Questions on GPL

Hi, I have tried the GPL demo, and I was wondering if you could answer any of these questions: 1) Is a steering wheel essential for GPL? I can't seem to control the cars, I press "left" and the car turns about 90 degress left, not about 5 or 6 degrees. I can't even drive around the track without hitting a wall. 2) Is there a reverse option? I.e if you go into a wall you can actually reverse out of it. In the demo you can't reverse, so if you hit a wall at 90 degrees you couldn't do anything - you had to quit. 3) You have to have a voodoo card - the game demo is not playable on software mode! The graphics on GP2 are better........ Are the graphics for software mode just as bad in the game or do I have to buy a voodoo card? 4)The sound is really poor in the demo. I can hear the wind but that's about it. Is it different in the game? 5) Is the game quite flexible, i.e. are there tracks you can download off the internet, cars you can download etc. Also have any of you got the Saitek R4 force feedback wheel? I'm thinking of getting it. What's stopping me is that I know it won't work in GP2. 6) Is the force feedback good in GPL? Thanks very much, I appreciate any thanks you can give me. Michael --------------------------------------------------------------- Come.to/grandprix3: http://come.to/grandprix3 Formula 1 HeadQuarters: http://www.klam71.freeserve.co.uk ICQ: 35693329 ---------------------------------------------------------------

Do you drive your car with a keyboard or a wheel? ;-) Same applies to driving games, nothing beats a wheel and pedals. Logitech Wingman Formula Force and TSW2 are my 2 wheels. Check your control set up, you must assign a key for down shift and up shift. To shift into reverse you must down shift THROUGH neutral and into reverse. It works in the demo. A 3d card is a must (rendition or Glide supported bc Open GL patch is inferior). I wouldn't even try software mode. The graphics, while not bright and flashy, are excellent and my personal favorite for a racing sim. This game has the best engine sounds of any racing game I've ever played so you are certainly having a problem. There are TONS of great GPL sites for set-ups, even better sounds, an add-on track (Brands Hatch), and various utilities. This is the #1 driving sim so support is plentiful. The force feedback is outstanding, by far the best yet. Better than MGPR2, F1RS, OF1R, and SCGT by a great margin! I bought a FF wheel just for the FF in GPL. Viper racing is a close second. GPL FF adds another dimension to the game that I never thought possible. You can feel truly feel the weight of the car. The inertia and/or loss of grip is excellent. You just have to try it to believe it, it makes the best sim even better. Your welcome. If you're in the market for a serious driving sim with great long term value GPL is honestly the greatest racing sim ever made. --- Joe Marques

I'm thinking of getting Saitek R4 FFB wheel........ Whoops, forgot about that.......... sim. Hmm...I'll have to fork out about 80 for a voodoo2, 110 for a Saitek R4, 20 for the game.....$210!!Ouch! I just heard there is no force feedback though.............. Thanks a lot Michael

On Sat, 28 Aug 1999 16:10:57 +0100, "Michael Lam"

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>Hi, >I have tried the GPL demo, and I was wondering if you could answer any of >these questions: >1) Is a steering wheel essential for GPL? I can't seem to control the cars, >I press "left" and the car turns about 90 degress left, not about 5 or 6 >degrees. I can't even drive around the track without hitting a wall.

yes, though some use joystick plus foot pedals yes yes I never had the demo, went right for the game, but mine sounds great on a SB Live! Tracks? not many Cars? lots plus lots more enhancements as far as a FF wheel it seems most would recommend Microsoft's or Logitech's. YES!

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>Thanks very much, I appreciate any thanks you can give me. >Michael >--------------------------------------------------------------- >Come.to/grandprix3: http://come.to/grandprix3 >Formula 1 HeadQuarters: http://www.klam71.freeserve.co.uk >ICQ: 35693329 >---------------------------------------------------------------

To email me remove the "u"s

On Sat, 28 Aug 1999 17:23:52 +0100, With the new patch, there is great FF. -- * rrevved at mindspring dot com * http://www.cabal.net * http://www.sputum.com

On Sat, 28 Aug 1999 16:10:57 +0100, "Michael Lam" To answer some of your questions: Either a good steering wheel or joystick is an essential piece of kit for Grand Prix Legends, I'm afraid. You'll understand why once you try it with an analogue controller. If you're worried about the high prices of steering wheels, don't. You can actually find some for quite reasonable prices, such as the Logic3 Topdrive wheel, which features 4 buttons, a D-Pad, a gear stick and pedals all for around 50, which is pretty reasonable, especially compared to some of the better quality wheels which can reach the hundreds of pounds worth. Weren't you able to press CTRL+R to reset the car on the track after an accident? A good 3D really can make the world of difference, and Grand Prix Legends is perhaps one of the best examples of this. However, if you're not interested in the Voodoo2 or Voodoo3, you can buy the TNT2/TNT2 Ultra. Whilst neither of these are 3Dfx, you can download the Glide drivers for Grand Prix Legends, which has only a slight decrease in performance over 3Dfx. The sounds sounded fine in my demo. This could be due to a driver conflict, or you may need to tweak the settings. Check out the Readme. There is now!

