I'm just trying to get my last batch of golds in Phantom and it's a hell of a challenge! But I'm finding I am not enjoying it as much as Rapier because there seems to be a few issues with Phantom - almost as if the game shouldn't be running that fast. Or am I the only one having these problems?
Firstly the frame rate seems to have become a problem in Phantom. This is especially noticable in Modesto Heights for whatever reason (maybe it's rendering that neon?). It's quite choppy and tough on the eyes. More than that though - there seems to be a strange wobble as if the camera is having a problem. It's not much of a problem in Time Trial mode so it must be the amount happening on screen with the other racers.
Then there seems to be a little bit of a clash between the physics and the speed so that hitting a turn at the wrong angle or getting hit by a rocket can send you upside down or stuck for a while to the side of the track. Getting flipped did happen to me in Rapier once or twice (in Citta Nouva), but it's a fairly regular occurance in Phantom. The problem with it is that one bit of bad luck (getting hit by enemy fire which is beyond your control, can send you from 1st place to 8th - enough to lose a tournament.
I am enjoying the speed but part of me wonders if the optimum speed for Pure is Rapier. I suppose it must be tough to program the entire game for such a range of speeds. Out of curiosity - were certain tracks developed with certain classes in mind? In the earlier classes, for example, I found Blue Ridge to be quite tough. In the later classes I can breeze through it but Citta Nouva becomes the real challenge. Is this because they were deveoped with different speeds in mind?