Instead of the game getting better and better every year it seems to get more and more disappointing. I've read most of your ideas and none of them seem that far fetched. In fact most of them would make the game what it should be, and it blows my mind that something as simple as a formation lap, or full pit control driving can not be implemented between a year of game design. I know this year the cars have changed drastically and that has its own challenges, but start listening to your users codemasters! Even implementing a couple of these features each year would make me want to keep buying the game. Your users have evolved, the game is not nearly as challenging in 2013 as it was when it was first released. I appreciate the features they have for users who are just starting out. I think that is a great idea, but they also need to cater to users who have been with the game since the start. I don't believe any of us who have put as many hours into the game as i have are truly being challenged anymore.
It drives me nuts to read that ERS is going to be used at controlled points on the track and not completely user controlled. that is not how it is in real life. The whole purpose of ERS is to induce overtaking, how can I overtake someone when my ERS is being turned on/off at the same point on a track as the others i'm driving with?
The fact that there isn't a demo almost says it all for me. It is the same game as the last 4 years (i've bought all 4) with a tweaked graphics engine and newly designed cars to match the 2014 season. I will probably buy this years just because I love F1 not because it is a game i truly enjoy playing anymore.
I understand they can't do most of what we are asking, but none of it seems unreasonable and I would've thought that they would have come up with some of these things on their own. As an engineer myself i'm willing to bet their engineers and designers think just like us and their ideas get shot down by the higher ups, in order to meet the deadline. The schedule for releasing the game is completely off too, in the middle of a season doesn't make any sense. I would rather wait until the end of a season for one year so they could do more for their users then start playing the game with ~4 races left in the season.
They have no reason to innovate, there is no competition in this segment, they own the rights to the cars as I understand so no one else can create a competing game. Rubbish!
If you disagree with most of my thoughts, no need to sweat none of it will happen.
That's my 2 cents.