I do like rally.
And I do like Dirt3, I can even forgive the fact that stages are less than 2 minutes long in the most part - I even give it grudging understanding for the Playstation Generation (tm) that demands the short running stages.
And when it looks like this...
and goes like this...
One has to forgive it. What an excellent way to make up for the shizzle that is GT5 rally.
Worst, online lobby seems to crash out all the time, I just can't start a race online.
Even pressing the PS button to get the XMB up seems to stall everything.
So I checked everything I could, it seemed to be related to network stuff, but how, I even have a fast connection of sorts (7Mbps download in PS3 test FFS).
So what's going on. Forums don't really help, but then I find 'the' thread, try these things it says:
Clear System Cache in game (check, done that).
Clear Internet browsing history (ooo, new).
Synchronise Trophies in the XMB (check, done that).
Check the disk for finger prints (haha, yeah, whatever).
But then (and really there's no suspense to this is there) I check the disk. Here's clue number two, in conjunction with the one above:
Gosh, I didn't know finger prints came in 3D. I should have taken a picture of it. Honestly, I could have got a rag, wiped it (I did) and the results used to grease every moving part on a freight train.
Anyway, humble pie fried in fat and eaten, I've put the disk back in, done the 'other' options above and all good. In fact, better than good - my game loads better than it has for a long time!
Seems my PS3 can't wait for GT6, and has taken steps to ensure I'm an early adopter.
I think this video sums up my entire gaming experience of the past 4 days...
Doing another restore now to see if that works, but maybe the old disk will be going back in...
.."see, it's an impeller, er, a spindle with a spinny thing. Er, like a windmill. No it goes faster than that. Here watch this with sound turned on..."
*Note, you have to use guinea pigs for super chargers, they have more capacity for torque.
What a full on race night. The track perhaps wasn't the best choice for eight cars racing, insofar as it was very hard to overtake. And even with the tyre wear set to 'very high' seven laps wasn't enough to force any tactical tyre changes.
And perhaps I'll not even mention the clubman race - great for some not for others. Certainly racing the Gallardos there a few seasons ago was more fun. Perhaps I'll just get on and do that race again some time...
Race Round Up
Clubman
Well, this was a race of two cars, the one that won and the one that didn't. Luke and I in the Jaaaaaaags didn't seam to have a look in. Faster maybe out of the corners but hopeless at getting around them. I remember them being so much better - perhaps a physics update at some point?
Special mention to Rod in this race, chap you often get smashed by those that practice practice practice. But you got a well deserved second place. Excellent, and a fine start to the Clubman season.
Championship
I do so like the HRC460 class. Watching the replay the cars are such different handling things that every corner was a hoot to watch. Tyre wear didn't make much of a difference in this race, shame in some ways. And as Chris pointed out, those that started in front finished in front - we'll pretend that it wasn't that ballistic Lambo then.
Special mention to Callum - social racing at it's finest as I think you visited every position in the pack at least twice...
And special mention to Evan - only because you drove a car which has been described as "throwing a dart backwards". Sadly it was more "drive backwards" this week.
The GT590-4 was a wash out for me. What you lot don't know is that in a practice race the week before that car was untouchable around Monaco. So what went wrong? A barrier marriage didn't help, but I do put a chunk of my issues down to pit stop strategy. My car wasn't really troubling the tyres so I stayed out another lap, what this actually did is put me at the back of the field - so I had to pass everyone, or rather I didn't as you're all quite capable drivers of course. And that was the end of my race.
I've yet to watch the replay in detail (too painful for me), but what I recall there was some pretty close racing at points, if not throughout the race as we often get.
Special mention to Evan on this one again - sterling start to finish lead I believe. Good show
Official Points
Clubman
1. Callum
2. Roderick
3. Evan
4. Paul
5. Chris
6. George
7. Luke
8. Andrew
Championship
Race#1
1. Chris
2. George
3. Andrew
4. Callum
5. Paul
6. Evan
7. Luke
8. Roderick
Race#2
1. Evan
2. Callum
3. George
4. Chris
5. Pual
6. Andrew
7. Luke
Updates
Note that the race log (linked on the right) and all the points over there > are all up to date now too. Check how close the top points are in the Championship...
Video
And here is that HRC460 Race in all it's glory (remember, my ISP wants you to watch it in 720p)...
This weeks racing.
We have in the calendar to race another street race, but this one as a time trial. I'm thinking that we'll stuff that and do some circuit racing, as I don't know about you lot, but I'm over the narrow racing for now.
Expect to race the TC500 track - I've shared it out if you want to download and practice.
