iRacing

[Shortliner]

So does anyone else play iRacing? Is it worth it? From what I've been hearing, everyone saying you have to invest a lot of time into it, and honestly I don't have that kind of time, not that I'd be racing NASCAR stock cars, at most I'd be racing the Legend cars and Street Stocks if I do play.

Thoughts on iRacing?

[Griphos]

I belonged for a couple of years. I did indeed invest a lot of money into it. More than I've invested in RW3, and that's not a little. :-)

I used to race in several leagues in a number of racing sims. Don't get me wrong, iRacing is beautiful. The cars are beautiful, and the tracks are amazing, but I guess I liked it least of all the sims I raced. Sterile might be the word I'd use. I don't think it's worth it. If you're interested in racing sims, take a look at the rFactor2 beta. It's finally getting pretty good, and has a lot of potential. And it would be a LOT cheaper. I think it's something like $44 for the beta now, and that will include an upgrade to the full version when released, I believe, and a year or more of online play. Then it's only a small fee once a year to keep playing online. Most of the mods are free, unlike iRacing.

If you just want to drive a car around a track by yourself, then check out Netkar. It's got amazing physics, and the graphics are good too. But it's buggy for online play.

[Kali]

Yeah, it's good if you're serious ( there are pro drivers using it ). Not quite so hot to dip into. rFactor 2 is in public beta, that's worth a look at.

[arizonachris]

Haven't tried iRacing, and probably wont. My all time favorites were NFS Underground 1&2, Most Wanted, and Undercover. I didn't like Carbon . I did get Hot Pursuit, haven't loaded it yet. Gotta clean up the MOMO wheel and pedals!

[Kali]

You probably won't dig iRacing if you were really into NFS. I miss the old GPL/NR days :(

[arizonachris]

You probably won't dig iRacing if you were really into NFS. I miss the old GPL/NR days :(

I checked out Shift, couldn't even get the demo to run. "NO SALE" I probably played Underground 1&2 and Most Wanted 10 times each. Undercover just once was all I could stand.

[klstratton]

You probably won't dig iRacing if you were really into NFS. I miss the old GPL/NR days :(

Thanks for that memory Kali! GPL is still the best racing simulator that was ever made as far as I'm concerned. The roar of that Ferrari engine! Still have it installed on my computer, but just don't have a place to put the old wheel and pedals. It was a game where you really needed the wheel and pedals and shifting was a must!

[Griphos]

Yeah, GPL was incredible. rF2 has the 60s racers though, and they look good. Some of the videos of tire physics, including deformation, in the new build are pretty impressive. If I wind up getting rF2, it will be for those cars and tracks. Modern Formula cars bore me.

NFS and those kind of games are not in the same category as the good racing sims. One is arcade, and one is, or tries to be, a simulation, like RW3. I'd put the Dirt series in the arcade category too.

[Kali]

I still remember the first time I hit the corner after the top straight at Watkins Glen in NR2003 & felt the car go alive ( even if it was a fat stock car, at least it gave you plenty of notice! ). Had tons of fun road-racing in that & especially when the sportscar mods appeared. I may still have the odd lap record at GPLRank for that...

VROC pickup races at Monza, the horror :)

[simer4]

Dirt is definitely an arcade game. Has anyone tried Richard Burns Rally. Holy cramoly, that was a hard sim to get used to, and to drive period! It is apparently as close as it gets.

[Bananarama]

VROC pickup races at Monza, the horror :)

I can relate. Nevertheless, my runs in VROC are the some of most enjoyable sessions I have ever experienced in any sim or game - that and the Papyrus Hawaii Beta. Ah, the days of dial-up, Rendition cards, and overclocking a 300Mhz Celery core.

BTW, are Alison and Nate still involved?

[Kali]

Dirt is definitely an arcade game. Has anyone tried Richard Burns Rally. Holy cramoly, that was a hard sim to get used to, and to drive period! It is apparently as close as it gets.

Haha, wow, yes that was evil. Just staying on the road was hard enough let alone setting a decent time - rather like that vintage rally game which I've totally forgotten the name of, could never drive RWD cars in that ( and that was after driving GPL cars for some time too ).

Hack, no idea I'm afraid, I dropped out of racing for quite a while & didn't keep track of anyone.

[Griphos]

I never did the RBR original, but I did a couple of seasons in an online league with the RSRBR mod. That was some fun simulated driving! I was never very good, at least in terms of standings. I always seem to be a mid-pack guy no matter what the racing sim. But I did have a blast "flying" those little screaming compacts down those wild and crazy gravel roads!

[Bananarama]

Hack, no idea I'm afraid, I dropped out of racing for quite a while & didn't keep track of anyone.

I too have lost touch with friends made during my racing days. However, a few GPL gear-heads are hanging around the train sim arena - Bruce Kennewell (seagoon on the forums) for one...

It's been 10+ years, but this is what I was working on before getting bit by the train sim bug: http://www.simracing.com

[arizonachris]

I guess you can call Need For Speed arcade games. But to me, they were serious fun. Underground 1&2, Most Wanted. MW is my favorite. I love smashing stuff up. Great fun! If I can't smash up stuff in a racing sim, I get rid of it.