rec.autos.simulators

by **Dino** » Tue, 27 Oct 1998 04:00:00

The post's I've read about online play in GPL have for the most part been
about poor modem to modem connections and the lack of Sierra/Papyrus
dedication to this aspect of it, I won't retread that thread:-) except to
say that my limited experience with GPL online has been very good.....Hell
it's the Internet !!!!!!
More of an issue for me is the competition we race against online, let's be
real, there are only a handful of people that have the ability to be the
best of the best in this game and the rest of us are left to fight, scratch,
claw and wreck (which we've been doing a Damn good job of :-)) amongst
ourselves to get better and more competitive against each other.
My suggestion Is: In training mode, fill fuel to race requirements and
practice standing starts followed by three laps, then pit, check tire temps,
adjust setup if needed and do it again, and again and again.
If most of you are like me you've learned most of the tracks, got your hot
setups for those tracks but when it comes to race starts you don't have a
clue.
I will not run an online race at a track where I have yet to practice full
fuel/cold tires configuration and I hope you won't either.
Any other suggestions?

by **rob** » Tue, 27 Oct 1998 04:00:00

I don't think any particular level of proficiency is required for racing
online.
What _is_ important is that all involved have the same expectations.
Newbies can race with pros (by which I mean participate in the same
race) so long as they're welcome. On the other hand, nobody wants
to be where they're not wanted. What we need is a classification system,
or really just a convention for expressing levels of expertise. Those
creating races could in effect say, 'you must be this tall to enter,' and
I'll
bet peer pressure would be enough to enforce it.

On the other hand, If a newbie with a cable modem figures he might
as well learn the tracks by hosting online practice sessions, who's to
say he shouldn't?

rob.

>The post's I've read about online play in GPL have for the most part been
>about poor modem to modem connections and the lack of Sierra/Papyrus
>dedication to this aspect of it, I won't retread that thread:-) except to
>say that my limited experience with GPL online has been very good.....Hell
>it's the Internet !!!!!!
>More of an issue for me is the competition we race against online, let's be
>real, there are only a handful of people that have the ability to be the
>best of the best in this game and the rest of us are left to fight,
scratch,
>claw and wreck (which we've been doing a Damn good job of :-)) amongst
>ourselves to get better and more competitive against each other.
>My suggestion Is: In training mode, fill fuel to race requirements and
>practice standing starts followed by three laps, then pit, check tire
temps,
>adjust setup if needed and do it again, and again and again.
>If most of you are like me you've learned most of the tracks, got your hot
>setups for those tracks but when it comes to race starts you don't have a
>clue.
>I will not run an online race at a track where I have yet to practice full
>fuel/cold tires configuration and I hope you won't either.
>Any other suggestions?

by **Bill Bollinge** » Tue, 27 Oct 1998 04:00:00

> I will not run an online race at a track where I have yet to practice full
> fuel/cold tires configuration and I hope you won't either.
> Any other suggestions?

Suggestions? This is WHY we need to have online GPL available on a service like
NROS where you earn a "skill" ranking and/or "LPI" ranking and should be able to
set up races with either/both as minimum standards.

Bill / Amish on TEN

by **Chris Schlette** » Tue, 27 Oct 1998 04:00:00

But Bill..we all know how well that Ranking system on TEN works.....:)

Sorry, but I want that damn ranking system as far away from GPL and its
corruption as can be. :)

And I still completely disagree with LPI....maybe Laps Per Racer-****up
would be more appropriate. :)

by **Marty U'Re** » Wed, 28 Oct 1998 04:00:00

While I too have been frustrated by periodic poor game performance when online
in GPL, when it's good the racing can be great. The reason is the general
seriousness with which most people approach the competition in this sim.

Because of the skill and commitment required to become proficient that this sim
requires, the arcade yahoos are quickly turned off, as evidenced by some
negative messages here. Slower drivers frequently watch their mirrors and give
way to those coming up to overtake in the practice/qualifying sessions. The
game's excellent use of yellow and blue flags certainly helps. I think we're all
learning from each others good conduct, like using 'po' for 'pit out' in the
chat box to warn drivers coming by at speed that a slow car was coming out of
the pits.

I hadn't raced online until GPL, having heard about the problems with idiots
drivers in Nascar2 online racing. Can anyone here compare the two?

The only thing better than GPL is the real thing. I miss the roar of the engines
and the smell of the crowd.

Marty

> The post's I've read about online play in GPL have for the most part been
> about poor modem to modem connections and the lack of Sierra/Papyrus
> dedication to this aspect of it, I won't retread that thread:-) except to
> say that my limited experience with GPL online has been very good.....Hell
> it's the Internet !!!!!!
> More of an issue for me is the competition we race against online, let's be
> real, there are only a handful of people that have the ability to be the
> best of the best in this game and the rest of us are left to fight, scratch,
> claw and wreck (which we've been doing a Damn good job of :-)) amongst
> ourselves to get better and more competitive against each other.
> My suggestion Is: In training mode, fill fuel to race requirements and
> practice standing starts followed by three laps, then pit, check tire temps,
> adjust setup if needed and do it again, and again and again.
> If most of you are like me you've learned most of the tracks, got your hot
> setups for those tracks but when it comes to race starts you don't have a
> clue.
> I will not run an online race at a track where I have yet to practice full
> fuel/cold tires configuration and I hope you won't either.
> Any other suggestions?

by **John Walla** » Wed, 28 Oct 1998 04:00:00

>My suggestion Is: In training mode, fill fuel to race requirements and
>practice standing starts followed by three laps, then pit, check tire temps,
>adjust setup if needed and do it again, and again and again.
>If most of you are like me you've learned most of the tracks, got your hot
>setups for those tracks but when it comes to race starts you don't have a
>clue.

