OK - WHAT AM I DOING WRONG IN GPL???

Here's the deal: I've been concentrating on Monza for the last couple weeks, and have gotten down to a 1:30.12 in a Lotus, which for me is respectable, but not close to what I know I can do. The problem is, when I go online to race, EVERY car in the race absolutely walks away from me on the straights!!! I get a solid drive off the corner, but as soon as we hit third, everyone's gone! I'm geared right (I've used every combination possible), used every suggested clutch and ramp combo, lowered the car to 2.5 inches (although I've read of 1" settings-how can this be done?-is it a utility that allows non-factory settings?), and every other thing I can think of, but I still get stomped!!! What's up??? Any suggestions would be appreciated... thanks, Wally

What's your topspeed? I used to get only 308km/h max. I thought it was normal untill I decided to recalibrate. Instead of pushing my throttle 100% I only pushed it like 98%. So when I push my pedal to the wood (made my wheel myself) when racing I'm sure I get all the throttle possible because I push the ped further than I calibrated it. I ended up getting up to 315km/h. It opended a new world for me. I could get easily get constant sub 1.29's while before I couldn't get under 1.30 once. <Wally> schreef in berichtnieuws [email hidden]...

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> Here's the deal: > > I've been concentrating on Monza for the last couple weeks, and have > gotten down to a 1:30.12 in a Lotus, which for me is respectable, but > not close to what I know I can do. The problem is, when I go online > to race, EVERY car in the race absolutely walks away from me on the > straights!!! I get a solid drive off the corner, but as soon as we hit > third, everyone's gone! I'm geared right (I've used every combination > possible), used every suggested clutch and ramp combo, lowered the car > to 2.5 inches (although I've read of 1" settings-how can this be > done?-is it a utility that allows non-factory settings?), and every > other thing I can think of, but I still get stomped!!! What's up??? > > Any suggestions would be appreciated... > > thanks, > > Wally

I was getting 176 (!) MPH top speed before the Curva Grande... I too made my own wheel & pedals (remember Wally's World?-that's me), and was using one of my old pedal units - found out I had a bad pot... THX all for giving me the tips on setup - I've since gotten into the 1:29's without a problem! Now if I can just make it through the first lap Lesmos online w/o getting punted! :- ) On Sat, 26 Feb 2000 17:58:08 +0100, "Tim Vanhee" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>What's your topspeed? I used to get only 308km/h max. I thought it was >normal untill I decided to recalibrate. Instead of pushing my throttle 100% >I only pushed it like 98%. So when I push my pedal to the wood (made my >wheel myself) when racing I'm sure I get all the throttle possible because I >push the ped further than I calibrated it. >I ended up getting up to 315km/h. It opended a new world for me. I could get >easily get constant sub 1.29's while before I couldn't get under 1.30 once. > ><Wally> schreef in berichtnieuws [email hidden]... >> Here's the deal: >> >> I've been concentrating on Monza for the last couple weeks, and have >> gotten down to a 1:30.12 in a Lotus, which for me is respectable, but >> not close to what I know I can do. The problem is, when I go online >> to race, EVERY car in the race absolutely walks away from me on the >> straights!!! I get a solid drive off the corner, but as soon as we hit >> third, everyone's gone! I'm geared right (I've used every combination >> possible), used every suggested clutch and ramp combo, lowered the car >> to 2.5 inches (although I've read of 1" settings-how can this be >> done?-is it a utility that allows non-factory settings?), and every >> other thing I can think of, but I still get stomped!!! What's up??? >> >> Any suggestions would be appreciated... >> >> thanks, >> >> Wally >

