Geoff Crammond

discussed in 2,376 posts, 1993-2011 · overall tone mixed

Posts per month

How the mood changed

Starts at zero. Every post that spoke well of them moves the line up, every critical post moves it down (weighted −2 to +2).

Key threads

• Anger over reports of no Grand Prix 2 update 1996-10-20 · 136 posts
  After a poster relayed MicroProse tech support saying there were no plans for a GP2 update with wet weather, a 1996 season or network play, a long and abusive argument followed. Critics said MicroProse had advertised features it did not deliver and gave poor support. Defenders, including John Wallace, said the box made no such promises and called GP2 an excellent sim, and conflicting reports of a planned IPX patch kept the dispute going.
• Did Crammond promise an all-new engine for GP3? 2000-08-04 · 37 posts
  Posters disputed whether Crammond had promised an all-new engine for GP3, with Mark D recalling an interview in which he said GP2 would be the base. Some argued the Windows port and 3D support required rewriting most of the code and that the car can now roll, while others said it was a simple port that did not raise the bar. Ian P showed that tyre wear is displayed, but Uwe Schuerkamp questioned whether it depends on driving style.
• Long flame war over Geoff Crammond and Grand Prix 2 1997-02-12 · 90 posts
  A question about whether Geoff Crammond had ever posted on the group led to a long, heated fight over whether GP2 was an unfinished 'beta'. Critics led by David Gary cited frame rates and missing weather and multiplayer, while defenders praised its physics, AI and track modelling. Side arguments compared F1 with CART and NASCAR passing, and posts became increasingly personal.
• F1 2002 versus GP4 graphics comparison 2002-06-14 · 45 posts
  Side-by-side screenshots of F1 2002 and GP4 started a debate over graphics. Some preferred F1 2002's sharper look, while ymenard and others preferred Crammond's more natural color palette. Many agreed GP4 still suffered from a slow-motion feel tied to processor occupancy and scaling, and there was discussion of its old assembly-language core.
• Defending and criticising Geoff Crammond ahead of GP4 2002-02-27 · 38 posts
  A poster asked why so many people were attacking Geoff Crammond and GP4 before release. Most replies argued that GP3 had been a disappointment, that Crammond's approach was a decade out of date, and that releasing an F1 sim without internet multiplayer in 2002 was unacceptable. Others praised GP3 2000's AI and his earlier classics, and the thread drifted into whether Bernie Ecclestone's licensing blocked online play and whether UK dial-up costs justified a focus on single-player.
• Does rec.autos.simulators represent typical sim racers? 2000-07-19 · 74 posts
  Posters argued over whether the newsgroup's GPL-focused regulars were out of step with most sim players, citing a High Gear poll showing strong interest in GP3. Jan Verschueren argued that GP3 should be judged on its physics and feared commercial pressure would kill pure simulations, while Jo Helsen argued that AI, weather and atmosphere matter to most buyers and that Crammond was not targeting the hardcore crowd. The debate was long but mostly civil.
• Grand Prix 4 mini-review and debate over its physics 2002-09-13 · 49 posts
  Jason Moyer reviewed the newly released US version of Grand Prix 4, praising its tracks and graphics but finding the interface and controls poor, and Steve Smith reported that Infogrames had closed the MicroProse UK studio. Mark Jeangerard defended GP4 as the finest driving sim and accused the group of reflexive bias, while ymenard, Damien Smith and GT mod coordinator Ian Bell criticised its primitive tyre model and claimed the physics had been cut back. Tempers flared before Jeangerard apologised.
• What did Crammond do in four years since GP2? 2000-07-27 · 35 posts
  Posters debated why GP3 took four years, suggesting Crammond took a long break after GP2 or worked mostly alone in assembler, with Hasbro adding staff late for 3D support. Jeff Vincent pointed out that Papyrus had a 3D version of IndyCar Racing II working before GP2 was even released. A side discussion covered GPL's lack of tyre wear modelling.
• GP3 versus F1 2000 graphics screenshots 2000-06-05 · 22 posts
  A poster compared a GP3 screenshot unfavourably with F1 2000, while others found GP3 nearly photo-realistic or warned against judging before release. This led to a debate over whether Geoff Crammond had proven 3D credentials, with his record from Revs and The Sentinel to F1GP and GP2 cited, and over whether ICR2 or GP2 shipped first. The thread ended with nostalgia for Stunt Car Racer.
• Debate over pessimism about GP3's missing features 2000-03-14 · 43 posts
  Imar de Vries questioned the pessimism about GP3, while many posters criticised its reported lack of force feedback and internet play as behind the times. Jan Verschueren objected to treating Geoff Crammond as a guarantee of quality, and David G Fisher argued that GPL's online play had been poor anyway, drawing accusations of trolling. Some speculated that IPX LAN play could be used online via Kali.
• Nostalgia for Geoff Crammond's Revs on the BBC Micro 1995-05-13 · 56 posts
  Fans of Acornsoft's Revs, Geoff Crammond's mid-1980s Formula 3 sim for the BBC Micro and C64, swapped Silverstone lap times, wing settings and memories, with many calling it the best racing sim ever made. Discussion covered C64 and BBC emulators for running it on a PC, requests for an Acorn Archimedes conversion, and Crammond's other games such as Aviator and The Sentinel. A side thread wished for a British Touring Car sim, and posters noted Crammond was working on Formula One Grand Prix II.
• Fears that Grand Prix 3 will disappoint 1999-09-06 · 36 posts
  After ECTS reports that GP3 was 60% complete, still lacked 3D acceleration and reused GP2 code, posters worried it would be a letdown with GP2's 'canned spins' and processor occupancy slowdowns. One ECTS visitor said it looked like GP2 with a facelift, while defenders argued that physics should come first and Geoff Crammond had always delivered. Some said they would not buy it without force feedback, hardware acceleration or a Linux version.
• GP4 or F1 2002: which F1 sim to buy? 2003-06-07 · 36 posts
  A newcomer asked whether to buy Grand Prix 4 or F1 2002. Most recommended the much cheaper F1 2002 for its mods, especially GTR2002, while Grand Prix 4 was attacked as outdated and full of idiosyncrasies. Jason Moyer defended it as the best simulation of a modern F1 car's behaviour, and Jan Verschueren said its physics were sound but its implementation years behind.
• GP3 lets players bump AI cars without penalty 2000-07-26 · 33 posts
  A poster complained that GP3 allows bumping other cars without damage, and Jo Helsen suggested a GP2Edit-style editor could adjust damage sensitivity. The thread became a wider debate, with ymenard and Greg Cisko calling Crammond lazy and GP3 'GP2.5', while Stephen Ferguson argued that Crammond had made a game most of his customers would love even if r.a.s. readers would not. Some considered the 30-pound price too high for what they saw as a facelift.
• GP3 called a failure, compared with Papyrus's NASCAR sequels 2000-07-25 · 42 posts
  A French poster called GP3 a bad console-style game that was just GP2 with 3D graphics and rain. Tracey Miller argued that Papyrus had done the same with NASCAR Racing 3 and NASCAR 99 without facing such criticism, while others replied that N3 was also criticised but added online play and force feedback. Simon Brown said GPL beat GP3 on almost everything except wet weather and accessibility.

