demo), I became interested in how to drive a race car in the real world. So
taking the recommendation of several sites, I purchased the book Going
Faster! and quickly realized there was much more to driving than I realized.
(I now have a greater appreciation for any race car driver: F1, rally,
NASCAR, karting, etc.) But then I began to question how to translate the
technique of driving lower powered cars into the realm of F1. The techniques
helped, but there was something missing (or perceived to be missing). So I
tried the driving techniques in NFS3, (the only other driving game I had)
thinking it was not a simulation but the physics were pretty good, and I was
able to get the car to "drift" which was neat but not rewarding.
Then I purchased a copy of SportscarGT, and that's when things started to
click. I was able to see how the car was responding to my input. The
influence of late braking, trail braking, what yaw looked like. In GTQ class
the cars are quick, but not blindingly fast. They aren't as twitchy as F1.
They are tweakable, allowing you to play with suspension settings,
aerodynamics, etc. The perfect place to start learning how to drive a race
car, and see the influence setup has on the car, in addition to adjusting
your technique.
So, after building a clock, my conclusion is that if you thoroughly
frustrated with GPL, purchase SportscarGT (I found it for $15, a great deal,
IMHO) and the book Going Faster!, and start driving up through the classes.
Then try GPL or F1RS. It would follow that Michael Schumacher or Jackie
Stewart didn't start in F1, and neither should I.
But I am curious to know, does the dynamics of the visual presentation the
game makes, influence how you drive? For instance. In SportscarGT, the car
bounces smothly over bumps as compared to the quick, snap and jerk in F1RS
or Official F1. Does this attribute help or hinder the beginning driver?
Would anyone like to share their experiences learning to drive simulators?
(I would ultimately like to put a website together to share this
information.)
<dissertation mode: off>
Greg "Enjoying car racing more now then before, much to my wife's chagrin"
Fox