Friday F1: The Principality

[Zeppo]

Gang:

One more try here to get the F1 ball rolling again before throwing in the towel.

This week the real life circus is in the Principality of Monaco with the famous race through the streets of Monte Carlo. While we won't be able to experience the high-class living, the beautiful women, the overpriced shopping, or the beautiful weather, we can at least experience the stress and white-knuckle excitement of driving purpose built race cars at 180+ mph through city streets with our asses three inches off the ground, at least virtually.

As always we will run 30% race length with the 15 minute qualifying session with all flags and rules on, tire and fuel simulation on, weather dynamic, cars set to 2011 performance, and driver's choice of ride. Any and all assists will be allowed except for "auto brake," and I will probably set all the AI to Pro even though this is one circuit where the developers heavily nerfed the AI pace from last year's game.

10 pm EDT is the time to get together and gather into a party.

Who's in?

I know PK would be joining us if he could, and I'd hate to see him him return home from Indy knowing there will be no more F1 in his gaming calendar. It's almost hard for me to believe that not very long ago we had too many participants to fit into one XBL party, but so it goes I guess. Is Friday not a good night anymore? Have folks sold off the game?

Other than Monaco, we can run wherever you guys would like, except I'd like to save Istanbul for the return of PK, and Montreal is next up on the real life schedule so we should save that one too.

[Gurantsu]

I snagged a new power supply earlier in the week (hard to do with an old xbox!), but barring any other plans from the wife I should be good to go.

How about Malaysia as a second track?

[Jimmydeicide]

If we get a good crowd im in.

[WPatrick]

If we get a good crowd im in.

Feel the same way.

[DChaps]

I am definitely still interested, but unfortunately the current project I have been working on has not allowed me to make the 10:00pm start times. Most of my gaming these days has been after midnight when time permits. However, I am planning to do everything in my power to make it this evening. My only potential issue is that the last time I did make it to F1 night, I kept getting booted out. That would be five and counting at this point.

[Gurantsu]

I just found out that my iRacing team is having a final practice before the iRacing Indy 500 tomorrow. I need to find out the exact time, but it may affect my ability to make it to F1 Friday. I'll see how it goes. All the other guys on my team are so much faster than me that I'm not sure how much I can contribute.

[GB_Simo]

I've waited so long for Monaco and now it's here, I've been so convinced we wouldn't run that I went out to celebrate the end of a project at work and ended up blitzed. If I'm awake and alert enough come go time, I'm there. If I'm going to be a hazard, at Monaco of all places, I'll keep away. I think I can make it, though.

[pk500]

What a bunch of candy-ass pricks. Don't let F1 Friday nights die, you f*ckers!

[GB_Simo]

I wish to second the honourable gentleman's comments.

Come one, come all, come ye marvel at the silent drunken Englishman and above all else, come racing. Where have you all gone, folks?

Edit: if everyone in the thread makes it, that's 6 racers. Enough to be getting on with, but a big field is only guaranteed if you commit to it too. Come along now...

[WPatrick]

I am running laps at Monaco right now. See you guys at ten.

[Zeppo]

Well, three of us just isn't enough to race. I hope you were able to get back to sleep, Adam. What I don't understand is what happened to all the people who were playing with us weeks ago? We used to be chock full to the point that people who've never even heard of Fernando Alonso or Frank Williams were hunting down a copy of the game so they could join in. Now, you could be forgiven for thinking only five people have the game at all.

Is it that it's a busy few weeks, and you don't have time for gaming? Or is it that Friday nights are a bad choice for you, or that there are too many new exciting games and F1 isn't holding your interest? Or did you just get bored of it and get rid of the game?

It's fine if you don't want to race anymore, and it's also fine if you want to race and you just don't have the time these days or you can't make it on Fridays or whatever, but just dropping a quick word or two about it would be appreciated. Something like "I'd love to race again but Fridays are terrible for me," like Don said, would let us know whether or not we should try to figure out a different night or just give uo the ghost.

[J_Cauthen]

I'm so frustrated with my ClubSport pedals and the load cell replacement right now I'm about ready to go back to my Microsoft Racing Wheel. I replaced the brake pedal load cell and now instead of the GT2 thinking the brake is made part of the time, it thinks it's made all the time I can't even get the control profile configured for the GT2 because F1:2011 thinks I'm wanting to use the "left trigger" (brake) to steer left... (sigh). There's got to be some simple remedy that I'm overlooking.

I can't find any Fanatec literature that speaks to replacing the load cell. Nothing came with the replacement load cell I bought. I put the new cell in just like the old one came out, but I can also tell that before and after, the brake pedal seems to be excerting pressure on the load cell, even with the brake pedal in its neutral state.

I tried running some F1:2011 yesterday with the regular wireless controller so I could use the headset with it... I suck so badly at this game with a controller that not only am I not competitive, I'm a liability to everyone else on the track. If anyone knows of any Fanatec resources, I'm all ears. Their tech support isn't very helpful.

[FifaInspected]

Fellas.

Spring is my absolute crazy time with work. I've been pulling 14-18 hour days and last night when F1 kicks off, I was working.
I love the game and i'll jump on when I can.

[XXXIV]

Is it that it's a busy few weeks, and you don't have time for gaming? Or is it that Friday nights are a bad choice for you, or that there are too many new exciting games and F1 isn't holding your interest? Or did you just get bored of it and get rid of the game?
.

I have the game. I am not bored of it. Hell, I have a GREAT time but for various reasons it has just not been in the cards the last few weeks.

Last night I was just too beat up from the new job and got into watching the hockey game.

