1st VROC experience, advice sought.

OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, and my girlfriend always says I'm too thin-skinned, so it may very well be, but...I guess I want to know if what I encountered is typical, or unwarranted, or if I'm in the wrong here and should not bother racing on-line until I can drive in traffic a -whole- lot better. I ventured on-line with WinVROC for the first time last night. I joined a Intermediate at Spa as I feel fairly confident there. I'd been practicing with a full field with reduced AI for the last two days. This puts me in the middle of the pack, just to get a feel for starts. Hairy business, but I've started to get a feel for it and can usually make it through, provided Surtees isn't behind me. 8^) The actual start went well and I managed to keep out of trouble until the Masta straight. The train was running on the left and I felt I could pass to the right. I pull out to the right and I'm going flat out, faster than the field, and someone pulled out of the line directly in front of me. No time to even get on the brakes before we collided. The "gentleman" I collided with felt it necessary to insult me, and I disconnected. So I tried again on another server, Spa again. I announced to the others that I was a newbie. I didn't even try a qualifying run, figuring I'd end up at the back of the grid, safely out of harm's way. At this point, they were actually quite helpful, getting me to move ahead a few feet so that the race could start. "This bodes well," I thought. We start. Oddly enough, I'm 1st row, outside. Again, I make it through the start. By the time we're into Stavelot, I've passed several spins and crashes, and seen at least one apology typed. This time I blew it, going much too fast into La Source, excitement and nervousness getting the better of me. I took out another car in the process and typed a "Sorry." I was informed by my victim that if I "can't keep up speed in the corners, I shouldn't race." ...so I disconnected. So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? Wannabe racer, J. P. Hovercraft

Don't quit becuase of the jerks. If we all did that, then there'd be nothing but jerks left. Besides, I've been VROCing on and off for 2 years, and I've only been verbally abused once or twice, so I'm pretty sure your luck will change. Of course it helps if you don't race like a jerk. ;o) Racing the AI can only get you so far. Racing people on VROC is totally different, so the only way to learn is to dive in head-first. One bit of advice, you might start out with the Cooper. It's easy to handle in traffic, and people know it's a slow car, so they will watch out for you. A. "J. P. Hovercraft" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, and my girlfriend > always says I'm too thin-skinned, so it may very well be, but...I guess > I want to know if what I encountered is typical, or unwarranted, or if > I'm in the wrong here and should not bother racing on-line until I can > drive in traffic a -whole- lot better. > > I ventured on-line with WinVROC for the first time last night. I joined > a Intermediate at Spa as I feel fairly confident there. I'd been > practicing with a full field with reduced AI for the last two days. This > puts me in the middle of the pack, just to get a feel for starts. Hairy > business, but I've started to get a feel for it and can usually make it > through, provided Surtees isn't behind me. 8^) > > The actual start went well and I managed to keep out of trouble until > the Masta straight. The train was running on the left and I felt I could > pass to the right. I pull out to the right and I'm going flat out, > faster than the field, and someone pulled out of the line directly in > front of me. No time to even get on the brakes before we collided. The > "gentleman" I collided with felt it necessary to insult me, and I > disconnected. > > So I tried again on another server, Spa again. I announced to the others > that I was a newbie. I didn't even try a qualifying run, figuring I'd > end up at the back of the grid, safely out of harm's way. At this point, > they were actually quite helpful, getting me to move ahead a few feet so > that the race could start. "This bodes well," I thought. We start. Oddly > enough, I'm 1st row, outside. Again, I make it through the start. By > the time we're into Stavelot, I've passed several spins and crashes, and > seen at least one apology typed. This time I blew it, going much too > fast into La Source, excitement and nervousness getting the better of > me. I took out another car in the process and typed a "Sorry." I was > informed by my victim that if I "can't keep up speed in the corners, I > shouldn't race." ...so I disconnected. > > So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the > AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive > here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a > newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of > racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? > > Wannabe racer, > > J. P. Hovercraft >

J.P. You will need to grow a thicker hide to run F1 pickup races on Vroc. You have to be sufficiently confident in yourself to apologize when you make a mistake and ignore the ass*****s that think the race is the most important thing in their life and gives them the right to give you a ration of s**t about it. These are usually some of the same people who try to win the race in T1 of L1 and then disco by the second lap because they're not winning. These are the same people that blame the government, their parents, and everybody in sight for their lot in life but cannot accept a gram of responsability for things that transpire. In your first example, it seems the fellow dropped in front of you. Could you avoid hitting him? If not, that was his fault not yours. Let 'em bitch and ignore it. I will suggest though, that you do not enter your first twenty or so online races with any thought of competing seriously. You need to participate and absorb the online environment of the races including the regular suspects <g> and their personalities and skill levels. You will then know who to watch for and avoid. I agree completely with what Phil said in his response and can also highly recommend the F2 club. I've not run an F1 race on Vroc for months after hooking up with these guys. A very thoughtful, mature, and sensible lot they are and a pleasure to race with. Regards, Brett C. Cammack That's Racing! Motorsports Pompano Beach, FL

J. P. Hovercraft <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> > So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the > AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive > here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a > newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of > racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? >

JP I suggest you come and race with us F2 guys. We are far more open to newbies and the racing is clean, close and enjoyable. When someone makes a mistake, they are generally not slagged off. I have even heard of one of the best F2 drivers quitting a race and riding on board with a slower driver, giving helpful advice as he went around the track. I suggest you sign up with the VROC-F2 e-group (http://www.egroups.com/group/vroc-f2/) and log on to the VROC-F2 chatroom. Cheers Phil -- F1 GPL Handicap: +62.32 secs F2 GPL Handicap: +149.53 secs F2 Festival: http://freespace.virgin.net/philip.lee3 http://www.youpies.co.uk

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] wrote... > In your first example, it seems the fellow dropped in front of you. > Could you avoid hitting him? If not, that was his fault not yours. > Let 'em bitch and ignore it. Hmmm. Sounds like Michael Schumacher and Fisichella...

