GPL online.... more polish needed?

I'm a relative GPL newbie trying to get up to speed track by track. So far, I've only been racing offline and I've yet to even run all the tracks. On the tracks I have practiced, though, (Watkins Glen, Monza, Rouen, Spa) I'm to the point where I can beat the AI (in a field of 11 cars) more often than not. Mind you, that's in novice mode (eg very short races) with the damage model set to 'none'. I'd like to try some online races, but don't want to race in a setting where I'll piss anybody off when I inevitably drive into a tree or blow an engine and cause a crash. Can someone suggest a friendly venue for relative newcomers to race F1 cars online while still getting to know the game? If I wait until I'm comfortable with all the tracks before venturing online, I may never get there... but at the same time, I don't want to be too big nuisance to those who have been racing these tracks for years. I know there is an F2 league that fits the bill, but I am enjoying running F1 and want to keep up with it. Thanks in advance for your suggestions, Itazura

If you can get pass turn one without crashing your doing a lot better than most people :) Just... hold your line, don't follow too close, don't ram, and, for the love of god, don't drive backwards. Apart from that, get in there and have fun. Pete

"ss" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:87d%7.23$[email hidden]... > I'm a relative GPL newbie trying to get up to speed track by track. Sofar, > I've only been racing offline and I've yet to even run all the tracks. On > the tracks I have practiced, though, (Watkins Glen, Monza, Rouen, Spa) I'm > to the point where I can beat the AI (in a field of 11 cars) more oftenthan > not. Mind you, that's in novice mode (eg very short races) with thedamage > model set to 'none'. I'd like to try some online races, but don't want to > race in a setting where I'll piss anybody off when I inevitably drive intoa

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> tree or blow an engine and cause a crash. Can someone suggest a friendly > venue for relative newcomers to race F1 cars online while still getting to > know the game? If I wait until I'm comfortable with all the tracks before > venturing online, I may never get there... but at the same time, I don't > want to be too big nuisance to those who have been racing these tracks for > years. I know there is an F2 league that fits the bill, but I am enjoying > running F1 and want to keep up with it. > > Thanks in advance for your suggestions, > Itazura

I take it you know about VROC (http://didnt.doit.wisc.edu/vroc/)? You'll find freindly people to race with, and how fast you are isn't really important. What is vital that you are at least aware of the racing line so that you can safely move out of the way of faster drivers, or avoid the line when you're rejoining the track after a spin ;-) Have fun!

If you want clean online racing, but can't join a racing league, you can try the ADC (Average drivers club) who regularly meet to race online. The website is at http://www.vpaddock.com in the *leagues* menu on the left. As you can already beat the unmodified AI, you are very much fast enough to go and race online, IMH. :-) cheers, Cyrille "Jonesy" <[email hidden]> a �crit dans le message news: xfe%7.1259$[email hidden]...

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> > > "ss" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:87d%7.23$[email hidden]... > > I'm a relative GPL newbie trying to get up to speed track by track. So > far, > > I've only been racing offline and I've yet to even run all the tracks.

On > > the tracks I have practiced, though, (Watkins Glen, Monza, Rouen, Spa)I'm > > to the point where I can beat the AI (in a field of 11 cars) more often > than > > not. Mind you, that's in novice mode (eg very short races) with the > damage > > model set to 'none'. I'd like to try some online races, but don't wantto > > race in a setting where I'll piss anybody off when I inevitably driveinto > a > > tree or blow an engine and cause a crash. Can someone suggest afriendly > > venue for relative newcomers to race F1 cars online while still gettingto > > know the game? If I wait until I'm comfortable with all the tracksbefore > > venturing online, I may never get there... but at the same time, I don't > > want to be too big nuisance to those who have been racing these tracksfor > > years. I know there is an F2 league that fits the bill, but I amenjoying

