rec.autos.simulators

Besides the game module and game console, what other components are
necessary to achieve the best from this system?

There aren't any good Formula 1 games on Playstation unfortunately - or Xbox
for that matter.  There's a couple of decent ones on PC namely F1 2002 and
Grand Prix 4.  Note that F1 2002 is much better on PC than consoles.  *Much*
better.

I have one, and I would say yes, definitely, if you are in any way
enthusiastic about games in general. Not too many simulators, tho.

If you are into F1 games then there are two, EA's F1 2002, and Sony's
Formula One 2002. Confusing names, no? They aren't really good sims. If you
have a USB wheel for your PC, like a Logitech MOMO, you can plug it straight
into the USB ports on the PS2 and use it in the game. NOTE: Not all USB
wheels work. Most Logitech ones do.

In terms of regular racing games, you have to try an extended play of Gran
Turismo 3: A-Spec (not the Tokyo-Geneva pack) to see things that no other
racing 'software' has even tried to offer (notice I didn't say 'game' or
'sim'...). World Rally Championship 2 has just come out, although I haven't
played it and I hope the 'Extreme' subtitle doesn't mean 'Crap'. Colin McRae
Rally 3 and V-Rally 3 have also been released recently, the latter having
input from a Mr. Tixier who drops in here occasionally. The Getaway demo is
on the front of OPS2 UK this month, and that looks fantastic.

Of course there are also other must-play games like Metal Gear Solid 2 and
Grand Theft Auto 3. At the end of the day, head into your local gamestore
and play for a bit. Ask them to put on different games for a trial run.
Don't believe anything they tell you about any of the systems, just try to
draw your own conclusions.

The PS2 also has a built in DVD player. Head to www.play247.com and buy the
region free CD which allows you to play all region movies (that works on UK
machines but I don't know about US ones).

I second what "Nick" said.  Except that the F1 titles are both 2001.  Only EA
released a version for '02.  I have the '02 and I think it is pretty marginal
at best.  Maybe it would be better with wheel support (I just use the std
"dual shock" analog controller).  It certainly doesn't rate against PC F1
games.  So, if you really mean for "F1", my answer is "NO".

But Gran Turismo 3 alone may make it a worthy purchase.  And yes, it is quite
playable with the stock controller (I completed the game with it).

I haven't found any racing game other than that on the system that holds my
interest.  TD Lemans was very good on the Dreamcast, as was F355
Challenge.  These appear to be, at best, ports to the PS2.  The TDL port
is poor.  Note, I'm not a rally simmer, nor a NASCAR-type, the other racing
series that gets a fair # of console titles.

I read everyone here is mentioning the GTR2002 game, but does that need a
console such as Sony or is this just a CD I put the CDROM bay and play the
game with?

I have an Thrust Master or something like that wheel and pedal set. I am
looking at purchasing something, but do not know what to buy as I am not
really really into sims.

Advice is more than welcome.

Thanks

GTR2002 (full name: GT Racing 2002) is a completely free download, but you
need to have F1 2002 on the PC to play it. It modifies the F1 2002 game so
that instead of racing F1 cars, you are racing GT cars, but it also upgrades
the physics to make them more realistic.

If you already have a PC and a wheel/pedal set, then all you need is a
couple of games to try out. Firstly, I would recommend EA's F1 2002 for the
PC. It is fairly good, not excellent, but it is an ideal game to begin with.
You can then download GTR2002 for free which is much more realistic (and
harder to drive). If you like that, then you can go the whole hog and go buy
a copy of Grand Prix Legends.

If you know you are not going to get into sims, and would prefer racing
games, then the PlayStation 2 is the better bet. Alternatively, you could
buy a copy of Colin McRae Rally 3 when it comes out on the PC (or get Colin
McRae Rally 2 as it's cheaper), and try that out with your steering wheel.

So far, two computers do not like it. Dell 450 and a Dell Laptop 650

Cannot get past the screen where it gives the option to race. Choose car,
driver, country then the game closes and the game disappears from the screen
and I stare at my wall paper.

I reload the game, it goes back to this point again and closes once again.
And again and again.

I will try it on a third computer and see what happens. Dell 2 Ghz

Is this game difficult to configure to a computer?

I didn't have any problems. Try running the 3DConfig.exe in the F12002
directory and choosing very basic settings. Right after you set up your
name/nationality it should go to the menu, which displays a 3D spinning car,
and I am guessing that the 3D part is screwed up somehow. Either that or
when it tries to write your settings to a file, the file is read only. I
don't really have any other suggestions, but I am sure other people in this
newsgroup do. Try posting a new thread (most of the guys here won't read a
thread about consoles...).

Hope it helps,

Nick.

Hopefully this will work forward, the game prompted me to register the game,
but he hot link to an electronic registration was not linkable, so I will
have to fax the registration in order to qualify for technical help from EA.

Links to info, movies, etc can be found at:
http://gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/23604.asp

The only real fault I have found with the game so far can be summed up in
two words: James Allen.

The game seems to be fun; so far I am only in the beginner stages.

It is a bit better than the Gand Prix I had several years ago, it takes a
bit more to drive this game and there is feedback during the qualifying and
such.

I didn't care much for Grand Prix Legends, it is to me, un realistic. Maybe
that's the excuse I use for not being able to drive it worth a dam? A car
that wants to swap ends at any speeds is not realistic and becomes a game
that requires more time that I can devote to it.

Overall, the F1 2002 by EA Sports (PC Version)  seems to be a good game.
Worth the $20 I spent, I guess I need a better steering wheel than the 5-6
yr old Thrust Master NASCAR Sprint one I currently have and things could be
even better still.

Glad you got it working. Fair point about the time factor with GPL, it's
over four years old and still people are learning it, playing it every day.
It is the best sim available, but just like a real race car, you can't just
jump in and race. Have fun with F1 2002.