LFS S1: Thinking of downloading it and buying it. Worth the money?

Hi All, Been reading a few posts here about LFS S1 full version and it sounds very good. But will it be good for me? I race offline only therefore good, competative, fast, non-stupid AI are a must for me! I am in the process of downloading the 41mb demo right now to give it a good trial run before commiting to the full 140mb download and paying for the full game. Some questions. If I buy the full S1 release online, (never bought software online before) am I allowed to write it to CD-R for safe keeping in case I need to re-install it many times in the future? (Very, very likely!). Also, I will need to borrow the use of my parents credit card number to pay for it. Will the game then have to be registered in e.g. my Mothers name? Please tell me your true thoughts on this Sim/Game, and if it has an excellent Single player AI capability both now and in the S2-S3 versions in the future. Things of interest to me would be how many AI drivers per race, frame rates at say 1280x1024x16 and anything else of note to do with the software really that you can think of, (especially serious bugs, errors or problems). Please help me to decide whether to buy what sounds like a very enjoyable Sim/Game. Thank you for any help. Andrew.

"GuitarMan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:gOJDb.616$[email hidden]... > Hi All, > Been reading a few posts here about LFS S1 full version and it soundsvery > good. But will it be good for me? I race offline only therefore good, > competative, fast, non-stupid AI are a must for me! At �12 (UKP) you can't go wrong really, in addition to the stuff you get with the demo your money will get you some extra cars & tracks, but the rest is the same as the demo, so you should get a good idea of whether this game is for you from that. > If I buy the full S1 release online, (never bought software > online before) am I allowed to write it to CD-R for safe keeping in caseI > need to re-install it many times in the future? (Very, very likely!). No problem at all, the copy protection is in the key you get from their website so you can do what you want with the file. The main thing you need to keep is your username & password for their website so you can get another key if you need one. As you've probably seen the key system isn't to everyone's liking, but technically it's not difficult to 'buy' the game. > I will need to borrow the use of my parents credit card number to payfor > it. Will the game then have to be registered in e.g. my Mothers name? No, you freely choose a login name for their website and another for your online name. Neither of these are related in any way to your method of payment. > tell me your true thoughts on this Sim/Game, and if it has an excellent > Single player AI capability both now and in the S2-S3 versions in the > future. Things of interest to me would be how many AI drivers per race, > frame rates at say 1280x1024x16 and anything else of note to do with the > software really that you can think of, (especially serious bugs, errorsor > problems). Please help me to decide whether to buy what sounds like avery > enjoyable Sim/Game. Thank you for any help. The AI start off pretty stupid but this is by design, since they learn with race experience. Quite a few people have complained that the AI are too aggressive, but you'll be able to see that for yourself & decide when you try the demo. The future developments are anyone's guess, but they'll probably include even more cars & tracks, and probably stuff like damage, tyre wear/temps and weather. You don't have to buy S2 or S3 to enjoy S1 though, so make that choice when they are released. lfs needs a pretty beefy CPU, but apparently a relatively low power graphics card is okay. Again you can check this out with the demo. I run it at 1360x1020x16bit with 8xAniso & no AA on an XP2000 & Gf4200 and get around 50fps hotlapping & over 30fps in a race (with nearly everything on max). As far as bugs are concerned, it's pretty safe to say that it won't crash & take out your HD, and I'd say it's pretty reliable compared to gpl for example, and that's not bad ;-) If you don't race online & aren't interested in the extra cars & tracks the demo alone will keep you entertained for a long time, but if you go online to race there is a much greater incentive to buy the full game so you can get away from (most of) the wreckers. hth, Malc.

Hi, and thanks for the replie(s). Have just been driving the demo for the last couple of hours. My first problem was getting the controls correctly setup for my TM Ferrari FF Wheel. After quite a bit of fiddling/testing everything worked great. My first impression was that the physics were excellent, but there didn't seem to be quite enough sense of speed. The frame rate was pretty good though (My system is AMD Ath XP 2100+ 512 PC2100 DDR and old GeForce 2 mx. I changed my mind after driving continuously on my own and against up to 12 AI cars for a solid 2 hours though. The initial sense of "slower" than the indicated 100-120 mph was because I bought N2003 last friday and have been driving it a lot. I use the TPTCC mod and have around 60 road tracks already, and it is the sheer sense of speed from N2003 that threw me a little. Three hours later, my thoughts are this: LFS sense of speed is now fantastic after driving for quite a while! The physics are like nothing I have ever driven before, UTTERLY AMAZING! Engine sounds, gear changes, frame rate, replay system, options system and just about everything are excellent. Only one "small" moan so far. The AI. They do tend to bash you around quite a lot almost as if they are not even aware you are in front or alongside them on times, so maybe it's just as well there is no damage model just yet or the AI would be forcing an early finish on the first lap every time. Once they "settle down" a bit they do seem to improve. I have only tried "rookie" setting so far, but I can win every race of only 3 laps every single time at this setting so I really do hope they are capable of much more speed/skill than that! Will find out tomorrow as it's bed time for me. I really love the rally cross dirt track. Wow! what an amazing feeling! And watching the replay of flying over those big humps is almost as stunning as actually driving over them. All said and done, I think some of the "big" games companies out there have obviously got a lot to learn. Will I be investing my �12.00 U.K. in LFS? You're dam right I will! First thing tomorrow in fact. I can't wait to get my tyres onto that good looking city track. I think that says it all really. One other thing though, N2003 just ain't quite gonna be the same now after the physics of LFS is it? I would recommend this SIM to anyone who loves driving on their PC. Night all, Andrew. "GuitarMan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:gOJDb.616$[email hidden]...

