rec.autos.simulators

by **Steve Smit** » Tue, 01 Mar 2005 03:41:16

I know what you mean, Smokin'. I'm supposed to be writing a review for Car
and Driver of GT4 v. Forza (if it's ever released), and I thought Sony would
have it in the bag w. GT4...until they dropped multiplayer. So GT4's
lacking online play and the Xbox is lacking FF (which is why there are ZERO
decent Xbox wheels). Sony has promised TCP/IP support...later, but it's
getting pretty close to time for the PS3, and the rumor mill says the Xbox
360 (aka Xbox 2) will have FF support, but so far nobody's got a complete
feature set. Bummah!

Don't get the Logitech NASCAR wheel for the Xbox. It has abt. 4 inches of
free play at the center. Useless for driving...unless you drive like my
10-year-old daughter, who proceeds down the road in a series of sickening
side-to-side swerves. If you still want it, I'll give you mine.

Driving games aside, tho, yer right: the Xbox is cleaning the PS2's clock w.
console games like Halo 2.

by **Steve Smit** » Tue, 01 Mar 2005 03:30:04

Virtually all PC wheels w. USB connectors will work on the PS2...to some
degree. The compatibility is in the s/w, not the h/w. The most compatible
is GT3/GT4. Some buttons don't have the desired effect, you need to keep a
PS2 gamepad plugged into the second port. I have had a TM Ferrari wheel
(the same one sold in Europe as a NASCAR wheel - lol!) and it worked great
w. GT3; not so good w. other PS2 titles like Ferrari F355 Challenge, GP
Challenge, WRC, and NfS:HP2. I got a Logi DFP for GT4 and it works great,
so I'm hopeful it will also work well w. the other PS2 titles (haven't
played anything else yet - too busy trying to accumulate enough simoleans to
buy a Mazda 787B), as well as get the job done w. PC titles like GTR, GTP,
rFactor, and my old fav, Mobil 1 Rally Championship.

> Correction.

> Make that the Momo Racing wheel. Anyone know if it's compatible with the
> PS2?

> > Lots...

> > For someone who started on PC sims and bought a PS2 just to play GT3,
> > I've found the game pad amazingly good for driving...once I discovered
> > the gas and brake buttons were pressure sensitive.

> > It takes some practice but often I'm smoother in the replays than the
AI.

> > Anyone know if a Logitech Momo FF for PC will work on a PS2?

> >> How much fun is it with a regular game pad?

by **Smokin_Bo** » Tue, 01 Mar 2005 07:35:55

Steve,

Thanks for the heads up on the Logitech/XBOX deal Steve. I think I
will be sticking to the PS2 and the DFP for now :) Took the Lister
(heavily modified) around the Ring a couple times today using the
wheel, and it sure does get exciting at about 190 MPH...great stuff!!

by **Joe6** » Sun, 06 Mar 2005 13:27:29

Great review Steve, very insightful. I agree on all counts. The play
balance especially as you say is just soooooo ***ive.

Joe62

by **Joe6** » Sun, 06 Mar 2005 13:29:16

>How much fun is it with a regular game pad?

Pretty good actually, it plays surprisingly well given the short range
of PS2 analog sticks.

Joe62

by **Steve Simpso** » Sun, 06 Mar 2005 13:43:22

Is there a gamepad available for the PS2 with good analogue triggers like
the Xbox & Dreamcast pads?

by **Joe6** » Mon, 07 Mar 2005 01:21:58

>Is there a gamepad available for the PS2 with good analogue triggers like
>the Xbox & Dreamcast pads?

Not that I know of. Please let me know if I'm wrong, I'd die for one!
:-(

It is truly the worst thing about the PS2 controller (not just the
lack of analog triggers, but the fact that the analog sticks aren't
that high quality either).

Joe62

by **Joe6** » Mon, 07 Mar 2005 01:32:06

>Is there a gamepad available for the PS2 with good analogue triggers like
>the Xbox & Dreamcast pads?

Just found one actually:

http://gear.ign.com/articles/561/561506p1.html?fromint=1

No idea how good it is but the review sounds allright. It has it's own
configurability options (in case a game doesn't support it directly)
including a memory chip to remember your settings.

If there are any in local stores I'm picking one up today solely for
playing GT4. I'll let you know how it plays.

Joe62

by **Steve Simpso** » Tue, 08 Mar 2005 11:32:54

Thanks, let us know how it goes. If it's any good I might just buy GT4.

by **Steve Smit** » Tue, 08 Mar 2005 13:43:43

What do you have against the DFP? It works like a champ w. GT4, it works
like a champ w. a PC, and it looks the part (i.e., ***, not arcade).

