F1GP/WC 1st race Q's

Hi everyone, Well, I've just finished my first race on F1GP and I have some questions, so here goes. 1. This isn't really driving related but...how do I use the lap logger, GPLap? I've gotten it from ftp but I don't know how to use it. I've read the 'help' section, but I guess I'm too dumb to figure it out. It's unzipped and sitting there, seless in my hard drive. 2. Why do most of the Hall of Fame guys set the brake bias to the rear? Common sense (and the book) tell that the bias should be forward, at least in dry conditions. I tried this setup in Phoenix (rear bias) and I think it helped my braking...maybe I was just trying harder! But this doesn't make sense to me as far as the simulation goes. 3. What is the subroutine that lets you see your split times during a lap (i.e. qualifying)? If you would, give me details on the use of it, if it is as difficult to use as the lap logger. (Hopefully I'm just making a silly mistake with the logger) 4. How do I HEX edit the gp.exe file to get rid of the stupid password? (By the way, this is for my own personal use, with my store-bought version of the game) In other words, where do I get a HEX editor? p.s. I know where to get the crack from ftp. 5. These are driving questions.... I've driven 300-400 laps at Phoenix. Why can't I manage times closer to the HOF times? (Bad question...I expect some 'smart' answers) But seriously, I can only manage 1:18.0...almost 3 seconds off of record pace...Do I need to master the game using no traction control? It seems like I'm driving the circuit at my limit, which granted, may be lower than the HOF'ers, but I can't seem to find any more speed there. I've tried many setups, many of which are comparable to the HOF'ers. Any tips?? Well, I guess I should be patient and learn more, but with a wealth of knowledge right here on the newsgroup, I feel compelled to ask some questions, since the web site is somewhat limited in what it is addressing, even though it has helped. Well, that's it....sorry for the length of this post. Thanks in advance, Scott K. p.s. thanks to the Hall of Fame people...looking at those setups was like having a very cooperative (and fast) teammate by my side.

>Hi everyone, Hi to you too Ok, shoot! It's a TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) program. This means you must run this program. Probably nothing happens (besides some copyright notice). After that you run F1GP (GPLap is in the 'background'). After finishing F1GP, the GPlap program has written a file with the results. You can then (if you want) remove GPlap from memory (I think it's GPLAP -U). Just try it and see the difference. To be honoust I don't really understand it eiher but you'll realy go faster (later braking) but the car is a little bit harder to drive, it'll break out in corners easier. See above. Then why don't you get the crack. The only thing it probably does is the same thing you want to do with the HEX editor. By the way you won't find the passwords in the .EXE, they're probably encrypted. Just a guess. Do you drive with auto-breaking. This is that the computer does all he breaking. If you do TURN IT OFF the computer starts breaking awful early at each corner. If you do the breaking by hand you'll be able to break a lot later. No problem, that's what we're here for. You can allways contact me via e-mail if you want to. -- ================================================================== Wilfred van der Deijl Tel. 1620-32095 JCN Computersystems Fax. 1620-58674 4900 AC Oosterhout WWW http://www.jcn.nl The Netherlands FTP ftp.jcn.nl

