Test Drive Unlimited (PC)... DO NOT BUY!
Discussion
I realise that many people here have brought the game and are playing it happily. Apparently, as far as PC users are concerned you are in the minority.
So far the game has the following issues:
- Crash to Desktop (CtD) after intro videos (95% chance of this happening each time you run the game).
- Random CtD during game.
- Poor graphics performance on random cards / drivers (ATi or Nvidia doesn't matter).
- Zero support for wheel input.
- Game crashes or drops to 1fps when using a force feedback wheel.
- Game crashes when using mouse input.
- Game crashes when using joystick input... actually the game crashes when you use ANYTHING USB.
- Some SMP (athlon X2, Core 2 Duo) configurations are utterly incompatible.
- Game has issues with 2GB RAM or more.
- Game has issues with sub 2GB RAM or less.
- Money will be deducted from your virtual account but you will NOT recive the car/item you purchased.
- Your profile will randomly change sex.
- You profile (online and offline) will randomly corrupt at somepoint between 10min - 20min of play resulting in loosing all progress.
Due to the game having zero anti-cheat programs in it racing on-line is pointless; 1000+mph cars and bikes are common place and all on-line results tables are currently 'p0wn3d'. This is of course for the whole 10 - 20 min you are able to play on-line before the game 'forgets' everything returning you to square one.
Currently there is no patch available, one has been announced but there is no ETA.
Save your money and get something not made by Infogrames... they were renound as being s
t before and since trading as Atari they've got worse 
Basically, if you're tossing up between rFactor and TDU.... buy rFactor.
So far the game has the following issues:
- Crash to Desktop (CtD) after intro videos (95% chance of this happening each time you run the game).
- Random CtD during game.
- Poor graphics performance on random cards / drivers (ATi or Nvidia doesn't matter).
- Zero support for wheel input.
- Game crashes or drops to 1fps when using a force feedback wheel.
- Game crashes when using mouse input.
- Game crashes when using joystick input... actually the game crashes when you use ANYTHING USB.
- Some SMP (athlon X2, Core 2 Duo) configurations are utterly incompatible.
- Game has issues with 2GB RAM or more.
- Game has issues with sub 2GB RAM or less.
- Money will be deducted from your virtual account but you will NOT recive the car/item you purchased.
- Your profile will randomly change sex.
- You profile (online and offline) will randomly corrupt at somepoint between 10min - 20min of play resulting in loosing all progress.
Due to the game having zero anti-cheat programs in it racing on-line is pointless; 1000+mph cars and bikes are common place and all on-line results tables are currently 'p0wn3d'. This is of course for the whole 10 - 20 min you are able to play on-line before the game 'forgets' everything returning you to square one.
Currently there is no patch available, one has been announced but there is no ETA.
Save your money and get something not made by Infogrames... they were renound as being s
t before and since trading as Atari they've got worse Basically, if you're tossing up between rFactor and TDU.... buy rFactor.
xiphias said:
Sorry, I don't quite get the point of this post, seems a bit random...
Exactly like TDU on the PC then.
The point of the post is quite simple: Avoid the game like the god damn plague. It's horribly horribly broken on so many different configurations (single & dual core, AMD, Intel, ATi, Nvidia, WinXP, Vista, etc.) that if you buy it and the thing runs; pat yourself on the back for being a lucky sod.
The reason for posting: This is PH, people like racing games (logical), people hate wasting money (logical again).
I know several people playing this game and taking your list....
- Crash to Desktop (CtD) after intro videos (95% chance of this happening each time you run the game). - NEVER happened to me. Not once.
- Random CtD during game. - Again, never happened.
- Poor graphics performance on random cards / drivers (ATi or Nvidia doesn't matter). - Have a card listed in the games "supported cards" list and runs fine.
- Zero support for wheel input. - Don't have a wheel, but have heard that MS wheels have problems, G25 is fully supported (Including H pattern) and works according to the official forums. Besides there is a huge list of supported wheel sets on the main site and in the readme file?