To find out, get some brilliant utilities available on the net. I haven't got any URL's since I recently had an issue of ripping out all the guts from my ATX cabinet and thereby a format c:, but look for two apps called GPLDump and GPL Spy Girl. Using them you can pintpoint exactly why you are losing speed. If it's not your driving (always is mine! <g>), you may just have a controller problem. Graphs on every parameter, easily readable, plus you can merge some hotshoe madman's hotlap replay with your best, and see the cars doing the lap at the same time. The truth is out there.....! I think they can be found at www.theuspits.com Good luck! Matt Get them! They're priceless :-D

if everything's ok with your joystick/wheel/pedals (i.e. calibration), it is probably the exit speed of the other drivers. compare their laps to yours using GPL SpyGirl and GPL Track Computer and maybe you can improve your exit speed. Lio

This is a long-shot, but a while ago I suffered the same thing because of a dirty brake pedal pot, which meant that the brake was "fouling" a little, i.e I still had a little bit of brake on even when I wasn't touching the pedal. I cleaned the pot, no problems since... -- Cheers! Graeme Nash

(Wally) wrote:

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>Here's the deal: > >I've been concentrating on Monza for the last couple weeks, and have >gotten down to a 1:30.12 in a Lotus, which for me is respectable, but >not close to what I know I can do. The problem is, when I go online >to race, EVERY car in the race absolutely walks away from me on the >straights!!! I get a solid drive off the corner, but as soon as we hit >third, everyone's gone! I'm geared right (I've used every combination >possible), used every suggested clutch and ramp combo, lowered the car >to 2.5 inches (although I've read of 1" settings-how can this be >done?-is it a utility that allows non-factory settings?), and every >other thing I can think of, but I still get stomped!!! What's up??? > >Any suggestions would be appreciated...

GPL 1.0 allowed a rideheight of 1". Since GPL 1.1 the minimum rideheight is 2.5". About performance....do you use any aids? Like auto gear change? This will cause some performance loss... Further, the Lotus is not the best choice for starting drivers. When driven on the edge, the Lotus will bite back. Start with the Ferrari ( bad car for Monza because it has no topend, but it has a great handling), and once you can do 1:29 laps with it (consistent), then go to the Lotus...just an hint... Remco

When do you hit redline in top gear on the back straight before Parabolica. You should hit it just before you dive onto the brakes for Parabolica. I know that the Ferarri is undergeared out of the box for Monza. You spend 50% of that straight sitting at redline... Regards, Brett C. Cammack That's Racing! Motorsports Pompano Beach, FL

EldredP <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Dumb question - how do you improve your exit speed? I've compared myreplays > to others. First, I have to start slowing earlier. Second, my slowestspeed > in the corner is much less than theirs. Third, how do I improve 1 and2?<g> Somethings you might try, but maybe thought you had nailed: With the recent talk about toe, I went back and cranked a notch or two more front toe-out in setups where I tuned softer the fronts for better turn-in. This let me stiffen it back up to find better overall balance. Rouen and O'ring responded very well to this. This is assuming your setups weren't perfect to begin with, of course. Brake bias is one of the first gross adjustments that I make. After fine tuning the rest of the car, a notch or two either way might prove be necessary. This made the difference for me at Zandvoort and Kyalami. Gearing makes a big difference in top speed on big straights. It wasn't until I matched my shift points to Gurney's Eagle at Spa that I could even approach the bigboyz on the straights. OTOH, their gearing doesn't work for me at all at Rouen. And, of course, the best line for you might not be the groove painted on the track. The slow lefts after Bosch at O'ring were the most glaring. A deep inside line got me on the gas way sooner, and the brakes way later. Similarly, track out and hugging the outside rail exiting Blanchimont on the way to La Source is good for about 20 mph better than even J. Clark. Cottage can be taken almost flat out if you turn in sooner and drive right down to the dirt at apex. At other places, Burnenville comes to mind, I've experimented running offline, felt faster, but ended up slower. Regardless of how it looks, I don't think the AI is cheating. :-) I keep finding little and big things that help, and hurt, lap times. Just keep digging for them when your laptimes plateau. Michael.

