F1 2011 Your questions for Codemasters' Stephen Hood (T4RG4)!

[OverTake.gg]

As you might know we are compiling questions for our exclusive interview with Codemasters' Chief Game Designer Steve Hood (a.k.a.T4RG4). We will talk with him about F1 2010 and F1 2011.

Of course we would like to include some community questions as well. This thread is dedicated to your questions. Please follow some simple rules

• Stay on topic, questions only = no discussions (feel free to open as much threads as you like for discussions but not in this one )
• Be nice
• Be creative, try to come up with questions that haven't been asked hundreds of times already.
• Read the thread first to avoid duplicates

Time to let us hear your voice. Take it away.

ps1: We might have a nice prize for the most original question that gets included in the interview!
ps2: You can also send us your questions via Twitter (@racedepartment)

 

[sidepartings26]

Will you be making the expert AI more of a challenge for 2011?
I don't find them much of a challenge even with all assists off...

Can you please balance out how well AI perform at various circuits?
E.g. AI drivers are very slow at Spa, Canada, Hockenheim, Monza etc but disproportionately fast at Catalunya and Silverstone etc..

 

[Jack Wall]

Hi,

F1 2010 was a welcomed success in the genre and congrats on the acheivement. Seriously well done.

The King is dead, long live the King! so here we go again.

Q1) Will the hardcore sim fan be better served with F1 2011 than in F1 2010 ... and how ?

Q2) Whilst probable not an exhaustive breakdown, if the game is broken into Live the life, Playability [Arcade vs Simulation] and Performance, what's the % split of work/effort that's gone into these categories and can would give an example of what's new in each?

Q3) Any thoughts on the sometimes emotional forum feedback for F1 2010 and how much influence has it had on F1 2011?

Q4) For breakfast, conservative Continental or full on Fry Up?

Edit: Q to forum mod please-
Q1) When is this Q&A happening or is it already done and dusted?

 

[VavaVoom]

Hi,
In addition to the questions asked about the Safety Car and Podium celebration, could we also have some more realistic ATMOSPHERE during qualifying and the races? F1 2010 has no atmosphere whatsoever and it just doesn't feel realistic to be racing at Hockenheim with rows and rows of empty stands, and no sounds of fans roaring whatsoever.

Also, any chance of some basic commentary?

Thanks.

 

[bebbe]

More realism to the game

The thing I want in F1 2011 is all the things that can make it more realistic.

So are there gonna be formation lap to actually warm up the tires and that it would have a reaction on the grip at the start of the race?

Even the outlap from the pit around the track and onto the grid for the prepare for the race and after a completed race drive into the pit and park the car.

That would make the game so nice in one way. Like you get a podium finish and you just take that last lap and just celebrate. And drive in and walk to the podium and take your price.

Omg, that would be so awesome!

 

[Italien83]

Hi,

You will reintroduce the rule of 107% during the Q1 session (as this year) or an choice to activate or no this option ? The same thing would be interesting for red flags. Thanks.

Good luck with this new version of your game !

In the same time, you can read the "F1 2011 wish list" topic ... ^^

 

[isamu]

Hi Stephen. Will we be able to spectate online multiplayer races? Particularly if we simply want to enter a lobby and spectate only? Thanks

 

[i<3f1]

please different steering wheels.
and a wider choice of helmets.
a option of using a parade lap.
and being able to go on the podium

please take notice of these suggestions.

 

[MIKKA_HAKKINEN74]

As a F1 fan and a F1 race addicted i would like to see the next F1 game , for example if the drivers changing the team for the next season this is on career mode, i would like to see his car number 1 changed to the next team of course if he changed, that will be great and also the tyre pressure, and to be frank if you guys i would like to see if codemasters can do, but this is will be very complicated to do, but for example : ( if you start a carreer mode i would like to see if the game give us an option to do de aerodynamics with the engineers, like the real F1 drivers, help the time on the wind tunel and etc.. Also i would like to see for an example if there is an accident during the race, and this accident is quite big, i would like to see if the driver will be injurie and respectivaly he'll out for some weeks and then come back, this things could make a big difference on the game.9 this is like a footabll game, some times during the football season the players got injuries and stuff like that. Do you know what i want to explain here ) see the other drivers interviews after the race, podium.... this is some my ideas, this is my point of view guys... safety car wil be very welcome. But i also want to say thank you guys from race department to give us a chance to express ourselfs here and thank's CODEMASTER THE BEST RACE GAME SO FAR FOR ME, NUMBER 1.... I PLAY EVERY DAY......... THANK'S VERY MUCH

 

[wrcstreet]

please put a safety car in it!
also more crashes and mechanical failures.
KERS
podium
you must fight harder for your position. it is too easy to overtake.

 

[F1 2011 Rocks!]

Hi,

You will reintroduce the rule of 107% during the Q1 session (as this year) or an choice to activate or no this option ? The same thing would be interesting for red flags. Thanks.

Good luck with this new version of your game !

In the same time, you can read the "F1 2011 wish list" topic ... ^^

Seconded - you will find a lot more of our requests there. One other thing - will PC gamers be forced into pre ordering the game again to get a boxed copy? I think that was out of order and I'd rather not preorder this time until I know that certain basic things, such as cornering speed for AI on all circuits and a level playing field across all areas are present.

Also, I find it completely unacceptable and a damn shame that a game with such potential was left with only one patch, when at least one more was sorely needed - will there be better support for F1 2011??

