Maybe I am wrong, but a lot of guys here don˙t understand what GTL really represents.
No, we know exactly what GTL represents - we would just prefer an approach that is the same as GPL.
If you make a game with modern "historics" on modern tilkedrome circuits then there is really nothing to differentiate it from anything else on the market. AC and RF2, even pCars, RRE, GSCE etc all do this.
Sure there are some historic tracks but the only one that has done this decently is RF2 - the quality of their 3 historic tracks is really good. In AC they only have 1 track, Monza, and even with that, the accuracy of the surroundings is kind of bad when you compare it to photos and footage of the time (and to the RF2 version).
There is a definite market for historical period racing on tracks that have soul and character, unlike many today. Many people still race GPL or converted GPL tracks in other sims for this reason.
The problem is, GPL is very antiquated and can only be pushed so far. The same with the circuits - you can only do so much with the GPL engine, and rather than remake those circuits for modern engines in a detailed and accurate manner, instead, people are porting over the GPL versions.
Yes, it takes a lot of research and effort to make good historical content - something that few developers care for - check pCars Rouen as a really bad example of what not to do.
However it is seriously worth it when done properly - the 3 tracks in RF2 are really nicely done and the recent GPL community tracks are amazing too, it's just they can only do so much with the engine.
I would mind, and I'm sure many others would mind.
Of course it is better to have licensed content if possible, but are you seriously saying you would rather not have content than have de-badged versions of content where licences could not be obtained?
That just seems like cutting of your nose to spite your face and is a bit superficial
At least if the content is there, then modders can provide an altered model / skin to correct it if they wish.
GPL not only had changed names but the unlicensed cars bore no resemblance to the real cars.
That is simply untrue! A few drivers were not in GPL by default (i think Jackie Stewart, i can't remember if there were more), but none had fake names.
And the cars completely did bear resemblance to the real cars.
The only 2 cars that were unlicensed were Cooper and Honda, and both were in the game
Now you might say that the Coventry and Murasama cars in GPL bear no relation to their real counterparts but this is completely untrue.
The physics for those cars are completely based on the Cooper and the Honda of the period.
They just had changed names and slightly altered skins (plus i think they may have re-used other cars 3d models but i can't remember). I think even the drivers that drove for them were the real, even for the "de-badged" teams.
Also for fun, see:
I would also add that one of the good things about GTL was the attention to detail - for example there are 10 Lotus Cortinas in GTL but each one differs slightly in terms of its modelling. IMO this is because they were recreating individual real licensed cars rather than a generic unlicensed car.
Those two wishes are completely unrelated. I too wish for such attention to detail, but it does not rely on having licences.
You can make 10 different Cortina variants and different teams with fake names and altered liveries if you wanted to. You just base each variant / team off of the corresponding real life team or variation of the car. The physics and changes are still there, just the the livery is slightly different and named incorrectly etc.
Licensing is not the issue here, it's more down to developers not caring enough about attention to detail. You see it today with the modern sims - with AC or pCars or whatever, how many of them have the number of different variations and teams and whatever for their cars, compared to your excellent P&G mod?
They simply don't - and yet they have the licences for the cars and vehicles and could easily get team licences if they wanted to. It's just they simply don't consider the small differences between the updates for the vehicles as important or worth spending their time on - they cannot be bothered unfortunately.
At least, that is the impression that i get. I mean look at how many spec series there are.
Look at GSCE, the licensed a stock car series and use the same physics for every single car even though there are 2 distinct body kits. Sure, both cars may be built on the same platform but with the body panel differences, they would at least have different aero, surely?
I am guessing that they only have 1 set of physics for all trucks in formula truck too, where as judging from the little i can find out about that series, all the trucks are completely different.
I mean look at all the sims, the amount of spec series you see where they only make 1 single car from a series and can't be bothered to give it anyone to race against. Instead they just give the cars fake liveries to pretend to be all the manufacturers in the series.
It just makes it all a bit superficial and lacking the depth and differences and atmosphere.
One of the cool things about GPL was the cars were so different yet competitive. The Cooper was way slow but handled well so could still hold it's own on twistier tracks. Each car had its own personality.