: Here's the deal: : I've been concentrating on Monza for the last couple weeks, and have : gotten down to a 1:30.12 in a Lotus, which for me is respectable, but : not close to what I know I can do. The problem is, when I go online : to race, EVERY car in the race absolutely walks away from me on the : straights!!! I get a solid drive off the corner, but as soon as we hit : third, everyone's gone! I'm geared right (I've used every combination : possible), used every suggested clutch and ramp combo, lowered the car : to 2.5 inches (although I've read of 1" settings-how can this be : done?-is it a utility that allows non-factory settings?), and every : other thing I can think of, but I still get stomped!!! What's up??? Hmm... it could be that old "optical illusion" thing. Say the driver is 2 seconds ahead of you. That means that rounding parabolica you're within close sight of him/her but down the main straight he's a dot in the distance. The 1" ride-heights were in GPL 1.0 - this was removed in 1.2 (which everyone races on line) so are no longer possible. If you're racing at 1:30.12 in a lotus then remember there are other guys online who are doing 1:27s - they're taking 3 seconds a lap from you - it's only 1 lap to go from being on their gear-box to them being a spot in the distance. I simply can't understand how people can be so fast at Monza. It's amazing to me that there exists another 2 seconds that I can find from my best ever time there. Monaco is even more depressing where I think I'm something like 8 seconds off the world record pace - I find that simply unbelievable. -- Richard G. Clegg Only the mind is waving Networks and Non-Linear Dynamics Group Dept. of Mathematics, Uni. of York www: http://manor.york.ac.uk/top.html

Hey, that was you? Thanks a lot mate! Your site was a great help for me! (So was Huxworld)

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> I was getting 176 (!) MPH top speed before the Curva Grande... I too > made my own wheel & pedals (remember Wally's World?-that's me), and > was using one of my old pedal units - found out I had a bad pot... > THX all for giving me the tips on setup - I've since gotten into the > 1:29's without a problem! Now if I can just make it through the first > lap Lesmos online w/o getting punted! > :- ) > >What's your topspeed? I used to get only 308km/h max. I thought it was > >normal untill I decided to recalibrate. Instead of pushing my throttle

100% > >I only pushed it like 98%. So when I push my pedal to the wood (made my > >wheel myself) when racing I'm sure I get all the throttle possible because I > >push the ped further than I calibrated it. > >I ended up getting up to 315km/h. It opended a new world for me. I could get > >easily get constant sub 1.29's while before I couldn't get under 1.30 once.

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> >> Here's the deal: > >> I've been concentrating on Monza for the last couple weeks, and have > >> gotten down to a 1:30.12 in a Lotus, which for me is respectable, but > >> not close to what I know I can do. The problem is, when I go online > >> to race, EVERY car in the race absolutely walks away from me on the > >> straights!!! I get a solid drive off the corner, but as soon as we hit > >> third, everyone's gone! I'm geared right (I've used every combination > >> possible), used every suggested clutch and ramp combo, lowered the car > >> to 2.5 inches (although I've read of 1" settings-how can this be > >> done?-is it a utility that allows non-factory settings?), and every > >> other thing I can think of, but I still get stomped!!! What's up??? > >> Any suggestions would be appreciated... > >> thanks, > >> Wally

In article <[email hidden]>, Liutger Franzen <[email hidden]> writes: >if everything's ok with your joystick/wheel/pedals (i.e. calibration), >it is probably the exit speed of the other drivers. compare their laps >to yours using GPL SpyGirl and GPL Track Computer and maybe you can >improve your exit speed. > >Lio Dumb question - how do you improve your exit speed? I've compared my replays to others. First, I have to start slowing earlier. Second, my slowest speed in the corner is much less than theirs. Third, how do I improve 1 and 2?<g> Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Own Grand Prix Legends? Goto http://gpl.gamestats.com/vroc Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (Remco Moedt) writes:

