GPL-I finally broke down...

Okay, after all the hype here, I ordered GPL last week, and got it Tuesday. I must say all the advance praise is (for the most part) warranted: these cars are fun as heck to drive, even if they are squirrely in spots. Surprisingly, I find them EASIER to drive on road courses than the NASCAR behemoths: I get little of that annoying 'side to side' tilting which is constantly wiping me out in N2002 as I try to negotiate a series of esses (for example). Of course I am still using traction control-so sue me. And the user-made courses...! My faves so far are Milano (and Miloval with just the hibanks), Greenland, and Senzapatria-outstanding all. Dave I hope you are eventually planning to convert some of these fantasy courses to N2002- imagine going around Miloval flat out in a stock car >drool<... So naturally I have a few questions. The only dark spot for me is the relative (as compared to the NASCAR sims) lack of functionality. I can't tweak my preferred gametype like I am used to, and it is getting >mighty< frustrating. I miss the digital speedometer (accessible via the 'view 12' trick in the player.ini file, which unfortunately won't let me see my chalkboard guy for some reason), independent race lengths and AI strength (the damned things are either much too fast or much too slow, and a utility I just DLed which purported to slow them down instead speeded them up a ton-GPL AI Tweaker 1.03 by a Kari Ikonen), and few other things. So...how high should you let your revs get (I typically drive the Eagle or Ferrari) so as to NOT fry your engine? At Miloval I can't run at 9300 for much longer than 20 laps before she blows. The AI appears to (or should I say supposedly) adjusts to your speed after awhile-but the docs that came with the game don't go into any detail about that. How exactly does that work? Will they slow down if they keep lapping you race after race? How many laps is enough to get them 'optimized'? Certain corners at certain tracks I have learned to have a LOT of caution with, because even if my entry is clean and there is no yaw when I am breaking (and I'm not breaking too hard), I will still spin even if it seems like I am doing everything right...? I find it amusing when the drivers have this permanent grin plastered on their faces, even if they have just plummeted off the highest hump at Rollercoaster and are falling 500 feet to their doom... TIA for any help, and if anyone has some no-nonsense newbie links somewhere, I'd appreciate it. I doubt I will ever be good enough to keep up with all you hotshots online, but I still plan to enjoy myself. ;-) John DiFool -- ======================================================== The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -George Bernard Shaw- ========================================================

Same here John! I was in a local computer store Friday and saw a lone GPL box sitting on the shelf. After everything I've heard here I figured I've spent $20 bucks worse ways. Anyway it's been fun so far! Tim -- Golf and Sex are the only two things you can be bad at and still have a good time! "John DiFool" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Okay, after all the hype here, I ordered GPL last week, and got it > Tuesday. I must say all the advance praise is (for the most part) > warranted: > these cars are fun as heck to drive, even if they are squirrely in > spots. > Surprisingly, I find them EASIER to drive on road courses than the > NASCAR > behemoths: I get little of that annoying 'side to side' tilting which is > constantly > wiping me out in N2002 as I try to negotiate a series of esses (for > example). > Of course I am still using traction control-so sue me. > And the user-made courses...! My faves so far are Milano (and > Miloval > with just the hibanks), Greenland, and Senzapatria-outstanding all. > Dave I hope > you are eventually planning to convert some of these fantasy courses to > N2002- > imagine going around Miloval flat out in a stock car >drool<... > So naturally I have a few questions. The only dark spot for me is > the relative > (as compared to the NASCAR sims) lack of functionality. I can't tweak > my > preferred gametype like I am used to, and it is getting >mighty< > frustrating. > I miss the digital speedometer (accessible via the 'view 12' trick in > the player.ini > file, which unfortunately won't let me see my chalkboard guy for some > reason), > independent race lengths and AI strength (the damned things are either > much too > fast or much too slow, and a utility I just DLed which purported to slow > them down > instead speeded them up a ton-GPL AI Tweaker 1.03 by a Kari Ikonen), and > > few other things. > So...how high should you let your revs get (I typically drive the > Eagle or Ferrari) > so as to NOT fry your engine? At Miloval I can't run at 9300 for much > longer > than 20 laps before she blows. > The AI appears to (or should I say supposedly) adjusts to your speed > after > awhile-but the docs that came with the game don't go into any detail > about that. > How exactly does that work? Will they slow down if they keep lapping > you > race after race? How many laps is enough to get them 'optimized'? > Certain corners at certain tracks I have learned to have a LOT of > caution > with, because even if my entry is clean and there is no yaw when I am > breaking > (and I'm not breaking too hard), I will still spin even if it seems like > I am doing > everything right...? > I find it amusing when the drivers have this permanent grin > plastered on their > faces, even if they have just plummeted off the highest hump at > Rollercoaster > and are falling 500 feet to their doom... > TIA for any help, and if anyone has some no-nonsense newbie links > somewhere, > I'd appreciate it. I doubt I will ever be good enough to keep up with > all you > hotshots online, but I still plan to enjoy myself. ;-) > > John DiFool > > -- > ======================================================== > The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one > > persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all > progress > depends on the unreasonable man. > -George Bernard Shaw- > ======================================================== > > >