: 1. This isn't really driving related but...how do I use the lap logger, : GPLap? I've gotten it from ftp but I don't know how to use it. I've read : the 'help' section, but I guess I'm too dumb to figure it out. It's : unzipped and sitting there, seless in my hard drive. If you refer to Gplaptim version 5, you just have to load it before starting gp.exe. I made myself a small batch-program so that I dont have to type so much. I dont know the special flags for this program, you will have to read through the docs to find the correct ones so that it writes its data into a ramdrive in order not to slow down the game. If you need more info I can look it up at home and give you precise commands. : 2. Why do most of the Hall of Fame guys set the brake bias to the rear? : Common sense (and the book) tell that the bias should be forward, at least : in dry conditions. I tried this setup in Phoenix (rear bias) and I think : it helped my braking...maybe I was just trying harder! But this doesn't : make sense to me as far as the simulation goes. Why rear bias ? When you enter a curve and brake at the last possible moment you usually already begin steering into the curve at the same time. Now, with the brake bias set to front, the front tyres will lock, hereby making the car unsteerable and pushing you into the nearest wall (in Phoenix for example ) However, setting the brake bias to rear ( 5 to 10 for example ) lets the front wheel turn freely, allowing the car to steer effectively into the curve. If you put on too much brake balance towards the rear, you will encounter the opposite problem : The rear tyres locking and making the car oversteer a lot. Personally I dont like this kind of oversteering but _perhaps_ it has its benefits if you master it.. : 3. What is the subroutine that lets you see your split times during a lap : (i.e. qualifying)? If you would, give me details on the use of it, if it : is as difficult to use as the lap logger. (Hopefully I'm just making a : silly mistake with the logger) Either the older splittim.com or if you use the program mentioned above ( gplaptim version 5 ) then it also shows the splittimes at 25, 50, 75 % of the track. : 5. These are driving questions.... I've driven 300-400 laps at Phoenix. : Why can't I manage times closer to the HOF times? (Bad question...I : expect some 'smart' answers) But seriously, I can only manage : 1:18.0...almost 3 seconds off of record pace...Do I need to master the : game using no traction control? It seems like I'm driving the circuit at : my limit, which granted, may be lower than the HOF'ers, but I can't seem : to find any more speed there. I've tried many setups, many of which are : comparable to the HOF'ers. Any tips?? Traction Control may help you find a few tenths but not much more. I cannot tell you anything concrete without data like splittimes, top speeds and braking points. What setup do you use exactly ? Which control method ( Joystick or Keyboard ) ? and so on... Hope it helps a bit. Bye. -- _____________________________________________________________________________ Ivanhoe 'Tacho' Vasiljevich Student of Technical Physics Rudolfsplatz 8/2 at the Technical University of Vienna A-1010 Vienna Tel. : 1 / 532 77 36 _____________________________________________________________________________

[gplap] Some notes: GPlap 5 (the latest and greatest) requires version 1.05 of the game. If your game occupancy is near 100% then you will probably want a small ramdisk to write the log to, but otherwise (on a DX2/66 or better, for example) you will probably not want to bother unless you already have a ramdisk set up. For GPperf (another excellent utility) you probably will want a ramdisk. [...extreme rear brake bias...] If you watch the qualifying style of real drivers you will see some use more rear bias than others. Prost used very little, which made for a very neat-and-tidy style which was very stable. Mansell (okay, ex-drivers :-) used a lot of rear bias which meant he looked almost as if driving a rally car, with lots of sliding. [...difficulty matching HOF times...] Basically I agree with Ivanhoe; practise makes perfect. Also, be sure not to use autobrakes or the computer will make you brake 50-100 yards too early. Learn how the setup affects the car (it's all in the manual, although it's a bit hard to understand at first), and make small setup changes until you can "feel" the difference between, say 64/40 wings and 64/39. But, most of all, practise. A lot. I used to think 1:19 was a storming time at Phoenix, then I started the HOF. Having fixed my setup, and spent hundreds of hours more in the game, I can turn a 1:16 without breaking into a sweat, and my record is 1:15.959, not too far off Ivanhoe's record. Good luck, and happy racing! -- Gizmo http://www.mal.com/~dgymer/ - for all your F1GP/WC PC needs! -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Launchpad is an experimental internet BBS. The views of its users do not necessarily represent those of UNC-Chapel Hill, OIT, or the SysOps. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

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> >2. Why do most of the Hall of Fame guys set the brake bias to the rear? > >Common sense (and the book) tell that the bias should be forward, at least > >in dry conditions. I tried this setup in Phoenix (rear bias) and I think > >it helped my braking...maybe I was just trying harder! But this doesn't > >make sense to me as far as the simulation goes. > Just try it and see the difference. To be honoust I don't really understand it > eiher but you'll realy go faster (later braking) but the car is a little bit > harder to drive, it'll break out in corners easier.

One possibility may be related to the "traction circle" idea, divided into quarters... The idea is that a tire has only so much grip available, which can be split between accelleration, braking, or turning. If you are anywhere within the circle, you are OK. This means you can devote only so much of the grip to both braking and turning on the front tires at the ame time, so shifting the bias back may give you more grip on the front for turning in at the corner, and your fronts unlocked so you may be able to steer your way out of any spins. -- 1981 KS region SCCA H/S Solo II #2 '65 VW Squareback, white & primer grey, "circus" wheels, and vastly underpowered. Fav cars: '64 Mustang; '69 Fury III with 440 SuperCommando, Crower Cam &.273 rear; very sad clipped '75 914. Current: 540cc Suzuki Alto II, Corolla 1600 EFI

IMHO, the standard factory options F1GP car has so much understeer that Nigel Mansell would refuse to drive it. Its only by setting MUCH more front wing that rear, and by winding the brake bias to the back that you can get it to turn into the corners at all.