Thanks, GPL, for ruining it all for me...

Somehow I've managed to avoid GPL for the year since it was released. Being a notebook user helped. I finally tried out the Watkins Glen demo (which I gather isn't even the "good" demo) on a friend's PC. It wasn't even a ninja PC, just a PII300 backed up with an old Voodoo I. Now I know what you have all been ranting and raving about. I also don't think that it is as beginner unfriendly as everyone says. I only get about 3 hours of "seat time" on my driving sims (GP2 and ICR2) per week, and in fact in GP2 with a stick and no steering help or throttle help, I am lucky to string together 10 good laps in a row, so I think I am not overqualified as a simmer. But I think GPL provides a fairly smooth learning curve if the player can check their ego at the door and start in the novice trainer. On top of that, Papyrus provides lots of help, I think. I started with analog steering, keyboard brakes and throttle. The code, like all Papyrus sims, "eases" the brakes and throttle on when a key is pressed. I quickly moved on to full analog control, but with the helps on. After about 2 hours, I had made it to full analog control and only auto shifting, turning consistent (consistently slow?) laps in the advanced trainer. The GP car was a hoot, but wheelspin in third gear told me I still needed practice. Of course, the next step is to get my ass kicked by AI, but I for one like this learning curve. And I find the GPL cars easier to drive than ICR2 on a road course. There is so much feedback (visual) from the 3D***pit, the blocking tires, the sound in GPL that it is a joy to drive. I even found it driveable with manual shifting and a joystick, something I have never been able to do with ICR2 or GP2. We also tried out just about every other current sim demo. No other demo impressed me. I tried SCGT, Viper, TOCA2, CMR... dull. I tried MGPRS, which my friend has... a dud. I even loaded my old favorite GP2 onto his PII. It was a nice change from my notebook, but somehow flat. And none of the other sims come close to GPL for sound. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face, and that was just with an Eagle... bring on the Ferrari. So thanks, GPL, not only have you ruined all my previous sims for me, but you've also forced me to go buy a desktop (not an easy thing for a notebook junkie). A question: what is better about the Monza demo, and where can I find it? Is it still just "training", or can you race against a few AI? Stephen (better late to GPl than never)

grab the file at the pits: http://www.theuspits.com/owheel/gpl/files/monza.zip this is just the track - no AI ... but I promise: you won't regret buying GPL! ;-) Lio

Just go and buy the full game. And then watch it rouen everything else in you life.

(snip) >Just go and buy the full game. And then watch it rouen everything else in >you life. LOL! It even rouens your spelling! Great! Kurt

Gotta agree. You can probably find the full version for as little as $20. That part is cheap. After you get your desktop you are gonna want a nice wheel/pedals setup. A comfortable chair is an absolute requirement for those long hours spent practicing, totally oblivious to everything around you. Oh yeah, a good pair of headphones is a must not only to get every bit of the game sounds but also to hide the fact that you are " in front of that damn computer again" . I hope you have unlimited internet access because the only other time you spend on the computer will be online searching for new car setups, sounds, patches etc. etc. Now for the plus side..... You'll be amazed at the amount of time you'll be knocking of the drive to and from work. Not to mention the looks of terror on the faces of anyone riding with you. Trail braking in a base model 4 door Saturn. It can be done ! Seriously though. You are going to find this the most frustrating sim ever. But probably one of the most rewarding. It sounds as if you are doing the training routine the rest of us should have followed. You may end up the next Wolfgang Woeger. Joe

Joe, You forgot about the new soundcard and speakers, cable hookup, new video card and larger monitor. GPL is cheap, it's the upgrades that will have you happily draining your savings<g>. Oh, and if you're married, you might think about opening an account at the local florist. don [|]-(_)-[|] >Gotta agree. You can probably find the full version for as little as $20. >That part is cheap. After you get your desktop you are gonna want a nice >wheel/pedals setup. A comfortable chair is an absolute requirement for those >long hours spent practicing, totally oblivious to everything around you. Oh >yeah, a good pair >of headphones is a must not only to get every bit of the game sounds but >also to hide the fact that you are " in front of that damn computer again" . >I hope you have unlimited internet access because the only other time you >spend on the computer will be online searching for new car setups, sounds, >patches etc. etc.

