Racing Sim Thread, Part II

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 5:10 pm

Don:

You've verified all the reasons why I did absolutely zero pre-release pimping of this game here. I didn't play it, but the screenies alone indicated to me that it was a low-buck title in every way possible.

Take care,
PK

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:49 pm

I may still get the Indy game, even after reading your impressions, because it does cover such a unique era in racing. I have actually been to the Trenton track for an Indy race, although I was very young and have only vague recollections of it.

I'll be using a controller so I'd be interested in hearing your impressions using one.

I've had fun with other budget titles before, so graphics don't bother me too much. How is the AI? (provided you're able to get a decent race going with your wheel or controller!) Any type of car adjustments?

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:33 pm

Indianapolis 500 Evolution for Xbox 360 Impressions Continued:

Hopefully I will have some time later tonight to give it another go and I will try with the controller. I think there are basically 3 difficulty settings and I am not sure if it just changes the performance of the AI, or if it also changes the physics difficulty. Pro is the highest setting and in my first race at Indy I qualified 9th with the default car and no upgrades to engine, etc. I have not seen yet if there are setup options, but you can change your car for historically correct engines, etc. Brain in the Jar is the developer of this game which I think did both the Codemasters Indycar games or at least the first one. Like those games, it does attempt to mimic true Indy qualifying where you can waive off attempts, and it even simulates bump day. However, as much as I appreciate the effort, it just cannot recreate the "excitement", especially from back then when you had 50+ cars trying to qualify. I doubt I will ever have to worry about being "on the bubble", as my qualifying 9th was with some pretty bad laps. In the race though the AI seemed decent. I was dicing it out with Lloyd Ruby and ended up hitting the wall after 6 laps. I had yet to make a pass. The damage model does seem solid as I lost a wheel, caught fire, and was immediately out of the race, which is the way it would have been back then if I had tried the move I did.

On the other hand, in the mission mode the AI seemed very weak. It's a very cool idea as each year has a couple supposedly historical race situations with a bronze, silver, gold achievement for each. I tried a 1965 scenario where I was Lloyd Ruby leading at Langhorne where I had to hold off the field for the last 5 laps. I ran pretty inconsistent laps and never saw an AI car and got the gold. No challenge at all. I don't know that all the missions are like that, but if they are there will be no compelling reason to try the rest.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:27 pm

There was an article in a local Philly paper a few years ago about Langhorne Speedway where they interviewed a few guys who had run there, I think Mario Andretti and Johnny Rutheford among them. I got the impression from them that it was a pretty scary place to race, something about limited visibility because of a grandstand or something? I wish I still had it, might need to search the web.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:05 pm

Gurantsu wrote:There was an article in a local Philly paper a few years ago about Langhorne Speedway where they interviewed a few guys who had run there, I think Mario Andretti and Johnny Rutheford among them. I got the impression from them that it was a pretty scary place to race, something about limited visibility because of a grandstand or something? I wish I still had it, might need to search the web.

Langhorne was nuts because it was a true circle. It was one giant left turn, with not an inch of straightaway.

Take care,
PK

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:45 pm

Not that you should care, but the RACE ON – DEMO VERSION RELEASED

http://www.simbin.se/news.php?newsid=166

What a confusing mess Simbin has made out of this series. Of course I am the sucker who can't resist buying it anyway, so I guess I should not be complaining. However, I feel like I have bought this same content multiple times. Let's see.... GTR, GT Legends, GTR 2, Race, Race 07, STCC, GTR Evolution, Race Pro(360).

This new version of Race appears to have everything from Race 07 and STCC, plus muscle cars, updated WTCC season, International Masters, and a few new tracks. Guess it does not have the GTR cars and tracks (like the Green Hell) from GTR Evo, nor does it have Spa or Mid-Ohio which were part of the Race Pro DLC. Anyway, here is the press info:

Eschborn, October 8, 2009: The games publisher bitComposer Games today released a demo version of the new racing simulation RACE On. Virtual racing drivers can now complete the first laps with two cars: the Dodge Challenger SRT8 and the Seat Leon TDI. The demo has two game modes and two tracks for car racing fanatics: Oschersleben and Falkenberg. A multiplayer steam demo is also planned and will be available shortly.
The RACE On demo has two game modes: in “Racing Event” mode players must complete a whole weekend of racing, including training, qualifiers and the race itself, whereas the objective in “Time Attack” is to achieve the fastest lap around a circuit.

