Second thoughts about Official Formula 1 Racing (Long)

After playing the demo I dismissed this game immediately as arcade crap. I was right, the demo was horrible. Average graphics, poor physics and poor steering control. Well, I just bought the game bc Magruder at Digital Sports and Moore at SGN both liked it. I respect their opinions very much and knew the full release must have been greatly improved for both of these guys to like this game. Well after a few dozen laps I too repent, I like OF1R! (Too bad Eidos released such a horrendous demo, I would have never considered this game without reading the aforementioned reviews so they got lucky.) Here's my second opinion. What OF1R lacks in pure simulation it more than makes up for in fun and atmosphere. It truly captures what I think F1 racing must be like. Excellent sensation of speed. VERY forgiving physics model, but still PHYSICS nonetheless. Using one of the truly innovative dynamic view cams (I prefer 2 which causes the camera to tilt as you corner or accelerate/brake) I really got the sensation of inertia since my view was effected by G forces in ALL 6 directions. This was very impressive and makes the feel much closer to a sim than I first thought. Now this is clearly not a sim but a "sim lite". It is not pure arcade because it has physics and still requires fundamental driving technique. However, the physics is so relaxed you can push very hard before you are punished. One problem, some forces like the curbing (which cause your car to tilt about 30 degrees) were poorly done. This is no GPL (my farovite game) but still a lot of fun in its own way. OF1R is a welcome break from GPL which at times is a lot of work for a game ;-). Still, GPL is still safe in its' throne as racing sim King (other than Papy outdoing itself, will anyone attempt to top GPL?). Comparing apples to apples, OF1R is much better done than F1RS for my money. I consider F1RS, and Ubisoft, greatly overrated. While F1RS has less FORGIVING physics I don't think its' physics MODEL is any more sophisticated or impressive than OF1R. The spins are just as canned. Neither game is that difficult to drive. To me, OF1R feels right and is FAR more immersive. OF1R also has no major bugs, is easy to run with a full field of cars, has GREAT sounds, and is very immersive. Oh, and there's no annoying lens flare (what a great use of cpu resources Ubi) ;-). I must confess, I am a Ubisoft basher bc they sell patches (MGP2) as new games, have never responded to my support questions, and generally sell products I find unpolished or incomplete (F1RS and Speedbusters, too many criticisms to get into here). My only major complaint about OF1R is that it has so many well done features, why did they stop short of making this a true sim? In conlusion of this long winded analysis, I urge those of you yearning for a fun modern F1 game to give the full release of OF1R a shot, it's my favorite modern F1 game and is light years better than that atrocious demo. BTW-anyone get this to work with a LWFF USB? I just don't think the controller menu will display non-gameport devices. -- Joe Marques

Funny you should write what you did. I ordered the game before playing the demo on the advice of the digital sports review. Shortly after placing my order, I downloaded the demo and hated it. I tried to cancel my order, but it was too late. When the game I arrived I cracked it open and took on a few circuits. Sure it's not the most realistic game, but it does capture the essence of the sport. I have more fun playing this game than any of the other racing sims I own (TOCA2, SCGT, F1RS, and NSIII). It's also made me a better driver in SCGT, but I still haven't figured that one out yet. Glad you're enjoying the game.

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> After playing the demo I dismissed this game immediately as arcade crap. I > was right, the demo was horrible. Average graphics, poor physics and poor > steering control. Well, I just bought the game bc Magruder at Digital > Sports and Moore at SGN both liked it. I respect their opinions very much > and knew the full release must have been greatly improved for both of these > guys to like this game. Well after a few dozen laps I too repent, I like > OF1R! (Too bad Eidos released such a horrendous demo, I would have never > considered this game without reading the aforementioned reviews so they got > lucky.) > Here's my second opinion. What OF1R lacks in pure simulation it more than > makes up for in fun and atmosphere. It truly captures what I think F1 > racing must be like. Excellent sensation of speed. VERY forgiving physics > model, but still PHYSICS nonetheless. Using one of the truly innovative > dynamic view cams (I prefer 2 which causes the camera to tilt as you corner > or accelerate/brake) I really got the sensation of inertia since my view was > effected by G forces in ALL 6 directions. This was very impressive and > makes the feel much closer to a sim than I first thought. Now this is > clearly not a sim but a "sim lite". It is not pure arcade because it has > physics and still requires fundamental driving technique. However, the > physics is so relaxed you can push very hard before you are punished. One > problem, some forces like the curbing (which cause your car to tilt about 30 > degrees) were poorly done. This is no GPL (my farovite game) but still a > lot of fun in its own way. OF1R is a welcome break from GPL which at times > is a lot of work for a game ;-). Still, GPL is still safe in its' throne > as racing sim King (other than Papy outdoing itself, will anyone attempt to > top GPL?). > Comparing apples to apples, OF1R is much better done than F1RS for my money. > I consider F1RS, and Ubisoft, greatly overrated. While F1RS has less > FORGIVING physics I don't think its' physics MODEL is any more sophisticated > or impressive than OF1R. The spins are just as canned. Neither game is > that difficult to drive. To me, OF1R feels right and is FAR more immersive. > OF1R also has no major bugs, is easy to run with a full field of cars, has > GREAT sounds, and is very immersive. Oh, and there's no annoying lens flare > (what a great use of cpu resources Ubi) ;-). I must confess, I am a > Ubisoft basher bc they sell patches (MGP2) as new games, have never > responded to my support questions, and generally sell products I find > unpolished or incomplete (F1RS and Speedbusters, too many criticisms to get > into here). My only major complaint about OF1R is that it has so many well > done features, why did they stop short of making this a true sim? > In conlusion of this long winded analysis, I urge those of you yearning for > a fun modern F1 game to give the full release of OF1R a shot, it's my > favorite modern F1 game and is light years better than that atrocious demo. > BTW-anyone get this to work with a LWFF USB? I just don't think the > controller menu will display non-gameport devices. > -- > Joe Marques

Joe Marques wrote And now you like it because they liked it? OF1R combines GPL quality graphics with NFS quality physics. Not a winning combination to say the least. You must really hate Papyrus then. Nascar2, BGN, Nascar 99, CTS, are all top selling patches, and N3 will probably be the best selling patch of all time.

Guys, It does have a good astmosphere, but any enjoyment is very short lived as it represents no challenge at all. It is easy to win races from the back of the grid, and the timings are plain silly! Iain > Funny you should write what you did. I ordered the game before playing the demo > on the advice of the digital sports review. Shortly after placing my order, I > downloaded the demo and hated it. I tried to cancel my order, but it was too > late. When the game I arrived I cracked it open and took on a few circuits. > Sure it's not the most realistic game, but it does capture the essence of the > sport. I have more fun playing this game than any of the other racing sims I > own (TOCA2, SCGT, F1RS, and NSIII). It's also made me a better driver in SCGT,

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> but I still haven't figured that one out yet. > Glad you're enjoying the game. > > After playing the demo I dismissed this game immediately as arcade crap.