- Game crashes or drops to 1fps when using a force feedback wheel. - Well your previous problem said there was no wheel support? which is it? Does it not support your wheel?.
- Game crashes when using mouse input. - I use the mouse in the menus not for driving, its fine.
- Game crashes when using joystick input... actually the game crashes when you use ANYTHING USB. - Total and utter Codswallop. I use a USB joystick and have zero control issues.
- Some SMP (athlon X2, Core 2 Duo) configurations are utterly incompatible. - there is a duo core bug for some users, others seem fine (again, this is from the official forums).
- Game has issues with 2GB RAM or more. - No. I know of people with over 2gb having no issues.
- Game has issues with sub 2GB RAM or less. - No. I have 1.5gb and I have no issues.
- Money will be deducted from your virtual account but you will NOT recive the car/item you purchased.
- Your profile will randomly change sex. - This one will only happen to online profiles when the server crashes, or the profiles get hacked.
- You profile (online and offline) will randomly corrupt at somepoint between 10min - 20min of play resulting in loosing all progress. - Again, scare mongering. Yes there is a problem with profiles occationally becoming corrupted due to shitty servers, but there are many users who have never had problems with their online profiles and the "Profile corrupt" bug is online play only, by Eden/Ataris own admission. I play offline and have never had a problem and I have yet to speak to someone who claims offline corruption.
I fully understand your point in posting this, but at the same time you have worded your post as absolute "fact" and told people they must not buy it yet I've been playing the game since release without these issues you claim. So I can only in the politest possible way say "bollox". It seems that you bought the game, couldnt get it to work on your system and are now pissed off. Well it's your perogative, but trying to get nobody else to buy it is just silly. I have the following basic system configuration:-
Pentium P4 3.4ghz
1.5MB ram
Nvidia 6800GT 256mb
USB Joystick control (Must buy a wheel)
and the game works fine in high res with x4 AA. I'm not the exception as you seem to claim.
The game does have issues for some people, there is a patch being created, it is slated for release in may, and the online cheating, profile corruption, performance issues are all key patch criteria.
- Crash to Desktop (CtD) after intro videos (95% chance of this happening each time you run the game). - NEVER happened to me. Not once.
- Random CtD during game. - Again, never happened.
- Poor graphics performance on random cards / drivers (ATi or Nvidia doesn't matter). - Have a card listed in the games "supported cards" list and runs fine.
- Zero support for wheel input. - Don't have a wheel, but have heard that MS wheels have problems, G25 is fully supported (Including H pattern) and works according to the official forums. Besides there is a huge list of supported wheel sets on the main site and in the readme file?
- Game crashes or drops to 1fps when using a force feedback wheel. - Well your previous problem said there was no wheel support? which is it? Does it not support your wheel?.
- Game crashes when using mouse input. - I use the mouse in the menus not for driving, its fine.
- Game crashes when using joystick input... actually the game crashes when you use ANYTHING USB. - Total and utter Codswallop. I use a USB joystick and have zero control issues.
- Some SMP (athlon X2, Core 2 Duo) configurations are utterly incompatible. - there is a duo core bug for some users, others seem fine (again, this is from the official forums).
- Game has issues with 2GB RAM or more. - No. I know of people with over 2gb having no issues.
- Game has issues with sub 2GB RAM or less. - No. I have 1.5gb and I have no issues.
- Money will be deducted from your virtual account but you will NOT recive the car/item you purchased.
- Your profile will randomly change sex. - This one will only happen to online profiles when the server crashes, or the profiles get hacked.
- You profile (online and offline) will randomly corrupt at somepoint between 10min - 20min of play resulting in loosing all progress. - Again, scare mongering. Yes there is a problem with profiles occationally becoming corrupted due to shitty servers, but there are many users who have never had problems with their online profiles and the "Profile corrupt" bug is online play only, by Eden/Ataris own admission. I play offline and have never had a problem and I have yet to speak to someone who claims offline corruption.
