Re: Ok. I'm gonna start racing.

"John Kozak" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8ilh17$ohp$[email hidden]... > As far as games are concerned, I guess I should explain where I'm coming > from. I'm almost afraid to admit this here but I'm not a "real-life" > race fan at all. I just want to try something new and have fun doing it. > After a couple of weeks lurking here, I can safely say that games like GPL > and F12000 are probably not for me - at least not at this stage. I'vetried > the Porsche Unleashed demo and really dug that one. Also Midtown Madnessbut > to a lesser extent. Are there any other games along these lines that Ishould > check out? > > Thanks, > > John I have a couple of further suggestions for you. Colin McRae Rally is a great deal of fun. It would probably be considered more of an arcade title than a sim, but sometimes you just want to get in something and drive and not have to spend hours working on setups. There is still a demo available on Avault I believe. Personally, I prefer NASCAR Legends over N3. They are similar products, although NL is based on early 70's NASCAR and has subtle physics differences to achieve the feel of a bigger, heavier car with bias tires. It also has Riverside International Raceway, a first in the sim world, AFAIK. -- don New GPL Programs for the Converted Tracks: http://www.ianparker1.clara.co.uk/clara.net/i/a/n/ianparker1/webspace/gpl/

> > John, trust me, after you go through a few other driving > >games you will want to try gpl, so if you see it for sale, pick it > >up. It will be cheap, and it's getting a bit scarce. The online > >racing against real people that has developed around gpl is THE most > >fun thing happening in sim racing today. Trust ME. Unless you want to spend several hours a day for months on end trying to accomplish nothing more than not to crash constantly, you would be wasting your time with GPL. The cars and drivers are from 33 years ago, so if you aren't a race fan you won't know any of their names, even less so than today's drivers. You will never see the cars in GPL racing competitively on live TV, so there's nothing to relate to. GPL is the Cadillac of racing sims without a doubt, but even considering it unless you are a very dedicated and serious sim racer is ridiculous. My best friend is a big race fan, F1 is his favorite. He has a Porsche 911 for Sundays and a 98 BMW M3 as his daily driver. He is a damn good driver, as well. He has a P3/600 and a LWFF wheel and cant turn a whole lap in GPL because he doesn't have enough time to give it to get any reward. The sim is less about driving fun than it is about learning to control an extremely sensitive sim. He loves NFS/PU because the driving model is decent and the cars are controllable with very modest investments of time and effort. It is a great looking sim and models things you might actually see in real life without going out of your way to do so. It is also staged on roads, not race tracks, so it additionally plays to your disinterest in actual racing. I say get NFS/PU. SCGT is a great fun starter sim for racing games, should you be interested. It is also available for 10-15$ everywhere right now. Midtown Madness is a hoot, though it isnt realistic from a physics standpoint and since there is a Midtown Madness 2 coming out, it may have a price drop soon. It also revolves around a 'real world' setting, so no racetracks there. If you don't like NASCAR racing, don't bother with NASCAR racing sims. They are easier to drive than many other genres, but if the racing bores you the driving will, too. ~daxe -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

Not only that, if you buy a LWFF (you really should, it's great) you get SCGT for free =) Kevin Gavitt <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:0et35.16608$[email hidden]... > > Ok, I know I'm going to hear from a few people over this because I'vespent > many an hour deriding SCGT, but I'll bet it's perfect for you. And Only$15. > >

Scurlock) thus spoke:

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>>Hey guys, >>I've made up my mind and am gonna give PC race games a real shot for >>the first time in my life. Until now, my PC racing experience has >>consisted of downloaded demos controlled with a joystick and/or >>keyboard. >>I need to decide on some hardware and some games. > John, trust me, after you go through a few other driving >games you will want to try gpl, so if you see it for sale, pick it >up. It will be cheap, and it's getting a bit scarce. The online >racing against real people that has developed around gpl is THE most >fun thing happening in sim racing today.

If he should want it, you can get it here for cheap. www.dragon.ca $23.00 Canadian, not sure of U.S. price, but it tells you there. -- Nos

Hey guys, I've made up my mind and am gonna give PC race games a real shot for the first time in my life. Until now, my PC racing experience has consisted of downloaded demos controlled with a joystick and/or keyboard. I need to decide on some hardware and some games. As far as hardware is concerned, my first choice is the MS Sidewinder FF USB wheel. I checked out the (red) Logitech Wingman FF wheel but the pedals were a huge turn-off. Before I actually buy a wheel, I wanted to find out if either of these companies (Microsoft or Logitech) are going to be releasing new wheels in the near future and would they be worth waiting for? As far as games are concerned, I guess I should explain where I'm coming from. I'm almost afraid to admit this here but I'm not a "real-life" race fan at all. I just want to try something new and have fun doing it. After a couple of weeks lurking here, I can safely say that games like GPL and F12000 are probably not for me - at least not at this stage. I've tried the Porsche Unleashed demo and really dug that one. Also Midtown Madness but to a lesser extent. Are there any other games along these lines that I should check out? Thanks, John P.S. My relevant system specs: P3-750 128MB RAM Voodoo3-2000

