Colin McRae DiRT...

[LukeBird]

Started playing this last night after I couldn't get TOCA3 to work
Cracking game, really enjoyed it! Nice to just jump in the car with no set-up and start drifting, a nice change from GTL & GTR2 which require a lot more thought.


Damned annoying I couldn't get TOCA3 to work though.

[Coder]

Glad to hear your comments about DiRT.

For me, it was 2 years of blood, sweat & tears in the making. The end result was worth it I think

[LukeBird]

Coder said:

Glad to hear your comments about DiRT.

For me, it was 2 years of blood, sweat & tears in the making. The end result was worth it I think

Good work there chap!
'tis good fun, love how easy it is to get turn-in, lift-off & power-oversteer
Can't beat turning the Impreza in on the brakes, getting the tail stepping out and then a four-wheel drift the other side!
Anymore goodness in the pipeline?

[Frederick]

Coder said:

Glad to hear your comments about DiRT.

For me, it was 2 years of blood, sweat & tears in the making. The end result was worth it I think

Alright mate, guessing that you work for the codies - what's the crack with the Colin McRae series now, will it be continued after his death or is it being retired as a mark of respect?

[The_Jackal]

Coder, you work/worked for Codies? Me too, I left about 2 years ago.

[Coder]

LukeBird said:

Good work there chap!
'tis good fun, love how easy it is to get turn-in, lift-off & power-oversteer
Can't beat turning the Impreza in on the brakes, getting the tail stepping out and then a four-wheel drift the other side!
Anymore goodness in the pipeline?

Rumour has it that we are advertising for DiRT 2 on the website! The GRID project is developed using an evolution of the DiRT engine, so it's likely that you'll enjoy our street/circuit racer too.

Regarding Colin McRae, I really can't say anything on the matter. I know how forum postings can spread, and it's such a delicate matter that I wouldn't want to speak out of turn. I'm at the technical side of things, I'm not trained in PR

[Mekon]

Coder said:

Glad to hear your comments about DiRT.

For me, it was 2 years of blood, sweat & tears in the making. The end result was worth it I think

You prolly didn't work on this aspect, but if possible, please explain why Codemasters claim it doesn't have a centre pivot car physics model, yet it drives exactly like CMR/TOCA games always have?

Always wanted to like TOCA and it's progeny, but the cars feel ridiculous to me. Maybe GRID won't, but the video just out doesn't inspire.

[Coder]

I could write *so* much on this subject but I'll try to restrain myself

A centre-pivot handling model does not stand up to the donut test at all. That is, can you do donuts in the car while retaining a realistic look to the movement of the car and it's interaction with the track surface? Certainly the handling model used in DiRT/GRID is "donuttable".

I can quite accept that you don't like the handling model being employed (just like my WRX-owner friend disapproves of my Monaro, which is fair enough), but is it possible that you're looking at the behaviour of the chase cameras (which have a pivot on the car) and asserting that this is pivoting is how the car is changing direction?

I'm interested to know as I hear this comment quite often. I'm not a physics programmer myself btw.

[Frederick]

Coder said:

Regarding Colin McRae, I really can't say anything on the matter. I know how forum postings can spread, and it's such a delicate matter that I wouldn't want to speak out of turn. I'm at the technical side of things, I'm not trained in PR

Fair enough chap! It's all good!

[wtt]

I was just playing Dirt tonight and couldn't help thinking how excellent the track design is, especially the Spanish Corsica style stages. Such a blast to drive. The Italy tracks are brutal. Destroyed far to many Mk2's on those rocks.

Looking forward to Dirt 2 hopefully their is more classic cars and old rally legends(the delta S4 is a monster). Handling is abit hit and miss, I don't mind it once I'm used to it.

Only request I have is keep the 100 player online mode. Awesome idea.

[Mekon]

Coder said:

I could write *so* much on this subject but I'll try to restrain myself

A centre-pivot handling model does not stand up to the donut test at all. That is, can you do donuts in the car while retaining a realistic look to the movement of the car and it's interaction with the track surface? Certainly the handling model used in DiRT/GRID is "donuttable".

I can quite accept that you don't like the handling model being employed (just like my WRX-owner friend disapproves of my Monaro, which is fair enough), but is it possible that you're looking at the behaviour of the chase cameras (which have a pivot on the car) and asserting that this is pivoting is how the car is changing direction?

