Dave,
First of all, I've got to say I'm green with envy at the image of your
controller /***pit setup!
I'm really replying to assure you that I am as avid a fan of motor racing
sims as you are, having owned (and raced extensively) GP1, GP2, ICR1,
ICR2,
and, to a lesser extent, Nascar 1 and Nascar 2.
I practiced GP1 obsessively until I was able to win every race at Ace
level, without too much effort.
GP2 was a totally different proposition, and the same extensive testing and
practising usually sees me on the first two rows of the grid.
To take Brazil as an example, I worked and worked to get my times down,
and when I finally hit the 1:15s, I was pretty happy, though I hope there's
more to come.
However, just how much more is there to come?
When I see people posting 1:11s, I can't help but become sceptical,
simply because I know how hard I worked to get the times I did. OK, my
homemade steering wheel & pedals may leave room for improvement, (maybe
even 2 seconds?), but 4 seconds??? That's when I think that something's
wrong,
I don't demand or expect to win. I expect to earn it. I also expect others
to do the same. To produce an offline series that caters for this ideal,
something has got to be done to even the odds.
OK, it's no longer the pure sim that Microprose intended, but there must
still be a niche for this version of league.
And far from being dishonest, I want people who share this view to openly
acknowledge the method they're using to attain these times. Then let the
cheaters try and compete with the people who HAVE put the effort in.
I am not hiding it, or dressing it up, or pretending it's something it's
not, I have driven solo for over 120 races, (GP2 alone, many more ICR), and
I
want to put my times up on a level playing field against other humans. I
see no other way to do that, until Microprose address it.
I actually have two versions of GP2 on my hard drive, a Real one (i.e.
unaltered) for my own use,
and a competition one (or 'arcade' if you want to call it that), to develop
the league setups.
I am able to distinguish between what is a 'real' time, and what is a
competitive, imaginary and unreal time (but fair for the purposes of the
series).
I hope you believe that my motives are as I say they are.
I am more than willing to make an unqualified statement in any messages I
post, stating that the nature of any changes reduce any realism that
Microprose intended, and compromise the integrity of the simulation,
as a trade-off for fair play.
If people are still interested in having a go, then they are welcome, and
are under no illusions.
If they are not interested, then that's fine too. I simply want to test the
water.
Remember though, whether or not the pure SIM fan likes it, it is STILL a
simulated motor racing competition.
And here's a final thought. Suppose the people in my league start posting
times that are very similar to the so-called 'real' leagues? Doesn't that
help to prove who's cheating?
My league will make NO pretenses, and as such, is NOT pretending that
the times are 'real'. I will even state as much on my web page.
Here's to the future, when GP7, the uneditable version, hits the shops:)
Keith Windsor, UK
Keith Windsor, UK