posted 04-05-2005 04:48 PM         

Being a frequent visitor to this forum, and noting the mature and often humorous nature of the posts, I have decided to share my experiences of the later stages of the game, that is from 75% complete onwards. My approach to date has been to use A-spec only, never re-race for financial purposes, try to maximize A-spec points, use as wide a variety of cars as possible and most importantly have fun. I've seen many posts on this and other fora berating the A-spec system as pointless (excuse the pun!). However, being the eternal optimist, and hence the title of this thread, I keep striving for the next A-spec milestone in the hope, maybe false hope, that some awesome prize or unlockable will materialize. These hopes were dashed when I passed 20,000, then again at 25,000, so now as I approach the 30,000 mark (currently 29,750ish) I am filled with expectation that this might be the holy grail threshold.

The game to date has been a blend of very competitive racing (as you might expect when trying to maximize A-spec points), very variable and sometimes extremely aggressive AI and the occassional blowout.

As I said I'm at 75% (no prize huh!), have 63 gold and 1 silver licence (haven't started 'S' yet), have completed 33 of 34 missions (bet you can't guess which one I still have to do???), have never participated in a 'Family Cup', am on Day 650, have around 2.5m credits, 145 cars, 29,750 A-spec points, 0 B-spec points, and luckily and perhaps most surprisingly am still married. I have even mastered the art of using a DS2 when the cat is sitting on it, and yes, she leans around the corners when I do, wierd how we do that! Being an old fogey of somewhat limited digital dexterity I use AT unless I absolutely have to use MT, hell I can only type with two fingers. I have a DF2 gathering dust as this required too much cordination of not only digits but also limbs.

Enough of where I am let me outline what I have to do. As you will see I have tried to finish all of the 'low' end races so that, with the exception of a few Manufacturer's Events, the run to the end will be hard and fast (Hm! my wife comments on this as well) anyway, to do...

S licence
M1 (or is it M34?) it's either the first or the last!!!
Professional: GT World
Extreme: all
Endurance: all except Tokyo, SS, El Capitan, and NY
SC Hall normal: Umbria and GC
SC Hall hard: all except Capri, Paris, Swiss alps and Tsukuba
Manufacturers: Civic, March, Suzuki Concept, Vitz, Camaro, S7, 206 Cup and Blackpool Racer.

The push to completion will try to reach at least 40,000 A-spec points - which means three more times of getting hopes up (and presumably having them dashed). I'm sure many have passed these landmarks but please do not dispel my hopes by telling me they are worthless. Secondly I'll try to A-spec to the end which could be a bridge too far in light of the 24 hour races. Thirdly I'll hopefully be able to suggest some competitive strategies for these end-game races that are fun, and lastly to remain married (somebody has to hold my glass and feed me when I'm racing!!!).

So with that as background on with the show...

posted 04-05-2005 05:05 PM         

Most importantly in my quest for 100% A-spec completion I think I'm going to need all of the moral support I can get.

posted 04-05-2005 05:10 PM         

It sounds as if you took care to peruse the ground before deciding to jump over the wall into actual membership. Very wise .

It further sounds as if you have similar GT4 goals to many of the ... er ... well ... more ... er ... seasoned members of the Numbers (of which I am unfortunately one ).

Kudos to you for that - as you say, however, the 24 hour races are for men (or women of course) who do not wish to continue in a state of marital bliss.

So I am afraid that you will have to, at some point, consider training up your B-Spec driver if you want to aim for 100% completion.

This will mean either devastating your win ratio or lashing out quite a bit of hard earned cash to get superior firepower in terms of the cars for your robot co-pilot to drive.

Alas, there is no strategy for getting to play the game as much as you'd like and keeping your wife unless, like me, she's a petrol-head herself and insists that you go practice so that you don't embarass her at the next LAN-Party you attend :huzzar:!

posted 04-05-2005 07:02 PM         

Good luck on your a-spec points quest. I hope it does turn out that there are some surprises there. I think my only real issue with the system is the ratings for races. I've won one or two 100+ pt races on the first try and struggled to win 8 pt races. At first blush it looks like the ratings are based on power to weight ratios and some tuning, and I suppose that leaves a lot of variables unaccounted for. Maybe I'll spend some time trying to figure it out one of these days, if for no reason other than to get a predictable difficulty level.

It sounds to me like you have fairly formidable driving skills.

The Woodlands, eh? I used to live in Houston... just inside the loop, near the Galleria. For some reason I always get a kick out of finding people online that are from places I am vaguely familiar with.

posted 04-06-2005 12:28 PM         

Anyway on with today's update and I'll include some more accurate progress data.

I decided to clear out some of the remaining manufacturers' races starting with the Vitz races. After spending some time in the car lots and local dealership I plumped for a new 1.5RS. On viewing the competition I note a plethera of RS Turbos and decide on some basic upgrades to be competitive so after an oil change, triple clutch, racing flywheel, sports brakes & suspension and some S3 boots I take my 116 hp monster to the races. At Fuji two RS turbos show up and the race is rated 79 points. I have to slipstream down the home straight to keep up with them and although I can gain a couple of seconds through the curves barely hang on to win by 0.15s. The rest of the series was a bit of a blowout with wins ranging from 2.5 to 8 seconds but it was interesting to note that on Suzuka East the two turbos came in 5th and 6th - turbo lag? Also there were two races where only one Turbo RS showed up and these were downgraded to 74 points. Anyway 385 points for the 5 race series and I passed 30,000 A-spec points after race 4 and the prize... nothing. Oh well next target 35,000 points.

On to the Suzuki Concept Races. Here I only have one option for entry and that is the S2 Concept won from the earlier K Cup. Anyway these 3 races sucked as they are all rolling starts against modified S2's and a number of GSXR/4's over only a few laps with the latter disappearing around the first bend while I'm still reading the screen message telling me to get ready for full throttle. What's the deal here? I am reduced to major upgrade investments of over 40k and finally scrape through the series with a measly total of 84 points. My investors are not going to be happy with my return on capital employed (ROCE) as the prizes are only 2k and the prize car is only valued at 10k. I'm winning races and my credits are going down. I'll have to find something I can do with the GSXR/4 prize car later to recoup some funds.

On to the March Bros. series with my brand new stock (not even an oil change until I gauge the competition) 90hp Micra. Autumn Ring and Suzuka East are both rated 165 points so obviously the competition has a few bolt-ons under their hoods/bonnets. Nevertheless both are comfortable wins of 3s or so as these courses have bends and the AI still hasn't figured out that lift-gas-lift-gas-lift-gas is far more effective than brake-screech-ram-gas. Grand Valley East is a different story altogether as it has a long straight and the ubiquitous rolling start so as I cross the start line I see 5 little blips disappearing into the distance. Being 7s adrift after lap 1 it is clear that some small investment is necessary so I spot for the oil change and an S1 turbo. My new 122hp passion wagon now gets rated at 70 points so my guess is that the competition are all running S1 upgrades and some. Anyway I manage to scrape a 2s victory and walk away from the series with 400 points and a little Micra Race Car. I seem to be collecting cars that at this stage of the game I can't see an obvious use for - still I haven't sold any vehicles yet so I'm not going to start now and they may be useful for re-running some of the earlier races to increase the points total as I have learned that A-spec points do not accumulate from multiple re-runs. This is good to know as it would be kinda cheap to count anything except the highest value for any one race.

At this point I can't decide on the next series to enter from Civic, 206 or TVR as I have no gauge on the competition and I don't want to upset my bankers any more by overspending on an overpowered vehicle or having to break the bank on upgrades for an underpowered one. I would be grateful for any insight that anybody has.

