Collision physics, driving physics.

[Maxaxle]

1. What EXACTLY should happen when you crash your car into something? Should your car bounce like rubber or just start scraping into whatever it's colliding with? Should random props (like newspaper dispensers) be weighted or practically weightless? How much should a collision affect your vehicle's performance and/or part durability?
2. How should the suspensions, tires, and differentials work? If it could be summed up by saying "it should be like this one game", what would that game be?

[cdoublejj]

cracked windshield maybe a little blood on the dash, in car view only so we don't get sued by showing car damage. This has been decided for years.

[Maxaxle]

I mean, in terms of physics, how should the car react?

[cdoublejj]

as far as driving and racing? Between arcade/games and simulation. Realistic but, not "team of researchers" realistic.

[Maxaxle]

1. So like NFS 3 or something?
2. As far as "reactions", I'm just saying that it doesn't make sense for a car to instantly stop if it bumps something at 50 MPH, therefore what would happen (physics-wise, not damage-modelling wise) if a car crashes into something?

[cdoublejj]

That's true but, also doesn't make since when a game dissapears from an online store and web site URL brings up an error 404 because they are being sued by huge corporation who is pissed because of the way their car was portrayed.

This is an issue that's gonna require some work to get the best answer.

[Maxaxle]

I get what you mean, but most racing games with manufacturer names in them (even ones that explicitly endorse or are centered around specific cars) feature SOME sort of collision physics. On the milder end, we have stuff like NFS, which has collision physics but usually only pre-rendered damage, whereas on the more extreme end we have Vin Diesel: Wheelman (read: "Vin Diesel: The Movie: The Game: The Movie: The Game") which prominently features Pontiacs and Opels that can be crashed, shot up, used in car combat (people in cars smashing/bashing/small-arms-fire-ing each other on the streets of a real city), and eventually blown up just like any other car. IMO the cars with official names attached to them don't even have many attractive aspects when compared to other cars you can snag in the game.

[cdoublejj]

those games had written content to do so. i think plan for no is to do what SR 1 and 2 did in car view shatter, windscreen. the second the car hits, your flipped to inside view with shatter windscreen and the race/game is halted (so physics wouldn't even matter) and your out a car.

Then if get permission to thrash cars we can and dents and scratches and depending on how bad the crash is you may or may not be able to save your car.