GP2: MODEM PLAY

Can you explain me how you connect at 38k4 or above with a 33k3 modem? :-) I also didn't know that anything more than the position of the cars on the track was transmitted over the phonewire. "Gravity doesn't exist; the Earth sucks!"

Mad Mikey and I tried the Modem option tonight. Local call Las Vegas, 2 AM approximately. P 133, 32 megs, 2 meg video, 28.8 modem. P 6 200, 32 megs, 4 meg video, 33.6 modem. Running from DOS. PP and US Robotics modems. Used Pre-defined modem settings in the sim. We tried at 9600 first. NO go. Then we discovered that I was using the wrong USRB setting, switched to Type II. Tried at 9600...connected....fast, easy. Full detail...heavy...heavy. Two bars of detail...better...playable. One bar of detail...better still...playable...but we wanted MORE. Connected at 19200...smooth. Full detail...nice...playable. Two bars of detail...THIS IS IT, nice smooth. One bar of detail...Really smooth. Connected at 38400...quick connect. It got a little "breathless" at a few times at this speed. We noticed slight "hangs" or "twitches". We LOST connect at this speed. But, that could have just been the line(s). Connected at 57600...quick connect. TOO FAST, the modems could not manage, many lags and twitches. We decided that 19200 is probably the best overall speed as it affords the good smoothness and yet is pretty stable. I think that 19200 with One bar of detail is going to be the "competition" setting. It will afford you the best control of the car and view of the "cues", but will not bog you down with the hills, sky, and etc. that you do NOT have time to look at when racing anyway. We are going to load it up with a full field and try a complete (well, maybe 50%) race tomorrow. With the quick race setting on, less cars, it was noticeably faster, smoother "on the track". All in all, I would say that there is going to be a lot of modem play with this one. As soon as the sim hits the stores I'm going to pick up another copy and try it direct connect with my P6/200 and my P5/133, so will report on that when I get it going. JEB in Vegas

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> Mad Mikey and I tried the Modem option tonight. > Local call Las Vegas, 2 AM approximately. > P 133, 32 megs, 2 meg video, 28.8 modem. > P 6 200, 32 megs, 4 meg video, 33.6 modem. > Running from DOS. > PP and US Robotics modems. > Used Pre-defined modem settings in the sim. > We tried at 9600 first. NO go. Then we discovered that > I was using the wrong USRB setting, switched to Type II. > Tried at 9600...connected....fast, easy. > Full detail...heavy...heavy. > Two bars of detail...better...playable. > One bar of detail...better still...playable...but we wanted > MORE. > Connected at 19200...smooth. > Full detail...nice...playable. > Two bars of detail...THIS IS IT, nice smooth. > One bar of detail...Really smooth.

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> I think that 19200 with One bar of detail is going to > be the "competition" setting. It will afford you the > best control of the car and view of the "cues", but > will not bog you down with the hills, sky, and etc. > that you do NOT have time to look at when racing anyway. > We are going to load it up with a full field and try a > complete (well, maybe 50%) race tomorrow. > With the quick race setting on, less cars, it was noticeably > faster, smoother "on the track". > All in all, I would say that there is going to be a lot of > modem play with this one.

So the modem play isn't as well implemented as in ICR2 or NASCAR, where there is NO difference in frame rate from single play, and no difference between baud rates ... Disappointed ... -- Henrikki (Hena) Hakkanen Tel. ?(9)0-345 5538 -------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer

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> = > = > So the modem play isn't as well implemented as in ICR2 or NASCAR, > where there is NO difference in frame rate from single play, > and no difference between baud rates ... > = > Disappointed ... > -- > Henrikki (Hena) Hakkanen Tel. ?(9)0-345 5538 > -------------------------------------------------------------- > Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are mine and do not > necessarily reflect those of my employer

What you say may be true, but, once we settled on the setting GP2 connected just as well as ICR2 or NASCAR. And, once in it is well worth it. These two sims, ICR2 and NASCAR are great sims. I still have them, still drive them, still do them over the modem. BUT, GP2 is more fun, prettier, has F1 cars and F1 tracks which, = in my view (narrow though it may be) that is a HUGE plus. I'm from the school of thought that F1 racing is the real "big leagues" of racing and this sim does a wonderful job of recreating this type of racing. Bottom line, GP2 connects and runs just as stable as NASCAR and ICR2, maybe even more stable. = The modem play is NOT a problem at all. JEB

> Bottom line, GP2 connects and runs just as stable as NASCAR > and ICR2, maybe even more stable. > The modem play is NOT a problem at all. Modem play shouldn't be a problem; it's hardly groundbreaking technology. The lack of netplay is a real shame, where so many games have that as a standard. Just as 2-player Doom is rather lifeless, GP2 would be amazing with multiple players over a LAN or net server. Does MPS plan a network addon? -- Tim Chown | GD Review http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview

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>> = >> = >> So the modem play isn't as well implemented as in ICR2 or NASCAR, >> where there is NO difference in frame rate from single play, >> and no difference between baud rates ... >> = >> Disappointed ... >> -- >> Henrikki (Hena) Hakkanen Tel. ?(9)0-345 5538 >> -------------------------------------------------------------- >> Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are mine and do not >> necessarily reflect those of my employer >What you say may be true, but, once we settled on the setting >GP2 connected just as well as ICR2 or NASCAR. And, once in it >is well worth it. These two sims, ICR2 and NASCAR are great sims. >I still have them, still drive them, still do them over the modem. >BUT, GP2 is more fun, prettier, has F1 cars and F1 tracks which, = >in my view (narrow though it may be) that is a HUGE plus. >I'm from the school of thought that F1 racing is the real >"big leagues" of racing and this sim does a wonderful job >of recreating this type of racing. >Bottom line, GP2 connects and runs just as stable as NASCAR >and ICR2, maybe even more stable. = >The modem play is NOT a problem at all. >JEB

I don't agree we tried several times with no success.... Using two 33.6 DSVD using stock USR(tried both). We could connect no problem but frame rate was horrendous! To get a playable frame rate we had to go no detail in VGA. Finally got the null modem cable run and 57.6 runs smooth but it just stops dead every few minutes and then jerks back into action. Totally unacceptable!!! Computer 1: P 133, 32Mb Ram, Matrox MGA 2mb, Win 95 in MSDOS mode Computer 2: P 120, 24Mb Ram, #9 Motion 771 4mb, Win 95 in MSDOS Mode These two computers should be able to run it fine. One final note try doing a Processor Occupancy (O key while driving). With a significantly lower detail setting I still run a double Proccessor rating while linked..... To much overhead in their serial code!!!!! One really happy with the game customer that has a sierous disapointment with the multiplayer features.

There is an option to enable the 16550 UART that may improve your performance on serial connections. Have you guys tried it out yet? I'm curious to see if this will solve your problems. Do a "GP2 /?" to give you a list of args for the program. There is a "use16550" option. I also noted a nortscts option, so make sure your serial cable allows for hardware handshaking.

Yes, we discovered that soon after posting that message. After reading the gp2 /? screen looks like 16550 support is disabled by default ( very stupid ). This option lets us play with much better frame rates.... still get the 1 sec pauses at random intervals, although they usually happen when some goes off road. We haven't played with the rtscts option yet. But I don't think it will affect our settings seeing as Process. Occ. jumps to around 250 or 300 when the 1 sec pause occurs....