A Cars forum. AutoBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AutoBanter forum » Auto newsgroups » Simulators
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Tough to Enter the Racing Sim Scene



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old November 1st 04, 11:18 PM
Chuck
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Tough to Enter the Racing Sim Scene

I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of the
very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have researched the
types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I just adore Rallisport
Challenge 2, even though it's known as an arcade game. Honestly, though,
it's hard to lump it in the same category as Need for Speed Underground and
Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I have also
played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as RS2.

I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be
great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like /
trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be
great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar,
but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar
2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering.

Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ...

http://www.simracingworld.com/index/

http://www.bhmotorsports.com/

They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing
FAQ.

I guess my questions are ...

What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the
internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR)

What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R?

I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it?

I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a following?

Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.?

Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words,
are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.?

Thanks for any info.


Ads
  #2  
Old November 2nd 04, 12:36 AM
Steve Smith
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

You can still find NASCAR Racing 2003 on Amazon (subcontracted to someone
like MaxRack), which gives you an entre into several great mods (Trans-Am,
Touring Cars, IRL single-seaters), the greatest of which is C'One's 330
Classic, featuring fields full of Omygawd Ferrari P4s. GPL can be tough to
find, but if you succeed, you can upgrade to the more-realistic (if less
powerful) 1965 mod. The only thing that can touch Papy's sims--and their
modded successors--is GTR...but it ain't out yet. Richard Burns and Live
for Speed both have their fans...and they're readily available too!

"Chuck" > wrote in message
...
> I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of the
> very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have researched the
> types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I just adore Rallisport
> Challenge 2, even though it's known as an arcade game. Honestly, though,
> it's hard to lump it in the same category as Need for Speed Underground

and
> Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I have

also
> played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as RS2.
>
> I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be
> great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like /
> trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be
> great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar,
> but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar
> 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering.
>
> Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ...
>
> http://www.simracingworld.com/index/
>
> http://www.bhmotorsports.com/
>
> They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing
> FAQ.
>
> I guess my questions are ...
>
> What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the
> internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR)
>
> What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R?
>
> I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it?
>
> I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a

following?
>
> Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.?
>
> Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words,
> are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.?
>
> Thanks for any info.
>
>



  #3  
Old November 2nd 04, 12:56 AM
Scott Spahr
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck"
Subject: Tough to Enter the Racing Sim Scene

> I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be
> great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like /
> trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be
> great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar,
> but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar
> 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering.


N2003 = NASCAR Racing 2003 Season by Papyrus, sometimes also abbreviated
NR2003S

You should be able to find a store selling Grand Prix Legends (GPL) with a
google search. Here's one:

http://www.dirtcheapsoftware.com/grprlesi.html

I've never ordered from them, though, so I won't recommend them one way or
the other.

F1 Challenge 99 - 02 (F1C) might be more challenging to find because EA
Sports never reprinted it in a bargain format. There seems to have been
only a limited number printed, and eBay is about the only place where copies
can be found; it often sells for over $50. A good alternative would be F1
2002, which was printed in much higher numbers and had some good mods
created for it that might still be available if you know where to look.


> Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ...
>
> http://www.simracingworld.com/index/
>
> http://www.bhmotorsports.com/
>
> They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing
> FAQ.


Be sure to look at these sites:

http://www.rscnet.org/ Be sure to check the forums for lots of important
info on GPL (and other sims, too). For someone just starting out in sims I
would recommend the GPL '65 mod over the standard '67 GPL. The '67 cars
have too much power for the available grip, making them very frustrating for
beginners.

http://www.theuspits.com/ probably the best N2003 mod site, including the
TPTCC mod and the Ferarri 330 mod. TPTCC includes four different roadracing
body styles (Ford GT, Mustang, Corvette, and Viper) and uses the 'papy trans
am' physics, which modifies the standard NASCAR physics to make the cars
more suitable for road racing.

> I guess my questions are ...
>
> What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the
> internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR)


I think N2003 is the best thing going right now. The mods have taken it
beyond NASCAR-style oval racing, and there is a huge number of tracks,
including road courses, available.

> What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R?


The creator of GPL and N2003 has started a new company with help from the
owner of the Boston Red Sox, but nobody knows exactly what he's planning to
do, other than it has something to do with racing simulation.

> I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it?


Unfortunately, there are not as many options available in the wheel market
as there used to be. The Momo has undergone many changes over the years and
I don't know how good the current model is. I have one of the older red
ones, and it is quite good. A search in on of the bigger forums should
provide lots of good information.

> I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a
> following?


It was largely superseded by F1 2002, and then F1C, but it did have a great
GTR mod. I have no idea if it's still available (That was the first effort
by the guys making the new GTR sim.) It was mostly an offline sim anyway,
so if that's what you want, a small community is not a big problem. There
isn't much (any) new stuff being made for it, and the old stuff might be
hard to find. Ask in the forums at rscnet.org or
http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~hg/forum/index.php

> Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.?


