A Letter to Racing Game Developers: Offline Singleplayer is Key

Sim Racing Singleplayer.jpg
In a recent poll asking what OverTake community members plan on racing next, the results overwhelmingly pointed to offline racing. As a result, OverTake Editor Angus believes developers must listen to the call for greater single-player functionality in racing games.

Image credit: Reiza Studios

This is starting to feel like I am beating a very old and very tired drum. But sim racing online in the traditional public ranked servers, and even the idea of league racing is becoming more and more tiresome in my opinion. But thankfully, I feel less alone as last week, we ran a pole on the main page asking what the community is planning on doing next in sim racing. The result? Over half of us voted in favour of an offline experience.

Surely then, now is the time for game developers to listen to the outcry of the community, hit pause on the procession of always online arcade titles and ranked racing systems and instead give single player fans a bit of substance.

The proof is in the Poll​

Starting last week, OverTake Project Manager @Jimmi Allison launched a poll destined for the website's home page asking community members where we all plan on racing next. Initially focusing on a specific list of various racing games and ranked racing services, the comments show AI racing offline quickly became a desperately missing option.

50.3% of OT Users aim to race offline next.

50.3% of OT Users aim to race offline next.

Within a day of launching the poll, Offline racing had been added to the options and already amassed a great deal of votes, quickly hitting a majority. The response held over 50% of the votes throughout the week until now when, at the time of writing, Offline racing accounts for 50.3% of all responses.

Second place saw iRacing get 12.7% of votes whilst Le Mans Ultimate represented 10.8% despite its Early Access state.

Holding a majority of the votes, albeit from just 959 participants, this shows a renewed interest from community members in back-to-basics, offline racing experiences. And that is not the only reason developers should finally divide their attention away from the cash cow that is always online gameplay.

Always Online, Always Problematic​

In recent weeks, several stories within the open-world racing game niche have highlighted the major issue with always-online gaming, especially in the racing game world.

Earlier this month, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown launched to, shall we say tempered success. You can read our review of TDUSC here. Whilst we appreciated fun arcade driving physics and impressive engine sounds, there was no getting around the, at times game-breaking, server issues leaving many stuck in loading screens or even unable to launch the game.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown may look pretty, but feels empty.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown may look pretty, but feels empty. Image credit: Nacon

Those lucky enough to enter the main bulk of TDU gameplay in its 2024 guise faced baron landscapes struggling to capture the life that a 1:1 scale of Hong Kong Island should. It seems the push for 'natural' player encounters whilst exploring the world led to a disappointing priorities ladder in which AI cars and other solo gameplay elements like a living world fell to the wayside.

This sort of title is no better after a few years however as Ubisoft's The Crew showcased earlier this year. Back in March, the first of its name was delisted from store pages. But it gets worse as not only could new players no longer purchase the game, but those who did buy the 2014 title could no longer access it either. The title's so-called always online servers now became always offline with servers shutting down.

Since then and no doubt following backlash from the decision, the game's developer has implemented offline modes for both The Crew 2 and the most recent Motorfest. But the first title which, in many fans' opinions was the best of the bunch, will never be officially accessible again.

How to Improve Offline Racing?​

This whole idea of putting effort back into the offline experience and pushing single-player development is not just about making games fun and as immersive as possible in the here and now. Instead, it is about ensuring a title lives on well beyond the community's online adoration has faded away. And all that starts with a fun and engaging offline experience.

I hope Assetto Corsa EVO gets better AI than the series' previous entrants.

I hope Assetto Corsa EVO gets better AI than the series' previous entrants. Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni

In my opinion, there are two main areas developers must make strides to ensure a captivating single player experience with one very much requiring the other. At the core of it all is stronger AI.

AI Development is Lacking in 2024​

AI, computer opponents or bots. Whatever you call them, the rivals that make single-player racing work are one key aspect in sim racing that struggles to receive the love of developers, especially in recent years. Sure, Automobilista 2 is set to receive vastly reworked AI mechanics whilst the likes of Le Mans Ultimate and iRacing are slowly pushing smarter AI. But for the most part, I feel progress has been slow when you consider the advancements of AI outside of gaming.

Take a look at chatbots like ChatGPT, and you will realise that these fully programmed computers almost give off an impression of self-awareness and reasoning. Whilst I understand that a field of 20 cars individually driven by a powerful open-source chatbot would blow up even the most advanced PC builds, selling the lie of aware AI is crucial.


We need to see rival cars that defend at the right time, react to how you are placing your car and think far into a race regarding tyre strategy and aggression. Instead, we currently have a collection of locomotives following a set of pre-selected train lines including pre-programmed spins and pitting at predictable tyre wear percentages.

Racing Games Deserve Better Career Modes​

But there is no point to competent and believe AI cars if it is just to set up random races. Recent racing game releases have also shown a lacklustre and uninspired approach to offline game modes. From EA Sports WRC's repetitive Career to Forza Horizon 5's campaign, the idea of an immersive Career Mode is desperately lacking in modern racing games.

