Meh, give me prototype racing any time of the day. Factory cars are the real deal.

Out of the ones you mentioned, I only know CASCAR. I also know Indy Car runs on ovals sometimes too.

I know that, but that's no excuse for not working at all even with everything disabled and details lowered to the minimum possible.

Besides, it fits my needs at the moment, so I don't feel the need to upgrade. It'll be the first thing I'll upgrade when I'm able to shell out money for it, but right now, I just want to save up for a new console and HDTV. I'm not even much of a PC gamer anyway. NBA 2K8 for the bloody win.

This didn't run on my computer at all, and it's not so bad:

E6600 Core 2 Duo (2.4 GHz)
1 GB Ram
512 MB video memory (GeForce 6200)

Granted, a GeForce 6200 isn't really high-end, but it's not that bad either. It runs LFS with 20 cars on the field with no slowdown at all, and 42 cars in NR2003 with all maxed out settings and hi-res tracks and cars.

It says my video card isn't compatible. I call bollocks, there's an entire bloody list of uncompatible video cards, and it's non-comprehensive.

TDU fanboys will tell me to upgrade my video card, but I'm not going to upgrade something that works fine with all other games I play.

But that's not the case here. The case is that mods can definitely improve a racing game, including an online one. I can choose whether to play Grand National 70 on a historical Daytona track, or play COT on Nürburgring, all online in a good racing league, and no lag.

On the other hand, the reason GPL and NR2003 didn't have bad mods is that their communities are quite selective and self-moderated. No one in their right mind is going to play GPL if they're not serious about simming, let alone modding it. And the average NASCAR fan will want to play the arcadish sims such as the EA games, rather than such a detailed simulation. Plus, the communities would never accept some HONDA CIVIC TYPE-RICE MODZ in their games.

I think that's how it should be in LFS' case. Take the good mods, and reject the bad ones.

I want to slap all of you upside the head.

While it may not be a good idea to allow mods right now, I can't see why not allow them in a final release. Look what they did to NASCAR Racing 2003 Season or Grand Prix Legends, for instance.

In NR2003, you got leagues running all kinds of mods, from Aerowar 88 to Grand National 70 and the current COT cars, on all kinds of modded tracks. Some car mods even have their own physics, which are, for most of them, pretty good. I can't even bear to play the vanilla game again.

In GPL, you just need to download the 2004 demo on BHMotorsports and compare it to the original game. The 2004 demo is a compilation of all the greatest mods released for GPL, and it looks and feels like a completely different, much improved game.

I never said it wasn't unethical. I just said it happens in racing, and not because some retard doesn't have a clue what he's doing. You just misunderstood me. The new COT cars make it a lot harder to do, though.

Quote from PLAYLIFE :

It is strange how bad collision detection can ruin the flow of the game. I mean what flow are we talking about here if you keep hitting things. You are NOT supposed to hit any other cars or objects.

I agree that the collision detection system could use a makeover, but I don't agree that it ruins the flow of the game. I see it as secondary to handling physics upgrades.

Sometimes collision is just inevitable, such as unskilled drivers in turn one. Ask yourself this question. You're not doing anything wrong and you're driving cleanly. Then, all of a sudden, you fly up into a wall because some driver gave you a slight nudge. Would you be happy with that?

How bad would it have been if both Massa and Alonso had flown off the track during the race today?

*Cough* You say you've watched NASCAR, but you've never seen Jeff Gordon? Dale Jr.? Kurt Busch? They all do this maneuvre. And you'll read about it in every NASCAR website that has some kind of terms glossary.

Watch the recent race with the finish between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Jeff Gordon tapped Johnson's car with the intention of making him go loose several times, progressively harder. Guess what happened? Johnson came in first, Gordon in second. The effects were clearly not what you describe.

Quote from richy :

I think you would be banned from any track, racing and called many names or even worse, die from your own stupidity, if you tried this in real life.

What you describe is wrecking.

Due to slipstreaming, the car behind will be faster. This does not give you the right to hit him up the rear and put him into a wall, or cause a pile up for the rest of the race behind you.

Oh, dear god...has nobody ever watched NASCAR in this place..

They do it every race weekend in it, and nobody ever wrecks anything, and nobody is ever banned or called names or has ever died.

It is -not- wrecking! The car behind is not that much faster in a draft pack, the difference is usually of only 3 to 5 mph, if that. And nobody ever goes into the wall because of it. Hardly anyone even loses that much grip to be too noticeable.

Actually watch the thing before you make comments like that.

