F1 2011 First impressions after playing the game

[Johnson0311]

Well just finished my first race with Force India. Let me just say the new suspension system is a handful to get used to. I lost a front wing twice in practice. Lets just say if you activate DRS don't do it at a wrong spot or you'll pull a Maldonado and spin out.

So far managing KERS and DRS is tricky in practice and qualy. At no point was I within a second in the race but I qualified 18th and finished 12th meeting my objective.

The graphics don't appear that much better and the washout effect is kinda odd. Modders will fix that I'm sure fast enough.

Career mode is now managed with a laptop and no more ugly lady... Helmets are going to have to be modded in again.

No Senna for Renault.

Fuel mixture is kind of a neat addition and my gas light came on during the second to last lap and I was not in a position to gain a position so I just turned it back to normal.

Engineer seems like he barely talks at all now. To early to tell if this is good or bad. Seems like all sector times are good in qualy.

Massa was pole along with Button and Petrov. Vettell was an embarrassing 14th.

Any other questions let me know.

Also I'm playing with 20%

 

[Nick Kasapis]

Ok from what i ve seen so far codies failed again. It's just a game which says "hey you who know nothing about F1 or racing, look how fun i am" Thats the story of the game! If you want to involve in real racing, get GP4, load the mods and patches that exist, and get some proper F1 experience!

 

[kelaroost]

Im racing at 720p with my PC on my 42" TV, my ATi 5850 is running everything butter smooth all setting max with 4x AA. I also have an i7 920@4Ghz and 6Gb Ram.
If you are looking to run 1080p you might want to look at a ATi 6870/6950 or a GTX 560ti.
I have not run it at 1080p yet so dont know how much of an impact it has on my GPU.

This game runs fine on my rig.
benchmark 20 fps 2560x1600 screen rex everything maxed out but in dx10
e8400 4 gig corsare memory 8800 gtx.
a 300 pound machine built 2 mths ago.
You do not need a fast machine to play this game.

 

[Louis Wedding]

The game overall is an improvement over last years but there are some major flaws again. The main flaw this game has is that the cars now have grip at low speed (which is fine) but no aero grip at high speed, corners such as Eu Rouge, Blanchimont and T8 at turkey the cars have no grip (and even have to brake at eu rouge! depending on what car your in).

Codemasters also said there were going to be more/different questions in career mode... im 1 1/2 seasons in and EVERY question is the same as last years game, also they got rid of the press conferences for podiums and wins and instead you answer your questions in the paddock, which was rather silly taking out such an element of RL to save time and effort.

Also the cars are way to shiny/reflective, they look more like mirrors than formula 1 cars, hopefully the tone it down in a patch, but im not getting my hopes up

 

[Ash Kendall]

This game runs fine on my rig.
benchmark 20 fps 2560x1600 screen rex everything maxed out but in dx10
e8400 4 gig corsare memory 8800 gtx.
a 300 pound machine built 2 mths ago.
You do not need a fast machine to play this game.

I'd argue that anything lower than 30fps isn't "fine". 20fps is close to unplayable on racing games.

 

[Rich Maskell]

pro's:
handling. better than 2010

cons:
Why no trye strategy?
why no nicknames, just driver names and "iceman" etc?
where is the safey car? only Grad prix mode? poor.
screen font bad
no pit request
same old questions from interviewer
same old engineer phrases in career mode
wheel issues

 

[Alberto Casado]

Clearly nicer implementation of the kerbs hitting (no longer a sudden spin), and overall good feeling of the car.

It is fun to drive, but I had to put medium TC in order to be able to make some laps without constantly spinning. And I think the rear is lost way too easily in high speed turns (no DRS activated).

With manual gears, kers and drs, sometimes its quite easy to make mistakes while driving. I guess that kers not present in the lowest teams is even a good idea to not overwhelm starters.

