GPL online, terrified of racing!

Hi About a month ago I was sorting through my old games and came across my old copy of GPL. Just for a laugh I reinstalled it, bought myself a wheel+pedals and set about actually learning the tracks this time around (back in '98 I was far more impatient and had a much shorter attention span)! Anyway, then I came across the GPLEA website with all their great car updates. On their site they had a link to all this VROC thing. So, being the curious soul I am, I downloaded it and set about tweaking GPL so it works better online. But now I have a problem. I'm by no means the fastest driver in the world. My GPLrank is something like +42 and the best I can do around Monza with the Eagle (haven't tried the Lotus yet) is 1:28.7 or something like that. Everyone else on VROC seems to have a negative rank and be much better. The result is that I'm too chicken to join a race for fear of punting people off or crashing in front of them (all very likely, my consistency is somewhat poor). So I guess I should ask what sort of standard is welcome online? Are there any newbie servers where I could avoid annoying people? I don't want to be an annoyance! Thanks! Andrew

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

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>But now I have a problem. I'm by no means the fastest driver in the >world. My GPLrank is something like +42 and the best I can do around >Monza with the Eagle (haven't tried the Lotus yet) is 1:28.7 or >something like that. Everyone else on VROC seems to have a negative >rank and be much better. The result is that I'm too chicken to join a >race for fear of punting people off or crashing in front of them (all >very likely, my consistency is somewhat poor). > >So I guess I should ask what sort of standard is welcome online? Are >there any newbie servers where I could avoid annoying people? I don't >want to be an annoyance!

Pick a track you're comfortable with. Join an open race there. Enjoy the competition. Rinse, repeat...<g> Do a google search for GPL leagues, and e-mail the admin(s). Ask them if they have any minimum speed standards. Most don't, but you may get bored if you're constantly in last place. It helps to run with at least a COUPLE of guys close to your speed. Trust me - I'm in the Masters of GPL league. I'm nowhere CLOSE to the level of competition of most of those guys. But, there are a couple of guys that I compete with every week. Coincidentally(or not), those guys are also in another league I'm in. We have just as much fun fighting for 10-12th place as the hotshoes do fighting for a podium... Eldred -- Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPLRank:-1.680 MonsterRank: +334.169 N2002 Rank:+17.59 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

> the best I can do around >Monza with the Eagle (haven't tried the Lotus yet) is 1:28.7 or >something like that. That's pretty fast for Monza, actually. I'm only in the 1:27.9 bracket there, and have a -35 handicap. Focus on the other tracks a little more off-line, but stick to the tracks you're comfortable with online for now. ----------------------------------------- Dan Belcher Webmaster, http://simcrash.fameflame.dk

"Andrew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > So I guess I should ask what sort of standard is welcome online? Are > there any newbie servers where I could avoid annoying people? I don't > want to be an annoyance! As long as you are polite and considerate to the other drivers you'll be fine. Read the vroc rules of etiquette if you're not sure what that means. Monza is very popular with newbies, it's the first track most people learn. Consistency is more important than laptimes, if you can string together 11 laps at Monza then give it a go. You could always join a server & just watch the race to see how it goes too. After a couple of times spectating you'll want to race anyway ;-) Malc.

"Andrew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Hi > > About a month ago I was sorting through my old games and came across > my old copy of GPL. Just for a laugh I reinstalled it, bought myself a > wheel+pedals and set about actually learning the tracks this time > around (back in '98 I was far more impatient and had a much shorter > attention span)! > > Anyway, then I came across the GPLEA website with all their great car > updates. On their site they had a link to all this VROC thing. So, > being the curious soul I am, I downloaded it and set about tweaking > GPL so it works better online. > > But now I have a problem. I'm by no means the fastest driver in the > world. My GPLrank is something like +42 and the best I can do around > Monza with the Eagle (haven't tried the Lotus yet) is 1:28.7 or > something like that. Everyone else on VROC seems to have a negative > rank and be much better. The result is that I'm too chicken to join a > race for fear of punting people off or crashing in front of them (all > very likely, my consistency is somewhat poor). > > So I guess I should ask what sort of standard is welcome online? Are > there any newbie servers where I could avoid annoying people? I don't > want to be an annoyance! > > Thanks! > > Andrew

