rec.autos.simulators

by **Chris Wrigh** » Tue, 06 Apr 1999 04:00:00

For some time now, I have been struggling to enjoy GPL - Yes I know that
it's got ultra realistic physics and all, but were the cars really that
difficult to drive?
Cars of this era are regularly driven in historic competition by
enthusiastic amateurs, who seem to have little if any trouble in keeping
them on the track. Sure these cars don't perform as they once did, but there
seems little problem in getting them round the circuit for any given number
of laps.
My difficulty with GPL is the investment in time it takes just to keep the
car on the straight and narrow. Supposedly accurate physics are all well and
good, but it does seem to me that this lack of accessibility and out of the
box gameplay has been too high a price to pay.
Enter stage left TOCA 2...
Now this game will doubtless be described by some members of this fine
newsgroup as too arcadish. Well the first game definitely was, but the
sequel - well it is more of a sim, but not in the Papyrus tradition.
What Codemasters have done here, and what I believe Papyrus have failed to
do in GPL, is to capture the essence of the racing feel. This has little to
do with stiffer suspensions and roll bars etc, etc. , but gets nearer to the
sporting aspects of the subject matter.
My point is that I feel TOCA2 has in a few short days given me more incite
into what is seeking to portray than GPL has in the three months or so that
I've owned it.
And it doesn't end there...
GPL has been out for some time now and not a single patch has appeared. As a
result, we have a game that offers disappointing frame rates during races,
even on quite *** PC's, unless you apparently own a Rendition V2200
card on which the game seems to have been designed, making it, at best, a
curate's egg of a sim (i.e. good in qualifying).
Nascar2 seemed to have been out forever before Papy addressed its problems
(most notably the lack of a save race option). It is to be fervently hoped
that this time they are taking a long time to improve racing frame rates on
a variety of 3d cards.
Or has GPL been nothing more than a proving ground for the Nascar 3 engine.
The next few weeks will be interesting, particularly if a GPL patch finally
arrives. In the meantime I'll keep on enjoying TOCA 2.

by **Toni Lassi** » Tue, 06 Apr 1999 04:00:00

Not all of them, just the ones with 400 hp, crappy tires and no wings.

So? Most people in RAS have no problem driving this simulation round
the circuit given any number of laps. Accurate wouldn't you say?

You must remember that once the controls "come" to you, it will be a
blast. And great gameplay is offered in the form of VROC, if you don't
feel like trying to beat the AI drones.

So the great support for 3Dfx cards means nothing? Granted, GPL could
have Direct3D support out of the box.

No. Check the amount of posts here about GPL/VROC.

by **Skeet** » Tue, 06 Apr 1999 04:00:00

GPL is awesome no doubt about it.The physics are super real and its
the closest thing to having race cars in a computer that is around or
will be for a long time(until N3).But I agree that its harder than
racing a real car for the fact that you cant feel the chassis or the
grip of the tires.Read my post called"Great idea for the unused screen
in GPL".

When you brake while turning in a real car you feel the back get
light and then youll feel the rear tires gripping as they try to hold
the car from sliding.You cant feel this in GPL.With my idea you could
have the bottom unused space in GPL show this force acting on the rear
tires and this will give a feel that you cant get by the virtual
***pit alone.If yourbraking hard while turning and the back is gonna
step out on you this line could move in relation to how much slip the
rear tires are experiencing.A quick glance could show you how much
grip you have left and will then allow you to do many things--one of
them being applying more brake without fear of the rear tires sliding
out and the car spinning.Apply more brake and keep taking quick
glances at the bottom bars to feel the edge of traction just like a
real race car driver does,but they actually feel the traction thru the
seat of the pants.After writing the post I have found so many
instances where I would of loved to take a quick glance to find out
how much grip I had left at both the front and the rear.Braking before
the last hairpin at Monaco is hard and I find that I have to brake
earlier and softer then I would like so that I dont get anywhere near
the point where my rears are gonna break loose.I really feel that this
idea would work wonders for Papy sims that are utilizing the letterbox
screen.

Skeeter

On Mon, 5 Apr 1999 00:52:33 +0100, "Chris Wright"