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> > running F1 and want to keep up with it. > > > > Thanks in advance for your suggestions, > > Itazura > > I take it you know about VROC (http://didnt.doit.wisc.edu/vroc/)? You'll > find freindly people to race with, and how fast you are isn't really > important. What is vital that you are at least aware of the racing line

so > that you can safely move out of the way of faster drivers, or avoid theline > when you're rejoining the track after a spin ;-) > > Have fun! > >

In article <87d%7.23$[email hidden]>, "ss" <[email hidden]> writes:

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>I'm a relative GPL newbie trying to get up to speed track by track. So far, >I've only been racing offline and I've yet to even run all the tracks. On >the tracks I have practiced, though, (Watkins Glen, Monza, Rouen, Spa) I'm >to the point where I can beat the AI (in a field of 11 cars) more often than >not. Mind you, that's in novice mode (eg very short races) with the damage >model set to 'none'. I'd like to try some online races, but don't want to >race in a setting where I'll piss anybody off when I inevitably drive into a >tree or blow an engine and cause a crash. Can someone suggest a friendly >venue for relative newcomers to race F1 cars online while still getting to >know the game? If I wait until I'm comfortable with all the tracks before >venturing online, I may never get there... but at the same time, I don't >want to be too big nuisance to those who have been racing these tracks for >years. I know there is an F2 league that fits the bill, but I am enjoying >running F1 and want to keep up with it.

I occasionally run a server on VROC with the description "Newbies welcome!" Feel free to join and have fun. Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPLRank - under construction... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

"EldredP" > I occasionally run a server on VROC with the description "Newbieswelcome!" > Feel free to join and have fun. > > Eldred The trouble with a 'newbies' server is that experts tend to join and vulch the rookies. dave henrie

ss ([email hidden]) wrote on 10 Jan 2002: > I'm a relative GPL newbie trying to get up to speed track by track. > So far, I've only been racing offline and I've yet to even run all > the tracks. On the tracks I have practiced, though, (Watkins Glen, > Monza, Rouen, Spa) I'm to the point where I can beat the AI (in a > field of 11 cars) more often than not. Mind you, that's in novice > mode (eg very short races) with the damage model set to 'none'. The most common type of race run in VROC is an "Intermediate Short", with Advanced damage, so you might want to try a couple of those. Other than the increased length (Monza is 11 laps), the main thing you'll need to to careful of is over-revving - you might not get away with speedshifting in an Int Short race as you generally can in a Novice one. > I'd like to try some online races, but don't want to race in a > setting where I'll piss anybody off when I inevitably drive into a > tree or blow an engine and cause a crash. Well, blowing an engine - unless you're being *really* stupid by changing into 1st at 150mph - isn't going to be your fault, so you dopn't need to worry about that. (Okay, I suppose you might argue that bad setups could be a contributory factor, but let's not get too involved here.) Driving into a tree shouldn't matter too much, either - it's much better than driving into another car! In fact, given the choice of the two, you should be prepared to deliberately drive off the road, even at the cost of your race. (Not that this level of sportsmanship is exactly common, though...!) > Can someone suggest a > friendly venue for relative newcomers to race F1 cars online while > still getting to know the game?<snip> 95% of open VROC races are friendly to all - it might help if you put a chat message in when you join explaining your situation, as many people will help a newcomer. Most VROCcers are much more irritated with the more experienced drivers who bite off more than they can chew by going for impossible gaps etc. Eldred's servers (mentioned by him above) are certainly recommended. You've learnt four tracks well so far. A little bit of advice for each: Monza: the first corner at Monza causes more trouble than anything else put together, especially if there's a tight grid. Whatever you do, stay on a straight line away from the start, and favour smoothness over speed - you might get passed by a couple of people, but you'll be better equipped to avoid the (almost inevitable) pileup if you're fully in control. If you're lucky, you'll be on the right of the grid, where you'll have more room. Watkins Glen - careful coming out of the pits in qualifying, as you're almost immediately into the "fast lane". You might have to wait a while for a gap in the traffic. There's a fair bit of spinning at this track, so keep an eye on the grass verges everywhere. Spa - Any circuit on which the first corner is Eau Rouge is going to be a bit fraught away from the start. You'll need to use the "look left/right" buttons a fair bit here, and stay totally focussed. Spatial awareness is tricky in a game with little peripheral vision, but you need it somehow! Rouen - a lovely track, but a slippery one. It's very easy to slide off the outside of the first downhill right-hander - but there's plenty of run-off, so you should make it back on OK. And be *very* careful at the hairpin - you may even have to come to a complete stop to avoid a rear- end shunt into the car in front. -- "After all, a mere thousand yards... such a harmless little knoll, really" - Raymond Mays on Shelsley Walsh. The GPL Scrapyard: bits 'n' bobs at http://www.hillclimbfan.f2s.com