Just a little note: The real version is FAR better than the demo. YES YOU NEED A WHEEL. It is a MUST. These cars are hard enough to drive as it is. Keyboards are 'digital' controls. Either full on or full off. Wheels are 'analog' - you can have off, 10% on, 39% on, full on, whatever. Much easier to drive. Yes, there is a reverse. Just keep shifting down and you'll get there (down past neutral). A Vooodoo2 is really needed - though there are rendition cards too, they're worthless for other games. Yes, it gets better, and you can get better sounds from the net. All of the above - tracks, cars, and a FF patch. -- Kirk Lane ICQ: 28171652 BRT #187 "I read dead Russian authors volumes at a time I write everything down except what's on my mind 'Cause my greatest fear is the sucking sound And then I know I'll never get back out" -'Narcolepsy', Third Eye Blind

http://start.at/greenflag -- > 5) Is the game quite flexible, i.e. are there tracks you can download off > the internet, cars you can download etc. Also have any of you got the Saitek > R4 force feedback wheel? I'm thinking of getting it. What's stopping me is > that I know it won't work in GP2. I have a Microsoft FF wheel which works fine in GP2, and apparently has similar internals to the Saitek wheel. -- Ian Parker UKGPL League

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> On Sat, 28 Aug 1999 16:10:57 +0100, "Michael Lam" > To answer some of your questions: > >1) Is a steering wheel essential for GPL? I can't seem to control the cars, > >I press "left" and the car turns about 90 degress left, not about 5 or 6 > >degrees. I can't even drive around the track without hitting a wall. > Either a good steering wheel or joystick is an essential piece of kit > for Grand Prix Legends, I'm afraid. You'll understand why once you try > it with an analogue controller. > If you're worried about the high prices of steering wheels, don't. You > can actually find some for quite reasonable prices, such as the Logic3 > Topdrive wheel, which features 4 buttons, a D-Pad, a gear stick and > pedals all for around 50, which is pretty reasonable, especially > compared to some of the better quality wheels which can reach the > hundreds of pounds worth. > >2) Is there a reverse option? I.e if you go into a wall you can actually > >reverse out of it. In the demo you can't reverse, so if you hit a wall at 90 > >degrees you couldn't do anything - you had to quit. > Weren't you able to press CTRL+R to reset the car on the track after > an accident? > >3) You have to have a voodoo card - the game demo is not playable on > >software mode! The graphics on GP2 are better........ > >Are the graphics for software mode just as bad in the game or do I have to > >buy a voodoo card? > A good 3D really can make the world of difference, and Grand Prix > Legends is perhaps one of the best examples of this. However, if > you're not interested in the Voodoo2 or Voodoo3, you can buy the > TNT2/TNT2 Ultra. Whilst neither of these are 3Dfx, you can download > the Glide drivers for Grand Prix Legends, which has only a slight > decrease in performance over 3Dfx.

Correction: It's not a glide driver (TNT's don't support glide!) it's an OpenGL driver which is in fact limited w.r.t. mirror-effects (it's originally been miniGL driver to be used for Quake that's why there was no mirroring implemented in it). This limitation is translated into poor framerate (10-15fps compared to 30-36fps when using native glide driver) when using the***pit view. Using chase view (F10) is OK though. And yes it is really awesome! GPL with FF is absolutely fantastic/impressive ......!!!! Jan. J.H.Hovius.vcf < 1K Download

<snip> Although most people have recommended using a wheel to get the most out of GPL, you certainly can get by with a joystick if you can't afford a wheel at the moment, though even with this, the better the quality the better you'll drive and the longer it'll last. Cheap joysticks just don't last longer than about a couple of months with excessive use, and if you start to enjoy this game that's exactly what it's going to get. So if you do decide to buy a joystick at least expect to pay 30 or more for one. And despite what most people here might say, you can be just as fast with a joystick. It's just not quite as emmersive, that's all. -- Peter Ives

If you're going to use a joystick for driving (with pedals, of course), I'd suggest the CH Products FlightStick (http://www.chproducts.com/shop/classic.html - the one in the upper left; us$25). Randy

<snip> You are correct, but it was a typo in my previous message. It was intended to read 'you can download the OpenGl drivers for Grand Prix Legends...' I appreciate the correction however. Dave Bowman

On Tue, 31 Aug 1999 01:42:11 +0100, Peter Ives

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>Although most people have recommended using a wheel to get the most out >of GPL, you certainly can get by with a joystick if you can't afford a >wheel at the moment, though even with this, the better the quality the >better you'll drive and the longer it'll last. Cheap joysticks just >don't last longer than about a couple of months with excessive use, and >if you start to enjoy this game that's exactly what it's going to get. >So if you do decide to buy a joystick at least expect to pay 30 or more >for one. And despite what most people here might say, you can be just >as fast with a joystick. It's just not quite as emmersive, that's all.

