rec.autos.simulators

by **John DiFoo** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 10:58:38

Okay, after all the hype here, I ordered GPL last week, and got it
Tuesday. I must say all the advance praise is (for the most part)
warranted:
these cars are fun as heck to drive, even if they are squirrely in
spots.
Surprisingly, I find them EASIER to drive on road courses than the
NASCAR
behemoths: I get little of that annoying 'side to side' tilting which is
constantly
wiping me out in N2002 as I try to negotiate a series of esses (for
example).
Of course I am still using traction control-so sue me.
And the user-made courses...! My faves so far are Milano (and
Miloval
with just the hibanks), Greenland, and Senzapatria-outstanding all.
Dave I hope
you are eventually planning to convert some of these fantasy courses to
N2002-
imagine going around Miloval flat out in a stock car >drool<...
So naturally I have a few questions. The only dark spot for me is
the relative
(as compared to the NASCAR sims) lack of functionality. I can't tweak
my
preferred gametype like I am used to, and it is getting >mighty<
frustrating.
I miss the digital speedometer (accessible via the 'view 12' trick in
the player.ini
file, which unfortunately won't let me see my chalkboard guy for some
reason),
independent race lengths and AI strength (the damned things are either
much too
fast or much too slow, and a utility I just DLed which purported to slow
them down
instead speeded them up a ton-GPL AI Tweaker 1.03 by a Kari Ikonen), and

few other things.
So...how high should you let your revs get (I typically drive the
Eagle or Ferrari)
so as to NOT fry your engine? At Miloval I can't run at 9300 for much
longer
than 20 laps before she blows.
The AI appears to (or should I say supposedly) adjusts to your speed
after
awhile-but the docs that came with the game don't go into any detail
about that.
How exactly does that work? Will they slow down if they keep lapping
you
race after race? How many laps is enough to get them 'optimized'?
Certain corners at certain tracks I have learned to have a LOT of
caution
with, because even if my entry is clean and there is no yaw when I am
breaking
(and I'm not breaking too hard), I will still spin even if it seems like
I am doing
everything right...?
I find it amusing when the drivers have this permanent grin
plastered on their
faces, even if they have just plummeted off the highest hump at
Rollercoaster
and are falling 500 feet to their doom...
TIA for any help, and if anyone has some no-nonsense newbie links
somewhere,
I'd appreciate it. I doubt I will ever be good enough to keep up with
all you
hotshots online, but I still plan to enjoy myself. ;-)

John DiFool

--
========================================================
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one

persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all
progress
depends on the unreasonable man.
-George Bernard Shaw-
========================================================

by **Timothy R Paulli** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 12:21:49

Same here John! I was in a local computer store Friday and saw a lone GPL
box sitting on the shelf. After everything I've heard here I figured I've
spent $20 bucks worse ways.

Anyway it's been fun so far!

Tim

--
Golf and Sex are the only two things you can be bad at and still have a
good time!

by **Haqsa** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 14:09:11

I'm a relative newbie to GPL myself but I think I can help you with that
one. These cars are very unstable under braking, but even more unstable
if you let off the brakes too fast. Coasting into a turn is also a bad
idea, you need to get back on the gas to balance the car. Getting
smoothly off the brake and immediately getting smoothly back on the gas
will stabilize the car a great deal. Best if you can left foot brake,
although there are a lot of very fast right foot brakers too.

by **Ross** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 15:47:45

A side question....what is the "view 12 " trick for player.ini that lets you
view speed? I've not seen this one before and would like to know speed
Thanks
RossH

by **Gerry Aitke** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 17:00:27

> A side question....what is the "view 12 " trick for player.ini that lets you
> view speed? I've not seen this one before and would like to know speed
> Thanks
> RossH

Why do you want to know your speed? All that matters is your lap time.
And if you need to check your top speed at the end of a long straight,
there's always the replay.

This need to know speed via an on dash speedometer is a common want of
GPL newbies. I think this desire stems from playing arcade games where
the speed is always shown.

In a sim like GPL all the information you need is given to you by the
tachometer. I was taught this lesson by 'Revs' back in 1986. THANKS
GEOFF!

Cheers

Gerry

by **Jone Tytlandsvi** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 18:22:10

When I first fired up GPL I went; Where is the on screen radar map? Where is
the list that shows the competitors and their relative position? The damage
thing?
LOL!
I soon realized this is a simulator, and it's even true to these things.
What I miss the most, is the ability to see where all the other cars are in
real time.
You have the pit board, but is a lap behind and if you go off (I do), you
will have to drive for some time before you can see who is behind.
But I do appreciate that Papy didn't put an arcade style HUD in there.
Realism is everything!

Jone.

by **jason moy** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 18:25:53

On Sun, 7 Jul 2002 11:02:33 +0200, "Jone Tytlandsvik"

>The only thing do is to keep it under the red needle and lift the gas for a
>bit when I shift. I drive the Eagle and the engine never blows unless I
>overrev when I shift. I think you are supposed to watch the engine
>temperature too, but either my driving style don't stress the engine that
>much or the Eagle engine is very well built.

I think it's your driving style. =)

Seriously, the Eagle is a great car, easily my favorite and the one
I'm fastest in at nearly every track, but it has to be one of the most
fragile race cars ever built. If you are good enough to keep the
Eagle in one piece for an entire GP-length race, my hats off to you.