About RACE On
RACE On includes the following new content:

16 unique car models in 8 classes with over 140 variations.
12 tracks of which several never has been released by SimBin on PC.
RACE On will be available as a stand alone game including all RACE 07 content and an expansion pack for existing owners of RACE 07 will also be available.

All in all this makes up for:

39 unique car models in 17 classes with over 450 variations.
30 tracks and 17 alternate layouts, in total 47 tracks.
For current owners of GTR Evolution RACE On is designed to merge and fully integrate with the existing GTR Evolution. RACE On is scheduled for release in Q2 2009

THE RACE IS ON!
In RACE On, PC players can race on the circuits in 39 meticulously reproduced vehicles that are available in over 450 designs. 27 variants of 21 racing tracks guarantee hours of gaming fun. Apart from Imola and Okayama, glamorous raceways such as Laguna Seca, Road America, Sturup and Karlskoga also feature on the impressive list of tracks.

Drivers can compete against up to 24 AI drivers in the 17 different race classes, and can of course burn rubber against real players online!

The new Dual Ghost mode offers players two ghost opponents to help improve both your own lap times and those of your opponent.

A realistic physics engine and a dynamic weather system that can change during a race, provides a totally authentic race atmosphere. Compulsory pit stops in the STCC races add an extra tactical component to the already exhilarating gameplay experience.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 8:40 pm

Thanks for the impressions on the Indy Evolution.

Like Gurantsu, I was a little curious about this game because it's so different with it's cars and tracks. I had it in my gamefly, but then it go delayed to coincide with the release of other games I wanted more. That and the total lack of info out there about this game scared me off.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:59 pm

In spite of it looking a bit cheapo, and in spite of the impressions here, I still want that Indy game. I can't find it listed anywhere for a PAL release, though. Eyes peeled, I guess.

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:34 pm

WPatrick wrote:Man I miss racing the Legends on short track ovals.

What do you guys think about the new quicker promotion system?

Oops, sorry thought I put this in the sim racing thread.

I cannot wait for the next build. Sounds like there will be lots to look forward to, especially the new private racing. A few weeks ago Steve Meyers posted the following in his blog regarding the next build (see link for full details):

http://www.iracingworld.com/_A-day-in-t ... 52.html?b=

It’s not going to be a surprise that we plan on having the IndyCar ready for the next major build and it’s going to be an absolute blast. We will have different cars for different track types and the models all look terrific. We will also have the ability to adjust brake bias, weight jacker and sway bars from in cockpit. We should also have the in car brake bias and sway bar adjustments available in all cars that have this feature. We may not be able to get all of these adjustments done and for all of the cars by the next build but if we don’t they should not be far behind.

The Corvette C6.R did look like it was going to slip past this next build but we have actually just received a batch of data from Pratt and Miller that we had been waiting for so there is a chance this will be done. We still are waiting for some data but we have been promised its arrival in the next week or so......

One feature that will definitely make the build is opponent tire smoke and skids. You will now be able to relive your own Cole Trickle moments on the high banks of Daytona.....

One major project we are targeting for the next release that is not going to be a surprise is private racing. I don’t think I need to go into all the details on what we have envisioned here as it has been discussed at length in the forums. I will say that it is entirely likely that we will have a basic set of functionality with this available when it launches which will grow to be more robust over time.....

One feature that Dale Jr put on our development schedule was the ability to transfer setups to each other. The general concept of what we are building is that you will be able to send and receive setups from other drivers who are connected to the same session you are. I am just going to put it out there now that whoever has the fastest lap in a practice session I join is going to get hassled to send me their setup!

Our friends to the north will be happy to know that the next track to be released will be Mosport and I am fairly certain it will be done in time for next season. The track that is next in line to be completed will be Brands Hatch and we actually already have a track spline done. The Kiwi turned a 1:17 in the Dallara the other day on the track and it’s going to be a fantastic track for the service, although possibly a safety rating killer! We have penciled in at the moment that Zandvoort will be the next track completed after Brands Hatch....