In article <[email hidden]>, "J. P. Hovercraft" <[email hidden]> writes: >So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the >AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive >here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a >newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of >racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? I'd say don't worry about it. You just ran into(no pun) a couple of jerks. I don't have any problem with anyone jumping on one of my servers, as long as you don't drive the wrong way... Eldred -- 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.

Strange... I raced a pick-up race not so long ago (Silvertstone) and everything went well (and there were a number of "less experienced" drivers present... some pretty scary moments were had by all ;-)). I should hope your ezperiences are a-typical of WinVroc races. If I were to be witness to such goings on the "flamer" in question would have me to deal with (I'm armed with words and I know how to use them <g>). Online you will make mistakes and you will crash, both on your own and taking someone else (or multiple someone elses) with you. That's a fact of life most people seem to be comfortable with. Of course the guy on the receiving end might not act quite so courteous the first couple of seconds after the shunt, which is something to be expected too. However... let he who is free of sin cast the first stone. Online racing makes a fool out of us all on occasions and there's no call for vitriol or questioning someone's ability if the "inevitable" occurs. If you want to truly enjoy the online esperience (i.e. have total confidence in the people you're racing with), you might be well advised to seek out a league which runs at a convenient timeframe for you (I found just introducing yourself and showing an interest gets you in most places). Many leagues have anti "red mist" policies and certainly I found people in leagues have a more developed ability to shrug and say "that's racing" when something bad happens. My 2 cents: continue to race (the more you race, the better you get) and ignore. Nobody has the right to quesrion your presence in a open race, IMO (unless you deliberately crash people, which is another matter altogether). Cya on the track, Jan. =--- J. P. Hovercraft wrote... > OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, <snip>

or everytime someone complains about your driving just say " I am Schummacers student and I drive his style" then you can just go about ramming / blocking anyone :-) Aubrey <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:db2h5.24462$[email hidden]... > Don't quit becuase of the jerks. If we all did that, then there'd be > nothing but jerks left. Besides, I've been VROCing on and off for 2years,

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> and I've only been verbally abused once or twice, so I'm pretty sure your > luck will change. Of course it helps if you don't race like a jerk. ;o) > > Racing the AI can only get you so far. Racing people on VROC is totally > different, so the only way to learn is to dive in head-first. > > One bit of advice, you might start out with the Cooper. It's easy to

handle > in traffic, and people know it's a slow car, so they will watch out foryou.

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> > A. > > "J. P. Hovercraft" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > > OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, and my girlfriend > > always says I'm too thin-skinned, so it may very well be, but...I guess > > I want to know if what I encountered is typical, or unwarranted, or if > > I'm in the wrong here and should not bother racing on-line until I can > > drive in traffic a -whole- lot better. > > > > I ventured on-line with WinVROC for the first time last night. I joined > > a Intermediate at Spa as I feel fairly confident there. I'd been > > practicing with a full field with reduced AI for the last two days. This > > puts me in the middle of the pack, just to get a feel for starts. Hairy > > business, but I've started to get a feel for it and can usually make it > > through, provided Surtees isn't behind me. 8^) > > > > The actual start went well and I managed to keep out of trouble until > > the Masta straight. The train was running on the left and I felt I could > > pass to the right. I pull out to the right and I'm going flat out, > > faster than the field, and someone pulled out of the line directly in > > front of me. No time to even get on the brakes before we collided. The > > "gentleman" I collided with felt it necessary to insult me, and I > > disconnected. > > > > So I tried again on another server, Spa again. I announced to the others > > that I was a newbie. I didn't even try a qualifying run, figuring I'd > > end up at the back of the grid, safely out of harm's way. At this point, > > they were actually quite helpful, getting me to move ahead a few feet so > > that the race could start. "This bodes well," I thought. We start. Oddly > > enough, I'm 1st row, outside. Again, I make it through the start. By > > the time we're into Stavelot, I've passed several spins and crashes, and > > seen at least one apology typed. This time I blew it, going much too > > fast into La Source, excitement and nervousness getting the better of > > me. I took out another car in the process and typed a "Sorry." I was > > informed by my victim that if I "can't keep up speed in the corners, I > > shouldn't race." ...so I disconnected. > > > > So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the > > AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive > > here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a > > newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of > > racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? > > > > Wannabe racer, > > > > J. P. Hovercraft > > > >

J.P., Welcome!! I second the previous posts. As long as you've prepared beforehand and are making the effort to drive cleanly you are very welcome. Just ignore all the abuse. You're going to screw up once in a while (just like me and maybe some others <g>). If you make a mistake a simple "sorry" and maybe a groval in chat after the race will suffice. The class racers will give you a "np" (no problem) or maybe a (polite) suggestion and that'll be the end of it. Learn from you're mistakes as much as possible and get back on the "horse". As an aside, note that "po" from someone online means "pit out" (leaving the pits) and not P#!@ Off, <g>. Before you join online make sure you know your braking points (from the racing line and off the racing line). Also be sure that you and your setup can hold a clean inside or outside line when racing wheel to wheel. Try driving some offline practice laps on the right side and then the left side of the track on cold tires before going online. It's a great warm-up. Please keep up the online racing. The GPL online racing community is relatively small and I know I would appreciate having a full grid showing for many different races. Once you get accustomed to the excitement of online racing and find a comfortable and competitive setup you will absolutely *love* it. I was in the middle of an Eagle/Honda sandwich on Friday that went very hard for a few laps. Took me 2 days just to wipe the <vbg> off my face. See ya on the track ya stupid #$@$#@!. J. P. Hovercraft <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, and my girlfriend > always says I'm too thin-skinned, so it may very well be, but...I guess > I want to know if what I encountered is typical, or unwarranted, or if > I'm in the wrong here and should not bother racing on-line until I can > drive in traffic a -whole- lot better. > > <snip> > > So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the > AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive > here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a > newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of > racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? > > Wannabe racer, > > J. P. Hovercraft >