>For some time now, I have been struggling to enjoy GPL - Yes I know that
>it's got ultra realistic physics and all, but were the cars really that
>difficult to drive?
>Cars of this era are regularly driven in historic competition by
>enthusiastic amateurs, who seem to have little if any trouble in keeping
>them on the track. Sure these cars don't perform as they once did, but there
>seems little problem in getting them round the circuit for any given number
>of laps.
>My difficulty with GPL is the investment in time it takes just to keep the
>car on the straight and narrow. Supposedly accurate physics are all well and
>good, but it does seem to me that this lack of accessibility and out of the
>box gameplay has been too high a price to pay.
>Enter stage left TOCA 2...
>Now this game will doubtless be described by some members of this fine
>newsgroup as too arcadish. Well the first game definitely was, but the
>sequel - well it is more of a sim, but not in the Papyrus tradition.
>What Codemasters have done here, and what I believe Papyrus have failed to
>do in GPL, is to capture the essence of the racing feel. This has little to
>do with stiffer suspensions and roll bars etc, etc. , but gets nearer to the
>sporting aspects of the subject matter.
>My point is that I feel TOCA2 has in a few short days given me more incite
>into what is seeking to portray than GPL has in the three months or so that
>I've owned it.
>And it doesn't end there...
>GPL has been out for some time now and not a single patch has appeared. As a
>result, we have a game that offers disappointing frame rates during races,
>even on quite *** PC's, unless you apparently own a Rendition V2200
>card on which the game seems to have been designed, making it, at best, a
>curate's egg of a sim (i.e. good in qualifying).
>Nascar2 seemed to have been out forever before Papy addressed its problems
>(most notably the lack of a save race option). It is to be fervently hoped
>that this time they are taking a long time to improve racing frame rates on
>a variety of 3d cards.
>Or has GPL been nothing more than a proving ground for the Nascar 3 engine.
>The next few weeks will be interesting, particularly if a GPL patch finally
>arrives. In the meantime I'll keep on enjoying TOCA 2.

by **buzar** » Tue, 06 Apr 1999 04:00:00

I have a Celeron 333, a Stealth II Rendition card ($49) and a 3DFX card.
I get a low of 15fps at the start line , 30fps and up in traffic. This with 19
cars
and full detail on the slider and everything except mirrors which I have at
cars only. This is running the 3DFX version. 64 meg of memory.

Nothing *** about my setup!

But you are right, if you can't pull high frame rates the game is difficult.
If you got the right equipment the cars are very easy to control. Still not easy
to win, but easy to drive.

buzard

> For some time now, I have been struggling to enjoy GPL - Yes I know that
> it's got ultra realistic physics and all, but were the cars really that
> difficult to drive?
> Cars of this era are regularly driven in historic competition by
> enthusiastic amateurs, who seem to have little if any trouble in keeping
> them on the track. Sure these cars don't perform as they once did, but there
> seems little problem in getting them round the circuit for any given number
> of laps.
> My difficulty with GPL is the investment in time it takes just to keep the
> car on the straight and narrow. Supposedly accurate physics are all well and
> good, but it does seem to me that this lack of accessibility and out of the
> box gameplay has been too high a price to pay.
> Enter stage left TOCA 2...
> Now this game will doubtless be described by some members of this fine
> newsgroup as too arcadish. Well the first game definitely was, but the
> sequel - well it is more of a sim, but not in the Papyrus tradition.
> What Codemasters have done here, and what I believe Papyrus have failed to
> do in GPL, is to capture the essence of the racing feel. This has little to
> do with stiffer suspensions and roll bars etc, etc. , but gets nearer to the
> sporting aspects of the subject matter.
> My point is that I feel TOCA2 has in a few short days given me more incite
> into what is seeking to portray than GPL has in the three months or so that
> I've owned it.
> And it doesn't end there...
> GPL has been out for some time now and not a single patch has appeared. As a
> result, we have a game that offers disappointing frame rates during races,
> even on quite *** PC's, unless you apparently own a Rendition V2200
> card on which the game seems to have been designed, making it, at best, a
> curate's egg of a sim (i.e. good in qualifying).
> Nascar2 seemed to have been out forever before Papy addressed its problems
> (most notably the lack of a save race option). It is to be fervently hoped
> that this time they are taking a long time to improve racing frame rates on
> a variety of 3d cards.
> Or has GPL been nothing more than a proving ground for the Nascar 3 engine.
> The next few weeks will be interesting, particularly if a GPL patch finally
> arrives. In the meantime I'll keep on enjoying TOCA 2.

by **Michael W J Boyla** » Wed, 07 Apr 1999 04:00:00

I am sorry but you have not had the full pleasure of GPL yet.
I can see what you are saying and on many occasions I to was finding it hard
to get to grips with the game but once I knew the tracks and raced lots of
times online then I was having the closest and most exciting racing I have
ever had. After a few weeks, offline I was qualifying around 15th to 18th.
Now I had to reinstall the game after owning it for a good few months and I
managed to qualify 3rd so this proves practise does make perfect. Online
well I usually finish in the top 6 and have won many a race so stick with it
learn from other drivers online and download those setups. As for TOCA 2. I
have this also and its a great game, great fun but on a different level to
GPL. You cannot compare the two. As for patches, I have a celeron 300 with
64mb, voodoo 2 and have no probs. Not really a ninja PC is needed then.

Michael

rec.autos.simulators

GPL - The excellence of execution - Warning long!

GPL - The excellence of execution - Warning long!

GPL - The excellence of execution - Warning long!

GPL - The excellence of execution - Warning long!

GPL - The excellence of execution - Warning long!

GPL - The excellence of execution - Warning long!