I > > was right, the demo was horrible. Average graphics, poor physics and poor > > steering control. Well, I just bought the game bc Magruder at Digital > > Sports and Moore at SGN both liked it. I respect their opinions very much > > and knew the full release must have been greatly improved for both of these > > guys to like this game. Well after a few dozen laps I too repent, I like > > OF1R! (Too bad Eidos released such a horrendous demo, I would have never > > considered this game without reading the aforementioned reviews so they got > > lucky.) > > Here's my second opinion. What OF1R lacks in pure simulation it more than > > makes up for in fun and atmosphere. It truly captures what I think F1 > > racing must be like. Excellent sensation of speed. VERY forgiving physics > > model, but still PHYSICS nonetheless. Using one of the truly innovative > > dynamic view cams (I prefer 2 which causes the camera to tilt as you corner > > or accelerate/brake) I really got the sensation of inertia since my view was > > effected by G forces in ALL 6 directions. This was very impressive and > > makes the feel much closer to a sim than I first thought. Now this is > > clearly not a sim but a "sim lite". It is not pure arcade because it has > > physics and still requires fundamental driving technique. However, the > > physics is so relaxed you can push very hard before you are punished. One > > problem, some forces like the curbing (which cause your car to tilt about 30 > > degrees) were poorly done. This is no GPL (my farovite game) but still a > > lot of fun in its own way. OF1R is a welcome break from GPL which at times > > is a lot of work for a game ;-). Still, GPL is still safe in its' throne > > as racing sim King (other than Papy outdoing itself, will anyone attempt to > > top GPL?). > > Comparing apples to apples, OF1R is much better done than F1RS for my money. > > I consider F1RS, and Ubisoft, greatly overrated. While F1RS has less > > FORGIVING physics I don't think its' physics MODEL is any more sophisticated > > or impressive than OF1R. The spins are just as canned. Neither game is > > that difficult to drive. To me, OF1R feels right and is FAR more immersive. > > OF1R also has no major bugs, is easy to run with a full field of cars, has > > GREAT sounds, and is very immersive. Oh, and there's no annoying lens flare > > (what a great use of cpu resources Ubi) ;-). I must confess, I am a > > Ubisoft basher bc they sell patches (MGP2) as new games, have never > > responded to my support questions, and generally sell products I find > > unpolished or incomplete (F1RS and Speedbusters, too many criticisms to get > > into here). My only major complaint about OF1R is that it has so many well > > done features, why did they stop short of making this a true sim? > > In conlusion of this long winded analysis, I urge those of you yearning for > > a fun modern F1 game to give the full release of OF1R a shot, it's my > > favorite modern F1 game and is light years better than that atrocious demo. > > BTW-anyone get this to work with a LWFF USB? I just don't think the > > controller menu will display non-gameport devices. > > -- > > Joe Marques

The graphics in OF1R are better than in GPL, and the physics are different. Not necessarily better or worse, but different, because the cars are so different. I don't know whether you've played the full retail version or not, but I spent a LOT of time dealing with these issues in my review, AND I made it clear that *** realism fans would probably want to pass. I do like the game and feel it offers more of a feeling of being in an F1 race than does its competition, even with the easier physics. It just means you can push the car that much harder, but when you go off, you go off, and the results are similar in both the Ubisoft titles and OF1R. But then, everyone has their own opinion. Yours is no less valid than mine, but I do hope that you are saying what you are saying because you gave the retail version a fair shot and are not just making assumptions. Randy Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

What the hell? You must be running GPL is software mode or something, cause OF1R looks like a cartoon compared to GPL with 3dfx in use! Dan Belcher Team Racing Unlimited

Did you get the patch that updated the AI? Also, did you race all the tracks? Australia is indeed very easy to win. I didn't find this to be the case in Monaco! Randy

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>Guys, >It does have a good astmosphere, but any enjoyment is very short lived as it >represents no challenge at all. It is easy to win races from the back of the >grid, and the timings are plain silly! >Iain >> Funny you should write what you did. I ordered the game before playing >the demo >> on the advice of the digital sports review. Shortly after placing my >order, I >> downloaded the demo and hated it. I tried to cancel my order, but it was >too >> late. When the game I arrived I cracked it open and took on a few >circuits. >> Sure it's not the most realistic game, but it does capture the essence of >the >> sport. I have more fun playing this game than any of the other racing >sims I >> own (TOCA2, SCGT, F1RS, and NSIII). It's also made me a better driver in >SCGT, >> but I still haven't figured that one out yet. >> Glad you're enjoying the game. >> > After playing the demo I dismissed this game immediately as arcade crap. >I >> > was right, the demo was horrible. Average graphics, poor physics and >poor >> > steering control. Well, I just bought the game bc Magruder at Digital >> > Sports and Moore at SGN both liked it. I respect their opinions very >much >> > and knew the full release must have been greatly improved for both of >these >> > guys to like this game. Well after a few dozen laps I too repent, I >like >> > OF1R! (Too bad Eidos released such a horrendous demo, I would have >never >> > considered this game without reading the aforementioned reviews so they >got >> > lucky.) >> > Here's my second opinion. What OF1R lacks in pure simulation it more >than >> > makes up for in fun and atmosphere. It truly captures what I think F1 >> > racing must be like. Excellent sensation of speed. VERY forgiving >physics >> > model, but still PHYSICS nonetheless. Using one of the truly innovative >> > dynamic view cams (I prefer 2 which causes the camera to tilt as you >corner >> > or accelerate/brake) I really got the sensation of inertia since my view >was >> > effected by G forces in ALL 6 directions. This was very impressive and >> > makes the feel much closer to a sim than I first thought. Now this is >> > clearly not a sim but a "sim lite". It is not pure arcade because it >has >> > physics and still requires fundamental driving technique. However, the >> > physics is so relaxed you can push very hard before you are punished. >One >> > problem, some forces like the curbing (which cause your car to tilt >about 30 >> > degrees) were poorly done. This is no GPL (my farovite game) but still >a >> > lot of fun in its own way. OF1R is a welcome break from GPL which at >times >> > is a lot of work for a game ;-). Still, GPL is still safe in its' >throne >> > as racing sim King (other than Papy outdoing itself, will anyone attempt >to >> > top GPL?). >> > Comparing apples to apples, OF1R is much better done than F1RS for my >money. >> > I consider F1RS, and Ubisoft, greatly overrated. While F1RS has less >> > FORGIVING physics I don't think its' physics MODEL is any more >sophisticated >> > or impressive than OF1R. The spins are just as canned. Neither game >is >> > that difficult to drive. To me, OF1R feels right and is FAR more >immersive. >> > OF1R also has no major bugs, is easy to run with a full field of cars, >has >> > GREAT sounds, and is very immersive. Oh, and there's no annoying lens >flare >> > (what a great use of cpu resources Ubi) ;-). I must confess, I am a >> > Ubisoft basher bc they sell patches (MGP2) as new games, have never >> > responded to my support questions, and generally sell products I find >> > unpolished or incomplete (F1RS and Speedbusters, too many criticisms to >get >> > into here). My only major complaint about OF1R is that it has so many >well >> > done features, why did they stop short of making this a true sim? >> > In conlusion of this long winded analysis, I urge those of you yearning >for >> > a fun modern F1 game to give the full release of OF1R a shot, it's my >> > favorite modern F1 game and is light years better than that atrocious >demo. >> > BTW-anyone get this to work with a LWFF USB? I just don't think the >> > controller menu will display non-gameport devices. >> > -- >> > Joe Marques

Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

No, I'm running a Voodoo3 3000 and I stand by my assessment. The only reason that GPL looks less "cartoonish" is because Papyrus uses a very bland palette. Things look old fashioned and plain because they captured the late 60's, not the 90's. In terms of the in-car view with the wheel and the wheels in front and 3D***pit I give the edge to GPL, but when it comes to the colorful scenery, curbs, and many other things, OF1R is better. Of course, GPL has better dust and smoke, for sure. Randy

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>>The graphics in OF1R are better than in GPL >What the hell? You must be running GPL is software mode or something, cause >OF1R looks like a cartoon compared to GPL with 3dfx in use! >Dan Belcher >Team Racing Unlimited

Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

Well by this sentence alone you might have well said it was an arcade game to be honest..... F1 cars ain't forgiving in the least...Ask Micky Schumacher:-)

Funny thing about that so called patch.. Download it and compare the dates of the exeutables to the ones off the CD or on your HD. They are older than the ones on the CD. What the hell? The game does need patches..but newer ones!

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> Did you get the patch that updated the AI? Also, did you race all the > tracks? Australia is indeed very easy to win. I didn't find this to > be the case in Monaco! > Randy > >Guys, > >It does have a good astmosphere, but any enjoyment is very short lived as

it > >represents no challenge at all. It is easy to win races from the back of the

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> >grid, and the timings are plain silly! > >Iain > >> Funny you should write what you did. I ordered the game before playing > >the demo > >> on the advice of the digital sports review. Shortly after placing my > >order, I > >> downloaded the demo and hated it. I tried to cancel my order, but it

was > >too > >> late. When the game I arrived I cracked it open and took on a few > >circuits. > >> Sure it's not the most realistic game, but it does capture the essence of > >the > >> sport. I have more fun playing this game than any of the other racing > >sims I > >> own (TOCA2, SCGT, F1RS, and NSIII). It's also made me a better driver in

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> >SCGT, > >> but I still haven't figured that one out yet. > >> Glad you're enjoying the game. > >> > After playing the demo I dismissed this game immediately as arcade

crap. > >I > >> > was right, the demo was horrible. Average graphics, poor physics and > >poor > >> > steering control. Well, I just bought the game bc Magruder at Digital

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> >> > Sports and Moore at SGN both liked it. I respect their opinions very > >much > >> > and knew the full release must have been greatly improved for both of > >these > >> > guys to like this game. Well after a few dozen laps I too repent, I > >like > >> > OF1R! (Too bad Eidos released such a horrendous demo, I would have > >never > >> > considered this game without reading the aforementioned reviews so

they > >got > >> > lucky.) > >> > Here's my second opinion. What OF1R lacks in pure simulation it more > >than > >> > makes up for in fun and atmosphere. It truly captures what I think F1 > >> > racing must be like. Excellent sensation of speed. VERY forgiving > >physics > >> > model, but still PHYSICS nonetheless. Using one of the truly innovative > >> > dynamic view cams (I prefer 2 which causes the camera to tilt as you > >corner > >> > or accelerate/brake) I really got the sensation of inertia since my view > >was > >> > effected by G forces in ALL 6 directions. This was very impressive and > >> > makes the feel much closer to a sim than I first thought. Now this is > >> > clearly not a sim but a "sim lite". It is not pure arcade because it > >has > >> > physics and still requires fundamental driving technique. However, the > >> > physics is so relaxed you can push very hard before you are punished. > >One > >> > problem, some forces like the curbing (which cause your car to tilt > >about 30 > >> > degrees) were poorly done. This is no GPL (my farovite game) but still > >a > >> > lot of fun in its own way. OF1R is a welcome break from GPL which at > >times > >> > is a lot of work for a game ;-). Still, GPL is still safe in its' > >throne > >> > as racing sim King (other than Papy outdoing itself, will anyone attempt

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> >to > >> > top GPL?). > >> > Comparing apples to apples, OF1R is much better done than F1RS for my > >money. > >> > I consider F1RS, and Ubisoft, greatly overrated. While F1RS has less > >> > FORGIVING physics I don't think its' physics MODEL is any more > >sophisticated > >> > or impressive than OF1R. The spins are just as canned. Neither

game > >is > >> > that difficult to drive. To me, OF1R feels right and is FAR more > >immersive. > >> > OF1R also has no major bugs, is easy to run with a full field of cars, > >has > >> > GREAT sounds, and is very immersive. Oh, and there's no annoying lens > >flare > >> > (what a great use of cpu resources Ubi) ;-). I must confess, I am a > >> > Ubisoft basher bc they sell patches (MGP2) as new games, have never > >> > responded to my support questions, and generally sell products I find > >> > unpolished or incomplete (F1RS and Speedbusters, too many criticisms to > >get > >> > into here). My only major complaint about OF1R is that it has so many > >well > >> > done features, why did they stop short of making this a true sim? > >> > In conlusion of this long winded analysis, I urge those of you yearning

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> >for > >> > a fun modern F1 game to give the full release of OF1R a shot, it's my > >> > favorite modern F1 game and is light years better than that atrocious > >demo. > >> > BTW-anyone get this to work with a LWFF USB? I just don't think the > >> > controller menu will display non-gameport devices. > >> > -- > >> > Joe Marques > Randy Magruder > http://members.home.com/rmagruder

Randy, I have to agree with you here. It's not a GREAT sim but it's a GOOD one. I'll probably get shot for this, but I even enjoy playing with Jeff Gordon XS Racing every now and then :) Wayne Hutchison