>J. P. Hovercraft <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, J.P., learn what there is to learn from the experience and carry on. In these cases it sounds like the other guys that were doing the whining. We are exposed to such a wide spectrum of age, experience, and attitude on vroc, there will always be a few outbursts, and they do tend to be few. Sometimes we are deserving of criticism and should apologize, the rest of the time just shine it on. -- Don Scurlock Vancouver,B.C. GPLRank -5.09 Come see how you rank, at the GPLRank site http://gplrank.schuerkamp.de/

On Mon, 31 Jul 2000 00:23:25 GMT, "Jim Allison" <[email hidden]> wrote: > I was in the middle of an Eagle/Honda sandwich on >Friday that went very hard for a few laps. Took me 2 days just to wipe the ><vbg> off my face. > Hey JP, I was the Eagle in that sandwich with Jim, very good racing indeed... We had some very close racing with everone holding their line and no contact made. It was great. Tonight on VROC on the other hand I had an encounter with some zipperhead who's actions pretty much sums up what you should not do online. Monaco -- 6 drivers I think. Pole was 28.xx, #2 was 29.xx and everyone else was 30 or better. I was third on the grid with a low 30. I can run 27s there but was a little rusty... T1... I'm still in third place at T1, go easy... don't take out the guys ahead... got a good speed entering the turn, just keeping pace with 1 and 2. Shit... in my mirrors here comes a damn Lotus full tilt. After too many revolutions to count the car gets stopped and I can see water on my left, where the hell am I?? OK, finally get the car turned around and sure as shit I'm dead last. Where the hell is that Lotus or the "S" (short for sorry) in the chat corner??? I never see either. Now I'm running the rest of the race with the intention of getting ahead of that Lotus. At this point, I'm not really bothered, I mean, I've done the same thing before although the speed that he came into me was really way too fast for a simple blunder. He should have either sent a sorry or at least waited for me to get going before he took off. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I figure we could all pass around apologies and explainations after the race. I run a pretty shitty race blowing the engine once (most certainly from abuse) and spinning it in the chicane a couple of times. I did get within a sec before a couple of screwups put me behind the Lotus by 18 seconds with 4 or so laps to go. Well, the last few laps I string together a pretty good run and what do you know... last lap, though the chicane and there's that Lotus I've been hunting spinning down the straight. I make my pass as he's trying to gather the thing back up. Last hairpin and just as I'm making a typical turn in (not early, I had just turned a mid 27 to his best of low 29) here comes shit-for-brains at mach 4 to t-bone me. OK, the race is over and before jumping on someone you have to wonder how things looked to them. Between personalities and warps you just never know what the other guy is thinking / seeing. Maybe he's about to explain how he was just over excited and pushed the braking point too far or something. Or, maybe he thinks I screwed up and he's peeved at me. I wait and I wait... nothing. Finally I say; "TT, do you do that shit on purpose?" He never replied... Some races are boring, some are great, sometimes you do something stupid, sometimes someone does something stupid to you, sometimes somebody is an A-hole and sometimes people are great... All in all it's great fun and you see a whole lot more good than bad. After running online for a while now, I now am on the receiving end of a whole lot more mistakes than I inflict on others (not to say I don't blow it every now and then). As long as the mistake was honest then I'm not bothered at all. The worst thing you can do though is hit someone from behind, if you are following closely, you cannot brake at your normal point, most likely you are going to have to brake early. The more time online the better you will get at that. Everyone was a newbie once and we need all the new blood we can get. Get back in VROC, JP, before you pick up any bad habits from Surtees :) Randy

You can chat *during* the race? All I've ever seen is the connect/disconnect announcements at the top corner of the screen (mind you, that's enough to distract me into the nearest bales). And yes there are both sorts of prat out there - those who take you off and those get abusive after a racing accident (why does Michael Schumacher come to mind? :). Also don't forget latency effects, on the one hand don't get too close to other cars, and allow that some crashes happen because you "weren't there" at that time for the other driver. Tony Whitley (Veteran of ooh, several, online races). Jim Allison <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:1G3h5.79866$[email hidden]... <snip> If you make a mistake a simple "sorry" and maybe a > groval in chat after the race will suffice. The class racers will give youa > "np" (no problem) or maybe a (polite) suggestion and that'll be the end of > it

