Codemasters F1 2015

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Rodster
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Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Rodster »

It's now available for pre-order. It also has 10% off the purchase price $49.49 till June 12th.

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by pk500 »

Discount for console versions, too?
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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Rodster »

This is the Steam version. I rarely see "just released" games for a discount on consoles.

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by pk500 »

Rodster wrote:This is the Steam version. I rarely see "just released" games for a discount on consoles.
Ah, thanks.
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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Rodster »

Game play leak. The rain effects and lighting especially on the track looks unbelievably amazing. The build supposedly is several months old.


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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Inuyasha »

for these PC Games, how do you guys play this? You have to buy a big gaming rig? Someone told me they have that alienware PC from Dell. Would that be enough to play the most recent PC games like Project Cars on the PC and like a console, won't have to upgrade for say 3-4 years? Or do you have to constantly upgrade the PC like in the old days?

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by J_Cauthen »

Anyone heard whether Codemasters is going to included Fanatec Porsche 911 GT2 wheel support for this game on the PS4 yet?
I can always buy it for my PC, which would no doubt run the game in a little better detail than the PS4, but I'd like to have a decent racing game for my PS4. I couldn't resist Project CARS on the PC, when I was able to get it a week earlier, otherwise, it would be my quality PS4 racing game right now 8)

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by F308GTB »

Inuyasha wrote:for these PC Games, how do you guys play this? You have to buy a big gaming rig? Someone told me they have that alienware PC from Dell. Would that be enough to play the most recent PC games like Project Cars on the PC and like a console, won't have to upgrade for say 3-4 years? Or do you have to constantly upgrade the PC like in the old days?
I figure the PC I put together last year will hold up for at least the next 3-4 years. At most I may have to upgrade the video card, but even that was near top of the line when I put the machine together. For $1100-$1200 I built an i5 based machine with 16gb RAM, win7 pro 64bit, nvidia gtx-770 card, SSD drive

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Rodster »

Yeah I don't upgrade until I run into multiple games that start struggling real bad. I'll go for a mass overhaul every 4-6 years. My (i5 3570K) paired with a GTX 780 still runs 90% of the newer games on HIGH or Ultra settings. Witcher 3 is running all settings at max and it's silky smooth.

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by GB_Simo »

F1 2015 is released in Europe this coming Friday and in North America on 21 July. Who's in? Are we getting the band back together?
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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Jimmydeicide »

I'm in, after this project cars fiasco yes. May go disc from now on. Fool me once...

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by pk500 »

Unsure. Pissed that classic cars -- by far the best feature of F1 2014 -- were removed. Plus I have a big list of A-list games in the fall I'm considering, including Forza 6.

I've been spoiled by games featuring multiple types of cars, such as Forza 5, Forza Horizon 2 and even the buggy Project Cars. Not sure I can justify a $50-60 purchase on a game that features one type of car from one season.
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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by GB_Simo »

There's also no career mode and, as far as anyone knows, no scenario modes this year. The Codies F1 forums, which I glance at from time to time after spraying myself thoroughly with troll repellent, are up in arms about the disappearance of career and I can understand that, but I'd be interested to know how many people make it beyond the first season of a career.

From the look of this footage, the new McLaren livery is in, presumably as a day one patch with the Manor team - neither have featured in previously displayed builds.

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by pk500 »

I'm definitely awaiting early user feedback on this one before considering a purchase. I'm still really cheesed off at the deletion of classic cars and tracks.
Last edited by pk500 on Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Rodster »

Thankfully I got my money put back in my Steam wallet after I read about the delay. I'll wait for the December Steam sale or at the start of next years F1 season when this game will be in the bargain bin.

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

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pk500 wrote:I'm definitely awaiting early user feedback on this one before considering a purchase. I'm still really cheesed off at the deletion of classic cars and tracks.
'

Getting the F1 band back together and pulling over for a beer during qualifying again would be great but I want to see it stick first as well. I am more in tune to Forza 6.

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Rodster »

I don't know if these guys are legit but F1 2015 for $18.05 (PC) Steam keys. Anyone here ever use this service?

https://www.g2a.com/f1-2015-steam-cd-ke ... u-cis.html

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Jimmydeicide »

It does have season modes though and looks like with podium celebrations . That works for me.

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by GB_Simo »

Rodster wrote:I don't know if these guys are legit but F1 2015 for $18.05 (PC) Steam keys. Anyone here ever use this service?

https://www.g2a.com/f1-2015-steam-cd-ke ... u-cis.html
G2A are OK but that's a Russian key - will it work in the USA? Don't know if you can VPN your way around it or something like that, or if you'd even need to.