 

[Andrew Ford]

Got this yesterday evening. Did a time challenge (or whatever it's called) in the rain of montreal. Initially I thought this was a massive step backwards - the graphics didn't seem as good and I felt like a total newb again when I turned assists off - it was so much easier to lose control ..."accelerating" even when nearly driving in a straight line!
The drs adds to the tactics. The graphics actually ARE BETTER on most tracks - did a time trial on monte carlo (which i did 100% race on the other night on f1 2010) and the difference is massive. Brazil race (S.P) is just awesome for graphics.
the driving is harder to master in terms of limiting your application of throttle - especially in the wet.

Also love the sound of the engine and the gear changes.B
asically, I can't wait to get home to place this game again.

However, there are some flaws- i miss the pit strategy and I don't know yet if i can access "car status".
Limited helmet choices and if you want to restart a time trial it takes an age loading up.I also worry that the traction is too good at times (now i've got the hang of the handling). is this meant to be closer to real f1 handling?

All in all a great game but i think it coul d have been even better.

 

[redfalcon]

How is the AI in comparison to 2010? Still too fast/too slow on certain tracks, or better balancing overall?

 

[randomuser]

Ok so im up to monaco, and it comes increasingly apparent that the AI's are unfairly fast in the wet, they were doing low 1:17s and the very top, 1st and 2nd were 1:16:9xx ! and it was pouring with rain... i ended up in 17th again, 6s behind Perez who was 16th, 19.7s behind the 1st! and the AI's were using inters, i had to use full wets to avoid plowing straight in every corner, just in reference in Q1 (dry) i was 1st with 1:14:984.

Well the race was in dry, thank god, too bad i cant seem to finish the race cause even with Mix 1 fuel i'll run out of fuel on the last lap, and if i use standard 2 the fuel runs out two laps before the last lap. Kinda annoying, i was up to 4th (from 17th) and even with Mix 1 by the time i reach the finish line my car was barely moving and i was dropped down to 15th...

I've noticed some sound bugs in the game, for example the engineer told me in Q1 when i was dropped outside of top 10 after my first warm-up lap, that "we need a quick lap here or we'll be out of Q3"... in Q1.. with 13 mins remaining.

The engine sounds are bugged too sometimes, like when i overtook someone on a straight his engine sounded like it was idling, also sometimes i hear someone revving their engine to the limiter even though im the only one on the track.

And im affraid that the Safety Car is indeed only used in multiplayer races.. i had a nice pile up at the casino chikane in monaco, half of the field were stuck there for a good 40-50 seconds, 7 cars had to retire but still no safety car. <- Edit: Glad to report that i was wrong, just had my first safety car deployment in SP Career race!

On a positive note, brakes seem alot more... potent than in "ten" you can pretty much brake 30-40% later in 11.

After discovering some of these minor... gremlins im still standing by my first impression, the game is heaps better than 2010 was after release, lets just hope CM does a bang up job with patching the game, quickly.

 

[randomuser]

How is the AI in comparison to 2010? Still too fast/too slow on certain tracks, or better balancing overall?

Well up untill monaco they've been pretty balanced, ecxept in the rain... i've been pretty consistently 2-6th driving for Lotus with some aids and Professional AI in all the 5 races before monaco. I was 2nd in Barcelona, btw with the new handling model Catalunya = FREAKING AWESOME TO DRIVE! , which was one of those races in 2010 that was nearly impossible to win without aids and AI @Legend.

 

[Adam Hartwell]

How is the AI in comparison to 2010? Still too fast/too slow on certain tracks, or better balancing overall?

Balanced, even in the wet i feel they're balanced, i've not been having the troubles these guys complain of, i seem to be fast enough to finish/qualify in the region of 12th - 8th consistantly in wet or dry, and have good race fights.
A good thing is that unlike on 2010, you can't just fly through the field in T1 and drive past people like they're going 50 mph during the race, i'm finding that if they get a 1 sec margin, it's hard to catch them without the DRS which i love for battling.

 

[randomuser]

Balanced, even in the wet i feel they're balanced, i've not been having the troubles these guys complain of, i seem to be fast enough to finish/qualify in the region of 12th - 8th consistantly in wet or dry.