"John DiFool" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Certain corners at certain tracks I have learned to have a LOT of > caution > with, because even if my entry is clean and there is no yaw when I am > breaking > (and I'm not breaking too hard), I will still spin even if it seemslike > I am doing > everything right...? I'm a relative newbie to GPL myself but I think I can help you with that one. These cars are very unstable under braking, but even more unstable if you let off the brakes too fast. Coasting into a turn is also a bad idea, you need to get back on the gas to balance the car. Getting smoothly off the brake and immediately getting smoothly back on the gas will stabilize the car a great deal. Best if you can left foot brake, although there are a lot of very fast right foot brakers too.

A side question....what is the "view 12 " trick for player.ini that lets you view speed? I've not seen this one before and would like to know speed Thanks RossH

RossH wrote: > > A side question....what is the "view 12 " trick for player.ini that lets you > view speed? I've not seen this one before and would like to know speed > Thanks > RossH Why do you want to know your speed? All that matters is your lap time. And if you need to check your top speed at the end of a long straight, there's always the replay. This need to know speed via an on dash speedometer is a common want of GPL newbies. I think this desire stems from playing arcade games where the speed is always shown. In a sim like GPL all the information you need is given to you by the tachometer. I was taught this lesson by 'Revs' back in 1986. THANKS GEOFF! Cheers Gerry

"John DiFool" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > So...how high should you let your revs get (I typically drive the > Eagle or Ferrari) > so as to NOT fry your engine? At Miloval I can't run at 9300 for much > longer > than 20 laps before she blows. The only thing do is to keep it under the red needle and lift the gas for a bit when I shift. I drive the Eagle and the engine never blows unless I overrev when I shift. I think you are supposed to watch the engine temperature too, but either my driving style don't stress the engine that much or the Eagle engine is very well built.

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> The AI appears to (or should I say supposedly) adjusts to your speed > after > awhile-but the docs that came with the game don't go into any detail > about that. > How exactly does that work? Will they slow down if they keep lapping > you > race after race? How many laps is enough to get them 'optimized'?

I don't think they slow down, they just speed up if you get faster. And you just have to put in one fast lap and they will speed up and never slow down again at that specific track. See the thread "GPL AI getting nasty all on me" 04.07.2002 (July, not April). The tweaker you mentioned; could it have slowed down the fastest AI and speeded up the slowest?

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> Certain corners at certain tracks I have learned to have a LOT of > caution > with, because even if my entry is clean and there is no yaw when I am > breaking > (and I'm not breaking too hard), I will still spin even if it seems like > I am doing > everything right...?