Dont give up yet. ..Paul will be back soon and that is at least one more crazy driver. I will do my best to show next time out.

[pk500]

I should be there next Friday unless band practice goes late. But you can count on me for the second race.

I'll give up on F1 2011 ONLY when F1 2012 is released. LOVE this game and racing with you cats.

[pk500]

I should be there next Friday unless band practice goes late. But you can count on me for the second race.

I'll give up on F1 2011 ONLY when F1 2012 is released. LOVE this game and racing with you cats.

[TCrouch]

I had very little fun with it, personally. The races are pretty long, and with almost no experience with it outside of the online session, I had no clue what the track was, or what the tire stuff was, or any of that. I just have such a little interest in F1 that I don't care enough about it to learn it all, or feel a sense of accomplishment from it feeling "like the real thing" or anything like that.

It was just one of the least fun driving games online that I'd played. I could see how people would like it, but it wasn't something that struck me as incredible. Didn't think I'd have to explain any of that if I just didn't want to show up, but Zeppo seems to be on a mission to crucify everybody who may have tried it but didn't like it, so no longer come racing

[DChaps]

In general, Friday nights are just bad for me due to the fact that any time we do software deployments or have scheduled downtime for maintenance it is on Friday nights. It is usually not an every Friday thing, but the current project I have been on for the last few months has required more Fridays than usual. I would be willing to try for Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays as I am much more reliable around the 10:00pm time frame on those days. I appreciate you trying to keep it going because it is really fun when we have a large group.

[Zeppo]

I had very little fun with it, personally. The races are pretty long, and with almost no experience with it outside of the online session, I had no clue what the track was, or what the tire stuff was, or any of that. I just have such a little interest in F1 that I don't care enough about it to learn it all, or feel a sense of accomplishment from it feeling "like the real thing" or anything like that.

It was just one of the least fun driving games online that I'd played. I could see how people would like it, but it wasn't something that struck me as incredible. Didn't think I'd have to explain any of that if I just didn't want to show up, but Zeppo seems to be on a mission to crucify everybody who may have tried it but didn't like it, so no longer come racing

Wow, but you certainly took that the wrong way. I don't think any of us expected we would see you again after the one race you joined us for. We all have been pretty aware you wouldn't be joining us again.

It's not about you. You tried it, didnt like it; fair enough. Rather, it's about the guys who were racing week after week for about four or five weeks and seemed to be enjoying it, and now for whatever reason are not showing up for racing anymore.

As I said it's fine with me if the game no longer holds any interest for people. I just want to have a clue as to whether that's the case or if these last three weeks have been more of a case of bad timing and busy schedules and if there's hope that people will be back filling the grid on future race nights.

[mixdj1]

I haven't been able to make it for the last several races for a few varied reasons, but I guess they all relate to Friday not being the best night. My in-laws were in town for two of the Fridays, my 7 year old had a birthday sleep-over on one of the Fridays, and my 14 year old had a party on another one. So with those events and general family stuff going on I've just had a bunch of busy Fridays in a row. I had a decent time with it on the races I joined (although always at the back and usually lapped by most of the field) but if you guys need an extra rolling chicane I'll be happy to keep playing when I can.

[Gurantsu]

I know I haven't been the most reliable member (no surprise there!), but I'd hate to see the F1 races go away completely. I think that there has just been a perfect storm of other things happening for a lot of us that get in the way, I've seen it happen with a lot of games, even with my buddies in my town. I know it stinks but sometimes it happens.

Maybe a change of night is the way to go, I don't know. My wife has had a lot of new things pop up in her career that I've had to work around, and many times she's out late so I'm keeping an eye on my kiddos until she gets back. Plus, our closest family is over a hundred miles away so when we do go visit we usually leave on Friday afternoon.

Once the school year is over here, I'll be much more available to racing during the week, but I'd hate to have guys like Adam get up at the crack of dawn on a work day. If they stay Friday, then I'll try to make it regardless. I think it's just been a rough patch. For my part, I had a power supply go south, then had some Indy practice on iRacing to do (not a lot of good it did me!)

Having said that, what if we all make an effort to do Monaco again tonight, Saturday. Most of us should be available, and that will keep Adam from having to get get up early on a work night. Plus if he gets a few Guinness in him he can be our stand in PK!

[tjung0831]

Oddly enough I picked up two copies of this over the weekend so me and my 13 year old son could play online. Both of us would be willing to do some racing online but he's a heck of a lot better at the game than I am at this point.

[pk500]

Oddly enough I picked up two copies of this over the weekend so me and my 13 year old son could play online. Both of us would be willing to do some racing online but he's a heck of a lot better at the game than I am at this point.

Tim

Fair warning: Vocabulary gets a bit "salty" when I race with the group, depending on my condition.

[tjung0831]

Oddly enough I picked up two copies of this over the weekend so me and my 13 year old son could play online. Both of us would be willing to do some racing online but he's a heck of a lot better at the game than I am at this point.

Tim

Fair warning: Vocabulary gets a bit "salty" when I race with the group, depending on my condition.

Thanks for the warning but I'm sure he's heard it all before! I can always confiscate his mic if need be!

[Zeppo]

Well, I'd like to hear some alternate nights nominated for our regular F1 night. Fridays just sort of happened randomly way back when, and for me they work out great with the job I am on these days. But it does seem that Fridays are not the best for many others.

What days are good for whom? Throw some ideas out there. Let's try to get some idea of when is good for whom.

I'm personally happy with Fridays because oftentimes I need to be at work very early during the week and with this particular job I can easily be sure I am home before 10 on Fridays.