So finally getting round to business and I've completed some replay uploads, behold:
Ragging around Parsons Reach in 550pp Racers
Ugly car and no mistake - could've been a lot quicker with the right driver I think
So. Many. Tracks - and a short memory. I can't recall this 500pp race!
And to finish, Parson's Reach again but in "Granny Cars" - thanks Steve for the naming...
But what of this week - if we all have them, then I'm thinking 590pp (TBC) Deutschland Racers - i.e. DTM. But I'll say anything that's of German descent, including the Z4 etc (if only because I've got one and want to actually race it at some point).
Other than that we'll be off custom tracks this week - time to pick a class and race on!
Following on from last week's stella night racing a custom track with a variety of cars we're turning things on their head.
This week we'll be racing the V8 supercar stylee cars. What are these? They're the closest we can get to mad motors that are in the same vein as the V8s we used to watch...
The cars:
550pp
Road car
Four doors
Racing Medium tyres
Adjustable after market wing fitted
V8 engine (Check car info)
No race cars - i.e. no sponsor liveries (fit a number if you like).
You'll be wondering if there are any cars that meet the criteria, follow this link to an old blog post to see the cars that make the grade, there's a few of them...
We'll be doing the in-game tracks this week though, too hard to do just one custom track, unless we have a desire to do so. Not least as I have a new favourite track to race on...
It's shared in any case, and I think should make for a some top racing!
As my quest to justify a PS4 to myself (and much harder, the missus) continues I keep coming across such awesome videos it's rude not to share.
This is a pretty good advert for the genre, if not the console:
Fair to say that this year is going to be awesome for racing! Mind you, you're welcome to keep the unreal shizzle, can't be done with that.
This is a new vid on the graphics of the games:
And a bit of a comparison video of Driveclub, Need for Speed, The Crew and Project Cars on the PS4.
So am I about to run out and buy a new console?
Probably not.
Project Cars is about to be V2.0'ed so no point rushing to that, Driveclub just seems to be getting better and better, and looking at The Crew and Need for Speed, I think I can pass on the physics.
If I were to magic one today I think I'd be getting Driveclub (I think I'm in love with the graphics), Dirt Rally and Assetto Corsa as it comes out and await Project Cars 2 - which is completely at odd with what I had originally planned when deciding to get a PS4 late last year.
As they say, the thrill is in the chase (which is why I always drop to the back when we're racing!!!).
I'll be posting replays and notes on next week's racing too - the plan is to do more of the V8 stuff, fun as that was!
This is where I originally got my love of motorsport, and
ultimately what I see as a bit of niche that’s exploitable in GT6, the thin
ribbon of tarmac up the hill…
This article outlines an approach.
1. Tracks
Ingredients:
Don’t link up the track – it’s a single ribbon
up the hill…
Narrow track width - <9m is good.
Keep it short. A sub two minute run is ideal,
dependent on corners/straights etc.
Not too many jumps – it’s easy to have crazy
over crest stuff in the track editor but that’s not real life.
Limit the downhill – harder than it sounds, but
essential.
Get some chicanes in – shorten your straights.
It’s about the bends.
Careful on the switchbacks – if you go past
vertical and start a downward bend you’ll have an over crest launch pad.
Make sure you add scenery to give brake marking
points etc.
2. Cars
Best way here is to build up classes to race. We use our
league classes (on the right) but in slowest to fastest (all with no aids other
than abs unless otherwise stated):
400pp – 1970 or before road cars on sports hard
tyres.
460pp – 1990 or before road cars on racing hard
tyres.
525pp – 1970 or before US V8 cars on sports soft
tyres.
500pp – Non-race cars on sports soft tyres.
590pp – Race cars on race medium tyres.
650pp – Race cars on open tyres – traction
control allowed.
Open class – all open. All aids allowed.
In fairness we’ve skipped a few of these classes in the
interests of completing a night, err, in a night. But this is the dream list
assuming we’re all online and racing from 7pm…
3. The competition
Due to the limitations of GT6 you’ll have to run a
practice/race configuration and basically not run an actual race.
The challenge then is to run ever faster classes, and the
lead time is posted up on the track for all to see.
Things that make it harder are that there’s no queuing on
the grid, so players will have to be sporting about taking turns up the hill –
a microphone for each player really helps with this.
Also, there are no grid lights, so cars need to be up and running
straight away, bad if you’re in big turbo 4wd with four gears as you’ll bog
badly on the line…
In terms of racing, it’s pretty competitive once it’s up and
running not only are you trying to best the posted time but also your own time,
which is recorded for you of course (as a practice lap).
What does affect the racing a lot though are ringer cars,
the Tommykaira ZZii is manic, and will win at the 500pp and 590pp classes – if
you can ban it then all good. Others may beat it, but it’ll be a proper
struggle to do so. And every class will have something similar in it, so some gentlemanly agreements over the cars that
should be avoided should be implemented.
Another option is to run single make cars – it would work,
but misses a key part of this racing which is the tuning of the car per run to
perfect it’s performance (I read that out loud and need to clean the screen
now).
My tracks
Long, decent set of switchbacks. Big climb.
Very standard track. Good reference if a bit short. Great bus stop mid run.
Two very good dip/chicane sections in this great all rounder.
Super long hill climb. Good For stretching the car.
One of the better competition hill climbs.
Ugly because of a couple of nasty bends. Otherwise a great race.
Sort of.
Long before the word Sim was a thing, and certainly an eon before any console came close to a viable racing experience, there was Grand Prix Legends.
And what's more it was modded and updated, and is the DNA for quite a bit of modern gaming in race life.
Anyway, this video isn't about that (entirely) but it's the CEO of iRacing and writer of GP Legends talking about history and his latest, iRacing's Nurburgring...
Hi Folks
As always, it's been a while since the last update. If I'm honest I do miss making updates but with such a limited readership the stuff can stay in my head just as easily. That and I've been very busy with my gaming of late, and not just racing!
Anyway, this Thursday is going to be another Hill Climb night. the last time It worked really well, though no replays as nothing to save given it's technically a 'practice' - I might work on that this week though...
So the track, I'm tempted to race the same again, but I do have some alternatives...
One is probably what I'd call a proper hill climb, but is very short, the other is a bit longer but doesn't flow quite as well. Open to suggestions:
Can't think of a better name, it's not a pretty track to drive. Longer track
I do like this, but it is a bit short for group racing I think.
Of this second one, here's a replay:
A nice track for sure.
More arty, this is the track we did the last time we did this...
All very arty I think you'll agree. Shame though, as the replay doesn't do justice to the amount of "ohhhh" going on getting around every corner.
And as I recorded these, I've decided to record a few more, see if you can spot yourself in the following matinee...
But did Pops win?
Not the slowest cars, but certainly some eclectic racers...
Open room racing saw some newcomers to the group
And because I could, I've recorded a race at Brands in Shift2 Unleashed. It's fair to say I have a love/hate relationship with this game. In the smaller cars I love it, in the GT cars I can't stand it. The cars and the racing is great, but the physics I just can't dial to being correct. In any case, I set the difficulty to hard and still romped home a win in this race, Lackadaisical Lambos I think...
Lastly, a plug, a top site for when you're bored - and can skim past the ever increasing stance rubbish... http://www.speedhunters.com/ - Sitting in casualty the other night this site was my salvation with many very nicely written articles, and a healthy dose of "how can you afford that car and to do that to it" in just about every article.
