Cockpit view and driving games

[Humbug]

So i'm 28 years old. Which makes me way older than most gamers on this forum. I've been playing on PC the whole time. I believe I started gaming around 1991 or 1992 when I was 6 or 7 years old. It was a 286 or 386 computer which my uncle gave my family. I used MS-DOS and the command prompt to launch programs.

 

My first racing game was played on that- Grand Prix Circuit. (don't laugh)

 

 

Around the same time I also got to play Test Drive 1 at school.

 

 

During the 2nd half of the 1990s my driving experiences were dominated by Need For Speed.

 

Need for Speed Hot 2 SE. The most ridiculously arcadey game you will ever play. But didn't pretend to be realistic.

 

 

And need for Speed III- Hot Pursuit (1998). Was such a step forward from everything I had played upto that point. At this point the EA logo was like a badge of honour.

 

 

----------

Anyway as is clearly evident I was not a serious racer but rather played them for fun and mostly arcade kind games rather than simulation. I also played some other Test Drive, Destruction Derby and Grand Turismo games during this period. In the late 90s Grand Turismo grew more popular than NFS.

 

Despite the fact that these are not simulations it was always important to me that I felt like I was at the wheel of an exotic super-car. And the above games delivered that for me. These days there is an increasing trend to omit the cockpit view, devs think it's not important in a non-sim game. I do realize that a bumper cam or fullscreen view of the road may give you more information about your surroundings, but I don't play these games in order to get on some leaderboard. I play them for escapism, and I want to feel like I am at the wheel. I know most probably don't feel this way but I think that enough of us do that devs should at least give the option.

 

Share your thoughts on cockpit view in driving games...

[acidydragon]

I think Cockpit view is the only way to get a real experience.

Running multiple monitors with them only makes it that much more real.

[EChondo]

I wish there were more of them. 

 

Really excited for PROJECT Cars.

[RatedBlam]

My problem with cockpit cam is that you can't see the car

But i still prefer it over any other cam, it's just feels better.

 

I was kinda ranty about the F1 2013; that I tried because of Steam's free weekend, didn't have cockpit cam as the default option, wtf. That game is pretty sim-like so it feels even more important.

[qwertywarrior]

cockpit driving is a nuisance because it obscures the view

the pics you provided have a more open view which is much better than newer games

[KamiKatze]

NFS 3 HP was epic! I would allways race against my brother.

 

NFS Underground 2 and the first Most Wanted were pretty exciting too. But i only played NFS 3 from cockpit perspective from time to time.

[Humbug]

cockpit driving is a nuisance because it obscures the view

Yep, devs need to limit the amount of screen real estate taken up by the dash.

 

When driving in real life a lot is taken up by the dash but it's mostly in our periphery vision. The central area of our vision where things are in focus is all road.

[Humbug]

NFS 3 HP was epic! I would allways race against my brother.

Split screen awesomeness, played it at a friends house like that. The cop chases really got the heart pounding.

 

I have no idea why they are now releasing games with the same name. As if the actual NFS:hot pursuit in the 90s or the actual NFS:most wanted in 2005 never happened.

[KamiKatze]

Split screen awesomeness, played it at a friends house like that. The cop chases really got the heart pounding.

 

I have no idea why they are now releasing games with the same name. As if the actual NFS:hot pursuit in the 90s or the actual NFS:most wanted in 2005 never happened.

 

It's so sad that split screen is mostly gone from PCs. Dem police chases were epic! Aw the memories.

[smjpl]

Cockpit view is the only way to go. I like you grew up playing a lot of the same games (although you seem more into them), but I feel the best arcade simulator's are now on the consoles. I had a Xbox 360 and loved playing Forza 2-4 on it. Since it red ringed I have no racing games and right now I can't afford to invest in a PC sim. I can't say I noticed either Grand Tourismo or Forza dropping quality in their cockpit views. As for NFS? Well that franchise died a long time ago to me. I suppose I am not into 100% arcade racers where you don't need to use the brake.

[qwertywarrior]

Yep, devs need to limit the amount of screen real estate taken up by the dash.

 

When driving in real life a lot is taken up by the dash but it's mostly in our periphery vision. The central area of our vision where things are in focus is all road.

cockpit driving in VR will be amazing

there are few great car games out now with VR support

[juretrn]

SNIP OF OP

Thank you OP for these, the first two were also my first racing games :D . 

I also played NFS II and III, good times.

 

But i never really liked the cockpit view, I prefer to play from 3rd person view. I like to see the beatufully crafted 3D models of what I'm driving . 

 

BTW, this might make you nostalgic: 

[smjpl]

cockpit driving is a nuisance because it obscures the view

 

 

Yep, devs need to limit the amount of screen real estate taken up by the dash.

 

When driving in real life a lot is taken up by the dash but it's mostly in our periphery vision. The central area of our vision where things are in focus is all road.

 

I disagree that it is a nuisance and a lot of racing cars do have limited vision. The thing is you can't judge a racing line properly from a rear projection view. I am probably coming at this from a purely racing perspective though so the casual gamer probably doesn't care about racing lines.  

[Paralectic]

I can't stand cockpit view lol, I just drive GTA-style. Having the car in front of me

[Humbug]

 

BTW, this might make you nostalgic: 

LOL, ya that silly tune will forever be stuck in my memory. I even remember the exact path on C drive where it was stored and how I had to navigate to it on my old PC. Remember only 3 cars; Ferrari, Mclaren and Williams. Mclaren was the fastest.

[IDprofile]

@Humbug, Great read. I'm also saddened by the disappearance of cockpit in games lately but since I play more of sim games it hasn't effected me much.

[Brandonsr]

Cockpit and Hood view are the only ways I can play a racing game. Cockpit is still best, but the hood view is still not bad.

[theloveablemoose]

Precisely why i want Forza and Gran turismo on pc they have excellent cockpit views i know they are sims but if you reduce difficulty they kind of feel arcadey especially Forza Horizon and i tried Asseto corsa was not impressed *sigh* guess i'll have to invest in an Xbox one for Forza 

[jbr]

TrackIR.

 

Nuff said

[LogicalDrm]

I haven't really used cockpit view. Usually it has been chasecam. After I got wheel&pedals I started using hoodcam. I feel like when I have wheel I don't need another in my view. Exceptions being NFS Shift where I wanted to learn to play for real and Grid2 where there isn't one anyway. I think only game where I used it was Stunts (1991).

[BrightCandle]

The problem I have always had is judging the racing line from within the cockpit view. Without being able to turn your head into the corner to look its kind of awkward to drive in cockpit view. I think its a perspective that will become more popular with the Occulus rift however, its a perfect example of where that technology will dramatically improve the feeling of being there.

[Almercenary]

depends on how much the view is obscured, sometimes I can't even see where im going so I just use bonnet view.  Probably the best view as it gives the most info.

[MRL]

My problem with cockpit cam is that you can't see the car

But i still prefer it over any other cam, it's just feels better.

 

I was kinda ranty about the F1 2013; that I tried because of Steam's free weekend, didn't have cockpit cam as the default option, wtf. That game is pretty sim-like so it feels even more important.

 

Wait, so F1 2013 dont have the cockpit cam??? Or you need to do extra things to get them?

[RatedBlam]

Wait, so F1 2013 dont have the cockpit cam??? Or you need to do extra things to get them?

It does have it, but I believe that it is the default option in the harder difficulties.

And the game is hard enough on normal for me at least.

But in a F1 car the view is rather clear compared to other vehicles. And in career mode you can save your settings as a custom setting.

But I just thought it should be default as it's so sim-like, and is better driving games imo.