So, looking at the other options I see that I still have a couple of Special Events on normal to complete. I have not got to grips with Grand Canyon yet so I go for Cote d'Umbria and decide to give my Suzuki GSXR/4 Concept thingy a run out in an attempt to recover some of the expense incurred in winning the damn thing. First race vs. a Mitsu Starion Rally Car - Hm! 198 points - come on guys, might as well make it a round 200. At this point I must apologize to the 43 homeowners in Umbria who today are having to perform extensive repairs to their dwellings. I did establish that the GSXR/4 can go from 90 to 0 mph in 0.0s. All that's needed is a bridge abuttment and a 5s penalty. Need to go to plan B - there's got to be some use for this thing. OK, off we go to Laguna for the endurance race. Up against Saleens, Shelbys etc. and get a rating of 195 points. Manage to take the lead on lap 2 (this thing corners like it's on rails but gets a bit loose on the straights - go figure). So on lap 5 I have a 10s lead but the sound of the engine is driving me crazy - it sounds like a Dyson vacuum cleaner - and I decide that I cannot put up with this for 90 laps (I know I can turn the sound off but I've paid for my speakers so I'm going to use them). The GSXR/4 gets parked back in the garage and will likely never see the light of day again.

So, back to Umbria in my old faithful Imprezza RC Prototype that I'd won the boxer series with and the normal/hard wet races. 63 points vs. the Starion and I win by 2s passing on the hairpin on the final lap. I actually followed it for a while on purpose in complete awe of the way it mimiced a pinball machine without seeming to lose too much speed. So race 2 and the game puts me against a Mitsu Evo TME - only 8 points - there appears to be a few inconsistencies with the opposition that gets selected from time to time. Anyway, 71 points for the series, 20k and a nice Delta Rally Car. Now I know I'll find a use for this.

That's it for now so just to update accurately on the stats:

Completion: 78.6%; A-spec points: 30,681; Day 674; 160 cars, 127 prize cars; 4,089 A-spec miles; 407 trophies (of which only 4 are from re-runs).

Therefore, 30,681 minus 33 x 250 for the completed missions divided by 403 equals, where's my abacus, ah yes, 55.7 A-spec points per race. Hm, I figure I need to be in the 60's in order to hit 50,000 A-spec points. Need to practice, need to improve.

posted 04-06-2005 01:05 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by miko:
Despite my GT skills being at the lowest rung of the ladder...

---

If you are over 75% completion, I hardly think you are at the lowest rung on the ladder.

Good luck anyway, but I don't think you'll need it. (Except perhaps for your marriage to survive those 24 hour races. )

posted 04-06-2005 02:38 PM         

I'm not all that far from Keele as I live in the Potteries.

We may well have shared the same space as I went to several series of lectures at Keele Uni when I was a student (first time round that is which was mumble ... mumble ... twenty-odd years ago ).

To add to the "I've been there too" factor, there're a couple of nice, small, live music venues in Crewe that I frequent.

posted 04-07-2005 11:31 AM         

My MX-5, complete with oil change and various brake, transmission and suspension upgrades, but no power modifiers, is putting out 139hp. I fit a set of S1 tires and go to the races - in A-spec of course. At the start I didn't take much notice of the competition other than seeing various combinations of RS, SR and VR. The race is rated 65 points which makes me think I might be over powered. We'll see.

So the first 5 laps are driven very politely by all and I finally make my contact-free progress to the front on lap 6. The lead gradually increases to 22s and I'm starting to think that indeed I am over powered. Boy was I wrong!

So I'm running on 'auto-pilot' watching the world go by, listening to CNN when on lap 20 I notice the lead decreasing. I'm running high 1'11s / low 1'12s so I turn the wick up a little and start running low 1'11s. Well I wasn't imagining things - at the 30 minute mark, lap 26, the gap has reduced to 17s. It's as though the AI changed at the 20 lap mark and I can see the #2 car noticeably pulling away from the rest of the field. Also my two left tires are turning yellow. Hm! this could be an interesting race after all.

The gap's down to 4s, my left tires are almost red and lap times are starting to suffer but I want to see what #2's pit strategy is (hopefully soon) before I pit myself. Finally he pits on lap 37, I do likewise on lap 38 and I emerge 0.4s in the lead. Wow! 38 laps and less than half a second difference. The increase in #2's speed reminded me of the turbo F1 cars from the 80's - anyone remember - they had boost controls and were able to adjust power according to fuel consumption, part of the course they were on or even based on the manoeuvre they wanted to perform. As I recall the Renaults of the time swept everything.

OK - quick pause for a cigarettev - as I don't smoke in the house I walk around the yard for 5 minutes and ponder the race situation - I return and drive straight into the sand. Mental note: Pause at the start of a straight not at the end. I lap #6 and #5 cars on lap 46, one on the road, one in the pits. #4 goes on lap 47 and #3 on lap 50. At the 1 hour mark, lap 50, my fastest lap is 1'11.195 and my lead is 15s. It appears that #2 is a little more cautious when overtaking back markers. Laps 50 to 70 were all ran in the mid 1'11s - 20 consecutive laps within 0.5s so i'm either consistently there-or-thereabouts or am consistently making the same mistakes. Still striving for the sub 1'11 lap. I pit on lap 72 before #2 with a 9s lead and emerge 17s behind. He pits on lap 73 allowing me to regain the lead. I noted that after his pit stop he was only 5s behind meaning that his pit stop was about 4s faster than mine. I wonder if he didn't refuel and that's the difference? I'll have to investigate this. Anyway I struggle to extend the lead beyond 10s over the next 15 laps which doesn't bode well for the 'AI spurt'. I wonder if gas weight is modelled and if he didn't refill he's running on lighter trim? Could be an interesting strategy to remember for future races.

2 hours in - half way - lap 100, a 5s lead, and for the last 20 laps I've been trying to figure out this gas issue. Man, PD now expects me to perform mental calculations while I'm trying to hold off a rampaging Miata (I must check the model next time he pits so I don't keep calling him #2, although that's how I view him at the moment). Back to mathematics, which have caused my lap times to increase by 0.5s, mind you tire wear seems a little less so may be I've established a correlation between tire wear and brain use. I think I've also confirmed the long held belief that men can't multi-task, at least this one can't. So, I remember that on my first pit stop I had 57L of gas remaining after 38 laps. As this is a time duration race I'll take my fastest time and round down to give a worst case for gas consumption. Therefore, 1'11s...that's 71s...multiplied by 38...that's about 2,700s...which is roughly 45 minutes...remember to brake and turn...so if 23L lasts 45 minutes then a four hour race requires...?...?...?... 123L...so I need an additional 43L of which I had 23 at the first pit stop and I guess around 20 at the second therefore, if I don't get any more gas, I should roll over the finish line on fumes. Hm! seems a little tight so I think I'll just get a little squirt at my next pit stop and then keep my fingers crossed that I didn't screw up the math.

posted 04-07-2005 03:01 PM         

My lead on laps 105-108 is less than 0.5s and I even get given a rear bumper kiss. #2 pits on lap 108 and I note that he's an 1800 RS. I've no idea what his stats are so I don't know if it's my driving that sucks or if it is logical that he can turn in faster laps. I pit on lap 109 and as planned get a squirt of gas but don't top-off. I exit the pits about 2s behind the RS so either I lost 2s on my last lap or the AI is really very good at pit stops. Both are possible so more experimentation is needed. I guess that nobody really cares about +/- 2s on pit stops but in the context of this race it could be important.

Takes me another 5 laps to regain the lead and at the 2.5 hour mark, lap 124, the gap is fluctuating between 0.5 and 2s. Lap times have gone out of the window and are now in the high 1'12s - a combination of a lot of rear view mirror usage and trying to maintain a tight clean line, even if slower, in the hope I can prevent the RS from passing. The cat launched itself at me at one point and caused me to run briefly off the track - surely I would be passed but the RS seemed to get excited and screwed up his passing manoeuvre.

Speaking of the cat, she's called Miko as well, so is my wife!!! See, I planning for the future when memory loss sets in. Now if I can just consolidate birthdays, anniversaries and the various 'Hallmark' days that my wife insists I remember I'll be all set.

