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)

 

[daniel291284]

Actually there is one thing in F1 2010 what is annoying me alot. That´s maybe only happining to me that frequently because I couldn´t find anyone complaining about it before.
Anyhow, when I decide to go for a fast lap in training or qualifying, then I´m getting stocked behind my teammate in the first turn in about two of five cases.
So, there is no communication inside the team, obviously. That just would not happen in real Formula 1.
Also plenty of cars are using the racing line during installation laps or whatever. And they`re mostly not giveng you the space to overtake them smoothly. So you`re alway losing alot of time there.
Will this be fixed?

Thanks alot.

 

[Erik Tveit]

1. In F1 2010, the AI's are pretty bad originally. And this became better with some mods, will F1 2011 also support mods?
2. Rear Damage where? I love the damage on the front, but there is nothing real with it at the back.
3. AI's pit strategy: When it's drying, will the AI's pit at the same lap, or will they have different unsuccessful and successful strategics?
4. Will it support Apple or Linux as operation system, or is it Windows only?
5. When you play online, will there be possibles to watch the race, and/or start after the start has gone, but it must be on the 1st lap. I mean, if you join a server when the race starts or are in the start of the first lap, should you be able to start the race in the pits then?

Regards.. Looking forward to it.

 

[MatrixFC1969]

Hello Stefan, congratulations for the game which is fantastic even with some bugs, but who has none.
let me give you some advice that I would like you to bring in the next version of the game.
1. career so 3,5,7,10,15,20,25,30 years
2. spectator mode offline so as to enjoy a gp
3.Create an alternative league maximum 15 teams (custom) with teams and drivers from scratch to be edited at will even with a stock car and driver original F1 (starting from 1980 to present).
4. choice of paths for the championship on the basis of 30-35 circuits
I hope at least something of all this

 

[baccobest]

Why we need money in F1 ? to Buy what ?
and F1 2011 come´s out when ?
Thx

 

[theshade]

What can we expect from this game?

What are your plans as far as realism for this game? I was looking at the Cruden Hexatech racing simulator which costs 125,000. I have almost the same setup, instead of 3 40" tvs i have 3 24" monitors. And my computer has 2 580gtx's. If you can get as real as that looks, heck i think anyone wouldnt mind spending $60 on a brand new game lol. Please help, us nerds need something to do other than play Crisis.

 

[Slipstream City]

Any innovation for 2011?

Hello Mr. Hood

F1 2010 has the honour of being arguably the best racing game ever created, so the pressure is most definately on for the latest installment in this series.

- How do you aim integrate the new moveable rear wing and KERS into gameplay?
- Are you going to further expand upon the "Be the Driver" concept?
- Are there any new features for online play, and a new ranking system that people actually know how much XP they got?
-Are you going to reflect the Pirelli`s drop off rate?
- Is there going to be any post race celebration? (THE RETURN OF THE PODIUM?)

Thanks for your time, Best of luck with the new game

Colin Smith

 

[shinigami002]

F1 2010 is the best sim racing game ive ever played and i love the thrill of the race but there are little bugs.

In 2010 when i changed team the driver i have taken over just vanishes from the table are you changing it in this game so they go to other teams or not???

Ive noticed that the name of the driver is on the car and not your own will this chane on this game???

Is their goin to be a saftey car this time instead of just the yellow flags???

is their going to be more communication between the drivers and their team to discuss if they can pass one another so one driver can focus on the tital ??

Is their going to be the moveable rear wing that is used in real life and will their be kers???

Thanks

 

[Gareth Jones]

Here's a suggestion, sort out the problems with corrupt saved games. I've had it three times now and it's damn annoying!! I'm playing on the xbox 360 btw, there doesn't seem to be any reason for it, it's pretty much ruining the game for me as I can no longer do a career mode or even a custom career in grand prix mode as it could happen at any time.

Got to my fifth year of a seven year career, practice for China, saved game wouldn't load.

