GPL - On-Line

Just a few questions: 1] How are the Murasama's fairing? 2] How do the Coventry's fare...? 3] Ferrari? I've read a few posts about the Lotus drivers and I don't like to Drive the BRM because it's additional gear messes me up when I go back to another car. Thanks.......

says... I haven't seen a single one in online races. These can be competitive with some setup tuning. I've seen some that came close (even damn close) to my Eagle at some tracks in terms of speed. I saw a Ferrari do 3:20 at Spa a couple nights ago. That was probably the thread I started. Some have correctly pointed out that it's not necessarily just Lotus drivers that are over-agressive and that use poor judgement or lack of common sense. For instance, I was hosting a race at Mosport where I was rear-ended by the SAME Ferarri driver twice at the same spot in the track because "...nobody ever brakes where i did on the track...". If people like this would learn to drive in traffic (adapting to other peoples' driving styles), incidents like those wouldn't happen nearly as often. -- ========================================================= John Simmons - Redneck Techno-Biker (Zerex12) http://www.members.home.net/jms1/index.html John Simmons - Barbarian Diecast Collector http://members.home.net/jsimm/diecast_index.html John Simmons - Director, Internet Grand Prix Series http://members.home.net/jms1/igps.html If you want to send me email, go to either of the URL's shown above & click "Send Me Mail" in the contents frame. =========================================================

I've seen a couple around, at Spa races. It's power helps it out there but the Lotii and Eagles were still quicker. I've won in one.....! And generally they fare well; podium finishes are always on when the drivers in faster cars spin off. I've driven in several races where Ferrari drivers win. You'll always have a chance in one. Cheers! -- Graeme Nash Nash Racing Organisation Lotus - Green/Green You know what to do with "don't_spam_me"... http://www.karisma1.demon.co.uk/ ICQ# 11257824 "Useless quote"

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> Just a few questions: >1] How are the Murasama's fairing? >2] How do the Coventry's fare...? >3] Ferrari? >I've read a few posts about the Lotus drivers and I don't like to Drive the BRM >because it's additional gear messes me up when I go back to another car.

Well, it is not the car, it is the driver. I 've won a lot of races with the BRM, and lost a lot with the Lotus. Remco

This is my last hope in my VROC problems. Every time i join a session, GPL starts up, I choose multiplayer, I see the IP adress of the host, I choose this host and I get these messages: Connections status Opening channel Opening network device - immediately followed by: Timed out opening communications channel Closing network device How can I resolve this problem, it is driving me nuts, online racing seems so close but now also so far away!!

Try this: write down the ip address of the host, exit gpl without connecting first, exit netscape and then join with gpl directly, entering the ip address yourself. If that works, you should check out your vroc setup. If it doesn't, post or mail another message specifying how you connect to the net. Bart Westra

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>This is my last hope in my VROC problems. >Every time i join a session, GPL starts up, I choose multiplayer, I >see the IP adress of the host, I choose this host and I get these >messages: >Connections status >Opening channel >Opening network device > - immediately followed by: >Timed out opening communications channel >Closing network device >How can I resolve this problem, it is driving me nuts, online racing >seems so close but now also so far away!!

Hi DOK, Read Bart's post. If you have a problem connecting it might be that you haven't installed the core.ini file to the main GPL directory. And then again, the race might have started or be in progress and that will also return a message similar to the one you recieved. Review Allison's fac. Modem settings could help you out, but then again they might not. Some ISP's require error correction and such to connect to them; as does mine. Brent Martin GMSS Div 2 Lotus/Grey

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> This is my last hope in my VROC problems. > Every time i join a session, GPL starts up, I choose multiplayer, I > see the IP adress of the host, I choose this host and I get these > messages: > Connections status > Opening channel > Opening network device > - immediately followed by: > Timed out opening communications channel > Closing network device > How can I resolve this problem, it is driving me nuts, online racing > seems so close but now also so far away!!