The RS pits on lap 144, I do the same on lap 145 and trust to my math and forego any gas. The gap for last 20 laps has been between 0.2 and 5s, the occurring when I managed to put a back marker between me and the RS. The respite lasted a few laps and I managed to run in the 1'11s again but the RS was still less than 2s adrift when he pitted. I exit the pits 1s ahead so it appears that fuel does add to pitstop duration.

At 3.5 hours, lap 174, aided twice and hindered once by back markers I have a 5s lead. One pit stop to go in about 10 minutes. The RS pits on lap 180 under 4s behind. I'll pit next lap which will leave about 20 minutes to go. That means I have 1 lap to decide on whether to switch to S2's for the run to the finish. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Will S2's last 20 minutes? Will my A-spec points be penalized? Will it actually be counter-productive in screwing up all my braking points? Well questions don't get answered by not investigating so I decide to switch to S2's and see what happens.

The result is good and bad. The good - I run pretty much mid 1'10s until the end of the race and open up a 25s lead going away for an easy win. The bad - I felt kind of guilty that after running for over 3 hours and forty minutes neck-and-neck with the RS that my pit strategy gave me such a large end advantage. The consolation I guess is that I'd have been really pissed if I had stayed with S1's and the AI had switched to S2's.

Final:

MX-5 S-Special Type I '95 - 198 laps
MX-5 1800 RS '00 - +25s
MX-5 SR limited '97
MX-5 1.8 RS '98
MX-5 VR Limited ' 95
MX-5 S-Special Type I

198 laps, 65 A-spec points (so the tire change had no effect here), fuel went red on lap 185, 100k in the bank, and yellow #10 RX-7 LM Race Car. Power had dropped to 132hp but went back up to 139 with an oil change.

After race thoughts...

I felt that the Miata was sluggish through the turns, becoming whale-like if I missed the line. I realized after the race that all of the driving aids were set to default - duh! no wonder my thumbs ached. Now I'm not a GT 'purist' who believes that these are for children or 4 legged animals only as I feel they have their place. Indeed I struggle to drive some cars without them and in a few cases I wish I had the option of outriggers and training wheels. However, on an MX-5 with less than 140hp in an endurance race is neither the time nor the place.

Secondly, the AI was extremely well behaved, even verging on courteous. I guess that these Miatas were being driven by kindly old pipe smoking gentlemen in tweed suits and trilbies. I'm sure that if the RS had been prepared to brake as late as me on passing opportunities that it could have won. I noted 3 touches all race and all were rear bumper kisses that I in fact caused by braking early when trying to protect the inside line in the middle of the race. This is completely opposite races such as the Beetle Cup where I felt as though I had been laser targetted by 5 cruise missiles.

Lastly, this 4 hour endurance took about 6 hours to complete, mainly due to my need to absorb nicotine on a frequent basis and also because I was keeping quite detailed notes for this update. It didn't feel this long due to the closeness of the race so I guess there's a moral there.

Congratulations (or condolences) to anybody who made it to the end of this. I won't update stats as this is the only race I did and if, on the remote chance that there is anybody out there who is vaguely interested, the math is quite easy.

Until next time...

posted 04-07-2005 03:30 PM         

You should post your observations/inquiries about AI pit stop times and strategies in the general forum. I bet lots of people would love to dissect/deconstruct that issue.

posted 04-08-2005 11:48 AM         

Back in my garage I flick through the various sort options available and start analysing P to W ratios. The top three cars, all with P to W's below 1, comprise a Toyota 7, the Minolta and a Jag that appears to have no rear wheels. Next, at just over 1, is a CLK-GTR Race Car and then at 1.6ish a bad boy Zonda Race Car.

The Toyota looks like it was a freebie from a packet of cereal, the Minolta is just too obvious, I really don't want to drive a two-wheeled car and although the CLK looks interesting I just can't resist the Zonda (despite my memories of them from GT3 being that that were beasts to handle). My wife, who I thought was watching the main TV [1] interjects that she likes the silver one - er! - well I feel I can't condemn her logic just because she likes a car for its color, I afterall like the Zonda just because it looks badass.

[1] We have two TVs set up in our living room, the main 51" with all the bolt-ons for movie and general viewing, and a 27" dedicated to gaming (been meaning to upgrade this for a while especially as my wife thinks its too small - who am I to argue). I play from a swivel chair that with a 90° rotation allows me to watch either set. This set up is the primary reason why I can put so many hours into GT while at the sametime maintaining a state of marital bliss.

So off I go to the races with the Zonda via the Pagani tune shop for a stage 3 turbo, to provide a fallback option, and two additional sets of racing tires. The first race is Tokyo and I decide to practice and tune for a bit to see how competitive the Zonda really is.

Three hours later of testing, more testing, starts, restarts, competition evaluation and more testing I still haven't started the series proper. This is turning into a labor of love but I still think the Zonda looks badass and I still want to try to do the series in it, preferably without the use of the Stage 3, and I love the look of its nose sticking out of my garage. As an aside, and talking of garages, I noticed while doing the Mission Tests that if I failed a mission and went back to the garage the car was parked nose first - more useless trivia.

So what have I learned to date?

The default settings for the Zonda are actually pretty good, and despite various tweaks here and there I couldn't discern noticeable improvements outside of my driving variability. I'm not even sure what all of the tuning variables are for so my tuning methodology is one of trial and error. I can run 1'26 to 1'28 on R3s, about 1'28 to 1'30 on R2s and low 1'30s on R1s. The only apparent advantage of the S3 turbo is the speed down the straight and this is hardy surprising as it boosts the output from high 600s to mid 800s.

With regards to the competition it seems to fall into three categories (not counting the Camaros and GT40s!!!). Firstly the rockets - Minolta, couple of Nissans, Sauber C9, Audi R8 and a pair of Pesky Rollers - and the Zonda is woefully outclassed even with the Stage 3. Secondly, those I can run with using a stage 3, even match on handling, but loose out to on off-the-line-acceleration, top end speed and/or braking distances such as the 787B, the two-wheeled Jag, GT-One, and to a lesser extent the Toyota 7. Lastly there are those cars that I best with the S3 and run close to without, namely the two BMWs, the CLK-GTR, the two Chaparrals, the Bentley (I think), the Panoz, the Gillet and even the R390.

So what is needed is a field of cars comprised from the last group, if it exists. I eventually get a field comprising a Toyota 7, R390, Gillet Vertigo, CLK-GTR and, for what it's worth, a Camaro Race Car. This has possibilities so I give it a go and qualify first on a set of R2's. 195 A-spec points without the S3 turbo, 101 points with it fitted. Hm! I think I'll use the S3 this time due to the long straight, may be ditch it on more technical courses later in the series - 'later in the series' - let's get off the start line in race 1 first.

So, I'm rear ended by 3 cars in turn 1 (these are definitely not the same drivers from the Miata Endurance) due to my longer braking distances, hardly surprising as I weigh a 1/4 ton more than some of these suckers. I get it together and manage to build a 4s lead by lap 6 - looking good - although this is reduced to 2s by lap 8. Disaster strikes from an unexpected quarter, although with hindsight one I should have though about, and didn't include a wall, railing or other car. On lap 8 my rear tires are turning orange and by lap 10, still with a 1 to 2s lead they have given up the ghost and my left rear glares at me from the screen a horrible shade of red. The CLK and the Vertigo both pit at the end of lap 9 - dumb shits! I hang on to the lead until the last turn, the hairpin at the bottom of the hill, and can't hold anything like a tight line and get passed by the Nissan R390 and the Toyota 7.

