I wonder if there's contractual reasons for us not seeing this option? In the Grand Turismo series, only fantasy tracks have a reverse version.
Because most tracks simply aren't built to be run in a reverse layout, only such a simply thing as driving on stepped kerbs the wrong around, goodbye suspension... When I read about reverse layouts I tend to think about Mario Kart where they just needed an easy way to implement more tracks while re-using the same art...
Unless there are sharp curbs that are angled in one direction and will therefore literally break the car, then the rest is just psychological. A right turn is no different than a left turn. A track is a track is a track (within reason, obviously bombs, boulders and bananas on a track is a different story). I have run reverse layouts of tracks in F2000s at the Bridgestone Racing Academy, in F1600s at Jim Russell (just an exercise which included 2 corners), and on 3 different kart tracks (1 indoor in Canada, 2 outdoor in Italy). There is nothing magically wrong about the other direction, it's still just a road with a corner that you race through as quick as possible. While lapping in both directions at the kart tracks, I didn't even know which way was the true direction and which was the reverse because they are 2 completely different tracks. Either direction is a "proper" track. In fact, either direction could be the "real" way, and either direction could be the reverse way. Not only that, but to this day I still don't even know which directions of those kart tracks are the "real" direction. Actually, they might not even have a single "real" direction. The track could just as easily consider both/either way as it's true direction.....Would many people then refuse to even race on those tracks just because they don't happen to know which way was the "real" direction and which way was the reverse (because their minds tell them that "reverse" is somehow incorrect and unacceptable)?? It's all in your head because you know before hand which is the proper way and therefore racing that track in reverse just seems psychologically wrong. Something about "reverse", the "opposite", "backwards", "the other way", etc. just doesn't feel right to the human mind psychologically, that unfortunately clouds a lot of our judgement and puts undeserved doubt and negativity in our minds. Without knowing ahead of time, you wouldn't even know which way the "proper" way was. If I were to get people to test a track that they know absolutely nothing about, in each direction, no one would even be able to tell which was was the "proper" way and which was the reverse way, and nobody would theoretically be able to tell.
As on 90% of the real world racing tracks indeed. Sure thing for karting tracks with just some rumble strips it might also be a cheap way of an alternative layout. Even Zolder without it's stepped kerbs could be a contender. (it has been made 'motorcycle safe'..) However, in real life, safety measures are important. For example, have you noticed the guardrails are always staggered in the race direction? These are clues why they don't race all tracks in two directions. If it's in my head or not, I like to race what is being raced in real life. Unless they are running track X in reverse, I'm not going to run anything else in reverse, because of aforementioned reason, it feels arcadish and superficial, no matter how you want to explain that, that's my view basically. However! There is no reason why a track modder can't include a reverse layout, as SpaSkis hints at. After all, it's just some objects which you need to make unique for a certain layout and change the AIW, and renumber the marshal posts and some other bits and bobs. So if you want it, you can get it, but it will probably have to be done on a track level by the one who has built the track.
Not talking about stepped guardrails, I couldn't care less about that in a sim or in real life. I'm looking at this from purely a "race a car on a track" point of view, not in a "I have a business to run, I have safety standards to meet, I can't have people dying, etc." point of view. Anyways what I'm trying to get at is, why can't there be some option built in rF2 that automatically does this on any track. All it needs to change is the reversal of sector times (1st sector becomes final sector, etc). I guess A.I. would be messed up since reverse is a completely different experience/track, but oh well, if no one bothers with an A.I. file then so be it (there is always the AI learning option too which is apparently underrated). Why can't the software just reverse the split times, reverse the "wrong way" direction, and that's it??... EDIT: Oh ya, forgot about marshals. Just include an option to disable the animated ones and revert to rF1/many other game's kind (just an icon). P.S. I just had a "vision" of the reverse versions of the Quebec karting tracks. Could be bloody brilliant!
Haha of course , I clearly don't know the half of it. But can someone explain why it's so difficult?...
Because you will need to change the placement of (functional) art assets, such as startlights, pit-entry and exit, you will need to change the grid and pit position lines on the road, marshall posts, camera's and pickup points, the entire AIW, brakemarkers need to be totally different, you will probably need a different ideal line uv set as you can take a wholly different line into turns, all your Xobjects need to be different or in the least their direction inverted and there are probably still some things I have not thought about. Doing all this with a tickbox in the tracklayout setting for example, not going to happen, for all intents and purposes a reversed layout is just a separate layout like a 'National', 'Short' or 'Club' layout of track X or Y.