I don't know what setup you use, but with most setups you are supposed to use your left foot on the brake and keep some throttle on to prevent rear wheels from breaking to hard. Take a look at the video here: http://www.sim-replays.de/. Look under videos; pedals/inboard merged. > TIA for any help, and if anyone has some no-nonsense newbie links > somewhere, There are some FAQ's at http://www.racesimcentral.com/ There is also a FAQ at http://eaglewoman.simracing.dk/gpl/index.htm. Here you will find the AI behavior explained in detail. > I'd appreciate it. I doubt I will ever be good enough to keep up with > all you > hotshots online, but I still plan to enjoy myself. ;-) Not only hotshots online. I'm there occasionally! Something to read about online behavior: http://homepage.powerup.com.au/%7Ephilmak/gplac/rec_driver_beh.htm Jone.

"Gerry Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > This need to know speed via an on dash speedometer is a common want of > GPL newbies. I think this desire stems from playing arcade games where > the speed is always shown. > When I first fired up GPL I went; Where is the on screen radar map? Where is the list that shows the competitors and their relative position? The damage thing? LOL! I soon realized this is a simulator, and it's even true to these things. What I miss the most, is the ability to see where all the other cars are in real time. You have the pit board, but is a lap behind and if you go off (I do), you will have to drive for some time before you can see who is behind. But I do appreciate that Papy didn't put an arcade style HUD in there. Realism is everything! Jone.

On Sun, 7 Jul 2002 11:02:33 +0200, "Jone Tytlandsvik" <[email hidden]> wrote: >The only thing do is to keep it under the red needle and lift the gas for a >bit when I shift. I drive the Eagle and the engine never blows unless I >overrev when I shift. I think you are supposed to watch the engine >temperature too, but either my driving style don't stress the engine that >much or the Eagle engine is very well built. I think it's your driving style. =) Seriously, the Eagle is a great car, easily my favorite and the one I'm fastest in at nearly every track, but it has to be one of the most fragile race cars ever built. If you are good enough to keep the Eagle in one piece for an entire GP-length race, my hats off to you. Jason

"jason moyer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> > I think it's your driving style. =) > > Seriously, the Eagle is a great car, easily my favorite and the one > I'm fastest in at nearly every track, but it has to be one of the most > fragile race cars ever built. If you are good enough to keep the > Eagle in one piece for an entire GP-length race, my hats off to you. >

It's not because I'm good, It's because I'm slow. :) I thought the BRM or Brabham was a real challenge to get to the finish line? Jone.

On Sun, 7 Jul 2002 11:45:17 +0200, "Jone Tytlandsvik" <[email hidden]> wrote: >It's not because I'm good, It's because I'm slow. :) >I thought the BRM or Brabham was a real challenge to get to the finish line? Dunno about the BRM, but the Brabham should, in theory, be the most reliable car in the game, since Hulme won the 67 championship largely because the Lotus amd Eagle rarely made it to the finish line. Jason

"Jone Tytlandsvik" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:ag903a$jg8em$[email hidden]:

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>> The AI appears to (or should I say supposedly) adjusts to your >> speed >> after >> awhile-but the docs that came with the game don't go into any detail >> about that. >> How exactly does that work? Will they slow down if they keep lapping >> you >> race after race? How many laps is enough to get them 'optimized'? > > I don't think they slow down, they just speed up if you get faster. > And you just have to put in one fast lap and they will speed up and > never slow down again at that specific track. See the thread "GPL AI > getting nasty all on me" 04.07.2002 (July, not April). > The tweaker you mentioned; could it have slowed down the fastest AI > and speeded up the slowest? > >

Yes, there is no adjustment of overall pace in a single race -- but unless you switch it off using a tweaking utility or ini file settings, the AI will go faster each race as your own lap times get lower. Unfortunately, without tweaking the numbers they will get better quicker than you! I use GPL AI Tweaker to take down the AI a notch or two, and make sure their performance stays constant whatever *I* happen to do. I find the racing is much more satisfying that way. There's one thing that seems a little odd, though: The AI driver's performance on cold tires seems a little too good on at least some tracks (compared to my feeble efforts). I find I can match their pace much more easily after two or three laps, when I have my tires warmed up and settled in. This, of course, is perceived as the AI "slowing down" relative me. Also, there is a built in "scrambling for position" phase right at the start of the race, which lasts for a predetermined length of track. I have no idea whether we're talking about some hundred yards or half a lap of this, though -- it may vary considerably from track to track, but I haven't studied the numbers...