I fully understand your point in posting this, but at the same time you have worded your post as absolute "fact" and told people they must not buy it yet I've been playing the game since release without these issues you claim. So I can only in the politest possible way say "bollox". It seems that you bought the game, couldnt get it to work on your system and are now pissed off. Well it's your perogative, but trying to get nobody else to buy it is just silly. I have the following basic system configuration:-
Pentium P4 3.4ghz
1.5MB ram
Nvidia 6800GT 256mb
USB Joystick control (Must buy a wheel)
and the game works fine in high res with x4 AA. I'm not the exception as you seem to claim.
The game does have issues for some people, there is a patch being created, it is slated for release in may, and the online cheating, profile corruption, performance issues are all key patch criteria.
Edited by CivPilot on Monday 23 April 06:29
only problem I've had with the game is steering wheel issues which are solved when I turn off force feedback and choppy framerate after playing for too long.
The servers keep going down at the moment but hopefully this will be resolved soon.
As for no ETA on the patch they announced on the Atari forums that it will be released next month.
The patch will be focused on the following issues but I hope it will be the first of a few patches.
* Corrupted saved games (previously corrupted save games will not be restored)
* Game freezing / crashes
* Performance optimization
* In-game exploits
The game is awesome by the way
The servers keep going down at the moment but hopefully this will be resolved soon.
As for no ETA on the patch they announced on the Atari forums that it will be released next month.
The patch will be focused on the following issues but I hope it will be the first of a few patches.
* Corrupted saved games (previously corrupted save games will not be restored)
* Game freezing / crashes
* Performance optimization
* In-game exploits
The game is awesome by the way
I've been playing this game for a week now on the pc, and with a ms force feedback wheel. I used a program from Immersion Technologies to get my wheel working, and it's now fine. Awesome game so far, and quite hard out of the box. Love the test drive part of it, as I can't afford a zonda just yet, but I can still go and have a go in one for a while in the meantime 
Not gone online yet though, and by all accounts I'd be better waiting for a while until the patch is out.
Not gone online yet though, and by all accounts I'd be better waiting for a while until the patch is out.
CivPilot said:
- Crash to Desktop (CtD) after intro videos (95% chance of this happening each time you run the game). - NEVER happened to me. Not once.
Then you are judging by the official forums, very lucky.
CivPilot said:
- Random CtD during game. - Again, never happened.
Your luck has increased.
CivPilot said:
- Poor graphics performance on random cards / drivers (ATi or Nvidia doesn't matter). - Have a card listed in the games "supported cards" list and runs fine.
Magic combination of drivers and hardware for this one. People all over the shop are having issues with the games performance even though their card is on the official supported list.
CivPilot said:
- Zero support for wheel input. - Don't have a wheel, but have heard that MS wheels have problems, G25 is fully supported (Including H pattern) and works according to the official forums. Besides there is a huge list of supported wheel sets on the main site and in the readme file?
Which unfortunatley (from the posts in the official forums) is lies. If YOURS is working then you've been exceptionally lucky.... actually too lucky, are you sure you're PC isn't an XBox?
CivPilot said:
- Game crashes or drops to 1fps when using a force feedback wheel. - Well your previous problem said there was no wheel support? which is it? Does it not support your wheel?.
- Game crashes when using mouse input. - I use the mouse in the menus not for driving, its fine.
- Game crashes when using joystick input... actually the game crashes when you use ANYTHING USB. - Total and utter Codswallop. I use a USB joystick and have zero control issues.
Unfortunately not. Official forum posts indicate the game has issues with any USB inputs (from wired XBox controllers to wheels).
CivPilot said:
- Some SMP (athlon X2, Core 2 Duo) configurations are utterly incompatible. - there is a duo core bug for some users, others seem fine (again, this is from the official forums).
I agree it is SOME users, the utterly randomness of it suggests the quality of the code.
CivPilot said:
- Game has issues with 2GB RAM or more. - No. I know of people with over 2gb having no issues.
- Game has issues with sub 2GB RAM or less. - No. I have 1.5gb and I have no issues.
You do indeed have a magic computer. The game has issues with RAM fullstop.