But you see, it doesn't automatically work. The driver in front is able to defend himself by blocking the driver in the back regardless of being loose for a moment, and those drivers are really good at that. It takes an exceptional driver to apply the tapping technique successfully. Jeff Gordon is known for mastering that technique, and he's a very good driver. Sometimes not even he can do it, like what happened in a recent race. He tapped Jimmie Johnson many times over, but was still unsuccessful at taking first place, finishing in second.

Quote from Jakg :

They don't make mistakes? They're the same speed as you or faster? you don't pass them and you CERTAINLY don't bump them out of the way!

In a competitive oval, particularly on restrictor plate tracks, nearly everyone is doing about the same speed, unless they have an uncompetitive car due to a bad set-up or mechanical problems. And they don't ram into one another, the technique is done by tapping the rear end of the car in front so it comes up and makes the car get loose.

Racing techniques aren't the same for every category. You wouldn't attempt to corner on asphalt the way rally drivers do on dirt. You don't race in a draft pack on an oval the same way you would race in a regular circuit.

You must all understand that overtaking in ovals is very difficult, particularly in a league where there is no clearly dominant car or team, and that's even more pronounced in restrictor plate tracks. Overtaking techniques must then be applied. It's not bad driving, just a requirement for that kind of racing.

But let's not turn the thread into a NASCAR flamewar. The point of this is that contact does exist in racing, and is not necessarily bad driving. Also, even when contact is uncalled for, it might be simply ill-intentioned, rather than bad driving. No one would call Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna bad drivers, but they did have their fair share of objectionable instances.

Well, would you rather try to make a clean pass, not being able to make it past the other car, and being "hung out to dry" (losing your place in the draft and therefore losing several positions)? It's strategic.

You do touch other cars in normal racing. Haven't you ever heard of bumping in NASCAR? They do it so the car in front becomes loose and moves to the outside, so the bumper can get in front during that moment the other car loses the racing line. It's not "bad driving", as you call it.

I recently bought a wheel, but although both the throttle and brake work fine, the range of the wheel is off. It's a 180 wheel, but it's being recognised as a 90 one, because I only get a range of 45 degrees to either side before it maxes out and doesn't recognise the rest of its range. What gives? And no point asking me about the brand, it's made by an obscure company, because I don't have the quid to shell off for an expensive one. That's for Christmas.

Awrite, mate, welcome to S2!

Try the FE Club for a good starting place. It has a little bit of all the basic techniques you must learn, including a chicane that you need to take at full throttle. How's that for a thrill? I did many laps on it with the FOX, and I'm now feeling completely confident in that car, on any track.

Cheers!

I've been hitting the track and knocking off some serious time, I'm now managing 0:39:80.

In addition, I've been driving around other tracks with the FOX, and doing well at that too.

Aye, I know it's the shortest circuit, but hey, still something.

I was paying more attention to driving smoothly and consistently than having top lap times, thus, when it was time to negotiate the chicane, I simply focused on keeping a smooth line and going on the accelerator when I could feel the car was set.

I'm going to try the short ones first as well as BL, then move on to more ambitious tracks. It's useless to try the Nordschleife when you can't even do go-kart tracks.

Cheers, mate!

And wow, not bad, I was only 7 seconds off the WR, being a beginner with the default setup!

Just a wee question..

I've been practicing with the FOX on Fern Bay Club with the default setup, and was averaging 43 seconds, my fastest lap being 0:42:44. Here, is that good for a beginner? I did 15 laps.

I'll try out all the suggestions as soon as I can, I'm already nervous about my first race. Playing against the AI wasn't doing me too good at all, they seem to always completely ignore my car and slam into it from behind. I guess that's how all of you feel when some pure mental gonk does the same.

I've been playing around with the FOX and XRT (anyone ever notice it looks like an Esprit?). They're both cars I can drive fairly well. I'll be giving them a go online.

I guess I'll just go online and take it easy with the slower cars then, and just build up as I feel more confident. Cheers.

Awrite, mates!

I'm a newbie in dire need of help. I got my S2 license yesterday, but have absolutely no idea what to do now. Do I practise against the AI, or do I join some public servers and get my practise there? Either way, I've already read all the behaviour and racing guides, and would know how to behave myself. Since I can't even keep my car on the track with the more high-powered vehicles yet, as this does not seem to be Gran Turismo (), I'd just go slower than the other cars so as to not bother anyone, but try to keep up with them. I'd gradually get more competitive as I learned my limits.

But really, what should I do? Cheers!

Hello! I've just switched from demo to S2 today, and I'm loving the game. My favourite cars are the formulas, and I'm a mouse driver.