Hey everyone, my name is Phillip and I have had some ideas that could be implemented in a Need For Speed game for a while now. These ideas come from a small notebook that I have had for the past 5 years and I wrote in it sometime while studying graphic design in college, ideas that I would like to see or reappear in a new NFS title, preferably on dedicated game consoles and on PC. The latest release of NFS is somewhat versed in reality, so these ideas are not far fetched to find in real life in some aspects. With that being said, lets get started. Note: There was a survey that went out a while ago in regards to how EA can alter or change things such as gameplay mechanics or add content in NFS 2015 that I had filled out, giving some of my suggestions on how Ghost Games can make NFS 2015 a better game than it is now.
Change controller layouts
Now the button layouts on the Xbox One and PS4 are pretty good, and I'm sure most of you have no problems playing with the current setup. However I know of a few people, friends and family alike, that are on the fence for this game because the button layouts in the game cannot be modified to the player's liking at the moment. Whether you are in the main menu, your garage, or parked motionless on the side of the road, if the controls feel off to you while racing or trying out a setup on a car you just bought, the game should give you the option to change up the layout and map functions to any button however which way you choose. In a racing game that's all about personalization, I think this will bode well for current players as well as newcomers to the game (and potentially the series).
Daytime/Nighttime Cycle
This is definitely one of the most talked about topics I see when I'm on Facebook, Reddit, and sometimes on here, in regards to the game being constantly in the nighttime. I originally wanted it to be where the Day/Night cycle was controlled by the internal clock-settings of the respective platform the game is running on, however since the game is online only, it would be better to have the Day/Night cycle controlled by the online web servers, which also track time.
The Day/Night cycle could also be like how it was featured in Criterion's release of Burnout Paradise, which had the options of running in either perpetual daytime, perpetual nighttime, a 24 minute day (where each minute is one 'hour' in the game, hence 24 mins is 24 hrs), a 48 minute day (where every 2 minutes is one 'hour), and finally the 24 hour day/night cycle, where every second, minute and hour was done in real time based on whatever time zone you were in, so if you decided to play at 2 in the morning in real life, it would be 2am nighttime in the game with less traffic on the roads, whereas if you started playing at 12 noon, it would be 12pm daytime in the game with more traffic on the roads. This could be seen as a subtle nod to some of the older NFS games such as Most Wanted 2005 and Hot Pursuit, where the setting of those games were in the daytime.
Newer Racing Events for this game
NFS 2015 is good as it is, but it feels like its lacking content, particularly in a few areas. This is what I want to see return, hopefully in the form of future updates:
-Checkin' Out
Essentially the essence of a knockout race, drivers need to stay ahead (and talk some automotive trash) or say goodbye and go home. Each lap that goes by, the driver who is in last place becomes eliminated. Whoever is the last driver left wins the event.
-Speedtrap Checkpoint
Drivers must race through a number of speedtrap camera in a point A to point B sprint race. The driver who clocks the highest added speed at the end of the race is the winner. Drivers behind the first place winner will receive a speed penalty for every second they have not crossed the finish. This will lower your overall speedtrap score, especially if your bringing up the rear of the pack.
-Drag Racing
I don't really even have to explain this one, as I feel that this particular topic is a feature that could really benefit this game. It would also be cool for people to see how fast some of their cars can really go, or to change setups if necessary. There should also be a dynometer, or an in-game dyno, where players can fine-tune their car's ECU's to fit into a specific powerband more efficiently.
-Free-For-All
Now this is actually an idea that I got from playing Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition and the subsequent release, Los Angeles many years ago. In Free-For-All, a set of checkpoints are scattered throughout certain locales in Ventura Bay (confined to one specific area, so you're not driving across the whole map).
For drivers racing in one of these events, it doesn't matter which route you take to the next checkpoint, as long as you get there first. Use your wits and driving skills to take any way you can. Clear the checkpoints in whatever order you like and get back to the finish line (which will always be the starting point for a race like this) to win. I will say that for a Free-For-All race, some elements may change while racing, such as increased police presence, moderate to heavy traffic conditions, and change in weather (from clear and sunny, to dreary and rainy).
Side Note: There should be an overhead arrow in the upper middle section of the screen that can be toggled on or off during races. Using the arrows on the ground as a driving line becomes difficult on some tracks that have a hard right or hard left turn that would be alerted to the driver a few seconds before they have to make the turn. This is a feature I think some of us will appreciate as harder races will be easier for us to determine where turns on a course are and prepares the driver ahead of time as to what direction he or she should take next.
I think that's it for now. I have other ideas but I either can't find them or think of them right this moment. I just feel that it would be better to come here and voice some of my ideas in a place amongst other people who can help make a difference that may make some of my ideas actually become a reality, rather than go on a blog and complain that things aren't being done.