One option is http://www.gogamer.com/ There may be better ones.

> Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words,
> are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.?


There should be no problems with using imported PC software.

> Thanks for any info.


If you want to get involved in online racing a good place to start is the
VROCF2 club, which has a Yahoo group
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/vroc-f2/

Hope this helps,
Scott Spahr


  #4  
Old November 2nd 04, 01:11 AM
David G Fisher
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Chuck" > wrote in message
...
> I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be
> great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like /
> trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be
> great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar,
> but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar
> 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering.


F1C and N2003 are what you need right now. A GTP mod is coming out soon for
N2003 which looks fantastic.

GTR is to be released in early 2005. rFactor is also coming out soon which
is ISI's latest (maker of F1C, GTR uses an improved F1C game engine).
rFactor will have the latest ISI game engine, and will be highly moddable.
http://www.rfactor.net/


--
David G Fisher


  #5  
Old November 2nd 04, 01:13 AM
JP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


Chuck > wrote in message
...
> I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of the
> very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have researched the
> types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I just adore Rallisport
> Challenge 2, even though it's known as an arcade game. Honestly, though,
> it's hard to lump it in the same category as Need for Speed Underground

and
> Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I have

also
> played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as RS2.
>
> I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be
> great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like /
> trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be
> great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar,
> but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar
> 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering.
>
> Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ...
>
> http://www.simracingworld.com/index/
>
> http://www.bhmotorsports.com/
>
> They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing
> FAQ.
>
> I guess my questions are ...
>
> What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the
> internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR)
>
> What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R?
>
> I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it?
>
> I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a

following?
>
> Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.?
>
> Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words,
> are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.?
>
> Thanks for any info.



<shrug> Used eBay for years and years. Not one problem.


>
>



  #6  
Old November 2nd 04, 01:14 AM
Jan Verschueren
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Chuck wrote:
> <snip>
> They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim
> racing FAQ.


Now there's an idea. There is a lot of knowledge posted around the internet,
unfortunately in different locales and in different languages. I would be
great to consolidate that somewhere central.

The forums at Racesimcentral also contain a wealth of information if you're
willing to trawl for it. http://www.rscnet.org

> I guess my questions are ...
>
> What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the
> internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR)


None, really, Grand Prix Legends (apart from the graphics add-ons and
tracks) has only one mod to date (the '65 mod), with some more in
development. GPL is all but abandonware nowadays and I'm sure that if you
ask around a friendly simmer near you will get you set up. If not, publisher
"Sold Out" still sells GPL for about $5.

F1 Challenge '99-02 has a lot of great mods, but online play is a little
suspect and availability is not great. Like I posted some two weeks back, I
noticed two copies at a local superstore. If you're willing to re-imburse me
the 10,- Euro asking price + postage (i.e. send me $15 via mail once you
receive it), I'm willing to go back and pick it up for you if they still
have it. Warning: included "manual" (read leaflet explaining the menus) may
be in Dutch.

You really should give NR2003 (Nascar Racing 2003 Season by Sierra-Papyrus)
a go. Not only is it still available from places like amazon.com, but there
are some mods being made. Although most non-NASCAR series still suffer from
the setup restrictions imposed by the game.

That said, it would be a mistake to dismiss oval racing using NR2003
outright. Thousands of racesimmers pounding around virtual ovals every week
can't be wrong. There is a certain something (and nearly infinate challenge)
to oval racing. It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't taken 5 laps of
Huntsville to pass another driver, but just get into it and you'll see what
we're on about. Which is Juan Pablo Montoya was understating things just a
bit when he said (about racing at Indy): "it's only four corners... how hard
can it be?"

Did you know this group hosts its own (predominately oval) racing series
using NR2003? Go to http://www.schuerkamp.de/zope/rascar for more
information.

Also look at community efforts like "Racer" and NetKar.

> What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R?


Live for Speed (http://www.liveforspeed.net) is gearing up for its "S2"
release. No mod scene attached, but a good racing experience (even online,
with the right people) nevertheless. To be sampled at least.

rFactor (http://www.rfactor.net) is heavily relying on a mod community
forming around it. Multiplayer demo reported to appear soon.

Then there's the project based on Dave Keammer's sponsored buy-out of
Papyrus source code (http://www.first-racing.net/). An idea similar to
West-Racing's Racing Legends, but with the added assurance our boy Dave
will, given 3 years, come up with something more tangible than a couple of
renders of a team transporter.

On the more "fun/arcade but still worth playing" side I'm looking forward to
Flat Out by Bugbear (of Rally Trophy fame) and World Racing 2 by Synetic (of
Mercedes Benz Truck and World Racing fame).

> I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it?


I guess it's the best of the current crop, but oldtimers will recommend
either an Act Labs Force RS, a Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback or an
"original" Logitech MOMO wheel (which are no longer being made).

