rec.autos.simulators

Invite only newbies, like me. Ive had GPL 3 weeks now and am dying to try
it online but havent because I dont want to upset someone when I loose it
in a corner because they scared the heck out of me when they passed me.
It would be great if "classes" could be set up ie. I am doing around 1:15
at the Glen and 3:40 at SPA (on a good day) and I wouldnt want to race
with a bunch of people that do 1:05 & 3:20's. Let us know when you plan
on doing this.

  After having GPL since it's US release date, I'm just starting to
tippy-toe my way into the world of online racing.  I've seen plenty of
questions and advice about driving in other people's races.  But how about
being a host?  I recently obtained cable modem service and would run some
newbie/slow poke oriented races.  Are there any specific things I should
be doing to be a good host?  The only things that came to mind are using
Bart Westra's 1x1 grids and (of course) not ending the server if I crash
out of the race myself.

--
                    | "Instead of letting the moon be the
Bill Mette          |  gateway to our future, we have let
Enteract, Chicago   |  it become a brief chapter in our

First a reply to Bill then Bandit

Bill it looks like you've got it covered. Only thing I'd add is to make sure
you're getting 36fps. There's not much you else you can do when you host
except pray to the net gods that everyone has a good connection. Disco's are
a host's worse nightmare but they are also a fact of life. Let the people in
WinVROC  know you're testing out your server and once in the race ask for
their Lat/Qual reading. They'll let you know if it's decent or not.
Good Luck.

Now Bandit....
Jump on in Bandit. What I did when I first started racing online was 1:)
Made sure I knew the track I was going to race on ( I may have slid off at
the Glen's Loop every lap but I knew where the corners where ). 2.) I let
everyone know before the race that I was new to online racing and apologized
before hand for any accidents I may cause. 3.) Quite simply, if someone was
coming up for a pass on me I did my absolute best to let them pass me easily
by driving my line and lifting off the throttle once I saw them pull out to
get around me. I don't mean totally lift off the throttle but enough that
the passer didn't end up getting into a dragrace trying to pass me. 4.) I
didn't try to win the race ( and still don't ) but concentrated on finishing
the race.

Once you know your limits, are comfortable dicing with one or more cars, and
can hold your line ( either inside or out ) you'll have a great time online.
In short, a new driver online will gain greater respect if he shows everyone
else respect and shows that he's trying hard to learn than a driver that
jumps in and drives waaaayyyyy beyond his limits and shows no respect for
any of the other drivers. The majority of the drivers in WinVROC are great
guys and we all remember what it was like when we first started out.

--
Michael Horton
http://www.bus.nait.ab.ca/staff/mikeh/gpl
F2/F3 Hotlaps and Other Downloadables

Thank you for the tips Michael & Andrew! I will be practicing this week
on one track with all AI (although only short races) in preparation for
next week online racing. Ive been overly concerned with lowering my lap
times and trying different settings but now I think I will just get
online and have some fun. Thanks again.