WPatrick · Post by **WPatrick** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:41 am

Steve Potter
iRacing Announces Added Features, Lower Prices: Private Hosted Racing & Race Participation Program Introduced; Annual Subscription Cost Cut 37%; New Public Site Unveiled

BEDFORD, MA (October 15, 2009) – Members of iRacing.com’s popular motorsport simulation service will now enjoy additional features as well as lower subscription and content prices. The new pricing structure, which decreases the cost of an annual membership by 37%, goes into effect immediately. The new features, including private-hosted sessions and a program that awards credits for regular race participation, commence with the November 3rd start of iRacing’s 2009 - Season 4.

The announcement was made by Tony Gardner, iRacing’s president, who said the increased value for members was made possible by the service’s remarkable growth since membership was opened to the general public in August, 2008. Gardner also announced a brand new version of iRacing’s public Web site (www.iracing.com) designed to introduce prospective members to the inexpensive fun of online racing with authentic virtual versions of popular race cars and tracks.

“More than 15,000 people have joined iRacing.com since we fully opened our doors 15 months ago,” Gardner said. “Because our membership has grown rapidly, we are able to both lower prices and increase features. We anticipate that by adding value, we’ll increase the enjoyment of our current members and bring even more new members into our community.

“We are committed to making iRacing a thrilling experience for current and new members. The larger the membership, the better the racing will be for everyone. We believe that lowering our prices will open the doors to whole new segments of the racing community.”

Lower Prices

iRacing.com offers a variety of subscriptions, ranging from month-by-month to a new two-year plan that reduces the monthly cost of membership to less than $7.50. Additional content is also available beyond the three cars and seven tracks that come with every subscription. In each case, the new price is lower than its predecessor. A summary of the price reductions:

Term & Old Price:
1 month, was $ 19.00
Term, New Price, Reduction, New Monthly:
1 month, $ 14.00, -26%, $ 14.00

3 month, was $ 50.00
3 month, $ 36.00, -28%, $ 12.00

6 month was $ 90.00
6 month, $ 60.00, -33%, $ 10.00

1 Year, $ 156.00
1 Year, $ 99.00, -37%, $ 8.25

New Term, Price, Monthly:
2 Year, $ 179.00, $ 7.46

Cars were $15.00, now $ 11.95. -20%
Long Tracks were $20.00 or $25.00, now $14.95. -25% or -40%
Short Tracks were $15.00, now $11.95. -20%

Members who have recently purchased additional content are protected by a pair of price-guarantee programs. Any member who has bought content (cars and tracks) within the 30 days preceding the new pricing will receive within 14 days via e-mail a code for iRacing credit for the full amount of the difference between the old and new prices. Similarly, members who have purchased content between 31 and 90 days from the onset of the new pricing will receive a credit for 50% of the difference between the old and the new prices.

Racing Participation Program

Finally, the new Race Participation Program, an earned credit of up to $40.00 per year ($10.00 per 12-week season) will be available to all iRacing members regardless of subscription type, replaces the previous subscription purchase incentive program. Existing quantity purchase discounts of up to an additional 25% remain in effect.

“We want to encourage our members to race more frequently, and we’re going to reward them for doing so,” Gardner said in making the announcement. “Really, it’s a win-win deal for our members. People enjoy racing against other drivers, and bigger fields just add to the fun and make the racing better. Someone who takes full advantage of the ‘Credit for Race Participation Program’ will earn $40 per year.”

The details of the “Credit for Race Participation Program” are as follows:

• To qualify for iRacing credits a driver must participate in eight different race weeks in the course of a normal 12-week season in an individual official iRacing series. (Only Race Sessions in Official Series Count; sessions in Pro and Rookie series do NOT count, nor do sessions in Week 13.)

• For the purpose of the “Credit for Race Participation Program” a driver satisfies the participation requirement by scoring championship points in his or her race session, and completing at least 50% of the number of laps completed by the class winner. Races with an odd number of laps will be truncated. e.g. If the winner of an individual’s car class completes 17 laps other members of that class need to complete only eight rather than nine laps.

• In the case of a race with no finishers, the race will still count as an official session for the purposes of this program. Drivers who complete 50% of the laps completed by the driver in that class who has completed the highest number of laps will receive participation credit.

• For the purposes of this program a driver may participate at any series for which he or she is eligible. (e.g. A driver holding an A license may participate in B, C, or D level races.)

• Payouts are $4.00 iRacing credit per official C or D level series and $7.00 iRacing credit per official A or B level series. Maximum credit per season is $10.00.

• iRacing Credits earned under this program will be calculated during Week 13 of that season. A promotion code will be generated for the proper amount of credit for each member and then e-mailed to the member prior to the start of next season.

