rec.autos.simulators

I'm toying with the idea of racing GPL online, but I am in the UK,
I have to pay for local phone calls and I only have a 33K modem....

What sort of online performance should I expect and what is the best
way for someone in the UK to race online? I'm an old hand at racing sims
but I've only recently started to use the internet, so I have never played
anything online before....

My Hardware:-

P2 233mhz
Voodoo 2
33k internal modem.

I reckon you'll all tell me to get a faster modem or something, but GPL
has cleaned out my bank account.... I don't want to go through a load
of hassle to race online only to find that I get really bad perfromance,
low frame-rates, massive warping etc. Is my equipment too slow
for online racing? I get 36fps with some detail turned down.

When I say GPL has cleaned me out I mean that I had to buy a new
video card (voodoo 2) and a new steering wheel (TM formula 1/Nascar pro).

from SpeedFreek.

My old pc was a K6 200 clocked at 225 with a 4Mb V1 card & 64 Mb
sdram with a 33.6 modem (you don't have a "winmodem" do you?)

I could *never* get consistent 36fps with that set-up, even if I
turned off almost all the options? Your pc might be a *bit* faster
being a PII with V2 card, but I doubt that you will get *consistent*
36fps when on-line racing unless you turn off *most* graphics options,
turn down the resolution (to 640 x 480?) and turn down the no' of
sounds heard (to 4 or maybe 6?)

Your modem should be fine for on-line racing, a 28.8 is ok for
*joining* races, you only really need a fast connection to *host*
races. If you try hosting you will only be able to have about 2 or 3
others join your race and still have a stable connection, any more
than that and it will get very flaky?

The main area you are lacking is in raw cpu grunt, you do not say if
your V2 card is 8Mb or 12Mb? or the amount and type of memory you have
installed? (64Mb minimum would be my recommendation?) or the m/b type
you have installed?

Depending on these things, you could try overclocking your cpu and
overbussing your m/b, tweaking your bios settings and win9x settings
to aid better ***? Failing that its time to upgarde, yet
again.

A very cheap and reasonable set-up is an Abit m/b (bx6 or bh6) a
Celeron 300A (if you can still find one?)a fast 3D video card, and
lots of pc100 Memory (128Mb min).

Your pc will certainly be able to run GPL at on-line racing, but it
definitely will *NOT* be reaching its full potential. Tweak your pc
set-up as much as you can. Go to the VROC website, d/l the core.ini
file, read the help and FAQ files, and try on-line racing as it is
meant to be, and when you get the bug (cos believe me, you *WILL*)
start saving for that upgrade.....

8-)

*Peter*   #:-)

Thanks for the advice.....It all sounds very promising.

*Peter*  wrote

I've heard the name VROC but never quite known how it all worked. I got
the impression (maybe wrongly) that most of the people on VROC were
in America, and I thought that Internet speeds would be too slow. Do users
from UK race using VROC? Hang on, does VROC work like ICQ? Can you search
for other players online in your area? Lots of questions..... maybe I
should just go to VROC instead of hassling you with stupid questions! ;-)

I have a P2 233, 4Mb S3 2D/3D card, 12Mb Voodoo2, 64Mb SDRAM,
33k diamond supra 336i modem, 440LX motherboard.

Hmmm, just how much slower is online racing? Offline, I run at the lowest
screen resolution (512x384!), no dynamic or specular options, mirrors on
cars only, sometimes driver textures off, and detail bias 80-90% left (low).
This gives me constant 36fps in training, and always over 31-32fps in races
with 9 AI cars. 640x480 looks nicer, but I lose 3-4 fps and the trackside
objects seem to stutter slightly as they get close.... Everthing is smooth
in
512x384. (I know it's a sad resolution, but I live with it.!)

Well... I don't think I'm up to hosting a race at the moment! Everything
sounds
good otherwise.

your V2 card is 8Mb or 12Mb? or the amount and type of memory you have
installed? (64Mb minimum would be my recommendation?) or the m/b type
you have installed?

I have 12Mb V2, 440 LX motherboard. I think my motherboard can take
up to a P2 333mhz CPU on its 66mhz bus speed. Is upgrading my CPU
going to make much difference to GPL? Is resolution ultimately governed
by my Voodoo2 or my CPU?

This is all a little bit beyond me.... I hear about overclocking and such
things,
but I don't trust myself to do it properly! Anyway, it looks like my system
might
be just about up to the job anyway. Do I need to do anything to GPL itself
to
race online, I haven't updated it for racing online, only a few graphical
mods.

as much >as you can. Go to the VROC website, d/l the core.ini

Well that just about says it all! Thanks for the advice, I will look into it
in detail.
Like I said in my original post, I've been thinking about it for a while
anyway.

How many people use the Ferrari online? This is my favorite car... what a
beast!

Thanks again,

From SpeedFreek.

"Fast in, slow out.. Slow in, fast out.. ? I seem to be sideways all the way
through!?"

Hate to burst bubbles but I don't think it will be as great as some have
said :-(

I connect on a 33.6 from the UK and with a P200/Hercules Thriller
machine set to everything as low as possible in 640x480 I struggle
online. Because it's not smooth (25-27fps avg.) I generally lose around
a second a lap compared to my offline times and I spin a lot more :-(

Hence I'm investing in a PIII-40 / Voodoo 3 system soon, and probably a
cable modem when they get here.

However, don't let this put you off. VROC is a BLAST. I love driving
online and just wish it didn't cost so much with the phone bill!

--
Cheers!
Graeme Nash

http://www.karisma1.demon.co.uk
ICQ# 11257824

1998 Xoom GP2 League Champion

Thanks to the group for all your advice.

After spending around 12-14 hours online over the weekend I am hooked!

My setup is P2 233mhz, 64Mb SDRam, 440LX m/b, pci 4mb S3 virge 2d/3d card,
12mb Voodoo2, 33k ISA slot modem, TM formula 1/Nascar Pro wheel & split axis
pedals plugged into gameport on audiocard.

lighting fx, no smoke fx etc, cars only in mirrors, half the textures off

I get 36fps mostly, dropping to 32-33 at worst.

I won a race and came top 3 in a few but had my fare share of running at the
back also...
Some of the drivers on VROC are just soooo fast, faster than I've been
OFFLINE! Mostly they were lotus & eagle drivers, but a couple of Ferraris
beat me as well (I drive a Ferrari!)

My best were (roughly)

Monza - 1m29.3
Watkins Glen - 1m07 ish
Zandvoort 1m28-29
all in the Ferrari .... not very good times, I know!

Well thanks again everyone..... and look out for that Englishman in the red
car!