edges of the track. It's quite beautiful.

PS: WTF truck. o.0
 
Yeah I know it kinda goes downhill but the main crest is just after the first apex there. In FM2 you turn in and you're already pointing down.

I guess I need to go there more often. I've never ever seen green grass like that! Though, Infineon is brown most of they year, but for the first couple months of the season it's like racing in a field in Ireland. Tons of grass, all the way right up to the edges of the track. It's quite beautiful.

PS: WTF truck. o.0

You should check out ALMS this year :)
 
You should check out ALMS this year :)

I'd love to but I can't. My season ender is this Saturday. There's a $5,000 Formula 3 session on the line and it's a double header so I'm going to be driving for about 2 hours total - I need to rest up on Friday so I can't go down then either. I'll probably be so stiff on Sunday I won't want to go anywhere let alone the 2-hour drive to Laguna, and all that's running on Sunday is the GT3 challenge and Atlantics.
 
I'd love to but I can't. My season ender is this Saturday. There's a $5,000 Formula 3 session on the line and it's a double header so I'm going to be driving for about 2 hours total - I need to rest up on Friday so I can't go down then either. I'll probably be so stiff on Sunday I won't want to go anywhere let alone the 2-hour drive to Laguna, and all that's running on Sunday is the GT3 challenge and Atlantics.

c'est la vie. Good luck with your race though!
 
I really hope they release a seat adjustment patch at some point. Those in car views are terrible...
 
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