GPL Gear Selection

In GPL, there doesn't seem to be a control to select a specific gear, just upshift or downshift. Am I correct? I find it a little annoying that I need to click the downshift button five times or so to put the car in reverse. I know, I shouldn't HAVE to put the car in reverse...) In my early experiments, I have found that auto-shifting is useless, as the car usually won't put itself in reverse when you need it to. I have tried the Shift-R cheat, but half the time I just sit there while the track clears. I think there should at least be a control to put it in reverse. It would be nice if there were controls to select specific gears. Is there any reason why this would be unrealistic? Was is impossible to skip gears in these cars?

I would personnaly like a key to put it back in Neutral from where we could choose to move to 1st or Reverse, without going 4-3-2-1-N-R in the event of a spin (which occur once in a while in GPL ;-)). >It would be nice if >there were controls to select specific gears. Is there any reason why this >would be unrealistic? Was is impossible to skip gears in these cars?

Hmmm... I don't know about the GP cars in '67, but I know that a lot of cars like Formula 1600, etc, etc have direct link gearboxes. That means you have to go through every gear in sequence - much like on a motorcycle. No downshifting from fourth to second if your speed drops too much... you have to go through third! Cheers, Gian.

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> In GPL, there doesn't seem to be a control to select a specific gear, just > upshift or downshift. Am I correct? I find it a little annoying that I need > to click the downshift button five times or so to put the car in reverse. > I know, I shouldn't HAVE to put the car in reverse...) In my early > experiments, I have found that auto-shifting is useless, as the car usually > won't put itself in reverse when you need it to. I have tried the Shift-R > cheat, but half the time I just sit there while the track clears. I think > there should at least be a control to put it in reverse. It would be nice if > there were controls to select specific gears. Is there any reason why this > would be unrealistic? Was is impossible to skip gears in these cars?

On Sat, 3 Oct 1998 09:54:57 -0400, "Benquin" >I would personnaly like a key to put it back in Neutral from where we could >choose to move to 1st or Reverse, without going 4-3-2-1-N-R in the event of >a spin (which occur once in a while in GPL ;-)). I totally agree with you! J'suis pas certain qu'ils vont nous ecouter par contre... A. Renault (FDR-Kronos)

Mmmmm, is that Antoine Frank Renault or Antoine Dan Renault? ;-) (Benquin Racing) >A. Renault >(FDR-Kronos)

On Sat, 3 Oct 1998 19:12:28 -0400, "Benquin" >Mmmmm, is that Antoine Frank Renault or Antoine Dan Renault? ;-) The one you met lately at "La journee carriere"... A. Renault (P.S.: Ne me demasque pas SVP!)

I wouldn't mind so much going through all the gears if you could just tap the downshift button a few times quickly and get that many downshifts. As it is, a second shift is ignored if one is already in progress. Allowing them to queue up would be nicer. rob. >In GPL, there doesn't seem to be a control to select a specific gear, just >upshift or downshift. Am I correct? I find it a little annoying that I need >to click the downshift button five times or so to put the car in reverse. <snip>

% I wouldn't mind so much going through all the gears if you could just % tap the downshift button a few times quickly and get that many downshifts. % As it is, a second shift is ignored if one is already in progress. Allowing % them to queue up would be nicer. But downshifting in sequence can actually aid in braking, helping to slow the car without applying too much brake and throwing the car off balance. Slamming the gears into too slow of a gear would really throw the car out of shape. % >In GPL, there doesn't seem to be a control to select a specific gear, just % >upshift or downshift. Am I correct? I find it a little annoying that I need % >to click the downshift button five times or so to put the car in reverse. % <snip> -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

AFAIK you couldn't shift across the gate. - Eric

now, wait a minute. you guys are telling me that there are different gears in GPL?! shoot, i've been doing laps at 85 MPH tops and blowing my engines. i guess that my times will drop significantly now. hrmpf. gears. who da thought.

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> AFAIK you couldn't shift across the gate. > - Eric > >Was is impossible to skip gears in these cars?