“By both reducing and restructuring our prices, we’re encouraging our members to have more fun by racing more frequently, with more cars on more tracks, thereby increasing the value of their memberships,” Gardner said.

Hosted Private Sessions

As a new option in addition to the official weekly schedules of more than 15 regular rookie, regular and pro series, iRacing will now offer its members hosted private sessions.

For a single $3.00 hosting fee any iRacing member may organize a private race, using a variety of cars and tracks in the iRacing inventory, which is open to any other iRacing members, without additional charge and regardless of their license level.

At the option of the organizer these race and/or test sessions may be open to any iRacing member or made private through use of a password issued to a group of members of the organizer’s choosing. While the race organizer may maintain a point structure for a series of these events, a member’s official iRating and Safety Rating are not affected by the results of any hosted private session.

Gardner noted that the creation of hosted private sessions opened the service up to a large group of online racers who preferred racing in a private-league format.

“A lot of sim racers have organized their own leagues – groups of friends who like to race together,” Gardner said. “Our existing structure organizes races basically according to skill level, which is what our current members want. From the start we planned to eventually add private racing to the mix. We believe that the private league racers will join the service to take advantage of this new functionality, but will also try out our structured racing, like it, and add that to their schedules.”

New Web Site

With the advent of each new 12-week season iRacing.com updates its Members Web site with new features and functionality, the place where iRacers go to race, socialize and keep up with all things iRacing. For prospective members who want to learn more about the iRacing service and community, an all-new version of the company’s Public Web site has been launched today. Reflecting what’s been learned in the 15 months since the service opened to the public, the new site provides a clearer and more complete introduction to the fun of iRacing and affords an easy way to become a member.

Awesome news

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:55 am

Fantastic news, indeed. Thanks for the post, WP.

iRacing is an absolute STEAL at $8 per month over two years. I really like the Official Race frequency discounts, too, as that will discourage people from racing only in private, hosted events. There's still plenty of $$$ incentive to stay in the Public events.

We need to get some DSP private hosted races. If we get eight guys to race, that's a whopping 43 cents fee per guy. Even I can afford that.

Take care,
PK

WPatrick · Post by **WPatrick** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:58 am

We need to get some DSP private hosted races. If we get eight guys to race, that's a whopping 43 cents fee per guy. Even I can afford that.

Agreed!

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:17 pm

Wow, at those prices I think I'm going to sign back up. Awesome news.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:36 pm

Well I just received all of the new computer parts this week to upgrade the rig, so I'm definitely going to be getting back into some of these racing games when you guys do the Poker Nights. I'm looking forward to get back into it. It's been a while.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:59 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:Well I just received all of the new computer parts this week to upgrade the rig, so I'm definitely going to be getting back into some of these racing games when you guys do the Poker Nights. I'm looking forward to get back into it. It's been a while.

DB:

That's cool. iRacing has surprisingly low system requirements, so I'm so you'll have it looking photo-realistic on your new Cray supercomputer. That will be excellent.

I know you have experience with NR 2003, so you'll be comfortable with the "feel" of iRacing right away. You'll also LOVE the force feedback and the laser-scanned tracks.

Looking forward to racing with you, dude.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 1:03 pm

WPatrick wrote:
We need to get some DSP private hosted races. If we get eight guys to race, that's a whopping 43 cents fee per guy. Even I can afford that.
Agreed!

Courtesy and ethical driving will be the keys for our private hosted races.

Understand that it's $3 per RACE EVENT (practice, qualifying, race), not $3 for one night or 24 hours, etc. So if someone is taken out early by a stupid move, they're done for the session, with no hope of returning. While that's realistic, it's not much fun for the guy who looked forward to an hour or more of hard, clean, fun racing with his buddies.

We'll have to be gentlemen, especially avoiding those Turn 1, Lap 1 cornholes. But then again, if you're used to competing in iRacing, you know how the system rewards clean driving. Five months of iRacing have helped my racecraft more than four previous years of PC racing with other sims.

Looking forward to it!

Take care,
PK

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:45 pm

A quick question for you other iRacing guys.

Earlier today I renewed my sub, and obviously there are some updates. However, I cannot get them to start. When I click on the update screen it goes away and returns to the web page. Then up in the corner instead of "Update Needed" it says something about not connecting to the service. Were the servers down today or something?