CivPilot said:
I fully understand your point in posting this, but at the same time you have worded your post as absolute "fact" and told people they must not buy it yet I've been playing the game since release without these issues you claim. So I can only in the politest possible way say "bollox". It seems that you bought the game, couldnt get it to work on your system and are now pissed off. Well it's your perogative, but trying to get nobody else to buy it is just silly. I have the following basic system configuration.
They are extrapolations from the official forums. I left out the bit about Atari not really giving a rats ass about the game being broken. Did I buy it? Yes. Did it work for me? No. Crash to Desktop... 100% of the time, so I've been spared the other annoyances, glitches and "happy fun quirks" this game has. The game has had victory declared and been ebayed, so I'm hardly bitter or pissed off about it.
CivPilot said:
Pentium P4 3.4ghz
1.5MB ram
Nvidia 6800GT 256mb
USB Joystick control (Must buy a wheel)
and the game works fine in high res with x4 AA. I'm not the exception as you seem to claim.
Personally I'd like to see the full workup of your machine, even down to the mobo revision; as you've got a lucky system there which is neatly bypassing all of the issues. It is, however, an exception to the norm.
CivPilot said:
The game does have issues for some people, there is a patch being created, it is slated for release in may, and the online cheating, profile corruption, performance issues are all key patch criteria.
This is where I will use my past experience of Infogrammes to respond. If you think that patch is going to fix anything you are deluding yourself. I'm expecting it to break more things than it fixes, it's traditional, when you're Atari.
Fine for me, on some very marginal hardware - P4/3.0Ghz, 1GB RAM, Windows 2000, and an (unsupported according to Atari) 128MB AGP GeForce 6600GT. USB joystick control at the moment (haven't tried plugging in the wheel). By rights it shouldn't work at all - I didn't even bother updating my ages-old NVidia drivers - but actually it's fine, runs at a decent frame rate and the only problem I have is occasionally when first starting the game it'll pause for a minute, reset every network connection on the computer and the graphics will corrupt. (Fixable by alt-tab or changing the refresh rate to something else and back again.)
In my opinion, it's not the best in terms of stability, but I've seen worse.
Online cheating is rampant though, and I've come across a few cars randomly glitching and warping online. That could have been addressed better, even with something as simple as a checksum of the data files/memory when synchronising with the server.
There are undoubtedly problems, but I think the trouble with forums is they have an amplifying effect on the number of people with issues; very few people dig out a forum address and create an account to sign on and say "everything's working OK, actually" after all.
In my opinion all the big PC software publishers are shocking. One day the business model of "piss off your best customers" will come back to bite them.
Edited by Timberwolf on Monday 23 April 13:58
I've not played TDU for a few weeks as I'm in the middle of building a new PC, but I had serious problems with audio and server connections/GameSpy IDs.
Specifically, the audio would break up and drown out as the cars reach high revs (sounds like wind noise/static), and the game would not connect to the TDU servers at all. Also, it would refuse to accept any GameSpy IDs.
So it seemed to me that there were some significant things broken, but I must concede that some of these issues may have been fixed since I stopped playing. Have they released any recent patches?
[k]
Specifically, the audio would break up and drown out as the cars reach high revs (sounds like wind noise/static), and the game would not connect to the TDU servers at all. Also, it would refuse to accept any GameSpy IDs.
So it seemed to me that there were some significant things broken, but I must concede that some of these issues may have been fixed since I stopped playing. Have they released any recent patches?
[k]
Passenger, you seem to imply that you don't believe the game runs fine for me by your continued comments that I have a "magic computer" and wanting to see a full spec. Why not all out acuse me of telling lies as you imply with the comment "If YOURS is working then you've been exceptionally lucky.... actually too lucky, are you sure you're PC isn't an XBox? ".
Well may I politely suggest you check the photos thread, photos taken in game on my system are there. Then again you could also check the official photos thread on the official forums and see that it is several pages long and filled with photos from all types of different system setups (Some of whom have lower spec machines to me, others far quicker, loads with Dual core... funny that). Are they all magic computers or are they telling lies too?