Next line of investigation - tire durability - but this can wait for another day. So at the end of the session I achieved 0 points, 0 money and 0 completion percentage BUT I did get to drive the Zonda for a while AND IT WAS FUN and I am determined to give this series another go in it.

posted 04-11-2005 11:12 AM         

More testing and tuning of the Zonda Race Car. I now have more miles on this than on most cars that have actually competed with in races. I conclude that running the S3 turbo is actually detrimental over a number of laps due that the fact that for every lap that I 'nail' there are 3 laps that I get way out of shape on. Conclusion - 690ish ponies in the stock Zonda are more than enough for me to handle. In stock trim, running on R1s, I finally realize that the few cars that I can compete with, namely the Beemers, Vertigo, Chaparral 2D, CLK-GTR, R390 and of course the Camaro and GT40 Race Cars are never going to show up at the same time. I know that I'm getting frustrated when, after being rear-ended about 10 times by the Toyota 7, I go after him with the sole intention of exacting retribution. The AI is clearly programmed to do the same thing at the same place irrespective of what other vehicles might be in the way. The fact that I'm 1/2 ton heavier and running on 2 grade harder tires means nothing to the AI. The final straw however was when I couldn't match the straight line speed of a 1970's air conditioning unit - please somebody give me the low down on the Chaparral 2J - so I reluctantly withdraw the Zonda from the series and park it back in my garage. 5 hours of tests, triple digit mileage, and zero game progress!!! I think, given the right opposition, that someone with better skills than mine could actually do this series in a stock Zonda Race Car - it's a bridge too far for me however and time to cut my loses.

The following lists all of the cars that have shown up for this series at various times:

Minolta Toyota 88C-V Race Car
Nissan 89C Race Car
Nissan 92CP Race Car
Pescarolo Courage C60
Pescarolo C60 LMP
Peugeot 905 Race Car
Mercedes AMG CLK-GTR Race Car
BMW MacLaren F1 GTR Race Car
BMW V12 LMR Race Car
Chaparral 2D
Chaparral 2J
Bentley Speed 8 Race Car
Audi R8 Race Car
Gillet Vertigo Race Car
Toyota 7
Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car
Toyota GT-One
Nissan R390
Mazda 787B
Camaro Race Car
GT LM Race Car (various models)
Sauber C9 Race Car

I think that's all of them. I previously mentioned that I'd seen the Panoz but I must have been imagining things. The Merecedes and the Panoz look remarkably similar from certain angles.

Next post will be GT Series - version whatever!

Edit note: list updated - see following posts

posted 04-11-2005 11:48 AM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by GT3mich:

I'm surprised not to see the Sauber in that list. It is another of those freakishly fast race cars you will encounter later in the game.

---

My mistake - the Sauber C9 is indeed one of the entrants in this series

posted 04-11-2005 01:47 PM         

With all of my previous frustrations in the GT World Series in the Zonda Race Car, I wheel out the Minolta just to get past this apparent hurdle. I decide that (and I reserve the right to amend this!) in order to get as competitive races as possible I'll run the Minolta completely stock, on R1's (although this actually turned out to be an advantage in some races), starting from the back of the grid against the fastest field I can find. The first set of competitors comprises another Minolta, the R92CP and the R89C, CLK-GTR and the Gillet Vertigo. That's good enough for me.

Tokyo: 26 points which is more than I was expecting and all of the cars pull away from me off the grid (this became a standard feature of the series) - may be a function of my R1's vs. their R2's/R3's. The CLK and the Vertigo just make up the numbers with the 'big-four' soon pulling away and engaging in quite a good scrap. That is until they all pit on laps 8/9. 43s up at the last checkpoint and I even lap the CLK and Vertigo as they pit at the end of their lap 9. On the basis of the times I was running I would have also lapped the Zonda Race Car so this confirmed my previous conclusion that the Zonda wasn't going to cut it.

Motegi Speedway: 26 points and a blowout lapping all opposition.

Hong Kong: I decide to run a couple of practice laps just to get a feel for the Minolta on what is a relatively unfamiliar track for me. Less than 1 lap of practice causes me to conclude that this track and these cars are not exactly compatible. My extended R1 braking distances do not help and I'm continually getting rammed into the barriers by cars following me which leads to extended periods spent in reverse gear, and more than a little paint job. Only race 3 and my series philosophy is going out of the window. Switch to R3's and qualify on pole as this is the only way I can see to avoid the AI crazies behind me. This gives an 8 point race and causes me to run laps 9 and 18 on red tires. On each of these laps I lose over 10s to the second placed car as I spend more time spinning the wheels than actually generating forward motion. At the end the margin of victory is 18s.

Seoul: back to R1's and #6 on the grid - 26 points. After 3 laps I'm in 3rd place 11s behind the other Minolta. After finally finding the right braking points and running consistent sub-50s laps I end up winning by 17s - note that I would have lost this race if the AI had not pitted.

El Capitan: points increase to 33 - hm! I like this track but the Minolta felt 'bouncy' especially after the tunnel. An easy win though because this is one of the worst tracks for the AI.

New York: Easy win but 48 points. I finally realize that as my power drops through this series and my P to W increases the game ranks it as more difficult. I wonder if I forgot to change the oil after the Motegi Speedway Endurance?

Paris Opera Reverse: Remembering my Hong Kong experience I qualify on pole but leave on the R1's. Points now up the 55. I cannot get the gap over 4s and am relieved when the AI pits on laps 9/10. That is until I notice on lap 11 that my R1's are very yellow/orange and likely will not make it until the end of the race. I make a quick decision to pit at the end of lap 11 and switch to the R3's that the Minolta came with as a bit of insurance. I slow right down as I'm not sure where pit lane is and must have hit X by mistake just as the pit instructions come on screen because before I know what's happening I'm not only having a new set of R1's fitted but I am also refilling the gas - Duh! Exit pit lane with a 1s lead over the other Minolta and barely hang on for the win by less than 4s. I find this immensely satisfying and one of those things that definitely qualifies for Lugnut's "Things That Make Me Smile" thread.

Suzuka: 55 points, so I guess my power has bottomed out. An easy, if not quick, win. There are two turns on Suzuka that remain a mystery to me and I know I take these over-cautiously. I'm sure you all know the two I mean.

Grand Valley: 55 points and easy but a lot of fun until the AI pitted.

Sarthe I: 55 points. This became interesting after the two Nissans slammed me into the sand box at the first sharp left after the second 'straight'. I spend the next two laps playing catch-up on the Nissans while all the time the other Minolta is pulling away at the front. He pits at the end of lap 3. I pass him in the pits and finally the two Nissans on the start/finish line surprised to see that they are not pitting and will run the 4 lap race on 1 set of tires. This proves to be a mistake on their part as, based on my lead going from 4s to 8s to 18s at various checkpoints, they lose their tires part way through lap 4 and the Minolta even repasses them to take 2nd place.

posted 04-11-2005 02:14 PM         

Tokyo: 1'22.287
Motegi Speedway: 0'27.806
Hong Kong: 1'09.343
Seoul: 0'49.478
El Capitan: 1'30.655
New York: 1'21.796
Paris Opera Reverse: 1'15.114
Suzuka: 1'47.010
Grand Valley Reverse: 1'38.203
Sarthe I: 3'21.925

Masters golf and honeydo lists prevented too much racing over the weekend but I did finish the Saleen S7 manufacturers' series. This was a very easy series with wins in all races of over 15s in a completely stock (not even an oil change) S7. Each race netted 60 points. The only ways I can see to increase the points for this series are to run the oil until black in other races, switch to S1 or even N grade tires or fill the car with ballast weight (does this work?). After running the GT World Series I thought I was driving in slow motion for a time while I re-aquainted myself with sub-lightspeed driving. The S7 therefore didn't seem as exciting as it probably really is. At this point I'm going to take a pop at PD. The only way to run the Saleen series is to buy a new Saleen for 420k credits. The five races give 50k total which puts me 370k in the red and to make matters worse the prize car cannot be driven and has no value. On top of that it is a duplicate of a car already won. How many Nike 2022s do I need? While I'm here I also resent having to buy a Spitfire to win a Spitfire and buy a Subaru 360 to win a Subaru 360. Likewise winning two Citroen CVs seems a little strange. A few rough edges PD that could so easily have been avoided with a little forethought.

