rec.autos.simulators

Jan.
=---

The FF is pant on my excellent Ferrari FF wheel especially compared to Rally
Champ 2000, GPL and Viper racing. Curbs are good but there's no "feel" when
it slides or should be weighting up.

Perhaps they'll improve it all with a patch. However knowing EA they'll just
bring out for F1 2001 and we'll have to fork out again.

The cars do seem rather accident prone but I must say I've had some really
triffic racing out of it so far.

We'll just have to Wait for GP3

Some Call Me Tim

Best handling of modern F1 cars yet.

It's hotlappers paradise.

You need to be a rocketscience specialist to set your computer up,
kinda hard IMO <g>. Some parts of the physics are toned down a bit,
but I'm not sure if that's a bad thing. (Driving away full throttle
from standstill is too easy, again IMO).

As a racing simulation, it will get 3/10 from me, as a driving
simulation 8.5/10. David/Greg/Iain will disagree of course....

Remco

Hehe. I will certainly give starts 3/10 :-) I will also give the
requirements
listed on the box a 2/10. No way in hell is a P2-450 the recommended
machine. Recommended machines generally run games at the max
resolution with a good framerate.

I do give it 8.5 out of 10 all around though. I am basing this on my
personal comparisons to it's current companion sims. Namely
F1RS/MGPRS2 and GP2. IMHO F1 2000 is head and shoulders
above these 2 other games.

Hotlapping is awesome even with the full field of cars on the track
for some reason. 21-24 fps no problem. In the actual race with the
same number of opponents on the track it is a solid 18 with a
range of 13-19fps. I find this strange since the actual number of
cars on the track is the same. Also in races, you will remain at
the 13-19 fps even when AI cars drop out.

For me starting races is the only issue. I am now getting 13fps
on the line so I can tolerate it. At least I could last night :-)

--

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cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com

So you have the same crappy framerate as everyone else. You are
just lucky enough to deal with it.

--

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cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com

Too late!  :-)  Seriously, you can't expect to state your opinion and not get
replies in kind.

It's a major facet, though not the only.  I'd say a sim has to be good at:
driving physics, AI, graphics/framerate compromise, and yes, playability.
The AI here is really bad.  I posted about how cars catch up to a slower car,
then when trying to pass, start weaving as if the code is fighting between
passing and staying on the race line.  End result is a lot of wipeouts.

I think the GPL really holds as I know I had to limit myself to ~9-car fields.
Compare to F12000 comments here such as "F1 sim with less than a 22-car field,
hah!".  Similar, eh?  I don't think the GP2 comparison is as relevant.  GP2
was clearly a game designed to "grow" as systems did.  And came out before
3d accelerators.  Basically, there are a lot of games that look as nice as
F12000, but run much smoother.  If it had an order of magnitude improvement in
graphics, the jerky framerate would be more understandable.

While I tend to disregard the reports, I do not think GP2 was as god-like as
some here.  So, I'm not holding my breath.

I agree.  It's good enough to spend $30 and enjoy now.  We'll see if, or by
how much, GP3 is better ... whenever it does get released.

Don't you like historical sims? ;-)

Seriously, as much as this pissed me off at first, I don't care much.  I
personally like the tracks that year more than in 1999 or 2000, and I feel
the cars will give us a better challenge on track.  And with the open
architecture of Geoff's game engine, Im sure it will be open to many
enhancements very soon after it's release.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...
-- http://www.WeRace.net
-- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

Yes it's only your opinion...

Having MGPRS2 and GPL rated the same is pure heresy.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...
-- http://www.WeRace.net
-- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

--
Don Burnette
Dburn in N3 and Legends

--
Don Burnette
Dburn in N3 and Legends

How many cars visible?  I've tried a few levels.  Here's the skinny on what
happens as I changed options.  All the above from watching replays of a Brazil
race starting from grid position 6 using FRAPS...

all set lowerst possible, 640x480 (except 4 cars visible) : 48 fps waiting, 38
when starting to move.

changed to 800x600: still 48 fps
changed distances set to "max": 33 fps
added high***pit: 31 fps
mirrors on: 24 fps
bilinear filtering: 25 fps (withing error, no change)
race groove: 24 fps
(grandstands: reduces 3-6 fps, not used below)
6 vehicles visible: 25 fps
12 vehicles: 20 fps
(back to 4 vehicles):
texture detail max: 25 fps
text=min, all vehicle details to max: 23
text + max details: 19-21 fps but VERY JERKY when moving! = accidents a plenty

Generally, if there are a lot of high polygon textured vehicles visible,
framerate seems to get bad in a hurry.  Once I'm racing and one, two, three
cars are visible, framerate can be quite high (>30).

;)

--DK