Racing Sim Thread, Part II

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:52 am

Shame on you PK for even thinking that.

No matter how sophisticated the driving model is on a console racer you can always trump it on the PC. Grand Prix Legends and RBR freshly come to mind.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:25 pm

Rodster wrote:Shame on you PK for even thinking that.

No matter how sophisticated the driving model is on a console racer you can always trump it on the PC. Grand Prix Legends and RBR freshly come to mind.

You can easily add iRacing to that list to make it a holy trinity, Rod. iRacing probably tops that list, too.

I tried Forza 2 out of curiosity, more than anything. Plus there was some pre-disposed tacit validation of PC sim superiority. I know that sounds arrogant, but hey, it's a fact.

Take care,
PK

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:00 pm

Sorry to continue being the iRacing pimp, but they have a pretty good deal going for the Holidays:

http://www.iracing.com/promotions/buy-one-get-two-free/

Buy 1, Get 2 Free Sale
‘Tis the season to spread Holiday Cheer and that’s why iRacing.com presents you with our Holiday Special! Simply purchase one month for $14 and get two additional months for Free! That’s three months for the price of one.

Use promo code: PR-Holiday-09

Don’t wait! We all know great deals like this dont last long.

Good for new member activation only.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:04 pm

Don't look now, PK, but...Mid-Ohio for iRacing next summer

Smurfy · Post by **Smurfy** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:14 am

GB_Simo wrote:Don't look now, PK, but...Mid-Ohio for iRacing next summer

Yep, as soon as I saw that on iRacing I started drooling.

I'm dying to take the Indy Cars and the rookie Solstices around that place.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:41 am

GB_Simo wrote:Don't look now, PK, but...Mid-Ohio for iRacing next summer

YEE-HAH!

Take care,
PK

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:34 pm

I hate the place. Hate it hate it hate it. I really am wrong on this one, aren't I?

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 3:04 pm

GB_Simo wrote:I hate the place. Hate it hate it hate it. I really am wrong on this one, aren't I?

Since I dislike Silverstone so much you're allowed to hate one on this side of the pond!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:31 pm

Gurantsu wrote:
GB_Simo wrote:I hate the place. Hate it hate it hate it. I really am wrong on this one, aren't I?

Since I dislike Silverstone so much you're allowed to hate one on this side of the pond!

I'll put Sebring in that category. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Dull, flat, lifeless. Shite.

Take care,
PK

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:42 pm

I don't mind Sebring. Quite like it, in fact. I know, wrong.

Bit of a longshot, this one, but does anyone have any experience of the Fanatec Porsche wheels? They look fabulous, and I'm in the mood to spend a decent amount of moolah on something I don't particularly need.

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:29 pm

GB_Simo wrote:........ I'm in the mood to spend a decent amount of moolah on something I don't particularly need.

How about one of these?

http://www.simcraft.com/apex-sc830.aspx

TurnKey Systems start at $29,995
-Quad-Core Computer system
-ATI 5870 Radeon GPU with Eyefinity
-Logitech G27 wheel and shifter
-CST Pedals
-Triple Eyefinity capable 24" LCD monitors
-Installation and service plan

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:42 pm

Go with this one instead, Simo:

http://www.cxcsimulations.com/

I know the owner of CXC, Chris Considine. Great guy, hardcore sim racer, stands behind his product 1,000 percent.

I drove this very rig in 2008 at Long Beach. Had it for 10 minutes to myself right after Champ Car driver Nelson Philippe was in it. Gulp.

It was F*CKING INCREDIBLE. I could have died on the spot smiling.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:50 pm

GB_Simo wrote:Bit of a longshot, this one, but does anyone have any experience of the Fanatec Porsche wheels? They look fabulous, and I'm in the mood to spend a decent amount of moolah on something I don't particularly need.

In all seriousness, I got my hands on a Fanatec wheel in May 2008. I did not like it one bit, for many reasons.

One, the pedals were incredibly cheap. You think the Logitech plastic DFP/DFGT pedals are shite? They're industrial strength compared to the basic Fanatec pedals. Then again, the Fanatec machined Clubman pedals look wonderful.

I couldn't stand the thickness of the Fanatec wheel. Felt like I was driving a truck, not a race car. I've also read about firmware compatibility problems with Fanatec wheels, which I encountered a bit, too. I never seemed to be able to get it dialed in right, which never is a problem with a Logitech wheel.

The Fanatec wheels are very pleasing to the eye, but my hands-on experience was very sour. I'm a Logitech man, through and through.

Take care,
PK

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:54 pm

DChaps wrote:TurnKey Systems start at $29,995

Bargain. I'll take three. Not wholly certain how the folks would take to having their dining room table replaced by it, or exactly how keen they'd be on my knocking through the wall to the living room to accommodate it, but it's widely known that parents must sometimes make sacrifices for the wellbeing of their offspring.

