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#1106829 - 10/25/06 05:23 AM Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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In Part 3, Jens addresses the driving school, multiplayer and conclusions. Read here:
http://www.simhq.com/_motorsports3/motorsports_104a.html


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#1106830 - 10/25/06 07:45 AM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Fabulous review Jens! Just what we needed, detailed info on interface, offline and online gameplay. I think my mind is made up now. Time for a new investment \:\)

#1106831 - 10/25/06 11:40 AM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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I'm glad you addressed the lack of capability to insert AI into the dedicated server session to fill out a field of cars. Also not included was the capability to assign penality points and penality weights to finishing positions. I mean, really, this is what the FIA-GT does IRL. This is especially important to leagues. Right now, this has to be done off-line manually or through other software.

Another "feature" that would have been nice for server admins would have been the capability to build "custom seasons" on the fly (point and click) that could be used by the server. While I have discovered such a tool in the community since the games' release, including it upfront would have been helpful. Creating those files manually is a real b****.

I have probably 100+ hours under my belt in GTR2 - on-line and off-line. I paid just $20.00 US for this game (sim) and it has by far been the best value for my entertainment dollar and it has become a welcome addition to my sim library along with F1C GTR and GTL.

If your into sim racing - you can't go wrong with GTR2.

Thanks for a great review Jens!!


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#1106832 - 10/25/06 03:04 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Excellent work on this review Jens.

Couple of observations I had:

When I first went to load GTR2, the little spinning disk came on, but it never did load up. This concerned me somewhat, I waited a while then double-clicked the desktop icon and it loaded. I subsequently had it happen one other time, no idea why.

The driving school. I liked it initially, and also the theory part (just reading and some illustrations). But the further I got into it (I just finished the cornering section), the more frustrated I got. I found I had to tweak the default setup to even have a chance at the instructor car. I would lower the wing down to "1", gas down to fumes, tires to soft compound. But everytime I re-ran a session, I had to back out and go the garage again because the sim would load up the default setup. Plus, the individual lessons are basically the same lesson, only the pass/fail/gold gear criteria gets racheted up.So I found myself running the same lesson over and over and over again.

I still think it's a good and worthy feature, I just wish they had implemented it a little differently.

I certainly agree with you about the lack of ability to add AI cars to an online session. Doesn't make sense, and I hope they fix it.

But as I said before, I just love the way the cars look, sound, and now, drive. I liked GTR too, I just couldn't drive it at all. When Chunx and I were talking with Diego Sartori at E3, he put it this way: "The cars in GTR2 are not hard to drive, and they shouldn't be. Until you start driving near the limit. Then they are very hard!"

Oh, and about that cheating thing, let me just say, "I am not...a cheat!" \:D


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#1106833 - 10/25/06 04:41 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Quote:
Originally posted by 20mm:

When I first went to load GTR2, the little spinning disk came on, but it never did load up. This concerned me somewhat, I waited a while then double-clicked the desktop icon and it loaded. I subsequently had it happen one other time, no idea why.

Probably your optical drive has a hard time reading Securerom7 copy protected disks. Some drives have better error correction than others.


"Electronic music should have freed the masses from the limitations of fretboards and fixed-pitch instruments. But apparently some missed the memo..." --thegibsonian
#1106834 - 10/25/06 11:25 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Good accurate review Jens, well done.

As Oscar said this racing sim is a great bang for the buck value.

#1106835 - 10/26/06 02:12 AM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Just read Parts 1, 2 and 3.

Many thanks for the in-depth review Jens. Just ordered GTR2 along with a bunch of games. The Pit stop footage and screenshots are simply amazing.

#1106836 - 10/26/06 05:56 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Excellent

I see from your gaming machine specs that you are listing an external hard drive.

Are you actually running GTR2 off the external hd?

#1106837 - 10/26/06 07:52 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Thanks for all the kind feed-back in the threads for parts 1, 2 and 3.

Yes, I'm actually running GTR2, rFactor, Flight Sims, the lot off the external 7200 rpm haddrive.


Jens C. Lindblad


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#1106838 - 10/26/06 09:11 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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great review


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#1106839 - 10/27/06 04:23 AM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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I'm glad you addressed the lack of capability to insert AI into the dedicated server session to fill out a field of cars.

That is unfortunate. One of the great aspects of rFactor multiplayer is the ability to include AI with Humans to make up a full grid.

Not only does this address the situation when attendees are low, it is also thrilling to compete with your mates in getting pass traffic.

I have been running LAN races for weeks now and every participant insist on AI for the LAN races because they love the challenge of maneuvering around traffic. We had many terrific crashes, and we also have some impressive nose to tail chases in heavy traffic.

Still going to get GTR2 but lamenting their less than optimum implementation of multiplayer options.