> >Is there a gamepad available for the PS2 with good analogue triggers like
> >the Xbox & Dreamcast pads?

> Just found one actually:

> http://www.racesimcentral.net/

> No idea how good it is but the review sounds allright. It has it's own
> configurability options (in case a game doesn't support it directly)
> including a memory chip to remember your settings.

> If there are any in local stores I'm picking one up today solely for
> playing GT4. I'll let you know how it plays.

> Joe62

by **Joe6** » Thu, 10 Mar 2005 05:53:26

On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:43:43 GMT, "Steve Smith"

>What do you have against the DFP? It works like a champ w. GT4, it works
>like a champ w. a PC, and it looks the part (i.e., ***, not arcade).

Sorry Steve, you lost me. What's the "DFP"?

by **Steve Smit** » Thu, 10 Mar 2005 07:37:43

Driving Force Pro, the 2-1/2 turns lock-to-lock wheel that Logitech designed
for GT4 (abt. $100 "street"). Great price, great performance (high sampling
rate = excellent precision), iffy haptics (gears don't feel so smooth but
will presumably wear in after a hundred hours or so).

> On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:43:43 GMT, "Steve Smith"

> >What do you have against the DFP? It works like a champ w. GT4, it works
> >like a champ w. a PC, and it looks the part (i.e., ***, not arcade).

> Sorry Steve, you lost me. What's the "DFP"?

by **Joe6** » Thu, 10 Mar 2005 07:46:08

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 22:37:43 GMT, "Steve Smith"

>Driving Force Pro...

Right, thanks, that does sound pretty good ... except that me TV and
PS2 is in the living room. I've had wheels in the past for my PC and I
love them, because they fit on my desk and I'm sitting up straight in
position to use the pedals.

I can't think of any good way to have a wheel set up in front of my
TV. Don't think the wife would go for a look like this:

http://www.force-dynamics.com/video.shtml

Seriously any suggestions for a good wheel setup in a living room
setting are appreciated. In the meantime I have ordered the
Thrustmaster analog-trigger controller, so I think that will be a big
improvement, I'll report back here once I've given it a go...

by **Andre Warring** » Thu, 10 Mar 2005 11:11:37

Just don't do what I did tonight.. removed all the furniture from the
living room, put the kitchen table in the middle of the room, moved
my heavy officechair from upstairs to the livingroom, fastened my
wheel to the kitchen table, started GT4, and then found out that GT4
doesn't support the Logitec Momo :(

Andre

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 22:46:08 GMT, Joe62

>On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 22:37:43 GMT, "Steve Smith"

>>Driving Force Pro...

>Right, thanks, that does sound pretty good ... except that me TV and
>PS2 is in the living room. I've had wheels in the past for my PC and I
>love them, because they fit on my desk and I'm sitting up straight in
>position to use the pedals.

>I can't think of any good way to have a wheel set up in front of my
>TV. Don't think the wife would go for a look like this:

>http://www.force-dynamics.com/video.shtml

>Seriously any suggestions for a good wheel setup in a living room
>setting are appreciated. In the meantime I have ordered the
>Thrustmaster analog-trigger controller, so I think that will be a big
>improvement, I'll report back here once I've given it a go...

by **Steve Smit** » Thu, 10 Mar 2005 11:30:49

That's FUNNY, Andre! (If it wasn't so sad....)

P.S. The last time I tried it, GT3 supported the (U.S.) Logi Ferrari wheel.
Not all the buttons worked, but the wheel & pedals did.

> Just don't do what I did tonight.. removed all the furniture from the
> living room, put the kitchen table in the middle of the room, moved
> my heavy officechair from upstairs to the livingroom, fastened my
> wheel to the kitchen table, started GT4, and then found out that GT4
> doesn't support the Logitec Momo :(

> Andre

> On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 22:46:08 GMT, Joe62

> >On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 22:37:43 GMT, "Steve Smith"

> >>Driving Force Pro...

> >Right, thanks, that does sound pretty good ... except that me TV and
> >PS2 is in the living room. I've had wheels in the past for my PC and I
> >love them, because they fit on my desk and I'm sitting up straight in
> >position to use the pedals.

> >I can't think of any good way to have a wheel set up in front of my
> >TV. Don't think the wife would go for a look like this:

> >http://www.force-dynamics.com/video.shtml

> >Seriously any suggestions for a good wheel setup in a living room
> >setting are appreciated. In the meantime I have ordered the
> >Thrustmaster analog-trigger controller, so I think that will be a big
> >improvement, I'll report back here once I've given it a go...

rec.autos.simulators

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