I remember playing games back in my youth like V-Rally 3 with its cool contract signing idea and later the original Forza Horizon and its progression system restricting you to certain cars throughout the game. Nowadays, developers either throw every bonus at players from the get-go or make a game so hard that grinding for hours might just about earn you a set of fuzzy dice.

Then again, a truly iconic career mode requires a great amount of creativity and that is something I do not have. All I can do is hope a modern racing game will be released soon with immersive AI and a progression system that actually makes me want to come back time and time again.

Do you think racing game developers are doing enough for the single-player experience? Let us know in the comments.
About author
Angus Martin
Motorsport gets my blood pumping more than anything else. Be it physical or virtual, I'm down to bang doors.

Comments

People talk about how much more "real" AC is in relation to GT7. Really? Tire model and behaviour side, i can pick a 60s car in GT7 and not have to worry about clutching, or rev matching, or even lifting to change gears. The same happens in AC.
Sorry, I had to jump in here. That's what does not happen on AC. Disable shifting and clutching aids and drive one of those cars on an H Shifter without proper revmatch, and you will burn its gearbox in two laps, leaving you stranded on track. I know because I did it myself many times, before I could rearrange my pedals so I could Heel and Toe properly. Before that, I had to either activate auto clutch or go sequential shifting, which skips some of these mechanisms. Unless the latter is what you are referring to?
 
This is why I uninstalled LMU within a few hours of buying it: A complete lack of a meaningful offline, single-player mode. I also think this is one of the reasons it's doomed to failure. I understand why a career mode is impossible, but hotlaps and championships? There's no excuse for not including them at all.
 
Sorry, I had to jump in here. That's what does not happen on AC. Disable shifting and clutching aids and drive one of those cars on an H Shifter without proper revmatch, and you will burn its gearbox in two laps, leaving you stranded on track. I know because I did it myself many times, before I could rearrange my pedals so I could Heel and Toe properly. Before that, I had to either activate auto clutch or go sequential shifting, which skips some of these mechanisms. Unless the latter is what you are referring to?
I was yes Pai, the way most people or youtubers are playing it, with the aids on. I say this, because as we all know, people with wheels also leave those on, which flies in the face of all the elitism against gran turismo and etc.
 
Yes i am making that question. What is the point of having some fancy tire model, if you are driving a 60s F1 like a GT3 car?
I am glad it is a legitimate question then.
Surely you do not feel that you have to drive a 60's F1 like you drive a GT3 in any modern simulation title like AC, rf2 or AMS2.
The option to select a proper method is available and the car will respond in an authentic manner when you select the authentic feature.
Yes, most, if not all, also offer an edulcorate way of driving, bypassing the authenticity, for those not inclined to get the most real experience, for whatever reason, like possibly lacking the proper hardware and that is a good thing.
 
Premium
In my opinion the problem of whether a game is hardcore or casual is where you play it online or offline.
Let me explain better, if a game is (scalably) casual, it can be good for offline where everyone decides what level of simulation they want to play.
In online, those who organize the races have the possibility of narrowing down the group of drivers with different tools, enable/disable various aids and above all could limit entry only to correct drivers.
This often does not happen because mixed races are made or with a minimum ranking but not races only for the less good drivers, excluding the top players, and some of the latter run easy races just to be able to increase their score or their ego.
So good and casual are mixed creating those well-known problems at the first corner.
 
One of the other issues with online racing is you can put a big effort in to practive, qualify and race and then a few laps from the end someone either accidentally or deliberately ruins your race. If its been a good race and its a 50/50 accident it might not be too bad just annoying but if something is either deliberate or really bad racecraft thats a different story.

In an FPS someone being an arse doesn’t really cost you much in the way of time and effort in sim racing it quite often does.
Not just a few laps from the end. On first corner...
 
That is indeed the conundrum, casuals are needed to keep things flowing and growing, yet we need to make sure people can have somewhat fair races and not be harassed, not an easy balance.

Oh it's definitely not an easy balance... So I do feel for the developers trying to please the hardcore sim racers out there...

So much confusing feedback and there are times when they have to choose the paycheck over the art...

But it is making it harder to actually enjoy sim racing than it was a decade ago with more people not caring about set ups, race craft or strategy...

At least those who don't care about set ups and strategy are easy beats in the good sims...

Those without race craft are menaces no matter the platform...
 
