Sorry - I couldn't let this one slip past ;p The Codemasters games are a joke compared to the real sims out there - they look nice but simulation wise they are really poor. I don't really expect the new F1 game to be any better, but I'll reserve judgement until its out.
Anyway, if you want to play some REAL racing sims then first get yourself some decent equipment (at a minimum a decent steering wheel and pedal set, eg. a Logitech G27 [not cheap but well worth it]). Then check out some of these games:
Arguably the best sim by far at the moment is iRacing. Graphically its nothing special, but the physics is streets ahead of anything else. Real racing drivers use this sim for practice (mostly american, but even some F1 drivers use this, eg. Anthony Davidson). It isn't cheap - its a subscription service and you have to buy content extra (ie. cars and tracks) - but.. it is really good! All racing is done online althoug you can practice offline - it doesn't even bother trying to implement AI. Well worth signing up for a month just to try out if you have the equipment mentioned above. I warn you though: it is not really a game - its much more like a sport - you have a safety rating, crashing in races (or even qualifying) will reduce your safety rating and prevent you from gaining licences to compete in the higher series (or even demote you). Its mostly american oriented, but: the open wheel racing series (skip barber, formula star mazda and indy car) have some decent tracks. ALL tracks are laser scanned so they are extremely accurate (there are some videos on YouTube comparing the mazda to real life and the racing lines, braking points, etc.. - are all pretty much the same in the game as in reality!).
Second to iRacing there are RFactor (pretty old now but still decent), and the SimBin games (Race07, etc...) these are not as realistic as iRacing but still pretty good fun and with large communities.
NetKar Pro is a game from an independant company (pretty cheap) that has very realistic physics for open wheel racing (not as good as iRacing imo, but still very very good) - it doesn't have a very large community though unfortunately so its hard to find races.
Anyway - try some of these "games" (not really games imo) and you will see why I had to call you out on calling Codemasters "the best racing sim makers" - they may well be the "best arcade racing game makers", but they don't make sims.
I am far from a master at any of these sims - although I have won a few races in iRacing when I have time to practice ;)
Edit: oh and btw - I agree that F1GP was an awesome game. I actually work with someone who worked on one of the later versions of that game. Apparently Crammond was really paranoid that people would steal his code - he wouldn't even allow a network in their room ;)
when ive played online racing games the competitors always quit if they are getting beat or start driving backwards. they really should stick some AI in it and sell it in a box if its that good, or put it on the xbox.
AI can't be that hard for racing games, just make them follow a track and make them speed up if they fall behind. job done.
when ive played online racing games the competitors always quit if they are getting beat or start driving backwards. they really should stick some AI in it and sell it in a box if its that good, or put it on the xbox.
AI can't be that hard for racing games, just make them follow a track and make them speed up if they fall behind. job done.
iRacing fixes that with the safety rating - also there is an official complaint system. That problem just doesn't exist at all.
You don't need AI in sim because the whole point is that its a competitive sport - it might be kind of useful for practice but practice sessions are online anyway (and for local practice split times are better).
As for the reason they don't sell it in a box - probably because its an online-only subscription service... there is no need for a physical box. I think porting to 360/PS3 would be good, but console users don't tend to have the right equipment (a G27 will set you back ~250 quid and you really need something like that to be able to drive properly - there are cheaper options, but not much cheaper).
Anyway - this is the difference between a sim and a game - which is what I was pointing out to begin with - the Codemasters games are not sims ;)
Thought I was pretty good at Street Fighter 4, I had a 30 ranked win streak online once (and the achievements to prove it).
Recently bought Super Street Fighter 4 and can now barely string 2 victories in a row together online, despite also now having one of those special fightpads to play it with. Oh, the shame...:oops:
Sorry - I couldn't let this one slip past ;p The Codemasters games are a joke compared to the real sims out there - they look nice but simulation wise they are really poor. I don't really expect the new F1 game to be any better, but I'll reserve judgement until its out.
