rec.autos.simulators

Hi,

A question about F1RS2: I have F1RS and am quite disappointed with it. I
just did not have the feel I was in control of the car, something I do
not experience in games like GP2.
I also was disappointed with some (NOT ALL) of the graphics, which
seemed a bit "too much" (too colorful) to me, although most graphics are
quite good.

Is there anyone out there who also found F1RS1 to have these
disadvantages and doesn't find these disadvantages anymore with the
follow-up version: F1RS2 ??????

Please write to me...
Thanks in advance!

--
Erik van Duijn
Katwijk, Holland

Homepage (UNDER CONSTRUCTION): http://www.racesimcentral.net/~erikvan.duijn/

=====================================================================
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- Start the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE)
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LOGITECH\MOUSEWARE\
  CURRENTVERSION\SERIALV\0000\DOUBLECLICK
- Change the DOUBLECLICK value from 000 to 001

The middle-mouse-button now acts as a doubleclick
======================================================================

If you didn't like F1RS, I venture you won't like the sequel.  It just isn't
*that* different that it would swing you to the other side.  To address your
individiual points:

The feel is better, a bit more fluid and responsive, but not as much so as
GP2. Still feels a bit like riding on rails and when you go off, you do big
time.  The throttle and brake are more sensitive now, easy to lose traction.
I'm not saying it is right or wrong, or better/worse than GP2.  But just that
it is an improved version of F1RS.  But I would bet not enough to entice you.

Still as colorful.  They now appear to use better textures and/or more
polygons.  Very nice.  But again, if it was the bright colorful world you
disliked, it is back.

Too colorful? What 3D accelerator video card are you using? That
is probably the source of your troubles. I have read many posts here
by people complaining about F1RS. Frankly they are not playing the
same game I am (for one, I think GP2 feels like it is on rails :-). In
practically all of these cases these people lacked a 3dfx video
accelerator add-on card. I would not be totally shocked to read
that you also do not have one of these cards.

--
Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes.

cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com

David,

Thanks for the advise!  I am still thinking of buying Johnny Herbert
Racing or the Psygnosis F1, but I don't know anything of them. Do you?

Thanks again!
--
Erik van Duijn
Katwijk, Holland

Greg,

I DO have a 3D-accelerator-card (3dfx) installed, although it is not one
of the familiair names in the business (3dfx Interactive, so not a
Diamond Monster or something like that). I know there is an option to
change the colors with this card, but I don't know how yet: Maybe it is
that the default color settings are not that good for this game.... I
will give this another try...

--
Erik van Duijn
Katwijk, Holland

Well, if it's a 3dfx-based card, it really doesn't matter which.  Hmmm, then
again, I do have an option with my Pure3D (Voodoo1) to change the RGB levels,
but I never have.  All I've done is adjust the gamma.

Greg, I can see people thinking F1RS is too cartoon-colorful.  I don't mind
it.  Certainly it wouldn't detract from my playing enjoyment.

As to the "rails" comment, Greg, I find both F1RS's as well as GP2 to be like
that.  Major caveat: when I played GP2, I played with the steering help
enabled (forgot what it was called).  I just found it unplayable otherwise.  
Admittedly, I didn't play around much with lock, etc.  So I don't rag on GP2's
on-rails feel since I was playing it "wrong".  But I am playing F1RS/RS2 with
every help off.  Now maybe an F1 car is like that.  It obviously has
prodigious grip, small slip angles, and an overabundance of power to slip the
tires with.  However, I did find F1RS to sort of jerk-jerk a bit through turns
(not as bad as GP2 with the control help on).  Nowhere near as smooth feeling
as Papyrus sims.  Maybe Papy exaggerates the amount of squat one gets with an
indycar, but it sure feels more dynamic than Ubi's.  What I don't think Ubi
models is the dynamic nature of the downforce, ie downforce can be reduced at
lower speeds.

Back to Erik:
Judging from the demos and many net comments, I wouldn't bother with either
Herbert's or Psygnosis' F1 sims.  They are arcadish, and similarly "colorful".
I did *slightly* prefer Psygnosis' graphics to F1RS (probably not RS2).  But
it is moot considering the inferiority of the game.  I seriously doubt either
would satisfy.