For me the game runs in 1124x862 (Or something like that?) at a pretty high frame rate. My Video card doesn't like HDR but I find that washed out and too bright for the sake of being "shiney". Frame rate is far higher with x4 AA and in my opinion looks better.
You post again like your word is fact yet a few people here don't agree with you at all. And I've looked on the forums and I cannot find the posts that "indicate the game has issues with any USB inputs" Link please? (There is a post about how good the G25 is on the first page of the official forum, but can't find any posts about lack of USB support).
I state again, I play the game with a USB Joystick (Logitech X45) and have no control issues. Well beyond the fact that it would be far easier with a wheel, but havent got round to buying one so hardly the games fault.
At the end of the day, you bought the game and it didn't work, you sold it via ebay but are still obviously pissed, you've then come here, slagged the game for not working, and as your experiences are obviously FACT those of us that don't agree are thinly accused of telling lie's because you can't accept that other people don't have the issues that you have.
Well to save you going to the photo thread, this is the game WORKING on my "magic" machine....
Or are those fake images do you think, created with my "magic system"?
Well may I politely suggest you check the photos thread, photos taken in game on my system are there. Then again you could also check the official photos thread on the official forums and see that it is several pages long and filled with photos from all types of different system setups (Some of whom have lower spec machines to me, others far quicker, loads with Dual core... funny that). Are they all magic computers or are they telling lies too?
For me the game runs in 1124x862 (Or something like that?) at a pretty high frame rate. My Video card doesn't like HDR but I find that washed out and too bright for the sake of being "shiney". Frame rate is far higher with x4 AA and in my opinion looks better.
You post again like your word is fact yet a few people here don't agree with you at all. And I've looked on the forums and I cannot find the posts that "indicate the game has issues with any USB inputs" Link please? (There is a post about how good the G25 is on the first page of the official forum, but can't find any posts about lack of USB support).
I state again, I play the game with a USB Joystick (Logitech X45) and have no control issues. Well beyond the fact that it would be far easier with a wheel, but havent got round to buying one so hardly the games fault.
At the end of the day, you bought the game and it didn't work, you sold it via ebay but are still obviously pissed, you've then come here, slagged the game for not working, and as your experiences are obviously FACT those of us that don't agree are thinly accused of telling lie's because you can't accept that other people don't have the issues that you have.
Well to save you going to the photo thread, this is the game WORKING on my "magic" machine....
Or are those fake images do you think, created with my "magic system"?
The only real problem I've had with it is the (previously mentioned) graphics corruption, but a quick Alt+Tab sorts that!
I'm using an ancient old wheel (not really supported by XP, its a Thrustmaster Forumla Sprint) and it works fine!
I seem to have a lucky system as well... Athlon64 3700+, 1gb RAM, MSI 6800GS 256mb... works pretty well!
The hacking is annoying, but I've had no online gremlins and have played ALOT online!
Great fun!
I'm using an ancient old wheel (not really supported by XP, its a Thrustmaster Forumla Sprint) and it works fine!
I seem to have a lucky system as well... Athlon64 3700+, 1gb RAM, MSI 6800GS 256mb... works pretty well!
The hacking is annoying, but I've had no online gremlins and have played ALOT online!
Great fun!
ThePassenger said:
So far the game has the following issues:
- Crash to Desktop (CtD) after intro videos (95% chance of this happening each time you run the game). Never
- Random CtD during game.Never
- Poor graphics performance on random cards / drivers (ATi or Nvidia doesn't matter).Never and i've updated my drivers and it still works fine
- Zero support for wheel input. Nope mine works fine thankyou
- Game crashes or drops to 1fps when using a force feedback wheel. Nope force feedback works fine too
- Game crashes when using mouse input. Works fine in menus etc, a bit laggy though
- Game crashes when using joystick input... actually the game crashes when you use ANYTHING USB. Well my USB FORCE FEEDBACK wheel is fine...