"John Kozak" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8ilh17$ohp$[email hidden]... > Hey guys, > > I've made up my mind and am gonna give PC race games a real shot for the > first time in my life. Until now, my PC racing experience has consisted > of downloaded demos controlled with a joystick and/or keyboard. Nothing wrong with that. > I need to decide on some hardware and some games. As far as hardware is > concerned, my first choice is the MS Sidewinder FF USB wheel. I checked That wheel has a fairly high CPU hit for FF effects (like 1.5million per), while the Logitech FF wheel (which I own) uses only 50k per event. > out the (red) Logitech Wingman FF wheel but the pedals were a hugeturn-off. They initially turned me off. I waited many months looking for alternatives. In the end I bought one and it has been awesome. The bad rap the pedals get by some is bogus IMHO. You have to actually try them :-) > Before I actually buy a wheel, I wanted to find out if either of these > companies (Microsoft or Logitech) are going to be releasing new wheels in > the near future and would they be worth waiting for? You might want to check the ACTLabs FF wheel. that one gets as much praise as the logitech FF wheel. Also the new Guillemot wheel (not a TM wheel I believe) might be worth checking out. I have no idea how much CPU it uses per event, but it gets osme praise here too. For me the #1 consideration was USB so as not to interfere with my Digital F-22/TQS/RCS gameport stuff. > As far as games are concerned, I guess I should explain where I'm coming > from. I'm almost afraid to admit this here but I'm not a "real-life" > race fan at all. I just want to try something new and have fun doing it. > After a couple of weeks lurking here, I can safely say that games like GPL > and F12000 are probably not for me - at least not at this stage. I'vetried > the Porsche Unleashed demo and really dug that one. Also Midtown Madnessbut > to a lesser extent. Are there any other games along these lines that Ishould > check out? If you want something somewhat realistic and still very easy to drive, I would suggest Nascar3. It is *VERY* easy to drive those cars compared to the openwheel stuff. Plus it has superb online play. Nascar3 is really great. I am more of an openwheel person than a stockcar person but I still enjoy Nascar3 very much. -- [email hidden]

> > As far as games are concerned, I guess I should explain where I'm coming > from. I'm almost afraid to admit this here but I'm not a "real-life" > race fan at all. I just want to try something new and have fun doing it. > After a couple of weeks lurking here, I can safely say that games like GPL > and F12000 are probably not for me - at least not at this stage. I'vetried > the Porsche Unleashed demo and really dug that one. Also Midtown Madnessbut > to a lesser extent. Are there any other games along these lines that Ishould > check out? > > Thanks, > > John > Ok, I know I'm going to hear from a few people over this because I've spent many an hour deriding SCGT, but I'll bet it's perfect for you. And Only $15.

On Mon, 19 Jun 2000 18:01:32 GMT, "Kevin Gavitt" <[email hidden]> thus spoke: >Ok, I know I'm going to hear from a few people over this because I've spent >many an hour deriding SCGT, but I'll bet it's perfect for you. And Only $15. > > Yep, I'll second SCGT and also Greg's suggestion of Nascar3. But, I think F1 2000 is worth considering too because it can be made quite easy with all the driver aids available and then you can move up to pure simulation mode later. GPL is probably too frustrating for a newbie though. -- Nos

John Kozak wrote:

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> As far as games are concerned, I guess I should explain where I'm coming > from. I'm almost afraid to admit this here but I'm not a "real-life" > race fan at all. I just want to try something new and have fun doing it. > After a couple of weeks lurking here, I can safely say that games like GPL > and F12000 are probably not for me - at least not at this stage. I've tried > the Porsche Unleashed demo and really dug that one. Also Midtown Madness but > to a lesser extent. Are there any other games along these lines that I should > check out?

For you, I would suggest SCGT. And it's in the bargan bins now too, so you can save some cash at the same time. Enjoy! -- Chuck Kandler GPL F1 Handicap of +210.00 as of 6/15 GPL F3 Handicap of +443.38 as of 6/19 K&S Racing http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/thepits/195

[email hidden] (John Kozak) wrote in <8ilh17$ohp$[email hidden]>:

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>Hey guys, > >I've made up my mind and am gonna give PC race games a real shot for >the first time in my life. Until now, my PC racing experience has >consisted of downloaded demos controlled with a joystick and/or >keyboard. > >I need to decide on some hardware and some games.

