rec.autos.simulators

   My friends are interested in NASCAR, but I'm much
more interested in road racing.  

   In fact, this would be a good time for WSC to be
released.  My I have that on the shelves by January
8th please?  

   Nobody picked up on my mention of SCGT.  Is this
not a good candidate for on line racing?  I dabbled
with this, off line, a year ago, but I didn't have
a chance to really get into it.  The cars and the
tracks are interesting.  

   I also like Formula One.  F1RC never made it to
my neighborhood in the United States.  Many hated
the AI but loved the rest of it.  Is this also not
a good sim for on-line play?  I was thinking about
getting F1-2001, but after EA's decision to***
their Porsche Unleashed customers, I'd rather spend
my money elsewhere.  I have F1CS2000, is that any
good on line?  

   The greatest on-line sim ever made is nothing
without an active community.  This has impressed me
about Porsche Unleashed, and makes EA's decision to
mistreat these nice people particularly troubling.  
What are the URLs where other online sim communities
can be found?  

   One thing about my situation is this.  I'm the
only one with a PC, so the three to five minute
contests of Porsche Unleashed are nice bits of time
while others wait their turn.  

   How long are the races in Colin McRae 2?  

   When I'm alone, longer races is no problem.  

                                       Thanks again
                                       Larry

   This is the first time I've been on line with any software,
and we had a great time.  

   EA has decided to take down the NFS/PU servers on January
8th, for no purpose other than to***over their customers
from what I can see.  Break Porsche Unleashed in order to
pressure owners of that software to buy their new video game,
Motor City Online.  

   Anyway, we're going to need to find a new on-line sim.  

   I know GPL has an active on-line community, but I haven't
been able to get that working with my new Voodoo 5/5500 card
and GPL's a little deep for my friends.  

   So, what are some alternative on-line racing sims that are
a little less "twitchy" than GPL?  NFS/PU is a nice mix of
challenge and approachability.  I'm wondering about SCGT, but
I'd like to hear of other candidates.  

   EA has the right to treat their customers with contempt.  
I'm particularly interested on non-EA titles.  

                                                    Thanks
                                                    Larry

David G Fisher

-Larry

Basically, anything made by Papy, Codemasters or Ratbag has very good online
play. N4 or GPL are good examples of Papy, Colin McRae 2 for CM, or any of
the 87 remakes of Dirt Track Racing are good for Ratbag. Rally Masters works
well, too. If you're staying within friends, i.e. less than 4 of you, the
choice gets wider. I personally like GP500 or F1 2001, but I'm told that
Nascar Heat works well too. Online games to miss are Mercedes Benz Trucks,
GP3, F1RC (for me, at least) and SBK 2001, all of which are great games but
BAD online.
 All in my opinion, which ain't worth much.

Thanks :)

-Larry

I wouldn't consider Ratbag titles good for online play. The original Dirt
Track Racing is the best of the bunch, but the number of people playing is
dropping fast. DTRSC is terrible online for warp over 4 cars, and Leadfoot
won't even run in Gamespy because it gets crossed up with another game.
Leadfoot is so unpoplar that Ratbagg even gave up on patching it!

If GPL or N4 seem to much then you might try N3. N3 is not as demanding on
driver or hardware.

MadDAWG

Oh, ok, I thought you meant you hooked up with your friends online - I guess
you mean they go round to your place, take in turns. In which case, Colin
McRae 2's the way to go. Short, 3 min stages, you can race against each
other, and go online if you want to, too. In fact, pretty much any rally sim
(as DGF said, Rally Trophy), will suit.

SB

The GPL "F2" cars are the "Advanced Trainer" cars. Less power and less grip
than the GPL F1 cars, which (IMO) makes for much more interesting online
racing - drivers stick closer together and overtaking is easier.

Have a read of this -> http://www.racesimcentral.net/
out the vrocf2 yahoo group for details of well-attended online racing on
Saturday afternoons and (usually) several evenings each week as well.

Have fun

Jim

-John

David G Fisher

   To me, "On line" means on the Internet against
strangers.  Or, as I'm finding with Porsche Unleashed,
new friends.  

   Yes, my situation is me and two or three friends
waiting our turns at my PC.  That's the weekends,
during the week, I'd be on line by myself, and ready
for longer races on deeper sims, like GPL if I can
get the thing to work.  It worked on my old V5, I
need to figure out why the "OEM" V5 I got in
September locks GPL as soon as I get into the***pit.  
I posted on this last week and I received advice that
I haven't had a chance to pursue.  

   Several months ago, someone compared three rally
sims.  Could someone do that again, with emphasis on
Internet on line competition?  I'm unfamiliar with
rally sims.  The rally's I see on TV are solitary
affairs.  One of Porsche Unleashed charms is the wheel
to wheel racing.  

                                                Thanks
                                                Larry