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> >Joe Marques wrote > >> I just bought the game bc Magruder at Digital > >>Sports and Moore at SGN both liked it. > >And now you like it because they liked it? OF1R combines GPL quality > >graphics with NFS quality physics. Not a winning combination to say the > >least. > The graphics in OF1R are better than in GPL, and the physics are > different. Not necessarily better or worse, but different, because > the cars are so different. I don't know whether you've played the > full retail version or not, but I spent a LOT of time dealing with > these issues in my review, AND I made it clear that *** realism > fans would probably want to pass. I do like the game and feel it > offers more of a feeling of being in an F1 race than does its > competition, even with the easier physics. It just means you can push > the car that much harder, but when you go off, you go off, and the > results are similar in both the Ubisoft titles and OF1R. But then, > everyone has their own opinion. Yours is no less valid than mine, but > I do hope that you are saying what you are saying because you gave the > retail version a fair shot and are not just making assumptions. > Randy > Randy Magruder > [link lost in import]

When criticizing my comments, it helps if you read and understand what I wrote. Basic reading comprehension indicates I TRIED it because they liked it but I KEPT it because I like it (Capitals used as emhasis for your benefit since you're adept at missing the obvious). I love a good debate, just don't mischaracterize what I said in a feeble attempt to imply that I'm some jackass who likes a game based on reviews and not by trying it myself. BTW, I just said the game was immersive and fun, not the greatest sim since GPL. It is alright if I like OF1R isn't it or do I need your approval? Oh, I didn't realize your opinion was the RIGHT one, sorry. Not wasting my time debating the quality of Papy versus Ubi. Very easy to do but given your previous penchant for twisting the facts to suit yourself why should I bother? You win, you're awesome dude, OF1R and Papy suck! Long live Ubisoft! --- Joe Marques

I think it's time to update your signature Randy. http://home.pacbell.net/randymag/ Andre

Then every sim we have is an arcade game. Until you get real fear and get real G-forces into the game, it will always be easier to drive on a computer. Randy >>VERY forgiving physics model >Well by this sentence alone you might have well said it was an arcade game >to be honest..... F1 cars ain't forgiving in the least...Ask Micky >Schumacher:-) Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

Sorry....GPL graphics may be a bit plain, but I sure find them vastly better than those in the OF1R sim.... My judgement is based on the immersion one feels when racing...the GPL graphics are top-notch for that...fast, accurate, smooth corners and edges, no cartoonishness, ability to see far, far down the road, so much detail you have the ability to see a piston fly out of the engine of the guy (or gal) in front of you as you push them too hard, fantastic sensation of speed (if you use the road cam views in the replay), fairly easy for users to customise, lots of options to turn on and off detail to help with frame rates..... Yes, the first impression is a bit sparse, but the longer I play GPL, the more impressed I am with the graphics! And I was one of the first to say (back at release time) that the graphics were unimpressive compared to F1RS, etc. I have completely changed my view after year of experience with GPL. OF1R graphics give a great sensation of speed, too, but are disproportional in many ways (especially the curbs), blocky (ummm, I won't even mention the ***pit view) and generally "overdone." Just my 2 cents worth. Marc.

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> No, I'm running a Voodoo3 3000 and I stand by my assessment. The only > reason that GPL looks less "cartoonish" is because Papyrus uses a very > bland palette. Things look old fashioned and plain because they > captured the late 60's, not the 90's. In terms of the in-car view > with the wheel and the wheels in front and 3D***pit I give the edge > to GPL, but when it comes to the colorful scenery, curbs, and many > other things, OF1R is better. Of course, GPL has better dust and > smoke, for sure. > Randy > >>The graphics in OF1R are better than in GPL > >What the hell? You must be running GPL is software mode or something,

cause

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> >OF1R looks like a cartoon compared to GPL with 3dfx in use! > >Dan Belcher > >Team Racing Unlimited > Randy Magruder > [link lost in import]

I agree that relaxed physics bring the game closer to arcade but my point is that having a physics model at all and one that rewards proper drivng technique is what keeps OF1R a sim lite and not arcade racer. Example: In OF1R if you brake in a straight line and turn in hitting the late apex you are rewarded with more speed on the straight and thus can overtake another car. In a PURE arcade racer you can go full throttle hitting the geometric apex or using the proper driving technique I mention above and achieve the same top speed on the straight. Arcade racing is not DRIVING it is steering. That's why easy physics to me is still a sim lite rather than arcade and can be fun to play. You see the rewards of good technique without the disaster of slight errors. Like I said before, it's a nice break from GPL but will NEVER replace GPL :-).

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>Sorry....GPL graphics may be a bit plain, but I sure find them vastly better >than those in the OF1R sim.... >My judgement is based on the immersion one feels when racing...the GPL >graphics are top-notch for that...fast, accurate, smooth corners and edges, >no cartoonishness, ability to see far, far down the road, so much detail you >have the ability to see a piston fly out of the engine of the guy (or gal) >in front of you as you push them too hard, fantastic sensation of speed (if >you use the road cam views in the replay), fairly easy for users to >customise, lots of options to turn on and off detail to help with frame >rates..... Yes, the first impression is a bit sparse, but the longer I play >GPL, the more impressed I am with the graphics!

I think a lot of that has to do not so much with trackside scenery but because how much car movement there is. The cars behave so realistically on the road that you feel like you're watching a real car. It's much harder to do this with a modern F1 sim, where there is so little suspension movement and none of these four-wheel drifts you see all over the place in GPL. The graphical beauty in GPL lies in it's kinematic effects, not so much its static graphics. I understand where your coming from and from a certain point of view, you're right. Randy Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

Whatever dude. Try to remember it's just an opinion about a game, even if someone paid you to write it. >love a good debate, >just don't mischaracterize what I said in a feeble attempt to imply that I'm >some jackass who likes a game based on reviews and not by trying it >myself. >BTW, I just said the game was immersive and fun, not the greatest sim since >GPL I may vomit if I see the word "immersive" being used to describe this game one more time. Did you truly feel "immersed" from that pathetic***pit view? I don't believe driving from a hover cam view fits into the realm of immersion if that is to what you were referring. Your original opinion sounded authentic, this sounds like "a feeble attempt" to fit in with the village know-it-alls.

