I would have to agree with what Jon said, and whatever happens, this has been an interesting experience. I wouldn't look for any more about LFS related articles or interviews from me--I don't really play it that much, can't stand it offline--and the sounds make online seem a chore at times as opposed to 'fun' but there is no doubt a huge community behind this sim that solidifies its importance.

A community that, honestly, is a bit revolting in some ways. I know you don't all come across that way, but enough of you do that it is obvious you have another agenda and will settle for nothing less than that agenda.

And besides that, I have never seen so much negativity--over so little--in my entire life. Error with the article? Then email the editor so we can correct it for the next issue.

We now have an LFS thread at AutoSimSport forums, you are all welcome to come over there. Or not.

If you do go with your own magazine, give us a call so that we may view perfection.



All the best,

Bob Simmerman

It didn't take hours, but here is a somewhat thorough result of an 'lfs' search of each issue to date.

V1I1

Turn One: Golf, Bread & Livin’ for Speed with Victor van Vlaardingen

V1I4

LFS S2 Preview

V1I7

LFS FFS WTF OMG!!! News item/post of the month

Turn 3: Live for Speed Reviews, 83%
Dom Duhan, 85%.

V1I8

Happiness is a Warm Sim, strong references to LFS

V1I11

The Year of the Sim—LFS section

V2I5

T2: Live for Speed — The Formula 1 Kind!?

Sauber me Timbers, news item covering the new BMW for LFS.

V2I9

BMW vs. BMW—ISI vs. LFS—AUTOSIMSPORT Road-Test …: we get inside both cars and both sims and compare. (This one was a pleasure for sure!)



V3I1

Comment, by Magnus Telbom

Sim Motor Racings Premiere League


This was a cursory search using the letters ‘lfs’ scanning each pdf issue, so there may be some I have missed.

Quote from SamH :

Actually, it turns out to be quite simple. Rather than attaching the screenshots to the email, they were hyperlinked in the article itself for you to download and include in the magazine. I think it's actually a misunderstanding, Bob.

Links to the screenshots that she'd proposed for inclusion, finished up as links in the article itself (at the bottom), so although it didn't play out exactly as intended, nevertheless the images are available FROM the article, even if they're not embedded IN it

Thank you for posting that, it is definitely a misunderstanding, and my apologies for my brusk previous posting.

She also certainly sent us a (fantastic) race report and that is most likely the confusion on my side--I sent the report straight to editing shortly after reading it for any obvious glaring errors,since my main task was on the interview replies, which, given the immense and fantastic replies, was a bit of work Looking it over again, I see what was sent in terms of pictures for the article--the two links at the end--, and would certainly hope we can, in the future, write another article and get more pics. In other words, two textual items were sent, and at least we got the links to the shots in there, if not the actual laid out images. Naturally, I am going to blame someone else for this But, as you say--they were available, if not readily visible and my apologies.

I am now going to spend a few hours time going through each issue since the beginning and determing what, and to what extent, our LFS coverage has been. Some of you may recall I was buried to my neck in Sim Binnery for about all of 2005, and much of 2006 as well as new tasks--no LFS tasks aside from the review in collaboration with Shrapnel, (score 83%)--assigned to me. I am not the boss, I am a freelance writer--emphasis on 'free'--who is trying to get some sort of start in the writing business, so I do what I am told for fear of ruining a career I do not have yet. That is why I am still working as a chemist, to buy ink and stuff. That is my story, and I know the others had their tasks as well, and we had much to learn to work as a team, and a 'lack' of LFS coverage is not unique to that sim as you will soon discover. And, I assure everyone reading this--we have actively, and aggressively, sought a full time LFS writer for over two years now. I can not show the private discussions for obvious reasons, but I assure you, nothing was more frustrating that having folks there, giving committment, then not showing up ever again.

I would hope that this months issue, while maybe not to everyones taste regarding LFS coverage desires, was at least a step in some direction, and I hope we can do some more in the future.

It reminds me of HEAT--a colossally popular sim with a HUGE audience and we got word that we needed more coverage of it and through some fantastic efforts of....Magnus, we now get that coverage Just because we are not writing about something doesn't mean we don't like it, but, more likely, there aren't enough hours in the day.

To get to the nuts and bolts of it, since our creation, we have had a core group of 3 people who have contributed to every single issue. That is certainly not the case now, and it is a good thing because when you put in 150-200 hours a month on something, on top of the 160 you already have with your real job, well, it can get difficult at times, if not a bit nervewracking.

I am now going to do a thorough search of our back issues, and find some things out. Again, please accept my apologies for the previous reply.

