Live for Speed

Scawen/Eric/Victor · released 2003 · discussed in 1,677 posts, 2002-2011 · overall tone positive

Posts per month

Timeline

2002-08-18 The first Live for Speed demo appeared without warning, with two tracks, three cars and online multiplayer. thread post
2002-09-05 Live for Speed Demo Test 0.1A was released as a full download, followed by frequent patches. thread post
2002-11-20 The Live for Speed team announced a paid Release 1, to be sold in stages starting in Q1 2003. thread post
2003-03-22 Live for Speed version 0.2 was released. post post
2003-07-17 Live for Speed S1 was released as a paid online-unlocked version with new cars and three tracks. thread post
2003-12-12 Live for Speed's Christmas update added the MRT5 open-wheel car, developed with the MRT racing team. post post
2004-09-24 A Live for Speed test patch added anti-cheat measures and new features. post
2005-04-05 The Live for Speed S2 demo alpha was released. post
2005-06-24 The Live for Speed S2 alpha was released for download. post post
2006-04-21 Live for Speed S2 patch 0.5T was released with revised tyre physics and a licensed BMW Sauber F1 car. thread post post
2006-12-25 Live for Speed S2 Patch V was released. post
2007-04-01 Live for Speed patch W was released with new car sounds, higher-resolution mirrors and interface changes. post post
2007-12-23 Live for Speed patch Y was released, adding the Formula BMW FB02 and updating physics, AI and the clutch. post