Jason

by **Jone Tytlandsvi** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 18:45:17

It's not because I'm good, It's because I'm slow. :)
I thought the BRM or Brabham was a real challenge to get to the finish line?

Jone.

by **jason moy** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 18:53:53

On Sun, 7 Jul 2002 11:45:17 +0200, "Jone Tytlandsvik"

>It's not because I'm good, It's because I'm slow. :)
>I thought the BRM or Brabham was a real challenge to get to the finish line?

Dunno about the BRM, but the Brabham should, in theory, be the most
reliable car in the game, since Hulme won the 67 championship largely
because the Lotus amd Eagle rarely made it to the finish line.

Jason

by **B Bonne** » Mon, 08 Jul 2002 19:32:24

Yes, there is no adjustment of overall pace in a single race -- but unless
you switch it off using a tweaking utility or ini file settings, the AI
will go faster each race as your own lap times get lower. Unfortunately,
without tweaking the numbers they will get better quicker than you!

I use GPL AI Tweaker to take down the AI a notch or two, and make sure
their performance stays constant whatever *I* happen to do. I find the
racing is much more satisfying that way.

There's one thing that seems a little odd, though: The AI driver's
performance on cold tires seems a little too good on at least some tracks
(compared to my feeble efforts). I find I can match their pace much more
easily after two or three laps, when I have my tires warmed up and settled
in. This, of course, is perceived as the AI "slowing down" relative me.

Also, there is a built in "scrambling for position" phase right at the
start of the race, which lasts for a predetermined length of track. I have
no idea whether we're talking about some hundred yards or half a lap of
this, though -- it may vary considerably from track to track, but I haven't
studied the numbers...

by **Steve Whitt** » Tue, 09 Jul 2002 17:32:31

Welcome to the world of GPL. Say goodbye to your social life,
wife/girlfriend etc....:o)

One bit of advice. If you see a big white Honda/Marusama in your mirrors
coming into a braking zone, get out of the way!!! Mr Surtees will run into
the back of you everytime.....

Steve

by **Raymond L Da** » Tue, 09 Jul 2002 00:57:56

I have been racing online in a league for two years and blew an engine ONCE
in practice. The Lotus, I can't keep together. Too easy to overrev and
most important, you cannot run it at high revs for long periods. I know
that at Monza, if my opponents pus the Lotus hard, it will blow. Suspension
wise, the eagle isn't the strongest, but again it's not as fragile as the
Lotus. I think the Ferrari is one of the strongest cars in terms of
relialibility

> On Sun, 7 Jul 2002 11:02:33 +0200, "Jone Tytlandsvik"

> >The only thing do is to keep it under the red needle and lift the gas for
a
> >bit when I shift. I drive the Eagle and the engine never blows unless I
> >overrev when I shift. I think you are supposed to watch the engine
> >temperature too, but either my driving style don't stress the engine that
> >much or the Eagle engine is very well built.

> I think it's your driving style. =)

> Seriously, the Eagle is a great car, easily my favorite and the one
> I'm fastest in at nearly every track, but it has to be one of the most
> fragile race cars ever built. If you are good enough to keep the
> Eagle in one piece for an entire GP-length race, my hats off to you.

> Jason

by **Steve Smit** » Tue, 09 Jul 2002 07:48:31

Most of the hot-shoes in GPL these days use a form of trail-braking: instead
of coming off the brakes, turning in, and squirting out, try feathering the
brakes *while* feeding in both steering and power: the more throttle or
steering, the less brakes. This is done in the RW...but without using
throttle and brakes at the same time (which would fry the brakes in a couple
of laps). In GPL, simultaneous application of brakes and throttle allows
you to move the brake bias back significantly (from a nominal 56-58% to
48-52%), to take advantage of the greater size of--and weight on--the rear
tires. It's strictly arcade, but it will improve your lap times.

--Steve Smith

> > Certain corners at certain tracks I have learned to have a LOT of
> > caution
> > with, because even if my entry is clean and there is no yaw when I am
> > breaking
> > (and I'm not breaking too hard), I will still spin even if it seems
> like
> > I am doing
> > everything right...?

> I'm a relative newbie to GPL myself but I think I can help you with that
> one. These cars are very unstable under braking, but even more unstable
> if you let off the brakes too fast. Coasting into a turn is also a bad
> idea, you need to get back on the gas to balance the car. Getting
> smoothly off the brake and immediately getting smoothly back on the gas
> will stabilize the car a great deal. Best if you can left foot brake,
> although there are a lot of very fast right foot brakers too.

by **Eldre** » Fri, 12 Jul 2002 09:34:53

>I have been racing online in a league for two years and blew an engine ONCE
>in practice. The Lotus, I can't keep together. Too easy to overrev and
>most important, you cannot run it at high revs for long periods. I know
>that at Monza, if my opponents pus the Lotus hard, it will blow. Suspension
>wise, the eagle isn't the strongest, but again it's not as fragile as the
>Lotus. I think the Ferrari is one of the strongest cars in terms of
>relialibility

I've driven the Lotus, Eagle, Ferrari, and Cooper extensively. Haven't had a
problem...even in several full-length races...<shrug>

Eldred
--
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
My .sig file is in the shop for repairs...

Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

rec.autos.simulators

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...

GPL-I finally broke down...