Enough negative comment. Status update: 81.4% complete, 31,433 A-Spec points, 0 B-Spec points (sorry Bob!), which gives a race average of 55.3 A-Spec points per race after normalizing for the missions.

posted 04-12-2005 01:24 PM         

Once again I fail to take note of the opposition at the start, except that I can see a Falcon XR-8 directly in front of me, so I figure I'll identify them as the race progresses. I take the lead at the start of lap 2 and open a small gap which fluctuates between 6 and 8s for the next 10 laps. I find that the Beemer can get out-of-shape in a hurry if weight transfer is not ideal. This is a recurring theme in GT4 and it's almost hypnotic watching the little white G-force line oscillate rapidly while trying to hang on to a tank-slapper. Ham fisted attempts at controlling this with the DS2 joystick are not too effective so the only solution I can find is to let go of the gas, apply a dab to brakes, and gently wait for the car to settle down.

I pit on lap 12 with dark orange rears and yellow fronts and #2 pits behind me about 5s off the pace. I note that he's an RX-8 LM Concept. My fastest lap at this point is a 1'53.600 and I exit the pits on a new set of R1's and a refilled gas tank (I'd used 47/80L of gas on the first 12 laps - seems a little thirsty!). I get caught off guard by other racers and exit the pits in 2nd place behind an unidentified JGTC and then get rear-ended in turn 1 by a Pennzoil GT-R Skyline. This knocks me back to 3rd but I re-pass the Skyline at the start of lap 14, 5s behind the leader, who pits at the end of the lap - it's a Toyota Cerumo Supra. My big concern is now the Skyline who does not pit on lap 14 and is therefore on a pit schedule that requires at least one, or even more, pit stops fewer than me. The Skyline pits at the end of lap 15, around 3s behind so he's therefore on a 3-stop strategy compared to my 4. Also on a 3-stop strategy is a Takata Dome NSX. The Falcon pitted earlier and is not really going to be a factor in this race.

At the end of lap 20, one third distance, the Beemer is 18s ahead of the RX-8 and this lead is maintained until I pit on lap 24. In the interim I have a new fastest lap of 1'53.297. The rears are agin orange and the fronts are yellow so I decide to change the fronts to R2's, sticking to R1's on the back and again topping off the gas at 44/80L. It looks as though I'll be able to forego the gas on my last pitstop. The big question now is will the R2 fronts last 12 laps until my next scheduled pitstop? The RX also pits on lap 24.

Half way, lap 30, and have a 35s lead over the RX-8, a new fastest lap of 1'52.035, courtesy of the R2's BUT... they are going off faster than I expected and I fear I'll have to modify my pit strategy. The moral here is "Have a plan and stick to it". As feared the fronts give up on lap 34 and force a premature pitstop - way to go Miko! The question now is do I accept my medicine and go for R2's all around on the basis that I need an extra pitstop anyway, or do I switch back to R1's all around and hope I can stretch them out for an extra lap? I plump for the latter hoping that if I ease off a bit I can extend their life. My pitstop faux pas lets the RX close to within 3s but I figure he'll pit on lap 36 restoring some sensibility to the situation.

I lap the Falcon and Supra on lap 45 and with the more conservative approach do indeed appear to have reduced the tire wear enabling my last pitstop on lap 47. The irony is that during this phase of 'conservative' driving I not only reduce tire wear and gas consumption, but also lap times, running my three fastest laps, all sub 1'52 - go figure! I'm 52s ahead of the RX-8 at the pitstop and ready to put this one in the record books.

The NSX falls by the wayside on lap 52, followed by the Skyline on lap 55 and I finish the race 1'24s ahead of the RX-8 (at the last checkpoint).

Results:
BMW M3 GTR Race Car 1:56'25.172
Mazda RX-8 LM Prototype +1'24s
Nissan Pennzoil Zexel GT-R +1 lap
Honda Takata Dome NSX +1 lap
Toyota Cerumo Supra +1 lap
Falcon XR-8 +1 lap

400k better off, 100 A-spec points and an Auto Union V16 Type C Streamline '37 in the garage. The Beemer had 450hp after the race which went up to 473hp after an oil change (that's weird - I'm sure I started with 474 - oh well!). I even treated it to a car wash.

After race thoughts:

Despite a few early tank slappers, all on the downhill straight towards the 2nd hairpin, the Beemer was a very pleasant drive. Indeed, once I had a good feel for the balance of the car the second half of the race seemed effortless and yet I was posting my fastest laps. I was particularly satisfied that, apart from the minor rear-ending by the Skyline, the race was contact, grass and sand free. Another "Thing that made me smile" event.

My second thought is more one of curiosity. Has anyone ran this race in B-Spec in the stock BMW? I'm interested in knowing how a well developed B-Spec Bob compares with A-Spec Miko. As my Bob is wholly undeveloped I cannot run a trial to gauge without major time investment and/or ruining my 0 B-Spec points ambitions.

posted 04-13-2005 11:57 AM         

Right?

Wrong!

Call me stupid - "stupid", "stupid", "stupid" - enough already! I just can't resist trying the Zonda once more and convince myself that slightly shorter races, on different courses, could make all the difference to the outcome. Hardly a watertight rationale.

The Zonda's still where I parked it so we bundle up our spare tires and head once again to the races.

The first race is the High Speed Ring. I enter and exit the Championship a few times to get a car list that doesn't include the big Nissans or the Minolta. I really would be wasting my time trying to go up against these 230+ mph monsters. Through this I notice a couple of additional ellemmers that didn't show in the GTWC and that clearly, like me, don't know their true position in the racing hierarchy - impudent pups.

I draw a competitor list as follows:

Gillet Vertigo Race Car '04
BMW V12 LMR Race Car '99
Toyota GT-One Race Car '99
AMG Mercedes CLK-GTR Race car '98
Ford GT LM Race Car '02
Pagani Zonda LM race Car '01 (yours truly)

I run the Zonda stock, on R3 tires, starting #6 on the grid. I also reduce the downforce a few clicks in an attempt to get a little more top speed. With a positive mind I click the start icon and the A-Spec rating mesmorizes me for a few seconds - 200 - positive mind, positive mind. It's not like this would be the first 200 point race I've won after all, but I suspect this will be a little more of a challenge than the Corvette Series or the El Capitan Endurance.

I lose ground off the line but make it into second place by the end of the right-left complex (as if anything is complex at the High Speed Ring?!). The Beemer is just over a second ahead but I get close enough to him to get a tow on the straight and ease into the lead at the end of the first lap. Things happen real fast in these cars, a missed line can cost a couple of seconds, a a major 'event' can cost the race. The lead changes twice more before the end of the race and I deliberately run low entering the straight on the last lap to prevent the BMW getting a tow, crossing the line to win by 0.461s. Fastest lap was 1'01.243, with the GT-One finishing in third at +9s and the CLK-GTR in fourth at +14s. The Vertigo was fifth and the Ford trailed in last - Go home Ford!

Oh boy! With so many test miles and over five hours of time on the Zonda it feels good to finally get a winner's purse. I have to save the replay which now sits proudly beside a dozen or so licence tests and Mission 15 (the Lancia Stratos at Cote d'Azure) that I'm also particularly pleased with.

The next race can wait. I crack open a 6-pack and spend the next two hours watching the replay while wallowing in smug self-satisfaction. While doing this I also find lots of neat things you can do in replay mode - for example I didn't know that you can watch the replay from the perspective of any of the cars - I must read the instruction manual some time.

The replays tell me all sorts of things - for one it rates the Zonda at 651hp where I was sure it showed over 690hp in the garage, Hm! Next I was able to watch a Battle Royale between the GT-One and the CLK-GTR for third and fourth spots until the Toyota opened up some space on lap 5.