I'm interested to know as I hear this comment quite often. I'm not a physics programmer myself btw.

I drive from cockpit view, and the sense I have is that it's as if the wheels don't actually drive the car, or rather that it conveys no sense torgue at the wheels. Add to that the sense that the cars are relatively weightless, and you have something that feels like you are throwing a box around.

Next time I have my 360 on, I'll have another go at donuts. However, at extremes Forza 2 can donut with the inside front wheel stationary, pivoting around that contact patch. I don't recall DIRT being able to do that, but I'll have a go.

[LukeBird]

I found that DiRT was far more fun to chuck the car around in.
I received Colin McRae (can't remember which one, think it was two, but not the first which was excellent!) with one of my graphics cards and IMO the handling was crap. It seemed to have the 'centre pivot' effect and it provided no 'feel' to the handling of the cars....
DiRT has the ability to tweak the cars easily with the brakes and lifting off mid corner (as I said, particularly the Impreza ) which makes it cracking fun!
The only thing I don't like is the fact that once traction is broken sometimes I find that the car will slide too easily back into understeer which can be frustrating

[baz7175]

I picked it up around new year when home in Scotland for a weekend break from work and played it quite a bit during that weekend, and recently got back into it again - career was complete months back now, and I've just the final 2 rallies to win on the big challenge one to get that achievement unlocked at which time it's only really the online stuff left which I'm not to concerned with anyhoo

[Coder]

Mekon said:

I drive from cockpit view, and the sense I have is that it's as if the wheels don't actually drive the car, or rather that it conveys no sense torgue at the wheels. Add to that the sense that the cars are relatively weightless, and you have something that feels like you are throwing a box around.

Next time I have my 360 on, I'll have another go at donuts. However, at extremes Forza 2 can donut with the inside front wheel stationary, pivoting around that contact patch. I don't recall DIRT being able to do that, but I'll have a go.

I can do the inside-wheel thing on the GRID Supra, but only if I turn off the smoke so I can see the front wheels

Obviously I'm biased, as I feel an affinity to the games I work on. I'm not going to try and convince you to enjoy DiRT/GRID, as I think you've made your mind up on the situation. The handling model is a matter of taste, but feedback from people that have played the game (most recently at the PLAY event in London) has been great so far.

[LukeBird]

wtt said:

Looking forward to Dirt 2 hopefully their is more classic cars and old rally legends(the delta S4 is a monster).

Ha ha, had another go in the S4 tonight (career mode on the UK rally tracks, can't think what they're called, but the very open fast ones!) it was utterly brutal. I thought the handling was spot on with regard to how I would expect one to drive. i.e. turn-in fantastically direct, tail steps out the moment you so much as move your foot on the throttle mid-corner and oversteer everywhere that is extremely difficult to catch! Was epic fun and extremely difficult!
Acceleration even 'felt' quick as well!

[Chris77]

only just got into dirt the past few weeks, enjoy the game but makes me abit motion sick!! cant do more than about 3 races before i have to turn it off.

The loading screen doesnt help either feels like its gonna trigger a migraine. Never had these problems with any other game ever

[LukeBird]

Have to admit I felt a little motion sick (something I haven't felt since I was a child in a car!) in the S4 on the UK rally stages. Combination of an accurate 'feel' to the speed and 120mph sideways through a forest meant motion blur was prolific. How odd, don't know if it's a good or a bad thing!?

[bigjimmy]

Borrowed Dirt off a mate, played it for an evening, gave it back next day. Went home and played Rally Sport Challenge 2 on the old Xbox agian. Much more Fun and satisfying.

Edited by bigjimmy on Monday 7th April 14:44

[Coder]

bigjimmy said:

Borrowed Dirt off a mate, played it for an evening, gave it back next day. Went home and played Rally Sport Challenge 2 on the old Xbox agian. Much more Fun and satisfying.

We (at work) were big fans of the Rallisport series - personally I thought RC2 was a cracking racer. We started DiRT back in late 2005 and it was one of the games we drew inspiration from when figuring out the direction for the game.

[molineux1980]

I bought a copy the other day due to been off work for a while with a fractured skull. Its pretty good fun and i'm enjoying the short time im allowed on it!