rec.autos.simulators

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

I have seldom seen "reviews" that this clearly scream the "reviewer" has
never played the actual game for any reasonable amount of time.

Duh. Press release reviewing. Greased journos. Hate em. :-(

EA knows how to throw a good party, that's for sure. The morality of the
journo here is what I find disgusting.

-lark-

"The animation is smooth, the different attributes of the cars are realistic
and the authentic scenery dotted around every circuit passes by with ease."

Score: 9/10
http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/driving/f12k_uk/review.html

He couldn't even spell FIA correctly.

BTW, I can't see any flags in this game.  Radio guy says "spin in sector #,
watch for the flags" (very often indeed) I watch, but can't see 'em.

In case you're interested, I've got a PIII 550 and 16MB Voodoo Banshee.
Turning mirrors off is the only way to get a decent FPS with nice graphics
for me ATM.  But I want mirrors.

Ian

I'd just like to point out that my intention was not to slag the game,
but rather I was wondering how imm***some journos can get. Work ethic?
Sheesh.

As for my own observations of F1 2000, it has its merits, but way too
much has been left unfinished. The Playstation version isn't just a
Playstation version. It's another game entirely. Guess the blokes didn't
"have time" to finish the PC version.

Hope they'll patch it soon with dynamic weather, different cars,
credible AI, finish the unoptimized graphics engine, etc. etc...

Sim enthusiasts releasing AI patches and various tweaks that actually
work significantly better days after the game has been released and
supposedly done and finished by "professionals" is just a BIT
embarassing for EA.

:-(

-lark-

I totally agree.  I think that this game has great potential - and is finer
than any other modern F1 sim since GP2, but it was a crime for it to be
released in such an unfinished state.
I can't really compare it with GP2 - it's too long ago and things were much
different then.
I think that the reviewer stinks.  It's wrong to read the back of the game
box and call it a "review".  I wonder what he got for that one - widescreen
TV?  flashy computer?  A vacation in Florida? - all courtesy of the mutants
from EA Sports.

Ian

I totally agree.  I think that this game has great potential - and is finer
than any other modern F1 sim since GP2, but it was a crime for it to be
released in such an unfinished state.
I can't really compare it with GP2 - it's too long ago and things were much
different then.
I think that the reviewer stinks.  It's wrong to read the back of the game
box and call it a "review".  I wonder what he got for that one - widescreen
TV?  flashy computer?  A vacation in Florida? - all courtesy of the mutants
from EA Sports.

Ian

-- Mat.

--
Ken's Sig 3.01

"Who is the more foolish?  The fool, or the fool who follows him?" -
Obi-Wan Kenobi

Go #43 and #44!

volksy (at) yahoo (dot) com

However, exchanging thoughts with a colleague who works for the sister
magazine covering PSX games, it became evident that the PC version lacks
major features that the PSX game has. Notably the ones I already
mentioned. Dynamic weather (or any kind of weather for that matter),
reasonable AI, finished graphics engine, unique cars (have to trust the
colleague on this), etc. And several minor ones that make a finished
game.

-lark-

The main F1 game I was playing before F1 2000 was F1 World Grand Prix for
N64, which I quite enjoyed. It was challenging, realistic and had a good
sense of speed. However, I felt the N64 controller was a bit awkward. F1
2000, OTOH, handles MUCH better -- the dual shock is a dream controller if
you don't have a wheel setup. Dual Shock is the winner when it comes to
control.

However, the PSX version of F12000 is not without it's problems: mainly the
AI. It sucks. I can destroy the competition using Irvine's Jaguar after just
a few trail runs on a new track, with the game set on Expert setting. And
folks, I have to admit I kinda suck at racing games. I just love them so
damn much! Also, the lap times are pretty unrealistic. I can regularly
shatter "real" lap records with little to no effort, often by as much as 4-5
seconds. This is due less to my skills and more to a poor physics model,
IMHO. Cars don't feel very "attached" to the asphalt, unlike a game like
GT2, where you are constantly "feeling" the weight of the car. There also
doesn't seem to be much difference in the teams. McLaren, Ferrari and so on
isn't that much different from Benneton, BAR, et. al. in terms of
performance. There's also a shitload of slowdown during the start of races.

On the plus side, it's nice to see Jaguar in the game. The tracks are fun
and accurately modeled (in my experience). Nice pit strategy feature, and a
great sense of speed on the tracks. Most of all, the game is fun -- though
not entirely accurate. A worthy purchase for a PSX-owning F1 fan. Just don't
expect GT2 or GPL.

Brian

P111 600, V3 3000. I have mirrors on, I don't like the look behind idea,
it's fine when you are on a straight but what to you do in bends? Frame
rate is jerky at the start, but once the field thins out it is
acceptable, far from good though. Also, I couldn't see any noticeable
difference between 640x480 and 1024x768.
--
Sean Black