I looked at fastest speeds on the straight and found that I was maxxing at exactly 200mph every lap, just below the red line. The BMW peaked at 205, the GT-One at 197, the Mercedes at 207 and the Ford at a lowly 187 (like I said - go home Ford). The Vertigo was surprisingly fast in a straight line and hit the rev limiter 3 times on the straight at 203mph. It was probably the fastest straight-line car in the field if it got its gearing right. I also noticed that the Beemer is an open cockpit racer - shows how observant I am - which clearly explains why he didn't win this race. No windshield wiper!!!

Well, the next race is Fuji Speedway '80s but that can wait until tomorrow. For now I'm just going to watch the replay a few more times and hold my head high in the GT Community for 24 hours. I'm sure I'll be brought back down to earth at Fuji.

posted 04-14-2005 11:05 AM         

Fuji Speedway 80's: Increase downforce from the High Speed Ring due to the turns at Fuji, even though the straight is longer. Start #6 and get awarded 187 A-Spec points. Into second after turn 1 due to braking. This is more a hard sweeper and if your speed and braking points are right you can power through it on full throttle. Passed the BMW at the start of the straight on lap 1. For the next 5 laps the Beemer nudged me in the rear as he got a tow on the straight. At the finish line the Beemer is +0.5s followed by the GT-One. Fastest lap 1'08.402.

Laguna Seca: Reduced d/f by three clicks, qualified on pole as the rolling start is a big disadvantage here. 200 points and a pretty easy win over the GT-One at +3.312s. Fastest lap 1'18.830.

Autumn Ring Reverse: A longer race so I switch to R2's, max the d/f, and reduce gearing to 8 as there is nowhere on this course to even get into 6th gear. Start #6 on grid. 200 points and move into second place at the end of lap 1 and take the lead on lap 4 which I hold to the finish. The GT-One is second at +5.269s, followed by the Beemer at +8.974s and the CLK at +37.538s. Having lapped the Vertigo, and with such a large margin over the Mercedes, I watch the replay a number of times to see what was going on behind me. The Vertigo was wiping out every lap on the big sweeper after the loop and the CLK wiped out at the same place 4 times in a 9 lap race. Even the Beemer slammed into the wall here once after putting all four wheels on the lawn. The GT-One was the quickest car in the race but starting at #5 on the grid I was able to put 15s on him while he fought his way through all the carnage. He'd cut the gap to 5s at the end, mitigated to some extent that my last lap was very cautious. Fastest lap 1'12.342.

Test Course: This is the first time I've encountered this track apart from the 'slipstream' driving missions. Based on my GT3 experience I minimize d/f & clearance and crank up the gearing. While in 'settings' I see that my power has reduced quite significantly, the outcome of all my previous testing of the Zonda I guess, so I exit the races and head to the Autoshop for an oil change. As I'm here I also save the game. Back at 694hp, on a set of R1's, I run a few practice laps to check my settings. Top speed is around 215mph which I figure is fine based on my analysis at the High Speed Ring. That is until I see I'm only fourth fastest around 9s, yes! 9s, off the lead car - the GT-One. A quick rethink, and a trip to the pits to fit the stage 3 turbo, and I can peak at 225mph with my increased 831 ponies. I'm still running fourth though but only about 4s off the pace. Oh well, let's give it go. I exit and save my settings to put myself back at #6 on the grid with the GT-One at #5, and get rated 194 A-Spec points.

The Beemer and the CLK disappear into the distance but I pick up a tow off the GT-One and working together - well about 95% him and 5% me - we catch the lead cars mid second lap. The Toyota maxes at about 240mph and the other two Class C's at about 235. It seems that they themselves have done some tuning for this race and I wonder if this may be a feature of the Extreme Hall. My few times in the lead last for about a micro-second as I hit the brick wall known as air resistance. The four of us exchange the lead for the next lap and I get a pull off the last turn to finish 2nd, about 0.3s behind the GT-One. I find the finish line comes much too quickly after the last turn to get a really good slingshot. That was kinda fun and very reminiscent of the slipstream race in Mission 23. Wanting to give it another go I reset the system to run the race again... then again, and again, and again. The closest I've got so far is +0.036s!!! In one race 0.059s covered the first three cars - about the size of a dinner plate.

A few observations: If I lose the slipstream at any point it's race over - if I take the lead too early on the final turn it's race over - the Mercedes driver is clearly ex-Police as he has mastered the P.I.T. manoeuver - I'm gonna need a perfect draft and slingshot exiting, or even after the last turn, to win this race - I'm not going to give up now as, although probably not in the spirit of the Championship, this has become a personal challenge.

I'd appreciate some feedback as I think I'm putting in way too much detail and way too little humor. Let me know what you think.

Edit note: Corrected Stage 3 Turbo output to 831hp

posted 04-14-2005 12:21 PM         

One of the greatest sevices Diary threads provide is to tell other racers what path you've trodden yourself and thus help them decide how they wish to approach matters.

Any well written post that lays out clearly how a race was run will be of benefit and value to someone.

I'm working on some dry-as-dust race write-ups and tuning spreadsheets myself at the moment. They will definitely be more for the engineer's and statistician's amongst us rather than the artist and entertainers ! But I still hope that they'll be of benefit.

posted 04-15-2005 12:57 PM         

As a reminder, I'm running the Zonda RC with a stage 3 turbo for this race with R1 tires, minimum d/f and ride height, and with the tranny set at 18. Power is shown as 831hp, starting #6 on the grid, and the A-Spec point rating is 194.

After 10 more attempts, comprising 3 dnf's and a closest 2nd place of +0.044s, I'm scratching my head as to how to win this. The Zonda's power and top speed deficiencies mean that on the few occassions that I'm able to slipstream into the lead I can't hold it for more than about a second or two. This gives a very small 'window-of-opportunity' for passing the lead car (normally the GT-One) just before the finish line in order that I can hold on for the win. On top of that, at these speeds and with minimum downforce, the Zonda is very very very twitchy. When slipstreaming on the straight the G-force indicator flickers from side-to-side about a quarter of an inch from nominal. Occassionally the car will suddenly 'breakout' and it's touch and go as to whether I can catch it time. I'm struggling with the amount of finesse that's required on the DS2 joystick to get into the perfect position, pull the perfect tow, and then pass at the right time with a perfect line - all when exiting the final turn. The bottom line was that I never truly felt that I was in full control of the vehicle. Then, in a epiphanic moment, I remember that sitting in the cabinet not six feet from me is a DFP...

My previous experiences with the DFP were not good, in fact I met with a singular lack of success. I couldn't get my feet comfortable, my braking turned to shit, I was all over the place, and way off driving competitively even in the easier races. Now, however, I saw an opportunity to put this thing to good use. Brakes are superfluous in this race, even with the AI (unlike Mission 23!!!), and I felt I could get control and feel the G-force gyrations more effectively. So, after a little bit of cable switching, wheel on lap, foot on gas, we're off again. Immediately I feel the benefit and finally feel as though I have full control of the car. Despite a minor graze on the outer barrier of turn 1 while feeling for the turning the radius I'm hitting the lines I want when I want. Again the Mercedes and the BMW fly off into the distance and have a 2.256s lead at the first checkpoint. Again the GT-One and I work together and begin to reel them in, finally catching them at the end of lap 2. At one point a bedsheet could have covered all four cars and yet there was no contact. I'm in second place halfway through the final turn, about 0.2s behind the Toyota. Too close and you can't get enough speed from the tow to pass, too distant and there's not enough time to catch and pass before the finish line, too early and you can't hold the lead to the finish line, too late is just too late. From all of the previous runs I knew just where I wanted to be and just when I wanted to be there but now I had the means to actually do it. Getting the tow, the speed, the timing and the line right at last, I pass the GT-One within 100 yards of the line and he's not got enough time to pass me back. The winning margin is 0.068s with the first four cars crossing the finish line in the space of less than 1s. I declare aloud that for one race only the $150 spent on the DFP and the $25 spent on the lap attachment is now money well spent (my wife is not so sure!) and I park it back in the cabinet, may be never to be used again - we'll see. Now it's replay and more replay time and I can affirm that a thing of beauty is a thing to behold. It's stats, stats and more stats time...

