rec.autos.simulators

Review (running 3Dfx version on a Pentium II 266 with 64MB, Win98, DX6,
Diamond Monster 3D II 8MB, Diamond Monster Sound M80)

Configuration:
- the worst menu layout I've seen in sims, makes the menu in F1RS seem very
ergonomic in comparison

Controls:
- steering ratio is excessively reduced with speed - at full speed, I can
turn the wheel from end to end and not really affect my direction - this
cannot be adjusted
- I can brake from full speed to a stop in ~50 meters just by letting go of
the gas
- as a result of the above, hairpins are taken by reducing throttle (not
completely), staying off the brakes, and not applying any more steering
input with decreasing radius

Car Setups:
- geared way to high and lucky if I get up to 4th gear on most straights,
usually stay in 1st / 2nd gear - this cannot be adjusted
- only suspension adjustment is 0-100% stiffness
- front and rear wings can be adjusted from 0-100%, but it appears that the
wings have no effect on oversteer/understeer - car is always mildly

0%

Physics:
- cannot get the rear end to step out when applying full throttle from a
stand still - only when applying throttle on grass / sand will the rear end
come around
- rain does not appear to have any effect on traction
- collisions are arcade like in sim mode

AI:
- opponents bunch up and come to a complete stop in the 1st couple corners
of most tracks

Sound:
- engine sound is horrendous, very tinny and there is no sound below a
certain RPM - i.e., loose RPMs in 2nd gear, and there's no engine sound
until quite high the thee RPM range
- hitting walls (i.e., at Monaco) results in a sound that's similar to a
punch from the 60's Batman TV show

Graphics:
- no mirrors in***pit view
- no***pit instruments and in sim mode, there's no RPM indication - just
speed and gear in the top corners of the screen
- wet weather races appear to be the same view as in the dry, with the
brightness turned way down (like looking at the screen with dark sunglasses
- water / sand spray appears on top of all other graphics (at Monaco, you
can see water spray through buildings and other scenery
- can see parts of other cars inside***pit when colliding
- other cars appear to be 'flattened' when viewed from***pit view
- very few turn markers (300, 200, 100m sign boards) on most circuits
- only innovation are brake discs which glow under braking

Tracks:
- many corners corners have much less radii compared to GP2/F1RS
- nice (although probably not realistic) elevation changes

Summary:
- my (2 cent) ranking of auto sims: GPL demo, F1RS, GP2, Nascar 2, ICR2,
MTM2 (I know, not a real sim, but still fun), CPR,  N1, ICR1, SODA, ...
F1CE.  Haven't been able to find TOCA here in Canada yet.
- I'll be giving this one to my nephew

Norm

    Very well written.

    -Kevin

Marc.

These developers listened to our comments like a corpse would. Sarah may or may
not have passed on our complaints, but the development team produced no
evidence they were aware of a planet outside their own offices. The appropriate
lip service was paid to our complaints (By Sarah), patches were promised and
nothing
was ever delivered. Now they have the audacity to expect us to buy a follow up
product which incorporates the exact same bad game as the original. HaHa ***y
Ha !
They won't con me out of my hard earned money twice.

The only thing they did right was to put out a demo, so we can all see that
nothing
has changed and they remain arrogant to the end. This may be a good game for
the under 12's with a playstation and gamespad, but it sure doesn't make the
entry list in the PC world of wheel/pedal systems and real simulations. I still
can't
believe how I defended these guys back then. I actually thought they would
deliver patches to fix some of the glaring omissions from the game. Once bitten
twice shy.

I can only underline the views already expressed. In summary form - Bad product
!

Cheers John Cookson (Canada)