Re: stupid questions from gpl newbie

"Ville V Sinkko" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8hh2ki$fm0$[email hidden]... > +Cinquo [swear to god I'm going to break 12 mins on the 'Ring tomorrow .)] I think if you just avoided "shortcuts", you can break 10:00 easily. Michael.

Ville V Sinkko <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8hh2ki$fm0$[email hidden]... > Well, after three days around the 'Glen on the GPL demo version, I bought > the Real Thing(tm) last saturday. I'm actually getting a hang of it > already (lapping ~2:15 at Rouen on a default-setup Coventry with no cheesy > analog throttle or brakes! I'm sooo proud), but there's something I might > want to know that the manual completely omits. What the hell is thepurpose

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> of the red needle in the car rev gauge? It seems to show just the highest > point where I've revved the engine, and the first early downshift makes > the needle point to the sky anyway, so it seems completely purposeless. I > can't puzzle out much of the other gauges' functionality either. They > can't be just decor in a sim like this, can they? > > > +Cinquo [swear to god I'm going to break 12 mins on the 'Ring tomorrow .)]

See Alison's site for an explaination of a detailed explaination of the gauges: http://simracing.com/alison/gpl/ See here for enhanced cockpits and other graphics for GPL: http://www.kotr.de/GPL/ There are hundreds of GPL sites out there, but these will get you started. -- don New Programmes for Converted GPL Tracks http://www.ianparker1.clara.co.uk/clara.net/i/a/n/ianparker1/webspace/gpl/

Well, after three days around the 'Glen on the GPL demo version, I bought the Real Thing(tm) last saturday. I'm actually getting a hang of it already (lapping ~2:15 at Rouen on a default-setup Coventry with no cheesy analog throttle or brakes! I'm sooo proud), but there's something I might want to know that the manual completely omits. What the hell is the purpose of the red needle in the car rev gauge? It seems to show just the highest point where I've revved the engine, and the first early downshift makes the needle point to the sky anyway, so it seems completely purposeless. I can't puzzle out much of the other gauges' functionality either. They can't be just decor in a sim like this, can they? +Cinquo [swear to god I'm going to break 12 mins on the 'Ring tomorrow .)]

Ville V Sinkko <[email hidden]> schrieb in im Newsbeitrag: 8hibdm$pgr$[email hidden]... Hi! > steering and gear changing nigh impossible, so I just map steering and > glancing functions in the 'stick and the rest to the keypad. I might > [...] > Nuh, never touched them with a bargepole or a ten-foot battle lance. I > reckon I should drive a few laps with auto gears at some point, though, Be advised: If you have the accelerator and the brake mapped to a keyboard key, then automatically the driving aids for throttle and brake are activated! So you don't need to touch them with a bargepole ;)). I second the tip that you should get a wheel-pedal-combo a.s.a.p., or at least add your mentioned CH-pedals to your joystick. Regards Crash

On Mon 05 Jun 2000 09:30:10pm, Ville V Sinkko wrote: >Well, after three days around the 'Glen on the GPL demo version, I >bought the Real Thing(tm) last saturday. Good move, mate. *Goooooood* move! :-) > I'm actually getting a hang of it already (lapping ~2:15 at Rouen Ah, that'll be 1:30 for most of the lap, and 45 seconds for that bloody hairpin... >on a default-setup Coventry Cooper. Say "Cooper". (It's a GPL thing.) In any case, though not everyone agrees with me, I don't think the Cooper is a particularly good car to learn on. It's underpowered, and doesn't slide around the corners enough. I've driven the Lotus from the start at Rouen, and though it's quite skittish, it's *very* fast when you get it pointing in the right direction. The Eagle is almost as fast, and easier to keep on the track, but it is big, so watch those tight corners. >with no cheesy analog throttle or brakes! I'm sooo proud), Hang on here. Do you mean what I mean by "analogue" - ie not digital? Your comment suggests to me that you're using a <gasp> keyboard! in which case, change as soon as poss. to a good steering wheel or analogue stick (you'll want force feedback, so you'll need the version 1.2 patch from www.papy.com). If, on the other hand, what you mean is "without throttle help or brake help, and with manual gears", then good on you! Don't touch these so- called "driver aids" with a bargepole - they make it a hell of a lot harder to get to grips with the real thing later on. Best to start as you mean to go on. <snipped bit about gauges as that's been answered elsewhere> >+Cinquo [swear to god I'm going to break 12 mins on the 'Ring >tomorrow .)] Shouldn't be too hard if you can keep it on the track. Try the Brabham, as the Ring is a lot twistier than you'd think. So, welcome aboard! It probably won't be long before you add to the ever-increasing ranks of people who can humiliate me by doing 3:15 at Spa-Francorchamps... ;-) -- David. "After all, a mere thousand yards - such a harmless little knoll, really." (Raymond Mays on Shelsley Walsh)

