Just discovered GPL.......again!
Discussion
I used to race in a GPL league back in 1999 - online racing with a group of drivers across all four corners of the globe, playing a fiendishly difficult sim called Grand Prix Legends.
The sim was (and it is) based on the 1967 F1 season, with none of that wings, ground effect crap - the only grip you had was mechanical.....
It was released in 1998 by Papyrus and initially I hated it - too difficult and with a joystick it was almost impossible.
But I persevered and found I got faster once I discovered that light braking into corners worked (rather than anchors fully on), downloading setups etc and even managing a 8:06 round the NRing with a joystick (no pedals) - in the Ferrari, of course...
The computer I had at the time had the latest graphics card (4mb Matrox with a 3dfx accelerator card - remember those??) to get to the magical 36fps!
So wind on a few years to present day, and I have played IRacing, Project Cars, RFactor, Rfactor 2 - I now have a pretty powerful pooter with triple 22inch screens, graphics cards in SLI and I stumbled across a GPL all mods download which gave you the latest car updates, OpenGL graphics mods that allowed higher res (5908 x 1080 here, bezel corrected), new sounds, new graphics for tracks, new tracks etc etc etc...
Dusted off the GPL CD, and installed the all in one mod and booted up GPL and hey presto it worked - across the 3 monitors! Looked a little dated, and after sorting the pedals out, the gear shifter on my G27, I gingerly went out at Watkins Glen.
It was almost seeing an old friend again - had a few laps and then showed it to my driving sim neighbour, who (after a few laps from Zandy) thought the physics were excellent. For the next few hours we took it in turns trying to beat each others hotlaps around Monaco, Rouen, Watkins and Silverstone....
Now I find myself no longer driving any of the new stuff, as it feels pi$$ poor in comparison.
Even after so many years, it still is a great sim!
Linky for the resource etc is here
Enjoy.
Nosh
The sim was (and it is) based on the 1967 F1 season, with none of that wings, ground effect crap - the only grip you had was mechanical.....
It was released in 1998 by Papyrus and initially I hated it - too difficult and with a joystick it was almost impossible.
But I persevered and found I got faster once I discovered that light braking into corners worked (rather than anchors fully on), downloading setups etc and even managing a 8:06 round the NRing with a joystick (no pedals) - in the Ferrari, of course...
The computer I had at the time had the latest graphics card (4mb Matrox with a 3dfx accelerator card - remember those??) to get to the magical 36fps!
So wind on a few years to present day, and I have played IRacing, Project Cars, RFactor, Rfactor 2 - I now have a pretty powerful pooter with triple 22inch screens, graphics cards in SLI and I stumbled across a GPL all mods download which gave you the latest car updates, OpenGL graphics mods that allowed higher res (5908 x 1080 here, bezel corrected), new sounds, new graphics for tracks, new tracks etc etc etc...
Dusted off the GPL CD, and installed the all in one mod and booted up GPL and hey presto it worked - across the 3 monitors! Looked a little dated, and after sorting the pedals out, the gear shifter on my G27, I gingerly went out at Watkins Glen.
It was almost seeing an old friend again - had a few laps and then showed it to my driving sim neighbour, who (after a few laps from Zandy) thought the physics were excellent. For the next few hours we took it in turns trying to beat each others hotlaps around Monaco, Rouen, Watkins and Silverstone....
Now I find myself no longer driving any of the new stuff, as it feels pi$$ poor in comparison.
Even after so many years, it still is a great sim!
Linky for the resource etc is here
Enjoy.
Nosh
With the 2004 graphic update it actually still holds up rally well today. Something about its photo texture/backdrop style gives it a real sense of atmosphere. It is the racing game that most gives me a sense of actually being at a real live race track more than any other. Stuff is still being made today as well such as the recent wonderful looking historic spa and historic gt mod
Altrezia said:
Plenty of better sims out now, and they are easier to set up and play imho.
rFactor2 has a great set of historic single seaters and a few great tracks.
I understand that - but I have played those....a lot.rFactor2 has a great set of historic single seaters and a few great tracks.
And yet, I am finding myself boot up GPL now....and only GPL.
Sad, but true
Nosh
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