FORZA 3 MOTORSPORT NEWS INFORMATION XBOX HINTS TIPS AND TRICKS

The graphics, presentation and racing elements in Forza III are second to none-truly first rate. That is why it is such a colossal shame to see the game ruined by a flawed economic model. Before delving into the detail, let’s first agree on why many of us buy and play auto racing simulators. We like to buy and win cool cars. We like deciding between spending our money on tires or a turbo. We like to push the boundaries of physics with upgrades and tweaks.

We love the realism–especially when the car’s looks and handling can be modified to infinite degrees. We like to win. We enjoy the freedom of doing whatever the hell we want, from drifting to drag racing…from frantically leveling up to attempting to win the game with as few vehicles as possible. And more recently, we have come to like the online experience, where multiplayer racing has been joined by the purchase and sale of all manner of in-game products. And that’s where the story starts. In the olden days, when people walked to school through the snow barefoot (up-hill both ways), game developers had complete control over their games.

No online play meant that there were no variables to worry about, and games were finite. A $1 million car was hard to save for. Desirable cars could only be won via winning certain races. Things were challenging in the olden days, and it took many hours to make your way from a grossly upgraded Skyline into something actually built to race. And that made it fun. In Forza III, I bought an Exige 240 cup car for $5K when I was only a few races in. A handful of races later, I bought a Dyson Mazda race car for $50,000. I then bought three tunes for the Mazda (R1, R2, R3) for $10K each (applying them required more saving, obviously). Here I was, having earned less than $100K in the game, with cars that are practically unbeatable (by the AI) in the races for which they are eligible.

All I did was go to the auction, scroll down, and rapidly hit RB-LB to get to the newly posted cars. Search for bargain buyouts, and…..done. That’s it. Rinse and repeat. I’ve barely played the game, and I’ve acquired all the game’s hottest cars (except the Peugeot…still working on that). Add in the fact that there are no real penalties to having the game brake for you (i.e. the hardest part of racing), the end result is the ability to pretty much keep the throttle pinned, and steer around the course. If that’s not boring enough, you can hire a driver, ramp up all the assists to 100% bonus, go for a snack, and come back to a tidy sum. And that is not fun. Not at all. Detractors will say “it’s all about racing. Go race. It’s fun to race.” I say it’s all about the paragraph above where we talk about why we play these games. I like the feeling of accomplishment I get from winning a race where I really had to try hard, and the prize is a car I really want.

Today that thrill comes from me seeing someone put a $50K buyout on a million dollar car at auction. My pappy (the same fellow who went to the very cold, elevation-challenged school with no footwear) told me that if I criticize something, I should do it constructively, so here is what I would have preferred to see: ◦Make a few kickass cars only accessible by winning a few really challenging games (i.e. not for sale, and not “auctionable”). In other words, you have to outright earn them. ◦Give all cars a minimum auction buyout/bid value. Maybe 50% of retail value? ◦Make auto brake very costly to use (it turns zeros to heroes) ◦Give me a reason to win races. A car for a prize would be nice. Level up cars are linear…I’d like to choose which one I win. ◦Give me more than 100cr for a car when I sell it. Otherwise, I post it for $5K on the auction and….well, you know the rest.

 Long story short, I consider these games complete when I have all of the best cars (with the best tunes) and all of the hardest races are won. Unfortunately, with the ability to earn easy money in-game, and spend it on auction bargains, “complete” happens far too soon in Forza III.

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