Papyrus,
Please, please, please, please do a road racing cycle sim. Can either be
GP (all three classes) or AMA Superbike/World Super Bike (multiple
classes). AMA would probably be easier to get team/manufacturer/sponsor
cooperation.
And how about a little role playing involved. You have to start out as a
privateer or 125 GP rider. Win a few races and pick up sponsors and
eventually a factory ride. Win sub-class/125GP championship, and get to go
to the next class. Make getting to the 500cc 180HP/sub 300lb raging beast a
reward, like it is in the real world (oh yeah send, anyone able to do this
a large check in the mail for that gritty realism. Oh yeah if they crash,
they get drug behind a truck for 100 ft.) Okay, maybe thats too much
realism, but put in something more than "pick Williams/Renault, play as
Damon Hill, beat everyone" I wan't to race against Damon, not be him.
Also, we have these joysticks, Wheels, Yokes, with multiple buttons and
hat switchs. How about using hat switches to look
left/right/behind/whatever. Racers have heads that turn (when they can) and
aren't restricted to mirrors; motorcycles don't even have mirrors. Even
more important in a cycle sim is "looking into a corner" as you go through
it. Since straffing apexes at a 15 degree angle limits the amount of track
you can see on a 15' monitor, some sort of virtual***pit would be in
order. Actually a simple "look up to the right/left" button would probably
work fine.
Anyway this are just suggestions(wild dreams?) though I think new ideas
are long overdue in the racing sim category. Simply updating engines is not
the way to stay competitive.
If you must do a car sim, how about sprint cars. Give us dirt/asphalt/both
tracks and low down force! whoo hoo! nothing like sliding through that
corner, taking the inside line! Hey, that gives me an idea for dirt
tracking motorcycles...
Zippo