I'm working up to going FF and I'm leaning towards the Act Labs. I would highly recommend Viper Racing for a fun game that also supports FF. John, trust me, after you go through a few other driving games you will want to try gpl, so if you see it for sale, pick it up. It will be cheap, and it's getting a bit scarce. The online racing against real people that has developed around gpl is THE most fun thing happening in sim racing today. -- Don Scurlock Vancouver,B.C. GPLRank -1.90 Come see how you rate, at the GPLRank site http://newgplrank.schuerkamp.de/

On Mon, 19 Jun 2000 19:02:00 GMT, [email hidden] (Nos) wrote:

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>On Mon, 19 Jun 2000 18:01:32 GMT, "Kevin Gavitt" ><[email hidden]> thus spoke: > > >>Ok, I know I'm going to hear from a few people over this because I've spent >>many an hour deriding SCGT, but I'll bet it's perfect for you. And Only $15. >> >> > >Yep, I'll second SCGT and also Greg's suggestion of Nascar3. But, I >think F1 2000 is worth considering too because it can be made quite >easy with all the driver aids available and then you can move up to >pure simulation mode later. GPL is probably too frustrating for a >newbie though.

I'll third the SCGT and N3. I also believe F12K is pretty good for a newbie, my 11 yr old son just started it and he is doing very well (without helps, mind you!). I also want to cast a vote for TOCA2, which I run when I just want to let it hang out and lean on someone's doors. I get a big kick out of Powerslide, and also Dirt Track Racing. It goes without saying that all the NFS titles are good for the casual racer. One more thing. I read on here that someone said you should really start driving sims with all helps off. Although I didn't believe it at the time, I now think he has a great point. If you run these games with all helps on, then suddenly get an urge to get serious, it is hard to unlearn those bad habits. Of course, if the game is too hard, then that drains the fun as well.

"nixx" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:394e9470.2044295@news-server... > I'll third the SCGT and N3. I also believe F12K is pretty good for a > newbie, my 11 yr old son just started it and he is doing very well > (without helps, mind you!). I also want to cast a vote for TOCA2, All of the whiners that couldn't deal with the traffic should be embarrased at this point :-) -- [email hidden]

On Mon, 19 Jun 2000 21:13:36 GMT, [email hidden] (Don Scurlock) thus spoke:

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>[email hidden] (John Kozak) wrote in ><8ilh17$ohp$[email hidden]>: > >>Hey guys, >> >>I've made up my mind and am gonna give PC race games a real shot for >>the first time in my life. Until now, my PC racing experience has >>consisted of downloaded demos controlled with a joystick and/or >>keyboard. >> >>I need to decide on some hardware and some games. > > John, trust me, after you go through a few other driving >games you will want to try gpl, so if you see it for sale, pick it >up. It will be cheap, and it's getting a bit scarce. The online >racing against real people that has developed around gpl is THE most >fun thing happening in sim racing today. >

If he should want it, you can get it here for cheap. www.dragon.ca $23.00 Canadian, not sure of U.S. price, but it tells you there. -- Nos

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

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>Steven Crook-Dawkins <[email hidden]> wrote > >> Finally, though its not a car simulator as such, there is a >> game called "ReVolt" which simulates radio controlled cars >> and its a serious amount of fun. Might be difficult to find, but >> it is a wonderfully alternative view on PC racing - and its >> done extremely well - not half as cheesy as it sounds. > >I'll second this one, as well. I got mine rececntly for about 15$ and it is >very enjoyable. You can even get an in-car view, though it is likely to >give you headache in about 5 minutes. It also comes with a track editor and >there are tons of great 3rd party tracks available. > >~daxe

ReVolt is a decent program? I've seen it for under $20 at Best Buy... Maybe I'll check it out. Now watch, now that I *want* it, I won't be able to FIND it...<g> Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPL hcp. 1:35.98 minutes-GPLRank:378 as of 6/18/00 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] writes: >Dirt Track Racing. Don't let the "hickness" of this fool you. I don't >follow dirt track racing in read life, but this game is just plain >FUN. Best of all it is only $20, and well worth it. > $14.99 at Best Buy(southfield MI) last Saturday. Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPL hcp. 1:35.98 minutes-GPLRank:378 as of 6/18/00 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

Kevin Gavitt <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:HQL35.19702$[email hidden]... > > I'll second this one, as well. I got mine rececntly for about 15$ andit

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> is > > very enjoyable. You can even get an in-car view, though it is likely to > > give you headache in about 5 minutes. It also comes with a track editor > and > > there are tons of great 3rd party tracks available. > > > > ~daxe > > Well yeah, but R/C racing is the one form of motorsport where the incar

view > is UNrealistic! This is not to say that I have not had a street-level view of a few curbs in my day (snicker) ~daxe -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

On 19 Jun 2000 16:16:39 GMT, John Kozak <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>As far as games are concerned, I guess I should explain where I'm coming >from. I'm almost afraid to admit this here but I'm not a "real-life" >race fan at all. I just want to try something new and have fun doing it. >After a couple of weeks lurking here, I can safely say that games like GPL >and F12000 are probably not for me - at least not at this stage. I've tried >the Porsche Unleashed demo and really dug that one. Also Midtown Madness but >to a lesser extent. Are there any other games along these lines that I should >check out?