Some of the best GPL drivers use a combination of stick and pedals. In response to your statement on cheap joysticks - the same thing goes for steering wheels, only perhaps more so. It's best to hear from other people, and perhaps read some on-line reviews about a particular wheel before buying it. Cheap wheels, such as some from Logic3 will not last long at all. My Logic3 pedals stopped functioning after 7 days, and now, less than a year later, the right pedal is stuck to the floor and one of the buttons won't spring back into position. I need to buy a well built steering wheel next. Perhaps I could convert the wheel from my car? ;-) Dave Bowman

Dave, If by "well built" you mean "SOLID!", then look no further than the Advantage 1, by Ferraro Designs. This thing is built like a brick shithouse......there's some serious steel in the A1....about one-eighth thick in the critical areas such as support for the pedals and the support and bracing, bearings etc. for both wheel and pedals. Also, no *** is used...the springs are the coiled, tension type. I've had mine for almost 12 months and the on;y "problem" I've experienced is an easing of the spring tension in the accelerator pedal.

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> On Tue, 31 Aug 1999 01:42:11 +0100, Peter Ives > >Although most people have recommended using a wheel to get the most out > >of GPL, you certainly can get by with a joystick if you can't afford a > >wheel at the moment, though even with this, the better the quality the > >better you'll drive and the longer it'll last. Cheap joysticks just > >don't last longer than about a couple of months with excessive use, and > >if you start to enjoy this game that's exactly what it's going to get. > >So if you do decide to buy a joystick at least expect to pay 30 or more > >for one. And despite what most people here might say, you can be just > >as fast with a joystick. It's just not quite as emmersive, that's all. > Some of the best GPL drivers use a combination of stick and pedals. > In response to your statement on cheap joysticks - the same thing goes > for steering wheels, only perhaps more so. It's best to hear from > other people, and perhaps read some on-line reviews about a particular > wheel before buying it. Cheap wheels, such as some from Logic3 will > not last long at all. My Logic3 pedals stopped functioning after 7 > days, and now, less than a year later, the right pedal is stuck to the > floor and one of the buttons won't spring back into position. > I need to buy a well built steering wheel next. Perhaps I could > convert the wheel from my car? ;-) > Dave Bowman

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On Sun, 5 Sep 1999 08:38:03 +1000, "Bruce Kennewell"

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>If by "well built" you mean "SOLID!", then look no further than the >Advantage 1, by Ferraro Designs. >This thing is built like a brick shithouse......there's some serious steel >in the A1....about one-eighth thick in the critical areas such as support >for the pedals and the support and bracing, bearings etc. for both wheel and >pedals. >Also, no *** is used...the springs are the coiled, tension type.

Sounds sweet! Do you know the homepage for Ferraro, as I'd like to take a look at this wheel... Dave Bowman

[link lost in import] don [|]-(_)-[|]

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>On Sun, 5 Sep 1999 08:38:03 +1000, "Bruce Kennewell" >>If by "well built" you mean "SOLID!", then look no further than the >>Advantage 1, by Ferraro Designs. >>This thing is built like a brick shithouse......there's some serious steel >>in the A1....about one-eighth thick in the critical areas such as support >>for the pedals and the support and bracing, bearings etc. for both wheel

and

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>>pedals. >>Also, no *** is used...the springs are the coiled, tension type. >Sounds sweet! >Do you know the homepage for Ferraro, as I'd like to take a look at >this wheel... >Dave Bowman

: If you're going to use a joystick for driving (with pedals, of course), : I'd suggest the CH Products FlightStick : (http://www.chproducts.com/shop/classic.html - the one in the upper : left; us$25). I'm actually partial to the tiny Mach 2 (same page) but that might be because I grew up with them from my Apple II days... Stephen

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>: If you're going to use a joystick for driving (with pedals, of course), >: I'd suggest the CH Products FlightStick >: (http://www.chproducts.com/shop/classic.html - the one in the upper >: left; us$25). >I'm actually partial to the tiny Mach 2 (same page) but that might be >because I grew up with them from my Apple II days...

Mach 2! What a great piece of HW! :). I've had mine for 4-5 years and the pots are still in mint condition! Great for GP500 demo :) Hena