Hello!
Before I get started, I just want to say this post is not a negative outlook on F1 2016 in anyway. I am simply offering up ideas to areas where I feel might improve the experience and longevity of the F1 games as a whole. F1 2016 was (and still is) an incredibly fun game. Its without a doubt the best and most complete F1 game Codemasters have ever made, and they deserve a huge amount of credit for hitting all the marks and giving us the game we'd been craving for so long. We were promised exactly what we got in the game. But more importantly than simply saying these new things need to be implemented into next years game, I hope this post is about getting a converstation going about new ideas, issues the series faces, and where F1 2017 and later instalments can go in the future. I hope you enjoy.![:)]( ":)")
DRIVER TRANSFERS and ROOKIE DRIVERS
This is perhaps the most obvious way to start this discussion. But firstly, how many sports games can you think of that allow player transfers? There are quite a few out there, and all seem to do them with ease and very well. FIFA and Madden NFL are the ones that stick out for me, as they are one of the most fun elements in those games. There is nothing better than seeing players sign for another team, or a new rookie come through to become the next star of the sport.
F1 2016 gave us a glimpse into the potential that Codemasters possess; a potential that is been suppressed by FOM. The very idea that the teams could progress throughout a season through R&D was enough to ensure that there was some form of emotional investment for each season. However, the first time I progressed into my 2nd season I was already bored of seeing the likes of Jenson Button still at McLaren, and Nico Hulkenberg still at Force India. And while I continued on, I couldn't help but think of how amazing it would be to see drivers switch teams, retire, new rookie drivers step in after each season. As someone who plays these games inside and out, I want to finally see the world within the game evolve. I understand that it is feature is notoriously difficult with FOM, as it conflicts with sponsors and licensing. But this is where converstations like this need to be had. I do not want to see the first trailer for F1 2017, and the only things they are selling the game on is "WIDER TYRES! FASTER CARS!" because FOM won't allow new features to be implemented into the game. That is simply not enough to go by for this years new game. Codemasters must be allowed to build off the success of F1 2016, and to me (and a lot of other people), driver transfers is the absolute key feature that is missing, and that must be allowed into this years game.
So lets imagine for a moment that driver transfers make it into F1 2017. The key issue here is obviously player control. In the F1 game, you are in control of your car, your destiny, and thats it. But lets keep it that way! Things happen, things change, so lets go on a journey within that world and see where it takes you. In F1 2016, you can select who your teammate is at the start of your Career Mode. When it comes to signing a new driver, you should be able to influence your team into who they should sign, if the moment arrises. If that was the case, then that would be enough to make sure you have input into the transfer feature. When it comes to new rookie drivers, lets make them completely fictional! We don't need to obsess over real drivers that race in GP2 or Formula 3 that we don't care about. Lets have a bit of creativity in the game, like Madden NFL when it comes to drafting new players from college. If possible, allow the game to randomly generate helmets for them, traits, appearance, gender, and age!
PRESEASON TESTING & AERO EVOLUTION
When Codemasters announced that R&D would play a key role in F1 2016, my heart fluttered. Finally, there was the chance to see teams rise and fall and ensure each season would not be the same as the last. While it was handled extremely well, the further and further you play into your career you begin to see the flaws. I managed to bring teams like Williams and Renault back to their championship form of the past, and it was extremely satisfying. But when you max out the R&D of a team, and when you cannot develop your car between seasons, then thats where the problems begin. I believe R&D and Driver Transfers should go hand in hand for F1 2017, to help improve the season by season progression, and overall longevity of the Career Mode.
Many people in the past have suggested preseason testing be a feature in previous games. So what are we supposed to do in preseason testing? Well, it would be incredible to have the chance to test a new car package season by season. At the start of each preseason test week, you have a certain amount of test days on track to find new combinations for your car. The front wing impacts the nose, the chassis shape impacts the rear wing, and so on. It is about finding the fastest combination possible, spending resource points to unlock new designs, and then be able to develop that package for the remainder of the season, just like in F1 2016.
The only issue though with this is that it may have to rely though on visual representation, to ensure you know what your doing. It could work without it, but again, I know there are problems with licensing, and the cars changing shape. However here is my argument to FOM: lets show off what makes Formula One so special! Its all about the cars, how incredible and how fast they look. People who generally don't follow F1 that much even love that stuff. And that leads me to my next point. Lets show people what this sport is all about. Allow Codemasters to develop these options, so you can give people who are yet to discover the beauty of the sport, a reason to get invested in it.
In Conclusion
These couple of ideas and suggestions may be shot down by many of you because of the FOM restrictions, and thats fine. But again, its all about getting a conversation going here. The thing that I cannot understand is how FOM can market this game claiming that its going to be good, when they have held so many things back. Codemasters have done a fine job given the amount of restrictions they face from FOM, but I believe for this years instalment in the series, its now more important than ever that we keep our voices raised as a community. We have to keep encouraging Codemasters for all the great work they've done, and to highlight how much FOM has held back for the players and fans. There are so many great ideas coming through from the community. Lets not allow those ideas to be ignored, lets voice them and lets discuss. If there are any changes that need to be made for F1 2017, FOM certainly is one of them. I've never seen anything else in any other sports game that has held back so much. They have held back so many things at our expense for so long, and it is time to change. These two suggestions I have put forward are well within Codemasters capability I am sure, but no matter what I'm sure Codies will do a fine job with F1 2017 regardless. I hope you all enjoyed reading my input.