I'm in about the same boat you are. I'm not one for the ultra-realistic games as I don't have to patience or nerves of steel to be successful in them. Here's some of the games I've been playing recently: (note, I don't play anything online (yet)) Sports Car GT (aka SCGT). You may have noticed most people recommend this. Great road racing game with a good career mode (winning races gives you money which you buy better cars with). Dirt Track Racing. Don't let the "hickness" of this fool you. I don't follow dirt track racing in read life, but this game is just plain FUN. Best of all it is only $20, and well worth it. Test Drive LeMans. I originally hated this, but it grew on me very fast once I got worked out my problems with it (bad control and no in-car view). Much more of an arcade game rather than simulation. Official Formula 1 Racing. My personal F1 fix. I got it with my steering wheel and have grown accustomed to it as it fits my Arcade:Simulation ratio. Of course, around here I get the feeling that I'm the only person who liked this game :)

Steven Crook-Dawkins <[email hidden]> wrote > Finally, though its not a car simulator as such, there is a > game called "ReVolt" which simulates radio controlled cars > and its a serious amount of fun. Might be difficult to find, but > it is a wonderfully alternative view on PC racing - and its > done extremely well - not half as cheesy as it sounds. I'll second this one, as well. I got mine rececntly for about 15$ and it is very enjoyable. You can even get an in-car view, though it is likely to give you headache in about 5 minutes. It also comes with a track editor and there are tons of great 3rd party tracks available. ~daxe -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

Don Scurlock <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8F589D2C2dscurlock@news...

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> [email hidden] (John Kozak) wrote in > <8ilh17$ohp$[email hidden]>: > > >Hey guys, > > > >I've made up my mind and am gonna give PC race games a real shot for > >the first time in my life. Until now, my PC racing experience has > >consisted of downloaded demos controlled with a joystick and/or > >keyboard. > > > >I need to decide on some hardware and some games. > > I'm working up to going FF and I'm leaning towards the Act Labs. > I would highly recommend Viper Racing for a fun game that also > supports FF.

Written by members of the flat-earth society. One of the secret pleasures of Viper is driving off the edge of the world. That ethereal floating feeling, endlessly dropping, watching the world recede above you. Sort of like missing those *$%!ing long-jumps on Zen in Half-Life for the hundredth time, except in Viper it's fun. Stephen

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

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> On Mon, 19 Jun 2000 21:13:36 GMT, [email hidden] (Don > Scurlock) thus spoke: > > >[email hidden] (John Kozak) wrote in > ><8ilh17$ohp$[email hidden]>: > > > >>Hey guys, > >> > >>I've made up my mind and am gonna give PC race games a real shot for > >>the first time in my life. Until now, my PC racing experience has > >>consisted of downloaded demos controlled with a joystick and/or > >>keyboard. > >> > >>I need to decide on some hardware and some games. > > > > John, trust me, after you go through a few other driving > >games you will want to try gpl, so if you see it for sale, pick it > >up. It will be cheap, and it's getting a bit scarce. The online > >racing against real people that has developed around gpl is THE most > >fun thing happening in sim racing today. > >

And I say forget GPL. I love GPL, but part of it is the personal attraction to the cars of the 1967 era, partly the fascination with a good physics model, as I am an engineer, and partly the dedication required to master (and I mean master) these machines. It doesn't sound like he wants to invest that kind of time, and I find now I don't have the time to keep up my skills. I recommend Need for Speed: Porsche. It has a decent car "feel" and the online racing may surprise people and be just as fun, and just as furious as in GPL. Stephen

SCGT is a great choice--and supports the ACT Labs shifter (as does N3). Another one to try may be Dirt Track Racing. It has easier cars (stock), mid-level pro-stock, and the harder to drive Late Models. And the Figure-8 races in it always manage to bring a chuckle or two (even when I am the one getting t-boned). The NASCAR(N3, 1999) games are great in that they have been modified about every which way possible to simulate other forms of racing (touring cars and the like). At http://www.theuspits.com, you can find all of that stuff. A lot of other racing games modifications are there as well. You can find a link to many, many reviews of many, many racing games at http://www.bhmotorsports.com and form your own opinion of all the titles. Good luck, Dave legendno6

