rec.autos.simulators

Only played it for about an hour, took me a while to set my wheel up
and I have not got it just as I want it yet but good enough to play the game
for now.
Let me start by saying, I bought F1 2000 and started out thinking it was a
decent game although it runs like shit on my P2 233, V3 2000
system. Unfortunately the more I played it the more I got to dislike it, off
my hardrive forever ( or at least till I get a P3 700+).
I also bought OFR1 but eventually canned it due to the lack of challenge in
the physics side of it although the rest of the game was good. F1WGP is
good, really good. Running at 1024 x 768 all detail to full, its smooth as
silk. Limitless views including an awesome helmet/ visor view, very nice
graphics, fast loading times and a fair physics model. I say fair because it
is probaly not 100% realistic but it is challenging and very enjoyable to
drive indeed, take a corner too fast or turn in too ***ly or brake too
late and you will lose it and be off with damage if you hit an obstacle,
gear down too fast too early you will lock up.
Someone else said that the sound was the best they had heard in an F1 game
and I totally agree, it`s nice, you can even hear the wind rushing over the
car. If it is the same as OFR1`s sound it will change when in clean or dirty
air of somone slipstream etc...
I cannot comment on the A1 as yet as I have only run in practice, but the
rest of the game looks good so far.
Ok forgot the setup options etc..        they are there, albeit not as
detailed as F1 2000`s but there is enough to tweak.

My opinion is this game blows F1 2000 away big time up to now, I will be
there waiting to get my hands on a copy of this ASAP and hope others will
feel the same, and if the Multiplayer is good this will be king.
I know I have droned on here but I hope this will help people who are not
sure wheather to download the demo or not.
Please post your opinions of this game so I can see how others feel.

Snake.

Wow. It's amazing how two people can have two totally different opinions.
Ironically, I've had F1-2000 for a week and almost exclusively running
laps at Suzuka. I'm running a V3 on a P733 and F12000 is *smooth*.

Compared it to F1WGP, this thing is plain *ugly* to me. The control was
abominable, I was spinning off the track in a canned fashion for no
particular reason, there was no way I could see that you could possibly
catch one of these spins. I prefer the track graphics of F12000 but the
backgrounds on F1WGP looked good. The framerate on my machine was
noticably choppy, reminded me of that motion capture bathurst simulator
that would display chunks of the track instead of a smooth frame rate
(and this was at 800x600).

The only redeaming feature in the whole demo was what appeared to be the
ability to jump in the***pit at any time during a replay and take
control of the car, sort of like a rewind button. This would be *sweet*
for learning how to take a particular corner without having to run
another lap.

I'm going to give it a few more laps before I decide whether I obliterate
it from my hdd, but at the moment, I don't like its chances. Perhaps I'm
one of the few people that likes the feel of F12000 (perhaps it has
everything to do with processor power and turning down a few sliders) and
it is head and shoulders to the feel I get from F1WGP right at this
moment.

Cheers,
Rod.

Is a demo available? Where?

Thanks,
Andre

It`s funny a lot of people with different system specs are getting different
results with F1 2000 and F1GP.
I agree with you that F1 2000 has a better physics engine but I am going to
get more pleasure from F1WGP as it runs so much better
on my machine. The more laps I put in the more it feels better, after
playing one sim for a while, changing to another is a big adjustment
and the feel of the game is bound to be different. It took me quite some
time to get my Wheel working how I wanted it to but now my setup is good for
the game. I don`t think the spins etc.. are canned,
I think it is just easier to loose it as the controls don`t feel as tight as
F1 2000.
Maybe this will be similar in the fact that some people will love it and
others will not.
Thanks for your input and good luck with F1 2000.

Andre I got it from here:

ftp://ftp.eidos.co.uk/pub/uk/f1wgp_99/demos/F1WGP_DEMO.exe

Snake.

Perhaps I'm
| one of the few people that likes the feel of F12000 (perhaps it has
| everything to do with processor power and turning down a few sliders)

You are not alone!

I think it is great too.....although it is that bit too jerky on my machine
at the minute

Ash
http://www.race-timing.com

Hi All..
Despite all the negative 'stuff' this game has received at F12k 'High Gear
forum' I think the game F12000 is really an very good game, I have a Athlon
650 so I guess its all to do with processor power, I have all the settings
maxed...and its excellent, looking foreward to many an hour thrashing 'round
those modern tracks....usually my game of choice is GPL, F12000 makes a
pleasing change, I would recomend this game to anyone who likes GPL.
Cheers
leesee
'BAD news 'bout WSC'

I ran some more laps. I got a *lot* better feeling the second time
around, I found that it was spinning me due to the braking aid being on
(which I thought was a little silly, but anyway). Felt alot better the
second time around. I then jumped into F12000 and the sensation of speed
was so much greater.

I also couldn't get used to the view shifting before you turn into the
corner, was very disorienting, I assume due to never having this feature
either enabled or available in any other sim I've driven.

Still couldn't catch a spin because my ass had swapped ends with my front
in very few frames, and before I could tell what was going on.

I'm not so harsh on the game now, I'm sure there are a fair number of
people who will like the sim and it would seem in your case, particularly
those with a lower spec machine. When I first installed F12000, it was
jerky+, adjusting a few sliders and turning off mirrors gives me 45fps on
full grid, mid 30's if I'm lower in the pack. I'm not sure what fps I'm
getting on F1WGP, but it doesn't feel constantly fluid.

Cheers,
Rod.

says...

The only major gripe I have with F12000 is the AI. Thankfully I'm spared
the bonehead AI that some people are experiencing, doing laps around
Suzuka, the only time I'm punted is on my own mistake, otherwise, they've
reacted as I thought they would. Unfortunately, when they either make a
pass, coming out of a hairpin, or racing down the straight, they weave
all over the racing line.

I've managed to download a nice collection of onboard fast laps from
footage of either this years current GP season, or last years, and I can
pick and anticipate corners and gears while the footage is running, from
that I feel I can come to the conclusion that the tracks and relative
power of the cars that I drive are close enough to reality for me.

Cheers,
Rod.

Have you installed the 1.06 patch?  That solves almost all AI problems
especially if you run  at 100% or greater.
Iain

Running at 100% at the moment. All I've ever had is the 1.06 patch.
Bought it after reading good reports on it.

I find often that if 2 AI are duking it out, and I come from behind, when
we take a corner to gun down a straight the AI sandwiched in the middle
will often slow to let me pass easily.

AI also seem to fish over the road trying to pick a line from time to
time, particularly on a straight.

There also appear to be spots on a few tracks where the AI will spin
often. But on the whole, I'm very happy with the sim. Perfecting my laps
at the moment, and replay manager is an exceptional tool to find out
where I'm losing seconds...

Cheers,
Rod.

This is weird Rod.  I used to get the effects you are mentioning, i.e. AI
spinning out and fishing over the road when on a straight, but ever since I
patched it none of these things happen!
Iain