Details count. Nobody said they wanted the ability to downshift through the gears to be removed, they said (and I wholeheartedly agree) that "in the event of a spin", we'd like to be able to go straight from 5 (or whatever) to neutral. Sitting on the side of the road going through each half-second downshift is neither fun nor realistic, especially since the driver's arm often blocks the view of the gear shifter and you have to wait until he's done to make sure you're going into the right gear. The sense of "feel" prevents this problem in real life. Being able to instantly go from any gear to neutral would be a great simulated solution. Another person added (and I agree with this, too) that having to go through each gear is alright but you ought to be able to queue multiple shifts without having to wait for the current one to finish. All of these concepts are not mutually exclusive. Furthermore, I believe these suggestions were made without regard to the effects of proper downshifting under normal driving situations because that's not what the suggestion addresses. - Rick

> >Was is impossible to skip gears in these cars? > AFAIK you couldn't shift across the gate. It would be a strange gearbox indeed that you couldn't skip gears in. (Even in sequential shift racing gearboxes, it's only the shift linkage that limits you to sequential shifting. The gearbox itself couldn't care less, provided appropriate rev-matching is done.) ---Jim

>> AFAIK you couldn't shift across the gate. >It would be a strange gearbox indeed that you couldn't skip gears >in. (Even in sequential shift racing gearboxes, it's only the shift >linkage that limits you to sequential shifting. The gearbox itself >couldn't care less, provided appropriate rev-matching is done.) Exactly. I like the que-ing downshift idea, too, with the one qualifyer of not being able to drop it into reverse until the car is stopped. It would be easy to just bang down 4 gears and go right from third to reverse instead of first otherwise. -- http://www.users.fast.net/~fusion1 http://www.off-road.com/~fusion1 (dirt bikes, rat bikes, rental car abuse...)

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>Nobody said they wanted the ability to downshift through the gears to be >removed, they said (and I wholeheartedly agree) that "in the event of a >spin", we'd like to be able to go straight from 5 (or whatever) to >neutral. Sitting on the side of the road going through each half-second >downshift is neither fun nor realistic, especially since the driver's arm >often blocks the view of the gear shifter and you have to wait until he's >done to make sure you're going into the right gear. The sense of "feel" >prevents this problem in real life. Being able to instantly go from any >gear to neutral would be a great simulated solution. >Another person added (and I agree with this, too) that having to go >through each gear is alright but you ought to be able to queue multiple >shifts without having to wait for the current one to finish. >All of these concepts are not mutually exclusive. Furthermore, I believe >these suggestions were made without regard to the effects of proper >downshifting under normal driving situations because that's not what the >suggestion addresses.

True. This isn't a sequential box and it'd be nice to be able to have "custom" button assignments for gears so you can engage a given gear without having to snick up or down the gearbox. I'm fairly sure if you bad to brake to stop suddenly in your road car then wanted to get going again you wouldn't go from 5th->4th->3rd->2nd-1st, but would engage 1st and drive off. This would be nice. Either hitting first or neutral at the touch of a button is a great idea. M

<snip> Hey, Guys, while I agree somewhat, the challenge is to make a H-pattern controller for shifting.. BUT: have you ever tried to get a real racebox into 1st when standing still?? I tell you, it's a real pain in the bum! (blip, scraaaaatchhh, blip, BLIP, scruuuunnnccch.hop...silence) :)) Matt Knutsen

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> Hey, Guys, while I agree somewhat, the challenge is to make a >H-pattern controller for shifting.. >BUT: have you ever tried to get a real racebox into 1st when standing >still?? I tell you, it's a real pain in the bum! >(blip, scraaaaatchhh, blip, BLIP, scruuuunnnccch.hop...silence) >:)) >Matt Knutsen

No, but I can accurately pass on the noise made by a Peugeot 106 rally car as it loses a wheel after someone forgot to use the handbrake on a hairpin ;)

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> > Hey, Guys, while I agree somewhat, the challenge is to make a > >H-pattern controller for shifting.. > >BUT: have you ever tried to get a real racebox into 1st when standing > >still?? I tell you, it's a real pain in the bum! > >(blip, scraaaaatchhh, blip, BLIP, scruuuunnnccch.hop...silence) > >:)) > >Matt Knutsen > No, but I can accurately pass on the noise made by a > Peugeot 106 rally car as it loses a wheel after someone forgot to use > the > handbrake on a hairpin ;)

LOL!!