Dude, I came into a Spa race last night just because you were there, I figured I would have someone to race with!!! You were there a while and the you disco, so I did not get to race with you. I did manage a PB at Spa in the Cooper at 3:27:72 (is also my overall PB). I do not know it that was this race or not as I spent many hours at Spa this weekend. Ignore most of the rude comments! I do, I manged to take out two racers in a Pro Short last night, I felt bad, but what can you do. It is just like in real racing. Just look at Parkes how many times have you been wrecked by him or Surtees? I tend to be slow, but in this race I had moved from dead last to 4th in the first lap. It was really fun. Then I screwed up masta and two guys just barely missed me an spun out at full throttle. Just bad luck for us all, as I had a car that would only do 3:40s with me driving my ass off, top speed of 170. The car was slower, but easier to drive. :-) Hehehahe a slower Cooper. One thing I tried with GPL that I do not think I like is that I turned off the in-car chat feature. This was distracting me in online racing. Now I think there are times when it is needed so last night I turned it back on. You can type messages to others, just do not see any responses. You can still type SRY, but you don't have to see any remarks. I also have noticed that many remarks are made that might seem to be harsh, but the author means for the remark to be funny not disrespectful. If you see a race with me in it, join up and enjoy! Also take the advice given in another response: try an F2/F3 race, they are very fun! I love the Glen and Rouen at F2. Just be sure to notice how many laps! made the mistake of joining a 30+ lap F2 race a the Glen, boy was I tired after that. SLG (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]>, J. P. Hovercraft <[email hidden]> writes <snipped VROC initiation>

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>So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the >AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive >here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a >newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of >racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? > >Wannabe racer, >

It's not you who is being over-sensitive but they. I doubt there is a single VROC racer out there who has not been the cause of, or recipient of driving that results in collisions. Having been a regular racer online for nearly a year (though not for at least the last couple of weeks unfortunately) I have come to realise that it's just one of those things and, if you cannot continue in the race, it's no problem as there'll be another race along in short while. To me VROC really isn't about the winning but the taking part. Maybe there are those out there who's egos are that fragile that they need to prove themselves everytime they hit the track and for them it is always the other guys fault. However, if you get flamed deal with it in whichever way you personally feel is appropriate at the time, whether you want to stick up for yourself or say 'what the heck' is fine, as long as your dealing with it doesn't mean that you've decided that you won't be coming back. Generally, I find that I cannot be bothered to waste my time proving I was more right than the other guy. I tell you, it saves a lot of time and wasted effort. If I'm not sure about whose fault it was I generally apologise with a quick 's' or 'sry' and then continue on if my cars up to it. There are occasional times when I feel it's worth sticking up for myself but usually I prefer to move on and let them have the high blood pressure all to themselves. So stick at it and eventually the good times will far outweigh the bad. :) -- Peter Ives - (AKA Ivington) Remove ALL_STRESS before replying No person's opinions can be said to be more correct than another's, because each is the sole judge of his or her own experience.

On Tue, 01 Aug 2000 03:00:06 GMT, "J. P. Hovercraft" <[email hidden]> wrote: >Thank you, one and all, for support and sage advice. One expects trash talk >and insults playing Quake. I really didn't expect to run into it on VROC. >Naieve, perhaps... J.P., Yeah get some, but much less than other racing games, IMO. Here's another site for anyone who is starting out in online GPL racing (strongly suggested reading for our GPLWS league). Pay attention to it and you'll be a good, clean driver. Recommended Driver Behaviour a resource of the Grand Prix Legends Australian Championship by Phillip McNelley http://www.powerup.com.au/~philmak/gplac/rec_driver_beh.htm "But in a way, fear is a big part of racing, because if there was nothing to be frightened of, and no limit, any fool could get into a motor car and racing would not exist as a sport." -- Jim Clark

Thank you, one and all, for support and sage advice. One expects trash talk and insults playing Quake. I really didn't expect to run into it on VROC. Naieve, perhaps... Phil for the kind invitation, I'll take you up on it as soon as I spend a little time driving an F2 car. Eldred the Saintly for servers and another kind invitation. Leong and Jim Allison for humor, Randy for the race report (I love reading race reports!). Tony for sharing my suprise that anyone has time to type during a race (I was upside-down while typing my apology...8^)...). Steve, sorry I missed the race. I was trying to decide if I'd just head back into it, or write my original post, I decided on the latter. The lap times being discussed were a bit intimidating in my state of mind at the time. We'll get another opportunity, I'm sure. Peter, Aubrey, Jan, Brett, and Don for support and practical advice. I'll be spending some time drving alternate lines (inside, outside) and some F2 cars, maybe even a Cooper (good idea!), and applying sandpaper liberally to all (well, maybe not -all-) body parts to toughen my skin. My aim, to become a competent and courteous driver. And if I take any of you out in the process, be assured it's not intentional, it's just -part- of the process...and damn it!...it's the main reason I spent $700 Canadian upgrading this machine so that I could get a playable frame rate. I wanna race, and I'm gonna race, and I might even do it reasonably well in a while. 'Til then...thanks again, and I'll try to keep the damage to a minimum. See ya on the track soon. J. P. Hovercraft "J. P. Hovercraft" wrote:

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> OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, and my girlfriend > always says I'm too thin-skinned, so it may very well be, but...I guess > I want to know if what I encountered is typical, or unwarranted, or if > I'm in the wrong here and should not bother racing on-line until I can > drive in traffic a -whole- lot better. > > I ventured on-line with WinVROC for the first time last night. I joined > a Intermediate at Spa as I feel fairly confident there. I'd been > practicing with a full field with reduced AI for the last two days. This > puts me in the middle of the pack, just to get a feel for starts. Hairy > business, but I've started to get a feel for it and can usually make it > through, provided Surtees isn't behind me. 8^) > > The actual start went well and I managed to keep out of trouble until > the Masta straight. The train was running on the left and I felt I could > pass to the right. I pull out to the right and I'm going flat out, > faster than the field, and someone pulled out of the line directly in > front of me. No time to even get on the brakes before we collided. The > "gentleman" I collided with felt it necessary to insult me, and I > disconnected. > > So I tried again on another server, Spa again. I announced to the others > that I was a newbie. I didn't even try a qualifying run, figuring I'd > end up at the back of the grid, safely out of harm's way. At this point, > they were actually quite helpful, getting me to move ahead a few feet so > that the race could start. "This bodes well," I thought. We start. Oddly > enough, I'm 1st row, outside. Again, I make it through the start. By > the time we're into Stavelot, I've passed several spins and crashes, and > seen at least one apology typed. This time I blew it, going much too > fast into La Source, excitement and nervousness getting the better of > me. I took out another car in the process and typed a "Sorry." I was > informed by my victim that if I "can't keep up speed in the corners, I > shouldn't race." ...so I disconnected. > > So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the > AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive > here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a > newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of > racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? > > Wannabe racer, > > J. P. Hovercraft

