rec.autos.simulators

Hello there...

        Reading all of the posts about the pros and cons of GP2, I
have decided to throw my oppinion into the mix.  I think that GP2 is a
game that shows where technology is headed.  In terms of oversteer and
understeer, its 3D engine is awesome.  In terms of pitching over curbs
the 3D engine is fantastic.  The graphics, well they are incredible
too.  Ok, so they left out a little here and there and some things a
plain dumb (flying a 1/4 mile down the track, passing cars), but it
does not take away the experience of it in my oppinion.  Hell, I have
not mastered 80% of the tracks yet (after 6mo.) so I am rather happy
that it does not start raining at Spa :-)

        I have now played the game on a 486/66, P5-90, P5-120, P5-166
and a P6-200 and found that as you use a better computer, the overall
feel of the game improves.  My new P6 runs the game through Windows at
an ok expected frame rate of 19.6  This does not include the sky,
which I don't miss.  At less than 100% occupancy, the cars give you a
fantastic sensation of speed, and the ability to power slide (like the
real thing) is just amazing.

        It seems to me that all the gripes of the game are just thrown
in to make conversation.  If you are a F1 fan and enjoy the sport,
than nothing, I repeat, nothing can match the realism of GP2, PERIOD.

        Case in point,  yesterday I was driving at Australia and
qualified 9th in ACE mode.  I started (no helps) and was passed on the
inside of the fast 1st chicane by Ralf Schumacher (I use an awesome
1997 carset).  I stayed out of trouble for the first 2 laps and stayed
in 10th.  I was about 1sec. behind Ralf and started to look for a way
past.  I was running very little wing so my speed at the end of the
back straight was about 306kph and I was able to get by on the inside.
Well, since I was running very little wing, my corner speeds were not
up to par with Ralf's, who quickly passed me back leading to the start
finish line.  This happened on the next lap too, but I closed the door
on him and pulled away.  Needless to say, my heart was pounding and I
was actually feeling nervous.  Unfortunately, I lost my concentration
on the 12th lap and crashed, losing a tire.  My day was done.

        Of all the games that I have ever played, nothing has given me
the same sensation of GP2.  I am an avid motorsports fan and enjoy the
sims from Papyrus also, but they can't compare with GP2.  

        I just wanted to let everyone know about my feelings
concerning the gripes of GP2.  Play it on a fast P5 or P6 and see what
your reactions are as you get sideways on En Rouge at 280kph.  If that
does not e*** you, well then you probably need to go see a doctor.

Let the new flames begin...

Oliver

Jammer (UK)

I agree. GP2 is by far the most difficult driving sim to master. IMHO N2 &
ICR
are much easier. I have taken many spins (literaly) at Brazil lately. Every
time
I spin off, I am amazed at the sensation (which is much different than
ICR2).
Forget spinning in N2 is just doesn't happen unless you wreck or someone
wrecks you. OTOH Gp2 is fantastic in many ways, but is far from complete.

Yeh Yeh all thats all nice and well, Its all pretty and flash, but it just
gets boring. You put your foot on the brake at the right spot and then when
you get to the right spot you turn and thats all there is to do (yes I play
with all help off including stearing )

Hey everybody,
I'd like to say something as well,
I just got my Pentium 200mhz, MMX, blah blah blah and it still won't
run GP2 past a snails pace with most of the graphics on. So I'll live
without them I suppose.
What I'd like to say is that even though this bums me out, makes me
mad like it does a lot of you, I know that the dude that put this game
together, (& the whole team), is probably a big racing fan and did
this (at least partly) because he loves racing and wanted to see it
like we did.
The driving model is very good, nobody can dispute that, and it's a
pleasure to drive. So I agree, we should stop splitting hairs and take
it for what it  is. It's not the end-all to driving sims, but if it
was we'd have nothing to talk about.
It's just a really fun game, and probably the closest thing I'll  get
to driving an F1 car.

Keep racing,

Raevyn
HTML Racing / Monkey 97

I get the same problems also with a 200-MMX.  We just have to accept
the fact that GP2 was a very poorly programmed game, as far as
efficiency goes.  

I can only hope that GP3 will be easier on the ole CPU.

Jason

Hi Agian...

        Just to let everyone know, my P6-200 64MB RAM plays GP2 at
19.6 on all tracks (except Monaco) with everything turned on except
the sky.  I am not using the Fastvid (file) or univeb (driver) as I am
happy at the moment that everything works.  I do have to use it for
work you know.  I know when I play it in DOS only mode, the frame rate
jumps to about 21fps with the same options.  This, by the way, is with
PO of about 123% at the start, which turns to 63% to 80% during the
race.

Oliver

Bollox.   If you get bored driving GP2,  all I can say about N2 is....

Round and round and round and round and round and round etc etc.

Did you ever think that GP cars handle a lot better than those tanks
in N2 ??   Maybe this would account for the way that they are
accurately portrayed in GP2.  It's also nice to be able to turn left
AND right in every track.

BTW,  when GP2 lived in your computer for that WHOLE month,  did you
ever try to beat the lap records, either in practise/qualifying or a
race  at a decent skill level??  Or was that maybe just too exciting
for you.

 If you have the right setup in GP2,  it's no problem losing the car
in a corner.  For that matter, it's easy to get it sideways or even
spin.  360's or 720's are no problem.   Sounds to me like you were
driving it on amateur level with ALL driving aids on,  including
autobrakes AND steering assist.

Just my humble opinion ,  of course....

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I have a P133, 32 Meg ram, Matrox Millenium Video card, and I run GP2
with everything on except the sky, in SVGA, and get 16 fps.  In real
terms,  this is still very smooth.  On  Monaco,  it does slow down, a
bit,  but still very playable, and far from a snails pace.  ANd I
would expect it to be a lot better, with a much better framerate on a
P200, never mind a p200 mmx.

You either have a real shit video card, or your talking out your ass!!
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