I have full Xbox version of TOCA 2!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:46 am

Fellas:

Let's just say a little birdie named FedEx dropped a copy of TOCA Race Driver 2 for the Xbox at my front door just now, as the Codies graciously sent me a copy.

I plan on playing the hell out of this tonight (and probably at lunch, too), so please send me any and all questions!

Take care,
PK

mixdj1 · Post by **mixdj1** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:45 pm

Impressions! Impressions! First and foremost the driving physics. Does this feel more "sim-like" than PGR2? Do the different car classes really feel as different as they should? Just curious. Actually, I've already pre-ordered mine so I'm getting it no matter what.

Just want to hear your thoughts on it. TOCA Poker night on Wednesday?

mixdj1

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:51 pm

You're the man PK...hook us up with some impressions. I'll be picking this bad boy up in the near future.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:29 pm

OK, I couldn't resist: I popped in TOCA Race Driver 2 for a short spin. Let's just say that if you're into racing games at all, this is virtual Viagra. I'm hard.

I just enjoyed two of the most sublime experiences I've had in a video racing game: Sliding a Formula Ford in four-wheel drift around Oulton Park Short and understeering a Ford 9000 semi into the kitty litter outside the first turn at Laguna Seca!

This game is fantastic, so far. Answers to a few questions asked already:

>>>First and foremost the driving physics. Does this feel more "sim-like" than PGR2?<<<

Absolutely. I had to "unlearn" a lot of my bad habits from PGR 2 initially. You must control speed and use the brakes in corners. You simply can't rely on heavy mechanical grip to hold you in corners like PGR 2.

And TOCA 2 handles standing starts WAY better than any racing game I've ever played. You need to control your RPM perfectly at the start, hugging the red line and not overrevving the engine, or you'll lose a ton of spots at the start due to wheelspin.

>>>Do the different car classes really feel as different as they should?<<<

Oh, hell yes! There's a MASSIVE difference between a Formula Ford and a Ford 9000 semi, for example. The semis understeer like a bastard, plowing straight off if you're even a bit too fast into corners. You can't throw a big rig around.

Conversely, the FFords will slide everywhere if you let them by braking too deep and applying the power too hard at the apex on corner exit. And forget it if you put a FFord in the grass -- you'll spin like a top unless you're very light with the throttle while trying to return to the track.

The SEAT Cupra touring cars are a blast, too. They handle a lot like the small touring cars in Pro Race Driver.

The driving model is very similar to Pro Race Driver but a bit more refined. I found myself having to be a lot more careful with the brake and power application when exiting corners with a SEAT Cupra than I did with a comparable car in Pro Race Driver.

So far, I'm blown away. But the biggest plus I've seen other than the fine driving model and excellent CPU AI is terminal damage. I plowed my FFord into a wall at Manthorp on purpose, and the front right tire blew. The car handled like a pig when turning, as it should have. Then I decided to stuff the wounded car head-first into the barrier. The front-right suspension assembly and wheel simply tore off the car, and a message appeared on the screen saying my race was over due to terminal damage.

How f*cking cool is that?

Ask away with more questions, fellas. I know what I'm doing tonight!

Take care,
PK

BBReBozo · Post by **BBReBozo** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:31 pm

How's Ryan McKane's hair this time around?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:43 pm

BB:

No Ryan McKane, thankfully!

The story is first-person. You're the driver. And the cutscene animation from the team owner (old Scottish guy) and your manager (hot blonde with nice body) is very good, and the dialogue is WAY better than the dopey McKane storyline.

Much like with CMR 04, the Codies cleaned up the sins of the prior game in the series with TOCA 2 and have created a gem, at least what I can see so far.

Dropping $50 total on CMR 04 and TOCA 2 so far is the gaming steal of the year, any system, any genre.

Take care,
PK

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:56 pm

Which game would you reccommend (CMR 04 or Toca 2) for a novice racing gamer such as myself?

BBReBozo · Post by **BBReBozo** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:58 pm

How do the supertrucks handle?

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:05 pm

PK, the only racing game I've ever played is MotoGp2 and NASCAR Season for PC (thanks TCrouch). Would a novice like myself, enjoy playing this game online or would I be turned off by a learning curve or something?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:06 pm

BB:

By Supertrucks, do you mean the Ford F-150 Lightning or the Ford 9000 tractor semis?

Well, I've driven both, so my impressions:

Ford F-150 Lightning: Pretty quick for a pickup, but quite skittish on the ovals. You can't go flat for an entire lap, even at Texas; and no way at Pikes Peak. The trucks will push like a bastard if you don't breathe the throttle in the corners, especially at Pikes Peak.

Bumping and banging also can bring severe penalties with the F-150s because of the lack of weight in the rear end. It's really easy for a rival truck to tap your rear bumper and send you spinning due to the lack of weight in the bed.

Ford 9000: They're pigs, as you might expect. An absolute TON of understeer if you're carrying too much speed into the turns. You simply can't slide a semi through corners very well. The acceleration also sucks, too.