What AI setting are you using? i might be wrong but in 10 there were some talk about that the setting made a difference, I.E Professional AI was faster in the wet than Legend.

 

[pipx_goiania]

i just got the ps3 version yesterday, and my first impression during my first race was: holy sh*t this game is worse than last year's !! it's now much EASIER to drive, you can jump over the kerbs and you NEVER spin out, What kind of simulation is that?? After a few hours playing... The grafics of the cars are great, but the track is totally crap, many of the objects are blurry, the sands in the scape area are a real joke, the Framerate dramactilly drops every where in the track in almost every time !! .... I'm really disapointed, if i'd rent this game instead of pre-ordering it, definatilly i wouldnt buy it now. F1 2011 is an 'arcadey' game, i guess simulation fans should get back to the 2010 version. Sorry for my poor english.

 

[James Myers]

Exactly what I've been waiting for.

I am the only person I know who watches F1 races religiously! I even have my vacation planned around the first races at new tracks. Last year was Korea, this year is India. I started playing F1 2010 when it came out,

F1 2010 was a challenge to a certain extent. I stayed away from multi-player because no-one can get past the 1'st turn without wrecking me and of course damage was always off, all assists were allowed and there were no penalties. I hated multi-player. I stuck to the career mode and really enjoyed the 24 car grid. I always drive without assists. No matter what difficulty the AI were on if I could pass them I would win the race, they seemed to give up after I passed them. If I made a mistake and the car went into a spin I'd tap the brakes and hit the gas again, no biggie.

F1 2011 comes along and I set the AI to Pro just to check things out. The car handles much differently than it did in F1 2010 It just feels better. I can see the camera move forward when I brake hard. I can hear the engine rev and the wind bang against the wing when use Kers and DRS. It gives you a real sense of speed. When I drive off line I can hear rocks and marbles bouncing up and hitting the car. I can also see them on the tires. When I go into a spin If I don't catch it immediately I slide until the car stops either in a wall or gravel trap. And the AI will stalk you like hounds from hell.

I managed to make it into 4th at Turkey in a 50% GP in career mode. The AI were on my gearbox. As soon as we hit the DRS zone I had cars passing on both sides!!! I defended with KERS and thanks to some late braking managed to stay in first for a few more laps, having to defend the whole time. After a while, fatigue from the constant hounding got to me and I ran off line into the marbles, lost traction, and spun. I finished In 18th and It was the most fun I have ever had in a racing game.

People say that It isn't realistic enough they say "An F1 car doesn't handle like that." how do they know? F1 cars are extremely light and powerful machines with enough aerodynamic down-force to theoretically run upside down. I doubt that anyone from Codemasters has ever driven one at the speeds the drivers are traveling, and I doubt that most of the people in this forum have either. And for the people who say that it's not realistic for 1st season cars to be able to qualify ahead of the top tier cars and drivers; look up Nico Hulkenburg's qualifying lap for the brazilian Gran Prix in 2010. This is a great game and a lot of fun, It sounds like the PS3 version has frame-rate problems, and I can see that being an annoyance. But until we have to fear for our lives coming out of the tunnel at Monaco, or have springs bouncing up and hitting us in the face It will never be realistic.

 

[WhyDoIHave2Register]

None can disagree with all you said.

People say that It isn't realistic enough they say "An F1 car doesn't handle like that." how do they know? F1 cars are extremely light and powerful machines with enough aerodynamic down-force to theoretically run upside down. I doubt that anyone from Codemasters has ever driven one at the speeds the drivers are traveling, and I doubt that most of the people in this forum have either. And for the people who say that it's not realistic for 1st season cars to be able to qualify ahead of the top tier cars and drivers; look up Nico Hulkenburg's qualifying lap for the brazilian Gran Prix in 2010. This is a great game and a lot of fun, It sounds like the PS3 version has frame-rate problems, and I can see that being an annoyance. But until we have to fear for our lives coming out of the tunnel at Monaco, or have springs bouncing up and hitting us in the face It will never be realistic.