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>Further, the Lotus is not the best choice for starting drivers. When >driven on the edge, the Lotus will bite back. Start with the Ferrari ( >bad car for Monza because it has no topend, but it has a great >handling), and once you can do 1:29 laps with it (consistent), then go >to the Lotus...just an hint... > >Remco >

You can do consistent 1:29's with the Ferrari??? Rats, I just figured it was too SLOW... I can only do consistent 1:31's... <g> Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Own Grand Prix Legends? Goto http://gpl.gamestats.com/vroc Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

On 29 Feb 2000 03:13:37 GMT, [email hidden] (EldredP) wrote: >Dumb question - how do you improve your exit speed? I've compared my replays >to others. First, I have to start slowing earlier. Second, my slowest speed >in the corner is much less than theirs. Third, how do I improve 1 and 2?<g> As the saying goes: "Sometimes you have to go slow to be fast." You must concentrate on entering a corner so that you get the best line and, subsequently, exit speed from the corner. On a combination of close-coupled corners you look for the line that gives you the best exit speed from the last corner. Oft times this envolves turning in later and entering slower. The GPL replay analyzer is excellent for recognizing this sort of thing. Regards, Brett C. Cammack That's Racing! Motorsports Pompano Beach, FL

EldredP <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Does it really help to compare yourself to the AI? I gave up on those > lines/times as being unattainable... > Ans as far as setups, I don't have any skill for changing them. Besides, > Graeme Nash was nice enough to send me a replay at Silverstone using AH's > Cooper setup. He's almost six seconds faster using the exact SAME setup.It > ain't the setup, folks. It's ME. I just have to find out how to FIXme...<g> Isn't that the whole point? You either match the car to how you drive, or adapt your driving to the car. I know what you mean about the hot-lapper setups. They feel good for a while, but I end up changing them quite a bit. Even so, going back to their original setups after you've driven your tweaks for a while is educational. And yes, comparing my driving to the AI is meaningful (unless you mean that they're too slow :-). I definitely prefer the Single Race practice sessions over solitary Practice, even though that means no Shift-R. I thought at one time the AI had to be cheating. I'm finding now that it was my ham-fist, setup, and/or line, cuz there came one day when I found that I *could* run with them, and then I started beating them. If nothing else, they're good benchmarks for top and cornering speeds. Riding in-car with them in replays is also instructional. The replay analyzer will tell you where and how much you're slower or faster. (I got strong hints to get slower on entry at some corners from doing this.) Off-line, I consistently qualify between Gurney and McLaren, sometimes edging out Bandini; other times not quite catching Amon. I used to start every race farther back, between McLaren and Rodriguez. One of my larger joys now, in late practice after lap times have stabilized, is to punt McLaren when I catch him from behind. Try finding someone online who won't be looking to return the favor when the race starts. :-) Michael.

In article <[email hidden]>, "Michael Young" <[email hidden]> writes:

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>EldredP <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> Dumb question - how do you improve your exit speed? I've compared my >replays >> to others. First, I have to start slowing earlier. Second, my slowest >speed >> in the corner is much less than theirs. Third, how do I improve 1 and >2?<g> > >Somethings you might try, but maybe thought you had nailed: > >With the recent talk about toe, I went back and cranked a notch or two more >front toe-out in setups where I tuned softer the fronts for better turn-in. >This let me stiffen it back up to find better overall balance. Rouen and >O'ring responded very well to this. This is assuming your setups weren't >perfect to begin with, of course. > >Brake bias is one of the first gross adjustments that I make. After fine >tuning the rest of the car, a notch or two either way might prove be >necessary. This made the difference for me at Zandvoort and Kyalami. > >Gearing makes a big difference in top speed on big straights. It wasn't >until I matched my shift points to Gurney's Eagle at Spa that I could even >approach the bigboyz on the straights. OTOH, their gearing doesn't work for >me at all at Rouen. > >And, of course, the best line for you might not be the groove painted on the >track. The slow lefts after Bosch at O'ring were the most glaring. A deep >inside line got me on the gas way sooner, and the brakes way later. >Similarly, track out and hugging the outside rail exiting Blanchimont on the >way to La Source is good for about 20 mph better than even J. Clark. Cottage >can be taken almost flat out if you turn in sooner and drive right down to >the dirt at apex. At other places, Burnenville comes to mind, I've >experimented running offline, felt faster, but ended up slower. > >Regardless of how it looks, I don't think the AI is cheating. :-) I keep >finding little and big things that help, and hurt, lap times. Just keep >digging for them when your laptimes plateau. > >Michael.