Restarted a five year career, got to qualifying for Germany (in first season), message appeared while the game was loading saying operation falied: saved data corrupt.

Restarted a three year career, got to Turkey qualifying again in first season, message appeared while the game was loading saying operation failed: saved data corrupt.

Oh and I'm sure others have said the AI needs a complete overhaul.

 

[jowak]

Just don´t put that catchup system. That **** destroyed the 2010 game. It´s ridiculous a race whitout little or big gaps between the cars. Hrt or Lotus with the fast laps. F1 is not arcade, it´s a simulation. It´s different. Comeback to the gp4 to play with that old graphics is terrible when you have a awesome f1 game like f12010 but with a very poor Ai engine. This time im gonna wait to decide if im gonna buy.

 

[Euro-racer]

Would you please read the 2011 game wishlist?

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Pff we have totally forgotten about this thread. Will contact Stephen Hood once more to see if we can ask him some questions. Any of you guys living in the UK and are good with camera's and microphones (aka as live interviewing )?

Who knows, maybe we can do an interview on RaceDepartment TV with him, that would be nice.

 

[TMo24]

Questions I would like to know if Stephen can answer
1. Will there be a more in depth Career Mode. More names, more helmet designs, and maybe have the choice of being a created player or start a career with an existing racer like Vettel or Button and so on. If we start a career with a created player can we get the names we created put on the cars instead of the person that actually drives them. I think if the designers did that alot of people would be happy.
2. Will there be engine failures or tire blow outs?
3. Will there be a safety car in this years version?
Overall Codemasters made a great game for 2010, can't wait for the 2011 version.

 

[insomniac7777]

Will the wheel Logitech Formula Force EX be supported fully?

 

[lion989]

Will a f1 specific steering wheel be developed for F1 2011, I remember back in a formula 1 game back on the Playstation 1 a Jordan steering wheel was developed, which was brilliant. I t would be brilliant if we could have something similar to that with flapply panel gearbox, etc.

 

[zeek1597]

Will there be a larger multyplayer loby like other simulation racing games (up to 16 players). will there be all the tracks from the F1 2011 season and from former seasons?

 

[Hudson Silva]

Online races : would you guys fix the penalty ? Sometimes when there is a crash in front of you and you try to avoid by cutting on the outside, we always get penalty, we should not be penalized by avoiding a crash !!! Best wishes from Brazil by the way : I wish we could have Senna racing, because Massa, not so much eheheheh !!!!!. my id in PS3 is hudsonjoe1

 

[Abdellah Maya]

hello Stephen Hood,
Congratulations for the f1 license and for the f1 2010 game.
My question for you is........ why you did call for the the eperienced Geoff crammond for the AI of f1 2011?

He is the best in his domain...

The AI of f1 2010 is not smart enought....it deserves a true genius's experience....

thank you...

 

[F1 2011 Rocks!]

Oh, hell yeah! Team up Geoff Crammond with the F1 2011 team and we have the best F1 game for years to come.

Edit: I have also got a lot to say about penalties. The AI are continuously hitting me from behind, just because they don't know how to use their damn brakes - even if I brake earlier than they want to, they should brake as well. And if they don't, then they should get penalties! But they don't - as I said before, one of the pre requisites for F1 2011 is an even playing field for AI and human in all areas.

Also, it's ridiculous that an AI can hit you from behind hard enough to DNF themselves - yet you carry on? I had DNFs in this way in at least six occasions in one race. Once again, teach the AI to use their brakes and this problem goes away, but by the same token, the AI must be more fallible. I very much doubt whether they're actually affected by:

Fuel Sim,
Tyre Sim (and the mods haven't done anything to convince me otherwise, now I've played them a bit)
Traction control
ABS Braking (which is banned anyway) - a quote from an F1 website:

When it comes to the business of slowing down, Formula One cars are surprisingly closely related to their road-going cousins. Indeed as ABS anti-skid systems have been banned from Formula One racing, most modern road cars can lay claim to having considerably cleverer retardation.

