Racing Sim Thread, Part II

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 3:59 pm

Yeah PK I figured the same thing in your case. I'm throwing some hardware at RACE 07 with 4GB of ram and the game isn't as smooth as it should be. But with that said I do like it because the game does look great and it has Championship modes. Like you said rFactor seems to be better suited for online action whereas GTR2 and RACE for offline modes.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:25 pm

Thats strange guys. I have Race pretty much cranked up and have absolutely no frame rate issues. It runs just as smooth as rFactor and GTR2 for me.

I think the AIW file does handle the AI to an extent, thats why some mods behave differently than others. The PCC and GP79 mods seem pretty good, but the ALMS mod AI is terrible.

For some reason I thought there was a way to set up the AI to "learn" to drive the track? You set up a practice and let the AI run or something. Or am I thinking of another racing game? I know one of them did it.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:46 pm

Gurantsu wrote:Thats strange guys. I have Race pretty much cranked up and have absolutely no frame rate issues. It runs just as smooth as rFactor and GTR2 for me.

RACE runs very smooth for me but for some reason it has a slight pause as soon as the race starts. Also on every track I have tried there is usually a nasty pile up as the cars start the race and this problem is way before the cars make it to turn 1.

Gurantsu wrote: I think the AIW file does handle the AI to an extent, thats why some mods behave differently than others. The PCC and GP79 mods seem pretty good, but the ALMS mod AI is terrible.

For some reason I thought there was a way to set up the AI to "learn" to drive the track? You set up a practice and let the AI run or something. Or am I thinking of another racing game? I know one of them did it.

I have never figured out where to put the AIW files that come with some of the mods. The AI for the PCC2005 and PCC2007 mods have a very good AI but they are awful whenever I upgrade rFactor to v1.250. And that's a shame because I like some of the changes made in 1.250 but having a wonky AI kills the game for me. So i'm stuck with v1.150 for the foreseeable future.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:34 pm

Rod:

The AI files install automatically when the mod has a .exe installer. When it doesn't, the Readme file always tells you where to put the files when extracting them from the .rar or .7z.

RACE runs like sh*t for me because my video card only is 128 MB.

Take care,
PK

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:39 pm

Thanks PK but I have seen AIW files on mods that don't even give a hint of where they are suppose to go. I would assume the gamedata\teams folder but i'm tso I never use them. But I have always found the AI decent with version 1.150

Yeah I could see you runing into problems with RACE on your ThinkPad. And the weird thing is that GTR2 and rFactor all share the same engine and RACE treats are computers as if we're trying to run Microsoft Flight Simulator X.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 8:26 am

GPC have released Grand Prix 1979 version 2.0:

http://www.rfactorcentral.com/detail.cf ... rix%201979

Looks like there are some tweaks to the physics and handling, substantial enough that setups developed with 1.1 won't work anymore.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 9:47 am

AWESOME! I'll be grabbing this today.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:38 am

Thanks for the tip fellas i'm going to download this asap. A first rate quality mod, well deserving of HOF status.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:11 am

Wow, the 1.3 version of the Fabcar mod is a big step up from the last version. Extremely well done, and the AI is actually pretty good.

Still downloading GP79, all the links for it are slow as heck.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:31 am

Well, my son likes the Power And Glory mod for GTR2...

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:21 pm

Cool shot. Far-out tie-dye shirt on the lad, too!

Take care,
PK

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:58 pm

He's a tiny deadhead. I also like the "windswept" hair, the window on his Mustang must be open.

I just had the AI running around the track, and he sat there steering the wheel and screaming "Go, go!" He likes rummaging around my stuff in the basement to see what he can dig out (and break if I can't get to him in time!) Now that they figured out his illness he's been a much happier kid and a lot more interested in new things, including racing, which is a huge plus in my book!

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 9:44 pm

Wow, the GP79 mod is a whole new animal now, much harder to drive than the last version, ESPECIALLY on cold tires.

Still, it's not GPL hard, so it just takes a bit of getting used to, and they are fun to drive.

I've only driven the new Interlagos track from the mod, and it is a blast. I'm surprised what a fast track it is.

pigpen81 · Post by **pigpen81** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:28 pm

I downloaded GP79 cars and tracks today along with jerez, Gasoline Alley and F1 55's.

Are we using the Formula Nippon 2007?

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:35 pm

Piggy, we're using the Formula Nippon 1.2.

Wilk5280 · Post by **Wilk5280** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:57 pm

Hey guys, sorry if this is redundant. I recently picked up a new laptop and was looking for a good racer. I curious as to which one of the few mentioned here is the best way to go and which one would work best with a controller vice wheel.

thanks

any info pm me or post here. mucho appreciated

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:40 pm

Boom:

rFactor is the most popular and best online PC racing game at these, or any, parts. Great online code, excellent physics, really fun racing. Superb variety, too, through all of the mods and tracks available.

GTR 2 probably is the best offline road racer available. Excellent AI, tons of cars and tracks available for download on the Net, superb physics.

You like rally, right? If so, then Richard Burns Rally is the king. But be warned: It's brutally realistic and brutally hard. Much like Grand Prix Legends is for road racing sims on the PC.

Finally, no greater oval racing game ever has been made than NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. It has amazing physics and AI, and the community still is incredibly active with mods and car skins, both real and fictional.