Does it really help to compare yourself to the AI? I gave up on those lines/times as being unattainable... Ans as far as setups, I don't have any skill for changing them. Besides, Graeme Nash was nice enough to send me a replay at Silverstone using AH's Cooper setup. He's almost six seconds faster using the exact SAME setup. It ain't the setup, folks. It's ME. I just have to find out how to FIX me...<g> Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Own Grand Prix Legends? Goto http://gpl.gamestats.com/vroc Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

There is also a very nicely done driving guide for Spa on the web someplace. There's a Word doc that describes the authors thinking about driving the track, plus serious critique of the (also included) SpyGirl replay files from the fastest of the hot lappers. I thought it pretty insightful on how there's more than one way to go around Spa under 3:20. :-) The same general though process would apply on any other track. While I haven't used SpyGirl yet, it looks like the tool to help cure trouble spots. Michael. Jan Verschueren <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Peter, > > If you haven't done so already download the ReplayAnalyser from: > > http://www.bigfoot.com/~GPL_Replay_Analyser/ > > and see exactly where the bulk of the time is lost (time difference

trace). > Then watch the section in question over and over again. Check out the line > of the faster driver. It's not his setup which makes him fast (it merely > suits his style), it's the way he drives the track. For example, if youcan

My feelings exactly... I hit what I feel is a pretty good lap, check the time and find it was still only a 1:30 and it just totally baffles me how these guys can be running so much quicker. Monaco I can understand because there are so many places where time can be lost, but Monza.. there's only really the Lesmos and Parabolica, how can I find 3 seconds there. Peter Hooper Richard G Clegg <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:89dqin$g4u$[email hidden]...

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> Wally <> wrote: > > If you're racing at 1:30.12 in a lotus then remember there are other > guys online who are doing 1:27s - they're taking 3 seconds a lap from > you - it's only 1 lap to go from being on their gear-box to them being a > spot in the distance. > > I simply can't understand how people can be so fast at Monza. It's > amazing to me that there exists another 2 seconds that I can find from > my best ever time there. Monaco is even more depressing where I think > I'm something like 8 seconds off the world record pace - I find that > simply unbelievable. > > -- > Richard G. Clegg Only the mind is waving > Networks and Non-Linear Dynamics Group > Dept. of Mathematics, Uni. of York > www: http://manor.york.ac.uk/top.html

Peter, If you haven't done so already download the ReplayAnalyser from: http://www.bigfoot.com/~GPL_Replay_Analyser/ and see exactly where the bulk of the time is lost (time difference trace). Then watch the section in question over and over again. Check out the line of the faster driver. It's not his setup which makes him fast (it merely suits his style), it's the way he drives the track. For example, if you can do it without compromising putting the power down, keeping tight out of the Parabolica (not using all of the exit and keeping to the right/middle of the main straight) is worth 0.4s at Monza. If I can do 1m31s dead in the BRM you can easily break 1m30s in the more performant vehicles (forget the Ferrari and the Repco, this is Lotus/Eagle country). The trick with GPL is not to set up the car so it will corner/accelerate fastest, you should try and formulate a setup which allows you to push the car, HARD, with total confidence. Drive the contact patches, i.e. make use of every bit of grip that is out there. I know it is hard to do, as part of your brain is busy compensation for the lack of sensation in the sim as opposed to a real vehicle, but you much achieve a level of experience/setup where the actual driving is unconcentrational and your mind is free to analyze and get the most out of the situation at hand (I can only achieve this on rare occasions, but it's happening more often all the time). And finally, realize your limitations and drive accordingly, if only to please yourself (when you're up against a VERY competitive field). The crash and burn approach to GPL can only lead to frustration. Jan. ---- Peter Hooper <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:i1iv4.617$[email hidden]...