Key threads

Live for Speed S1 released 2003-07-17 · 45 posts
J.D. Ellis announced the release of Live for Speed S1, which added three tracks with many configurations, new cars such as the LX4 and LX6, and online play for about $20. Early buyers reported key servers struggling under demand and praised the new content. Larry objected strongly to the online unlock system as a form of product activation, while others said it worked painlessly.
Live for Speed demo appears with strong physics and online play 2002-08-18 · 36 posts
Karsten Borchers posted a link to the newly released Live for Speed demo, with two tracks, three cars and online play. Posters were amazed that a polished, previously unknown sim had appeared without hype, praising its physics, AI and smooth netcode, though some had controller and performance problems. Some suggested it could rival GPL, and Ruud van Gaal noted the developers seemed to be professionals.
Pessimism over the supposed revival of sim racing 2005-10-11 · 53 posts
ymenard argued that the so-called revival was hollow, citing tiny rFactor online numbers and flaws in GTL and other sims. Replies discussed fragmentation across many titles, the rise of console sims like GT4 and Richard Burns Rally, NR2003 superspeedway pickup racing still drawing hundreds of players, and whether rFactor's mod potential would eventually draw everyone in. Some also discussed importing GT Legends from Sweden.
Is rFactor an LFS killer? 2004-11-11 · 51 posts
Steve Simpson praised rFactor's graphics and physics and noted its AI in multiplayer. Others debated texture quality, hefty hardware demands and multiplayer smoothness, with temporary placeholder cars used to avoid join freezes. ISI's Joe Campana explained most multiplayer problems came from servers exceeding upload bandwidth and said a headless dedicated server was coming. Some also criticised LFS's product activation.
Live for Speed S2 patch with new tyre physics and BMW Sauber 2006-04-15 · 26 posts
Users followed the daily previews of a major Live for Speed S2 update promising improved tyre physics and a new Formula 1 car. After the patch arrived, Jan Verschueren declared LFS overall the best sim for how it communicates the car to the driver, while Tony Rickard and ymenard questioned its graphics and fictional tracks. Later posts discussed LFS's rule enforcement for league use.
Live For Speed demo physics compared with GPL 2002-10-30 · 23 posts
Posters praised the physics of the early Live For Speed test release, comparing it with GPL and the FIA GT mod, while criticising its basic graphics. Others noted it was an early beta 6-12 months from release, and the developers' community engagement and solid online play were praised. Tim Epstein and others argued that the rallycross dirt surface behaved too much like slippery tarmac.
Live For Speed announces Release 1 plans 2002-11-20 · 23 posts
Tim Epstein relayed the LFS newsletter, which outlined a complete paid Release 1 with road, rallycross and race cars, the first part due in Q1 2003. Posters welcomed buying directly from independent developers. Others discussed Radeon 8500 rendering problems with the demo.
Plea not to pirate Live For Speed becomes politics debate 2002-10-31 · 104 posts
Phoenix Knight urged people not to pirate Live For Speed to support its small team, but implied pirating big-company games was acceptable, drawing heavy criticism. The thread then turned into a long off-topic argument about wealth redistribution, Bill Gates, capitalism and socialism, led by Ruud Dingemans against Todd Walker, Dave Casey and EldredP.
Is r.a.s. dead without Papyrus? Sims, stock cars and bumps 2005-08-10 · 71 posts
A poster remarked that the group was dead, and Nick argued it was because regulars cared only about Papyrus and ignored sims like GTR and Richard Burns Rally. Others defended Papyrus's influence and praised the GTP mod, LFS S2 and the GTR Escort mod. The thread moved on to whether NASCAR is boring, and to a debate about bump modelling and car pitch in GTR and GT Legends.
netKar versus LFS versus GPL debate continues 2003-07-21 · 63 posts
Starting from a question about netKar add-on tracks, the thread debated whether netKar or Live for Speed deserved the 'new GPL' title. Some found netKar's loss of grip unpredictable, while others praised LFS's tyre model, especially for front-wheel-drive cars. Bruce Kennewell argued GPL's appeal lay in its historical setting, and tips covered force feedback strength and unlocking LFS cars.
Live for Speed key codes spark product activation debate 2003-12-11 · 62 posts
A user complained that the LFS team had not answered his request for a new unlock key after a hard drive crash; others pointed out the website's self-service unlock and that a spare key is added each month. The thread turned into a broad argument about product activation, especially Windows XP, software ownership under EULAs and Microsoft's dominance. It included some insults, such as frederickson's abuse of Alan Bernardo, but was mostly a heated disagreement.
Mock complaint about LFS posts sparks Monty Python fest 2002-09-02 · 53 posts
Jon complained in jest about the number of Live for Speed posts, and several readers took it seriously before it was explained as a joke tied to the RASCAR debates. The thread became a Monty Python quotation session, with Petri Blomqvist reposting his 'Coders of RAS' song and others noting LFS's animated driver hands.
Will rFactor's multiplayer beat GTR's, and how netcode works 2005-07-24 · 50 posts
A user asked why rFactor would be better online than GTR if it used the same engine. Answers noted that rFactor used ISI's newer gMotor2 engine, while Jan Verschueren argued its netcode was essentially no better than GTR's. A long technical discussion followed, with flight-sim netcode programmer Nick explaining client-server prediction. Byron Forbes and others debated whether NR2003 and GPL 'warp' crashes were caused by crude prediction.
Which current sims have the most realistic physics? 2006-04-17 · 50 posts
A user asked which modern driving sims have the most realistic physics. Nominations included GT Legends, Richard Burns Rally, netKar Pro, rFactor, NR2003 and the newly patched Live for Speed, while TOCA 3 was largely dismissed as arcade. The thread turned into a long debate between Jeff Reid and Larry over whether NR2003 oval and restrictor-plate racing online requires real skill, with its large online player numbers noted.
West Racing vows Racing Legends will be completed 2002-09-18 · 49 posts
Dave Cook quoted West Racing's forum statement that Racing Legends would be completed no matter what. Sceptics pointed to years without working code and the teddy-bear shop, while supporters such as Doug Ellison and Dan Leach defended the brothers and blamed Empire for the cancellation of their earlier World Sports Cars project. Many contrasted the West brothers with the Live for Speed team, which had quietly released a working demo.
Is 2003 a golden age for sim racers? 2003-08-15 · 43 posts
Vennt argued that F1 Challenge, Live for Speed, netKar and NR2003 with Trans Am physics made it a great time for sim racers, while others still wished for GPL2, a CART sim or an Aussie V8 sim. Larry objected to Live for Speed's product activation, and the thread drifted into PC versus console gaming. News that LucasArts had cancelled Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels sparked discussion about publishers' motives.
Is Racing Legends still worth waiting for? 2003-04-28 · 43 posts
Trick Dacy said he had lost faith in the West brothers' Racing Legends while independent sims such as Live for Speed shipped working demos. Ashley McConnell defended the Wests, explaining they had to start from scratch after Empire kept the World Sports Cars code, while others mocked years of promises. Ruud van Gaal also discussed Racer support and TrackIR head tracking.
Live for Speed demo 0.1A adds reversed track and AI 2002-09-05 · 38 posts
Ped Xing relayed Scawen's announcement of Live for Speed demo version 0.1A, quickly followed by 0.1B; users enjoyed online racing on the reversed GP track. Much of the thread dealt with Radeon 8500 owners getting about 1fps, with disabling hardware TCL helping some but not others, and with split-axis and LWFF force-feedback issues. A side spat arose when a comment about buggy releases, meant for Flying Corps, was taken as an attack on LFS.