My Four Horsemen of PC racing are rFactor, GTR 2, Richard Burns Rally and NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. All of the proverbial bases are covered.

A tip and a warning.

First, the tip. Buy a quality wheel. Don't waste your time playing PC racing sims with a joystick or gamepad. You'll be slower than with a wheel, and you really need a wheel for the true racing experience. Racing a great sim like rFactor, GTR 2 or NR 2003 with a pad is a lot like bolting an 18-horsepower Briggs and Stratton lawnmower engine into a Corvette chassis.

Now for the warning. These games are difficult if you're accustomed to console racing. They're much tougher. But they're also much more fun when you get the hang of it. VERY rewarding, because it's the closest you're ever going to get to driving a race car without strapping in.

I was terribly frustrated the first two weeks after I switched from console to PC racing about a year ago. I always was one of the quicker dudes in console racing but was incredibly slow and accident-prone my first two weeks in PC racing.

But with practice and some great advice from the small, but incredibly helpful and cool PC racing community at DSP, I improved. I can't run with the big dogs of DSP PC racing, TCrouch and GBSimo, but I can hold my own with everyone else, give or take.

I recommend running without any assists. It will be very frustrating at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Assists are like crutches, so don't bother with them! You'll be a better driver and racer in the long run without them.

PC racing sims have been the most rewarding virtual experience I've ever had in nearly 25 years of video gaming. I'm very late to the PC racing party, but I'm glad I finally made it!

Please feel free to drop me any questions regarding PC sim racing, either through a post or a PM. I'm sure any of the other regular PC sim racers in here -- DChaps, GBSimo, TCrouch, Smurfy, JimmyDeicide, pigpen81 and Gurantsu -- would be happy to help, too!

Welcome aboard!

Take care,
PK

pigpen81 · Post by **pigpen81** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:18 am

Nice recap PK...but he should start with the GPL 2004 demo...always start with the king. Plus, if you can race with the 67's, you can race with anything.

I just ran the updated 79's and my gosh, they are even better then ever. Funny thing was, I found the Ferrari easier to keep on the track.

Oestenrichring, Zandvort, Monaco, Kyalami....were awesome. Especially the Ring....what a gorgeous track...my personal favorit.

We have to get these in the rotation. To not include them would be borderline criminal

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:31 am

pigpen81 wrote:Nice recap PK...but he should start with the GPL 2004 demo...always start with the king. Plus, if you can race with the 67's, you can race with anything.

You're a f*cking sadist!

pigpen81 wrote:We have to get these in the rotation. To not include them would be borderline criminal

I'm ready to give them a go!

Take care,
PK

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:28 am

Definitely get a wheel. Looking at ebay, you can get the original Logitech Momo wheel for around $50. Not a bad price and it's a solid wheel, it's the one I'm still using. (I'd like a G25, but can't quite afford it yet!)

rFactor would be my number one choice, mainly because of the mods and the fact that you can get in on our racing poker nights. GTR2 is also fantastic and is the best offline racer going in my opinion. Check the web as there are demo's for most of the games out there.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:26 am

Boom:

rFactor would be my number one choice too - excellent game, with an active community, a wealth of wonderful mods available and the option to try before you buy.

PK's advice is pretty sound, so I don't have all that much to add to it. One thing I will stress, though, is that the most important thing PK did in the entire post was point out how frustrating PC sim racing can be when you're starting. I started with Grand Prix Legends, a brilliant sim but just about the most punishing, exacting racer ever made, and I spent an enormous length of time spinning around in circles. You won't have a problem for quite as long, because you're not going to be playing Grand Prix Legends (though you must, at some point...just not now), but you'll be everywhere but the racetrack for a few weeks to start with. You'll get beyond that, though, with a little bit of time and patience.

We're a big helpful bunch of racers so if anything's got you beat, post here or PM one of us - if it's a hardware issue you're better off not asking me, but I can try to help out if it's a driving issue.

Adam

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:21 am

PK and Adam about covered it...PC racing is harder than consoles. Be prepared to put in some serious practice time no matter what game you decide to roll with just to make laps around the track without any assists on. It's also the most rewarding genre once you really get a feel for it in my opinion, only rivaled by flight sims. Tearing off an uber-quick lap in practically any game always feels better on a good PC sim than the best console game.

As for my pick, I'd choose rFactor if you had to grab one game, because it can be practically anything that you want it to be.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:46 pm

I really enjoy the karting mods in rFactor, but this looks like it's shaping up to be a serious, standalone karting sim:

http://www.kartchampions.com/

Looks pretty cool!

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:14 am

Former Champ Car stud and current NASCAR schlub A.J. Allmendinger is a regular at rFactorCentral:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/autom ... ref=slogin

Take care,
PK

pigpen81 · Post by **pigpen81** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:49 am

Guys, last night was absolutely awesome. The 79's are monsters...I love em.

As much as I love them, I know we can't race them exclusively and we need 1-2 tracks more with them so we don't get burnt at the O-Ring so I have a proposal.

Lets take each mod we like to run and select 2-3 tracks for each that we'll run exclusively to help make practice much easier.

Maybe we should start a new R-Factor Mod thread to post our lists.

My track suggestion for the F1 79 is:

The O-Ring....surprise surprise. I love Kyalami as well, sub 1:20 laps with skill and speed....but I guess it is not that popular so two other suggestions will work.