Well it wouldn't just be with a tickbox in-game. The track file could have an option where the track-maker/modder could assign a reverse option. For example, "reverse/alternate version="1"/"true". Then the track-maker/modder would assign/define what he/she wishes to use out of a second set of things like AIWs, gridlines, cam files, marshall placements, etc. The game will then select the proper set of them depending on whether the player selects the reverse option (in-game) or not. The bare minimum to race, I think, would just be sector times (reversed, 1st sector is now the final sector, etc.), the game knowing that "wrong way" is now the correct way, and moved/flipped start lights (moving the grid isn't necessary either, just the start lights). Does the pitlane really have an entry and exit line? Aren't they both just a line indicating that you cannot speed until you cross the next line (regardless of direction)? Even if they do need to be assigned independently as entry and exit, it shouldn't be difficult for ISI to implement the ability for rF2 to reverse which line is considered pit-out and which is pit-in - same with sectors. I don't see why this would be so difficult to implement; the game just reverses a piece of info that it already "knows" (sector order, grid order, pit-in & out order, etc.) AIW, cam files, even other non-essential stuff like different billboards, etc. would be nice too, and i'm sure people would make those as well, if not included then from other modders. The essential minimums, though, could be relatively easy as long as some coding gets implemented by ISI.
By the way, they are doing it in reverse sometime in real life a friend of mine did it and told me it was more fun
Make sure noone knows. Apparently "reverse" is wrong, not good, no fun, incorrect, etc. lol. The guys at that kart track must just be kicking themselves on "reverse" days. They might as well just go drag racing on straightaways if they're going to run a track in the "other" direction. I mean, how fun could an increasing radius right-hand corner possibly be if it was originally thought of as a decreasing radius left-hand corner - oh god the horror....lol
And some people on the forum seem to have selective vision when it comes to smilys. Sendt fra min LG-E400 med Tapatalk2
Let's say we can take apart the unrealistic side of a reverse track just because it's not using in real life. If we only consider all technical problems described here by our great track modders, I have a solution which are AFAIK more easy and create an extra different track using all existing data of an existing track, and without AFAIK any problem: Instead of doing reverse, why not doing a "symmetric track" button? Yes, like a picture we swap horizontally or vertically, meaning a left curve will be a right curve, etc. All data but texture will follow with a simple symmetry computing. Do you see what I mean? AIW, Start, End, Pit, etc. all will stay exactly the same, but symmetric. My tortured spirit don't see any problem with that. An increasing radius right-hand will be a increasing radius left-hand, so what's the deal? I know, and that's why I put the first sentence: We go really far from Reality (with uppercase "R") and half reader of this post whant to kill me when the other half want to catch me to deliver me to the first half, but we can create this in minutes and have a total new track with no work, just a button or a small utility (Silverstone=>Fantasy NotSilverstoneSym), with accurate data, texture, AIW path, pit, Start line, etc. all will work (unless I missed a point that's possible after such a diner with friends ). Hummm ok, don't shoot me, can we just talk like Gentlemen ?
If I'm understanding you correctly, what you're saying won't really be a different experience; the left and right would just flipped around like a mirror image, it's still essentially the same driving experience, just mirrored...The track would't change, nothing would change, it would just be a mirrored/flipped replica. An actual "reverse" track, on the other hand, is practically a completely brand new track in terms of the experience, driving lines, etc., even car-setup. The experience becomes completely different as you have completely different braking zones, completely different corner entries, apexes, lines, exits. You are going into corners at completely different speeds than in the other direction. A long, medium speed corner-exit leading on to a long straight, may now become a hair-raisingly fast corner in reverse because you are now approaching the corner after a long straight, rather than exiting onto a long straight. Same with the shape of the corner, corner combinations, undulations of track surfaces. It should be thought of as a completely different/seperate track, it's own track, because that's what it pretty much is.
You drive Mid Ohio for 20 years one way what do you think would happen till you get accustomed to it. ? lol What I really don't understand so many seem to have time to drive 3 sims ? ( ... I have no idea why... lol ) and all their cars and tracks.........then do them reverse too. ! When do you sleep !?! lol
