The newest blog highlighting Wheel - Wheel racing and success in re-coding outdated aspects of the game has opened the door for a deeper conversation and a few suggestions.
Let me start off by appreciating the efforts Jack, Jose and the whole iGP team have put in so far, you guys have been amazing. The success in FINALLY being able to refresh the codes emphasises the effort, so thank you guys. I might appear extremely critical at times but know it comes from a place of love.
Now to the nitty gritty and suggestions. It's really one major suggestion but it covers a wide range of aspects
'I suggest that 'ANYTHING' that does not currently fix the long standing issues in the game should be shelved for now.'
IMO, before introducing or re-introducing any old/new feature, all efforts should be concentrated on making the game a finished product and the best version it can be.
Here is a list of issues I would suggest to be looked at and made a priority. Keep in mind, this not only benefits hard core gamers in their bubbles but also new/casual players.
1. Qualifying: I don't even know where to begin with this. Off the top of my head, I remember starting complaints about this since 2017. 8 years ago. Personally, I think it deserves the number 1 spot on the priority list of things to be fixed.
2. Bouncing/Ghosting: The newest blog says this will be mitigated with the introduction of w2w and this is a major win for the game as a whole. Lap 1 bouncing in particular needs to be looked at.
3. Dirty Air/Slipstream: In the attempts to balance the game to mirror the golden age iteration of the game (2019-2020), dirty air/slipstream have been tweaked a few times. IMO, the current balance is not good. It takes me back to when there was absolutely no dirty air. EVERY track is now a train. I think either Dirty air should be increased, slipstream reduced or both. This singular act imo will lead to varied strategies (as opposed to rechargeable batteries).
4. Buff Downforce: Without giving out too much, car development has reverted back close to an old format. To help create some sort of variety Downforce especially needs to be buffed. Not by much, but it needs a buff.
5. Separate RF from NRF: Sigh! This is one of the cases the devs should not have listened to the player base. It has just created unnecessary headaches when trying to balance one format because it ultimately affects the other. Separating one from the other will allow for proper balancing of the economical attributes (FE/TE), which AGAIN is what can lead to diverse strategies. Having diverse strategies will make you more inclined to spend your boosts more freely.
6. Keep it fresh: Extending from above, tweak te/fe curves seasonally. What works for winter shouldn't be the same for summer. Keep us guessing.
Of course there are other things to be looked at as well (pit entry/exit, transfer markets etc) but I think the ones listed above should be made priority.
Extra: Had a discussion with a friend and we entertained the idea of scraping formats all together. The devs should do a sort of survey/data gathering and see what is most active (1 car vs 2, RF vs NRF), gut the less active and focus on just those active formats. Might be too radical, but it's an idea worth looking at from an activity point of view.
Please endeavor to keep replies and comments on-topic. The issues mentioned are too important for it to digress. Thank you.
