Re: getting a little bummed

In article <[email hidden]>, "Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> writes:

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><Carroll Smith mode on> >You haven't reached a plateau at all, however, you've come as far as >"natural talent" and experience will take you. Progress will stop coming >easy... -this is where you start working at becoming a "better" driver. ><Carroll Smith mode off> > >Actually, you've done amazingly well for having had the game for just a few >weeks. Ask Eldred how long it took him to reach the dizzy heights he's >acchieved.... be sure to wear your nomex undies though. <g>

Grrr... -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPL hcp. +59.33 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

On Tue 01 Aug 2000 05:19:58am, Roger Squires wrote: >I've had the game a couple weeks and feel like I've reached a >plateau.<snip> Right, here's what helped me: Firstly, don't get obsessed with Monza/the Glen. Once you're capable of getting round say 10 laps at an even halfway reasonable speed (even 1:10 at the Glen will do if it's steady), "get out into the world" and try out some of the other places. I don't think it pays to stick blindly to one circuit all the time - it ceratinly didn't me. As to where - well, I'm utterly biased here, but I'd say Spa. It's a longish track, which teaches you concentration; it's fast, which means you need good reactions; there's masses of gradient change and camber, which helps your car control; and above all it's a very enjoyable track to drive. As well as Spa, try some completely different styles of tracks - Silverstone for "getting into a groove", Zandvoort to practise blind corners, and of course the Ring. You'll have to meet it sooner or later, so it might as well be sooner. And use several different cars - a track like the Ring feels very different in a Brabham from in an Eagle. This will get you used to the variety of handling attributes in GPL - adaptability is the skill you most need to develop a good GPLRank, as this demands proficiency at very different skills for each track. So, in one word: variety. Once I started expanding my horizons from the Lotus, my ranking improved dramatically. Even though almost all my best times are in that Lotus, the experience gained from wrestling a BRM around Monaco or threading a Brabham through Rouen's curves was tremendously useful. -- David. (GPLRank handicap: -3.90) "After all, a mere thousand yards - such a harmless little knoll, really." (Raymond Mays on Shelsley Walsh)

<Carroll Smith mode on> You haven't reached a plateau at all, however, you've come as far as "natural talent" and experience will take you. Progress will stop coming easy... -this is where you start working at becoming a "better" driver. <Carroll Smith mode off> Actually, you've done amazingly well for having had the game for just a few weeks. Ask Eldred how long it took him to reach the dizzy heights he's acchieved.... be sure to wear your nomex undies though. <g> How to improve even further? -Well, IMO, it all boils down to putting in the laps. Intimate track knowledge is a must. Only when you're really using what's there and are sure which lines you want to be driving you can tell whether the car is working for or against you in certain sections and adjust your setup accordingly. So find a reasonably stable setup (e.g. Alison's Ferrari setups) and take to the track. Don't worry about times just yet, instead concentrate on getting your lines right and improving your technique and speed will follow. Setup is an important part of the equation, allowing you to do faster laps easier and more consistently, but raw speed at a track is either there or it isn't, if you find it, it won't come from a setup change. That said, keep an eye out for the return of Richard Nunnini's site... he's got some very good stuff on how to setup your car. I can also recommend using the GRE (also linked from Alison's site). Apart from a solid reference on setups, it's got a very good system for setting up and gauging the "progression" of your gearbox. Use the replay analyser to compare yourself to "known good" laps. Choose laps that are only a couple of seconds faster than your own as improving at GPL is an incremental business. Online races are a veritable goldmine for "run of the mill" good laps, so save those replays. Note how the faster drivers use the maximum ability of their car and their setup without having to resort to overdriving which could lead to unforced errors. Observe the margin of error they maintain in order to be able to react when something does happen. Keep a positive mindset... I used to look down on this sort of approach, but now I realise believing you can do it is paramount to being able to do it. No joke, after your reach a certain level a lot of this stuff becomes "mental". Anyway, good luck and please, for my ego's sake, don't overtake me in the rankings in the space of two weeks, ok? ;-) Jan. =--- Roger Squires <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Odsh5.671$[email hidden]... > I've had the game a couple weeks and feel like > I've reached a plateau. My gplrank is +137

In article <Odsh5.671$[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says... > I have tried a few different cars and setups and for the most > part they don't make a whole lot of difference. Track guides aren't doing > much for me either. I would say view the replays. Once you believe that a corner can be taken at a certain speed, all you have to do is get the line right. - Michael

I've had the game a couple weeks and feel like I've reached a plateau. My gplrank is +137 and getting out of the St. Eldred's Cup doesn't really seem possible. I have tried a few different cars and setups and for the most part they don't make a whole lot of difference. Track guides aren't doing much for me either. I was wondering if my T2 wheel with its combined brake/throttle axes is holding me back, and would a split axis wheel help? Also if there's some specific skill I could practice, I know I corner slowly but how to improve I dunno. thx much! rms [email hidden]

Though I must add that just now I studied the track guide for Mosport carefully and watched the replay, and after a few laps I got a 1:27 (from 1:30s)! Couldn't believe it. So there's something I can do for the shorter tracks anyway. But I'd still appreciate tips. rms [email hidden]