No, when it comes to contemporary F1 sims, the Ubisoft games are the best
around.  Some stick with GP2, but I find it too antiquated now.  Plus GP2 has
some really nice features, like the dynamic rain.

Yes that would be consider rails :-)

turns

Hmm... I don't get the jerk-jerk thing at all. In fact I tried the F1RS-2
demo.
I thought it woas total ***compared to F1RS. The menus are essentially
the same and the sound totally sucks. I would be surprised if the game
were any different. I find F1RS to be a very believable sound, but then
again I do have a decent wave file for the downshift sound. And yes the
sound when you floor it while standing still is pretty terrible. But how
often
are you standing still in a F1 car :-)

I always wonder about this in any openwheel sim. Under a certain speed
the wings don't matter it is the chassis doing the handling.

GP2 has no weather effects at all. I think you are perhaps mistaken.

--
Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes.

cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com

still in a F1 car :-)

Oops.  Delete "GP2", insert "F1RS/RS2".

Other things:
Sound?  I'd say the sound in RS2 is superior to RS1 in that when you get off
the gas, it doesn't sound as if you are at low rpm.  Otherwise, similar.  I've
tried a lot of the user-created sounds, and I don't find them better overall.  
Sure, the downshift is bad and some of the user ones are better.  But they
never seem to work well with my Montego.  And I haven't found a car sound that
sounds good once integrated into the sim.  Yes, I'd like to have that
spine-chilling sound that the real cars make.  I haven't heard any sim do it
yet.  GP2's sound is better, but not that much better to my ears.  YMMV.

Some things I've noticed from racing the AI: they seem to give up the racing
line more readily than perhaps in RS1.  When I make a diving late braking
attack, I see them start to ease off the line, even if my attempt is
half-hearted.  This may not be a boon to realism, but I consider it better
than them blindly holding fast to the line.  They also don't stick with a bad
pass attempt as long as before.  In RS1, they continually try in the same poor
areas and ride the curbs.  And, of course, they added the flagging system,
which creates its own problems.  So far, I haven't seen many passes other than
at the start and due to the flags.  Just like real life :-(

Does anyone race against Pro or Expert opponents in RS2 succesfully?  I'm at
the point where I'm 5 or so seconds faster than the amateur AI cars at Monza,
but not quite fast enough for Pro yet.

As to the 1.02 patch, I haven't noticed anything.  Supposedly V2 users can now
get 1024x768.  I wish I could try 800x600 on my v1 (I assume it isn't
z-buffered).  All the sound problems are still present.  Oh, it does now save
your time attack record set after a reset (you still lose all pre-reset
times).

off

Huh. The sound in the demo was totally different than F1RS.

The downshift sound that is bad is the highspeed flameout sound
(flam16a.wav)
I have one that I found on www.f1racingsim.com called flam16d.wav which
is pretty darn good. I used the soundeditor from the above site called
F1Bnm.exe which successfully will add flam16d.wav into the bank. If
you want I can send you the wav file. It is much easier to listen to...

What are you using to integrate the sounds? I was using F1rsedit and
got a clicking/static sound everytime I downshifted at high speed. You
also have to ensure the wav file is inserted into the bank file.

I am not 100% satisfied, with the sound I get from F1RS, but it is good
enough where I don't even give it consideration any more. I just drive :-)

What!!!! The AI in F1RS backs off way too much and in fact got
slammed for it here.

Same for me in F1RS.

So what is the deal with the flag system. Does it really work?

Sounds like where i am at in F1RS :-) I *STILL* haven't done any setup
work in F1RS. I think I am waiting to see if there is a decent FF wheel
on the market. I want to actually feel my setup changes. FF will certainly
give you that feedback, my stint with the MS wheel showed me that.
I just think that changing setups without actually feeling the loss of
traction is not very productive. So I just stick with no setups and
Amatuer AI. I am thinking about going to Pro though. I remember
in GP2 that once you raised the AI level you also magically got
faster. At least I did :-)

--
Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes.

cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com

Those 2 are worse than F1RS or MGPRS2, stick to GP2 or F1RS or MGPRS2.

Both games JH and Psygnosis F1 are arcadish !!!

Bye Rejean