thanks for the advise people, I will start putting in the effort to source the don't nutters from the do-nutters.
I've also been putting in some more time since the new patch, teasing a drift from one of the rear wheel drive types - brings me right back to my day's of the MkII RS Exscort, an absolute joy to drive down the road sideways.
In a sim - I've never been able to hold a drift like I seem to be able to in LFS since the patch. Although I've also hit the barrier several times whilst trying too.
Even lift off overteer from the FWD's is a lot more straight forward.
I've also been putting in some more time since the new patch, teasing a drift from one of the rear wheel drive types - brings me right back to my day's of the MkII RS Exscort, an absolute joy to drive down the road sideways.
In a sim - I've never been able to hold a drift like I seem to be able to in LFS since the patch. Although I've also hit the barrier several times whilst trying too.
Even lift off overteer from the FWD's is a lot more straight forward.
I should have made myslef more clearer, as I suppose I'm lumping all my on-line experience together.
I believe it's down to the easy option I take, for each game or sim I use on online, I simply click multiplayer then select a race, battle, flight and so on.
That way I'm fair game to the nutters who don't have passwords, or dedicated server ip addresses etc. I would expect the majority are mainly kids having a laugh with their friends, why not - I suppose you have all come across them, here are a few examples:
On line shooters.
They hang around the spawn points, as soon as you spawn, they off-load a magazine into your virtual stomach, or forehead, it's up to them.
The opposite, a group of four nutters working as a team, these people are convinced they are snipers, so much so, they sit perched in a mountain a mile from the spawn point, all listening to each others breathing thru' their recently purchased internet ready earpiece and janet jackson style microphones, just waiting for a newby like me to spawn before seeing who the first is to decapitate you from a mile away.
On-line jet / plane fighter sims
Circle the runway, you spend 10 minutes taxiing, only for a 12year old Russian kid to strafe the runway, cutting off your wings in the process.
FS2004
There are two choices, fly alone on the standard server routes, as nobody else is online, or the full blown VATSIm thing where you have to be a fully trained pilots - as those lot do it properly. People prepared to spend 12 hours (in a row) acting as air traffic controllers, whilst hundreds of others fly in real time, follwoing their instructions to a tee, using all that funky "roger, doger diddly out" language the real pilots use.
After ten minutes the stress is unbearable, your convinced you have 250 passengers on-board, and your on the PA telling them to sit at the fback of the plane, as they'll get a longer ride and planes don't reverse into mountains.
As for car sim's, maybe I'm a magnet for do-nut man.
I believe it's down to the easy option I take, for each game or sim I use on online, I simply click multiplayer then select a race, battle, flight and so on.
That way I'm fair game to the nutters who don't have passwords, or dedicated server ip addresses etc. I would expect the majority are mainly kids having a laugh with their friends, why not - I suppose you have all come across them, here are a few examples:
On line shooters.
They hang around the spawn points, as soon as you spawn, they off-load a magazine into your virtual stomach, or forehead, it's up to them.
The opposite, a group of four nutters working as a team, these people are convinced they are snipers, so much so, they sit perched in a mountain a mile from the spawn point, all listening to each others breathing thru' their recently purchased internet ready earpiece and janet jackson style microphones, just waiting for a newby like me to spawn before seeing who the first is to decapitate you from a mile away.
On-line jet / plane fighter sims
Circle the runway, you spend 10 minutes taxiing, only for a 12year old Russian kid to strafe the runway, cutting off your wings in the process.
FS2004
There are two choices, fly alone on the standard server routes, as nobody else is online, or the full blown VATSIm thing where you have to be a fully trained pilots - as those lot do it properly. People prepared to spend 12 hours (in a row) acting as air traffic controllers, whilst hundreds of others fly in real time, follwoing their instructions to a tee, using all that funky "roger, doger diddly out" language the real pilots use.
After ten minutes the stress is unbearable, your convinced you have 250 passengers on-board, and your on the PA telling them to sit at the fback of the plane, as they'll get a longer ride and planes don't reverse into mountains.
As for car sim's, maybe I'm a magnet for do-nut man.
No donuts allowed please?
Hi
I recently raised a thread on the quality of LFS. I was shocked and stunned at getting 95 replies within a day. Most having a go at me, but
when the responses are (mostly) written in a sensible, integillent, and even at times - emotional, it's hard to defend what I said. I'm almost certainly missing something with LFS, and I'm going to batter that Lotus 7 looking type car for a few hundred miles to see what.