rFactor matchmaker outages and ISI's response 2005-09-18 · 33 posts
Users could not find the RAS-Factor servers because rFactor's online server list was unreliable. Alan Bernardo argued that LFS's online infrastructure was far better. ISI's Joe (Scoob Droolins) replied that it was unfair to compare a two-week-old release with LFS and said ISI was working to fix it. Others shared ini tweaks to show more servers and praised ISI's community engagement.
r.a.s. Live for Speed online races 2002-08-20 · 33 posts
Regulars raved about Live for Speed online races hosted by David G Fisher, describing close, fun racing and using the horn. Posters shared fixes for lost sound with Audigy cards, a demo patch and windowed-mode crashes, and Australians set up local servers.
First impressions of Live for Speed S1 2003-08-30 · 26 posts
Simon H asked about the newly released Live for Speed S1, and most replies were enthusiastic about its value, online racing and Caterham-style cars, though some advised waiting for S2 because damage and tyre wear were missing. Real-world front-wheel-drive racers praised its FWD handling. Wojtek Musial and a TVR owner argued that its rear-wheel-drive cars lost traction too suddenly, which others disputed.
Live for Speed demo praise and comparison with Racing Legends 2002-08-28 · 25 posts
Peter Nilsson raved about doing doughnuts in the Live for Speed demo's RWD XR GT, and others praised the quick multiplayer and dual-axis patch, saying they would pay for the demo. Doug Ellison pointed out the hypocrisy of attacking the West brothers for proposing a paid beta for Racing Legends. Others replied that LFS had appeared quietly with a working demo while RL had years of publicity and nothing to drive, and the exchange grew snippy.
Live for Speed AI learns tracks over time 2002-08-21 · 23 posts
Willem noticed Live for Speed's AI got faster the more it ran, and Andreas Nystrom found it stores learned knowledge per driver in a data folder and uses the same physics as the player. Posters compared it with NASCAR Heat's and GPL's AI and debated GPL's AI quality.
Tom Pabst's mock review of Live for Speed 2002-08-20 · 101 posts
Tom Pabst posted a tongue-in-cheek complaint that Live for Speed was junk after playing it for four and a half hours by keyboard, which many took seriously. David Powell discussed missing split-axis pedal support, and an exchange of insults with ymenard took over much of the thread.
Will there be an F1 2003, and Racing Legends' prospects 2003-01-09 · 50 posts
Glenn Andressen, struggling to buy F1 2002 in Australia, asked about an F1 2003. Posters believed EA had let its F1 licence lapse, so none was expected. The thread moved on to scepticism about Racing Legends' cost and vapourware status, LFS's new screenshots and performance, and whether Michael Schumacher's dominance owed more to car or driver.
Rumour that Live for Speed is a secret Racing Legends test 2002-08-18 · 46 posts
Damien Smith reported a rumour that Live for Speed was an early test of Racing Legends. Douglas Ellison and others said it was false and that LFS was made by former Black and White developers. The thread became another redTed versus Ellison argument over Racing Legends' pricing and credibility.
Which racing sims should be in every collection 2003-10-17 · 38 posts
Rich listed his mostly arcade and older Papyrus titles and asked what to add. The consensus was Grand Prix Legends, F1 Challenge 99-02 and NR2003, with Live for Speed, netKar, NASCAR Heat and Ratbag's dirt racing games also suggested. A dispute over whether Live for Speed is arcade-like gave way to discussion of motorcycle games and real motorcycle safety.
Colin McRae DiRT release and the state of RAS 2007-07-11 · 38 posts
Plowboy noticed Codemasters' DiRT had been released with no discussion on RAS. Replies dismissed Codemasters as non-sim makers and warned of Starforce, while recommending Live for Speed and the upcoming ISI-based ARCA Sim Racing, which Pat Dotson predicted would be the best stock car sim yet.
Which upcoming sim is worth waiting for 2002-09-23 · 37 posts
Jeffrey asked what the next big racing sim would be. Suggestions included NASCAR Racing 2003 as Papyrus's last NASCAR title, Live for Speed, Racing Legends, Codemasters' Race Driver and IRL game, Dirt Track Racing 2 and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2. Many were pessimistic, and posters debated whether EA would continue its F1 series.
LFS frame rate drops in multiplayer 2003-07-28 · 34 posts
Stephen Ferguson saw frame rates fall to the teens online in Live for Speed despite good offline performance. Others suggested the dial-up connection, replay recording, or CPU limits from calculating other cars, and recommended the multiplayer speed-up option. Posters with faster CPUs reported much better results.
NR2003 versus Live for Speed and GTR2002 2003-02-11 · 33 posts
Luke Phillips said that after NR2003, Live for Speed felt arcade-like, and others agreed LFS needed more powerful cars and tracks. The argument shifted to GTR2002 when Kevin Webb called it weak, drawing pushback for giving no detail. Sound card crackling with the Hercules Game Theater XP was also discussed.
Returning racer asks what sims are hot 2002-08-19 · 31 posts
A returning poster asked which sims were current. Replies recommended Live for Speed, NASCAR Racing 2002, F1 2002 mods, RASCAR and GPL, and advised avoiding GP4, while Tom Pabst posted a joke list that drew banter.
rFactor screenshots and the value of licensed content 2005-01-11 · 28 posts
David G Fisher posted new rFactor screenshots showing open-wheel cars. Some called it a 'higher budget LFS' and asked where the real cars and tracks were. Others argued that licences were costly and that modders would quickly add real content. Posters also debated whether user-made tracks such as those for LFS could match official ones.
Live for Speed frame rates and online fun 2002-08-19 · 28 posts
David G Fisher praised Live for Speed's multiplayer and asked about the frame-rate cost of mirrors. Others compared performance across systems, noting mirrors and AI cars cut frame rates and some sound problems with Audigy cards, while praising the racing.
Frustration with reckless drivers in LFS online 2003-07-31 · 26 posts
Andrew MacPherson vented about reckless drivers in Live for Speed pickup races, and Douglas Ellison blamed the lack of a damage model and suggested a rating system. Others advised S1-only servers, starting near the front or private races, though some had had good experiences.
Which online racing sim for a TOCA 3 player? 2006-10-24 · 26 posts
A TOCA 3 player asked about online racing sims, worried GTR2 might be too hard. Suggestions included GTR2, rFactor, Live for Speed and GT Legends, and a casual league was recommended. A dispute broke out between Mitch_A and Larry over the collapse of the RASCAR league.
Live for Speed 0.1E adds multiple controller support 2002-09-16 · 25 posts
Users reported that Live for Speed demo patch 0.1E added multiple controller support, with LWFF owners pleased to get split axis and force feedback together. One user fixed a 'No Track' problem by reinstalling the demo, and others shared frame-rate tips. A brief exchange between Mark Jeangerard and Damien Smith carried over from the GP4 argument.
Choosing between a crowd of good racing sims 2003-07-24 · 24 posts
Andrew MacPherson reflected on hopping between netKar, LFS, GPL, GTR2002 and NR2003 without a clear favourite. Others shared their nostalgia for GPL's impact in 1998 and whether any newer sim had matched it, and debated why GPL at 36 fps can feel smoother than other sims at higher frame rates.
Should Live For Speed cars show speedometers? 2002-11-03 · 23 posts
Praising the LFS H2 patch's option to hide the on-screen display, a poster hoped the final release would put the speedo and tach on the dashboard. The group debated whether race cars need speedometers, with most saying a rev counter and lap timer matter more, though the LFS demo cars were road-based.
RaceSimCentral LFS S1 review and car unlocking 2003-07-22 · 23 posts
A link to RaceSimCentral's review of Live for Speed S1 prompted discussion of its points system for unlocking faster cars. EldredP objected to having to earn content he had paid for, while others said it took about an hour, recommended short pro races, and argued it kept inexperienced drivers out of the fastest cars online.