Someone pointed me to A. Hine's web page for info on the gauge thing, but alas, I'm already familiar with the site to the extent that I know the 'gauges' page isn't there... :/ David Buttery <[email hidden]> wrote: > On Mon 05 Jun 2000 09:30:10pm, Ville V Sinkko wrote: >> I'm actually getting a hang of it already (lapping ~2:15 at Rouen > Ah, that'll be 1:30 for most of the lap, and 45 seconds for that bloody > hairpin... Which reminds me: what on EARTH is wrong with those iron 'loops' that stick from the ground there? I've grown utterly terrified of entering the hairpin because of having gotten totally stuck in the loops in very slow impacts. (yeah yeah, I know I should be impacting in the first place but..) There seems to be a lot of that about in the sceneries - places where you can get terminally stuck in the 3d objects.

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>>on a default-setup Coventry > Cooper. Say "Cooper". (It's a GPL thing.) In any case, though not > everyone agrees with me, I don't think the Cooper is a particularly > good car to learn on. It's underpowered, and doesn't slide around the > corners enough. I've driven the Lotus from the start at Rouen, and > though it's quite skittish, it's *very* fast when you get it pointing > in the right direction. The Eagle is almost as fast, and easier to keep > on the track, but it is big, so watch those tight corners.

I disagree about C. So far I've only driven C and Eagle (does anybody else find the Eagle engine sounds more like a Minimoog than a race car? .)) extensively. I took up the Eagle to get some speedup to my Spa and Monza times, but I just couldn't get it to run as fast as the C, because turning it around corners felt like having to lift the car in the air with my hands and turn it to point the right way! The C feels immensely tossable and slidey and what's more, I can recover 96% of excess slides as opposed to the <10% of the Eagle (it's rather intimidating really when its plumage decides to slowly overtake its beak from the outside in the middle of Burnenville at 285 kmh and you can do nothing to stop it). Sure, the C isn't very fast, but then again neither am I, so for the nonce we make a good pair.

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>>with no cheesy analog throttle or brakes! I'm sooo proud), > Hang on here. Do you mean what I mean by "analogue" - ie not digital? > Your comment suggests to me that you're using a <gasp> keyboard! in > which case, change as soon as poss. to a good steering wheel or > analogue stick (you'll want force feedback, so you'll need the version > 1.2 patch from www.papy.com).

Yes! Actually, I have an analogue stick (with a rudder wheel, even), but I've found it impossible to map anything besides the steering into it. If I put the brakes and/or throttle in the up-down axis, it makes steering and gear changing nigh impossible, so I just map steering and glancing functions in the 'stick and the rest to the keypad. I might invest in a set of CH pedals at some point, but I'm not very convinced that a wheel or FF is required to drive in a decent manner. > If, on the other hand, what you mean is "without throttle help or brake > help, and with manual gears", then good on you! Don't touch these so- > called "driver aids" with a bargepole - they make it a hell of a lot > harder to get to grips with the real thing later on. Best to start as > you mean to go on. Nuh, never touched them with a bargepole or a ten-foot battle lance. I reckon I should drive a few laps with auto gears at some point, though, to find out where the cars' redlines are - ATM I don't have much of a clue. > So, welcome aboard! It probably won't be long before you add to the > ever-increasing ranks of people who can humiliate me by doing 3:15 at > Spa-Francorchamps... ;-) If I pinch one second off my lap time every day starting now, that will be taking place in just about a month. The countdown is on. +Cinquo

