Bugs Found In GPL

IMO, GPL is an excellent racing game, with the best physics engine we've ever seen. However, the biggest problem I have found, which annoys me more than anything else, is that you can't customise the controls! Sure, you can select which NUM PAD keys to use, but that's a completely naff way to control it. Of course, it's way better with a steering wheel and pedals (and a gear stick, if you're lucky), but what if you WANT to use the direction keys. Why on Earth should I not be able to choose the controls which are comfortable for me!? Perhaps somebody has designed a patch to fix this? Also, why is it that with most of the Sierra games I buy, I can't install them into the directories I want to. Instead, I HAVE to install them into a 'sierra/whatevergameitis' folder. Might not sound like a problem, but once again, I like it to be up to me how I control thing, especially on my own computer. Adam

I'm sorry, but the driving controls in Papyrus' games are _far_ more customizable than most racing titles on the market. We don't allow you to assign controls that are required to drive the car (steering, throttle, brake, clutch and shifting) to keys that will likely be used while typing a chat message (the keys in the central area of the keyboard, and the cursor movement keys - basically leaving the function keys and the numeric keypad keys). We believe that the number of people that will play this game multiplayer (and thus chat while driving) far exceeds the number of people that will try to drive the car with the keyboard. We made the design decision to restrict these controls on this basis. Randy

There is a patch to make the keys like in GP2, A,Z,< and >... look at The Fast Lane, http://www.grandprix2.com/gpl -- Greetinx Micha?l 'NRG' Hompus Webmaster The Fast Lane http://www.grandprix2.com/gpl Everything you need for GPL !!!

Solution: see shrink. Andrew "Frasier" McP

Hi Randy, On a completely different problem, my brother in law can run GPL fine in every aspect as long as he is not connected to the internet. As soon as he brings up his internet connection, GPL hangs on the splash screen. This means that he cannot play on VROC, and I am very keen to get him "online". Is this a known problem? He has a PII 333MHz, 64Mb RAM, 66MHz bus, single Voodoo2 (Monster), AGP Rage 2D, F1 sim controller. I'd be very grateful for some leads here. Cheers, Paul

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> > However, the biggest problem I have found, which annoys me more > > than anything else, is that you can't customise the controls! > I'm sorry, but the driving controls in Papyrus' games are _far_ more > customizable than most racing titles on the market. > > Sure, you can select which NUM PAD keys to use, but > ... > > Why on Earth should I not be able to choose the controls > > which are comfortable for me!? > We don't allow you to assign controls that are required to drive the > car (steering, throttle, brake, clutch and shifting) to keys that will > likely be used while typing a chat message (the keys in the central > area of the keyboard, and the cursor movement keys - basically leaving > the function keys and the numeric keypad keys). We believe that the > number of people that will play this game multiplayer (and thus chat > while driving) far exceeds the number of people that will try to drive > the car with the keyboard. We made the design decision to restrict > these controls on this basis. > Randy

Hi Paul, I don't know how fast Randy will get back to you, so I'll try. Give the machine at least 2 minutes on the splash screen. It is going through polling/timeouts during this 'hang time'. Now Randy will be able to help with making GPL start faster. Jason.

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> Hi Randy, > On a completely different problem, my brother in law can run GPL fine in > every aspect as long as he is not connected to the internet. As soon as he > brings up his internet connection, GPL hangs on the splash screen. This > means that he cannot play on VROC, and I am very keen to get him "online". > Is this a known problem? He has a PII 333MHz, 64Mb RAM, 66MHz bus, single > Voodoo2 (Monster), AGP Rage 2D, F1 sim controller. > I'd be very grateful for some leads here. > Cheers, > Paul

-------- Jason Monds "My other car is a Ferrari" http://members.home.net/gpl.mondsj/gpl - For my combined gas/brake setups (Please remove 'no extra spork' when replying)

We gave it half an hour and it still didn't come back - I presume that the modem had disconnected by then anyway. I think this is a*** situation. It happens when he is connected to his ISP but in not accessing VROC, indeed any web, new or mail browser (or ICQ for that matter). Btw he is running Windows 98 as his OS and he machine is a Time computer. Cheers, Paul

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> Hi Paul, > I don't know how fast Randy will get back to you, so I'll try. > Give the machine at least 2 minutes on the splash screen. It is going > through polling/timeouts during this 'hang time'. > Now Randy will be able to help with making GPL start faster. > Jason. > > Hi Randy, > > On a completely different problem, my brother in law can run GPL fine in > > every aspect as long as he is not connected to the internet. As soon as he > > brings up his internet connection, GPL hangs on the splash screen. This > > means that he cannot play on VROC, and I am very keen to get him "online". > > Is this a known problem? He has a PII 333MHz, 64Mb RAM, 66MHz bus, single > > Voodoo2 (Monster), AGP Rage 2D, F1 sim controller. > > I'd be very grateful for some leads here. > > Cheers, > > Paul > -------- > Jason Monds > "My other car is a Ferrari" > http://members.home.net/gpl.mondsj/gpl > (Please remove 'no extra spork' when replying)

