The real passion for making the game a simulation really started when I got a ride in an A8 rally car; it was really something. It was exciting, fast, terrifying and well, odd, with that 4 wheel drive-sideways sliding going on. It was all new to me.
Naturally we were concerned that going sim might not be for everybody. It might be really hard to drive. What to do? We could not go by other games, as no game so far looked like it was even remotely trying to simulate a real rally car. The answer: go to rally school!
Rally School proved to be the point-of-no-return for going sim. Driving a rally car is so much fun; frightening, exhilarating and so much fun. When driving at \'normal\' speeds the car is very easy to handle, much like a normal road car - easier than in most rally games, in fact. Going fast, doing handbrake turns, power slides and such was, well... quite tricky, but so very entertaining and exciting - pure, adrenaline-pumping fun, really.
So we went home with no doubt about making Richard Burns Rally a true rally simulation - sim rally driving was for everybody. And yes, doing rally techniques took some practice. But when practicing rally driving is this much fun, that\'s a valuable game play feature in itself. That\'s how, after very politely asking Mr. Higgins permission, we decided to make The Forest Rally School a central part of the game, with Richard Burns and Robert Reid personally acting as the players\' tutors. And wouldn\'t you know - at the age of 17, Richard started out practicing at the very same rally school. - we could hardly believe it, we even had lady coincidence on our side.
So, Definaty \'Pure Simulation\' for once.. this will be for the purists of the sport... Finally.