Have Your Say: Should All Sims Have Flashback/Rewind Options?

[Paul Jeffrey]

For this weekends 'Have Your Say' we have a very interesting question from one of our community members @Rapala around the use of "flashback" options in sim racing.

Flashbacks / pause and rewind, resume from replay and other such features have been sporadically employed in a number of racing games over the years but are largely overlooked in the world of sim racing, are the developers missing a trick?

Recently a member of our awesome community reached out to me wondering if we could feature this very question in our 'Have Your Say' series of articles. @Rapala explains below:

"I often find it very frustrating to set up a long race, you're having a great time and then the AI (or myself!) does something totally boneheaded and boom you're off with no chance of catching up or damaged and just like that your race is over. If I'm something like 20 minutes in or whatever, I normally can't be bothered to try again and rather go drive online or fire up battlefield or something.

Having gotten into F1 2017 and remembering dirt 3, I just love the fact that your efforts are not vaporised in 1 unpleasant blow. It really doesn't take away the challenge of the race, I mean you still have to drive fast to win.

Also when I discovered RF2 had the 'resume from replay' feature, I started using it as a 'flashback' feature. Like I'd give myself 3 'flashbacks' per race and after that you're on your own. It can be used kind of like a difficulty slider, giving yourself less and less flashbacks as you progress.

It got me thinking that personally I'd love to see flashbacks implemented in all sims to make single player less brutal and unforgiving. I know there'll be a vocal bunch in the RD community who will get massively upset in a "we're not playing a mere GAME here son" at the mere mention of it, but it might also be surprising how many might support something like this".
​

So with the above in mind, our question for 'Have Your Say' today is:

Flashbacks. Would you like to see them in all racing simulations, would you use them, and do you think this sort of thing has a place in sim racing?

Happy debating folks and enjoy the weekend!

 

[sjb266]

No thanks. Will never use rewind function..

 

[Catlin]

I thought we were in October, not April?

 

[Jefferson Costa]

Never made use of this when available, and don't see the point of having it.

 

[Celestiale]

I'd like to see it for every Sim. Especially in AI races when the AI reacts funky sometimes (which is true in every sim to date) it could save a lot of dispare.

 

[Stig Bidstrup]

No they dont have to make it for me,But if others like it its okay --if the day comes where you can use it in multiplayer I would protest tho

 

[Autofahren]

It can save you some nerves when you encounter bugs or weird AI behaviour. So why not as long as the game invalidates your lap times when using a flashback. The way I would use a rewind feature is simply to learn a track, as you can easily repeat a corner until you know how to get it right without having to do a complete messed up lap again.

 

[Shad3R]

By putting flashbacks you lose the fear factor of racing.

 

[Menos]

I say yes, even though I don't use them. Eventually it's up to the player themselves to choose if they want to use them. Some people like them, some don't. So to cater to more people, why not include with the option to turn them off like most games with flashbacks. It doesn't hurt the hardcore simracers and it helps others.

 

[Omer Said]

Why not? It is a great learning tool for noobs like me. In the sim-racing games, when your practice run is ruined you have to ESC to pits, return to track bla bla bla... With such a tool, you can practice specific corners or situations easier.

And to those reject this idea, you can always disable the feature.

 

[Shaun Clarke]

I thought that's what "arcade" games have, not "sim" games?

 

[Stanislav Minakov]

simcades -- okay
simulators -- noooo

 

[Andy_J]

Not for me.

When I set up a race with the AI whether it's a single race or a championship round in a series/career, I follow the thinking that if I crash or get crashed out, well that is that. Just like in real life. Except it doesn't cost me money or injury.
For example in F1 2016 By Codemasters (haven't got the latest one yet as perfectly happy with the last one) I have literally lost the world championship in the last race because I made a mistake. That's how I like it. Any other way is really cheating myself and I don't work like that and yes, in my opinion Flashbacks/rewinds are a cheat in much the same way you could choose to have a car twice as powerful as the rest just to win. So to recap, use it if you need to, but remember it's a CHEAT option so to use it, you are cheating. Don't kid yourself. If the AI could use it whenever they felt like it I am sure you would be against that.

So it's then on to the next season and see if I can win that one or not. That's the beauty of gaming, you will always have another chance in the future.

So as to the option/cheat, I'm glad no proper race sim actually has it as an option.
Ps, I'll bet some on here get a bit upset at this stance because they like getting upset by others opinions.

 

[Jebus]

For sims, no, no and one more time no.

No!

 

[Butthurt_Saddle_sore]

I'm new to PC sim racing, and it's pretty brutal for me. I find myself spending tons of time practicing just to "get good" as they say. Personally I wouldn't use the feature, because I feel a sense of pride when I do well in a race. That shows my practice is paying off. That said, I am not against the idea of such a feature being in sims. Just as long as it isn't forced upon the player, like it is in some console racing games. If it's off to the side or in the options, and I have to actively turn it on, that's fine with me. If it's already mapped to the keyboard/wheel and I have to actively disable it... No, that's not good.

 

[LeSunTzu]

 

[Will Mazeo]

Resume from replay, or save to continue later makes sense due to endurance races.
But rewind.... no, just no

 

[Giorgos Kostis]

Simulator games = NO NO NO NO AND NO!. This is the last thing i don't want to see in a sim!.

Simcade/Arcade games = Sure.

 

[ears]

in real life - yes please.

In sim racing - I care not a jot.

 

[HoiHman]

YES...... for all single player racing experiences

Like all other aids TC, ABS, STC, autobraking, racing line, ect ect simply disable it if you don't want to use it for extra realism.