Apart from buying a high end non-FF wheel (TSW/ECCI/BRD) or waiting for the
BRD FF wheel, it's the best one going.

> I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a
> following?


Eeeek... $3 down the drain, I'm afraid.

> Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.?


No, but several vendors ship to the US. See other replies or search the
group for details. RBR, IMO, is an ideal beginner's sim, as it works really
well with the majority of controllers right of the box. Papyrus (GPL/NRx)
and ISI (F1C) sims require a lot of tweaking and some manual editing of
files to get "right".

> Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other
> words, are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the
> U.S.?


No racing sims I know of are regionalised. Americans/Canadians race on
various European servers (and vise versa) without any problems at all
(Papyrus sims and LFS).

Thank you for checkng out our genre. I know it's hard on novices, but, if
one's open to it, help, support and a lasting challenge are at hand. I hope
you enjoy your voyage of discovery.

Jan.
=---


  #7  
Old November 2nd 04, 02:55 AM
Juan Vizoso
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Shame on you guys, no one mentioned Netkar ! .. after all it is free!!!
here's the link .... http://www.nkzone.com/
Just my opinion :-) free and not at all bad ..nice force feedback, and
there is a little multiplayer
interest ... and did I say it was free ? jv

"Chuck" > wrote in message
...
>I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of the
> very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have researched the
> types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I just adore Rallisport
> Challenge 2, even though it's known as an arcade game. Honestly, though,
> it's hard to lump it in the same category as Need for Speed Underground
> and
> Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I have
> also
> played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as RS2.
>
> I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be
> great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like /
> trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be
> great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar,
> but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar
> 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering.
>
> Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ...
>
> http://www.simracingworld.com/index/
>
> http://www.bhmotorsports.com/
>
> They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing
> FAQ.
>
> I guess my questions are ...
>
> What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the
> internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR)
>
> What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R?
>
> I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it?
>
> I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a
> following?
>
> Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.?
>
> Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words,
> are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.?
>
> Thanks for any info.
>
>



  #8  
Old November 2nd 04, 04:02 AM
Tanstaafl
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


> > Thanks for any info.

>
>
> <shrug> Used eBay for years and years. Not one problem.
>

I understand his reluctance. I've used ebay 3 times and got screwed twice.


  #9  
Old November 2nd 04, 04:09 AM
JP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


Tanstaafl > wrote in message
...
>
> > > Thanks for any info.

> >
> >
> > <shrug> Used eBay for years and years. Not one problem.
> >

> I understand his reluctance. I've used ebay 3 times and got screwed

twice.


Interesting. Not once in almost seven years here. Over a thousand
transactions. Just takes a minute or two of research before bidding,
selling, etc. if one is worried.


>
>



  #10  
Old November 2nd 04, 04:24 PM
Plowboy2
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Juan,

IS there still people playing this game? I still have it installed, and
since I am in Central USA, I never see anyone on the servers (using the
website that lists servers and drivers (no I dont have th elink here at
work))...

I ssumed it was a dead duck, and soI race solely offline... I still just
love the ferrari gto the best.




Juan Vizoso enlightened us with:
> Shame on you guys, no one mentioned Netkar ! .. after all it is
> free!!! here's the link .... http://www.nkzone.com/
> Just my opinion :-) free and not at all bad ..nice force
> feedback, and there is a little multiplayer
> interest ... and did I say it was free ? jv
>
> "Chuck" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of
>> the very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have
>> researched the types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I
>> just adore Rallisport Challenge 2, even though it's known as an
>> arcade game. Honestly, though, it's hard to lump it in the same
>> category as Need for Speed Underground and
>> Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I
>> have also
>> played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as
>> RS2. I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed
>> to be great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I
>> don't like / trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it
>> for $50 that would be great. I've also read good things about Nascar
>> 2003. I don't like Nascar, but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has
>> lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar 2003. You guys use lots of
>> acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. Somehow I've been able to find
>> some good web sites ...
>>
>> http://www.simracingworld.com/index/
>>
>> http://www.bhmotorsports.com/
>>
>> They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim
>> racing FAQ.
>>
>> I guess my questions are ...
>>
>> What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the
>> internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR)
>>
>> What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R?
>>
>> I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it?
>>
>> I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a
>> following?
>>
>> Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.?
>>
>> Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other
>> words, are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in
>> the U.S.? Thanks for any info.



 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
FS: "Auto Racing" Litho Sheets J.R. Sinclair General 0 December 4th 04 06:13 AM
FS: Auto Racing Phone Cards J.R. Sinclair General 0 August 6th 04 07:40 AM
FS: "Auto Racing" Litho Sheets J.R. Sinclair General 0 July 12th 04 07:41 AM
FS: John Force "Racing With Castrol" Promo Sheet J.R. Sinclair General 0 March 2nd 04 04:53 AM
Racing Fan "U." & Stock Car "U." gear ThePowerofUcom General 0 January 27th 04 01:38 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:47 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AutoBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.