David Buttery <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > The most common type of race run in VROC is an "Intermediate Short", > with Advanced damage, so you might want to try a couple of those. Other > than the increased length (Monza is 11 laps), the main thing you'll > need to to careful of is over-revving - you might not get away with > speedshifting in an Int Short race as you generally can in a Novice > one. I've recently moved from Novice to Int Short offline AI races, and I didn't *think* I was speedshifting - until my Eagle went 'pop' half-way through Silverstone :-( For the following race, I made my shifts *really* deliberate, staying at half throttle until well after the next gear comes in. To the OP: I don't call myself a 'newbie' on GPL, but I was thrilled to come third against the AI recently so well done! Jonny

In article <6Ph%7.20574$762.163690@rwcrnsc54>, "Dave Henrie" <[email hidden]> writes: > The trouble with a 'newbies' server is that experts tend to join and vulch >the rookies. >dave henrie Really? I didn't know that... Well, THAT sucks. Why wouldn't the better drivers want the competition of drivers with similar skill? What accomplishment is it ao beat someone who can't even put 3 clean laps together at Monza? <sigh> Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPLRank - under construction... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

Dave Henrie <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:6Ph%7.20574$762.163690@rwcrnsc54...

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> > "EldredP" > > I occasionally run a server on VROC with the description "Newbies > welcome!" > > Feel free to join and have fun. > > > > Eldred > The trouble with a 'newbies' server is that experts tend to join and

vulch > the rookies. > dave henrie > I'd still rather race on a newbie server. That way when i take out a vulcher, i have an excuse. lol. =) -- - Will DeRivera - http://www.numic.net - http://www.luxt.com - Hi, I'm a sig virus. - Please add me to the end of your sig and help me take over the world.

"EldredP" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > In article <6Ph%7.20574$762.163690@rwcrnsc54>, "Dave Henrie"<[email hidden]> > writes: > > > The trouble with a 'newbies' server is that experts tend to join andvulch > >the rookies. > >dave henrie > > Really? I didn't know that... Well, THAT sucks. Why wouldn't the better > drivers want the competition of drivers with similar skill? What > accomplishment is it ao beat someone who can't even put 3 clean lapstogether > at Monza? > <sigh> I haven't done this on your server I don't think, but in the past when I was looking for a fun race at Monza I'd pick a newbie-ish server so I didn't end up "racing" a bunch of guys who qualify with 26's and 27's.

Thanks for those details, they do help. I've switched to Intermediate short mode for my offline practice and found that aside from sweatier palms, it doesn't seem like too big a transition from novice mode (my wife would disagree, though, as it has increased the length of time during which my side of any conversation consists solely of 'shhhhh shhhh'). Now I will have to figure out where in the world the 'look left', 'look right' buttons are as I've never used them. Itazura

(sniip) Now I will > have to figure out where in the world the 'look left', 'look right'buttons > are as I've never used them. You don't want to...unless you are rejoining the track after spinning off. Anyone who can afford the time to have the view swap 30 degrees left or right isn't driving fast enough. dave henrie "ss" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:fbq%7.24$[email hidden]... > Thanks for those details, they do help. I've switched to Intermediateshort > mode for my offline practice and found that aside from sweatier palms, it > doesn't seem like too big a transition from novice mode (my wife would > disagree, though, as it has increased the length of time during which my > side of any conversation consists solely of 'shhhhh shhhh'). Now I will > have to figure out where in the world the 'look left', 'look right'buttons > are as I've never used them. > > Itazura >

