Why is everybody praising this game so much? I like it a lot, but as a
GPL beater?
Nick.
The PC version is NOT the same as the PS2 version. I'm certain of this
having read it somewhere (which escapes me at this moment but it was from
the "source" so to speak) and having played both extensively. There are
clear differences in track lay out, physics model, controller set-up, FF
effects, driving AI, overall presentation and more. These games, other than
sharing the same title, couldn't be more different.
BTW, the PC version with the ALMS GT car add-on (free) is the Gran Turismo
of the PC (with better graphics, AI, and physics). ;o)
--
Joe Marques
Why did you like the Sony game more?
> > Everybody seems to be talking about F1 2001 as a better sim than GPL
> > in this Newsgroup. I have F1 2001 and Formula One 2001 on my PS2, and
> > the Sony version is so much more realistic than EA's offering. I have
> > also played F1 2001 on PC to check that it is the same game as the PS2
> > version (and it is).
> > Why is everybody praising this game so much? I like it a lot, but as a
> > GPL beater?
> > Nick.
I was at the USGP last year, and if you're talking about the trailer that
was set up with a PS2's and a F1 game, that was Sony/989's Formula One 2001,
not EA's F1 2001. If you actually DID play the EA product, you must have
played a pre-release level of the game, as the graphics in the PS2 title and
the PC are virtually identical. According to the EA web site, the games'
code is almost identical, with different applications teams chosen to
implement the PC and PS2 version due to the differences in each platform's
hardware and software.
BTW, the console Vs. PC debate is a very, very old one and I for one am
tired of everybody dismissing console racers as wannabe's. Having logged
hundreds of hours on both types of systems, the ONLY benefit I can see of a
PC-based sim Vs a console on is the "patch-ability" of a PC system. On the
other hand, many of these "patches" fix software that should never have been
released. Plus, when is the last time anybody had a driver (sound card,
graphics card, etc) conflict or an XP/2000/98/95 conflict, or even the
dreaded BSOD you get so often with Windows on a PS2? Sure, more "kids" play
consoles than play on PC's, but get off your high horses fella's. In the
days of the Nintendo 64 and before you might have had a leg to stand on, but
since the PS2 was released and certainly the XBox, game performance has been
at least on a par with PC.
Having a system that is 100% dedicated to *** (pick it: XBox, PS2, or
whatever) allows users to use it only for that purpose. No need to worry
about all of the other ***that a PC needs to be concerned with. Granted,
not many game developers take advantage of this hardware dedication, but I
can't for the life of me see how anybody who has played both the PC version
of F1 2001 and the PS2 version can tell me they are THAT different.
> > Why is everybody praising this game so much? I like it a lot, but as a
> > GPL beater?
> > Nick.
I don't want to get into a holy war about consoles, but the biggest reason
people call console racers wannabe's is that many of them use a game pad or
joystick, and can not see that this isn't realistic. I also know some (not
saying all of them) that think that because they played the car in GT3, it
is therefore "easy" to drive a WRC car at speed.
-Stuart Becktell
Turning all the aids (like auto 'box, traction control, abs etc) off
from Formula One 2001, and playing it with my steering wheel and
pedals, was far more enjoyable, and in my opinion realistic, than
console F1 2001 or PC F1 2001 (which I really couldn't tell the
difference when I had them both set up with the same options). The AI
in Formula One 2001 is also a lot better. This is all opinionated and
subjective, of course, but even so, there is no Formula One simulation
available (and they can release 4 official F1 games a year) which
accurately simulates an F1 car.
The thing for me is this. I just watched the Digital TV feed from
Interlagos, with live broadcasts of every moment an F1 car is on
track. During the practices and warm up, I was using the interactive
function a hell of a lot. After watching hours of onboard footage and
super slow motions of the cars going through turn one (an off-camber
downhill slow left hand corner - ideal to see the cars sliding
around), you really see the flaws of all sims, including (dare I say
it), GPL. The super-slowmo's really show just how much F1 cars slide
around, the chassis rocks, the tyres shake and bounce, the suspension
moves. You really can't see it on a full speed broadcast. When using
the camera looking back at the rear wing of a car (this is how I saw
the MS / JPM incident, from the Ferrari), you can see the suspension
movement at the rear of the car, especially down the pit straight, is
a lot bigger than I first imagined. F1 cars do have phenomenal grip,
but you would be suprised at the slip angles these tyres work at.
If you get a chance, watch the Digital coverage from Imola, especially
at Rivazza, and you will really see just how much work computer
simulations have to do, to be as fun as driving an F1 car looks from
these images.
Nick.