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> My feelings exactly... I hit what I feel is a pretty good lap, check the > time and find it was still only a 1:30 and it just totally baffles me how > these guys can be running so much quicker. Monaco I can understand because > there are so many places where time can be lost, but Monza.. there's only > really the Lesmos and Parabolica, how can I find 3 seconds there. > > Peter Hooper > > Richard G Clegg <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:89dqin$g4u$[email hidden]... > > Wally <> wrote: > > > > <Snip>

Its on www.theuspits.com Andre

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>There is also a very nicely done driving guide for Spa on the web someplace. >There's a Word doc that describes the authors thinking about driving the >track, plus serious critique of the (also included) SpyGirl replay files >from the fastest of the hot lappers. I thought it pretty insightful on how >there's more than one way to go around Spa under 3:20. :-) The same general >though process would apply on any other track. While I haven't used SpyGirl >yet, it looks like the tool to help cure trouble spots. >Michael. >> Peter, >> If you haven't done so already download the ReplayAnalyser from: >> http://www.bigfoot.com/~GPL_Replay_Analyser/ >> and see exactly where the bulk of the time is lost (time difference >trace). >> Then watch the section in question over and over again. Check out the line >> of the faster driver. It's not his setup which makes him fast (it merely >> suits his style), it's the way he drives the track. For example, if you >can

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>>Dumb question - how do you improve your exit speed? I've compared my >replays >>to others. First, I have to start slowing earlier. Second, my slowest >speed >>in the corner is much less than theirs. Third, how do I improve 1 and 2?<g> >As the saying goes: "Sometimes you have to go slow to be fast." You >must concentrate on entering a corner so that you get the best line >and, subsequently, exit speed from the corner. On a combination of >close-coupled corners you look for the line that gives you the best >exit speed from the last corner. Oft times this envolves turning in >later and entering slower. The GPL replay analyzer is excellent for >recognizing this sort of thing.

Yeah, I'm trying to compare my to Graeme's. Problem is, he doesn't stay in the same frame for LONG...<g> Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Own Grand Prix Legends? Goto http://gpl.gamestats.com/vroc Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

SpyGirl is very good (and very visual) if you're only a few tenths to a second off the simracing god's hotlap. Normal people, however, will find our hero disappears out of "shot" pretty darn quickly indeed. <g> Jan. ----

The latest version of SpyGirl has a sync function that allows you to resync the two cars at any place on the track as many times as you choose. -- Don Scurlock Vancouver,B.C.

> One of my larger > joys now, in late practice after lap times have stabilized, is to punt > McLaren when I catch him from behind. Try finding someone online who won't > be looking to return the favor when the race starts. :-) > Michael. LOL, I'm with you there! Surtees used to be the one I had to watch out for, now it seems that McLaren just waits for me to come around and punt me into the weeds. -- don [|]-(_)-[|]

> The latest version of SpyGirl has a sync function that allows you to resync the > two cars at any place on the track as many times as you choose. Where can we find this latest version? The link at the pits downloads version 1.0 instead of 1.1.

Pierre wrote: > Don wrote: > > > > The latest version of SpyGirl has a sync function that allows you toresync the > > two cars at any place on the track as many times as you choose. > > Where can we find this latest version? The link at the pits downloads > version 1.0 instead of 1.1. Verison 1.1 can be found at one of the nicest GPL sites around (IMHO): http://www.parc-ferme.de/util/GPLSpyGirl_v11.zip Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

Don Scurlock wrote: > > If for some reason it doesn't arrive properly I found it. Thank you for sending it.