I have a couple of replays of me driving one, but they're not what you'd call common. Perhaps Alison's new Murasama setups will change that <hint, hint> Again, not too bad. Trouble is that the Coventry's only advantage is that you are less likely to fall off the track with it. If one drivers can keep a Lotus on the track and someone else can keep the Coventry on the track, the Lotus will in all probability win. Cheers! John

writes: Have you downloaded the GPING.EXE file from VROC? You need this to run online... Eldred

If you are connecting VIA ethernet card, be sure to re-select the 'Connect VIA...' port *after* selecting the name from the address book. GPL changes your 'Connect VIA...' setting after the address book entry is selected. Jason.

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> This is my last hope in my VROC problems. > Every time i join a session, GPL starts up, I choose multiplayer, I > see the IP adress of the host, I choose this host and I get these > messages: > Connections status > Opening channel > Opening network device > - immediately followed by: > Timed out opening communications channel > Closing network device > How can I resolve this problem, it is driving me nuts, online racing > seems so close but now also so far away!!

-- Jason Monds Used to be "The Clapper" in GPL! theCLAPPER in Kali (Remove 'no spork' when replying)

>>1] How are the Murasama's fairing? >I have a couple of replays of me driving one, but they're not what >you'd call common. Perhaps Alison's new Murasama setups will change >that <hint, hint> I hope so! I feel that's an oversimplification, John. As I said in my notes on the Coventry, the fact that it is more forgiving makes it a much better tool for learning, for both driving and race tactics. Because you're not always fighting the car to keep it pointed straight, you have more brain power left for honing your car control skills, for finding the best line, finding the best braking points, and so forth. You have time to think, time to react if you go in too deep or turn in too late. In races, you're not working so hard, so you get less tired, and are less likely to make mistakes. For people who are developing their skills as a Grand Prix driver, these qualities are immensely valuable, IMHO. As a strategic choice, the Coventry is an excellent option, especially for those who are not yet in the front rank of driver skill. True, but that's a big "if". From what I've seen on VROC and in online race series, there is only a handful of drivers in the world who can consistently keep the Lotus on the track for an entire race distance. My guess is that there are a lot more people who can consistently keep the Coventry on the track for an entire race distance. I believe that if those who do not consistently keep the Lotus on the track for an entire race distance were to put their egos aside and run the Coventry instead, they would not only win more races, but they'd become better drivers in the process. Alison Remove the spam blocker NOSPAM to email me. http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~alison

> says... > >1] How are the Murasama's fairing? > I haven't seen a single one in online races. I'll bet this will change now that Alison has posted setups for the Musrasama/Honda on her site. If these are as good as the Coventry/Cooper setups, the Honda might be a good car to race, particularly on the power circuits (Monza, Spa, Silverstone) because it has a very strong engine. I did see one online the other day, but I think it crashed early. Again, with Alison's setups, this car is pretty competitive. This is particularly true in Realistic damage races (i.e., no Shift-R). While the other cars are crashing out, you can cruise around and win some races. On Saturday I was in a race at Spa where the fast lap was set by a guy in a Ferrari. Unfortunately, this same driver punted me off the track going into the last turn of the race (and I would have come in 3rd in a Coventry). I had previously let this guy pass me only to pass him again after he crashed. I looked at the replay and he was off the track at least five times in a five lap race - most of those resulting in a Shift-R. So this type of racing isn't exclusive to the Lotus. I don't think the Lotus drivers are any different than the other people (see above), there are just so many more of them. Of all the cars, the BRM is probably the worst. Absolutely. There seems to be a ton of amazingly fast hotlappers racing online who have no patience and no clue as to how to pass us mortals. Dave Ewing

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>> says... >> >1] How are the Murasama's fairing? >> I haven't seen a single one in online races. >I'll bet this will change now that Alison has posted setups for the >Musrasama/Honda on her site.