But they are fun to drive and race, in a strange sense, because the racing is damn close. I can see semi racing being mega fun online for short races because of the proximity and just how boulder-like these bovine beasts handle. But there's no way I'd run more than two laps on any track with these things because the lap times take so long and the vehicles are so unresponsive, as you'd expect.

Keep firing the questions my way!

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:07 pm

Dan:

Both are great games, but I'd go with TOCA 2. First, it's on XBL for head-to-head racing, while CMR 04 is not.

Second, TOCA has way more of a variety of cars and tracks, including rallying. It's a much more diverse game that provides enough classes and tracks to keep it fresh for a damn long time.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:09 pm

fsquid wrote:PK, the only racing game I've ever played is MotoGp2 and NASCAR Season for PC (thanks TCrouch). Would a novice like myself, enjoy playing this game online or would I be turned off by a learning curve or something?

Squid:

Well, your only two racing games are among the best sims on their respective platforms, so I think you'd be right at home with TOCA. You're less of a novice than you think if MGP 2 and NASCAR Season are your two racing games.

If you said the only racing games you played were Burnout and Need For Speed Underground, then I might have a different opinion.

Take care,
PK

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:10 pm

what about a wheel. Does one need to get an XBOX wheel to play this well?

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:16 pm

Dude, I am so jealous. Have fun! Ok, here are some questions, answer at your convenience of course.

1) Is there a "Pro-Simulation" mode? If its there, it should be under Handling Mode and allow you to switch from Simulation to Pro-Simulation.

2) Does Multiplayer allow you to mix and match series/classes, cars, and tracks? In other words, can you race Super Trucks at Brands Hatch Indy, or DTM at Road America, etc.?

3) Are setup changes allowed in Multiplayer mode?

4) Is there qualifying in Multiplayer?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:16 pm

fsquid wrote:what about a wheel. Does one need to get an XBOX wheel to play this well?

Squid:

I've never played an Xbox driving game with a wheel yet am competitive with nearly everyone in here except for Terry "The ghost of Fangio, Senna, Clark and Earnhardt" Crouch.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:18 pm

Don:

I'm by my lonesome here, so I haven't checked out any of the Multiplayer or Online options at all. Sorry.

Plus I'm back to work ... for now.

I do know that you can't choose any track to run with any car in the Free Race mode, which is a bit of a bummer. You can only run the tracks that each class runs in the career mode. But maybe the Codies optimized the car handling and AI for each class on those specific tracks, or maybe they were just out of time or lazy ...

There are options for qualifying and car setups in Free Race mode, though.

Take care,
PK

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:39 pm

PK,
I checked out the demo last night and was very impressed with the feel of the 68 Mustang. I mentioned in another thread that it reminded me of the first Driver(which, by the way, I absolutely loved so that's a compliment) in terms of handling and feel. Would that be an accurate statement (at least for the muscle cars)?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:43 pm

Scoop:

I haven't driven the muscle cars yet. But the Jaguar classic car was a handful due to its ancient suspension, and the power-to-weight ratio of the Ford GT is awesome. You can boil the hides off the wheels quite easily with that car!

Take care,
PK

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 4:22 pm

PK:

Does the game have accelerated fuel consumption and tire wear? That is, do you have to run crazy-long races just to force pit stops? Or is there a way to require pit stops or something in a free race/multiplayer game?

Are the career mode races video-game short, or can they be real-life long if you want 'em? What about free race/multiplayer? Are 20 lap races out of the question?

One more question:

Can you send me your copy of the game since I don't have it yet?

You lucky bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 4:54 pm

Zeppo:

I haven't run any races long enough to see if tires wear and fuel depletes. It is a work day, after all.

You can set up Free Races to require pit stops and qualifying if you set the lap count high enough.

As for your request, no f*cking way, my friend!

Keep the questions coming ... Racing the Formula Fords is absolutely SICK. Great power-to-weight ratio and zero aerodynamics. You need to balance aggression and control more than in any other type of vehicle I've raced on a console in a long time. Massive fun. Plus the realistic suspension action and how the car reacts over the bumps is superb.

Take care,
PK

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:27 pm

Jealous as all hell...

IF I get this tomorrow, I'll barely play it 2 days before I go on a 4-day cruise to Mexico...gone until Monday.

By then, I'll be way behind the power curve. Dammit!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:31 pm

Z:

Yep, there are ovals. I raced on Pikes Peak and Texas in the Ford F-150 Lightning trucks as part of the early Career mode. That was an easy series, so I won both races easily.

But the AI did seem a bit better, but it was hard for me to get a really good indication. I need to run a custom single race in the Lightnings on an oval with AI adjusted right about to my upper limit.

No Cannonball Jack sightings!

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:32 pm

Terry behind the power curve? That's like saying Steve Kinser might not win another Outlaws feature this year.

Yeah, right, my friend!

Have fun on the cruise, man.

Take care,
PK

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:50 pm

You SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!