John I came to this in the same way you are. I didn't invest in a wheel till I'd tried out a few titles - so I've concentrated on the titles below. With steering wheels, I can only report that my Logitech is great but owners of the Microsoft sidewinder appear to feel the same about their wheels. There is an "ACT-LAbs" (visit "www.act-labs.com") wheel which is supposed to be a class above. I've found the racing section of Gamesdomain to be really good - http://www.gamesdomain.co.uk/gdreview/index.html The Games- I have a system with less horsepower than yours (P2-350 ) and the same video card. I've found that the Porsche Unleashed (NFS-PU) game is definately worth the money and works great on my system. Sports Car GT (SCGT) is also worth the cash and provides a racing series angle that NFS-PU lacks. SCGT is on a budget label now ("EA Classics") so should be in the "pocket money" zone. Other excellent budget titles include Colin McRae Rally (or "CMR") (nb. CMR 2 out soon) and Grand Prix Legends - GPL . For what its worth, I'd say don't discount GPL, I've not had it long and I'm rubbish at it, but its the quality of the work that is so impressive. For �10 ($15?) on the "Sierra Originals" label its probably one of the most immersive racing titles. One of the problems with some of the more mainstream work (especially the earlier NFS titles, in my opinion) is that racing games can get very boring very quickly- i.e. once you've done all the tracks and all the cars what more is there? Well NFS-PU and SCGT combat this by introducing career modes that get you involved in improving your driving and moving upwards. GPL addresses it through realism of the driving itself. There are two other games I'd say are worth mentioning, Rally Championship 2000 (RC2000) is another high quality simulator, but Colin McRae rally is more accessible. Finally, though its not a car simulator as such, there is a game called "ReVolt" which simulates radio controlled cars and its a serious amount of fun. Might be difficult to find, but it is a wonderfully alternative view on PC racing - and its done extremely well - not half as cheesy as it sounds. GOod luck. John Kozak wrote:

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> Hey guys, > > I've made up my mind and am gonna give PC race games a real shot for the > first time in my life. Until now, my PC racing experience has consisted > of downloaded demos controlled with a joystick and/or keyboard. > > I need to decide on some hardware and some games. As far as hardware is > concerned, my first choice is the MS Sidewinder FF USB wheel. I checked > out the (red) Logitech Wingman FF wheel but the pedals were a huge turn-off. > Before I actually buy a wheel, I wanted to find out if either of these > companies (Microsoft or Logitech) are going to be releasing new wheels in > the near future and would they be worth waiting for? > > As far as games are concerned, I guess I should explain where I'm coming > from. I'm almost afraid to admit this here but I'm not a "real-life" > race fan at all. I just want to try something new and have fun doing it. > After a couple of weeks lurking here, I can safely say that games like GPL > and F12000 are probably not for me - at least not at this stage. I've tried > the Porsche Unleashed demo and really dug that one. Also Midtown Madness but > to a lesser extent. Are there any other games along these lines that I should > check out? > > Thanks, > > John > > P.S. My relevant system specs: > > P3-750 > 128MB RAM > Voodoo3-2000

-- Steven Crook-Dawkins - Research Assistant - University of York. Email Disclaimer ---------------------- The information in this email is confidential. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorised. The views expressed in this email are those of the author, and should not be attributed to the University of York, BAE SYSTEMS or any other party.

Not so sure about the CPU hit with the MSFF USB wheel, it may be better (or worse) than the standard. If you use a reasonably fast machine the FF makes very little difference to performance in most games I couldn't get used to the Logi pedals and I did try them ;) A few game suggestions, TOCA 2 and Rally Masters are easy to drive and fun. Viper Racing is quite easy when used in Arcade mode. With all the help options F1 2000 can be very easy to drive and as you improve you can turn some of them off. I'd like to be able to recommend GPL but it has very little options to make it easy for the beginner, though I would recomend you giving the demo a try out. -- Ian P <email address invalid due to spam Greg Cisko <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:P4t35.3696$[email hidden]... > "John Kozak" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:8ilh17$ohp$[email hidden]... > > Hey guys, > > I need to decide on some hardware and some games. As far as hardware is > > concerned, my first choice is the MS Sidewinder FF USB wheel. I checked > > That wheel has a fairly high CPU hit for FF effects (like 1.5million per), > while > the Logitech FF wheel (which I own) uses only 50k per event. > > > out the (red) Logitech Wingman FF wheel but the pedals were a huge > turn-off. > > They initially turned me off. I waited many months looking for alternatives. > In the end I bought one and it has been awesome. The bad rap the pedals > get by some is bogus IMHO. You have to actually try them :-) > > > Before I actually buy a wheel, I wanted to find out if either of these > > companies (Microsoft or Logitech) are going to be releasing new wheels in > > the near future and would they be worth waiting for? > > You might want to check the ACTLabs FF wheel. that one gets as > much praise as the logitech FF wheel. Also the new Guillemot wheel > (not a TM wheel I believe) might be worth checking out. I have no idea > how much CPU it uses per event, but it gets osme praise here too. > If you want something somewhat realistic and still very easy to drive, > I would suggest Nascar3. It is *VERY* easy to drive those cars compared > to the openwheel stuff. Plus it has superb online play. Nascar3 is really > great. I am more of an openwheel person than a stockcar person but > I still enjoy Nascar3 very much. > > > -- > > [email hidden] > > > > >

