Racing game to learn UK tracks

[ol]

Hi,

I'm starting racing this year and there a quite a few tracks on the calendar that I haven't driven before.

Just wondering if anyone can recommend me a sim / game to learn the layouts of as many of them as possible before the races?

Requirements are -

I don't have a PC but have a pretty high spec MacBook Pro (also have a decent Hackintosh at home built to video edit, and a PS3). I'd rather something I can use the laptop with, as I work away a lot and it would be good to fill my time in the hotels during the evenings.

I have a Logitec G25 I would like to be able to use

I am racing Locosts (like a Caterham) so would like to be able to use some kind of seven type car

Tracks I'll be racing this year are;

Donnington Park
Brands Hatch (Indy)
Croft
Anglesey
Cadwell Park
Silverstone international
Snetterton

I've done Croft, Anglesey and Cadwell before so it's mainly the others.

I would consider buying a PS4 or cheap laptop to be able to use if there was nothing suitable for my current setup.

Thanks in advance

[craste]

Get ps4 and project cars.

[Hoofy]

For Brands and Silverstone, install Real Racing 3 on your phone. I know Brands inside out (not difficult ) and 3 different Silverstone circuits.

I also know Le Mans inside out, too.

[SlipStream77]

You'd be much better off with a simulator to learn tracks as they will be laser scanned.

I'd recommend either Assetto Corsa or IRacing, both on PC. They both feature Brands Hatch GP and Indy, and multiple Silverstone layouts.

The laser scanning method ensures that the corner radii, pitch changes, cambers and bumps are modelled correctly and to a very high resolution.

IRacing is subscription based so if you're just practicing it might be best to go with AC, both have excellent physics though.

[Mattygooner]

Pcars has laser scanned UK tracks as well, Cadwell Park (3 layouts), Donington (2 layouts), Snetterton (3 Layouts), Oulton Park, Brands Hatch (2 layouts) and Silverstone (4 Layouts).

Also has 2 Caterham models and Formula Ford, Radicals and Palmers etc.

If your machine is really old, you might need to look at Rfactor 1, pretty much every track made it in to that game by user made add-on so you might find Anglesey andCroft on there as well.

G25 wont work wih a PS4 from what I remember (have one as well) but will with the 3.

[ol]

Thanks for the replies.

Would project cars work on my MacBook if I did a duel boot and put Windows on it? It's a 2 year old 15 inch retina but obviously has no cd drive.

If so, would the G25 work with the Mac?

[ol]

MacBook specs are -

2.6GHz Intel Core i7
SSD
graphics - NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024MB

[TREMAiNE]

craste said:

Get ps4 and project cars.

+1

I learnt Brands GP Circuit on Project Cars, as there were no test or track days prior to my race.


Worked a treat, knew where I was going, knew my lines and braking points (roughly). During qualifying in real life I spent 5 mins working out all the little details of my lap and then spent the rest of qually putting in a good time!

[ol]

Just been looking into Assetto Corsa more, and that looks like it has all the tracks I need (bar Anglesey). Would that be more likely to work on my Macbook? It's really just to get the tracks ingrained into my brain and learn rough lines, so not too bothered about absolute hyper realism.

I would be happy to get a PS4 and Project cars, but I can't use my Logitec G25, which is a big issue. I don't want to just drive about with a control pad. From what I've read the G25 would work with a bootcamp macbook

[BoredNerd]

I'm in a similar position - I'd recommend building an OK spec PC and taking it from there.

My MacBook is crap for games.

My G25 will only work on my PS3 and PC.

The only real option on the PS3 is GT6 (which is OK, but doesn't include the tracks you want)

Build a PC and explore the older (cheaper) sims out there.

[ol]

Thanks but I'm not really interested in building a PC. I'm not a gamer and it would be a waste of money as I just want it for learning tracks. I'd also need it to be portable as I live in hotels during the week.

Best idea seems to be the MacBook and G25 with Assetto Corsa

[designndrive62]

It is worth looking if rfactor is available on mac? not sure if it is but worth a check. if it is you can get every uk major track available for it, though some vary in quality but the ones I have used in the past are certainly servicable to learn the tracks, certainly all the ones you have mentioned are available, there are loads of caterham mods, and there is even a downloadable locost mod! (not sure how good it is though)

https://www.rfactorcentral.com/detail.cfm?ID=750%2...

It takes more setting up than the more modern sims, but gives you the biggest variety of tracks etc available. if it doesn't work with mac its minimum specs are pretty low so a mid range or cheap laptop these days should handle it easily.

Edited by designndrive62 on Wednesday 6th January 13:55

Edited by designndrive62 on Wednesday 6th January 13:55

[ol]

designndrive62 said:

It is worth looking if rfactor is available on mac? not sure if it is but worth a check. if it is you can get every uk major track available for it, though some vary in quality but the ones I have used in the past are certainly servicable to learn the tracks, certainly all the ones you have mentioned are available, there are loads of caterham mods, and there is even a downloadable locost mod! (not sure how good it is though)

https://www.rfactorcentral.com/detail.cfm?ID=750%2...

It takes more setting up than the more modern sims, but gives you the biggest variety of tracks etc available. if it doesn't work with mac its minimum specs are pretty low so a mid range or cheap laptop these days should handle it easily.

Edited by designndrive62 on Wednesday 6th January 13:55

Edited by designndrive62 on Wednesday 6th January 13:55

Great! Thanks for that, I had forgotten about rfactor, it seems perfect! It's amazing that it has Locosts, I think this is the way I'll go. I'll try and do a bootcamp Windows instal on the Mac, otherwise I have an old windows laptop that might run it. Thanks

[BaronVonVaderham]

TREMAiNE said:

craste said:

Get ps4 and project cars.

+1

I learnt Brands GP Circuit on Project Cars, as there were no test or track days prior to my race.


Worked a treat, knew where I was going, knew my lines and braking points (roughly). During qualifying in real life I spent 5 mins working out all the little details of my lap and then spent the rest of qually putting in a good time!

+ another 1. Also means you can use your tv and not a laptop or bother with all the PC building faff.

Edited by BaronVonVaderham on Saturday 16th January 18:36

[Some Gump]

Download steam, then race07 and the caterham pack.
You can download 3rd party tracks, and everything I wanted to find was available.

That setup is very good IMO, the physics are very close to realistic (I also tracked a caterham).

[red_slr]

A few of us off here race rFactor on Friday nights...

Moving over to rFactor 2 this year though. Caterhams feature often as most of us own or have owned one.

http://sig-racing.boards.net/

[ol]

Thanks for the suggestions but non of them work on Mac...

I'd get a PS4 and Project cars, but the PS4 doesn't support my Logitec G25 wheel.

I've tried installing a windows virtual machine on my mac, but it's not letting my instal RFactor, so that doesn't seem to me an option.

Think the only way out is to buy a windows 10 laptop just for using to run this, and get Rfactor 1 and the Locost download, and will probably get project cars for windows for more realism.

Seem annoying that none of them are mac compatible.

[Some Gump]

http://paulthetall.com/race-07-mac/

[born2bslow]

Project Cars is quite resource hungry, beware the minimum specs if buying a cheap laptop to run it.

[ol]

This is the laptop I was looking at. Fits the spec requirements for rfactor but would it run project cars?

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/la...

If not, can anyone recommend one around that price that would run it well?

Thanks