First, don't worry about it; there's no real blood being shed on VROC. You want real carnage, you need to go Nascar... I was nervous as hell the first time I raced GPL online, and ended up winning the darned thing (only because I didn't crash). And I still get a bit nervous when I jump in an online race again after a layoff, which is more often than not these days. Your Monza pace is fine, but here are a few tips. Try to drive at a sustainable, in-control pace, rather than all-out, since one crash will cost you all the tenths you've gained by pushing and more (besides risking taking someone with you). Save the kamikaze laps for offline and/or qualifying, but even then don't try to dice with people in qualifying. It annoys the faster folks and is counterproductive anyway. Better to slot in behind and school on 'em. Watch your mirrors; if you're getting overtaken, you should generally hold your normal line and let the passers choose their own way around you. They're making choices based on what they think you're going to do, so don't surprise them. There are times when it's appropriate to ease out of the way, but be careful to do it gradually, and only when the passer has room to adjust. Never weave back and forth on straights to block people, and above all, be patient. You'll get more enjoyment out of waiting a lap or three to make a clean pass than you will from ten impatient stuffs that end up with one or both of you going off. If you see someone overtaking at a high rate, don't try to block them. They're either a lot quicker or are going to crash and you don't want them to take you out in the process. You can wave at them in the weeds as you drive by. Discount ahead of time the fact that you're going to encounter some folks who do the exact opposite of these suggestions, so that it doesn't bug you too much when they inevitably show up. Keep a few moron chips in your pocket to toss out whenever you run across such. They're out there, and will make you feel like Jackie Stewart himself... ;-) Lastly, have fun! SB

"Andrew" wrote:

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> But now I have a problem. I'm by no means the fastest driver in the > world. My GPLrank is something like +42 and the best I can do around > Monza with the Eagle (haven't tried the Lotus yet) is 1:28.7 or > something like that. Everyone else on VROC seems to have a negative > rank and be much better. The result is that I'm too chicken to join a > race for fear of punting people off or crashing in front of them (all > very likely, my consistency is somewhat poor).

Don't get too hung up on GPLRank. 1:28.7 is comfortably negative for Monza and will allow you to find plenty to race at a similar pace. As mentioned elsewhere consistency is more important and getting used to the difference of racing real people rather than computer AI. As daft as it sounds the pressure of having someone in your mirrors waiting for you to fall off adds a whole lot to the experience. Just get some online laps in without trying too hard to get the feel for it. Cheers Tony

youll never forget your first race start online, i remember mine (at monza all those years ago), and ive got to say my heart felt as though it was going to explode (i was less nervous on my first real race start at silverstone! but then i put that down to gpl having prepared me for it). pez "Andrew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Hi > > About a month ago I was sorting through my old games and came across > my old copy of GPL. Just for a laugh I reinstalled it, bought myself a > wheel+pedals and set about actually learning the tracks this time > around (back in '98 I was far more impatient and had a much shorter > attention span)! > > Anyway, then I came across the GPLEA website with all their great car > updates. On their site they had a link to all this VROC thing. So, > being the curious soul I am, I downloaded it and set about tweaking > GPL so it works better online. > > But now I have a problem. I'm by no means the fastest driver in the > world. My GPLrank is something like +42 and the best I can do around > Monza with the Eagle (haven't tried the Lotus yet) is 1:28.7 or > something like that. Everyone else on VROC seems to have a negative > rank and be much better. The result is that I'm too chicken to join a > race for fear of punting people off or crashing in front of them (all > very likely, my consistency is somewhat poor). > > So I guess I should ask what sort of standard is welcome online? Are > there any newbie servers where I could avoid annoying people? I don't > want to be an annoyance! > > Thanks! > > Andrew

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

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> Hi > > About a month ago I was sorting through my old games and came across > my old copy of GPL. Just for a laugh I reinstalled it, bought myself a > wheel+pedals and set about actually learning the tracks this time > around (back in '98 I was far more impatient and had a much shorter > attention span)! > > Anyway, then I came across the GPLEA website with all their great car > updates. On their site they had a link to all this VROC thing. So, > being the curious soul I am, I downloaded it and set about tweaking > GPL so it works better online. > > But now I have a problem. I'm by no means the fastest driver in the > world. My GPLrank is something like +42 and the best I can do around > Monza with the Eagle (haven't tried the Lotus yet) is 1:28.7 or > something like that.

1:28 is better than any time I've ever posted at Monza, and in any chassis. > Everyone else on VROC seems to have a negative > rank and be much better. Those guys are mostly euro dudes with no other game wrth playing. > The result is that I'm too chicken to join a > race for fear of punting people off or crashing in front of them (all > very likely, my consistency is somewhat poor). Be a man, join the race. Many others with less ambition join and drop out, allowing you to place higher than you would have. Don't join to win, join for the fun of competition. I ran GPL for 3 years straight and only won 3 or so races in that entire time.