I'll second this one, as well. I got mine rececntly for about 15$ and it is very enjoyable. You can even get an in-car view, though it is likely to give you headache in about 5 minutes. It also comes with a track editor and there are tons of great 3rd party tracks available. ~daxe -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

Hi guys, Thanks for the quick and helpful responses! I'm definitely going to get NFS/PU based on your recommendations and reviews I have read. SCGT will probably be on my shopping list as well. While I appreciate everyone's input, I really appreciate the honesty of some posters by letting me know what to expect from the hardcore sims. I'm going to stay away from the "enthusiast" sims for the time being. Here's how I see it: I'm a big flight-sim fan but I can't see recommending a complex jet sim to an absolute newbie who is barely familiar with real-world military aviation and expect him to have a good time. That said, I do plan on downloading as many demos as I can find to see if these hardcore driving sims are something I could learn to enjoy. I'm still undecided about a wheel. I'm looking for feel, quality, and convenience (mounting system and cables). The Act-Labs gear sounds great but I'm hesitant about buying something without being able to check it out first-hand. Same with the Guillemot. I'm going to have to go down to CompUSA and check out the Logitech and Microsoft FF wheel/pedal setups again. I still don't like the Logitech pedals *at all*. I wonder if I can use my CH Pro Pedals instead? One thing that concerns me about the MS wheel is the reported high CPU utilization. Is this an "I-FORCE vs DirectX" issue? Or a "gameport vs USB" issue? I was looking around for more info after reading Greg's post but couldn't find anthing. Thanks again, John

> I'll second this one, as well. I got mine rececntly for about 15$ and itis > very enjoyable. You can even get an in-car view, though it is likely to > give you headache in about 5 minutes. It also comes with a track editorand > there are tons of great 3rd party tracks available. > > ~daxe Well yeah, but R/C racing is the one form of motorsport where the incar view is UNrealistic!

> One thing that concerns me about the MS wheel is the reported high CPU > utilization. Is this an "I-FORCE vs DirectX" issue? Or a "gameport vs USB" > issue? I was looking around for more info after reading Greg's post but > couldn't find anthing. (disclaimer - I don't really know about this stuff in detail) I get the impression that the gameport vs USB is the primary distinction. However, the Logitech connects either to a USB port or a serial port. I originally tried the serial port and it was so troublesome I upgraded from Win 95 to Win 98 to make use of the USB properly. After that initial drama my USB Logitech runs fine with no CPU utilisation problems on my P 2- 350. -- Steven Crook-Dawkins

EldredP wrote: > > ReVolt is a decent program? I've seen it for under $20 at Best Buy... Maybe > I'll check it out. > Now watch, now that I *want* it, I won't be able to FIND it...<g> > Yep. ReVolt is a real hoot for relaxation! They still have it in the Best Buy down here by me. (This is *good* guys, we've got him sidetracked now!)<g> -- Chuck Kandler GPL F1 Handicap of +210.00 as of 6/15 GPL F3 Handicap of +443.38 as of 6/19 K&S Racing http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/thepits/195

Yes, I forgot about ReVolt. It's a great game. Never could get the hang of it with a wheel, though, I always use the PSX pad I have run through that doohickey that plugs into the USB. Also another vote for Colin McRae. Great game, ok graphics. Another game that I didn't like with the wheel, but I did like with the PSX pad. I was going to mention Official F1 in my earlier post, but didn't want to come out of the closet. Now that someone has, I can agree that it's a good game but not really a sim. Johnny Herbert is another game in that style, and it looks pretty good. On Tue, 20 Jun 2000 21:37:01 GMT, Uncle Fester <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>EldredP wrote: > >> >> ReVolt is a decent program? I've seen it for under $20 at Best Buy... Maybe >> I'll check it out. >> Now watch, now that I *want* it, I won't be able to FIND it...<g> >> > > >Yep. ReVolt is a real hoot for relaxation! They still have it in the >Best Buy down here by me. (This is *good* guys, we've got him >sidetracked now!)<g>

I said he was doing pretty good, but he still runs into stuff. We do a lot of network racing with the AI vs. us. Of course, I was the one who T-boned Nick Heidfeld who was sitting (realistically) in the middle of the second chicane at Imola. The kid cut the chicane and got a 10 sec stop and go. On Mon, 19 Jun 2000 17:06:54 -0500, "Greg Cisko" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>"nixx" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:394e9470.2044295@news-server... >> I'll third the SCGT and N3. I also believe F12K is pretty good for a >> newbie, my 11 yr old son just started it and he is doing very well >> (without helps, mind you!). I also want to cast a vote for TOCA2, > >All of the whiners that couldn't deal with the traffic should be >embarrased at this point :-)