I mean, do you guys ever see an AI get out of shape going into or out of a corner? I don't think I've seen it once since I bought the game. The AI need their rails taken away for F1 2011 for the series to truly move forwards.

 

[Pure_F1]

F1 2011 Questions

First of all I loved F1 2010, it was visually amazing which leads to my first question.

1) Display?
The framerate would drop during FP & Q, will this be sorted in 2011? Also would you be using the LG TV graphics which show driver positions, the lap count and the dashboard? (kph/rpm/KERS/DRS/Gears)?

2) Main Menu?
The main menu in F1 2010 was ok but could be expended around the Paddock. For example the Career could be in the Team's Motorhome, Free Race in Parc Ferme (cars visabily selectable in PF conditions), Time Trials in the FIA's Race Control and Multiplayer at the Paddock Entrance/Exit?

In the Career menu, a Season & Race Result option would be nice, see who finished where in the course of past and current seasons. It could be in the style of what Wikipedia uses of every F1 season page to display the WC standings and colours representing places. (Gold - 1st, Silver - 2nd, Bronze - 3rd, Green - Points, Blue - No Points, Purple - DNF)

3) Be the Driver?
This gave players a connection with the F1 world but each driver in life has something which lets them express themselves, aka Helmets (Hamiltons's bright yellow with coloured ribbions). Players should be able to design their own unquie helmet involving different colours, shape and graphics, not just the standard nationality flags? Celebrations (Alonso's in-car puppet hand & Ruben's Podium Shuffle). Players could choose their own arm, hand and head movements for in-car celebrations and different ways to enter the podium and to spray the champagne for when we win a race.

4) Race Day?
Before the race start, players should be able to drive to the grid and then be met by race personnel with their equipment and media wanting to get a few final words (Martin Brundle etc.) The recon lap could be put in, allowing players to warm tyres and brakes before the start, not just appearing on the grid and then lights out. After the race has finished, you could complete the parade lap, picking up discarded rubber to add weight, while doing so your engineer could relay information about the race such as where rival drivers finished, your fastest lap time and top speed. Team briefings could also be added where you, the other driver, team principal and race engineers meet to dicuss and set the objectives for qualifing and the race.

5) Reliability & Mechanical Problems?
Reliabililty must play a part in F1 2011!!! There could be a system of "percentage of failure" of engines and gear boxes which could be affected by age, settings (fast/cruise), certain R&D parts on the car and the circuits that you are at.

6) Safety Car?
Would you implement the SC if the was a collision on track, only for a lap or so, but drivers have to keep temperatures of the brakes and tyres up in the meantime. Also could there be recovery trucks removing the car visible when the SC is leading and marshals at the side of the circuit waving flags when needed.

7) Other Questions
Tyre Blankets? More activity/equipment in the garages? Pit Boards? Minimum 640kg weight? Unlockable Classic Cars, Drivers and Circuits? More in depth press conferences? More communication between you, your agent and other teams? Improved crash damage? Improved fan reaction to drivers? (Fans boo if no one other than a Ferrari/Italian wins at Monza)?

--Chris, Lancashire--
--Hope the guys at Codemasters hear this!!--

 

[My993C2]

I enjoy driving these F1 2010 cars, the graphics are great. But fix the damn AI. Everything else in irrelevant as long as AI in this series is dorked out. I recently did a 19 race season on F1 tracks in "GTR Evolution" and while the AI has it's flaws in GTR Evo (mainly they are too timid when trying to pass lapped traffic) at least I knew I was racing other cars on the track. Their lap times were not invented out of thin air and they had an actual race pace. Some AI opponents were fast, some were not so fast. It all depended on their configured driver skill level. If CM releases 2011 with the same AI they use in 2010, I don't care what eye candy they give us, I will NOT be buying the game. The AI in 2010 is seriously dorked.