"Andrew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... >best I can do around > Monza with the Eagle (haven't tried the Lotus yet) is 1:28.7 or > something like that. only 1 28 7!!! I've had the game since it came out, and my pb is 1 28 9. you just can't make some people happy. :o) seriously, just practise the other tracks. remember, its not always the fastest driver who wins, but the most consistant. Just get in there and race. the first race is always the hardest. after that its just fun, fun, fun. steve

"Steve Whitty" wrote...

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> <snip> > only 1 28 7!!! I've had the game since it came out, > and my pb is 1 28 9. you just can't make some people > happy. :o) seriously, just practise the other > tracks. remember, its not always the fastest driver > who wins, but the most consistant. Just get in there > and race. the first race is always the hardest. > after that its just fun, fun, fun.

What Steve and the others said... consistency is key. Hit your marks and don't do many unpredictable things and you won't be barred from many races. Also, there's only one way to learn how to race and that is to do it. So get in there and do it. The journey (and the serious addiction) have only just begun!! Jan. =---

[email hidden] (Andrew) wrote here on 09 Apr 2003: <snip> > So I guess I should ask what sort of standard is welcome online?<snip> (I ought to make it clear that I'm talking about pickup races here, as I don't do league racing.) At Monza, not-punting-everyone-else-off-at-T1-standard will put you well ahead of the game immediately! Seriously, 1:28.7 in the Eagle is pretty good - my GPLRank is -10 and my equivalent PB is only 1:29.1, so basic speed isn't going to be an issue for you. That being so, I'd say that you might benefit from more practice at some of the other tracks. Spa is an excellent track, as it's very fast, flows nicely, is relatively easy to remember and can produce some memorable online races. It also seems to have a high attrition rate, even amongst the top drivers, so there's no need to be alien-fast. Even 3:30s, if consistent, will often be enough for a good points finish. If it's of any use, I wrote a little introduction to VROC back in 2001 - it's nothing special, but generally what I say there still holds: http://www.btinternet.com/~gplscrapyard/vrocguide.html Most importantly of all... HAVE FUN! :-D -- Above address *is* valid - but snip spamtrap to get me to *read*!

David Buttery <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

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> [email hidden] (Andrew) wrote here on 09 Apr 2003: > > <snip> > > So I guess I should ask what sort of standard is welcome online? > <snip> > > (I ought to make it clear that I'm talking about pickup races here, as > I don't do league racing.) > > At Monza, not-punting-everyone-else-off-at-T1-standard will put you > well ahead of the game immediately! Seriously, 1:28.7 in the Eagle is > pretty good - my GPLRank is -10 and my equivalent PB is only 1:29.1, so > basic speed isn't going to be an issue for you. > > That being so, I'd say that you might benefit from more practice at > some of the other tracks. Spa is an excellent track, as it's very fast, > flows nicely, is relatively easy to remember and can produce some > memorable online races. It also seems to have a high attrition rate, > even amongst the top drivers, so there's no need to be alien-fast. Even > 3:30s, if consistent, will often be enough for a good points finish. > > If it's of any use, I wrote a little introduction to VROC back in 2001 > - it's nothing special, but generally what I say there still holds: > > http://www.btinternet.com/~gplscrapyard/vrocguide.html > > Most importantly of all... HAVE FUN! :-D

Firstly, thanks to all who have offered advice/encouragement. I finally plucked up the courage to have a go at Monza last night. I decided to race the Ferrari as it's fairly forgiving and I'm far more consistent in it than the Eagle (albeit slower of course). So after crawling around the track, using all of the practice time I managed to qualify around 17th with a time of 1:31.5. I've never been so nervous sat on the grid at the start! As a result, I managed to totally bog down on the line and everyone else sped away. Oh well, at least I hadn't hit anyone I thought to myself! That soon changed at T1 though. When I arrived there was a huge pile of burning cars awaiting me! After everyone had frantically shift-R'ed back on track I was soon left behind again. However, I gained quite a few places by attrition and passing people stuck in the sand at the Parabolica :) Just when I thought I was doing well though, disaster struck. My pedals somehow managed to go out of calibration and I could only get 2/3rds throttle. At that point I decided to retire before people encountered my mobile chicane! Still, was the best fun I've had in ages. I'll definitely be pitching up for more races in the future! Andrew

On 9 Apr 2003 09:11:25 -0700, [email hidden] (Andrew) wrote: >Hi Hi. Forget the advice from the previous posts. Their intention is ok, but they know nothing. Watch a few races online, only Monza races of course, the others don't matter, and you'll find out the only important thing is to be first in turn 1. The rest of the race is meaningless. Cheers! Remco Disclaimer: :-)