Each to their own I suppose, but other than the Geoff Crammond F1 games I find the serious racers a bit to err, serious, which is what they're aiming for I suppose. Codies have built upon the PGR games in that respect by toning down the seriousness of the handling, etc, to make them more instantly playable which I'm quite happy with.
I've got a Logitech G25 racing wheel which I've only used half a dozen times as I find it far too difficult to control, but practice makes perfect. The first time I played GRID with it it nearly broke my wrist!!
Might hook the N64 up to my projector later and see what it looks like on a huge screen...
Possibly unwise. Back in 2001 or so, I took my N64 round to a mate's workplace - a sixth form college media department with a cinema-standard projector and a very large screen indeed. Played Goldeneye and Star Wars Episode 1 Podracer.
I used to hang out with this scary lesbian, we'd come home from a lock in at the local and play Double Dragon on the Master System to completion. Games seemed so much shorter then.
iRacing fixes that with the safety rating - also there is an official complaint system. That problem just doesn't exist at all.
You don't need AI in sim because the whole point is that its a competitive sport - it might be kind of useful for practice but practice sessions are online anyway (and for local practice split times are better).
As for the reason they don't sell it in a box - probably because its an online-only subscription service... there is no need for a physical box. I think porting to 360/PS3 would be good, but console users don't tend to have the right equipment (a G27 will set you back ~250 quid and you really need something like that to be able to drive properly - there are cheaper options, but not much cheaper).
Anyway - this is the difference between a sim and a game - which is what I was pointing out to begin with - the Codemasters games are not sims ;)
lol, i was taking the mick a bit. :smile:
i do play an online sim myself 'world war 2 online'
i started learning to fly but could never take off as my hurricane would always vear to the left and crash. i soon learnt that the is due to the torque of the properllor.
i had to go out and buy a proper joystick with analogue controls, but even a cheap one doesn't work how i'd like it to. i didn't get one with a control for the rudder, so i have to use the wheel brakes to correct.
i do imagine there are other flying sims out there that put WW2online to shame
i do think there is a middle ground between a 'proper' sim and an arcade game. or at least there are degrees of simulations. the best sim out there doesn't just cancle out all other sims and make them arcade games.
Errm, no one could beat me on Sensible Soccer..even when it was my turn to use the dodgy controller that didn't move diagonally up-right.
I think I was almost a master at unreal tournament 99..but only in sniper mode.
Buck Rodgers Planet of Zoom in the arcade.
On the speccy..well, I don't think I was master at anything, maybe going round and round on Tribble Trubble..but I think eveyone that every played it got an accreddited megascore...but..it made me feel good.
Flying Shark - had a huge score
Rambo - Was leading this until some guy used a cheat to keep beating me
Who Dares Wins II - Took a while to get that high score
Cobra - Master at this, had the high score over at that site for ages
Knight Lore - just fire it up and I'll complete it in one every time. My mate could do that with the gyruss arcade machine down the local baths for 10p. And another good mate could complete out zone every go. Out zone should have been converted for the speccy him who did R-type would have nailed it
Possibly unwise. Back in 2001 or so, I took my N64 round to a mate's workplace - a sixth form college media department with a cinema-standard projector and a very large screen indeed. Played Goldeneye and Star Wars Episode 1 Podracer.
I got carsick.
Well, I already played Outrun Coast to Coast and Burnout Paradise City with my PC hooked up to it. Didn't make me feel sick.
Battletoads, perhaps (the first one, with the infamous "turbo tunnel"). I remember completing it lots of times without dying.
And lately I've managed to finish Starquake (the teleport system really is the key) but I'm not sure whether it qualifies.
I must admit though that a lot of modern games tend to be much harder than that; e.g. these danmaku shooters where they sort of expect you to look into 128 directions simultaneously or something.
I played Streetfighter alpha 2 Gold earlier on today I picked Akuma and flattened everybody with the greatest of ease. Getting Dark Hadou finishers (Raging Demon) on most rounds and murdering Shin all Akuma with 1 credit.