The man voiced an opinion and now he's getting ripped for it. I find the game fun too, but that's my opinion. Randy enjoys hit, also his opinion. You don't , that's your opinion. I can see where you're coming from, and hopefully you can see where we're coming from. There's an underlying attitude within this group of "if it ain't GPL it's crap". Well, GPL is targeted to a very small minority of racing simulation buyers. The majority of the world wants somewhat realistic, but more importantly a fun game. GPL may be fun, but most people don't care for the level of detail and the amount of work it takes to make it fun. The keyword here is game, not simulation but game. Now, this group is dedicated to simulators but it's also the only place to turn to for info on driving games as a whole. So there are a wide variety of interests and opinions, it would be nice if there would be a bit more tolerance. Can't we all agree that the term "simulation" means different things to different folks and leave it at that? When judging a game you need to judge it by it's merits and it's intended audience and not by some nonsense definition of what a "pure simulation" should be. -Andrew

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> Whatever dude. Try to remember it's just an opinion about a game, even if > someone paid you to write it. > >love a good debate, > >just don't mischaracterize what I said in a feeble attempt to imply that > I'm > >some jackass who likes a game based on reviews and not by trying it > >myself. > >BTW, I just said the game was immersive and fun, not the greatest sim since > >GPL > I may vomit if I see the word "immersive" being used to describe this game > one more time. Did you truly feel "immersed" from that pathetic***pit > view? I don't believe driving from a hover cam view fits into the realm of > immersion if that is to what you were referring. > Your original opinion sounded authentic, this sounds like "a feeble > attempt" to fit in with the village know-it-alls.

I got your point, but IMO this shows a slight overestimation of GPL graphics as well as a very, very big overestimation of NFS physics. ;>). To state it clear: IMO a reduced physics model is better than the strange physics model of an unknown virtual planet (like in NFS). IMO OF1R is clearly an arcade racer, which is fun, if you are able to disregard it's flaws, but I have to state one thing here: I've been to Hockenheim this weekend and immediately after that tried out OF1R. At least the track seems to be on the right side, the narrowness is as well modelled as the environment. But, as far as the AI is concerned: I guess they will outlap even Mika H?kkinen by seconds ... CU Zolli

I have LWFF using USB port with no problem at all with OF1R !!! Bye Coco

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> After playing the demo I dismissed this game immediately as arcade crap. I > was right, the demo was horrible. Average graphics, poor physics and poor > steering control. Well, I just bought the game bc Magruder at Digital > Sports and Moore at SGN both liked it. I respect their opinions very much > and knew the full release must have been greatly improved for both of these > guys to like this game. Well after a few dozen laps I too repent, I like > OF1R! (Too bad Eidos released such a horrendous demo, I would have never > considered this game without reading the aforementioned reviews so they got > lucky.) > Here's my second opinion. What OF1R lacks in pure simulation it more than > makes up for in fun and atmosphere. It truly captures what I think F1 > racing must be like. Excellent sensation of speed. VERY forgiving physics > model, but still PHYSICS nonetheless. Using one of the truly innovative > dynamic view cams (I prefer 2 which causes the camera to tilt as you corner > or accelerate/brake) I really got the sensation of inertia since my view was > effected by G forces in ALL 6 directions. This was very impressive and > makes the feel much closer to a sim than I first thought. Now this is > clearly not a sim but a "sim lite". It is not pure arcade because it has > physics and still requires fundamental driving technique. However, the > physics is so relaxed you can push very hard before you are punished. One > problem, some forces like the curbing (which cause your car to tilt about 30 > degrees) were poorly done. This is no GPL (my farovite game) but still a > lot of fun in its own way. OF1R is a welcome break from GPL which at times > is a lot of work for a game ;-). Still, GPL is still safe in its' throne > as racing sim King (other than Papy outdoing itself, will anyone attempt to > top GPL?). > Comparing apples to apples, OF1R is much better done than F1RS for my money. > I consider F1RS, and Ubisoft, greatly overrated. While F1RS has less > FORGIVING physics I don't think its' physics MODEL is any more sophisticated > or impressive than OF1R. The spins are just as canned. Neither game is > that difficult to drive. To me, OF1R feels right and is FAR more immersive. > OF1R also has no major bugs, is easy to run with a full field of cars, has > GREAT sounds, and is very immersive. Oh, and there's no annoying lens flare > (what a great use of cpu resources Ubi) ;-). I must confess, I am a > Ubisoft basher bc they sell patches (MGP2) as new games, have never > responded to my support questions, and generally sell products I find > unpolished or incomplete (F1RS and Speedbusters, too many criticisms to get > into here). My only major complaint about OF1R is that it has so many well > done features, why did they stop short of making this a true sim? > In conlusion of this long winded analysis, I urge those of you yearning for > a fun modern F1 game to give the full release of OF1R a shot, it's my > favorite modern F1 game and is light years better than that atrocious demo. > BTW-anyone get this to work with a LWFF USB? I just don't think the > controller menu will display non-gameport devices. > -- > Joe Marques

Can you configure it?

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>I have LWFF using USB port with no problem at all with OF1R !!! >Bye Coco >> After playing the demo I dismissed this game immediately as arcade crap. I >> was right, the demo was horrible. Average graphics, poor physics and poor >> steering control. Well, I just bought the game bc Magruder at Digital >> Sports and Moore at SGN both liked it. I respect their opinions very much >> and knew the full release must have been greatly improved for both of these >> guys to like this game. Well after a few dozen laps I too repent, I like >> OF1R! (Too bad Eidos released such a horrendous demo, I would have never >> considered this game without reading the aforementioned reviews so they got >> lucky.) >> Here's my second opinion. What OF1R lacks in pure simulation it more than >> makes up for in fun and atmosphere. It truly captures what I think F1 >> racing must be like. Excellent sensation of speed. VERY forgiving physics >> model, but still PHYSICS nonetheless. Using one of the truly innovative >> dynamic view cams (I prefer 2 which causes the camera to tilt as you corner >> or accelerate/brake) I really got the sensation of inertia since my view was >> effected by G forces in ALL 6 directions. This was very impressive and >> makes the feel much closer to a sim than I first thought. Now this is >> clearly not a sim but a "sim lite". It is not pure arcade because it has >> physics and still requires fundamental driving technique. However, the >> physics is so relaxed you can push very hard before you are punished. One >> problem, some forces like the curbing (which cause your car to tilt about 30 >> degrees) were poorly done. This is no GPL (my farovite game) but still a >> lot of fun in its own way. OF1R is a welcome break from GPL which at times >> is a lot of work for a game ;-). Still, GPL is still safe in its' throne >> as racing sim King (other than Papy outdoing itself, will anyone attempt to >> top GPL?). >> Comparing apples to apples, OF1R is much better done than F1RS for my money. >> I consider F1RS, and Ubisoft, greatly overrated. While F1RS has less >> FORGIVING physics I don't think its' physics MODEL is any more sophisticated >> or impressive than OF1R. The spins are just as canned. Neither game is >> that difficult to drive. To me, OF1R feels right and is FAR more immersive. >> OF1R also has no major bugs, is easy to run with a full field of cars, has >> GREAT sounds, and is very immersive. Oh, and there's no annoying lens flare >> (what a great use of cpu resources Ubi) ;-). I must confess, I am a >> Ubisoft basher bc they sell patches (MGP2) as new games, have never >> responded to my support questions, and generally sell products I find >> unpolished or incomplete (F1RS and Speedbusters, too many criticisms to get >> into here). My only major complaint about OF1R is that it has so many well >> done features, why did they stop short of making this a true sim? >> In conlusion of this long winded analysis, I urge those of you yearning for >> a fun modern F1 game to give the full release of OF1R a shot, it's my >> favorite modern F1 game and is light years better than that atrocious demo. >> BTW-anyone get this to work with a LWFF USB? I just don't think the >> controller menu will display non-gameport devices. >> -- >> Joe Marques

Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

I hope N3 gets a more dynamic 3D***pit (ala GPL and TOCA2). While looking very photo-realistic, the***pit in N3 screenshots still looks like a static 2D bitmap. It must be relatively easy to add some movement to the ***pit view, similar to the "in-car" camera view that N2/1999 already has (for replays). Hmmm, maybe it's possible to swap the chase view in N1999 with the in-car view (just have to move the camera to the left side). Brian

yes of course but there is a difference between good phsyic and bad and what we call sims have good what we call arcade are bad!

> yes of course but there is a difference between good phsyic and bad and what > we call sims have good what we call arcade are bad! Well, how do you explain good and bad arcade GAMES ? CART Precision Racing is supposed to be a sim, but the physichs fails and it is kind of undrivable. Is it arcade then ? -- Olav K. Malmin remove spam when replying

I can't help but think that you must be some sort of Eidos PR dude. This game is not any different than Psygnosis' lame attempts in the past or all those other lookalike simpleracers. Even worse IMO graphics are seriously outdated, not to say ugly - physics, yes there is something like that but I'm just not sure from which world. And then the 'AI' (or whatever you want to call it) with their weird attempts at driving and ridiculous lap times - great game? gimme a break... Quite frankly there are better alternatives to waste your money if you're after modern F1 games, even if you don't like the realism factor of the real sims like MGP or GP2. --Tel

>I can't help but think that you must be some sort of Eidos PR dude. >This game is not any different than Psygnosis' lame attempts in the >past or all those other lookalike simpleracers. You've got to be kidding me! The Psygnosis PC games were night and day worse than what OF1R is. OF1R is quite playable and feels a lot closer to real than the Psygnosis versions ever did. No one is arguing that the graphics are the best, but they are far from ugly. That's subjective opinion though and you're entitled to yours. That's a gross exaggeration. A great game is a game that someone enjoys. Many people are enjoying this one. GP2 requires DOS to run and has its share of problems. MGP has its "digital throttle" problem, along with flypaper off the road. If MGP is a "real sim" then please tell me why it is that in real Formula One you see drivers putting wheels off all the time and losing almost no time as a result. Randy Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

>A great game is a game that someone enjoys. Many people are enjoying >this one. Even more people enjoyed F1'97 as well, or Deer Hunter or whatever...still, I fail to see the greatness here. Right, the off-track slow down is a bit too much but then again it's no rallye sim either so that doesn't really bother me. There's no problem to drive in a halfway realistic manner within the bounds of the track, it just takes a lot of practice some people apparently can't or don't want to go through. And yes, you can run the curbs in MGP (although you won't do it as much as in reality) something I found impossible to do in OF1R simply because the wheel suddenly pops up into the view by what seems like half a meter. That not only looks silly it's also very distracting while driving. There are countless such things, like that ridiculous grip level, the cars spinning around their center (and magically manage to always point in the same direction after that), laptimes beyond any reality, the very forgivable 'damage model', the seriously bad track layouts, a really pathetic implementation of the regulations ('official' license?) and many more flaws. I don't know why you defend such a mediocre (at best) game like OF1R so much, can it be it's because you were in fact almost the only one who gave it a positive review and are now kinda afraid to admit that this game is not what the first sight implied? ;) --Tel

If you want relative reality and low glitch levels, go get GPL. I think the point was made that regardless of the level of reality match, OF1R is fun. So is TOCA2, and so is SCGT, and both have reality problems with AI or physics or whatever. Read Randy's review of it at digitalsports.com, and notice that he knocked it for the problems, too, but found it to be lots of fun. Maybe somebody will issue a patch for it, but not unless it generates the kind of enthusiasm that GPL did (check the percentage of headers in this newsgroup that address GPL, good and bad). Eidos is selling a game here, not continuing a tradition (Papy comes to mind here).... Some of us enjoy it, anyway. True, the greatness of a game is relative, too. If it sells a zillion it is probably definable as great even if it does not make everyone who uses it happy. If it is highly refined and realistic and sophisticated and sells maybe not enough to break even financially, it still is great - just not successful (SBK and GPL come to mind here). If it is a real dog, few buy it and few enjoy it. Then it ain't great (CPR comes to mind here.....).

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> >A great game is a game that someone enjoys. Many people are enjoying > >this one. > Even more people enjoyed F1'97 as well, or Deer Hunter or > whatever...still, I fail to see the greatness here. > >GP2 requires DOS to run and has its share of problems. MGP has its > >"digital throttle" problem, along with flypaper off the road. If MGP > >is a "real sim" then please tell me why it is that in real Formula

One

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> >you see drivers putting wheels off all the time and losing almost no > >time as a result. > Right, the off-track slow down is a bit too much but then again it's > no rallye sim either so that doesn't really bother me. There's no > problem to drive in a halfway realistic manner within the bounds of > the track, it just takes a lot of practice some people apparently > can't or don't want to go through. And yes, you can run the curbs in > MGP (although you won't do it as much as in reality) something I found > impossible to do in OF1R simply because the wheel suddenly pops up > into the view by what seems like half a meter. That not only looks > silly it's also very distracting while driving. There are countless > such things, like that ridiculous grip level, the cars spinning around > their center (and magically manage to always point in the same > direction after that), laptimes beyond any reality, the very > forgivable 'damage model', the seriously bad track layouts, a really > pathetic implementation of the regulations ('official' license?) and > many more flaws. > I don't know why you defend such a mediocre (at best) game like OF1R > so much, can it be it's because you were in fact almost the only one > who gave it a positive review and are now kinda afraid to admit that > this game is not what the first sight implied? ;) > --Tel