G2A are offering global keys too but they're a smidge over $40:

https://www.g2a.com/f1-2015-steam-cd-ke ... lobal.html

Edit: Rod, someone's posted the deal on the official Codies forums, where it's gone down about as well as you'd expect. The community manager has locked the thread until he "knows what the deal is with these keys - they shouldn't be at that price."
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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by Rodster »

First review: A welcome reboot for the series, F1 2015 can be more thrilling than the sport itself at present - but it's let down by a dearth of features.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015- ... 015-review

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by GB_Simo »

PC version is apparently mucho, mucho buggy. There's already been a PC-specific patch to fix a few things but Steam is fairly well lit up with people complaining about the quality of the port.

Speaking of ports, my XB1 copy apparently got held up at Calais on the way over here, so I can't offer any impressions of it yet. Tomorrow, hopefully.
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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

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Right...this is a Codemasters F1 game so of course it has a couple of potentially game-breaking issues. I mean, that's just common sense. I'll get those out of the way first.

Racing at Sochi, I discovered that when leaving a long pit lane, the game won't always let you shift out of 2nd gear, or else it will for a second before forcing you back down the gearbox. Trying to figure out what was up, I used a flashback and discovered that if you rewind back to a point where you're under AI control, the game isn't sure what to do next, so reacts by dumping you on the track, on the racing line, not moving.

In Abu Dhabi, I made a scheduled pit stop and noted with interest that the game sometimes pits both cars of a team on the same lap, even if they're line astern on track. In my race, the result was Bottas and Massa arriving together, Bottas receiving service and Massa queuing patiently. From what I've read, this happens a reasonable amount whether you're on 25, 50 or 100% race distance. I've only seen it once but I've only done two races long enough to feature a pit stop.

These little issues are more annoying than normal because they're really on to something with the handling. First, it works with a pad straight out of the box. Second, for all that it's recognisable as a Codies F1 handling model, they've livened up the cars a bit on the power and a lot on the brakes, to the point where you can use the brakes as a means of rotating the car on corner entry. Keeping the rear in check in a downhill braking zone is never dull but always possible, responsive steering and lovely haptic feedback helping you to modulate your inputs as needed. F1 2011, the first one we all played online, is probably the closest comparison in terms of general feel but it's tighter than that, more nuanced.

The one thing I really haven't figured out yet is how to start a race in the dry. I can do some wheelspin, lots of wheelspin or improbable amounts of wheelspin but nothing better so far. Once I get going, though, I really love that great corners feel like great corners. The ones that are nearly-but-not-quite flat (turn 3 at Sochi is a cracker) or the ones with a little brake on the way in (Copse at Silverstone, say) are constant challenges of the kind that, no matter how well you did this lap, always feel like they've got a tiny bit left for you to find next time.

Graphics? It's not a bad looking game at any time but some tracks - Singapore in the wet, Abu Dhabi in the changing light - really stand out in a way that others - Austria, Britain - don't. It reminds me of the jump from a PSX game to F1 Championship Season 2000 on PS2, obviously better than what came before but lacking in texture to the point that it sometimes looks a bit flat. Frame rate is generally fine when racing, as far as I've seen - I ran Singapore in the midfield as Jenson Button (the McLaren handles well. The Honda is terrifically, spectacularly slow) and nothing upsetting happened to it - but can take a dive when you're in the pits under AI control. Hardly the end of the world.

A decent amount of tearing might be, though. I know it's there, I can well see how it could be an annoyance but its not in my line of vision while I'm racing. I do wonder, though, whether that might change depending on which camera view you use.

The AI usually have a bit of I about them, which is lovely. Where once they'd cruise up behind you down a straight and then just sit there a while, now they pass you. They can stay side by side with each other, and with you, through a chicane without anything disastrous happening. They have racing incidents with each other. In Hungary, I defended from Hamilton down the front straight, went in ever so slightly too deep and he pulled a switchback on me at turn one, then had a go around the outside of turn two when I wouldn't concede. At every stage I was ready for him to meekly submit, but no, none of that.