I have been racing online in a league for two years and blew an engine ONCE in practice. The Lotus, I can't keep together. Too easy to overrev and most important, you cannot run it at high revs for long periods. I know that at Monza, if my opponents pus the Lotus hard, it will blow. Suspension wise, the eagle isn't the strongest, but again it's not as fragile as the Lotus. I think the Ferrari is one of the strongest cars in terms of relialibility "jason moyer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Sun, 7 Jul 2002 11:02:33 +0200, "Jone Tytlandsvik" > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >The only thing do is to keep it under the red needle and lift the gas fora

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> >bit when I shift. I drive the Eagle and the engine never blows unless I > >overrev when I shift. I think you are supposed to watch the engine > >temperature too, but either my driving style don't stress the engine that > >much or the Eagle engine is very well built. > > I think it's your driving style. =) > > Seriously, the Eagle is a great car, easily my favorite and the one > I'm fastest in at nearly every track, but it has to be one of the most > fragile race cars ever built. If you are good enough to keep the > Eagle in one piece for an entire GP-length race, my hats off to you. > > Jason

Most of the hot-shoes in GPL these days use a form of trail-braking: instead of coming off the brakes, turning in, and squirting out, try feathering the brakes *while* feeding in both steering and power: the more throttle or steering, the less brakes. This is done in the RW...but without using throttle and brakes at the same time (which would fry the brakes in a couple of laps). In GPL, simultaneous application of brakes and throttle allows you to move the brake bias back significantly (from a nominal 56-58% to 48-52%), to take advantage of the greater size of--and weight on--the rear tires. It's strictly arcade, but it will improve your lap times. --Steve Smith "Haqsau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ag8ijn$jerj6$[email hidden]...

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> "John DiFool" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > > Certain corners at certain tracks I have learned to have a LOT of > > caution > > with, because even if my entry is clean and there is no yaw when I am > > breaking > > (and I'm not breaking too hard), I will still spin even if it seems > like > > I am doing > > everything right...? > > I'm a relative newbie to GPL myself but I think I can help you with that > one. These cars are very unstable under braking, but even more unstable > if you let off the brakes too fast. Coasting into a turn is also a bad > idea, you need to get back on the gas to balance the car. Getting > smoothly off the brake and immediately getting smoothly back on the gas > will stabilize the car a great deal. Best if you can left foot brake, > although there are a lot of very fast right foot brakers too. > >

Welcome to the world of GPL. Say goodbye to your social life, wife/girlfriend etc....:o) One bit of advice. If you see a big white Honda/Marusama in your mirrors coming into a braking zone, get out of the way!!! Mr Surtees will run into the back of you everytime..... Steve

In article <8yZV8.102488$[email hidden]>, "Raymond L Day" <[email hidden]> writes:

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>I have been racing online in a league for two years and blew an engine ONCE >in practice. The Lotus, I can't keep together. Too easy to overrev and >most important, you cannot run it at high revs for long periods. I know >that at Monza, if my opponents pus the Lotus hard, it will blow. Suspension >wise, the eagle isn't the strongest, but again it's not as fragile as the >Lotus. I think the Ferrari is one of the strongest cars in terms of >relialibility

I've driven the Lotus, Eagle, Ferrari, and Cooper extensively. Haven't had a problem...even in several full-length races...<shrug> Eldred -- Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett My .sig file is in the shop for repairs... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

In article <[email hidden]>, Gerry Aitken <[email hidden]> writes: >Why do you want to know your speed? All that matters is your lap time. >And if you need to check your top speed at the end of a long straight, >there's always the replay. > Because knowing your speed helps you make corners efficiently and consistently... Eldred -- Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett My .sig file is in the shop for repairs... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

In article <ag92jd$is1re$[email hidden]>, "Jone Tytlandsvik" <[email hidden]> writes:

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>"jason moyer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> >> I think it's your driving style. =) >> >> Seriously, the Eagle is a great car, easily my favorite and the one >> I'm fastest in at nearly every track, but it has to be one of the most >> fragile race cars ever built. If you are good enough to keep the >> Eagle in one piece for an entire GP-length race, my hats off to you. >> > >It's not because I'm good, It's because I'm slow. :) >I thought the BRM or Brabham was a real challenge to get to the finish line?

