rec.autos.simulators

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has tried the new GT5 Prologue game for the
PS3 and how it rates as a realistic sim? I saw a review about it on a
TV program that reviews games, but both reviewers are hard core gamers
and not really into race driving. I don't have a PS3 so I'm not
looking at buying it, but after seeing the review I thought I would
ask the question to this group. The graphics look quite impressive but
I'm guessing it doesn't go much further than that in realism? I say
that because Sony probably want to make it as "user friendly" as
possible so they sell more units than Forza 2.

Regards,
Mike.

I wrote a small article on GT5P from a sim racers perspective on
RaceSimCentral:

http://tinyurl.com/5gh6f5

Cheers
Tony

I tried the demo and it was ok but had no proper***pit view and I have
no wheel for the PS3 so can't really judge the physics very well using a
game pad. It seemed fun and looked good but not something I would buy as
I am a PC sim racer.

The***pits in Prologue are pretty good:

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

Though its console roots show in the hud that can't be turned off.

It supports the G25 with 900 degree rotation and FFB (albeit rather weak)

 > It seemed fun and looked good but not something I would buy as
 > I am a PC sim racer.

I guess if you are a PC racer and have a G25 or DFP and have another
reason to have a PS3 (e.g kids!) then it worth a go. I wouldn't go and
buy a PS3 and G25 for GT5 based on Prologue though. With weak AI and
online taking me back to my 56k modem days on a bad day it becomes a
track day sim. It is great for watching replays of yourself though!

Cheers
Tony

I don't have a PS3, but saw there is a Codemasters game called Grid
that appears to be along the same lines as GT5. The movie they just
released makes some of it look arcadey, but the car movement and
***pit views in some of the cars also looks pretty cool.

www.grid-game.com

Tim

I don't remember a***pit like that. All I had was a hud and the road
in front of me. Guess I missed the option but I didn't spend too long
with it anyway. Just a few laps and that was enough for me to see it was
not my kind of game. I haven't liked one racing game yet on either the
PS3 or 360 and I am not buying a new wheel for the PS3 when my MS FFB
still works great in all the PC sims I have.

One thing I really like about PCs as opposed to consoles (apart from
the fact PC racers tend to be more realistic) is that there is much
more of a sense of community. Although the main PC game manufacturers
might not be into open source etc., they seem to encourage mods
(rFactor especially) and that gives you so much more variety. OK, it
also means you're going to get some horrible mods in the mix, but
you'll also get some stunning mods. I've never liked how companies
(like Microsoft) take such strong control over software content. With
consoles it seems the big companies have regained that control and are
repressing user creativity. A while ago I was looking at upgrading to
a newer console (from my old Xbox), but now I think I'll concentrate
on upgrading my PC instead ... even if the full GT5 ends up being the
most realistic game ever (well, you never know).

Mike T.

GT:HD which was the demo before the demo of the, er, demo of GT5 which
is GT5P had no***pit, so it may have been this one.

It really does work surprisingly well with a wheel. I thought it may be
designed for a gamepad controller and the wheel was token support but it
works so much better with a wheel. I can't really comprehend driving
with a gamepad so I would dismiss any driving game using that
controller. The two experiences can't really be compared.

Having said that I wouldn't go buying hardware to run GT5P. If you have
it then it is a worthwhile distraction, but it is someway from PC racing
sims. Of course it will sell in droves and G25s are a popular choice for
  PS3 GT drivers (remember the forerunner DFP was a PS2 wheel that could
be used for a PC by downloading drivers).

The numbers of console racers with G25s may help swell PC sim racer
numbers though, rather than the other way around...

Cheers
Tony

Yea, I think you are right and it is the GT:HD demo I played.

Just wanna add that I'm having a blast with Prologue. Physics have
been improved a lot, each car really does handle totally different.
What spoiled GT4 totally for me was the ridiculous AI and that there
was a max of 6 cars in a race (If I rember correctly..).
The AI is still not as good as it could be, but at least it's decent
now, and the number of cars in a race has been improved. Not sure what
the max is now.. 16 I believe?

Anyway, the concept of earning money by winning races and buying new
cars remains great imho, for a console racer it's terrific fun.

Only problem I (and many others) have: I can't download the update. It
starts, but after downloading for a while I get an 'could not load
update' error. Tried at least 40 times. Seems the servers are a tad
overloaded :(

Cheers
Andre

  [Andre Warringa]

Indeed they are. The only thing you can do is to keep on trying. I
tried about 20 times before it (finally) worked.

Yes, GT5P has improved a lot since GT4, but online you will meet a me-
first, win-at-all-cost world. It is really crazy sometimes.

Well having played racing games and sims since I was 9 (now 37) I was keen
to try out GT5P on the PS3, at first I was gobsmacked at how well the game
played with my GT25 wheel. But having set the game to run in full sim mode I
bacame more and more disapointed !
After getting a gear change wrong I found that I went from 5th to 2nd
(instead of 4th) and nothing happend.. other than the car slowed down..
So next lap around, when I went into the hairpin I went from 5th gear to 1st
gear.. did I lose the car, did the car blow up... nope it just slowed down
quicker than the brakes !
It then became apprant that you can't actually look the wheels up at all
:-( at least in forza it makes a difference..

So as great as it is, it's flawed compaired to PC sims !

:-)

Still a great game though.