"nixx" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3951e9e2.1743470@news-server... > I said he was doing pretty good, but he still runs into stuff. We do It is inevetable to run into stuff. Some people around here make it sound like the AI is just so horrid. Ha. > a lot of network racing with the AI vs. us. Of course, I was the one > who T-boned Nick Heidfeld who was sitting (realistically) in the > middle of the second chicane at Imola. The kid cut the chicane and > got a 10 sec stop and go. But he is somehow dealing with it right? That was my point. Some of these losers around here just give up. Your kid will be a superstar after a while :-) -- [email hidden]

In article <[email hidden]>, Uncle Fester <[email hidden]> writes:

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>EldredP wrote: > >> >> ReVolt is a decent program? I've seen it for under $20 at Best Buy... >Maybe >> I'll check it out. >> Now watch, now that I *want* it, I won't be able to FIND it...<g> >> > > >Yep. ReVolt is a real hoot for relaxation! They still have it in the >Best Buy down here by me. (This is *good* guys, we've got him >sidetracked now!)<g> >

LOL! Dude, I have a whole SHELF full of shit that I bought, but haven't played yet. Just because I bought DTR Saturday, and may get ReVolt, doesn't mean I won't turn a few laps at the 'Ring... Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPL hcp. 1:35.98 minutes-GPLRank:378 as of 6/18/00 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

On Tue, 20 Jun 2000 17:40:24 -0500, "Greg Cisko" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> >"nixx" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:3951e9e2.1743470@news-server... >> I said he was doing pretty good, but he still runs into stuff. We do > >It is inevetable to run into stuff. Some people around here make >it sound like the AI is just so horrid. Ha. > >> a lot of network racing with the AI vs. us. Of course, I was the one >> who T-boned Nick Heidfeld who was sitting (realistically) in the >> middle of the second chicane at Imola. The kid cut the chicane and >> got a 10 sec stop and go. > >But he is somehow dealing with it right? That was my point. Some of >these losers around here just give up. Your kid will be a superstar >after a while :-)

Yeah, he's dealing with it. We race with 6 AI without any problems (except on our end). He wasn't even interested in racing until about 6 weeks ago, started immediately on MGPRS (albeit with traction control), and obliterated my lap time in Canada within a week. AND all of this using the horrid Interact V3 steering wheel he dug out of the closet. Of course, being a kid, he has now gone back to playing Starsiege Tribes, so we'll have to put that pending F3000 contract on hold for a while..... :-)

Get him a Kart, see how fast he takes to it. :)

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> Yeah, he's dealing with it. We race with 6 AI without any problems > (except on our end). He wasn't even interested in racing until about > 6 weeks ago, started immediately on MGPRS (albeit with traction > control), and obliterated my lap time in Canada within a week. AND > all of this using the horrid Interact V3 steering wheel he dug out of > the closet. Of course, being a kid, he has now gone back to playing > Starsiege Tribes, so we'll have to put that pending F3000 contract on > hold for a while..... :-)

Get him a Kart, see how fast he takes to it. :)

If you read the wheel thread on www.nfscheats.com forum, the logitech is the overwhelming favorite. I use a T2 myself, have set many world records with in NFS5. Only $35 too :) rms [email hidden]

Hmmm - I hope I didn't make a mistake when I ordered the MS FF Wheel a couple of days ago. I really liked the LWFF wheel but I couldn't get over the pedals. At this point, I don't think I'm gonna be too picky so any decent wheel will do me fine (I hope). I also picked up NFS/PU ($20 after rebate), Re-Volt ($20), and SCGT ($15). Wow! What steals. Thanks to all here who recommended these games. I'm having lock-up problems with SCGT right now. Gonna try some re-installing and twiddling to see if I can figure this out. Thanks again everyone, John Roger Squires <[email hidden]> wrote: : If you read the wheel thread on www.nfscheats.com forum, the logitech is the : overwhelming favorite. I use a T2 myself, have set many world records with : in NFS5. Only $35 too :) : rms : [email hidden]

"John Kozak" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8iuvco$b5g$[email hidden]... > Hmmm - I hope I didn't make a mistake when I ordered the MS FF Wheel acouple > of days ago. I really liked the LWFF wheel but I couldn't get over thepedals. > At this point, I don't think I'm gonna be too picky so any decent wheelwill > do me fine (I hope). The MSFF unit in and of itself is fine. I liked it quite a bit. However the reason I returned it in favour of the LWFF is that I hated the so-called shift paddles on the MS wheel. They are in reality buttons that are embedded to the wheel spokes (10 and 2 oclock). I found these buttons very difficult to use in actual race situations, and actually was hurting my wrists. The LWFF has huge shifting paddles and is not a problem at all. > I also picked up NFS/PU ($20 after rebate), Re-Volt ($20), and SCGT ($15). > Wow! What steals. Thanks to all here who recommended these games. I'm > having lock-up problems with SCGT right now. Gonna try some re-installing > and twiddling to see if I can figure this out. You should at least get the 1.55 patch for SCGT. Are you playing SCGT in Glide? -- [email hidden]