> > To the OP: I don't call myself a 'newbie' on GPL, but I was > thrilled to come third against the AI recently so well done! Thanks.... When I won my first 5-lap race at Spa (setting two personal best lap times in the process!) I was so thrilled that I insisted that my wife come in to read the newspaper page that pops up after the race. She said something like 'Ummm, that's very nice honey...' (you know, in the tone of a mother to her 8 year old son who has just, for instance, proudly finished making a house out of mud.....). I'm just loving this game, so it's good that ras is here to listen. Itazura

Dave Henrie ([email hidden]) wrote on 11 Jan 2002:

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> (sniip) > Now I will >> have to figure out where in the world the 'look left', 'look >> right' buttons are as I've never used them. > > > You don't want to...unless you are rejoining the track after > spinning off. > Anyone who can afford the time to have the view swap 30 degrees > left or right isn't driving fast enough. > dave henrie

...which is why I only recommended they be used at the start. Once you're *in* Eau Rouge, as you say there just ain't the time. -- "After all, a mere thousand yards... such a harmless little knoll, really" - Raymond Mays on Shelsley Walsh. The GPL Scrapyard: bits 'n' bobs at http://www.hillclimbfan.f2s.com

In article <Hgq%7.361$[email hidden]>, "Dave Henrie" <[email hidden]> writes:

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>(sniip) >Now I will >> have to figure out where in the world the 'look left', 'look right' >buttons >> are as I've never used them. > > > You don't want to...unless you are rejoining the track after spinning off. >Anyone who can afford the time to have the view swap 30 degrees left or >right isn't driving fast enough. >dave henrie

Come on, Dave...<g> Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPLRank - under construction... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

ss <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Bsq%7.25$[email hidden]... > > > > To the OP: I don't call myself a 'newbie' on GPL, but I was > > thrilled to come third against the AI recently so well done! > > Thanks.... When I won my first 5-lap race at Spa (setting two personalbest > lap times in the process!) I was so thrilled that I insisted that my wife > come in to read the newspaper page that pops up after the race. She said > something like 'Ummm, that's very nice honey...' (you know, in the tone ofa > mother to her 8 year old son who has just, for instance, proudly finished > making a house out of mud.....). I'm just loving this game, so it's good > that ras is here to listen. Itazura > > LMAO! I used to get that from my girl...errr...ex-girlfriend. haha. =) -- - Will DeRivera - http://www.numic.net - http://www.luxt.com - Hi, I'm a sig virus. - Please add me to the end of your sig and help me take over the world.

Yes, I joined one night an took a Cooper, so that I would be slower and the pole was 1:27. Needless to say the race was a joke. SLG [email hidden] (EldredP) wrote:

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>In article <6Ph%7.20574$762.163690@rwcrnsc54>, "Dave Henrie" <[email hidden]> >writes: > >> The trouble with a 'newbies' server is that experts tend to join and vulch >>the rookies. >>dave henrie > >Really? I didn't know that... Well, THAT sucks. Why wouldn't the better >drivers want the competition of drivers with similar skill? What >accomplishment is it ao beat someone who can't even put 3 clean laps together >at Monza? ><sigh> > >Eldred >-- >Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 >Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett >GPLRank - under construction... > >Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you >with experience... >Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

(All spelling errors are intentional and are there to show new and improved ways of spelling old words. Grammatical errors are due to too many English classes/teachers)

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (Steve Garrotto) writes: >Yes, I joined one night an took a Cooper, so that I would be slower >and the pole was 1:27. Needless to say the race was a joke. > Good grief. It sounds like I'll have to password the NEWBIE races?!? Hmm - if I did that, it would keep the hotshoes out. I guess you guys could let me know when a guy who's too fast keeps ruining the race, so I could change the password... Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPLRank - under construction... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.