Firstly results:

Zonda LM Race Car: 5,09.851
Toyota GT-One: +0.068
Mercedes CLK-GTR: +0.641
BMW V12 LMR: +0.932
Ford GT-40: +33.697
Gillet Vertigo: +46.223

Fastest lap is 1'39.073 and the power is listed as 780hp. I have still not figured out why the power rating is different in the settings to what it is in the race. Can anybody explain?

Checkpoint lead intervals and positions:

Lap 1: +2.256 (6th); +2.187 (6th); +2.528 (4th); +2.093 (3rd)
Lap 2: +1.705 (4th); +1.683 (4th); +0.947 (4th); +0.063 (3rd)
Lap 3: +0.362 (4th); +0.433 (4th); +0.044 (2nd); +0.107 (2nd); -0.068 (1st)

Maximum speeds (no slipstream / slipstream):

Zonda: 224 / 247
GT One: 235 / 243 (hitting rev limiter)
CLK-GTR: 230 / 246
BMW: 228 / 241 (hitting rev limiter)
GT-40: 209
Vertigo: 203 (hitting rev limiter).

posted 04-15-2005 02:33 PM         

I qualify on pole despite previous experience that this can actually be disadvantageous due to the fact that it puts the fastest AI at the front end of the field. For example, I could not have won the Test Course race if I had qualified as this would have put me at #4 on the grid, against 3 Class C Race Cars who can put over a second on me off the line, with no chance of using the GT-40 or Vertigo to slipstream up to the GT-One. The other thing about qualifying is that you have to set the fastest time on your first hot lap as the AI seems to take 2 laps to warm the tires and get up to full speed. It is also important in these races to build as large a buffer as possible on those first two laps before the AI start reeling you in.

So, starting on pole, I'm third behind the GT-One and the CLK by turn 1, with the Beemer climbing all over my rear end. The fastest starts for the Zonda occur when I can nail full throttle at around 4000rpm. Even then the AI has a serious off-the-line advantage. Exiting turn 1 faster than than the Merc I pass him before the complex, making sure to clear the first left quickly before he slams into me, about 1.5s behind the Toyota. I catch the GT-One on turn 9 and pass him on braking to move into the lead which increases to nearly 3s by the end of lap 2 - as I said above this is when the AI starts to motor. Sure enough the lead reduces gradually and on lap 4 the GT-One is crawling all over me and on lap 5 is joined by the Beemer. At one point we are three abreast - but I have the racing line. I manage to hang on to win by 0.615s over the GT-One with the BMW at +0.859s. The CLK is 9s back followed by the Vertigo at +23s and the Ford at almost +40s. Race time is 10'30.064 and fastest lap is 1'43.093.

As I lay the DS2 on the arm of the chair I notice that my hands, quite literally, are shaking. It is clear that the massive adrenaline surges I'm getting in these races combined with total concentration for over 10 minutes to run a flawless race (anything less and you can kiss goodbye to the winner's purse) are playing havoc with my physiology. Anybody who tries this series in the Zonda - you have been warned!

The replay is spectacular and of course is saved for posterity. I only have three full race saves from GT4 and all are in the Zonda Race Car and all are from this series. I wish I had the technology and the knowhow to post these on the web so you can get a true feel for what I'm talking about. Maybe at some point I'll at least figure out how to post still shots - I'm waiting for the day when somebody posts an 'idiots abc' for this in the Resource section.

At this point I have amassed 90,000 credits and 1181 A-Spec points from the six races to date and lead the series with 60 points over the GT-One with 32 points and the BMW with 28. Despite the series lead I am considering abandoning the Championship as the next race is Suzuka (which I am still far from mastering) and two of the last three races are Sarthe and the Ring (where I think my power and speed disadvantages will really come to the fore - that's assuming that I can even make it around the ring in the Zonda!). I can't remember where the other race is at. The AI is also getting better, especially the GT-One and the BMW who run near perfect races (I really can't say the same for the Mercedes or the Vertigo), and is a big step up from the Professional Hall. My body is also demanding something a little more sedate.

So, tonight I'll probably withdraw from the series and do something else...

or may be I'll just check out Suzuka...

whatever I do I'll keep you posted.

posted 04-15-2005 03:24 PM         

Your description of qualifying reminded me of an unorthodox strategy I used in GT3. Sometimes when there was a speed demon in the field, I'd 'qualify', but actually drive backwards and try to knock him out head-on, effectively placing him 5th on the grid.

posted 04-15-2005 10:10 PM         

In reading your race report on the Test Track, you made no mention of your camber settings. If you reduce your camber (I run about .7 front, .2 rear), you will gain top speed. I use the DS, and these are the minimum I use to keep the car from becoming too unstable, but with the wheel, you might be able to go lower. Hope that helps for future races...

posted 04-18-2005 11:55 AM         

Anyway, continuing with the All Stars Championship, I did indeed check out Suzuka and found a couple of changes to the AI, namely that the Beemer had now fitted a warp drive and the Lister was being driven by Helen Keller. On my first attempt at this race I finally managed to catch and pass the BMW on lap 4, only for him to use me as a backstop on a turn that he was travelling way too fast for, dumping me deep into a sandtrap. By the time I got back on the road he had an 11s lead. The term sooterkin immediately came to mind. On my next try I could not disengage myself from Helen's antics and decided that enough was enough. My love affair with the Zonda, although not over, required a temporary separation, and I withdrew from the rest of series to go in search of more sedate racing.

Still having four manufacturers' series to complete I headed for the Peugeot showroom and lashed out 750,000 credits on a 206 Rally Car - good for both the 206 series and my rally car collection. Feeling this would be major overkill for the series I entered with no oil change, on original R1's, at 305hp. The first race was Paris Opera and to my surprise was rated 157 A-Spec points. Obviously the production 206's were a long way from stock. Nevertheless this was a very easy win by more than 15s as was Tsukuba (153 pts), Driving Park (157 pts), Suzuka East (153 pts) and Cote d'Azur (153 pts). This was definitely the easiest 773 A-Spec points I had made - they were virtually gift wrapped. To prove a point I put S2's on the 206 RC, cut downforce to a minimum and re-ran Paris. I was now awarded 200 pts and still won by over 5s. If PD believe that this race compares in any way to the Zonda races I had previously sweated blood over, then they must have their heads stuck deep within their proverbials. Note to self - I now have 5 re-runs to compensate for when calculating A-Spec averages.

Back to the Extreme Hall where the Premium Sports Lounge series only requires an IB licence. I roll out my BMW M3 CSL, complete with S3 tires, racing brakes, triple clutch, racing flywheel and carbon driveshaft, and putting out 378hp.

The first race, 4 laps of Cote d'Azur, puts me against a Ford GT '05; Zonda C12 '00; Mercedes SL 600 '98; TVR Cerbera Speed 12 '00 and Saleen S7 '02. Clearly these cars have a lot more oomph than me and this is confirmed with the 200 A-Spec points on offer. With the rolling start handicap process in full force at the Cote d'Azur, the GT, starting on pole, is nearly at the top of the hill by the time I round turn 1. Moving into second by passing the Zonda at the bus stop on lap 1, I'm 6s behind the GT. The deficit is reduced to 3s at the start of lap 3 and I catch the GT at the end of the lap. He pases me going up the hill but I re-pass on the turn before the hairpin finishing the race 2.074s ahead with the TVR at +7s. Fastest lap was 1'45.108.

Next up is Paris Opera and the race is rated 109 pts against a different selection of supercars - Saleen S7; DB9; SL600; Vantage and DB7. Again I win by just over 2s with a fastest lap of 1'30.074. Hong Kong is worth 137 pts against a DB7; SLR McLaren; Cizeta V16T; CL600 and Zonda C12S and the margin here is over 4s from the SLR with a fastest lap of 1'32.380.