<SNIP> As an aside, note that "po" from someone online means "pit out" (leaving the pits) and not P#!@ Off, <g>. That freaked me out last night, I kept leaving servers as I thought I wasn't wellcome. D'oh. Figured it out in the end, and came 3rd at Monza. Hurrah !. Sean

Ahhhhhhh PO !! :-)

Lol :) Its a whole other world :) "S�an Connolly" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8m64cr$g7g$[email hidden]... | <SNIP> | As an aside, note that "po" from someone online means "pit out" (leaving | the pits) and not P#!@ Off, <g>. | | That freaked me out last night, I kept leaving servers as I thought Iwasn't | wellcome. D'oh. Figured it out in the end, and came 3rd at Monza.Hurrah

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| !. | | Sean | | | | |

J. P. Hovercraft <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, and my girlfriend > always says I'm too thin-skinned, so it may very well be, but...I guess > I want to know if what I encountered is typical, or unwarranted, or if > I'm in the wrong here and should not bother racing on-line until I can > drive in traffic a -whole- lot better. > > I ventured on-line with WinVROC for the first time last night. I joined > a Intermediate at Spa as I feel fairly confident there. I'd been > practicing with a full field with reduced AI for the last two days. This > puts me in the middle of the pack, just to get a feel for starts. Hairy > business, but I've started to get a feel for it and can usually make it > through, provided Surtees isn't behind me. 8^) > > The actual start went well and I managed to keep out of trouble until > the Masta straight. The train was running on the left and I felt I could > pass to the right. I pull out to the right and I'm going flat out, > faster than the field, and someone pulled out of the line directly in > front of me. No time to even get on the brakes before we collided. The > "gentleman" I collided with felt it necessary to insult me, and I > disconnected. > > So I tried again on another server, Spa again. I announced to the others > that I was a newbie. I didn't even try a qualifying run, figuring I'd > end up at the back of the grid, safely out of harm's way. At this point, > they were actually quite helpful, getting me to move ahead a few feet so > that the race could start. "This bodes well," I thought. We start. Oddly > enough, I'm 1st row, outside. Again, I make it through the start. By > the time we're into Stavelot, I've passed several spins and crashes, and > seen at least one apology typed. This time I blew it, going much too > fast into La Source, excitement and nervousness getting the better of > me. I took out another car in the process and typed a "Sorry." I was > informed by my victim that if I "can't keep up speed in the corners, I > shouldn't race." ...so I disconnected. > > So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the > AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive > here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a > newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of > racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? > > Wannabe racer, >

No, you're quite entitled to race online but you must treat these people very differently to AI until you are very very fast. Thats how I race after a bad experience in my first race. Luckily the guy I hit was a fried so he didn't get too annoyed with me. When you race against the AI you can dive down the inside and duck in and out and try that move down the inside of everyone into T1. As an online newbie, ever ever do this. You'll always land yourself in trouble. You have to control it a little more like a "real" race. Be more conscious and these guys are less predictable than the AI. When you race the Ai you can sometimes have a tendancy to try and pass at any corner if you are near enough to the car ahead. I cannot stress this enough that you shouldn't try that online. Only pass where there is a clear opportunity, I usually wait to get a tow down the straight and then pass. Only corners to pass on are the ones that are the actual real life overtaking spot, nowhere else. Even if the guy ahead takes the corner a little slow, ease off the power, you won't make it through. It sounds a bit defeatist to back out of things but your not really your just picking the right and safest moment like in real life. When you are faster and so on you may be able get stuck in a little more but not much. when you race the Ai its easy to drive down the inside into a turn and pass 10 cars. You just can't risk this online as all the other cars are thinking the same thing but waiting to strike at the right moment, if you get overly excited your in trouble. Of course the golden rule if you do take someone out is to say your sorry and NEVER try to tell a lie about what happened as they other player will keep a replay. Just be more cautious and never drive completely flat out with a car just infront of you. Its not hard to do but its important you do it.

Remember you are not having fun unless you are covered with sweat and all jittery during and after the race. Ohhhh . . . too close . . . oh that dude just hit the rail . . . here he comes . . . doh! Just missed him . . . what's that noise? . . BRM 8-o-clock! . . more power!!! Ok mind make Masta work for me . . . turn in and now back . . . no wait . . . now? . . NO! Crap! *#^%$%^* . . . sry! Shift+R . . . remember cold tires . . . Yeah I am only 34 seconds behind the last guy! :-O Ah it is just too fun. SLG (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)

Ahhhhhhh PO !! :-) Steve Garrotto <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Remember you are not having fun unless you are covered with sweat and > all jittery during and after the race. > > Ohhhh . . . too close . . . oh that dude just hit the rail . . . here > he comes . . . doh! Just missed him . . . what's that noise? . . BRM > 8-o-clock! . . more power!!! Ok mind make Masta work for me . . . turn > in and now back . . . no wait . . . now? . . NO! Crap! *#^%$%^* . . . > sry! Shift+R . . . remember cold tires . . . Yeah I am only 34 seconds > behind the last guy! :-O > > Ah it is just too fun. > > SLG > > > (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) > >

