rec.autos.simulators

I can only be consistent around 1.18

Should I just retire, or is the game just that difficult ?

I **love** the game, though ! (I was a ***ager F1 fan back in 1967 :-)

Luis

Yes, there is still hope for you.  I was in a similar position until I made
a breakthrough and got down below the 1.10's.  My guess is that you are
trying to maintain consistent traction on the road.  You make the
breakthrough in GPL when you learn to control being out of control.  You
have to drive it like a rally car around the corners.  You absolutely have
to understand the concept of "opposite-lock" or counter-steering for
controlled slides.  Make sure you are high in the revs, that makes throttle
steering much more effective.
The best way to illustrate is to download one of the hotlaps by the fast
guys (use***pit view).  I was shocked when I saw how Mansell was driving
the car back in the demo days.  Then I adjusted my style to be more like his
and immediately shaved 2-3 seconds off my best time.  You really have to
horse the car around.  You also have to be very observant so that you
comprehend how each input you give affects the balance of the car.  In GPL
you can get the car to turn by...pressing the throttle, lifting the
throttle, pressing the brake, releasing the brake, turning the wheel.  Learn
to anticipate those effects and get them to work for you.

Checkout the driving tips & download some replays from Mansell & Alison...

http://www.racesimcentral.net/~mansell/gpl/gpl.htm
http://www.racesimcentral.net/~alison/gpl/index.htm

Don't give up yet!
regards,
Patrick

ps.  Try my new sounds.  Guaranteed for 0.5sec off your best laptime!
http://www.racesimcentral.net/~expatjen/patsound.htm

Drive GPL like rally cars ? No way, just make sure you're fast enough through
corners that your wheels squeel on entry, apex and exit ;o)) Be smooth, precise
and practice a lot

Oh, btw.... Luis, are you using a wheel ?

Regards,
Tadej Krevh

Matt

--
-----------------------------------------
Matthew Knutsen

"The Art of Legends" - GPL add-ons
http://home.sol.no/~kareknut/simrace1.htm
-----------------------------------------

I like Alison Hines' setups.  Her Coventry setups are great for an easier to
control car.  With her setups I managed to stay on the track, and with some
hotlap replays, I learned the fastest lines.

Now I use Alison's coventry setups as a starting point for the Lotus.  This
makes for great power and control.  The main change I make is taller
gearing.  The glen is my favorite track, and I don't have time to play
enough to learn all of them.  I've run a 1.05.97 at the Glen, but for race
consistency I try to run in the 1.07 to 1.09 range.

Good luck and don't give up!

Charlie

great replays, but it takes a lot of practice to be able to drive his
(HOT!!) setups.

You do need to use rallye style techniques on some corners, but not many.
But you do need to control a racing drift at all the tracks - don't confuse
this with the full-reverse-lock World of Outlaws kind of stuff, though.

Pick a car that's easier to learn with. That means a car that ain't green
(including the Bloated Racing Machine). The Murisama and Coventry are
easiest - it's a toss up between the Eagle and Ferrari after that in terms
of easy handling - the Eagle has an easier to manage power curve, the
Ferrari has a better suspension.

Try Allison's Murisama setups at Monza ... they're good for 1:32's every lap
... safely (i.e. not pushing it). Once you can manage that you can start
looking at other cars or moving to other tracks in the Murisama. The
Coventry also handles well with her setups, but lacks on top speed. The
Coventry glides around the Glen real nice too.

    -MSM

--

__________________________________________________________________________
Mark S. Miller                       "Be regular and orderly in your life,
Director of Design                    that you may be *** and original
Motorsport Simulations                in your work."

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

Unless you drive the BRM.  Then being Steve Kinser would pay off big time.
Seems the more sideways i get that thing the faster i am.  The Eagle i can do
it with too.  Lotus you have to be TOO perfect to drive it fast it seems.
Havent spent much time in the others.

    -MSM

--

__________________________________________________________________________
Mark S. Miller                       "Be regular and orderly in your life,
Director of Design                    that you may be *** and original
Motorsport Simulations                in your work."

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

% Try Allison's Murisama setups at Monza ... they're good for 1:32's every lap
% ... safely (i.e. not pushing it). Once you can manage that you can start
% looking at other cars or moving to other tracks in the Murisama. The
% Coventry also handles well with her setups, but lacks on top speed. The
% Coventry glides around the Glen real nice too.

I was surprised, but not even really pushing it, but driving the right
line and using the throttle to help turn I can run the Honda in the
1:30's (with an occassional high 1:29).  Good work Alison on these
setups.  Here Monaco setup will easily achieve 1:31's without much
effort.

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Cheers,
Tadej Krevh

Hey, if you enjoy driving the sim, why talk about quitting? :) Who
cares that there are other people who are faster. (Well, o.k., I do
care and it bugs me a lot sometimes, but it shouldn't. ;)

--
Wolfgang Preiss   \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.

: I can only be consistent around 1.18

: Should I just retire, or is the game just that difficult ?

: I **love** the game, though ! (I was a ***ager F1 fan back in 1967 :-)

  Hmm... it could be that you are a bit handicapped by the processor
you have.  Unless you've got a lot of detail off and few other drivers
you're probably not getting a consistent 36fps.

  For some reason (dare I say poor design), in GPL it seems to be more
critical than any other game I know to maintain a high frame rate in
order to keep controllability.  Unless I have some kind of counter on,
I can't tell "by eye" the difference between 20fps and 36fps.  But my
lap times certainly tell the difference.  My lap times improved
from your kind of range to the "still humiliatingly bad but about 5
seconds/lap faster" range when I upgraded my system from a P233 to a
Celeron (overclocked to almost 470 MHz).

  I think I might be better still if I had pedals with a little more
play in them.  I'm not sure about the MS wheel but the F1 sim compact
wheel I use only has about 2cm of "give" between "full accelerate" and
"no accelerate".  This makes it pretty difficult to brake and give
"part power" consistently.

--
Richard G. Clegg     Only the mind is waving
Dept. of Mathematics (Network Control group) Uni. of York.

www: http://www.racesimcentral.net/