This is why I uninstalled LMU within a few hours of buying it: A complete lack of a meaningful offline, single-player mode. I also think this is one of the reasons it's doomed to failure. I understand why a career mode is impossible, but hotlaps and championships? There's no excuse for not including them at all.
So releasing a GROUNDBREAKING module that allows offline users to team up with others is not supporting the offline user? Releasing new Pitstop board that relieves the driver of making pit changes while driving is not supporting the offline user? Releasing a Game Save function so a single driver can complete a 24hr event all by his lonesome is not supporting the offline user? Having full 2023 grids doesn't benefit the offline driver? Having all the 2024 HY and LMP2 skins somehow doesn't benefit the offline driver? 2024 LMGT3 grids and skins are coming.
Trying to think of the league that awards points for hotlaps, Career mode: start with GT, drive a race, move to LMP2, drive another race. Drive Hybrid in yet another race...congratulations you've completed your career arc! Championship? OK, i'll give you that one....although a paper and pencil could.....nawwwww! :)
 
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So releasing a GROUNDBREAKING module that allows offline users to team up with others is not supporting the offline user? Releasing new Pitstop board that relieves the driver of making pit changes while driving is not supporting the offline user? Releasing a Game Save function so a single driver can complete a 24hr event all by his lonesome is not supporting the offline user? Having full 2023 grids doesn't benefit the offline driver? Having all the 2024 HY and LMP2 skins somehow doesn't benefit the offline driver? 2024 LMGT3 grids and skins are coming.

Just goes to show, you can bend over backwards for the single player crowd in todays sim racing market and they'll never be happy...
 
Assetto Corsa Evo should use an "offline" openai driver algorithm to simulate online racing. All this talk of AI and advanced tech but we havent seen any progress with it in games... Was it all a lie? And we should never have an always online racing SIM or arcade when internet is so unstable.
 
Just goes to show, you can bend over backwards for the single player crowd in todays sim racing market and they'll never be happy...

So now you speak for the entire offline user base with your generalization of them? Or are you speaking for the entire online user base in your generalization of the entire offline player user base? Either way, you are no authority on the subject and your opinion falls well within the range of the old saying about a-holes and opinions.
 
Maybe I would race in some online race now and then if it would be mandatory to drive the car as it should be actually driven. But as in all games it is not, there can be a lot of difference in driving one classic car one way or another, making virtually pointless to race them, furthermore because 90 percent of the people (more or less) don't give a damn in driving the car as it should. And I think the pity is that in most games if could be feasible to force this.
 
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+1

I agree but from a totally different perspective.
I believed for 20 years ( since GTR2 ) that "SOME" studios should band together make a company to
design and develop a new engine which they could all use.

Idea obviously would be the studios involved did not duplicate content ad nauseam.
If a series crossed over that would be okay.

The upside would be you could drive the same car in say 2 different GT3 series in different sims and use the same setup, would feel the same drive the same. Maybe each studio would slightly tweak each car so subtle differences most would not even notice.
Each sim would have same setups dry and wet included.

That is reality :)

I don't need to tell you what that could do to accelerate solving issues, diagnostics, tweaking, feedback when it comes from users across say 4 different sims / studios ;)
 
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Isn't that what Last Garage is about? Maybe you will get your wish.

 
+1

I agree but from a totally different perspective.
I believed for 20 years ( since GTR2 ) that "SOME" studios should band together make a company to
design and develop a new engine which they could all use.

Idea obviously would be the studios involved did not duplicate content ad nauseam.
If a series crossed over that would be okay.

The upside would be you could drive the same car in say 2 different GT3 series in different sims and use the same setup, would feel the same drive the same. Maybe each studio would slightly tweak each car so subtle differences most would not even notice.
Each sim would have same setups dry and wet included.

That is reality :)

I don't need to tell you what that could do to accelerate solving issues, diagnostics, tweaking, feedback when it comes from users across say 4 different sims / studios ;)
Many decades ago (when the Playstation came about, I said the same thing about 'Platform' languages, where any platform could read any system program, so Apple/Playstation/X-Box/PC whatever would all be able to play (at the time) CD's and later DVD's from any platform, My mate said "Never happen, because people would only buy once" and I had to agree, the market depends too much on gullable sheeple who will keep spending on different things to do the same job, but I still feel that it's like having different ovens for Turkey, Chicken, Beef, Lamb...
I have 3 different Platstations for different Gran Turismo games, and I have a PC for AC/GTR2 etc (admittedly I need to clear out about 4 or 5 old PC's)

However your suggestion of a dedicated 'Racing Engine' is fair, and I can see no reason that a handfull of top studio's should not band together to make that 'Miracle' Engine and opperate it under a percentage scheme,
the users would be in for a treat, the game/sim devs would have a field day, and the companies involved would make a profit... until some sticky fingered bunch of investors bought up shares and changed the rules, buggering it all up for the masses.
 
This is why I uninstalled LMU within a few hours of buying it: A complete lack of a meaningful offline, single-player mode. I also think this is one of the reasons it's doomed to failure. I understand why a career mode is impossible, but hotlaps and championships? There's no excuse for not including them at all.
funny (IMO) thing is that the sender of this letter had voted LMU in this poll... :D
i could agree with him, thats my kind of simracing but its still funny.
 
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funny (IMO) thing is that the sender of this letter had voted LMU in this poll... :D
i could agree with him, thats my kind of simracing but its still funny.
What is funny about it? I only play offline and play LMU from time to time. I dont play it more often because of the lack of an offline championship mode.
 
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