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

>Even more people enjoyed F1'97 as well, or Deer Hunter or >whatever...still, I fail to see the greatness here. As I said, you're entitled to your subjective opinion as am I. We just disagree as to our opinion on this game. Racing is about pushing the edge. It means using up all the track. Every driver in real life I've ever seen tackle a road course uses up every bit of track he can, and often pushing means crossing over that line and getting a tire in the dirt. It can also mean using the exit curbing and getting back onto the road, and sometimes that means when you run out of curb you aren't ENTIRELY back on the road. Happens all the time. I want to push the absolute limit and use up every inch of curb. And putting a wheel an inch off line and suddenly slowing just saps the realism from the game in a big hurry. I feel more on the limit in OF1R realizing that if I go off too much I'll lose my CONTROL of the car (as opposed to speed) than I do in MGP/F1RS. Yes, the car is easier to drive because you have more grip and the throttle is less touchy, but it is STILL possible to drive at the limit of ITS physics model, and also at the limit of the track, and that's what makes it fun. MGP just takes the desire to "challenge the track" away. I agree with you on this and pointed it out in my review. However, I'm so used to it now I don't notice it. It certainly doesn't prevent me from hopping curbs! It's not THAT ridiculous, but it is exaggerated. Just like a low-speed spin in MGP. Some yes, some no. You mean like the one in GPL, or F1RS, NASCAR 2or many of the other sims that let you bang up the car a bit before damage really becomes apparent? How so? I know of a couple of areas of inaccuracy, but no more than any other F1 sim, including Psygnosis', Gp2 or F1RS. I have received e-mails supporting my review from all kinds of people, from those who hated the demo to those who never tried the demo and liked it. There were also some people who almost didn't buy it because of the newsgroup and then did anyway and found they liked it. If you check the dejanews archive you'll find that several people publicly commented about this. I have to write my reviews for both the *** sim fan and the average gamer. I let both audiences know in the review what to expect. Clearly you are one of the people who can not have fun beneath a certain level of brute realism. That's fine. I spend a LOT of time with a game before I write a review. By the time I start writing it, I KNOW whether I like the game or not. I've got nothing invested in liking or hating a game. I also know something about driving physics. I've done the classroom material at Skip Barber and done my laps at Laguna Seca in both my own car and the Skip Barber Formula Fords. I also get a chance to play every racing/driving game out there pretty much, so I have a good basis for comparison. When something stinks, I say it stinks. When something has positive aspects, I say so. I also look at how the company is marketing the product. When they promise superb realism and don't deliver it, I point that out. But I also am not a member of the Holy Order of Simulation Brotherhood which takes anything less than Grand Prix Legend fidelity and trashes it as "arcade." I didn't have to work as hard to drive OF1R as F1RS, that's true. On the other hand, I enjoyed the game a lot more. I still drove as hard as I could, and often too hard--and crashed, but I had fun with the game and enjoyed once again flirting with curbs, braking as late as possible, rolling smoothly into the throttle, and looking into the turns as I tossed the car around. I was having FUN. I was not about to lie to everyone to impress some *** who look down their noses at everything non-GPL. I love GPL as much as any of the *** here, but I made it crystal-clear in the review who I thought would like OF1R and who would not. Clearly you are the kind of person who does not. I have no problem with you not liking it. But you've not refuted ANYTHING in my review that is objective, only disagreed with the fact that I *like* the game, just as I liked F1RS, MGP and GP2, in spite of the fact that ALL of them had many of the problems you attribute to OF1R! Randy Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

: I don't know why you defend such a mediocre (at best) game like OF1R : so much, can it be it's because you were in fact almost the only one : who gave it a positive review and are now kinda afraid to admit that : this game is not what the first sight implied? ;) I have seen several positive web-reviews from writers who recognize the difference between an arcade game and a sim. Stephen

>As I said, you're entitled to your subjective opinion as am I. We >just disagree as to our opinion on this game. <snip> Randy, The problems I have with that review aren't due to the fact that you tried to reach arcade as well as sim racers with it but rather because you either missed to point out several IMO critical things or simply stated false informations. For example, it is of course possible to change the brake bias during the race in MGP (as is anti-roll bar and fuel strategy)... also, the graphics in OF1R, tracks, trackside objects as well as cars are far from being 'very good' or 'detailed' - at least not by todays standards. Yes, a mirror is present but certainly not the way anyone would expect it from a racing game that features a 'virtual***pit'... And btw *I* certainly cannot get used to that shaking screen when running over the curbs etc pp... This has absolutely nothing to do with the game being labeled as *** sim or arcade I just think it has serious flaws and the way it is now it doesn't please either faction. --Tel

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>Randy, >The problems I have with that review aren't due to the fact that you >tried to reach arcade as well as sim racers with it but rather because >you either missed to point out several IMO critical things or simply >stated false informations. For example, it is of course possible to >change the brake bias during the race in MGP (as is anti-roll bar and >fuel strategy).

Okay, I obviously missed that when I played MGP. I stand corrected on that. It's comparable to the graphics in F1RS in terms of number of polys and the flat panels used to represent trees, etc. Fine, but a mirror is a mirror, and it's function is more important than it's physical location. That's you. I'm not thrilled with it but it doesn't ruin the game for me. You can't sit there and say that it doesn't please "either faction". Speak for YOURSELF. Here on the newsgroup and privately in E-mail I've gotten letters supporting my view of the game, so I'm clearly not alone. There are also people playing on mplayer every evening who would also disagree with you. I'm sure there are also arcaders who won't like it and simmers who won't like it. I don't mind. There is a certain type of player who will like this game and a certain kind who won't. Please don't presume to state that your opinion is that of everyone besides me when there is clear evidence to the contrary. Randy Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

this thread may boost sales for OF1R. i am thinking about getting OF1R now to see which side i am on.... jb

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> >Randy, > >The problems I have with that review aren't due to the fact that you > >tried to reach arcade as well as sim racers with it but rather because > >you either missed to point out several IMO critical things or simply > >stated false informations. For example, it is of course possible to > >change the brake bias during the race in MGP (as is anti-roll bar and > >fuel strategy). > Okay, I obviously missed that when I played MGP. I stand corrected on > that. > >.. also, the graphics in OF1R, tracks, trackside > >objects as well as cars are far from being 'very good' or 'detailed' - > >at least not by todays standards. > It's comparable to the graphics in F1RS in terms of number of polys > and the flat panels used to represent trees, etc. > > Yes, a mirror is present but > >certainly not the way anyone would expect it from a racing game that > >features a 'virtual***pit'... > Fine, but a mirror is a mirror, and it's function is more important > than it's physical location. > >And btw *I* certainly cannot get used > >to that shaking screen when running over the curbs etc pp... > That's you. I'm not thrilled with it but it doesn't ruin the game for > me. > >This has absolutely nothing to do with the game being labeled as > >*** sim or arcade I just think it has serious flaws and the way > >it is now it doesn't please either faction. > You can't sit there and say that it doesn't please "either faction". > Speak for YOURSELF. Here on the newsgroup and privately in E-mail > I've gotten letters supporting my view of the game, so I'm clearly not > alone. There are also people playing on mplayer every evening who > would also disagree with you. I'm sure there are also arcaders who > won't like it and simmers who won't like it. I don't mind. There is a > certain type of player who will like this game and a certain kind who > won't. Please don't presume to state that your opinion is that of > everyone besides me when there is clear evidence to the contrary. > Randy > Randy Magruder > [link lost in import]