When I scrape together the cash to strike out on my own, I'll probably end up giving up on food, water and basic amenities for a couple of months and springing for one of these:

http://uk.visionracer.com/_product_5310 ... y_To_Drive

Then again, that's going to come with a G27, which wouldn't be a lot of good if I wanted a Fanatec. Blast.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:01 pm

pk500 wrote:[One, the pedals were incredibly cheap. You think the Logitech plastic DFP/DFGT pedals are shite? They're industrial strength compared to the basic Fanatec pedals. Then again, the Fanatec machined Clubman pedals look wonderful.

The machined ones caught my eye, yes. They really do look like something, and feel on the pedals is one of the things that really need to be right for me to feel comfortable. The ones that ship as standard with their lower-end products look as bad as the ones I had with my old faithful Driving Force, and they ended up with a gigantic crack running down the brake pedal...

One of the things I do like about the Logitech products is that they feel like racing wheels. If I go karting, it's an entirely different kind of steering wheel to the one in the Ford I drive to the track. The Fanatec wheels was being modelled on Porsche steering wheels is fine if I'm controlling a virtual road-going 911, but I imagine it might not be so hot if it's a Red Bull.

The G25 is still going strong for now so I'll probably shelve the idea for the time being. Thanks for the feedback, mate.

Smurfy · Post by **Smurfy** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:29 am

That looks like dream hardware. Though I'd rather spend $30K on a digital medium format camera

Has anyone found that the car damage in iRacing is pretty forgiving?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 1:14 am

Smurfy wrote:Has anyone found that the car damage in iRacing is pretty forgiving?

Yes. It's something that needs work. I think I recall Dave Kaemmer saying in an interview with iRacing that it's one of the many parts of the sim he wants to improve in subsequent builds.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 2:55 am

Reinstalled Richard Burns Rally last night on my lappy. Needed a reminder of the only PC sim that compares favorably now to iRacing in my pantheon.

The game is f*cking brilliant, especially with a few easy steering and FFB tweaks. MASSIVE fun.

What's even more gratifying is that my 8-year-old son, who is a WRC zealot like me, is pretty damn good in the game for a wee lad. Very fun to watch him saw the wheel and keep the car on the stage at such a young age, especially since RBR is one of the most brutally unforgiving racing sims ever coded for a PC.

Take care,
PK

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:01 pm

Fancy a trip to my side of the ocean? Try this little place in Kent:

http://www.virtualr.net/iracing-com-bra ... available/

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:09 pm

GB_Simo wrote:Fancy a trip to my side of the ocean? Try this little place in Kent:

http://www.virtualr.net/iracing-com-bra ... available/

Yes, YES, YES!!!! And it's already available in both configurations for hosting. Let's race tonight, tomorrow, or Saturday night. Or all three! Skippy's on the GP circuit and Spec Racer at Indy?

PS - In a euphoric loss of constraint, I just went ALL IN with iRacing and now own every piece of content available. I hope I get that Christmas bonus and not the Jelly of the Month Club, otherwise, I am going to be in the dog house with the wife.

Smurfy · Post by **Smurfy** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:17 pm

DChaps wrote:Yes, YES, YES!!!! And it's already available in both configurations for hosting. Let's race tonight, tomorrow, or Saturday night. Or all three! Skippy's on the GP circuit and Spec Racer at Indy?

Count me in for any night this week.

Perhaps you should post this in the DSP iRacing Poker Night thread?

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:17 pm

DChaps wrote:PS - In a euphoric loss of constraint, I just went ALL IN with iRacing and now own every piece of content available. I hope I get that Christmas bonus and not the Jelly of the Month Club, otherwise, I am going to be in the dog house with the wife.

Don, you beautiful man, I thought I was the only one here silly enough to do that...

I can't race tonight. I can race tomorrow, and Saturday. I think that's an excellent idea.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:53 pm

GB_Simo wrote:Fancy a trip to my side of the ocean? Try this little place in Kent:

http://www.virtualr.net/iracing-com-bra ... available/

OH. F*CK. YES.

How about the Jettas on the Indy circuit? About the closest thing we'll get to the BTCC. Or maybe the Skippys at the Indy circuit, re-creating the Formula Ford Festival.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:48 am

Tossing a Spec Racer Ford around Brands Hatch Indy is pure bliss. Man, what a great representation of one of my favorite tracks in the world.

Only one problem: Is there ever really that much sunlight in Kent?

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:01 am

This week's 24 Heures du Fun should be named 24 Heures du Orgasm: It's Dallara IndyCar at Brands Hatch GP. I ran about 45 minutes of laps tonight.

Sheer f*cking glee.

Can we run Dallaras at Brands GP for every DSP iRacing Poker Night until we're all 6 feet under?

Yowza. What fun.

Take care,
PK