JP, Have to say that I think you were probably a little unfortunately with your first online experience as that was totally the opposite of how I found things when I first went online. Maybe it was the track you chose for your first attempts, personally I stuck mainly with Monza for the first couple of days until I felt comfortable that I was doing all the right things in the races (far easier at Monza than Spa...). I got lots of very helpful advice from other drivers, especially by hanging around after the race and chatting before the server rolled over. There will always be those people who give you a hard time if they feel you have messed up their race but I have been fortunate to avoid them in the races I have been involved in. Certainly don't let them put you off... as long as you are not deliberately causing problems and adhere to the etiquete of online racing you should be fine. I held off of going online for a long, long time as I believed I was simply too slow and would spoil things for the other competitors. I certainly wish I had took the plunge much sooner as the races I have had at VROC have been the best of my gpl lifetime to date. No matter what speed you are there are invariably people of similar abilities that you can race against whilst the fast boys speed off into the distance. Give the simpler tracks a bash first before going for the harder ones as you will soon build your confidence up and be ready to take on the world...... I'll be keeping an eye out for you. Regards Peter Hooper (Hoops on VROC) J. P. Hovercraft <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, and my girlfriend > always says I'm too thin-skinned, so it may very well be, but...I guess > I want to know if what I encountered is typical, or unwarranted, or if > I'm in the wrong here and should not bother racing on-line until I can > drive in traffic a -whole- lot better. > > I ventured on-line with WinVROC for the first time last night. I joined > a Intermediate at Spa as I feel fairly confident there. I'd been > practicing with a full field with reduced AI for the last two days. This > puts me in the middle of the pack, just to get a feel for starts. Hairy > business, but I've started to get a feel for it and can usually make it > through, provided Surtees isn't behind me. 8^) > > The actual start went well and I managed to keep out of trouble until > the Masta straight. The train was running on the left and I felt I could > pass to the right. I pull out to the right and I'm going flat out, > faster than the field, and someone pulled out of the line directly in > front of me. No time to even get on the brakes before we collided. The > "gentleman" I collided with felt it necessary to insult me, and I > disconnected. > > So I tried again on another server, Spa again. I announced to the others > that I was a newbie. I didn't even try a qualifying run, figuring I'd > end up at the back of the grid, safely out of harm's way. At this point, > they were actually quite helpful, getting me to move ahead a few feet so > that the race could start. "This bodes well," I thought. We start. Oddly > enough, I'm 1st row, outside. Again, I make it through the start. By > the time we're into Stavelot, I've passed several spins and crashes, and > seen at least one apology typed. This time I blew it, going much too > fast into La Source, excitement and nervousness getting the better of > me. I took out another car in the process and typed a "Sorry." I was > informed by my victim that if I "can't keep up speed in the corners, I > shouldn't race." ...so I disconnected. > > So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the > AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive > here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a > newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of > racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? > > Wannabe racer, > > J. P. Hovercraft >

Quick online question . . . I have read that there is no excuse for hitting another driver in the rear. What are you to do if you are zooming to a turn and at the last minute someone pops infront of you and brakes earlier than you were intending? This happened to me at Silverstone, at the turn, you know with the strait . . . Woodcote. Also Mr. Surtees likes to pull this crap on me. SLG "Peter Hooper" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>JP, >Have to say that I think you were probably a little unfortunately with your >first online experience as that was totally the opposite of how I found >things when I first went online. Maybe it was the track you chose for your >first attempts, personally I stuck mainly with Monza for the first couple >of days until I felt comfortable that I was doing all the right things in >the races (far easier at Monza than Spa...). I got lots of very helpful >advice from other drivers, especially by hanging around after the race and >chatting before the server rolled over. > >There will always be those people who give you a hard time if they feel you >have messed up their race but I have been fortunate to avoid them in the >races I have been involved in. Certainly don't let them put you off... as >long as you are not deliberately causing problems and adhere to the >etiquete of online racing you should be fine. I held off of going online >for a long, long time as I believed I was simply too slow and would spoil >things for the other competitors. I certainly wish I had took the plunge >much sooner as the races I have had at VROC have been the best of my gpl >lifetime to date. No matter what speed you are there are invariably people >of similar abilities that you can race against whilst the fast boys speed >off into the distance. > >Give the simpler tracks a bash first before going for the harder ones as >you will soon build your confidence up and be ready to take on the >world...... I'll be keeping an eye out for you. > >Regards > >Peter Hooper (Hoops on VROC) > >J. P. Hovercraft <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, and my girlfriend >> always says I'm too thin-skinned, so it may very well be, but...I guess >> I want to know if what I encountered is typical, or unwarranted, or if >> I'm in the wrong here and should not bother racing on-line until I can >> drive in traffic a -whole- lot better. >> >> I ventured on-line with WinVROC for the first time last night. I joined >> a Intermediate at Spa as I feel fairly confident there. I'd been >> practicing with a full field with reduced AI for the last two days. This >> puts me in the middle of the pack, just to get a feel for starts. Hairy >> business, but I've started to get a feel for it and can usually make it >> through, provided Surtees isn't behind me. 8^) >> >> The actual start went well and I managed to keep out of trouble until >> the Masta straight. The train was running on the left and I felt I could >> pass to the right. I pull out to the right and I'm going flat out, >> faster than the field, and someone pulled out of the line directly in >> front of me. No time to even get on the brakes before we collided. The >> "gentleman" I collided with felt it necessary to insult me, and I >> disconnected. >> >> So I tried again on another server, Spa again. I announced to the others >> that I was a newbie. I didn't even try a qualifying run, figuring I'd >> end up at the back of the grid, safely out of harm's way. At this point, >> they were actually quite helpful, getting me to move ahead a few feet so >> that the race could start. "This bodes well," I thought. We start. Oddly >> enough, I'm 1st row, outside. Again, I make it through the start. By >> the time we're into Stavelot, I've passed several spins and crashes, and >> seen at least one apology typed. This time I blew it, going much too >> fast into La Source, excitement and nervousness getting the better of >> me. I took out another car in the process and typed a "Sorry." I was >> informed by my victim that if I "can't keep up speed in the corners, I >> shouldn't race." ...so I disconnected. >> >> So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the >> AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive >> here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a >> newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of >> racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? >> >> Wannabe racer, >> >> J. P. Hovercraft >> > >