No doubt. At any tracks where top speed down the straight isn't the deciding issue, the Cooper can win races. Even at tracks where it matters, it can win. I've won a few times at Monza in it simply because I could stay out of the weeds for how ever many laps it took (even 21). The Ferrari isn't bad at any track, just never as fast as the Lotus or Eagle. But it rarely blows engines and has few real vices except for the lack of top end. With players of equal skill, I think the Ferrari is competetive with the Lotus or Eagle - even at Monza - where you can make up time in CG and the Lesmos (at least that's where I seem to catch up in it). There are also some people out there who are just amazingly smooth and in control. I watched Wolfgang Woeger doing his qual's at Spa once. He passed a guy right in the middle of the Malmedy complex and did it so smooth that neither he nor the passee was really bothered. It was beautiful to watch. But there's only a small handful of folks like WW. There a more hot-lappers who then go into NASCAR mode during a race. They'll pile into you because they know they can make up the time after a shift-R and you can't. Or they'll go off-track at least once every 5 miles, so you catch up to them when they're swerving madly on cold tires - when it's a ***shoot on whether to pass them.

Man is that the truth.

DOK> This is my last hope in my VROC problems. DOK> Every time i join a session, GPL starts up, I choose DOK> multiplayer, I see the IP adress of the host, I choose this DOK> host and I get these messages: <SNIP> DOK> How can I resolve this problem, it is driving me nuts, online DOK> racing seems so close but now also so far away!! This is also what you will see when you are behind a firewall (at least Linux IPMasq firewalls, possibly others). Search DejaNEWS for Linux, GPL and Masquerade for the full discussion.... -- Chris Bayly Phone: (403) 492-9343 | 352 General Services Building Fax: (403) 492-1729 | University of Alberta Web: http://www.tec.ualberta.ca/~cb/ | Edmonton, Alberta | Canada T6G 2S7

On Mon, 07 Dec 1998 04:54:37 GMT, Jason Monds >If you are connecting VIA ethernet card, be sure to >re-select the 'Connect VIA...' port *after* selecting >the name from the address book. >GPL changes your 'Connect VIA...' setting after the >address book entry is selected. This is another feature that should get fixed in a patch. In VROC races, I have to click on the new host IP, then reset my IP because GPL has switched from my internet IP to the LAN IP. -- _____ /_______\ .\\ a t t h e a d I XT /~~~~ I 500\_____ 1977' Yamaha XT.Rex 500 Enduro \____/\__I_I http://matthead.home.pages.de/

% This is also what you will see when you are behind a firewall (at % least Linux IPMasq firewalls, possibly others). % Search DejaNEWS for Linux, GPL and Masquerade for the full discussion.... I have been led to believe (from a reliable source), that a patch is in the process which should hopefully fix the problems faced by those behind firewalls and Linux to allow them to join online races. Whether it addresses the hoops need to jump through to host I do not know. -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I would prefer a stand-alone server more :) but you are right -- it is a pain.

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> On Mon, 07 Dec 1998 04:54:37 GMT, Jason Monds > >If you are connecting VIA ethernet card, be sure to > >re-select the 'Connect VIA...' port *after* selecting > >the name from the address book. > >GPL changes your 'Connect VIA...' setting after the > >address book entry is selected. > This is another feature that should get fixed in a patch. In VROC > races, I have to click on the new host IP, then reset my IP because > GPL has switched from my internet IP to the LAN IP. > -- > _____ > /_______\ .\\ a t t h e a d > I XT /~~~~ > I 500\_____ 1977' Yamaha XT.Rex 500 Enduro > \____/\__I_I http://matthead.home.pages.de/

-- -------- Jason Monds "My other car is a Ferrari" (Please remove 'no extra spork' when replying)

Yes, but if you meet someone who can do that in a Lotus while you can only do it in a Coventry they will wipe the floor with you. The Coventry is my favourite car in GPL and I've spent a lot of time with it on and offline, but at no track can I even approach my best time with the Lotus. It's a good car to have fun in and a good car to learn in, but that doesn't make it a good car overall. You will certainly be there or thereabouts, but you will only win races through the misfortune of others, almost never by dint of your own driving. I raced the Coventry at Spa during our LAN weekend with Mike Laskey in the Lotus - I was turning 3:27s or so in the Coventry by _seriously_ throwing the car around, driving far harder than I had to in the Lotus. However Mike was turning 3:21s in the Lotus and I never saw him. He could afford to slow down by three or four seconds per lap and still beat me, so the risk of an accident in the Lotus was minimal. As long as you're happy driving safely and waiting to capitalise on someone's misfortune then that's fine, but I prefer to race for the win and go out and take it if I can. As I said, the Coventry's advantage is that you're less likely to fall of the track with it, but it's very difficult to use it to go and take the race by the scruff of the neck. Cheers! John