Joachim Blum <[email hidden]> wrote: > Ville V Sinkko <[email hidden]> schrieb in im Newsbeitrag: 8hibdm$pgr$[email hidden]... > Be advised: If you have the accelerator and the brake mapped to a > keyboard key, then automatically the driving aids for throttle and > brake are activated! So you don't need to touch them with a bargepole ;)). Gee, that's new. I HAD been wondering how nicely the brakes were refusing to lock no matter how I try.. I guess I oughta hurry with those pedals then. Thanks for the tidbit. +Cinquo

Ville V Sinkko wrote... > <snip> > I disagree about C. So far I've only driven C and Eagle (does > anybody else find the Eagle engine sounds more like a Minimoog > than a race car? .)) No, but then "everybody else" has downloaded alternative engine sounds. I'm sure you'll find some nice sounding .wav's at the sites already mentioned in this thread. > <snip> Sure, the C isn't very fast, but then again neither am > I, so for the nonce we make a good pair. I'm all for driving what you're comfortable with. Go for it.

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> >><snip> > Yes! Actually, I have an analogue stick (with a rudder wheel, even), but > I've found it impossible to map anything besides the steering into it. > If I put the brakes and/or throttle in the up-down axis, it makes > steering and gear changing nigh impossible, so I just map steering and > glancing functions in the 'stick and the rest to the keypad. I might > invest in a set of CH pedals at some point, but I'm not very convinced > that a wheel or FF is required to drive in a decent manner.

Yipe! You sir, are a brave man. Suggest you get yourself a wheel pronto though. > > <snip> > Nuh, never touched them with a bargepole or a ten-foot battle lance. I > reckon I should drive a few laps with auto gears at some point, though, > to find out where the cars' redlines are - ATM I don't have much of aclue. The tach (the big dial in the middle of most dashes) was, in those days, usually mounted such that the shift point was the 12 o'clock position of the needle. Redline is usually around 12.30 - 1 o'clock. > > <snip> > If I pinch one second off my lap time every day starting now, that will > be taking place in just about a month. The countdown is on. Optimist. Welcome to the ranks of the eternally damned. ;-)) Jan. =---

In article <8hh2ki$fm0$[email hidden]>, Ville V Sinkko <[email hidden]> writes

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>Well, after three days around the 'Glen on the GPL demo version, I bought >the Real Thing(tm) last saturday. I'm actually getting a hang of it >already (lapping ~2:15 at Rouen on a default-setup Coventry with no cheesy >analog throttle or brakes! I'm sooo proud), but there's something I might >want to know that the manual completely omits. What the hell is the purpose >of the red needle in the car rev gauge? It seems to show just the highest >point where I've revved the engine, and the first early downshift makes >the needle point to the sky anyway, so it seems completely purposeless. I >can't puzzle out much of the other gauges' functionality either. They >can't be just decor in a sim like this, can they? > > >+Cinquo [swear to god I'm going to break 12 mins on the 'Ring tomorrow .)]

The red needle pointing skywards sounds to me like you are either speedshifting or changing down too early when braking. Either way, when you set the game to a higher damage level this is going to start doing nasty things to your engine. Speedshifting is changing up a gear without easing off the accelerator before hand and causes the revs to jump whilst the car is momentarily in neutral. Like I say, at higher levels the game is less forgiving with this kind of thing and you may start to wonder why you keep getting blown engines. HTH -- Peter Ives - (AKA Ivington) 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.

[snipped liberally] On Tue 06 Jun 2000 09:06:14am, Ville V Sinkko wrote: >Someone pointed me to A. Hine's web page for info on the gauge >thing, but alas, I'm already familiar with the site to the extent >that I know the 'gauges' page isn't there... :/ It's at the GPLEA site, I think. ( http://www.gpl.netti.nu ) >what on EARTH is wrong with those iron 'loops' >that stick from the ground there? You driven Mexico yet? Believe me, Rouen is a picnic compared to that place. >There seems to be a lot of that about in the sceneries - places >where you can get terminally stuck in the 3d objects. Yes. The scenery objects are not, it has to be said, the world's greatest. But who cares? just stay on the track :-) >I disagree about C. So far I've only driven C and Eagle (does >anybody else find the Eagle engine sounds more like a Minimoog than >a race car? .)) Get some new sounds, then. Everyone else does. I've got a great Eagle sound (can't remember where it's from, but it's gorgeous).