Get the full game, ya tight git!! ;-)) Welcome to the club of people formerly known to have a life. Jan. ---- <Snip>

Steve, Buy that SIM, now!!!!!!!! It's the best there is (for a long time, believe me.....). There's so much you're still not awere of playing around with the demo: - The other tracks with the apotheose at the 'ring'! - The magnificient FF implementation (you not only need a desktop PC, you also MUST buy a FF wheel <grin>). - The online experience - have the adrenaline pumping through your veins! - The fantastic GPL sites with lots of (free) add-on's. I think GP3 (if ever released) will have a very hard time to beat this one. just my $0.02 Jan. J.H.Hovius.vcf < 1K Download

Wait till you try it with a wheel and pedals. The sound is good but the upgrade sounds that a number of people have created for GPL are even better. I agree. The glued down feel of the aero cars in GP2 aren't anywhere near as satisfying as the car control you get to practice in GPL, but, GET YOURSELF A STEERING WHEEL! Forget the demo. Buy the game. And if you think it will ruin you for other games, wait till you get into the Nurburgring, it will ruin it for all other tracks. I have become a Ring junkie, I can't get away from it, I dream of it. -- Don Scurlock Vancouver,B.C.

: Get the full game, ya tight git!! ;-)) Already ordered it. : Welcome to the club of people formerly known to have a life. Will limit myself to weekend use until this bastard known as a PhD is done. Stephen

You too eh?? You know, sometimes I regret having bought it... but then I nail Pflantzgarten just right..... Jan. ;-) ----

Congratulations! Oh, and if you want to give your laptop away I know a good home for it <g> Andrew McP

Steve: Congrats on ordering GPL ... and congrats on the Masters degree too ... because heaven knows you won't have time to get a doctorate with it around, unless you can somehow convince the powers that be that getting a sub 8:00 ring time qualifies you for one. Actually, in these circles ... it does :-) Welcome to the ranks of the damned ... and loving it. Joe

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> : Get the full game, ya tight git!! ;-)) > Already ordered it. > : Welcome to the club of people formerly known to have a life. > Will limit myself to weekend use until this bastard known as a PhD is > done. > Stephen

Run... Run like the wind.... Run fast, run far..... ...or get about 8 months of sleep right now before you buy the beast. -- Mark Jeangerard - 10 hours of sleep a week is good? Right? www.soundchaserweb.com New Mexico USA snip

Stephen, Alarm: Stop, don't open the box when it arrives! Your PhD is truly lost whenever you do so. Don't even think about installing it. You won't be able to start your favourite Text processor (with your thesis in it) anymore! Just some serious advice. Jan.

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> : Get the full game, ya tight git!! ;-)) > Already ordered it. > : Welcome to the club of people formerly known to have a life. > Will limit myself to weekend use until this bastard known as a PhD is > done.

Simply impossible! Believe me. J.H.Hovius.vcf < 1K Download

Of course he'll be doing his thesis using***(what else? Would you trust a document of such value to a Microsoft product???), so an option would be removing the windows entry from his Lilo setup for the time being. ;-) Uwe -- Uwe Schuerkamp http://www.schuerkamp.de/ Herford, Germany (52.0N/8h30mE) Ever wondered what's wrong with the world? http://bnetwork.com/ PGP Fingerprint: 2E 13 20 22 9A 3F 63 7F 67 6F E9 B1 A8 36 A4 61

hahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahhahahaha hahahhahaahhahaa

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>: Get the full game, ya tight git!! ;-)) >Already ordered it. >: Welcome to the club of people formerly known to have a life. >Will limit myself to weekend use until this bastard known as a PhD is >done. >Stephen

: hahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahhahahaha hahahhahaahhahaa No, really. I'm not even going desktop shopping until Christmas. Until then, it sits on the computer owned by my girlfriend's brother. It's a 10km drive, and that's enough of a deterrent. Really... I mean it... :) Stephen :>: Get the full game, ya tight git!! ;-)) :> :>Already ordered it. :> :>: Welcome to the club of people formerly known to have a life. :> :>Will limit myself to weekend use until this bastard known as a PhD is :>done. :> :>Stephen :> :> :>

hahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahhahahaha hahahhahaahhahaa -- Mark Jeangerard www.soundchaserweb.com New Mexico USA