Yes, absolutely!

On every track my practice consists primarily of running lots and lots
of races against the AI to learn passing points, but also many
practice starts - partly to learn the grip/biting-point/revs for the
car and setup combo I've chosen on this track, but also to learn how
fast you're going to be travelling when arriving and the first corner,
and what is the braking point from a standing start with warm rear
tyres, cold fronts and a full fuel load.

I don't have the time to really get down to the super-fast times, but
it's amazing how many races you can win by scraping onto the front
row, taking the lead at the start and then staying on the track :-)

Cheers!
John

by **David Snid** » Wed, 28 Oct 1998 04:00:00

>I don't think any particular level of proficiency is required for racing
>online.
>What _is_ important is that all involved have the same expectations.
>Newbies can race with pros (by which I mean participate in the same
>race) so long as they're welcome. On the other hand, nobody wants
>to be where they're not wanted. What we need is a classification system,
>or really just a convention for expressing levels of expertise. Those
>creating races could in effect say, 'you must be this tall to enter,'

I logged into VROC quickly a few nights ago to check that everything
was working properly. Some guy had set up a server and had placed
"1:40 lap times, Monza" in the comment section. Since my best lap is
only around a 1:38, this server was just what I was looking for and
the ping was shown as 275 ms to boot. Unfortunately, I didn't have
time to race right then, so I didn't get to try it out.

I think that's a great way to let people know what kind of competition
can be expected on any particular host.

David Snider

by **Bob Myer** » Wed, 28 Oct 1998 04:00:00

>>I don't think any particular level of proficiency is required for racing
>>online.
>>What _is_ important is that all involved have the same expectations.
>>Newbies can race with pros (by which I mean participate in the same
>>race) so long as they're welcome. On the other hand, nobody wants
>>to be where they're not wanted. What we need is a classification system,
>>or really just a convention for expressing levels of expertise. Those
>>creating races could in effect say, 'you must be this tall to enter,'

>I logged into VROC quickly a few nights ago to check that everything
>was working properly. Some guy had set up a server and had placed
>"1:40 lap times, Monza" in the comment section. Since my best lap is
>only around a 1:38, this server was just what I was looking for and
>the ping was shown as 275 ms to boot. Unfortunately, I didn't have
>time to race right then, so I didn't get to try it out.

>I think that's a great way to let people know what kind of competition
>can be expected on any particular host.

Well, as that guy, thank you very much.. .;)

Actually, I did it more to warn hotlappers that there may be slower
people on the track -- and anyone should know that people running
1:40 laps at Monza are both a bit slower than front row times, and
are more likely to have 'stability' problems...

IMHO, anyone joining a race advertised as '1:28 Avg. Please'
should be able to stay on the track, and the racing should be
consistently good. A '1:45 Avg. Please' race would obviously
be messier...

Now if there was just some way to race w/o the shift-r option at
shorter lengths... (Or have I missed that?)

by **Raev** » Wed, 28 Oct 1998 04:00:00

Does anybody out there have any suggestions for what sort of modem
connection works best for them?
I've got a 28.8 USR modem and it gives me shaky performance in online
***,,, quake, etc.. sometimes it's great, sometimes it sucks
royally.. maybe it's a problem with my phone line. Anyhow, I've been
avoiding getting into multiplayer GPL because of this, but I really
want to check it out.
Do you other guys (and gals) have luck with a 28.8 -- reliable,, or
56,,, or faster,,,
I guess I just want to know if my modem setup is unusally unreliable.

Thanks!

Raevyn

by **Bill Bollinge** » Wed, 28 Oct 1998 04:00:00

> But Bill..we all know how well that Ranking system on TEN works.....:)

> Sorry, but I want that damn ranking system as far away from GPL and its
> corruption as can be. :)

> And I still completely disagree with LPI....maybe Laps Per Racer-****up
> would be more appropriate. :)

LOL, I do understand your point..... Race for the sake of racing, but
at some point it would be really nice to "ON AVERAGE" get a better group
of drivers (Note: Entirely based on stats, and I know they are not 100%
fool proof, but at some point they will indicate a "direction" of
someones ability.).

But, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK --- I do agree with you to a certain
degree about stats. Not worth a whole bunch, especially for the
majority of the community. But, to a little tiny tweeny bit they will
indicate a person's desire and racing mentality/strategy/etc...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAK Agreeing with Chris (Even only a little big LOL)

Bill / Amish on TEN

by **Nafi Coke** » Wed, 28 Oct 1998 04:00:00

I have a 28.8 USR and I have solid connection with GPL and NROS most of the
time. Usually the source of the problem is the quality of net connection
which involves line quality, ISP connection, number of hops, etc.

Nafi

>Does anybody out there have any suggestions for what sort of modem
>connection works best for them?
>I've got a 28.8 USR modem and it gives me shaky performance in online
>***,,, quake, etc.. sometimes it's great, sometimes it sucks
>royally.. maybe it's a problem with my phone line. Anyhow, I've been
>avoiding getting into multiplayer GPL because of this, but I really
>want to check it out.
>Do you other guys (and gals) have luck with a 28.8 -- reliable,, or
>56,,, or faster,,,
>I guess I just want to know if my modem setup is unusally unreliable.

>Thanks!

>Raevyn

rec.autos.simulators

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition

GPL: Improving online competition