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>I took up the Eagle to get some >speedup to my Spa and Monza times, but I just couldn't get it to run >as fast as the C, because turning it around corners felt like having >to lift the car in the air with my hands and turn it to point the >right way! The C feels immensely tossable and slidey and what's >more, I can recover 96% of excess slides as opposed to the <10% of >the Eagle (it's rather intimidating really when its plumage decides >to slowly overtake its beak from the outside in the middle of >Burnenville at 285 kmh and you can do nothing to stop it).

That's interesting, as I have exactly the opposite experience. I can hurl the Eagle into corners at ridiculous angles, and still come out more or less in one piece; but in the Cooper I have to concentrate ferociously to keep it on line at all. Of course, I'm probably using different setups to you, and my driving style may well be different. But to be blunt, if you want to do really fast times, you'll need the Eagle for Spa and the Lotus for Monza. With the right setup and absurd amounts of practice there's nothing to touch them. >Sure, the C isn't very fast, but then again neither am I, so for the >nonce we make a good pair. Horses for courses, then, as with so many things in GPL. If you can go well in the Cooper, good luck to you. Wish I could...

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>Actually, I have an analogue stick (with a rudder wheel, even), >but I've found it impossible to map anything besides the steering >into it. If I put the brakes and/or throttle in the up-down axis, it >makes steering and gear changing nigh impossible, so I just map >steering and glancing functions in the 'stick and the rest to the >keypad. I might invest in a set of CH pedals at some point, but I'm >not very convinced that a wheel or FF is required to drive in a >decent manner.

Not in a "decent" manner, no. But if you want to drive *fast*, then a FF wheel (or at least a FF stick) is vital. Put it this way: my PB at Spa improved by four seconds when I first got a FF wheel (though I've improved with the old non-FF stick since, so the gap isn't as great now). Go the wheel route - you won't regret it. (The Logitech Wingman FF wheel is the most popular, but some people - me included - prefer the Microsoft Sidewinder FF wheel.) >I reckon I should drive a few laps with auto gears at some point, >though, to find out where the cars' redlines are - ATM I don't have >much of a clue. No, no, no! Do. Not. EVER. Use. Automatic. Gears. Got that? you probably won't learn anything new, and you'll lose the feel for gearchanging, which is important. In any case, finding the redline is easy: if the engine blows up, you've gone too far... >> So, welcome aboard! It probably won't be long before you add to >> the ever-increasing ranks of people who can humiliate me by doing >> 3:15 at Spa-Francorchamps... ;-) > >If I pinch one second off my lap time every day starting now, that >will be taking place in just about a month. The countdown is on. So you're doing 3:45 in a Cooper? That's not at all bad, actually. My Cooper PB there is 3:32, after a lot of effort. And to illustrates why you might want to persevere with the Eagle at Spa: my *Eagle* PB is 3:19! -- David. "After all, a mere thousand yards - such a harmless little knoll, really." (Raymond Mays on Shelsley Walsh)

"Ville V Sinkko" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8i2774$o31$[email hidden]... > But what many of us are more interested in is getting not the mostbeautiful > but the most *authentic* graphics, sounds, cockpits and all that. > > Surprisingly enough I haven't a clue about what an Eagle cockpit lookslike > IRL, or whether its engine actually does sound like a Minimoog, butbecause > they're the way they are in the original sim, I'm inclined to believe > they're very close to authentic (which they may not be, I do realize that) > without prefab cockpit layouts and motor samples from Roger Waters'go-kart

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> collection. > > Bottom line - I would really like a '100% exacting' graphic set for the > cars and cockpits and all (assuming the originals aren't). But I can't > identify one when I see one, and all the d/l-able sets around the net > seem to be labeled just 'cool-looking', 'great', 'better', 'best', > 'enhanced'... > > +Cinquo