Greg Cisko <[email hidden]> wrote: : The MSFF unit in and of itself is fine. I liked it quite a bit. However the : reason : I returned it in favour of the LWFF is that I hated the so-called shift : paddles : on the MS wheel. They are in reality buttons that are embedded to the wheel : spokes (10 and 2 oclock). I found these buttons very difficult to use in : actual : race situations, and actually was hurting my wrists. The LWFF has huge : shifting paddles and is not a problem at all. Agreed, Greg. I spent about thirty minutes hemming and hawing in CompUSA over the shift paddles on these two wheels myself. The MSFF "paddles" are nearly impossible to hit when the wheel is cranked over too much. The LWFF paddles are great - in position, size and feel. : You should at least get the 1.55 patch for SCGT. Are you playing SCGT in : Glide? Yup - I tried the latest 1.551a patch and both D3D and Glide. No luck. I'm gonna try some more fiddling later today. Thanks, John

On 23 Jun 2000 16:39:02 GMT, John Kozak <[email hidden]> thus spoke: >Agreed, Greg. I spent about thirty minutes hemming and hawing in CompUSA >over the shift paddles on these two wheels myself. The MSFF "paddles" >are nearly impossible to hit when the wheel is cranked over too much. >The LWFF paddles are great - in position, size and feel. I don't have the MSFF wheel, but I do have the MS Precision Racing Wheel and I find the paddles on it are pefect for me. I do have large hands though. Are the paddles on the MSFF wheel the same as the one I have? Thinking about getting a FF wheel so looking for pros and cons myself. I really like the pedals on my MSPRW too and that is a major consideration when buying a new wheel for me. Almost bought a Thrusty wheel/pedal combo, but the pedals turned me off. Like the MSPRW a lot, but would like FF too because GPL is too hard without any feedback. -- Nos

"John Kozak" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8j03r6$pcr$[email hidden]... > Agreed, Greg. I spent about thirty minutes hemming and hawing in CompUSA > over the shift paddles on these two wheels myself. The MSFF "paddles" > are nearly impossible to hit when the wheel is cranked over too much. > The LWFF paddles are great - in position, size and feel. And the cheesy looking pedals of the LWFF are really not that bad once you use them a little. I too thought they would be horrible, until I actually tried them. Now I don't even notice. > : You should at least get the 1.55 patch for SCGT. Are you playing SCGT in > : Glide? > > Yup - I tried the latest 1.551a patch and both D3D and Glide. No luck. > I'm gonna try some more fiddling later today. That is weird. I have never had a problem with SCGT (for over a year). -- [email hidden]

Greg Cisko wrote:

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> The MSFF unit in and of itself is fine. I liked it quite a bit. However the > reason > I returned it in favour of the LWFF is that I hated the so-called shift > paddles > on the MS wheel. They are in reality buttons that are embedded to the wheel > spokes (10 and 2 oclock). I found these buttons very difficult to use in > actual > race situations, and actually was hurting my wrists. The LWFF has huge > shifting paddles and is not a problem at all.

I have kind of the opposite problem. I bought a new USB MS FF Wheel and find they markedly reduced the resistance of the shift buttons behind the wheel so that now I'm shifting them by mistake all the time. Who needs a hair trigger shifter? ;) Hehe, I found that long races spent cramping my hands near the LWFF paddles was tiring. - Matt

[email hidden] wrote: : I don't have the MSFF wheel, but I do have the MS Precision Racing : Wheel and I find the paddles on it are pefect for me. I do have large : hands though. Are the paddles on the MSFF wheel the same as the one I : have? Thinking about getting a FF wheel so looking for pros and cons : myself. I really like the pedals on my MSPRW too and that is a major : consideration when buying a new wheel for me. Almost bought a Thrusty : wheel/pedal combo, but the pedals turned me off. Like the MSPRW a lot, : but would like FF too because GPL is too hard without any feedback. Hey Nos, So far, I'm pretty disappointed with the MSFF wheel. I've tried it with NFS/PU and Re-Volt and it seems to suck my framerates down. I can't tell for sure in NFS/PU - BTW, is there a framerate counter for NFS/PU? I can't get FRAPS to work - but in Re-Volt my frames go from 65-70 FPS without the wheel to 19-24 with it. Unacceptable. Tried going to Microsoft's online support and making a web support query but the site wasn't accepting my Product ID #. Yet another disappointment. Unless there is some quick 'n easy fix, I think this wheel is going back. To all those who recommended the LWFF, I shoulda listened. Oh yeah, NFS/PU is a BLAST! Thanks, John