Thanks![:)]( ":)")
Before I get started, I just want to say this post is not a negative outlook on F1 2016 in anyway. I am simply offering up ideas to areas where I feel might improve the experience and longevity of the F1 games as a whole. F1 2016 was (and still is) an incredibly fun game. Its without a doubt the best and most complete F1 game Codemasters have ever made, and they deserve a huge amount of credit for hitting all the marks and giving us the game we'd been craving for so long. We were promised exactly what we got in the game. But more importantly than simply saying these new things need to be implemented into next years game, I hope this post is about getting a converstation going about new ideas, issues the series faces, and where F1 2017 and later instalments can go in the future. I hope you enjoy.
DRIVER TRANSFERS and ROOKIE DRIVERS
This is perhaps the most obvious way to start this discussion. But firstly, how many sports games can you think of that allow player transfers? There are quite a few out there, and all seem to do them with ease and very well. FIFA and Madden NFL are the ones that stick out for me, as they are one of the most fun elements in those games. There is nothing better than seeing players sign for another team, or a new rookie come through to become the next star of the sport.
F1 2016 gave us a glimpse into the potential that Codemasters possess; a potential that is been suppressed by FOM. The very idea that the teams could progress throughout a season through R&D was enough to ensure that there was some form of emotional investment for each season. However, the first time I progressed into my 2nd season I was already bored of seeing the likes of Jenson Button still at McLaren, and Nico Hulkenberg still at Force India. And while I continued on, I couldn't help but think of how amazing it would be to see drivers switch teams, retire, new rookie drivers step in after each season. As someone who plays these games inside and out, I want to finally see the world within the game evolve. I understand that it is feature is notoriously difficult with FOM, as it conflicts with sponsors and licensing. But this is where converstations like this need to be had. I do not want to see the first trailer for F1 2017, and the only things they are selling the game on is "WIDER TYRES! FASTER CARS!" because FOM won't allow new features to be implemented into the game. That is simply not enough to go by for this years new game. Codemasters must be allowed to build off the success of F1 2016, and to me (and a lot of other people), driver transfers is the absolute key feature that is missing, and that must be allowed into this years game.
So lets imagine for a moment that driver transfers make it into F1 2017. The key issue here is obviously player control. In the F1 game, you are in control of your car, your destiny, and thats it. But lets keep it that way! Things happen, things change, so lets go on a journey within that world and see where it takes you. In F1 2016, you can select who your teammate is at the start of your Career Mode. When it comes to signing a new driver, you should be able to influence your team into who they should sign, if the moment arrises. If that was the case, then that would be enough to make sure you have input into the transfer feature. When it comes to new rookie drivers, lets make them completely fictional! We don't need to obsess over real drivers that race in GP2 or Formula 3 that we don't care about. Lets have a bit of creativity in the game, like Madden NFL when it comes to drafting new players from college. If possible, allow the game to randomly generate helmets for them, traits, appearance, gender, and age!
PRESEASON TESTING & AERO EVOLUTION
When Codemasters announced that R&D would play a key role in F1 2016, my heart fluttered. Finally, there was the chance to see teams rise and fall and ensure each season would not be the same as the last. While it was handled extremely well, the further and further you play into your career you begin to see the flaws. I managed to bring teams like Williams and Renault back to their championship form of the past, and it was extremely satisfying. But when you max out the R&D of a team, and when you cannot develop your car between seasons, then thats where the problems begin. I believe R&D and Driver Transfers should go hand in hand for F1 2017, to help improve the season by season progression, and overall longevity of the Career Mode.
Many people in the past have suggested preseason testing be a feature in previous games. So what are we supposed to do in preseason testing? Well, it would be incredible to have the chance to test a new car package season by season. At the start of each preseason test week, you have a certain amount of test days on track to find new combinations for your car. The front wing impacts the nose, the chassis shape impacts the rear wing, and so on. It is about finding the fastest combination possible, spending resource points to unlock new designs, and then be able to develop that package for the remainder of the season, just like in F1 2016.
The only issue though with this is that it may have to rely though on visual representation, to ensure you know what your doing. It could work without it, but again, I know there are problems with licensing, and the cars changing shape. However here is my argument to FOM: lets show off what makes Formula One so special! Its all about the cars, how incredible and how fast they look. People who generally don't follow F1 that much even love that stuff. And that leads me to my next point. Lets show people what this sport is all about. Allow Codemasters to develop these options, so you can give people who are yet to discover the beauty of the sport, a reason to get invested in it.
In Conclusion
These couple of ideas and suggestions may be shot down by many of you because of the FOM restrictions, and thats fine. But again, its all about getting a conversation going here. The thing that I cannot understand is how FOM can market this game claiming that its going to be good, when they have held so many things back. Codemasters have done a fine job given the amount of restrictions they face from FOM, but I believe for this years instalment in the series, its now more important than ever that we keep our voices raised as a community. We have to keep encouraging Codemasters for all the great work they've done, and to highlight how much FOM has held back for the players and fans. There are so many great ideas coming through from the community. Lets not allow those ideas to be ignored, lets voice them and lets discuss. If there are any changes that need to be made for F1 2017, FOM certainly is one of them. I've never seen anything else in any other sports game that has held back so much. They have held back so many things at our expense for so long, and it is time to change. These two suggestions I have put forward are well within Codemasters capability I am sure, but no matter what I'm sure Codies will do a fine job with F1 2017 regardless. I hope you all enjoyed reading my input.
Thanks