I'll give it another shot later on, but just wondered if any of you guys have experienced the same thing.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 5:52 pm

Screenshots of the iRacing version of Mosport, to be released soon:

http://members.iracing.com/iforum/servl ... sport1.jpg

http://members.iracing.com/iforum/servl ... sport2.jpg

http://members.iracing.com/iforum/servl ... sport3.jpg

Uh, yeah. More, please? That first screen is ridiculous, especially the detail on the curb.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 5:53 pm

Gurantsu wrote:A quick question for you other iRacing guys.

Earlier today I renewed my sub, and obviously there are some updates. However, I cannot get them to start. When I click on the update screen it goes away and returns to the web page. Then up in the corner instead of "Update Needed" it says something about not connecting to the service. Were the servers down today or something?

I'll give it another shot later on, but just wondered if any of you guys have experienced the same thing.

Grant:

Sorry, I'm not sure. I haven't been on a while. Hope to race later tonight.

Take care,
PK

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:44 pm

I finally got it working this afternoon. I had to re-download the installer, and then everything updated fine. I ran a race at Laguna Seca in the Solstice, finished 5th.

I got a year subscription, and one thing I noticed is that I didn't get any of the iRacing credits, my account just shows the initial $10 worth I got when I signed up initially. I was hoping to grab a new track and car, but I'll just wait now until I get my license up a level to see what I'll need.

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:00 pm

Gurantsu wrote:I finally got it working this afternoon. I had to re-download the installer, and then everything updated fine. I ran a race at Laguna Seca in the Solstice, finished 5th.

I got a year subscription, and one thing I noticed is that I didn't get any of the iRacing credits, my account just shows the initial $10 worth I got when I signed up initially. I was hoping to grab a new track and car, but I'll just wait now until I get my license up a level to see what I'll need.

Yeah, with the new $99 annual subscription (down from the previous $156), they did away with the credits. Although, once the next season starts in a couple weeks you can earn up to $40 credits annually just by participating in official races.

Don't forget, starting in November we will be able to have DSP iRacing private hosted events where your license level will not matter.

My vote is for our first official DSP iRacing League Event to be Indycars at Indianapolis.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:07 pm

I need to read up on that, how do the official races earn credits?

As far as the DSP races, just let me know what to buy!

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:09 pm

Gurantsu wrote:I need to read up on that, how do the official races earn credits?

As far as the DSP races, just let me know what to buy!

The details of the “Credit for Race Participation Program” are as follows:

• To qualify for iRacing credits a driver must participate in eight different race weeks in the course of a normal 12-week season in an individual official iRacing series. (Only Race Sessions in Official Series Count; sessions in Pro and Rookie series do NOT count, nor do sessions in Week 13.)

• For the purpose of the “Credit for Race Participation Program” a driver satisfies the participation requirement by scoring championship points in his or her race session, and completing at least 50% of the number of laps completed by the class winner. Races with an odd number of laps will be truncated. e.g. If the winner of an individual’s car class completes 17 laps other members of that class need to complete only eight rather than nine laps.

• In the case of a race with no finishers, the race will still count as an official session for the purposes of this program. Drivers who complete 50% of the laps completed by the driver in that class who has completed the highest number of laps will receive participation credit.

• For the purposes of this program a driver may participate at any series for which he or she is eligible. (e.g. A driver holding an A license may participate in B, C, or D level races.)

• Payouts are $4.00 iRacing credit per official C or D level series and $7.00 iRacing credit per official A or B level series. Maximum credit per season is $10.00.

• iRacing Credits earned under this program will be calculated during Week 13 of that season. A promotion code will be generated for the proper amount of credit for each member and then e-mailed to the member prior to the start of next season.

“By both reducing and restructuring our prices, we’re encouraging our members to have more fun by racing more frequently, with more cars on more tracks, thereby increasing the value of their memberships,” Gardner said.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:44 pm

Ah, so I need to get out of the rookie series. After todays race I went from a 2.71 to a 2.96 so I'll be out of them soon. Hopefully I can get to 4.0 before the season ends.

I had forgotten how good the racing is in iRacing. Very clean by everyone, although I need to find speed in these Solstaces. Still, my endurance racing preference saves me as I am good at avoiding trouble.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:23 am

DChaps wrote:My vote is for our first official DSP iRacing League Event to be Indycars at Indianapolis.

I second that vote!

Take care,
PK