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>>>Again, not too bad. Trouble is that the Coventry's only advantage is >>>that you are less likely to fall off the track with it. >>I feel that's an oversimplification, John. >>As I said in my notes on the Coventry, the fact that it is more >>forgiving makes it a much better tool for learning, for both driving and >>race tactics. Because you're not always fighting the car to keep it >>pointed straight, you have more brain power left for honing your car >>control skills, for finding the best line, finding the best braking >>points, and so forth. You have time to think, time to react if you go >>in too deep or turn in too late. >Yes, but if you meet someone who can do that in a Lotus while you can >only do it in a Coventry they will wipe the floor with you. The >Coventry is my favourite car in GPL and I've spent a lot of time with >it on and offline, but at no track can I even approach my best time >with the Lotus. >It's a good car to have fun in and a good car to learn in, but that >doesn't make it a good car overall. You will certainly be there or >thereabouts, but you will only win races through the misfortune of >others, almost never by dint of your own driving. I raced the Coventry >at Spa during our LAN weekend with Mike Laskey in the Lotus - I was >turning 3:27s or so in the Coventry by _seriously_ throwing the car >around, driving far harder than I had to in the Lotus. However Mike >was turning 3:21s in the Lotus and I never saw him. He could afford to >slow down by three or four seconds per lap and still beat me, so the >risk of an accident in the Lotus was minimal. >As long as you're happy driving safely and waiting to capitalise on >someone's misfortune then that's fine, but I prefer to race for the >win and go out and take it if I can. As I said, the Coventry's >advantage is that you're less likely to fall of the track with it, but >it's very difficult to use it to go and take the race by the scruff of >the neck. >Cheers! >John

Well, Spa (and probably Monza) are going to really emphasize the weakness of the heavier/slower cars. I -- in a Lotus -- wound up behind AH -- in a Matsumura -- at Watkins about a week ago, and bounced around in her mirrors for about 10 laps without finding a clean spot to pass. Don't you just hate it when the driver in front of you doesn't get rattled? ;-) Now, I'm certainly not a hot shoe, but can manage to run 1:07 - 1:08 race laps at the Glen in the Lotus while keeping it pointed in generally the correct direction for successive laps. AH was not blocking, but just running her line. I had a few looks here and there -- especially down the inside at The Loop -- but nothing looked promising. We chatted a bit at the end of the race as how I was unable to simply power by going down the front straight or The Loop - The Speed Trap section. I might have drafted and gave it a shot on a late-braking off-line corner entry, but it would have been a high risk deal for both of us.... that 'scruff of the neck' deal, I suppose <g>. I do think I might have pulled out a slight lead had I got by, but getting cleanly by on the twisty circuit was the problem. It was once of my favorite races to date, BTW. Bottom line, in VROC pick-up races I've seen the Cov and the Mat do quite well considering the range of skill level in the average online contest. Get a group of drivers together that can decimate the AI drivers, now that's another scenario altogether. Rgds, Mark R.

I have done read some race strategy form Bill Noble, Multitime SCCA F Vee National Champion and a lot of what he says works. Dave