When GPL starts up, it probes the system for devices that can be used for multiplayer. My guess is that while his modem is connected to the Internet, it takes a long time for the search for modems to timeout. If he has more than one entry for his modem, that might cause problems (have him check Start->Settings->Control Panel:Modems and ensure that there are only as many modems listed as are physically connected to the system). If that all seems in order, have him wait for a minute or two at the GPL splash screen to see if it finally times out. There's no way to tell GPL to not search for modems when it starts up (though the GPL 1.1 patch will include a core.ini setting to do this). Randy

Quick definition: Bug....something in the code that either prevents the program from operating, or operate erratically. Design choice...item that IS a certain way because the programers made it that way. control options are a design choice not a bug. dave henrie >IMO, GPL is an excellent racing game, with the best physics engine we've >ever seen. However, the biggest problem I have found, which annoys me more >than anything else, is that you can't customise the controls! >Sure, you can select which NUM PAD keys to use, but that's a completely naff

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>way to control it. Of course, it's way better with a steering wheel and >pedals (and a gear stick, if you're lucky), but what if you WANT to use the >direction keys. Why on Earth should I not be able to choose the controls >which are comfortable for me!? >Perhaps somebody has designed a patch to fix this? >Also, why is it that with most of the Sierra games I buy, I can't install >them into the directories I want to. Instead, I HAVE to install them into a >'sierra/whatevergameitis' folder. Might not sound like a problem, but once >again, I like it to be up to me how I control thing, especially on my own >computer. >Adam

Patch? Is there an ETA for the patch, and where can we find out the major things that are addressed? It's just to make things more stable, right? GPL couldn't possibly get any better than it already is! (If it does, my wife may leave me. Of course, then I'd have more time to race...) Charlie

Chuckle. There's a bright side to everything!

>Patch? >Is there an ETA for the patch, and where can we find out the major things >that are addressed? It's just to make things more stable, right? Well, Randy Cassidy mentioned the patch about four or five times within the last few days. He even gave the beast a name (ver 1.1). According to long standing traditions of Papyrus' PR, this means it is finished. Unless the are sure they can deliver, the Papy gals and guys usually don't even acknowledge that they are working on something :) (which is a good policy, IMO.) Dave Broske (MGIracing/Viper Racing) a week ago said that their patch for Viper Racing was ready, but that Sierra was still in the process of "finalizing" it. AFAIK, the Viper Racing patch isn't out yet. This might mean that it takes Sierra quite some time to process a patch - whatever this process may be. Therefore, I guess the GPL patch is finished on Papy's side, but is still in Sierra's slow mills. As for the features of the patch, do a dejanews search for Randy Cassidy. I seem to remember he listed some of the topics addressed in a recent posting. Well, you have to know what your priorities are. ;) -- Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.

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> Quick definition: > Bug....something in the code that either prevents the program from > operating, > or operate erratically. > Design choice...item that IS a certain way because the programers made > it > that way. > control options are a design choice not a bug. > dave henrie

Well. I've found a few bugs in GPL while racing on the internet. Racing at Kyalami, did six laps in practice and only one of them gave me a time. Went out again from the pits, did 1.23.5 on second lap, pitboard showed 1.23.5 on next three laps. (No, I'm not that consistant) Often I get no pitboard at all during a race online. I'm not talking VROC here. All this can get frustrating. roy

This can happen if there is moderate packet loss between your machine and the server. This is fixed in the upcoming patch. Randy

Hi Randy, Not to be a pain in the posterior, but do you have an approximate release date for the GPL 1.1 patch yet? BTW, thanks for all of your support and attention here. --Dave

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> > Well. I've found a few bugs in GPL while racing on the internet. > Racing > > at Kyalami, did six laps in practice and only one of them gave me a > > time. > This can happen if there is moderate packet loss between your machine > and the server. This is fixed in the upcoming patch. > Randy

-- Dave Schwabe The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

I'm sorry but, no, I don't have a release date for the patch. When I do know, I'll be sure to post a message here. Randy

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>> Hi Randy, >> Not to be a pain in the posterior, but do you have an approximate >> release date for the GPL 1.1 patch yet? >I'm sorry but, no, I don't have a release date for the patch. When I >do know, I'll be sure to post a message here.

Would it be possible to give us a run down on some of the things that the patch addresses? Pretty please? With sugar on top? :-) -- ========================================================= 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 IGPS League Director http://www.paddedwall.org/igps/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. =========================================================

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> >> Hi Randy, > >> Not to be a pain in the posterior, but do you have an approximate > >> release date for the GPL 1.1 patch yet? > >I'm sorry but, no, I don't have a release date for the patch. When I > >do know, I'll be sure to post a message here. > Would it be possible to give us a run down on some of the things that the > patch addresses? Pretty please? With sugar on top? > :-)

I thought about asking if FF is included in the patch, but naaah, I can wait until the patch is released... <horrible gnashing of teeth in background> l8er ronny -- How to get rid of censorship in German game releases <http://www.gamesmania.com/german/maniac/freedom/freedom.htm> |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!

i was talking to john crooke at Hyperstimulator about general stuff ... and mentioned force feedback ... and that set him off ... papy and hyper and working in conjunction to make a new standard called "Real Feel" but i got the impression that it is a fair way off ... they want to do it and do it right ... but the hardware requirements are rather high .... (on the wheel side that is ) they dont think much of force feedback at the moment and he very strongly mentioned that papyrus are the ONLY manufacterer(sic) of motor racing sims *shrug so they are working on something .... but i dont think itll make it into the patch and unlikely they will include it in N3 ... still food for thought regards shane