However, the majority of comments refer to the on-line experience, and I believe that's what I'm missing - but here is why.
1. I go online.
2. I qualify, after about thirty minutes.
3. The race starts.
4. First corner, there is a crash, those that crash - disconnect.
5. The 8-person race is down to five.
6. Person No5 was also in the crash, but his damage was not as bad, he decides to go on, but only a lap to get to the start / finish line, or the nastiest bend on the circuit.
7. Person No5 then starts to practise his do-nuts, mid race.
8. The other 'sensible' racer's continue, until they hit do-nut man; head on. Its' bad (they were doing 120mph..!!), another two are out, taking do-nut man out too.
9. There are two people left. One of them has been using LFS for 3 years and is therefore, faster than a really fast thing.
10. After two laps, the dude with 3 years behind him is 4 laps ahead, or he may as well be, Tony is left racing around on his own.
11. The race is over - the cycle repeats.
As can be seen, it's little wonder I have only really used the off-;ine AI based mode to LFS, little wonder I'm a little 'negative' about it's capabilities.
With the above in mind, any clues as to how I find half a dozen real people to race with every now and again.
Thanks in advance people, and thanks for the time taken with my previous thread, it's been an eye opener.
Tony
I recently raised a thread on the quality of LFS. I was shocked and stunned at getting 95 replies within a day. Most having a go at me, but
when the responses are (mostly) written in a sensible, integillent, and even at times - emotional, it's hard to defend what I said. I'm almost certainly missing something with LFS, and I'm going to batter that Lotus 7 looking type car for a few hundred miles to see what.
However, the majority of comments refer to the on-line experience, and I believe that's what I'm missing - but here is why.
1. I go online.
2. I qualify, after about thirty minutes.
3. The race starts.
4. First corner, there is a crash, those that crash - disconnect.
5. The 8-person race is down to five.
6. Person No5 was also in the crash, but his damage was not as bad, he decides to go on, but only a lap to get to the start / finish line, or the nastiest bend on the circuit.
7. Person No5 then starts to practise his do-nuts, mid race.
8. The other 'sensible' racer's continue, until they hit do-nut man; head on. Its' bad (they were doing 120mph..!!), another two are out, taking do-nut man out too.
9. There are two people left. One of them has been using LFS for 3 years and is therefore, faster than a really fast thing.
10. After two laps, the dude with 3 years behind him is 4 laps ahead, or he may as well be, Tony is left racing around on his own.
11. The race is over - the cycle repeats.
As can be seen, it's little wonder I have only really used the off-;ine AI based mode to LFS, little wonder I'm a little 'negative' about it's capabilities.
With the above in mind, any clues as to how I find half a dozen real people to race with every now and again.
Thanks in advance people, and thanks for the time taken with my previous thread, it's been an eye opener.
Tony
I spend a lot of time on GTL, inparticular the nordshlief, a freeware track of the highest order. I paid the same for GTL as I did for LFS, there is no comparison. I have spent a small fortune on FS2004 and all the add-ons, time etc required to get the most from them.
Both the above are examples of simulators that have extremely active on-line comunities, releasing both payware and freeware second to known. RFactor is similar, in terms of quality.
When I wrote the thread, a first I may add, as usually I'm too busy enjoying using the software to write about it (forums are essential, but there are people out there who depend on the friendship the forum affords, rather than the simulator itself), I was benchmarking LFS against the likes of GTL and FS2004, maybe that was wrong, as one man cannot compete with a developemnt house, but when the price is the same, then I'm afraid that one man has to take the critism that is also aimed at the larger developers via the forums. That's the harsh reality of life.
So let's have the online updates, patches, freeware, payware whatever - but the most essential factor in all of that, is the core product is right first, and in comparison to others out there, I still do not believe this is right. And I tried the demo, read the website and I still bought the product. Truth be known, I'd still buy it again given the choice, FWD is FWD and RWD is RWD, at least that what the force feedback tell's me, more so than LFS's competitiors - but we have been spolit, and unfortunatley it's not enough these days, not for 30'odd pound.
Both the above are examples of simulators that have extremely active on-line comunities, releasing both payware and freeware second to known. RFactor is similar, in terms of quality.
