YouTube video reiew - in Portuguese.

[blackwiggle]

Both valid points you bring up.
But there is a underlying reason why the weapons are as they are.

Firstly, let's make this clear, PACER is NOT WIPEOUT !
It could be considered a lesser AG racer similar to Wipeout if you don't understand what the thinking is behind the design of PACER, which I what I think IS generally happening......they are different games.

PACER is MUCH BIGGER in SCOPE than Wipeout.
The underlying design principle has always been to take AG racing to the next level, and it does, but your going to have to read on to find out how it does.

With Wipeout, if not playing Eliminator online [pretty much the only rooms you find online with Omega]
Wipeout is still pretty much, sit on the lounge and spend endless hours tying to beat your PB only for it not to be loaded to a unsupported leader board ....sad but true.

First the Contrails.
You can adjust those in the garage to how you want to be seen from behind [helps in Team events for team members behind to recognize you ] Keep reading to see the REASONS things appear as they do.

The weapons have always been the achillies heel of FF,IF YOU PLAY PACER ONLY LIKE WIPEOUT, and it would seem at least from a visual standpoint as seen it the videos above, improved, but still somewhat lackluster in PACER.
In testing over many builds I always found them pretty much ineffectual, if that is still the case I don't know, they do seem improved regarding targeting, and the across track electro wave weapon looks good, so does Flash Bang.
The problem of trying to deduce just how good or bad the weapons have stayed/become by viewing the videos above, is that none of the reviewers seem to know exactly how the weapons systems work in Pacer.
They don't work on a ad hoc pickup basis as in wipeout, you first have to open up the game in Campaign by winning credits, then buying weapons and also upgrading them, then you have to choose which TWO different weapons you are going to fit in your craft loadout before you start racing, THEN it's a matter of running over the weapon charge pickups till you have enough to use the weapon.

In one video specifically the reviewer says that they couldn't remember, or didn't know how to use the weapons properly because the demo version came with no tutorial.
From watching the other videos I think that's safe to say about all of them, which is probably the reason why intense wipeout like frenzied use of weapons isn't apparent in any of the videos.
By the same token, it does make you wonder how much of a challenge the AI are in PACER, they certainly don't seem very challenging to me.......BUT, this is in SINGLE player mode against AI playing like a Wipeout game.

TBH R8 told me long ago that they didn't want to put as much as a emphasis on weapons use AS FOUND in wipeout, well their use not in the same manner as wipeout, they wanted to concentrate on the racing, it would appear that stance has pretty much stayed.
Weapon choice and use has been designed to be far more strategic .......Keep reading and you'll understand why.

Although once the game is opened up and you can build a craft with powerful weapons, and you open a online room with like minded pilots, I'm sure things could get as frenzied as a wipeout game, like will attract like, much as wipeout have eliminator fans who prefer that mode.

The thing is FF/ now PACER intent was always to be more orientated to Online racing, that's why you already have so many teams dedicated to countries around the world.
They were made exactly for that, so people in the UK, US AUS, France etc could get together, make teams using the team craft skins, and race online as teams......Man, if wipeout had that back in the old PS3 haydays, or even today it would have been magic.
Of course having teams leads to tournaments.....do you see what where this is going?
People wanting to start teams are going to want to make sure they attract the best pilots for their teams, so that will start contests/tryouts for those positions.

Ideally things will lead to a 'Rocket-Leauge''type situation......THAT has always been R8's intent for Pacer.

Say you have a 5 craft a side team, you'll want to configure some craft differently, say having one or more of a heavy Tank, a Attack or a fast agility craft, and have each of those craft weapon ed up differently or the same, up to you, you'll use those attributes, and team strategy to beat the opposing team.

This is why the weapons system has been designed like it has.
It's also partially why the weapons don't seem as visually impactful as Wipeouts, WHY?
We'll envision you have teams tournament happening, and people are watching online what's going on.
With 10 players all going for it, trying to make sense of where the race stands at any particular point is going to be extremely hard if the weapon effects were as heavy handed as wipeouts, you would certainly have trouble making a running commentary on the race, or if wanting to review the race, deduce where the team went well or could have done better with all those visuals going off at wipeout levels.
There is reasoning to R8's seemingly mad way of doing things.

As for the perceived lack of AG effect on the craft, as viewed at the starting grid , well I don't have a answer for that.
My only guess is that that being a very small team it was one of those niceties that they would have like to have included, but weren't able to perfect to a degree they were happy with, so decided to omit it.

As for the actual AG feel of the craft, well that is adjustable in the craft build options you can adjust the amount of AG force your craft has, although as I understand it this was to make craft loadout for specific track that had large jumps, and to somewhat counteract the weight of Tank build loadouts, it did effect the AG feel of the craft a bit, but TBH it wasn't much.

R8 said 2 years ago that these things would be modified for the final build, so I'm guessing some changes have been made here, just what they are I don't know.