- Some SMP (athlon X2, Core 2 Duo) configurations are utterly incompatible. n/a
- Game has issues with 2GB RAM or more. Nope works fine with 2GB
- Game has issues with sub 2GB RAM or less. n/a
- Money will be deducted from your virtual account but you will NOT recive the car/item you purchased. Don't play online
- Your profile will randomly change sex. Not as yet. Wish it would though, some one those female models are hot!
- You profile (online and offline) will randomly corrupt at somepoint between 10min - 20min of play resulting in loosing all progress. Never happened to me. Infact i've never had a crash or graphics glitch (apart from once when a car was spinning down the road
The game is excellent. I'd recommend it to everybody (and I have. 2 people have bought it and are having no problems that i know of
I've had no real major issues, just works as expected.
Only thing that frustrates me is when you move to your friends location they are not prioritised to be connected to.
I have sat for 5 mins with only me and one other car next to me (my friend, in my list) and it just didn't connect us.
Sort that, or show a list in the map and connect/lcok there BEFORE entering the car, and it'll be nigh on perfect
Dave
Only thing that frustrates me is when you move to your friends location they are not prioritised to be connected to.
I have sat for 5 mins with only me and one other car next to me (my friend, in my list) and it just didn't connect us.
Sort that, or show a list in the map and connect/lcok there BEFORE entering the car, and it'll be nigh on perfect
Dave
Mr Whippy said:
I've had no real major issues, just works as expected.
Only thing that frustrates me is when you move to your friends location they are not prioritised to be connected to.
I have sat for 5 mins with only me and one other car next to me (my friend, in my list) and it just didn't connect us.
Sort that, or show a list in the map and connect/lcok there BEFORE entering the car, and it'll be nigh on perfect
Dave
Only thing that frustrates me is when you move to your friends location they are not prioritised to be connected to.
I have sat for 5 mins with only me and one other car next to me (my friend, in my list) and it just didn't connect us.
Sort that, or show a list in the map and connect/lcok there BEFORE entering the car, and it'll be nigh on perfect
Dave
Theres a way around this on the 360, you have to go to the map view and zoom out and back in until the person you are after eventually appears (normally on second or third attempt).
You can complain about the game as much as you like ,but the cars sound awesome compared to the PS2 version. I would prefer to have the PC version to the PS2 version anyday, even if it will crash. By the way the PS2 version doesn't. I wouldn't recommend TDU on PS2, the cars sound like hoovers or electric cars, graphics are awful compared to the PC and Xbox360 and it doesn't have as much on it.
got the pc version very nice game !!!!
only problem i got is it wont get online (says it needs update but wont download it) and laggs in the city a little sometimes.
my system is:
p4 2.8 ~3.2 ghz (has crashed overclocked) never crashed at 2.8
1024 ram
512 mb sapphire (ATI)radeon pro
windows xp pro sp2
microsoft sidewinder gamepad (USB)
ge optical mouse (USB)
only problem i got is it wont get online (says it needs update but wont download it) and laggs in the city a little sometimes.
my system is:
p4 2.8 ~3.2 ghz (has crashed overclocked) never crashed at 2.8
1024 ram
512 mb sapphire (ATI)radeon pro
windows xp pro sp2
microsoft sidewinder gamepad (USB)
ge optical mouse (USB)
Its odd with people having their accounts corrupted online, hasn't happened to me yet! (fingers crossed!)
I can understand why people don't want to risk it, but my account is online and it's great fun! Earlier I drove from the NW point of the island to the Ferrari garage (the western one - 36miles!) with an S4 cabro cruising with me in my 288GTO. It's great fun and it's the bit that makes the game special!
It'd be good to meet some PHer's on there!
Oh and this pic was taken en-route to the ferrari garage! (that $2.4million is burning a hole in my pocket!)
I can understand why people don't want to risk it, but my account is online and it's great fun! Earlier I drove from the NW point of the island to the Ferrari garage (the western one - 36miles!) with an S4 cabro cruising with me in my 288GTO. It's great fun and it's the bit that makes the game special!
It'd be good to meet some PHer's on there!
Oh and this pic was taken en-route to the ferrari garage! (that $2.4million is burning a hole in my pocket!
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