When I wrote the thread, a first I may add, as usually I'm too busy enjoying using the software to write about it (forums are essential, but there are people out there who depend on the friendship the forum affords, rather than the simulator itself), I was benchmarking LFS against the likes of GTL and FS2004, maybe that was wrong, as one man cannot compete with a developemnt house, but when the price is the same, then I'm afraid that one man has to take the critism that is also aimed at the larger developers via the forums. That's the harsh reality of life.
So let's have the online updates, patches, freeware, payware whatever - but the most essential factor in all of that, is the core product is right first, and in comparison to others out there, I still do not believe this is right. And I tried the demo, read the website and I still bought the product. Truth be known, I'd still buy it again given the choice, FWD is FWD and RWD is RWD, at least that what the force feedback tell's me, more so than LFS's competitiors - but we have been spolit, and unfortunatley it's not enough these days, not for 30'odd pound.
a little short changed
Hello People.
I'm aware we as Gamers, simmers - whatever, now fully expect to buy a product that is either incomplete, or full of bugs (same thing). It doesn't and couldn't happen with any other product I can think of. Can you imagine buying a new car that was broke, or incomplete, on the understanding the manufacturer may get around to fixing it in the future.
As I mentioned, this is with regards all gaming developers, no sooner have we got back from the shop with our CD / DVD and we are looking on the net for patches.
With LFS it's a little different, as we are told from the onset this is a work in progress, and as such, you are asked to pay for the privalege to be a Beta tester. I can imagine the LFS meeting at the time, "do you think they'll pay", "of course, they'll be queing to pay for unfinished software, they do it all the time".
I bought LFS from what I had read regarding the physics, and there is no doubt they are good, but for $42 then there needs to be a lot more.
I have just drove a car into another car. Not on purpose, but Hey. not a scratch. Apparently thats what happens, people all over the world are driving cars, into other cars, with no damage what so ever. Those of us out there who believe there would be damage on a catatrosphic level, are completely wrong. The physics in LFS say so.
Then there is the AI. In the world of LFS. It's normal to stick to the racing line and it doesn't matter what is in front, because your going to barge them out the way anyway. The developer should be more clear that this is a multi-player sim only. And that AI is included only for a laugh, and shouldn't be taken seriously.
We the silly shopper - habe waited long enough now for this to develope into a "proper" package, I say that as we have clearly paid proper package money.
Let us not forget, we do not even have the benefit of a CD, jewel case, printed manual - nothing.
One more thing, the installation / upgrade procedure is pathetic. As the developer is keen to charge developer package style money, they should be prepared as a minimum, to provide a good quality installer / updater. Right clicking on zip files is for freeware only.
Maybe I've had a bad day, and that is reflected above - but no, they are genuine issues I've raised, and warrant a fair / sensible response.
I'm aware we as Gamers, simmers - whatever, now fully expect to buy a product that is either incomplete, or full of bugs (same thing). It doesn't and couldn't happen with any other product I can think of. Can you imagine buying a new car that was broke, or incomplete, on the understanding the manufacturer may get around to fixing it in the future.
As I mentioned, this is with regards all gaming developers, no sooner have we got back from the shop with our CD / DVD and we are looking on the net for patches.
With LFS it's a little different, as we are told from the onset this is a work in progress, and as such, you are asked to pay for the privalege to be a Beta tester. I can imagine the LFS meeting at the time, "do you think they'll pay", "of course, they'll be queing to pay for unfinished software, they do it all the time".
I bought LFS from what I had read regarding the physics, and there is no doubt they are good, but for $42 then there needs to be a lot more.
I have just drove a car into another car. Not on purpose, but Hey. not a scratch. Apparently thats what happens, people all over the world are driving cars, into other cars, with no damage what so ever. Those of us out there who believe there would be damage on a catatrosphic level, are completely wrong. The physics in LFS say so.
Then there is the AI. In the world of LFS. It's normal to stick to the racing line and it doesn't matter what is in front, because your going to barge them out the way anyway. The developer should be more clear that this is a multi-player sim only. And that AI is included only for a laugh, and shouldn't be taken seriously.
We the silly shopper - habe waited long enough now for this to develope into a "proper" package, I say that as we have clearly paid proper package money.
Let us not forget, we do not even have the benefit of a CD, jewel case, printed manual - nothing.
One more thing, the installation / upgrade procedure is pathetic. As the developer is keen to charge developer package style money, they should be prepared as a minimum, to provide a good quality installer / updater. Right clicking on zip files is for freeware only.
Maybe I've had a bad day, and that is reflected above - but no, they are genuine issues I've raised, and warrant a fair / sensible response.
FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG