Improved Open World Support

This more a suggestion for the next project (AC2 or ACE, how some of us like to call it ), I doubt there could be much done for AC.
Also note that I'm not requesting the next project to come with open world maps or even an open world focus.
It would be very cool, but I am aware that racing is the core business of Kunos.
I also Know that there are such maps out there already and I have driven most of them.
The goal would be to provide improved support for such maps.

Suggestions:
1. Improved support for large maps. Quite a few people (e.g. with motion rigs) have reported wonky feel with bigger maps, both in the FFB and the telemetry. This seems to depend on the position of the car (distance to the origin?). One guy even told me that he gets sick when driving in his motion rig on the scottish map Glencoe. Personally, I didn't have issues, even though I did notice the effects a bit in the FFB, but I hope that it could be improved for those that do notice it strongly.
1b. Partial/chunk loading, thus allowing for even bigger maps and to improve performance.
2. A second, more basic AI model with dumbed down physics (if you can do that ). Or rather "traffic AI". dumbed down, so that you can calculate like maybe 50-100 cars on a decent CPU and thus create the feel of having traffic on the road.
2b. Less important, but maybe an option. I haven't seen any map with traffic lights so far, but it could be an option and if so, the "traffic AI" should understand the concept of it.
2c. It would be cool to have this traffic AI in multiplayer
3. It would be very nice if the game would allow checkpoint racing, meaning that you can define start/finish freely and then checkpoints in between. Might require some UI to lead to the next checkpoint (HUD arrow or similar)
3b. even better if the points and thus the route could be modified from session to session by either an admin or a randomly chosen player
3c. no, please no booster packs or other Mario Kart stuff. (not saying that Mario Kart is bad )

Hope that you can get some of these points done.

 

Sounds like NFS to me


Hell, the upcoming NFS looks fun, I might even get it for my kids (cough!)

 

Not spoil them you shall, train well them little Padawans.

 

No idea, I haven't tried an NFS game in the last ~10 years.
But none of those that I tried was any good at doing open world and that's waaaaaaaay before we even start to talk about physics.

The best so far was definitely TDU, which in the "Hardcore" mode even had somewhat decent physics (for an arcade game).
It's the only non-simulation driving game I do fire up every once in a while because it had such a cool environment (Hawaii), a very cool collection of cars (quite a few of which we have in AC as well!) and it was the last game before AC that I tried were just plain "driving" was fun.

But anyway, I'm not asking for the next project to be an open world oriented game, even though it would be extremely cool.
Just for a few improvements that maybe could be implemented.

 

I don't see Kunos going open world or rl traffic driving as that's a whole new concept, but you never know. If their next project is AC2 or whatever, I think they will stick to their formula and improve in every aspect where the current engine falls short.

 

thanks for not reading and understanding what I wrote.

(hint: I explicitly stated in the post before yours that I don't expect them to go open world. I'm just asking for improvements to allow for mods taking fully advantage of it. And for sure I'm not expecting them to implement everything from the above, it's just suggestions, as always.)

 

I know, but I didn't knew that suggestions could be pure fantasy

 

I'd love Midnight Club 2 with modern graphics and realistic physics. It's my favourite open world racing game because they captured Paris so well...you can really sense the atmosphere of the city in that silly game

If Kunos offered a simplified physics model for basic traffic and pedestrians jumping out of the way last second...awesome.

 

Ideas/suggestions are always based on fantasy.

If (and how) they will be implemented is not for me/us to decide.