(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)

well in that case u should sacrifice yerself to the fence or barrier, and avoid the other car at all cost. If u can't do that... be sure to apologize and accept the flames that may come your way +) Martyn_D Steve Garrotto wrote:

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> Quick online question . . . I have read that there is no excuse for > hitting another driver in the rear. What are you to do if you are > zooming to a turn and at the last minute someone pops infront of you > and brakes earlier than you were intending? This happened to me at > Silverstone, at the turn, you know with the strait . . . Woodcote. > Also Mr. Surtees likes to pull this crap on me. > > SLG > > "Peter Hooper" <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >JP, > >Have to say that I think you were probably a little unfortunately with your > >first online experience as that was totally the opposite of how I found > >things when I first went online. Maybe it was the track you chose for your > >first attempts, personally I stuck mainly with Monza for the first couple > >of days until I felt comfortable that I was doing all the right things in > >the races (far easier at Monza than Spa...). I got lots of very helpful > >advice from other drivers, especially by hanging around after the race and > >chatting before the server rolled over. > > > >There will always be those people who give you a hard time if they feel you > >have messed up their race but I have been fortunate to avoid them in the > >races I have been involved in. Certainly don't let them put you off... as > >long as you are not deliberately causing problems and adhere to the > >etiquete of online racing you should be fine. I held off of going online > >for a long, long time as I believed I was simply too slow and would spoil > >things for the other competitors. I certainly wish I had took the plunge > >much sooner as the races I have had at VROC have been the best of my gpl > >lifetime to date. No matter what speed you are there are invariably people > >of similar abilities that you can race against whilst the fast boys speed > >off into the distance. > > > >Give the simpler tracks a bash first before going for the harder ones as > >you will soon build your confidence up and be ready to take on the > >world...... I'll be keeping an eye out for you. > > > >Regards > > > >Peter Hooper (Hoops on VROC) > > > >J. P. Hovercraft <[email hidden]> wrote in message > >news:[email hidden]... > >> OK, this could easily be interpreted as whinging, and my girlfriend > >> always says I'm too thin-skinned, so it may very well be, but...I guess > >> I want to know if what I encountered is typical, or unwarranted, or if > >> I'm in the wrong here and should not bother racing on-line until I can > >> drive in traffic a -whole- lot better. > >> > >> I ventured on-line with WinVROC for the first time last night. I joined > >> a Intermediate at Spa as I feel fairly confident there. I'd been > >> practicing with a full field with reduced AI for the last two days. This > >> puts me in the middle of the pack, just to get a feel for starts. Hairy > >> business, but I've started to get a feel for it and can usually make it > >> through, provided Surtees isn't behind me. 8^) > >> > >> The actual start went well and I managed to keep out of trouble until > >> the Masta straight. The train was running on the left and I felt I could > >> pass to the right. I pull out to the right and I'm going flat out, > >> faster than the field, and someone pulled out of the line directly in > >> front of me. No time to even get on the brakes before we collided. The > >> "gentleman" I collided with felt it necessary to insult me, and I > >> disconnected. > >> > >> So I tried again on another server, Spa again. I announced to the others > >> that I was a newbie. I didn't even try a qualifying run, figuring I'd > >> end up at the back of the grid, safely out of harm's way. At this point, > >> they were actually quite helpful, getting me to move ahead a few feet so > >> that the race could start. "This bodes well," I thought. We start. Oddly > >> enough, I'm 1st row, outside. Again, I make it through the start. By > >> the time we're into Stavelot, I've passed several spins and crashes, and > >> seen at least one apology typed. This time I blew it, going much too > >> fast into La Source, excitement and nervousness getting the better of > >> me. I took out another car in the process and typed a "Sorry." I was > >> informed by my victim that if I "can't keep up speed in the corners, I > >> shouldn't race." ...so I disconnected. > >> > >> So, should I just ignore it while I improve, or should I go back to the > >> AI and GPLRank until I'm supremely competent? Am I being over-sensitive > >> here, or am I truly ruining things for others? Is there a > >> newbie-friendly arena where a beginner can get relaxed to the idea of > >> racing other human beings and not feel like he's spoiling the party? > >> > >> Wannabe racer, > >> > >> J. P. Hovercraft > >> > > > > > > (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)

LOL ;-).. sacrifices must be made. Jan. =--- EldredP wrote... > <snip> > You realize, of course, she *has* to go...<g> > > Eldred

In article <[email hidden]>, "J. P. Hovercraft" <[email hidden]> writes:

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>Yep...that's me! I was about 5 laps into an AI race and my significant >other (who thinks I look funny when I'm trying to hold it togeather at >speed) comes around the corner of the door and goes "Boo!" Jeez! I must >have jumped a foot and the keyboard went flying....needless to say we >"discussed" it and she -said- she won't do it again... > >J. P. Hovercraft >