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> Hi All, > Been reading a few posts here about LFS S1 full version and it sounds very > good. But will it be good for me? I race offline only therefore good, > competative, fast, non-stupid AI are a must for me! I am in the process of > downloading the 41mb demo right now to give it a good trial run before > commiting to the full 140mb download and paying for the full game. Some > questions. If I buy the full S1 release online, (never bought software > online before) am I allowed to write it to CD-R for safe keeping in case I > need to re-install it many times in the future? (Very, very likely!).

Also, > I will need to borrow the use of my parents credit card number to pay for > it. Will the game then have to be registered in e.g. my Mothers name?Please

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> tell me your true thoughts on this Sim/Game, and if it has an excellent > Single player AI capability both now and in the S2-S3 versions in the > future. Things of interest to me would be how many AI drivers per race, > frame rates at say 1280x1024x16 and anything else of note to do with the > software really that you can think of, (especially serious bugs, errors or > problems). Please help me to decide whether to buy what sounds like a very > enjoyable Sim/Game. Thank you for any help. > > Andrew. > >

"GuitarMan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:6DQDb.11151$[email hidden]... > The AI. They > do tend to bash you around quite a lot almost as if they are not evenaware > you are in front or alongside them on times, so maybe it's just as well > there is no damage model just yet or the AI would be forcing an earlyfinish > on the first lap every time. Once they "settle down" a bit they do seem to > improve. I have only tried "rookie" setting so far, but I can win everyrace > of only 3 laps every single time at this setting so I really do hope they > are capable of much more speed/skill than that! I believe the AI have to learn with each skill level, car, and track. To improve their skills, set up a long practice session with all 12 AI cars, then walk off, and leave them to their own devices. -jde

"J.D. Ellis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3fdfe23b$0$54336$[email hidden]...

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> > "GuitarMan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:6DQDb.11151$[email hidden]... > > The AI. They > > do tend to bash you around quite a lot almost as if they are not even > aware > > you are in front or alongside them on times, so maybe it's just as well > > there is no damage model just yet or the AI would be forcing an early > finish > > on the first lap every time. Once they "settle down" a bit they do seem

to > > improve. I have only tried "rookie" setting so far, but I can win every > race > > of only 3 laps every single time at this setting so I really do hopethey > > are capable of much more speed/skill than that! > > I believe the AI have to learn with each skill level, car, and track. To > improve their skills, set up a long practice session with all 12 AI cars, > then walk off, and leave them to their own devices. I did that, and mine seem to have "learnt" that going round a corner 10mph too fast and bouncing off the wall is the fastest way :-) And I must say that they have a point! Let's see the damage model next please! Scott

In article <brpnta$b76$[email hidden]>, scott <[email hidden]> writes >"J.D. Ellis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:3fdfe23b$0$54336$[email hidden]... <snip>

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>> I believe the AI have to learn with each skill level, car, and track. To >> improve their skills, set up a long practice session with all 12 AI cars, >> then walk off, and leave them to their own devices. > >I did that, and mine seem to have "learnt" that going round a corner 10mph >too fast and bouncing off the wall is the fastest way :-) And I must say >that they have a point! Let's see the damage model next please! >

LOL!! Have you tried that yourself? -- Peter Ives (AKA Pete Ivington) Remove ALL_STRESS before replying via email If you know what's good for you, don't listen to me :) GPLRank Joystick -50.63 Wheel -25.01

>"scott" <[email hidden]> wrote > I did that, and mine seem to have "learnt" that going round a corner 10mph > too fast and bouncing off the wall is the fastest way :-) And I must say > that they have a point! Let's see the damage model next please! Wow did it really do this? That's the greatest case of adaptive AI I've ever seen! I mean in a good way, it shows that it's pretty open. -- -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> -- This announcement is brought to you by the Shimago-Dominguez Corporation - helping America into the New World...

In article <KraEb.14651$[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (ymenard) wrote: > That's the greatest case of adaptive AI I've > ever seen! I mean in a good way, it shows that it's pretty open. I suspect it's entirely accidental greatness. The AI is pretty good (well *was* before I stopped driving S1) at screwing up corners and it's probably just that the AI discovers the fastest route is a screw-up. I must admit I found the process of having to train all AI at all tracks in all cars a real PITA. Which is why I went online, only to get cheesed off with most of the racing I had. I'll certainly get back to LFS when damage is implemented... but not before. Andrew McP

"ymenard" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:KraEb.14651$[email hidden]... > >"scott" <[email hidden]> wrote > > I did that, and mine seem to have "learnt" that going round a corner10mph > > too fast and bouncing off the wall is the fastest way :-) And I mustsay > > that they have a point! Let's see the damage model next please! > > > > Wow did it really do this? That's the greatest case of adaptive AI I've > ever seen! I mean in a good way, it shows that it's pretty open. Yes, on Fern Bay Gold track, that fast right hander just before the long straight over the bidge. They go too fast round there (or don't turn in soon enough) and end up bouncing off the outer armco. Thing is though, the next left-hander they always run wide onto the dirt and that certainly isn't the fastest way! It's just a shame they all do the same thing though, looks stupid when a train of 5 cars all hit the barrier one after another. Scott

Yeah, having no damage means that multiplayer races are about as interesting as sliced bread. LFS is OK but it's lack of content means it's useless for league play and that means pickup races only - no thanks!