>Well, Spa (and probably Monza) are going to really emphasize the >weakness of the heavier/slower cars. I -- in a Lotus -- wound up >behind AH -- in a Matsumura -- at Watkins about a week ago, and >bounced around in her mirrors for about 10 laps without finding a >clean spot to pass. Don't you just hate it when the driver in >front of you doesn't get rattled? ;-) Well, from previous online races I know Alison generally runs a faster race pace than 1:07 - 1:08 in her Eagle, and a Lotus could be expected to be even faster - that suggests some difference overall, and I would suggest that as being a more likely difference than consistency. Fact is, at the Glen it is not that easy to pass, and unless the driver in front makes a mistake your only hope is to exit the esses faster and pass on the run down to the loop. Watkins is not my favourite track but I managed to win that event at our recent LAN meet by concentrating on that. Mike Laskey took pole easily a second faster, I took the lead off the line and from then on Mike was, well, DAMN close (an extra coat of paint on my car and we would hit each other). If he passed me he would have disappeared for sure, but I could keep him behind until he made a mistake and went off. Both the Coventry and the Murasama do quite well, that is way beyond question. It is a different type of racing though, since your way to win is to not fall off the track while hoping that the other cars do. When driving a Murasama or a Coventry I only really enjoy an online race if there is someone else driving one, or if one of the Lotus or Eagle guys consistenly laps around the same level as I do in the Cov/Mura. Watching an assortment of Lotus drivers scorch away and driving round by myself hoping one of them will fall off is not really too much fun. I had a nice race last night at Silverstone where Adrian Middleton's Lotus and my Murasama were very close in laptime, and I was utterly determined to chase him down - driving to the limit lap after lap was excellent fun. OTOH the other guy in the race was as consistent as we were in terms of staying on the road, but about two seconds a lap faster - using the Lotus to full advantage. If it were only he and I it would have been a very boring race for both of us, waiting for him to crash. That's the difference with the Murasama and Coventry - your racing is reactive. The fact that they are quite competitive and easier to drive is beyond doubt. Cheers! John

>at Spa during our LAN weekend with Mike Laskey in the Lotus - I was >turning 3:27s or so in the Coventry by _seriously_ throwing the car >around, driving far harder than I had to in the Lotus. However Mike >was turning 3:21s in the Lotus and I never saw him. He could afford to >slow down by three or four seconds per lap and still beat me, so the >risk of an accident in the Lotus was minimal. Yes, in fact I made a stop and go after jumping the start, and STILL won the race. That is the difference of the Lotus - didn't actually realise I'd overtaken you - thought maybe you'd pulled across to the side for a rest :-) Couldn't agree more. If the car hasn't got the pace to challenge for the lead, there's no point getting in it. It's similar to an endurance kart race I had the other night. We were a lap ahead of the other teams after 1.5 hours of racing, but instead of slowing down we decided to go for the fastest lap - and we got it too. Mind you, we did have a pretty serious team of racers. Two bikers and a semi-pro racing driver. :-) Crashed my bike on the way home, but that's another story - haha whoooops! Mike.

>by concentrating on that. Mike Laskey took pole easily a second >faster, I took the lead off the line and from then on Mike was, well, >DAMN close (an extra coat of paint on my car and we would hit each >other). If he passed me he would have disappeared for sure, but I >could keep him behind until he made a mistake and went off. Still, I did run over a few spectators so the effort wasn't entirely wasted :-) Seriously though, that was one of the best races I've ever had against somebody in GPL. I still have the replay file as well. Mike.

On Thu, 10 Dec 1998 19:33:48 -0000, "Mike Laskey" >Still, I did run over a few spectators so the effort wasn't entirely wasted >:-) >Seriously though, that was one of the best races I've ever had against >somebody in GPL. I still have the replay file as well. Me too, I won't be deleting that in a hurry. I'm still amazed we drove as competitively and close as that for so long with no contact whatsoever. When I saw you slide wide a part of me was disappointed because the race and concentration was so intense, and the other half of me went "thank god, I'm knackered!". Cheers! John

On Thu, 10 Dec 1998 19:38:30 -0000, "Mike Laskey" >Yes, in fact I made a stop and go after jumping the start, and STILL won the >race. That is the difference of the Lotus - didn't actually realise I'd >overtaken you - thought maybe you'd pulled across to the side for a rest :-) I had, kind of. I managed, for the one and only time, to blow the engine in the Coventry on the run down toward Blanchimont. While I was doing the Shift-R someone passed, and I didn't know if it was you or not. Despite that you would have won easily even with your stop/go, as there is no way the Coventry could hope to be close to the pace of the Lotus around Spa given equal drivers. Even being ahead there is no remotely ethical way of staying ahead, and I was intending moving aside and letting you through (not an easy conclusion to accept, I can tell you!). Cheers! John