Driving game
 

I'm thinking about getting a driving game, but I just want some opinions on:

1. Platform (xbox, ps2 or ps3 or PC)

1a. If PC, what will I need for chip speed, graphics card, memory, display size

2. Controls

2a. Specialized seats_necessary? cost?

3. Software - which games are fun, which ones are junk. I'm mostly interested in track simulators right now.

BTW, I have never had anything but a macintosh, so any opinions on the mac platform when it comes to gaming would be nice. I've never been much of a gamer, either, but I was playing with a setup recently and I thought I'd maybe look into getting something together. I was having a blast, and I was thinking that instead of fixing the AC on my 911, this might be a better bang for the buck. ;)
If anyone wants to send pix of their setups that would be a bonus.

Everything seems to be pointing towards Forza 2 on Xbox 360. It's got unbelievably reviews for its realism in that it's a simulator more than a game, but still fun like a game.

Grand Prix Legends, for the PC.
It has a tough learning curve, but the physics are fantastic and individuals have worked on it over the years to make the graphics look very good.

One of the best things about it is that people have been building tracks for it for nearly ten years, so you might be able to find your local track.

I am not sold on Forza, if it is ANYTHING remotely like the first Forza then I will not like it. Unrealistic handling properties on cars make it drive like a video game and not a simulator. Again this is pure speculation based on my playing the original. I have yet to touch the follow up on a 360 yet.

That said, the benchmark that all aspire to dethrone is Gran Turismo the drive is very close to the real thing. Driving the correct line, the right braking point, hitting the apex and on the gas at the right time will reward you with a very nice lap times.

I still feel GT4 is the best most realistic simulator out there. I have tried and still own the original forza, Driving Emotion, Toca Race Car Driver 2, Need for Speed, and many more in an attempt to find something comparable to GT4. Nothing has compared I always end up back on GT4.

I have the seat and wheel pedal set up as well and it works great, the only thing missing is the seat of the pants feeling.

Jim, have you tried rFactor? As I understand it's supposed to be the best simulator out there. It calculates all the physics of the car and road, including suspension, tires, body roll, etc. I really enjoy it in the off-season when we're blanketed in snow, esp. because a very good rendition of my home track (Mosport) is available. It takes some getting used to (first few laps were all crashes!) but it's very realistic once you're used to it.

I haven't played forza 2 yet, but I've heard it's a completely different animal than forza 1. Supposed to be the most advanced physics engine for the most realism, etc.

The problem I've found with all simulators or games is that there's not lateral forces applied to your body in a turn, which really distances you from the game/simulator. It's not just a fun-factor - I think your brain responds differently when what you see doesn't correspond to what you feel, and you therefore drive differently, maybe correcting your turn-in arc, because you don't feel your body shift, whereas your angle may have been fine to begin with, for example.

Looks like a trip to circuit city is in my plans.

Can anyone tell me, for a newbie, would a PS2 be okay, if I liked Driving Force, or would it be best to bite the bullet and sink my teeth into PS3,

I am pretty sure if I liked Forza, on the xbox I would just start with the xbox 360 and get the latest version. (just talked to a colleague here at work who loves forza - but he is sort of a car-guy-wannabe. I'm looking for experiences from hard core motorheads like the Pelican posters:))

I'd really like some feedback (pun intended) on steering wheels, too. The tactile experience would be important to me, and there is a lot of hype from the manufacturers

mo

I'd say find the right game/sim then buy a system based on that, because a lot (most) of them are platform-dependant. If Forza 2 turns out to be as good as the early reviews, it's only on Xbox 360. If the new Gran Turismo games are as good, go PS2/3.

Never embedded before, hope this works!
Top Gear sees if the GT4 is as good as the real thing.

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BTW - That Clarkson analogy is bunk. Everyone knows he cannot drive.

Part 1 - Clarkson driving a supercharged Jag Sabine in a Ford Transit van.

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Part II


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+1 on Grand Prix Legends.
Buy this first before you go and buy a games console and a $45 game. The software is probably really cheap by now and all the graphics upgrades are free to download on the web. Any decent modern PC will run it if you have a reasonable graphics card.
I will warn you though;
1. You WILL need a steering wheel and pedals to get anywhere near a respectable lap time.
2. It's not really a game and definitely not easy.
3. You will crash consistently for most of your first laps to the point where you want to give up.
4. If you stick with it past that you will be hooked, really hooked, as in 'stay up till 3am trying to knock 0.1 off your Watkins Glen lap record' kind of hooked.

GPL is the most exilerating commercially availible simulator software I have ever played. The balance of the cars are incredible, keeping it on the edge is soo much fun. 1,000lb's dry, 400HP...

Two free pieces of sim software, are racer, and netkar naimie, you can find them over at http://forum.rscnet.org

Gran Turismo is the one many drivers reportedly use to practice new tracks. That should say something.

If it were me, starting from scratch, I would pick up a PS3. You can still play GT4 (for PS2) on your PS3, and you'll be ready when GT for PS3 comes out (within a year or so). The screenshots from it look incredible, and it sounds like they were able to further increase the realism. Plus, they are eventually adding crash damage.

If you haven't yet, pick up the new Car & Driver. It has a good write-up on the development effort for the new GT game.

Thanks to all who replied_ I'm leaning now to Grand Prix Legends, forever more known to me as GPL's, because they have my local track in their repertoire - not to mention every other track I've ever heard of.

mo

Herr Oberst,
GPL has been re-issued and is now available on Amazon.

And VERY IMPORTANTLY, you should install the patches and graphics updates at the time you do the initial installation. This all-in-one update is available here:

http://gplps.org/wb/pages/projects/gpl-installer.php

I loved GT4 for ages, a real favourite. Downloaded GT Legends demo the other day and liked the look of it, bought the Logitech G25 wheel to try that with it and you cannot believe how good that game with that wheel is - that is a very high quality wheel. Then downloaded the GTR2 demo today, that is really great also.

Hooked the wheel up to the playstation tonight for GT4, managed two laps of Le Mans before I had to turn it off. It is just nowhere compared to GT Legends. The PS track is way too narrow, the sound and feel of the car is nothing like as good as the two sims I have been messing with. Have ordered the GT Legends disc now and will spend the rest of the year racing RSRs around Spa and maybe skinning up a few cars of my own. Next on the list is GP Legends.

I also just ordered a TrackIR which works with both GPL and GTL - it allows you to 'bring your head into the game', gives you the chance to look around rather than a straight ahead view. Check this demo clip out (you will need cable/adsl to see this as is big).

I've played most of the racing "simulators" out there... For console Forza and Forza 2 are up to snuff in realism, even I found GT4 to be a touch of the arcade side.

PC Side... GT Legends, GTR2 and Rfactor cannot be beat... although rfactor is the best of the three... highly customizable. :)