>GPL changes your 'Connect VIA...' setting after the
>address book entry is selected.
% This is also what you will see when you are behind a firewall (at
% least Linux IPMasq firewalls, possibly others).
% Search DejaNEWS for Linux, GPL and Masquerade for the full discussion....
I have been led to believe (from a reliable source), that a patch is in
the process which should hopefully fix the problems faced by those
behind firewalls and Linux to allow them to join online races. Whether
it addresses the hoops need to jump through to host I do not know.
--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> >If you are connecting VIA ethernet card, be sure to
> >re-select the 'Connect VIA...' port *after* selecting
> >the name from the address book.
> >GPL changes your 'Connect VIA...' setting after the
> >address book entry is selected.
> This is another feature that should get fixed in a patch. In VROC
> races, I have to click on the new host IP, then reset my IP because
> GPL has switched from my internet IP to the LAN IP.
> --
> _____
> /_______\ .\\ a t t h e a d
> I XT /~~~~
> I 500\_____ 1977' Yamaha XT.Rex 500 Enduro
> \____/\__I_I http://matthead.home.pages.de/
Yes, but if you meet someone who can do that in a Lotus while you can
only do it in a Coventry they will wipe the floor with you. The
Coventry is my favourite car in GPL and I've spent a lot of time with
it on and offline, but at no track can I even approach my best time
with the Lotus.
It's a good car to have fun in and a good car to learn in, but that
doesn't make it a good car overall. You will certainly be there or
thereabouts, but you will only win races through the misfortune of
others, almost never by dint of your own driving. I raced the Coventry
at Spa during our LAN weekend with Mike Laskey in the Lotus - I was
turning 3:27s or so in the Coventry by _seriously_ throwing the car
around, driving far harder than I had to in the Lotus. However Mike
was turning 3:21s in the Lotus and I never saw him. He could afford to
slow down by three or four seconds per lap and still beat me, so the
risk of an accident in the Lotus was minimal.
As long as you're happy driving safely and waiting to capitalise on
someone's misfortune then that's fine, but I prefer to race for the
win and go out and take it if I can. As I said, the Coventry's
advantage is that you're less likely to fall of the track with it, but
it's very difficult to use it to go and take the race by the scruff of
the neck.
Cheers!
John
>>>Again, not too bad. Trouble is that the Coventry's only advantage is
>>>that you are less likely to fall off the track with it.
>>I feel that's an oversimplification, John.
>>As I said in my notes on the Coventry, the fact that it is more
>>forgiving makes it a much better tool for learning, for both driving and
>>race tactics. Because you're not always fighting the car to keep it
>>pointed straight, you have more brain power left for honing your car
>>control skills, for finding the best line, finding the best braking
>>points, and so forth. You have time to think, time to react if you go
>>in too deep or turn in too late.
>Yes, but if you meet someone who can do that in a Lotus while you can
>only do it in a Coventry they will wipe the floor with you. The
>Coventry is my favourite car in GPL and I've spent a lot of time with
>it on and offline, but at no track can I even approach my best time
>with the Lotus.
>It's a good car to have fun in and a good car to learn in, but that
>doesn't make it a good car overall. You will certainly be there or
>thereabouts, but you will only win races through the misfortune of
>others, almost never by dint of your own driving. I raced the Coventry
>at Spa during our LAN weekend with Mike Laskey in the Lotus - I was
>turning 3:27s or so in the Coventry by _seriously_ throwing the car
>around, driving far harder than I had to in the Lotus. However Mike
>was turning 3:21s in the Lotus and I never saw him. He could afford to
>slow down by three or four seconds per lap and still beat me, so the
>risk of an accident in the Lotus was minimal.
>As long as you're happy driving safely and waiting to capitalise on
>someone's misfortune then that's fine, but I prefer to race for the
>win and go out and take it if I can. As I said, the Coventry's
>advantage is that you're less likely to fall of the track with it, but
>it's very difficult to use it to go and take the race by the scruff of
>the neck.
>Cheers!
>John
Now, I'm certainly not a hot shoe, but can manage to run 1:07 -
1:08 race laps at the Glen in the Lotus while keeping it pointed
in generally the correct direction for successive laps. AH was
not blocking, but just running her line. I had a few looks here
and there -- especially down the inside at The Loop -- but
nothing looked promising. We chatted a bit at the end of the
race as how I was unable to simply power by going down the front
straight or The Loop - The Speed Trap section. I might have
drafted and gave it a shot on a late-braking off-line corner
entry, but it would have been a high risk deal for both of us....
that 'scruff of the neck' deal, I suppose <g>. I do think I
might have pulled out a slight lead had I got by, but getting
cleanly by on the twisty circuit was the problem. It was once of
my favorite races to date, BTW.
Bottom line, in VROC pick-up races I've seen the Cov and the Mat
do quite well considering the range of skill level in the average
online contest. Get a group of drivers together that can
decimate the AI drivers, now that's another scenario altogether.
Rgds,
Mark R.
I have done read some race strategy form Bill Noble, Multitime SCCA F Vee
National Champion and a lot of what he says works.
Dave
Fact is, at the Glen it is not that easy to pass, and unless the
driver in front makes a mistake your only hope is to exit the esses
faster and pass on the run down to the loop. Watkins is not my
favourite track but I managed to win that event at our recent LAN meet
by concentrating on that. Mike Laskey took pole easily a second
faster, I took the lead off the line and from then on Mike was, well,
DAMN close (an extra coat of paint on my car and we would hit each
other). If he passed me he would have disappeared for sure, but I
could keep him behind until he made a mistake and went off.
Both the Coventry and the Murasama do quite well, that is way beyond
question. It is a different type of racing though, since your way to
win is to not fall off the track while hoping that the other cars do.
When driving a Murasama or a Coventry I only really enjoy an online
race if there is someone else driving one, or if one of the Lotus or
Eagle guys consistenly laps around the same level as I do in the
Cov/Mura. Watching an assortment of Lotus drivers scorch away and
driving round by myself hoping one of them will fall off is not really
too much fun. I had a nice race last night at Silverstone where Adrian
Middleton's Lotus and my Murasama were very close in laptime, and I
was utterly determined to chase him down - driving to the limit lap
after lap was excellent fun. OTOH the other guy in the race was as
consistent as we were in terms of staying on the road, but about two
seconds a lap faster - using the Lotus to full advantage. If it were
only he and I it would have been a very boring race for both of us,
waiting for him to crash.
That's the difference with the Murasama and Coventry - your racing is
reactive. The fact that they are quite competitive and easier to drive
is beyond doubt.
Cheers!
John
Couldn't agree more. If the car hasn't got the pace to challenge for the
lead, there's no point getting in it. It's similar to an endurance kart
race I had the other night. We were a lap ahead of the other teams after
1.5 hours of racing, but instead of slowing down we decided to go for the
fastest lap - and we got it too. Mind you, we did have a pretty serious
team of racers. Two bikers and a semi-pro racing driver. :-) Crashed my
bike on the way home, but that's another story - haha whoooops!
Mike.
Mike.
Cheers!
John
Despite that you would have won easily even with your stop/go, as
there is no way the Coventry could hope to be close to the pace of the
Lotus around Spa given equal drivers. Even being ahead there is no
remotely ethical way of staying ahead, and I was intending moving
aside and letting you through (not an easy conclusion to accept, I can
tell you!).
Cheers!
John