Moving to the 4 lap race at the High Speed Ring I switch to S2's but find I have a huge amount of difficulty controlling the Beemer. I don't think it has anything to do with the tires but more the increased speeds and balance transfer. At one point I get nudged by one of the other cars at the start of the straight and, after a series of balletic movements that would have impressed Anna Pavlova, finally get the BMW straightened out on the right side of the course only to drive straight into the pits. I remember laughing at the AI continually doing this at the Driving Park and am sure I heard them laughing back at me now. I guess it's true that what goes around, comes around. Anyway, a re-run against a DB9; SL65AMG; CLK55AMG; Zonda C12 and a V8 Vantage finally nets me 103 pts with a fastest lap of 1'19.316. New York was a straight forward 92 pt victory by over 3s against the same field as the HSR. Fastest lap 1'48.343. My prize is... another GT-40... that's 3 different GT-40 models I've won now!?!

For a change of pace I decide to tackle some of my outstanding Special Conditions Events, all in my 321hp Scoobie Doo RC Prototype '01.

First up is Amalfi 'Hard' where I fit R3's and get awarded 42 pts in both races matching up against a Mitsu Evo RC '03. Fastest laps were 1'37.194 forward and 1'37.247 reverse. The prize is a Lancia S4 RC from the mini-rocket era of WRC - 478hp after an oil change!

Next is Tahiti 'Hard' and the three AI cars I noted were the aforementioned S4, a Ford Escort from the same era and the Renault 5 Maxi Turbo Rally Car '85. Races against the Lancia and the Ford are rated 200 pts and I can't keep up with their extra ponies. Against the Renault the rating is reduced to 132 pts and these turn into hard fought close races, that is until in each race the Renault spun out (lap 3 in the forward direction and lap 4 in the reverse). Fastest laps were 2'21.432 forward and 2'22.250 reverse, the prize being a Mitsubishi Pajero Rally Raid Car '85.

Cathedral Rocks II, vs. a Lancia Delta HF Integrale Rally Car in the forward direction (36 pts) and the Mitsu Evo '03 in reverse (80 pts) were again close fun races. Fastest forward was 1'09.907 and reverse 1'09.798. The '03 Pajero was the prize this time.

Likewise, Cathedral Rocks I, both directions against the Mitsubishi Evo Rally Car '03, both times worth 80 pts were good races. Fastest laps 1'51.467 forwards and 1'51.917 reverse. The Suzuki Escudo is the prize - just what I need? I'm particularly pleased that my times in most of these races are very close to each other in either direction.

As a general note about the Special Conditions Races, I have seen a lot of scathing comment about the '5s penalty' system. Yes it can be frustrating, yes it can be a pain-in-the-****, but it's there - just deal with it. It fosters the need to pass cleanly, and then when you're in front to stay in front out of the way of the AI car. Having to avoid the AI car, erratic as it might be on occassion, just adds another dimension to these races.

The remaining SC events are Grand Canyon ('Normal' and 'Hard') and the two 'Hard' ice races.

Stats update on game day 729:

Completion: 85.7%
A-Spec points: 34,795
B-Spec points: 0
Credits: 2,280,835
A-Spec miles: 5,268
Trophies: 449
Prize Cars: 137
Total cars: 173

Normalizing for missions and re-runs I calculate an average rating of 59.8 A-Spec points. It occurred to me that in calculating the average I am unsure as to whether-or-not winning a Championship counts as a trophy, i.e. in a 5 race Championship do you get 6 trophies? I'll have to check this out next time I drive a Championship and if necessary re-calculate the average.

posted 04-18-2005 03:19 PM         

Maximum points available: 112,900 (including Missions)

Average required for...
20,000: 22.03
25,000: 31.61
30,000: 49.19
40,000: 60.34
50,000: 70.50
60,000: 98.66
70,000: 117.82
75,000: 127.39
80,000: 136.97
90,000: 156.13
100,000: 175.29

I am still optimistic (or hopeful!) that one of these milestones may result in unlocking a vehicle or feature that is as yet is unknown.

posted 04-18-2005 09:03 PM         

Also, I've found that adding ballast will increase your A-spec points for a race.

After reading your exploits of maximizing A-spec points, I've gone back and re-run a lot of series, as I tend to just use one car a lot, and sometimes it can make for a boring race, if the car has been modded extensively.

I just used the '00 S2000 Type V for some 200pt races in the professional hall. Clubman Cup was great fun, as was NA Cup. Just changed the oil, and entered. No mods at all.

posted 04-19-2005 01:02 PM         

Therefore, as a summary of factors / modifiers that affect A-Spec point ratings...

No effect:

Transmission / clutch / flywheel / driveshaft / differential / brakes / brake controller / suspension / VCD / rigidity modifiers / AYC controller

Reducing A-Spec points:

Increased power / lower power to weight ratio (the game actually has this the wrong way around and seems to calculate weight to power ratio - clearly the benefit comes from increasing power and reducing weight therefore the P to W ratio should increase but I put 'lower' above as this is how it's measured in the 'garage') / increased downforce / softer tires / oil change / NA tuning / turbo tuning / intercooler / supercharger / racing chip / port polish / engine balance / exhaust improvements / displacement up / weight reduction / wing!

Increasing A-Spec points:

Reduced power / higher power to weight ratio (see note above) / reduced downforce / harder tires / 'N' tires / ballast

Factors not verified:

AI competency / licence requirement / nitrous! (but who cares as I don't think anybody on this board uses it?) / car vintage

I guess the next stage is to attempt to quantify the effects but this could become quite a laborious task. May be I'll look once I've completed the game (if anybody cares?).

[This message has been edited by miko (edited 04-19-2005).]

Edit note: deleted 'minimum points' detail as in contained a major brain fart!

posted 04-20-2005 10:09 AM         

The limited racing I did consisted of my only 'Normal' Special Conditions Event left to do which is, of course, Grand Canyon. Like Lugnut and Littleg I have yet to find anything like a good line or respectable time but I figure that I'm never going to learn it by racing in an overpowered vehicle to get a win by ricochetting around the course. With that in mind I take my 241hp Mitsu CZ Tarmac to GC, pay my 5 credits to run practice laps, and spend about 30 minutes trying to unravel this enigma. In order to learn the course further I then decide to run S-licence #10 and to my utter surprise land a silver on my 1st run and a gold by over half a second (2'46.454s) on my 2nd run. It normally takes me much longer to get that 'lucky' run but as the saying goes "I'd rather be lucky then good". Filled with new confidence I enter the Mitsu CZ in Grand Canyon Normal at the oil change power of 241hp, against a Mitsu Evo IV '96, rated 47 A-Spec points, and run away with the race with a fastest lap of 2'41.413. So, on to the reverse course, may be now a little over confident, and suddenly it's like I'm driving in Outer Mongolia with an Avis map. It is a completely different course in reverse and will again require 5 credits and some practice time - but that's for tomorrow.

Before turning in, and with the Ice Arena 'Hard' Event also to do, I adopt a similar approach and run S-licence #6. Again luck favors me and I bronze on run 1, silver on run 2 and gold by nearly a second (56.115s) on run 3 - it's so easy when there are no other cars in the way.

posted 04-20-2005 10:50 AM         

My next challenge is to play with the hosting and posting of these so just hang with me while I practice on a single shot from the High Speed Ring.

That seems to have got it but before I post anymore could somebody please give feedback with specific reference to the picture size. Does it work for you or is it too big?

[This message has been edited by miko (edited 04-20-2005).]

[This message has been edited by miko (edited 04-20-2005).]

posted 04-20-2005 01:16 PM         

I think that works.

[This message has been edited by miko (edited 04-20-2005).]

posted 04-20-2005 01:22 PM         

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Asphalt Kannibals
Did somebody mention TVR's?

posted 04-20-2005 01:43 PM         

quote:

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Originally posted by Sukerkin:
I'm afraid to say that your first pic is a bit too big my friend - even if I turn off the Favourites short-cut bar then the thread width requires a scroll bar. A little shrinkage would do the trick I'm sure.

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