Sounds are tough to deal with. There are as many soundcard and speaker configurations as there are computers. I say find some sounds you like and turn them up LOUD! Alison has a very good set on her site. As far as the cockpits and cars, there are enough photographs available in books and on the net to tell you how accurate the graphics in GPL are. From my research I'd have to say the GPLEA is doing a brilliant job with the tools they have to work with. There are other graphic "enhancements" for GPL available as well, improved dashes with red-line indicators, improved gearbox graphics, one-off cars and the like, that may not be totally accurate, but I see nothing wrong with using them if they enhance the experience of the game for the user. Personally, I find too much eye-candy a bit distracting and cut back on the trackside details at most tracks, but I do like to turn it all on when friends come over and want to check it out<g>. I just don't want to see any Marlboro signs in my 1967 F1 sim! The most important thing for me is that the cockpit look good, as I spend most of my time there, and that the gauges are sharp and crisp looking. I have to laugh when I see the original gauges in GPL, they look as if I forgot to put on my glasses<g>. That new GPLEA Lotus looks so nice, I just may have to start driving the car, I've purposely avoided the Lotus, just because I drove it for 6 months in the demo and everybody else seemed to be using it...always gotta' be the rebel<g>. I have not noticed any fps loss with the new cockpits, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happened with a lesser cpu. Now, if we could just do something with the helmet graphics... -- don New GPL Programs for the Converted Tracks: http://www.ianparker1.clara.co.uk/clara.net/i/a/n/ianparker1/webspace/gpl/

On Mon, 12 Jun 2000 00:38:34 GMT, Andre Warringa <[email hidden]> wrote: >Please try the just-released new Lotus 49 from the GPLEA... it's a >work of art! I wish they would bundle their stuff, like the USPits bundle. And provide a better readme with their Seasons and Sounds patches. Dolle Dolf

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> >Andre > > >On 11 Jun 2000 03:11:49 GMT, [email hidden] (EldredP) wrote: > >>In article <BV3%4.97675$[email hidden]>, "Jan Verschueren" >><[email hidden]> writes: >> >>Not everyone... :) >>The only dowloads I have are external to the program(Spygirl, Replay analyzer, >>etc) >> I'm a bit leery about modifying dashes, sounds, and so on. >> >>Eldred >

To the best of my knowledge, and looking at the photos on their site, the GPLEA Ferrari, Brabham and Lotus are all very accurate. In my opinion they are also beautiful works of art and greatly enhance GPL. I thoroughly recommend downloading them. On the sound front, I no first hand experience of hearing any of the GPL cars. I use all the sounds from the GPLEA site because I have no reason to doubt their accuracy based upon their excellent car and track work. Cheers Phil * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!

"Ville V Sinkko" <[email hidden]> wrote > without prefab cockpit layouts and motor samples from Roger Waters'go-kart > collection. Roger Waters hates racing. He blasted them on the album "Amused to Death". It's Nick Mason, Pink Floyd's drummer who has one of the most impressive collection of vintage racing cars in the world. Just being nitpicky, but PF is religious to me ;) -- -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> -- May the Downforce be with you... -- http://www.WeRace.net -- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

you are not saying...(sorry to be following you around today. btw) that Pink Floyd is the GPL of Rock? dave henrie ymenard wrote:

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> > "Ville V Sinkko" <[email hidden]> wrote > > without prefab cockpit layouts and motor samples from Roger Waters' > go-kart > > collection. > > Roger Waters hates racing. He blasted them on the album "Amused to Death". > It's Nick Mason, Pink Floyd's drummer who has one of the most impressive > collection of vintage racing cars in the world. Just being nitpicky, but PF > is religious to me ;) > > -- > -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> > -- May the Downforce be with you... > -- http://www.WeRace.net > -- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise > how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

"Dave Henrie" <[email hidden]> wrote > you are not saying...(sorry to be following you around today. btw) that > Pink Floyd is the GPL of Rock? > dave henrie LOL I think you are stalking me ;-D Mmm yeah Pink Floyd is like the GPL of Rock. Underestimated ("uhhh it's spaced out music for the people who like to go high") like GPL ("uhhh it's a too hard game for the people who like to be freaky on realism"). They both take their field of entertainment and push the limits of art at levels never achieved at their time. Both are mostly the creation of one person (GPL = Kaemmer, PF depending on the era was Barrett, Waters or Gilmour). The only difference is that The Wall is the third best sold album in history (incredible considering it's a double-LP), while Dark Side of the Moon stayed on the Bilboard charts for over 17years ;) -- -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> -- May the Downforce be with you... -- http://www.WeRace.net -- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.