I modified my T2 wheel. (split axis) It was easy to do but... I destroyed my ACM gamecard because I was too lazy to disconnect and shut down the PC while I was working on the wheel. Anyway, you can find websites where there is very good info on how to do it. It will improve your laptimes. In fact I have my modified T2 wheel for sale (I bought a FF wheel) Roger Squires <[email hidden]> schreef in berichtnieuws q5th5.699$[email hidden]... > Though I must add that just now I studied the track guide for Mosport > carefully and watched the replay, and after a few laps I got a 1:27 (from > 1:30s)! Couldn't believe it. So there's something I can do for theshorter

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> tracks anyway. But I'd still appreciate tips. > > rms > [email hidden] > > >

Roger, I took a quick lok at your times, your best bet to get up the rankings is to work on Nurburgring. Not only can a small percentage improvement here drop your rank considerably but the ring is a great training ground for smoothing out your driving and improving braking and balance through corners. Looking at your other times I think that you can shave up to 30secs off your ring time, I think you are in the right car with the Lotus, keep the default settings (with just enough fuel for 2-3 laps) or use Alison Hines'. Even if you only knock off about 15secs or so, then go back to twisty tracks like Zandvoort and see how much you improve. I'm a relative newbie just dropped below +50 so not that far ahead of you and it worked well for me. Good Luck. MaXX (Malcolm Edeson GPLRank +49.24) On Tue, 01 Aug 2000 04:19:58 GMT, "Roger Squires" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>I've had the game a couple weeks and feel like I've reached a plateau. My >gplrank is +137 and getting out of the St. Eldred's Cup doesn't really seem >possible. I have tried a few different cars and setups and for the most >part they don't make a whole lot of difference. Track guides aren't doing >much for me either. > >I was wondering if my T2 wheel with its combined brake/throttle axes is >holding me back, and would a split axis wheel help? Also if there's some >specific skill I could practice, I know I corner slowly but how to improve I >dunno. thx much! > >rms >[email hidden] > >

Roger Squires <[email hidden]> wrote: : I've had the game a couple weeks and feel like I've reached a plateau. My : gplrank is +137 and getting out of the St. Eldred's Cup doesn't really seem : possible. I have tried a few different cars and setups and for the most : part they don't make a whole lot of difference. Track guides aren't doing : much for me either. OK - beginners tips: Stick to one car and one track - practice until you think your head will explode. Eventually the track will click. Don't change set ups. Don't change fuel until you run out. Don't run it in race mode. Just drone round in practice until something "clicks". Pick an easy track and car to start with - say the Ferrari at Monza. You should be able to get it down to 1:32 without too much trouble. (by which I mean "with lots and lots of practice") Gain time by taking the proper line not by trying to accelerate harder or brake later. The line is the easiest way to find time. Don't go for a fastest lap every lap. You'll learn much more by "settling in" and learning to be consistent. I wasted loads of time with GPL chopping between cars and tracks, blaming undrivable set ups, going for hotlaps and bouncing off the scenery. The best way is to just concentrate on the line and on getting round. Find your braking points. Work out some trackside marker and say "I should be braking next to that tree/crowd member/dip in the track" - if you stick to the same line you can brake there every time and you'll be fine. Once you can pull out 10 laps with a consistent time then, if you're still slow, experiment - brake a bit later somewhere or take a different line through a corner. Run a little wider on the exit or try taking a double apex. -- Richard G. Clegg Only the mind is waving Networks and Non-Linear Dynamics Group Dept. of Mathematics, Uni. of York UPDATED WWW: http://manor.york.ac.uk/

Karl Zosel <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Fzuh5.91660$[email hidden]... > I modified my T2 wheel. (split axis) > It was easy to do but... I destroyed my ACM gamecard because I was toolazy > to disconnect and shut down the PC while I was working on the wheel. > > Anyway, you can find websites where there is very good info on how to doit. > > It will improve your laptimes. > > In fact I have my modified T2 wheel for sale (I bought a FF wheel) > Strangely enough I set some of my PB's with combined axis after forgetting to set them to split axis after playing other games. Strange but true. The split axis is a comfort to have but a myth that it makes you go faster.

hi there, GPL is a sim that requires alot of dedication and patience, the trick to getting fast is to slow down:). Try entering corners slower, maintaining a tight apex, and concentrate on constant power exits, this will make you faster i promise. It seems that everybody who drives GPL want to brake later than Huttu, and this destroys their laptimes, BRAKE early and you will reap the rewards....SLOW IN FAST OUT BABAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cheers Greg Stewart GPL rank -72.63 "Roger Squires" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:q5th5.699$[email hidden]... > Though I must add that just now I studied the track guide for Mosport > carefully and watched the replay, and after a few laps I got a 1:27 (from > 1:30s)! Couldn't believe it. So there's something I can do for theshorter

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> tracks anyway. But I'd still appreciate tips. > > rms > [email hidden] > > >

Hehehe... ;-) Jan. =--- EldredP wrote... > > Grrr...

Hehehe... ;-) Jan. =---