*I* thought it was the Lotus... I think I've blown *maybe* engines in league competition(over 2+ years). 2 were the result of hardware failures(upshift button was screwed up), 1 the result of someone punting me. I never figured out the 4th. It was the same setup I had run the previous day(in a LONGER race) and didn't have any problems with... I guess I just don't rev the engines as high as everyone else(who keeps blowing up)... Eldred -- Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett My .sig file is in the shop for repairs... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

On 11 Jul 2002 00:34:53 GMT, [email hidden] (EldredP) wrote: >I've driven the Lotus, Eagle, Ferrari, and Cooper extensively. Haven't had a >problem...even in several full-length races...<shrug> Geeze, I regularly blow up the Lotus and Eagle in 5 to 10 lap testing sessions. Don't think I've ever had any non-contact related damage in the other cars, but I don't really drive much besides those 2 and the Ferrari. Other than blowing up the engines in the Lotus/Eagle, I usually just knock the toe in or out by banging the curb. I wish Papy would get the suspension damage modelling from GPL in N2k2. It seems like all the damage is in that game is aero related, and I'm still not really convinced that it affects your grip as much as drag. I would think that a stockcar with the rear smashed up to the quarterpanel would be slippery as hell, and that smashing the nose would tighten it up badly. Jason

EldredP <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> In article <[email hidden]>, Gerry Aitken > <[email hidden]> writes: > > >Why do you want to know your speed? All that matters is your lap time. > >And if you need to check your top speed at the end of a long straight, > >there's always the replay. > > > > Because knowing your speed helps you make corners efficiently and > consistently...

I'd settle for a rev counter with visible numbers, but that's probably not going to happen until/unless I upgrade my video card :-( Corners in F1GP, to me, were always "9500 in 4th" or similar. Jonny

Most of the car graphics updates include more legible tachs. I'm using the carset from http://jfcarsets.cjb.net/ and all the tachs are readable. "Jonny Hodgson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:j1jX8.2161$[email hidden]...

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> > > I'd settle for a rev counter with visible numbers, but that's > probably not going to happen until/unless I upgrade my video > card :-( > > Corners in F1GP, to me, were always "9500 in 4th" or similar. > > Jonny > >

On 11 Jul 2002 00:34:53 GMT, [email hidden] (EldredP) wrote: >Because knowing your speed helps you make corners efficiently and >consistently... I guess it's just me, but I'm always too busy looking at the track to really notice anything else. Hell, I have a hard enough time hitting my shift points in GPL when I haven't played in awhile, just because I do it by ear. Thankfully N2k2 has an idiot light. =) Jason

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (jason moyer) writes:

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>On 11 Jul 2002 00:34:53 GMT, [email hidden] (EldredP) wrote: > >>Because knowing your speed helps you make corners efficiently and >>consistently... > >I guess it's just me, but I'm always too busy looking at the track to >really notice anything else. Hell, I have a hard enough time hitting >my shift points in GPL when I haven't played in awhile, just because I >do it by ear. Thankfully N2k2 has an idiot light. =)

I was able to catch the speedo out of the corner of my eye in ICRx and Nx while turning. Since the display was in the lower left of the screen, and most of the turns are left-turns(oval racing, I'm already looking in that direction. Since I've been running GPL, I don't use the speedo anymore, and actually turned it off in N2002 for a while. Eldred -- Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett My .sig file is in the shop for repairs... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.