Last edited by SmokinBob, Sat, 3 Feb 2007 15:00.

Quote from Jakg :

i raised this with Becky, she sent lots of STCC pics in to the magazine, unfortunately it seems that the layout editor said "LFS - i've got some pics of that somewhere..."

Shame, because a pic like this woulda looked much better


no it's not, it's spelt "surely"

I have two pics, sent by Becky, in my mailbox. It is possible I never got the email with the other pics you claim inside of it, but I got the first pic, the one where she is holding a sign, and another pic, a track overhead I believe. I will check again, but I am doubting this at the moment.

Highly.

She may have sent them to someone else, but the ones that were sent directly to me are in the article.

Is there always a 'negative' to be found over here? I get the impression graphics really aren't everything, now I am getting 'the business' due to not having more pics in the article??

I would ask Becky what exactly she sent, and where she sent them because it certainly wasn't to me so if you have something to contribute--such as the truth, or, proof--I'm all ears. I would have ran every shot she sent me, I assure you.

So, let's find out what happened to the shots allegedly sent before you start putting more lies on my back, and on the back of my editor.

Quote from Linsen :

Actually, I think that's not quite true. Or at least the way you put it makes it sound a little wrong. If you try to blend out those not-so nice posts and the accusations (I know it's hard ), you might find that most of the people posting here actually do want a lot from ASS, which is: reliable, objective information about what's going on in the sim-world and in the surrounding communities. It's just that many, including me, feel that they're not really getting that from ASS the way it works right now.

Edit@Kev: Judging by the latest news on the netKar Pro site, what Kunos has actually been doing was setting up a deal with a Hill-climbing team to get their car into nKPro -- don't know if that's good or bad, though.

Fair enough.

Quote from joen :

Somehow I think that Alpha tag is one of the reasons for the lack of coverage. I've heard that argument many times before and to be honest it annoys the hell out of me everytime I read it.
There's a lot of attention for nK Pro, which in my opinion in it's current state could only be called a technology preview or something like that considering all the major flaws it has making it impossible to consider it a finished product. Yet, it is labeled as 1.0 so that seemingly makes a lot of difference.
LFS, while not feature complete, is a very stable, usable product with no major problems. I consider it a for more finished an polished product. Yet, it is haunted by that one word.

I would agree with you on that.

However, in my humble opinion, offline--netKar Pro is a much more enjoyable and immersive experience for those who appreciate driving around a meticulously modelled car in a detailed world and it is a complete product in this regard, in my opinion, and in the opinion of folks who drive for livings. I have done the same with LFS, hours offline, and must conclude that netKar Pro is the better product offline. A moot point, perhaps, as it (nKP) is touted as the 'Professional Online Simulator', the fact remains that it does so many things right in the replication of driving a race car around a track--albeit by oneself--it must be considered in this regard as well.

Online? No contest, LFS is so vastly superior as to be on another planet. And for those who may have read my netKar Pro review, you may remember I was much less than kind in my thoughts regarding the net code.

Quote from BuddhaBing :

You've got some exemplary online statistics too, Bob. I'm glad to see that you really put LFS through its paces to allow you to write about it knowledgeably.

Thanks for the backhanded compliment, but if I remember correctly, Alex, Christoph Schirmer, Jon Denton, and my self played quite a bit on private server for that review, and I have quite a bit of time offline as well. Surely not to your level of proficiency, but hey--at least I don't steal Live For Speed licenses.

It is ineresting to discover that the LFS community wants little to do with AutoSimSport which is too bad. However, after reading this thread--and some of the things that Becky mentioned, well, I am starting to not be too surprised why the coverage is 'lacking' for this product and wish you all good luck in your magazine endeavours.

And I really don't think we need to be slammed for 'previews' as LFS is, as advertised by the very developers themselves, Alpha.

That hypocrisy alone is almost blinding.

Thanks again for the compliment, BuddhaBing, we need more folks like you in the other communities, and who doesn't like a healthy dose of
condescension once in a while? No wonder I scored it so high.

Enjoy your superiority, you've earned it.

Quote from duke_toaster :

How many out of the A.S.S. people are S2 licenced? You deffo aren't, and I hope ASS are not basing their reviews on cracks or the demo.



Whilst you may or may not be taking front or backhanders regarding coverage, are there strings attatched to your advertising arrangements (Like the old Xingular-sponsored cars in NASCAR using greyscale NEXTEL cup logos and so-on).

One here, smartass.

LFS294676200
Purchased 6/24/05

Bob Simmerman