GTR - first impressions
Discussion
well not really, as I've played the two demos a LOT, but I got the full thing today...
AWESOME!!
after my disappointment with GT4, GTR has been an absolute revelation.. and I've only been playing it for a couple of hours!!
It is so much the game GT4 should have been.. and even it's comparatively limited array of cars are nothing short of spectacular...
Murkylager R-GT : what a BEAST!
just been trying out the various cars round donnington at the moment.. as it's the only track (apart from Spa, in the demo) that I know really well... it's amazing how much better the physics are compared to GT4, and the force-feedback as well (using the GT4 wheel!!) feeling the back end start to squirm on a GT3-RS, wheel goes light and starts to riggle a bit.. and then ride out a slide with a chunk of opp-lock on.. simply awesome!
as you might have guessed.. I'm a bit pleased with it! back to try and get a few more clean laps under my belt....
AWESOME!!
after my disappointment with GT4, GTR has been an absolute revelation.. and I've only been playing it for a couple of hours!!
It is so much the game GT4 should have been.. and even it's comparatively limited array of cars are nothing short of spectacular...
Murkylager R-GT : what a BEAST!
just been trying out the various cars round donnington at the moment.. as it's the only track (apart from Spa, in the demo) that I know really well... it's amazing how much better the physics are compared to GT4, and the force-feedback as well (using the GT4 wheel!!) feeling the back end start to squirm on a GT3-RS, wheel goes light and starts to riggle a bit.. and then ride out a slide with a chunk of opp-lock on.. simply awesome!
as you might have guessed.. I'm a bit pleased with it! back to try and get a few more clean laps under my belt....
my first impressions were the exact opposite to yours:
* the menu's are badly designed, almost as if they are a console port.
* the game didn't work with my popular hardware straight off (logitech momo racing wheel)
* the graphics aren't that great and the barriers look hideous on my relatively high spec machine.
* the handling whilst good doesn't seem to have the finess you suggest - with my setup it's almost more luck that you catch the drift rather than skill, you certainly can't feel it happening.
* the online system is terrible and it took me three days to figure out my online key-code had an I instead of a 1. Similary in trying to get the answer the gtr forums offer such a terrible picture of the game you wouldn't believe.
* the copy protection is appaling and desperatly annoying. I have the game and the disc, stop checking it.
* the range of cars is fairly low (although that is getting remedied by the fanbase and is understandable), the track situation is likewise.
* the manual sucks.
* the damage model whilst physcical impressive doesn't look that great on the screen....
then I eventually played it online and it was lots of fun and I'm happier with the purchase. Suffice to say whilst first impressions count, it's worthwhile fiddling for a bit. In my opinion though I shouldn't have had to fiddle - that is the sign of a piece of software from a very small design house in my book.
* the menu's are badly designed, almost as if they are a console port.
* the game didn't work with my popular hardware straight off (logitech momo racing wheel)
* the graphics aren't that great and the barriers look hideous on my relatively high spec machine.
* the handling whilst good doesn't seem to have the finess you suggest - with my setup it's almost more luck that you catch the drift rather than skill, you certainly can't feel it happening.
* the online system is terrible and it took me three days to figure out my online key-code had an I instead of a 1. Similary in trying to get the answer the gtr forums offer such a terrible picture of the game you wouldn't believe.
* the copy protection is appaling and desperatly annoying. I have the game and the disc, stop checking it.
* the range of cars is fairly low (although that is getting remedied by the fanbase and is understandable), the track situation is likewise.
* the manual sucks.
* the damage model whilst physcical impressive doesn't look that great on the screen....
then I eventually played it online and it was lots of fun and I'm happier with the purchase. Suffice to say whilst first impressions count, it's worthwhile fiddling for a bit. In my opinion though I shouldn't have had to fiddle - that is the sign of a piece of software from a very small design house in my book.
docevi1 said:
then I eventually played it online and it was lots of fun and I'm happier with the purchase. Suffice to say whilst first impressions count, it's worthwhile fiddling for a bit. In my opinion though I shouldn't have had to fiddle - that is the sign of a piece of software from a very small design house in my book.