Busiest threads

• Anger over reports of no Grand Prix 2 update (15 posts about it)
• Did Crammond promise an all-new engine for GP3? (14 posts about it)
• Long flame war over Geoff Crammond and Grand Prix 2 (14 posts about it)
• F1 2002 versus GP4 graphics comparison (12 posts about it)
• Defending and criticising Geoff Crammond ahead of GP4 (12 posts about it)
• Does rec.autos.simulators represent typical sim racers? (12 posts about it)
• Grand Prix 4 mini-review and debate over its physics (11 posts about it)
• What did Crammond do in four years since GP2? (11 posts about it)
• GP3 versus F1 2000 graphics screenshots (11 posts about it)
• Debate over pessimism about GP3's missing features (11 posts about it)
• Nostalgia for Geoff Crammond's Revs on the BBC Micro (11 posts about it)
• Fears that Grand Prix 3 will disappoint (11 posts about it)
• GP4 or F1 2002: which F1 sim to buy? (10 posts about it)
• GP3 lets players bump AI cars without penalty (10 posts about it)
• GP3 called a failure, compared with Papyrus's NASCAR sequels (10 posts about it)

Sentiment by year

Who talked about them most

ymenard · 152 Michael E. Carver · 58 Jan Verschueren · 57 Jo Helsen · 39 John Wallace · 33 Simon Brown · 31 Bruce Kennewell · 28 Greg Cisko · 27 Dave Henrie · 26 (unknown) · 25 Richard Walker · 25 Ruud van Gaal · 24 Dave Hawnt · 24 Stephen Ferguson · 23 David Gary · 23 GraDee · 19 Chris Wright · 16 Steve Smith · 15 Goy Larsen · 15 Douglas Ellison · 15

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