You realize, of course, she *has* to go...<g> Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPL hcp. +52.52 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

Yep...that's me! I was about 5 laps into an AI race and my significant other (who thinks I look funny when I'm trying to hold it togeather at speed) comes around the corner of the door and goes "Boo!" Jeez! I must have jumped a foot and the keyboard went flying....needless to say we "discussed" it and she -said- she won't do it again... J. P. Hovercraft Steve Garrotto wrote:

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> Remember you are not having fun unless you are covered with sweat and > all jittery during and after the race. > > Ohhhh . . . too close . . . oh that dude just hit the rail . . . here > he comes . . . doh! Just missed him . . . what's that noise? . . BRM > 8-o-clock! . . more power!!! Ok mind make Masta work for me . . . turn > in and now back . . . no wait . . . now? . . NO! Crap! *#^%$%^* . . . > sry! Shift+R . . . remember cold tires . . . Yeah I am only 34 seconds > behind the last guy! :-O > > Ah it is just too fun. > > SLG > > (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)

Yes, I read this. I should probably print and -study- it...8^) J. P. Hovercraft Jeff Vincent wrote:

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> On Tue, 01 Aug 2000 03:00:06 GMT, "J. P. Hovercraft" > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >Thank you, one and all, for support and sage advice. One expects trash talk > >and insults playing Quake. I really didn't expect to run into it on VROC. > >Naieve, perhaps... > > J.P., > > Yeah get some, but much less than other racing games, IMO. > > Here's another site for anyone who is starting out in online GPL > racing (strongly suggested reading for our GPLWS league). Pay > attention to it and you'll be a good, clean driver. > > Recommended Driver Behaviour > a resource of the > Grand Prix Legends Australian Championship > by Phillip McNelley > > http://www.powerup.com.au/~philmak/gplac/rec_driver_beh.htm > > "But in a way, fear is a big part of racing, because if there was > nothing to be frightened of, and no limit, any fool could get into > a motor car and racing would not exist as a sport." -- Jim Clark

writes: You realize, of course, she *has* to go...<g> Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPL hcp. +52.52 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

LOL ;-).. sacrifices must be made. Jan. =---

> No, you're quite entitled to race online but you must treat these people > very differently to AI until you are very very fast. Thats how I raceafter > a bad experience in my first race. Luckily the guy I hit was a fried so he > didn't get too annoyed with me. > > When you race against the AI you can dive down the inside and duck in and > out and try that move down the inside of everyone into T1. As an online > newbie, ever ever do this. You'll always land yourself in trouble. Youhave > to control it a little more like a "real" race. Be more conscious andthese

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> guys are less predictable than the AI. > > When you race the Ai you can sometimes have a tendancy to try and pass at > any corner if you are near enough to the car ahead. > I cannot stress this enough that you shouldn't try that online. Only pass > where there is a clear opportunity, I usually wait to get a tow down the > straight and then pass. Only corners to pass on are the ones that are the > actual real life overtaking spot, nowhere else. > > Even if the guy ahead takes the corner a little slow, ease off the power, > you won't make it through. > > It sounds a bit defeatist to back out of things but your not really your > just picking the right and safest moment like in real life. When you are > faster and so on you may be able get stuck in a little more but not much. > > when you race the Ai its easy to drive down the inside into a turn and

pass > 10 cars. You just can't risk this online as all the other cars arethinking > the same thing but waiting to strike at the right moment, if you getoverly

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> excited your in trouble. > > Of course the golden rule if you do take someone out is to say your sorry > and NEVER try to tell a lie about what happened as they other player will > keep a replay. > > Just be more cautious and never drive completely flat out with a car just > infront of you. Its not hard to do but its important you do it. >

Halleluja!!! Read this carefully! A lot of T1 crashes would have been avoided if everybody acted the way GraDee described in his posting. The guys in front of you has had a better qual than you. In most cases that is because they are a better driver than you. If you, by a struck of luck, manage to pass these guys before T1, they'll probably pass you later on, anyhow. Don't risk a crash by passing before T1. Side by side into T1 is a certain way to disaster. Keep your position, fall into the line. After a couple of laps, you may attempt overtaking, after studying the line and skill of the driver in front of you. Then enjoy a good race. Happy GPL-ing. Jon Andersen

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> Quick online question . . . I have read that there is no excuse for > hitting another driver in the rear. What are you to do if you are > zooming to a turn and at the last minute someone pops infront of you > and brakes earlier than you were intending? This happened to me at > Silverstone, at the turn, you know with the strait . . . Woodcote. > Also Mr. Surtees likes to pull this crap on me. > > SLG

Learn from the experience. When following another car closely, brake earlier that you normally would have. Learn the other guys braking points. Until then: brake earlier. If you realize that a collision is about to happen, you really should try to get off the track instead of crashing into your opponent. That way only one man's race is ruined, not two. Jon Andersen

In article <XLGi5.1457$[email hidden]>, "Jon Andersen" <[email hidden]> writes:

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>Halleluja!!! > >Read this carefully! A lot of T1 crashes would have been avoided if >everybody acted the way GraDee described in his posting. > >The guys in front of you has had a better qual than you. In most cases that >is because they are a better driver than you. If you, by a struck of luck, >manage to pass these guys before T1, they'll probably pass you later on, >anyhow. Don't risk a crash by passing before T1. Side by side into T1 is a >certain way to disaster. Keep your position, fall into the line. After a >couple of laps, you may attempt overtaking, after studying the line and >skill of the driver in front of you. Then enjoy a good race.

That's assuming that you're Tail-End Charlie. Otherwise, you've got someone else trying to get into YOUR tail pipe. It's a no-win situation... Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPL hcp. +52.52 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.