rec.autos.simulators

andre

I would like to see more information about your basic needs in racing
simulations to help you.  Do you enjoy other modern F1 titles? Are you
awaiting GP3?  What importance do you accord to graphics, AI, multiplayer,
track accuracy, etc..?

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...
-- http://www.WeRace.net
-- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

Do you enjoy other modern F1 titles?
dont have any modern F1 titles

Are you
yes..i here it is a rehashed GP2 though

What importance do you accord to graphics, AI, multiplayer,
graphics....on 10 - 1...7
AI on 10 - 1.....9
MULTI on 10 - 1.......10
track accuracy on 10 - 1...10

so...do you think you can help me also?

----------------------------------
Note: The following contains OPINIONS, not universal truths, and is based
solely on my own experiences with F1-2000
----------------------------------
I bought F1-2000 in the hopes of getting a good modern era F1 Windows based
sim, more as a replacement for GP2 (which won't run on my computer anymore)
than as a substitute for GPL (which I also love).   At present I don't play
F1-2000 much but ,on the other hand, I have no great desire to return it
either. If I were grading it schoolboy fashion I'd give it a C with
potential to move up.

F1-2000 installed easily and ran without major(ie :crashes to desktop)
problems apart from some controller issues which have been fixed by the
unofficial beta v1.06 patch that is available .   Sound and graphics are
pretty good.   The patch also gives you some extra configuration options
that make it a worthwhile download.

Frame rate on my machine (Cel 433,128 ram, V3) tends to be on the slow side.
I had to shut off a lot of stuff to get what to me are only maginally
acceptable framerates (visual impression only since no framerate counter in
f1-2000).   In this aspect it does remind me of when I first got GPL and
tried to run it on a AMD K6 200 computer.   If you like high framerate then
you'll need a strong computer.   I'll be upgrading very soon and I feel that
more power will allow me to raise my grade of F1-2000 to a B since I recall
how much GPL benefited from a stronger computer.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed haveing this years season available to
me.   I have been running the seasons tracks before the real races and it
has greatly increased my enjoyment in watching the real heroes do battle
every second Sunday.   I cna't comment on the track accuracy since I have
never actually seen any of them apart from Montreal in April .

As far as the driving model is concerned its hard to compare to GPL since
the subject matter differs so much in real life.   I have only tried F1-2000
with all aides off.   Under those conditions the F1-2000 cars are twitchy,
fast accelerating beasts that you must stay on top of since they will spit
themselves off the track in the blink of an eye.   Certainly they are
challengeing to me.   At the moment I have not developed my setup skills
enough to tell if the twitchyness is due to the nature of the sim
(?framerate problem?) or is simply a bad setup for my driving style.  I
don't feel that F1-2000 gives as rich a feedback experience as GPL does but
that may be the nature of a modern racecar.   There is no telemetry unlike
GP2.

At the moment most of my driving in F1-2000 is confined to practise sessions
rather than raceing the AI. This is for 2 reasons: 1) the previously
mentioned framerate issues (much worse with more cars straining the CPU) and
2) the aggressive reckless nature of the AI.   The AI characteristics are
one of the most unpleasant aspects of the sim for me.   They will ram you
from behind any time you let up even when you are letting up to avoid an AI
induced accident in front of you.   They will attempt to pass in places
where no real life driver would attempt to pass.   If the AI in F1-200 were
real they'd all be permanently banned from racing. Think of an entire field
of the Surtees at the Parabolica from GPL.   If the AI were brought up to
the level of even GP2's ,let alone GPL's, I could give F1-2000 an A grade
(assuming I'd already upgraded my CPU).   Some here have said that running
the AI at 100% helps with the problems but that rather defeats the purpose
of having scalable degree of difficulty.

Multiplayer seems to work OK the 2 times I've tried it. I'm sure there are
leagues out there that are running it but can't think of any right this
moment.

So in sum: I have a sim that runs OK in Win 98 (+ve),modelling the current
season (+ve), with good graphics (+ve) that I must turn down considerably to
run OK (-ve), with a challenging driving model (+ve) that has poor feedback
(-ve). Hotlapping and practise is fun (+ve); raceing AI is not fun (-ve).
Its a keeper but is a hardware upgrade and a rewrite of the AI  away from
being a real pleasure.

--DK

[snip]

There is a wealth of information on this topic and f12k in general in
the vault of r.a.s. (ala http://www.deja.com/usenet/).  A power search
in r.a.s. only for "f12k" or f12000 gave 3400 hits.

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ah..someone else who sees it as I do. I was lambasted as not being a
good F1 driver for pointing this *fact* out in another thread.
--
Nos

Most of the AI problems were fixed in the 1.06 patch.  Are you running at
100% or higher?  If not, try to.  Of course they will still ram into you if
you slow up because of an incident in front of you!  Doesn't matter to
drivers behind what the reason is why you are slowing down, you are still an
obstacle in their way!  In F1 missing a gear or slight slowing down when in
close racing with another car almost always causes one or both to go out of
the race.  There is very little unpredictable driving in reality, and they
trust each other with their lifes.

attempt to pass.

Again, if you are running at 100% or above I am surprised to hear that
happens. It doesn't happen with me. I don't mean to sound patronising, but
is your racing up to speed?  Are you creating situations that would make
them try to pass in difficult places?  I find that when driving
competitively, the AI in F12K is now very good, and a major challenge trying
to pass or be passed.

Iain

Then why not simply STFU?

Obviously I am not such a racing god as you  and I wished to take advantage
of the scalable AI that was supposedly included in the sim. I answered the
original inquiry with my own observations and impressions of the sim as per
his request instead of giving him the brush off like you. If you wish to be
a patronizing dolt and jump into something you don't want to jump into then
go ahead. I, for one , won't be reading it.

David

Don't buy F1 2000.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...
-- http://www.WeRace.net
-- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

Yes, I was only supporting you by pointing out the "wealth" of
information you were pointing them to.  My we are so argumentative and
touchy when ever the subject of f12k comes up <G>  Even when a message
supports your comments...

% > On Sat, 27 May 2000 08:39:24 +0100 Iain Mackenzie
% > % Why don't you all use deja.com for this.  This subject has been done to
% > % death a hundred times over on this NG. Let's not start it up again.
% > % Iain
% >
% > There is a wealth of information on this topic and f12k in general in
% > the vault of r.a.s. (ala http://www.deja.com/usenet/).  A power search
% > in r.a.s. only for "f12k" or f12000 gave 3400 hits.
% >

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Because my opinion is as valid as yours, and misrepresentation of a
situation gives a biased view.

Your opinion not mine - don't know where you get it from!

I think if you actually read my post, that I very specifically said that I
didn't want to sound patronising. I was merely asking if maybe it was your
skill level that needed some work as that may be the reason why you were
being rammed etc. No offence intended I can assure you.
I also was asking if you are running with AI greater than 100% as that
affects the intelligence of the AI. So, if you were running at less, then
that could be another explanation of why you were having the problem. Again,
I was merely trying to be helpful - no offence intended.
But, of course you won't be reading this - oh well.
Iain