Quality counts from small software houses against the rack em, stack em and pack em sales of the big houses.
The MOMO thing is well known in games that have the option of reversing FF. I guess you've never played one before and you can't play a single PS2 game without the CD in the drive so GTR's protection system shouldn't be a problem, besides it means if you've paid for your game there should be less software theft and people playing it for nothing.
. It's a simulation so you have the flexibility to get the car to handle the way you like it and they handle like real cars using very good physics to replicate the transfer for weight from front to rear in accelerating and braking, along with all the other important bits effecting performance & handling. Which you have found out.
Henrick Roos of Simbin races Vipers in the FIA GTR Series so you can be pretty sure they handle like the real things. I like fiddling with things in games to get them the way I like them It's what the real life GT racers do, they seek the extra 10ths of seconds by adjusting the car. It adds a personal touch to it or feel that you are driving your own car not one setup by a 8 year old.
And yes, it's no arcade game the cars don't run on rails
there'll always be some problems with PC games re compatibility/working straight from the box... that's PCs.
I think it can look very good.. but admittedly you need a high-spec system, but have you seen a PS2 game with that many cars on track!?!??
and the AI.. that ACTUALLY OVERTAKES, and tries to outbrake you, and doesn't, shock-horror, just drive into the back of you in a straight line!!!
the comment about your setup re feel... must be something to do with the type of wheel.. as the feedback is amazing on the driving-force-pro....
kicks GT4's butt well into touch I reckon!
I think it can look very good.. but admittedly you need a high-spec system, but have you seen a PS2 game with that many cars on track!?!??
and the AI.. that ACTUALLY OVERTAKES, and tries to outbrake you, and doesn't, shock-horror, just drive into the back of you in a straight line!!!
the comment about your setup re feel... must be something to do with the type of wheel.. as the feedback is amazing on the driving-force-pro....
kicks GT4's butt well into touch I reckon!
FourWheelDrift said:Quality may do, but GTR doesn't have the polished feel that many of the larger titles have, can't put my finger on what it is, but I'll head back to the menu system seeming badly designed as an example.
Quality counts from small software houses against the rack em, stack em and pack em sales of the big houses.
fwd said:Nope, never had this problem in the past (or maybe I've just never noticed it).
The MOMO thing is well known in games that have the option of reversing FF. I guess you've never played one before
fwd said:What annoys the heck out of me is the way it "verifies the discs contents" before you are allowed in, the way that programs are installed in the background of my PC and are running regardless if I'm playing the game or not, the way that I treat as a criminal even though I have bought and am using a legitimate copy of the game.
and you can't play a single PS2 game without the CD in the drive so GTR's protection system shouldn't be a problem, besides it means if you've paid for your game there should be less software theft and people playing it for nothing.
As for your other comments, I agree but I like to be able to drive without fiddling so much - I have no idea what all the different things actually do.
First impression..."Damn this is hard!"
Didn't feel like I could push the cars at all without understeer or spinning on the kerbs - then I hit the Web help by accident and discovered the PDF setup guide with comments from two real FIA GT racers in it.
A few tweaks later and I won the first round of the championship in a 550 GTS.
Only gripe would be that my PC struggles to chunk out the graphics as well as compute the physics engine. Also noticed a possible bug where the number of opponents selected doesn't always end up being the number of opponents in the championship - haven't checked the manual to see if it limits you based on hardware capabilities, but selected 15 for this championship and ended up with 8!
Didn't feel like I could push the cars at all without understeer or spinning on the kerbs - then I hit the Web help by accident and discovered the PDF setup guide with comments from two real FIA GT racers in it.
A few tweaks later and I won the first round of the championship in a 550 GTS.
Only gripe would be that my PC struggles to chunk out the graphics as well as compute the physics engine. Also noticed a possible bug where the number of opponents selected doesn't always end up being the number of opponents in the championship - haven't checked the manual to see if it limits you based on hardware capabilities, but selected 15 for this championship and ended up with 8!
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