What car handling do you prefer in games?

[Maxaxle]

I usually have a few types of preferences.
1. Arcade: Car handling is outright wacky, but is nuanced in specific ways. Saints Row 2 is one of the better examples of this, but Just Cause 2 is probably the best example.
2. Unrealistic but gameplay-balanced: Self-explanatory. Halo 1, Quake 3 Rally, Interstate '76, and GTA3 are generally this. Vin Diesel: Wheelman is probably the best example.
3. Semi-realistic: Driver: the Gran Turismo series, Mafia 2 (Simulator handling mode), and GTA4.
4. Uberrealistic: Simulators.

If car handling in a game isn't true to one of those four types, I usually can't get into it too much. GTA5 for some reason isn't nuanced enough for me, and Saints Row 3's vehicles are fairly boring. The worst examples I can think of are that one Godfather game (where vehicles are a combination of squirrely and bizarre) and The Saboteur (where the vehicles are beyond boring).

[cdoublejj]

I prefer Simcade handling. Even the best simulations aren't perfect and aren't' the same as the real deal, and too some degree can even take the fun out of it. Arcade to a degree can take the fun out of it if you a car guy or gear head like me.

Understanding the faults and making the best with what you have results in simcade, think Sr 1 and 2 or Need For Speed III Hot Pursuit or even the Grand Theft Auto Series, like GTA SA or GTA IV. NFS Pro street might be another example.

[Jackarooing_Cowboy]

sorry for jumping into an old thread guys, don't think I have been back on in the last year.  But i would definitely only go for simcade or simulation handling.  with gta iv as a minimum and forza 4 as a good middle ground.  Really hoping to see this project of the ground

[cdoublejj]

sorry for jumping into an old thread guys, don't think I have been back on in the last year.  But i would definitely only go for simcade or simulation handling.  with gta iv as a minimum and forza 4 as a good middle ground.  Really hoping to see this project of the ground

exactly. i haven't played FORZA but, if it's any thing like DIRT 2 it's probably pretty good. When i say GTA IV, know that most of issue people had are not the handling but, the controls. even the analog triggers on the 360 controller behaved more like the on-off function of a keyboard. most people complain of lack of traction that's because every one is nailing the pedal to the floor with out realizing it.

Another game that was simcade that i really like is Need For Speed 3 Hot Pursuit, the old form the late 90s. It's aged well and make some newer games seem poor in the handling department.

I bet I or all of could go on on and with game titles that had decent handling and if you wish by all means do. 

Not sound too selfish but, given all the games over the years i FEEL like I should have good idea of what to except from SR3 on the handling front. I have a feeling it's not just me though. 

One thing on the dev side i'd like to see is the vehicle handle config files like the GTA series does. it make adding new vehicles and tweaking existing vehicles on the development/modding side easier.

[Maxaxle]

1. People who played GTA4 on the Xbox 360 really should have tried it on the PS3. A careful pair of trigger fingers and an expectation for weak trigger springs will get you through the game without issue.
2. NFS3 had amazingly fun handling.
3. Saint's Row 3 vehicle handling, as I mentioned before, is entirely boring. It's predictable, but too predictable, whereas GTA3 vehicle handling was predictable without being boring.

[cdoublejj]

saints row 3 is the "sticklikeglue" cheat code for GTA San Andreas. it's very predictable like you said and also completely unreal, cars do things they should not be able to.

[Maxaxle]

saints row 3 is the "sticklikeglue" cheat code for GTA San Andreas. it's very predictable like you said and also completely unreal, cars do things they should not be able to.

Well technically, sticklikeglue makes it a ton easier to flip your car. Not really an upside if you're driving an SUV.

[cdoublejj]

stick like glue and saints row 3 also don't GIVE when you need the car to slip or slide a little bit or a lot. i'ts just steer left or right as sharply as need at any speed, which is all wrong. and yeah worse case you flip.

NFS Carbon has this issue sort of. it lets you slide when need to you want to .... for the most part, if you "hit" or "take" a corner in NFS Carbon JUST right the car flip on 2 wheel but, not flip.

I think it has some anti flip code so when you get it just right it, trys to give traction when it shouldn't but, it also can't let you flip the car so you end up doing an "endo" on your side.

[Maxaxle]

IMO some of the best NFS vehicle handling was before NFS Underground, though NFS Underground still allowed you to turn off the traction control, meaning that you could slide through corners occasionally. Underground 2 and later games just say "eh, fuck it" and take away your ability to slide for no obvious reason.

[cdoublejj]

IMO some of the best NFS vehicle handling was before NFS Underground, though NFS Underground still allowed you to turn off the traction control, meaning that you could slide through corners occasionally. Underground 2 and later games just say "eh, fuck it" and take away your ability to slide for no obvious reason.

IMHO I think your right. 

[Battlewagon]

I would lean toward authentic car handling, but I realize that with a game like Street Rod 3, many compromises have to be made.  For example, is it really possible to know the effect of a mod in real life?  So many variables have to be taken into account that inevitably a compromise has to be found. 

[Maxaxle]

For example, is it really possible to know the effect of a mod in real life?

...No? /s

Being serious, there's probably some large amount of math involved in estimating and/or simulating the effects of a mod.

[cdoublejj]

Yeah it's possible to have pretty good idea of what effect it will have with out math. Physics don't really change but, the cars do.  It helps to have experience riding any thing wheels since the age of 4 and come from a family of mechanics and hot rodders.

How ever there books out there like "How to Make Your Car Handle: Better Handling, Safety and Performance" That explain the science and math.

This is one reason I like simcade, fairly or really close to the real thing with out needing millions of dollar or hours of program and research and development. Sometimes with all that simulation racing games aren't that much more accurate. sometimes wildly inaccurate like need for speed shift. (Grant it they market it as a simulator though it's far from)