There are only two things letting the AI down a little at present, those being their tendency towards not defending that hard when you get a run on them and their further fondness for being really, really nice to you if you accidentally divebomb them. I've had a few runs up the inside which were really me missing my braking point but which became overtakes when the AI cars changed course to avoid being hit. As I type that, it strikes me that it could just be a self-preservation tactic and actually quite sensible, but I reckon you could game it if you wanted. You're rewarded for playing nice, though. I ran the entire second stint of a 2014 race at Sochi in a battle with Raikkonen that wasn't settled until the final corner, had an overtaking move every lap and was completely clean throughout. I'm racing on Expert, where I'm generally ending up roughly where the car should. There's still a level above that, Legend, where I'm not.

Other brief points: the Season mode has some odd design decisions. The only way to have proper qualifying is to run 100% races. 50% gets "short" qualifying and 25% gets one shot qualifying. In quick races, you can run full qualifying and a 3 lap race if you want, so why you'd take that customisation out of the season mode, I know not. You can, however, set up custom championships through quick race and pick whatever session lengths you want. Odd. By the way, you really can only do quick race, season, Pro Season (no assists, forced cockpit view) or time trial. That's most of what I did on the old games anyway. Your mileage may vary.

Strategy has changed. I've had a 25% and a 50% race, running race only so the game determined my grid position. Sat on the grid for the start, I had an option to set my race strategy. Both times, the race strategy screen bore a message along the lines of, "Our strategists don't see any advantage in running an alternate strategy for this race," and I only had one option available. I like that - it feels more real to me - but it actively prevents Zeppo from starting on primes when we're all on options, for example. There's also an estimated race time for that strategy, so where there are multiple choices, you'll be able to see which is theoretically quickest.

Tl;Dr version: there are a couple of things for Codies to fix ASAP but all the same, I really, really like this so far.
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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by GB_Simo »

A week of play time to let the new game sheen wear off, then, brought me this absolute humdinger. The video is not mine but the experience is one I've had:



Everything is rosy until pit exit, at which point there's the "stuck in 2nd gear leaving the pits" bug, followed by a disqualification for blocking the pit lane.

You absolutely mustn't buy this for the online racing either. That's completely hosed. Some races decide to end halfway round the first lap, so first man back to the finish line wins. Sometimes, the car in front of you visibly moves across the track before the race starts, taking many small steps sideways like a kid attempting a stealth raid of the biscuit tin while your back is turned. Sometimes, your "hopper" - essentially, you register your interest in racing and then go off to play single player until there's a race ready for you - fills up, everyone's ready to go and the race just doesn't start. Sometimes there'll be one man in the race whose straightline speed is limited to 20 mph less than anyone else. At all times, something is broken.

I revisited Legend difficulty in single player to properly check out the difficulty, remembering that in previous games, there've been cavernous gaps between difficulty levels which I've sometimes fallen into. I qualified 5th in Bahrain as Nico Rosberg, which I was a bit miserable about because I was just over a second off pole or, to put it another way, at least a second adrift of where the car should be. A Ferrari came past me down the home straight and absolutely shot off into the distance leaving turn one, so I figured I must need to work on corner exits. My traction-based suspicion seemed to be confirmed when I made a thoroughly ordinary start, dropping to 9th for a moment before fighting back into 5th through the first few turns.

Only at the end of the lap, when approximately half the world overtook me in a straight line, did I realise that traction wasn't the issue. The Legend AI are overpowered in a straight line to such an extent that on a long straight, 5 or 6 at a time can queue up to have a run at you. I concluded firstly that there was no point waiting to see what happened next and secondly that to qualify 5th in those circumstances made me feel like a god of Norse myth.

You want more irritations? I've got 'em. Pro Season mode is really just a normal season but with the assists all forced to off and no flashbacks. That's sufficient to class it as an entirely separate game mode, apparently, and there's apparently a brilliant bug on PC where all of the assists are fixed to on, not off, and can't be changed. You can't use the rich fuel mix for a full lap without overheating the engine. I've read there's a bug that makes the rich mix slower than standard too, though I've not noticed that yet. I quite like that the car condition indicator is gone, replaced by a radio-style system in which you either speak to your engineer via Kinect or else use on-screen menus to ask about tyres, fuel, race information and so on. I don't like that the menu only stays on screen for about a picosecond, so I can't always review it properly while I'm racing. Session objectives are still just a case of taking your qualifying position and asking you to do better, with no consideration given to how qualifying a Force India 4th doesn't make "win the race" a sensible objective, nor to how the Manor I've qualified 17th should ever be able to finish 10th.