Busiest threads

netKar versus LFS versus GPL debate continues (18 posts about it)
Live for Speed demo 0.1A adds reversed track and AI (17 posts about it)
First impressions of Live for Speed S1 (16 posts about it)
LFS frame rate drops in multiplayer (16 posts about it)
Live For Speed demo physics compared with GPL (16 posts about it)
TSW Stock and LFS. (16 posts about it)
Live for Speed frame rates and online fun (13 posts about it)
LFS - any good? (12 posts about it)
Live for Speed 0.1E adds multiple controller support (12 posts about it)
Live for Speed S2 patch with new tyre physics and BMW Sauber (11 posts about it)
Complaints about RSC moderators and public warning badges (11 posts about it)
LFS S2 Demo Thoughts (11 posts about it)
Live For Speed announces Release 1 plans (11 posts about it)
LFS and LWFF wheel (11 posts about it)
LFS Patch N now online - Fixes FF problems (11 posts about it)

Sentiment by year

Each post that discussed the sim was rated from −2 (very negative) to +2 (very positive).

Year	Posts	Positive	Negative	Tone
2002	629	273	79	positive (+0.47)
2003	441	215	54	positive (+0.53)
2004	166	87	11	positive (+0.57)
2005	233	112	32	positive (+0.48)
2006	115	49	16	positive (+0.36)
2007	32	18	5	positive (+0.56)
2008	36	10	9	mixed (+0.06)
2009	12	4	2	positive (+0.25)
2010	10	1	1	mixed (+0.00)
2011	3	2	0	very positive (+0.67)