You might do well in trying another track to avoid the T1 mayhem... Rouen, Silverstone or Watkins Glen perhaps. Monza T1 is not a place to be a track marshall ;) Mikkel

Andrew Your fastest time is a second faster than I have ever done at Monza. I have often been out paced at that track yet I have also won many a race there in Vroc because I stayed on the track the whole race. You will always get those drivers that think the chequered flag is just around the very first turn of the first lap and if you wind up in a wreck because of them then you have nothing to worry about. Just try the next race. I have had better and more exciting races trying to hang onto someone in front of me than I have had out front on my own. Trying to race or outbreak the car in front without wrecking him is best racing fun of all. If you are frightened to race on line.... build a bridge.... and get over it. You'll never regret it Nigel

Remco Moedt <[email hidden]> wrote in article <[email hidden]>...

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> On 9 Apr 2003 09:11:25 -0700, [email hidden] (Andrew) wrote: > > >Hi > > Hi. > > > Forget the advice from the previous posts. Their intention is ok, > but they know nothing. Watch a few races online, only Monza races of > course, the others don't matter, and you'll find out the only > important thing is to be first in turn 1. The rest of the race is > meaningless. > > Cheers! > > Remco > > > > > Disclaimer: > > :-) >

This is the best advice you have been given.. :) Remco and myself had many a great race over the years to see who best survived T1 at Monza, though i think he may have had the edge over me for crashes survived.. Just forget the rest of the race, it's all about T1.... if you get there first, you have won the race.!! <G> Cheers, Ron

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> > Forget the advice from the previous posts. Their intention is ok, > > but they know nothing. Watch a few races online, only Monza races of > > course, the others don't matter, and you'll find out the only > > important thing is to be first in turn 1. The rest of the race is > > meaningless. > This is the best advice you have been given.. :) > Remco and myself had many a great race over the years to see who best > survived T1 at Monza, though i think he may have had the edge over me for > crashes survived.. > Just forget the rest of the race, it's all about T1.... if you get

there > first, you have won the race.!! <G> The missing advice here is for those not leading into T1 is to do a "Days of Thunder" and keep your foot on the gas through the inevitable T1 accident. The cars will all have spun out of your way leaving you in the lead. Of course sometimes the car in front will have wimped out and slowed down to avoid the carnage but he deserves being rammed up the back for being such a wuss... Its best to mask your intention with a well meaning "GL All", and "care into T1 folks" message before removing your brain and firing up your drag racer <G> Cheers Tony

"Tony Rickard" <[email hidden]> skrev i melding news:09ila.17988$[email hidden]... > Its best to mask your intention with a well meaning "GL All", and "care > into T1 folks" message before removing your brain and firing up your drag > racer <G> > LOL!! :-D /Matt

"Ron Ayton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<01c2ff50$110fa620$445e8b90@ronayton>...

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> Remco Moedt <[email hidden]> wrote in article > <[email hidden]>... > > On 9 Apr 2003 09:11:25 -0700, [email hidden] (Andrew) wrote: > > > > >Hi > > > > Hi. > > > > > > Forget the advice from the previous posts. Their intention is ok, > > but they know nothing. Watch a few races online, only Monza races of > > course, the others don't matter, and you'll find out the only > > important thing is to be first in turn 1. The rest of the race is > > meaningless. > > > > Cheers! > > > > Remco > > > > > > > > > > Disclaimer: > > > > :-) > > > > This is the best advice you have been given.. :) > Remco and myself had many a great race over the years to see who best > survived T1 at Monza, though i think he may have had the edge over me for > crashes survived.. > Just forget the rest of the race, it's all about T1.... if you get there > first, you have won the race.!! <G> > > Cheers, > Ron

All these people know the real answer..put on your Nikes. JUST DO IT! If you can't find a league, make one. Set a limit on the number of drivers you want and a league standard of GPLRank numbers. No one lower than a +150 or whatever number you decide. Start running with people you can become friends with and trust.Remember the higher your number, the wrecks you are going to have to live with. This way you can all get faster together. Helping each other out with advice and knowledge. VROC is NOT the place to start. When you are driving with 15 drivers and a couple driver have negitives and a couple have high positives numbers. People are going to be discouraged, disconnected and disheartened. Put a Thread out looking for a couple people and you will have much more fun.

> This is the best advice you have been given.. :) > Remco and myself had many a great race over the years to see who best > survived T1 at Monza, though i think he may have had the edge over me for > crashes survived.. Ah yes. The famous Ayton retirement. Ah memories of mis-spent (not so youthful) youth <G> > Just forget the rest of the race, it's all about T1.... if you get there > first, you have won the race.!! <G> ROTFLOL. That's the funniest thing I've seen all week MS