I read the in-game credits, just to see whether they'd dared to class Ant Davidson's appearance alongside David Croft as voice talent (he's trying, bless him, but the Academy need not regret that he chose a career in motor sport), and the QA team is one of the biggest listed. What it doesn't say is what QA stands for at Codemasters. I'll start the bidding at Questionably Attentive.

Maddening. Doubly maddening because there's still much to like. You don't need the car condition indicator to see whether your tyres are wearing, for example, because it's so easy to feel it. There are various stages of drop off through a stint, so even after just a few laps, while the tyre still feels completely fine, it's being communicated to you that they've lost a little something since they were new. You can feel the fuel load burning off too, though there's still not enough lap time difference between full of fuel and empty for my liking. The race engineer - his name is Jeff, you'll be delighted to know - has a useful habit of telling you important things at the correct time, which is much more immersive than the usual efforts and their tendency to have me shouting, "I KNOW IT'S BLOODY RAINING!" at the TV. Crofty and Ant both try too hard but the TV-style presentation is generally pretty good, as are the podium ceremonies, though Nico Rosberg must have been unavailable on laser scanning day and poor Daniil Kvyat exists in a permanent state of despair.

I still love the handling and, while I've read reports to the contrary, still haven't had the AI do anything knuckleheaded in races. I've seen illegal blocking penalties in qualifying, which I suspect come about because you get groups of AI cars following each other too closely on hot laps and triggering the game's penalty logic in error, but the racing has been solid. Their attempts to respect blue flags can be interesting, though, with some folk saying they make a long race at Monaco impossible. I haven't tested that, nor have I had a race in variable weather to see how the crossover between wet and dry tyres is handled this year, which remains on my "What would Zep ask me?" checklist.

This is a summer of options for the racing gamer and while I find F1 2015's handling to be instantly and consistently satisfying, containing the best depiction of gradual tyre wear yet seen on console, it's impossible to ignore the fact that there's a paucity of modes and more bugs than a week of Rentokil strike action. For me as an F1 nut, having 2 seasons worth of cars, drivers and tracks to use in single races and a season mode means there's enough here to make me feel glad I own it. If I was less of an F1 fan, I'd probably feel quite comfortable either picking up Project CARS or else just waiting for Forza 6, whose features will probably all work on launch day. Quite how that became something worthy of commendation, I know not...but if I just wanted to get the band back together for some F1 online and didn't do a lot of single player, I'd need to know that those features don't work properly here and there'd be no point owning F1 2015 in its current state.

Apologies for the slightly scattergun nature of these posts. I had a lot I wanted to say and I'm falling asleep but hopefully this is of some use.

Edit: cookie jar. Not biscuit tin. Our respective uses of the word "biscuit" are right up near the top of the Divided By A Common Language charts, which I've only just remembered...
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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by DChaps »

Thanks so much for all the info and impressions Adam. I can't seem to avoid an F1 game, even when they are flawed. It's hard to believe that we have taken so many steps back with feature and online in next gen games that were so close to perfection on the Xbox 360. F1 2013, TW 13 (or was it 14), NHL, etc. F1 2013 had solid online, the classics mode, season and career, historic challenges, customized online time trials, online web based stats, etc. Of course, not all the features worked perfectly (stats in TW, time trials in F1 2013), but I would have much rather paid for upgraded and fixed versions of those games then these bare bones offerings. All that said, I will probably be playing F1 2015 and midnght tonight anyway. Hope they can at least get the multiplayer/online fixed for this.
GB_Simo wrote:......and the QA team is one of the biggest listed. What it doesn't say is what QA stands for at Codemasters. I'll start the bidding at Questionably Attentive.
Classic!! :) I would have applied this same definition to Project Cars, but I don't think there actually was any QA team.

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Re: Codemasters F1 2015

Post by GB_Simo »

DChaps wrote:
GB_Simo wrote:......and the QA team is one of the biggest listed. What it doesn't say is what QA stands for at Codemasters. I'll start the bidding at Questionably Attentive.
Classic!! :) I would have applied this same definition to Project Cars, but I don't think there actually was any QA team.
I think I read somewhere that SMS have a Quintupled Arrogance team, running a Quixotic Aims session whenever they review their planned feature lists.

The attitude taken to quality control, not just here but across this generation in general - look at the farce surrounding the Arkham Knight PC port for a prime example - is pretty shameful but in this instance, it's almost impressive that they could have stripped away so many features and yet somehow managed to fit a record number of bugs into the concentrated area they'd given themselves to work with.
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