#1106840 - 10/27/06 04:46 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Quote:
Originally posted by McGonigle:
Thanks for all the kind feed-back in the threads for parts 1, 2 and 3.

Yes, I'm actually running GTR2, rFactor, Flight Sims, the lot off the external 7200 rpm haddrive.
Holy bat s**t, I never realized/or read anywhere that the performance of these external HDs was good enough to run applications off of them.

Is the drive connected via a USB 2.0 port?

#1106841 - 10/27/06 06:44 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Great articles Jens!

I worry about the MP side of this since MP is what makes racing most exciting to me as a relative newcomer to the genre. I'm not sure I like the fact that 2 of the 4 of you were kicked for possible cheats during the online race. I race with you guys and know for sure you don't have any cheats...but why wouldn't it be checking files upon entering the server? The lag part worried me a bit too.

I'm just starting to get used to rFactor and love the mostly solid online racing we do. Any given weekend we have anywhere from 12-20 drivers with little to no lag and very few connection drop problems...with drivers from all around the globe. I may hold off on this one for a bit.



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#1106842 - 10/27/06 07:02 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Quote:
Originally posted by goonch:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by McGonigle:
[qb] Holy bat s**t, I never realized/or read anywhere that the performance of these external HDs was good enough to run applications off of them.

Is the drive connected via a USB 2.0 port?
Once an app is loaded, it runs from memory, not the hard drive. If information is coming off the hard drive while you are driving, then you will get severe stutters no matter what. Thus, game performance doesn't depend on hard drive throughput.

#1106843 - 10/27/06 10:34 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Yes it goes through USB 2.0 with something like up to 480 MB/s. I read somewhere that in 2007 the experts think that the USB connection will become the next bottleneck, so it might turn out that the situation turns around again making it better to run apps from the internal drive due to shorter distance for the bytes to travel and bigger bandwidth internally than through a USB cable but then again, USB 3 or whatever is the next big thing might have happend by then.

Quote:
Originally posted by goonch:

Is the drive connected via a USB 2.0 port? [/QB]


Jens C. Lindblad


Sent from my Desktop
#1106844 - 11/02/06 07:45 AM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Nice article Jens.

A couple questions remain, however.

How far can I hope to get with a joystick? Surely not the best option, but would I likely get decent results when playing (offline)?

Second, does GTR2 support 16:10 wide monitors?


WARNING: This post contains opinions produced in a facility which also occasionally processes fact products.
#1106845 - 11/02/06 05:49 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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In regard to the above questions, I've found the answers on the web.


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#1106846 - 11/02/06 08:04 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Although you've already found your answers let me shove my advice in your face. If you have to play with a joystick the best setup (IMO) is to use the twist axis (if you have one) for steering. This actually works pretty well.


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#1106847 - 11/02/06 08:21 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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One more thing... you might look on eBay or elsewhere on the internet for a cheaper wheel. I have a Logitech Wingman GT (Yellow, no FF) that I bought new at a store for $25(US) a few years ago. The benefit is, it's cheap and it never hurts to have a basic wheel around even if you don't get into it. Plus if you decide you really dig racing sims and want to buy a good FF wheel you can use the pedalset from the cheap one as a clutch-pedal along with your new wheel. Having a clutch pedal offers a whole new level of immersion and really ups the challenge and corresponding satisfaction levels.

edit: The wheel is actually called Logitech Wingman Formula GP. A quick search indicated that they are a little hard to find because they are no longer built but if you do find them they can be had for less than 20 bucks new. Twenty bucks for wheel and 20 bucks for GTR2 and I really can't think of a much better gaming/entertainment value for less than the price of most first run computer games alone.


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#1106848 - 11/02/06 09:28 PM Re: Review: GTR2 - Part 3  
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Thanks!

Having just recently aquired a widescreen monitor I start understanding why you ask. Honestly, before the new monitor I didn't think much about it.

Now I think I will mention the resolutions supported, in forthcoming reviews.

GTR2 doesn't have a dedicated option for 16:10 or 16:9 in the menus like Strike Fighters however, odd resolutions are suported;: like 1440x900 or 1680x1050, giving you a splendid widescreen view.

Regarding expected results when using a joystick I can tell you that the early hot-shoes in GPL used joyusticks so it certainly is possible that you would get decent results. I think the basic priciple here is that when the hot-shoes switched to steering wheels they were still blindingly quick, so it is probably also a question of how well you adapt to any given sim and the driving model.

Quote:
Originally posted by adlabs6:
Nice article Jens.

A couple questions remain, however.

How far can I hope to get with a joystick? Surely not the best option, but would I likely get decent results when playing (offline)?

Second, does GTR2 support 16:10 wide monitors?


Jens C. Lindblad


Sent from my Desktop
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