RaceDept, and the choice of sims - from a noobish perspective

[Alx^]

Helloo.

Hope this is the right place for this... Please keep in mind I am a racing noob. Like... 30 seconds slower lap times type of noob. Still. I asked a few questions here ages ago about rfactor2, and hid ever since because the whole sim racing genre and leagues and things is pretty intimidating to a racing-noob like me - both in the ability of the racers, and the choice of sim and mod! And it kind of put me off a bit to be honest because I didn't know which one to concentrate on.
I would like to become part of a big-ish community - for example I don't want to get in to playing say.. Race07, if it's pretty much dead in the global world of sim leagues and such! I would like to be part of a biggish community, (this one in particular, being more EU-based) and try to concentrate on the popular sim, the one that people forsee playing for years to come. Does such a thing exist at this moment in time? I bought rfactor2 ages ago and it doesn't seem to have taken off, with very little interest, leagues or numbers of signups. So I feel like I wasted my cash there. I love how cars feel in it though, but will it ever be in a fit state for the sim racing world at large to adopt??? I have looked at the calendar to try to gauge interest levels in different games/sims by the number of signups but it's hard to tell.

So really I am after some guidance as to which sim I should concentrate on/buy, with which mod(s)?

I currently already own... Race07+STCC2+Evo, GTL, rFactor2, that f2p Raceroom thing and Shift2 (which I know isn't really a sim but modding the cars is fun and relaxed.) I had been wondering if GTR2 is worth getting as it's cheap (and has that driving school which I reckon would help me quite a bit!), but is it popular or nearly dead nowadays? The community thing and having people to game with is important to me. I don't especially have a preference as to what I drive, though I do quite like those games like the GT ones where you can pick between a few cars rather than being limited to just the 1. I do follow F1 but think they'd be too hard to drive and just frustrate. Not interested in iracing - too expensive and I don't have the money for that sort of thing.

Any advice? Should I retire before I've begun and avoid sim racing altogether maybe? Maybe there is a large noob-specific league out there that I would fit into, without fear of wrecking you guys races?

Sorry for the length of this post... I tried to keep it short but I do ramble a bit :/

 

[Senad Subasic]

No clue about rF2, as it's not relevant to my interests. I suspect most of us are waiting for Assetto Corsa to come out.

In the mean time, I can recommend the GTL racing club and league. A very friendly and helpful bunch, and plenty of variety in cars, if you like that type of thing. It's my favourite thing to race right now.

In any case, there is no better way to learn than to drive with others around you.

 

[Tim Ling]

Alex Prescott I'd recommend GTR2 for the driving school, it really can help.

As Senad said, the GTL club is alive and well, and very helpful. If you can join TeamSpeak, it's even better. We share tips and setups, and there are slower drivers there too.
Race07 is always worth a bash...Mini Fridays are fun, but at 80 mins can be tough.
rF2 is still in b eta, and AC is only a tech demo, so there's time for them to grow yet.

 

[Alx^]

Thanks fellas for the advice, I will check out GTL then and see which mods or tracks and stuff I'd need. It's just a case of signing up and joining in is it? Do people race outside official times together? Got TS yep. I reckon I will grab GTR2 for the driving school too as it's cheap. Any help can't be a bad thing heh.

 

[Warren Dawes]

I'd also recommend GTL if you want to get started with On-Line Racing here.
The game is pretty old now, but still holds up well in terms of graphics, sounds, and the driving physics is up with the best. Huge variety of cars which will give a wide experience and lots of mods available.

However, the main reason is the on-line community here. Very helpful for new commers, very friendly, and a wide range of driving skills in the group. This means that you should always find yourself with someone of similar speed, whether you are a very fast alien, or a totally new guy struggling a bit. The GTL group has drivers from all over the world too.
The on-line grid sizes at RD GTL events are reasonably sized with plenty of others driving, unlike many of the "New Games" where grid sizes are a lottery. The GTL crowd are reliable too, if drivers sign up, they will almost certainly be there, unlike some of the new games where you could end up very lonely because signed up drivers don't show.

If you want to experience much larger grids in a more competitive environment (but still clean and friendly), GTL also has the RDHCS League which is proving to be popular.

The only annoyance with GTL is that the on-line code is a bit flakey, so it can be unreliable at times and a bit restricted with using addons (eg. additional liveries need to be controlled and addons need to be installed correctly), but overall it can be lots of fun.

It all depends on what you like, GTL is not shiny, new, or state of the art graphics, but it has a lot going for it still.

 

[Alx^]

Cheers Warren. I loaded the cars and tracks for tonights races in GTL. Tail-happy cars hehe. I don't think I dare enter, probably waaaaay too far off the pace with a spin off every other lap. Gonna see if people post any lap times afterwards and see how I compare.

 

[Dennis Phelan]

Alex Prescott, Race07 is old but certainly not dead. Today we're running a WTCC race at Nordschleife, we have a full grid, 25 cars, and one driver in reserve. This happens not only because the sim is old and easy to get but because so many people have it, love it and drive it when they want a great race. Our community spans all ages and ranks of drivers and right now you're reading bits from one of the slowest among them. Come and join us when you see a combo that stirs you on the calender page, and don't forget to bring your TeamSpeak to make the experience even better!

 

[Rupe Wilson]

Hello Alex, dont worry about your lap times, it all just for fun, We have a great crowd of guys in the GT Legends Club
yep some are fast and i struggle to keep up with them, but there is lots of fun to be had mid pack its were the best racing is
We have a few setups posted online which help tame these little beast a bit.. You will find that once you get online you can also pick up some lines and tips just form watching the faster guys.
T/speak is also good, we like a laugh and joke,
We have acquired the name of the gentleman's driving club. we race as hard as we can but we do it fairly and with fun.. come and have a look tonight you can sign up for the event, Here

hope to see you on track were usually on about 1 hour before it all start for a warm up and a final test..

 

[Alx^]

Cheer Dennis, I will definitely keep a look out at race07 as I do like it in particular. Going to give the GTL a go tonight then fingers crossed, thanks Rupe, and see how that goes. Maybe it'll kick things off for me. Or put the nail in the coffin!!

 

[Rupe Wilson]

Nail in the coffin, No it makes you a online junkie ,
Dennis also runs a great club, So there is more than enough activities right through the week to cater for all kind of motorsport addiction

 

[Hiroshi Awazu]

GT Legends and Race07 will keep on living. Mods are still being produced for both sims and tracks are still being made for both, more for GTL though.

They're oldies but goodies and out of the Club Races that are hosted here GTL and Race07 have the highest attendances every week