Amen! This business from people about how much more realistic the game must be is rather hollow... hell, you make it "more" realistic and you end up with an unwieldy beast no one can handle -- especially with silly game pads.

 

[dj3d007]

I think the game the best driver i have ever played. The handling is spot on, the KERS and DRS are a welcome addition. I love being able to wrench the car back from a spin, it really feels like you are in control of a F1 car. now we need MODS

 

[Injektilo]

Does the AI suffer from mechanical breakdowns?

 

[Chris Preston]

Does the AI suffer from mechanical breakdowns?

Don't believe so, and as far as i know the only breakdowns players suffer is KERS (maybe DRS I don't know) randomly stop working for a few laps, the rest is just from crashes or over-heating engine.

 

[Tadhg MacConeely]

I am the only person I know who watches F1 races religiously! I even have my vacation planned around the first races at new tracks. Last year was Korea, this year is India. I started playing F1 2010 when it came out,

F1 2010 was a challenge to a certain extent. I stayed away from multi-player because no-one can get past the 1'st turn without wrecking me and of course damage was always off, all assists were allowed and there were no penalties. I hated multi-player. I stuck to the career mode and really enjoyed the 24 car grid. I always drive without assists. No matter what difficulty the AI were on if I could pass them I would win the race, they seemed to give up after I passed them. If I made a mistake and the car went into a spin I'd tap the brakes and hit the gas again, no biggie.

F1 2011 comes along and I set the AI to Pro just to check things out. The car handles much differently than it did in F1 2010 It just feels better. I can see the camera move forward when I brake hard. I can hear the engine rev and the wind bang against the wing when use Kers and DRS. It gives you a real sense of speed. When I drive off line I can hear rocks and marbles bouncing up and hitting the car. I can also see them on the tires. When I go into a spin If I don't catch it immediately I slide until the car stops either in a wall or gravel trap. And the AI will stalk you like hounds from hell.

I managed to make it into 4th at Turkey in a 50% GP in career mode. The AI were on my gearbox. As soon as we hit the DRS zone I had cars passing on both sides!!! I defended with KERS and thanks to some late braking managed to stay in first for a few more laps, having to defend the whole time. After a while, fatigue from the constant hounding got to me and I ran off line into the marbles, lost traction, and spun. I finished In 18th and It was the most fun I have ever had in a racing game.

People say that It isn't realistic enough they say "An F1 car doesn't handle like that." how do they know? F1 cars are extremely light and powerful machines with enough aerodynamic down-force to theoretically run upside down. I doubt that anyone from Codemasters has ever driven one at the speeds the drivers are traveling, and I doubt that most of the people in this forum have either. And for the people who say that it's not realistic for 1st season cars to be able to qualify ahead of the top tier cars and drivers; look up Nico Hulkenburg's qualifying lap for the brazilian Gran Prix in 2010. This is a great game and a lot of fun, It sounds like the PS3 version has frame-rate problems, and I can see that being an annoyance. But until we have to fear for our lives coming out of the tunnel at Monaco, or have springs bouncing up and hitting us in the face It will never be realistic.

Amen.

 

[better_than_you]

I must say I'm impressed with the game. Much better that 2010 version.
And for game,many of us use keyboards and gamepads,so reality/simulation is just ok. More than that and game will not be playable for users without G25 or simular. And for hard core fans with wheels,on hard difficulty is just enough of a challenge.

Very few cons I can wrote :

1. Sound is ,I don't know,not what I expect maybe. I just watch qualy in Singapoure and is very different from in game sound. I don't expect ultra realistic sounds but I hoped for better that it is now.

2. I played more that half of first season,and no incidents of all. No colisions,even on rain races,Monaco,etc. This is somehow strange if you ask me. I hope modders will release mod simular as in 2010,so more colisions will happen.

3. Rain races - poor graphic and effects.