 

[nph3k]

Sorry for repeating what some other people have already said, but these are things that I would need to see included and fixed to buy the game again:

• Will there be safety car, more AI crashes, red flag (even if they are scripted as they happened in the season - it would still be progress to making a truely realistic F1 sim)?
• The delay for the pit crew to let you go - will this be sorted in 2011?
• Will we get to deep dive into the telemetry as you can in real life and compare it lap on lap?
• Will we see more set up options?
• Will we see greater support from codemasters for 2011, in terms of bug fixing?
• Will we see more realistic damage, i.e. damage to side pods, damage to the under panel, suspension damage if you bump a barrier to hard...?
• Will we get to pick race engineer, and get more constructive realistic feedback from him/her (equal opporunities )?

I think if the answer is yes to even half of those I would buy the game.

Thanks.

 

[F1 2011 Rocks!]

You forgot the most important points:

AI affected by Fuel sim
AI affected by Tyre sim
AI penalised same as player is.

Also, I'd love this:

In the words of Jeremy Clarkson: How hard can it be?

Edit: How much of that info is really on an F1 wheel? If a lot of it is, then I'd like to see it in F1 2011 as the lap/position HUD is an eyesore right now. Also, note the time distance displayed between Coulthard and Schuey - that would be most useful in F1 2011.

By the sounds of the Codies' forum, flags + trackside marshals are confirmed for F1 2011 - maybe pitboards will make it in as well.

 

[Terry Rock]

Based on what I saw as a total disregard in not finishing F1 2010...I've already made up my mind not to buy F1 2011 unless something 'drastic' happens in it's development and support. My question is this..."Will it be completed prior to release and have a functioning replay system...like every other pc racing sim developed in the last 20 years or will it be a "hodge-podge"...with guys having to setup record/replay links again?

 

[ForzaFerrari#1]

Helmet designer/career mode

I still haven't heard anything about a helmet designer for F1 2011. There were just no real choices in F1 2010 to pick from. I know multiple individuals who already designed their own im the hope that it'll come about. Also there could be a 10 or 7 year career mode starting back in 2001 or 2004 which would givw the chance to the player to start a career in the past reflecting the real transfers and strength of old teams for the last few years until now or at least a vintage season(i.e 1990 or 1982)

 

[F1 2011 Rocks!]

Based on what I saw as a total disregard in not finishing F1 2010...I've already made up my mind not to buy F1 2011 unless something 'drastic' happens in it's development and support. My question is this..."Will it be completed prior to release and have a functioning replay system...like every other pc racing sim developed in the last 20 years or will it be a "hodge-podge"...with guys having to setup record/replay links again?

So you've already made up your mind not to get F1 2011 despite not even seeing any videos? For what? Replays?

Good for you.

 

[wrcstreet]

when can we see a gameplaay/trailer?
i can't wait anymore

 

[Hall77]

I'm disappointed by some of the negative comments on here, yes there are some omissions from F1 2010 and it was a shame about the bugs but as we have seen with Call of Duty/Halo 3 etc no amount of game testing provides what hundreds of thousands of game players can find. I think CM have made a pretty good fist of their first attempt on "proper" platforms (PC/Xbox360/PS3) but there is room for improvement.

Anyway my thoughts for 2011 although I guess they're too late now, and I apologise for duplications with everyone else's ideas.

- Podiums, parade laps, safety cars, red (to allow restarts) and orange & yellow flags, some telemetry to help with adjusting set-ups

- I presume Mr Ecclestone will have put the mockers on editing the teams (with licence issues) but could there be a driver swap between teams facility and an adjusting of teams ability (sliding scale on downforce, speed, mechanical grip etc)? Just in case people want to buy the one version and not risk later versions going bad (like Pro Evo soccer did)

- I don't understand how people on the set-ups page can have no downforce around tracks like Monaco and Hungary and get good times, the physics engine should not allow this, if this happened on the real track the cars would be undriveable. I'm not knocking these guys for being far better than me but it suggests that there is no point in set-ups.

- A bit more crowd noise, I seem to remember Nigel Mansell saying he could hear the crowd at Silverstone so if it's your home grand prix maybe it could be made more 'emotional'

- More retirements - with the option to edit how often certain cars/teams have problems (e.g. Kobayashi/Hispania)

Thats all for now, as I said most things would already have been implemented by now.

 

[Hall77]

Oh and longer career - until you want to retire. Then make a Schuey like comeback

 

[Terry Rock]

So you've already made up your mind not to get F1 2011 despite not even seeing any videos? For what? Replays?

Good for you.

I'm sitting out the initial offering based on the fact that I hold all products (not just games) to a higher standard. I'll support any game developer who's interested in supplying me with the best product support for my "hard-earned" dollars. It's rather simple really..."Try to fix the obvious issues". I like to see a reasonable attempt before moving on to something 'new' while asking me to pay full price all over again. I'm just 'funny' that way. While I never expect any software to be perfect, releasing one patch and 'walking' away while leaving glaring holes just doesn't 'cut' it for me. A few nice-lookin' screenshots or videos will not change that. With GTR3, rFactor2 and a few other promising sims being released in the not-too-distant future, they're plenty of other viable options to look at.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

I love how this thread has been around for almost 8 months and not one question has been put forward.
Big waste of time if you ask me.