rec.autos.simulators

First of all, I am not married to GPL (contrary to my wife's beliefs), nor
do the gentlemen who developed it pay my rent.  But after playing GP3 for a
while, I find that it can't hold a candle to the Papyrus sim.

With all due respect to those who might beg to differ (it's a matter of
preference, after all), I simply do not see 4 years of progress from GP2 to
GP3.  I imagined that after 2 years of GPL having raised the standard, these
software people would all have the capabilities to develop comparable sims,
perhaps with not as steep a learning curve as GPL, but at least with equal
or superior graphics and similarly capable (or better) AI.

In all fairness, GP3's graphics, while not up to 2000 standards, are not all
that bad.  They most definetly could be better, though.  The much talked
about physics model may not be up to par, but I can't tell since I (like
most people) have never driven a modern f1 car.  Nor have I driven a '67
Ferrari 312, but by most accounts, modern f1 cars are supposed to have
gargantuan amounts of grip, incredible acceleration, and the ability to stop
in nothing flat.  This calls for a much different driving style from 1967.
GPL and GP3 also present this contrast in simulation, as in GPL I feel like
I'm actually *driving* a car, while in GP3 is more like aiming a firearm.
Nothing wrong with that.  Hotlapping in GP3 is, after all, a blast.  And
IMHO, f12000 is no match.

So I can out put up with all of its suppposed shortcomings.  But what I
don't understand why the AI in GP3 has to be the way it is.  I have NFSPU,
and I suspect the AI guys from Porsche Unleashed mysteriously migrate to my
GP3 directory when I'm not looking, because I truly feel like I'm in the
middle of a demolition derby.

I think if they fixed that, more of us would overlook the arguably shoddy
graphics and questionable physics model and truly enjoy at last an modern f1
sim worthy of our money.  Until then, here's hoping some industrious souls
out there can patch this thing like they did with GP2.

L.S.

I feel that the F1-2K cars feels more like I`m "actually *driving* a real
car".
The GP3 car feels a little dead... who knows what one is more realistic
though.
My major problem with F1-2K is that the curbs and grass offer far too much
traction and make it far too easy to drive unorthodox fast lines. I heard
this
can be fixed to some extent with some file editing though, anyone know how ?

All the best,
Lorne

I agree GPL still Rules,..........hopefully Nascar4 will be the big
improvement we've all hoped GP3 would be.

Thanks for a reasoned, temperate and thoughtful review.  I appreciate
it, though I hope your description will not hold true for me and the
system  I'll be playing it on. I have always wanted GP2 anyway, so if
GP3 is similar and can use some of the same after-market add-ons,
perhaps I'll have the best of both!
     I am SO BAD in GPL, and it kills me that my FF went away after I
upgraded to an Ath 700 and a Voodoo 3000; however, it still is pretty
danged fabulous for a two-year old program in this world of four week
life spans for lots of "games"!   Glen Priest

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You have a more capable processor than mine, so I'm sure you'll see better
overall performance.
Sorry to hear about your FF wheel, but don't give up on GPL.  I was ready to
write it off myself, but I've become better recently (after 2 years), and
now have a good time in AI and online races.  Winning a GPL race it's
thoroughly satisfying.  By contrast, it only took me 15 minutes to win a
race in GP3 (admittedly at the "rookie" level, and now "amateur"), so it's
not quite as satisfying.  However, GP3 does provide its own brand of fun,
and if you liked GP2 at all, then there's a place for it in your hard disk.

I just feel it came short of what it could have been...

L.S.

Can't say I have noticed this at all..... what level have you been playing
at??
I actually have felt that the AI is about the best I have raced against
(except for
GPL) as I really feel as though I have to race hard to get past them and
have to
defend my position very carefully or else they are past in an instant. They
certainly
battle to keep their position and I have had a number of excellent side by
side battles
with different AI drivers over the last few days.

PH