OF1R now to see which side i am on.... Laugh ! That's exactly what I did ! But I am still sitting on the fence (and it hurts). I want to like that game, but the twitch when you hit kerbs is just making me dizzy, I hate that... Also, I cannot get a good feel for car control with my Saitek r4 FF (Microsoft engine), the wheel's play around the center position is not FF'd at all and very sensitive, while FF comes into play when you turn the wheel more. (seems like a huge dead zone basically)...Meaning all little corrections are not receiving Force feedback, so they car feels super twitchy. Makes it really hard, and there no real sensitivity + dead zone setttings. THAT is killing it for me, which sucks 'cause it looks fun. Back to SCGT for now.... Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

I wish I'd had my FF working when I did the OF1R because that would hurt them in the review and I would have warned FF owners about this. I have contacted them and done some begging for a patch to make this game more playable for FF wheel owners. It's fine for my TSW but I don't play it with FF anymore. Randy

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>> this thread may boost sales for OF1R. i am thinking about getting >OF1R now to see which side i am on.... >> jb >Laugh ! That's exactly what I did ! But I am still sitting on the fence >(and it hurts). I want to like that game, but the twitch when you hit >kerbs is just making me dizzy, I hate that... Also, I cannot get a good >feel for car control with my Saitek r4 FF (Microsoft engine), the >wheel's play around the center position is not FF'd at all and very >sensitive, while FF comes into play when you turn the wheel more. >(seems like a huge dead zone basically)...Meaning all little >corrections are not receiving Force feedback, so they car feels super >twitchy. Makes it really hard, and there no real sensitivity + dead >zone setttings. THAT is killing it for me, which sucks 'cause it looks >fun. Back to SCGT for now.... >Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ >Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

Randy Magruder http://members.home.com/rmagruder

On Thu, 05 Aug 1999 17:47:43 GMT, Amen. I really like OF1R, personally! -- * rrevved at mindspring dot com

On Thu, 5 Aug 1999 15:44:12 -0400, LOL!! -- * rrevved at mindspring dot com

I bought this game after reading Randy's review. It was a lengthy, well written review and I understood exactly the target audience for the game and it's problems. I ordered the game before purchasing the demo, and after playing the demo I thought I made a mistake. Upon receiving the game, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only flaw I see is determining the intended audience for the game. I'm not one to enjoy an arcade racer. I despise the Need For Speed series and all similar games. On the other hand, I'm not the most accomplished sim driver. I needed a game that would introduce me to F1 and the sim genre without being overly difficult. OFR1 suits that to a "T". GPL is far beyond my current skill level, and although I feel I could have excelled at Ubi Soft's offering it would have required some work on my part. I felt it was too punishing for a beginner. That left one game, OFR1. I don't have a problem with bouncing over the curb, because I don't use the***pit view. I haven't had problems with the spins because (a) it's not worth ***ing about and (b) I don't spin that often when I'm driving within my limits. The grip may be a little forgiving, but if it was less so I would be spinning and ***ing about the spins. In conclusion, I don't think this game has any serious flaws other than a lack of room to grow. This is mainly due to the limits you have in setting up your car. On the other hand, if it had more options I would feel overwhelmed and may enjoy the game less. I'm the target audience for this game and it suits me just fine. -Andrew

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> >As I said, you're entitled to your subjective opinion as am I. We > >just disagree as to our opinion on this game. > <snip> > Randy, > The problems I have with that review aren't due to the fact that you > tried to reach arcade as well as sim racers with it but rather because > you either missed to point out several IMO critical things or simply > stated false informations. For example, it is of course possible to > change the brake bias during the race in MGP (as is anti-roll bar and > fuel strategy)... also, the graphics in OF1R, tracks, trackside > objects as well as cars are far from being 'very good' or 'detailed' - > at least not by todays standards. Yes, a mirror is present but > certainly not the way anyone would expect it from a racing game that > features a 'virtual***pit'... And btw *I* certainly cannot get used > to that shaking screen when running over the curbs etc pp... > This has absolutely nothing to do with the game being labeled as > *** sim or arcade I just think it has serious flaws and the way > it is now it doesn't please either faction. > --Tel

The track layouts in the UBISoft games are absolutely unforgivable. Anyone with at TV can notice that one for themselves. That's why I'm surprised that you are comparing OF1R to MGP. Take Hockenheim for example. Watch them negotiate the first chicane. The curb at the exit is shallow and wide. They drive the car half on it the whole way out. Chicane two - look how they drop into the pit the car compressing in the bottom. chicane three. they drive on the exit curb again. In the UBI game the shapes of the chicanes are all wrong. Incorrect angles and no altitude changes. They are featureless and are either impossible to drive or don't present an advantage. At Hock both are true. You wanna try something? Go rent a tape of Hockenheim and the N64 game World Championship (?). Then compare the track layouts of real life, Nintendo, MGP, and OF1R. Then tell me where the track layouts in OF1R and MGP lie. I think you'll say 3rd and 4th respectively. So Nintendo kicked all our asses this time. :-) I really enjoy hoping into a sim after the race on Sunday morning and trying the trick I just saw Shoey do at La Rascasse or whatever. The track layout is the single highest discouraging factor in the UBI games and keeps me from playing them as I am disgusted that I cant use the curb like I see the drivers do in real life. I don't think it's fun without them. I like OF1R. In many ways it reminds me of GP2. The physics and AI included in that familiarity. PS If you want to bash the physics of any game, UBI's offerings are a particularly poor place to start when looking for comparisons.

Regarding the force feedback... does anyone know of a way to adjust this in the game, or in any config files? I, too, have a Saitek R4, and there is a huge "dead zone in the force feedback"... Ed > > this thread may boost sales for OF1R. i am thinking about getting > OF1R now to see which side i am on.... > > jb > Laugh ! That's exactly what I did ! But I am still sitting on the fence > (and it hurts). I want to like that game, but the twitch when you hit > kerbs is just making me dizzy, I hate that... Also, I cannot get a good

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> feel for car control with my Saitek r4 FF (Microsoft engine), the > wheel's play around the center position is not FF'd at all and very > sensitive, while FF comes into play when you turn the wheel more. > (seems like a huge dead zone basically)...Meaning all little > corrections are not receiving Force feedback, so they car feels super > twitchy. Makes it really hard, and there no real sensitivity + dead > zone setttings. THAT is killing it for me, which sucks 'cause it looks > fun. Back to SCGT for now.... > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Share what you know. Learn what you don't.