I guess I've still got it :D
Now all I have to do is finish it with Dan then I can still say I'm a master (funny thing is when I fought Dan as Akuma I got a double perfect and a Dark Hadou finish on him) :lol:
Comments
when ive played online racing games the competitors always quit if they are getting beat or start driving backwards. they really should stick some AI in it and sell it in a box if its that good, or put it on the xbox.
AI can't be that hard for racing games, just make them follow a track and make them speed up if they fall behind. job done.
iRacing fixes that with the safety rating - also there is an official complaint system. That problem just doesn't exist at all.
You don't need AI in sim because the whole point is that its a competitive sport - it might be kind of useful for practice but practice sessions are online anyway (and for local practice split times are better).
As for the reason they don't sell it in a box - probably because its an online-only subscription service... there is no need for a physical box. I think porting to 360/PS3 would be good, but console users don't tend to have the right equipment (a G27 will set you back ~250 quid and you really need something like that to be able to drive properly - there are cheaper options, but not much cheaper).
Anyway - this is the difference between a sim and a game - which is what I was pointing out to begin with - the Codemasters games are not sims ;)
Recently bought Super Street Fighter 4 and can now barely string 2 victories in a row together online, despite also now having one of those special fightpads to play it with. Oh, the shame...:oops:
Each to their own I suppose, but other than the Geoff Crammond F1 games I find the serious racers a bit to err, serious, which is what they're aiming for I suppose. Codies have built upon the PGR games in that respect by toning down the seriousness of the handling, etc, to make them more instantly playable which I'm quite happy with.
I've got a Logitech G25 racing wheel which I've only used half a dozen times as I find it far too difficult to control, but practice makes perfect. The first time I played GRID with it it nearly broke my wrist!!
Possibly unwise. Back in 2001 or so, I took my N64 round to a mate's workplace - a sixth form college media department with a cinema-standard projector and a very large screen indeed. Played Goldeneye and Star Wars Episode 1 Podracer.
I got carsick.
I was a master of Way of the Exploding Fist
I could play through Commando over and over too (which is one of the greatest arcade conversions on the Speccy I reckon)
Oh - and Bruce Lee doesn't count as everybody was a master of that!
Amiga:
On the Amiga no-one could beat me at Sensible Soccer, Nitro or Speedball II
ermmm...
*gets coat*
lol, i was taking the mick a bit. :smile:
i do play an online sim myself 'world war 2 online'
i started learning to fly but could never take off as my hurricane would always vear to the left and crash. i soon learnt that the is due to the torque of the properllor.
i had to go out and buy a proper joystick with analogue controls, but even a cheap one doesn't work how i'd like it to. i didn't get one with a control for the rudder, so i have to use the wheel brakes to correct.
i do imagine there are other flying sims out there that put WW2online to shame
i do think there is a middle ground between a 'proper' sim and an arcade game. or at least there are degrees of simulations. the best sim out there doesn't just cancle out all other sims and make them arcade games.
I think I was almost a master at unreal tournament 99..but only in sniper mode.
Buck Rodgers Planet of Zoom in the arcade.
On the speccy..well, I don't think I was master at anything, maybe going round and round on Tribble Trubble..but I think eveyone that every played it got an accreddited megascore...but..it made me feel good.
Flying Shark - had a huge score
Rambo - Was leading this until some guy used a cheat to keep beating me
Who Dares Wins II - Took a while to get that high score
Cobra - Master at this, had the high score over at that site for ages
I'll get that back from you one day ;)
Well, I already played Outrun Coast to Coast and Burnout Paradise City with my PC hooked up to it. Didn't make me feel sick.
And lately I've managed to finish Starquake (the teleport system really is the key) but I'm not sure whether it qualifies.
I must admit though that a lot of modern games tend to be much harder than that; e.g. these danmaku shooters where they sort of expect you to look into 128 directions simultaneously or something.
I guess I've still got it :D
Now all I have to do is finish it with Dan then I can still say I'm a master (funny thing is when I fought Dan as Akuma I got a double perfect and a Dark Hadou finish on him) :lol: