My F1 2001 rant...

[Minardi fan]

EA, EA, EA... WHY?!?!?

Such tiny little things contained within your game which wreck it...

a) the ridiculous variable weather which leaves you throwing your car across the track whilst the rest of the field just fly along like nobody's business.

b) the ridiculous yellow flag system, which penalises you for overtaking a RETIRED car by the side of the track!!! It's done this to me several times - ie. at Suzuka, Bernoldi went off several miles into the gravel at the second corner causing the yellows to come out, and I got penalised for overtaking him! What do they expect me to do? Just sit and wait for him to get on with it?!?!

c) the ridiculous AI. As Mr V pointed out, sometimes the cars just act plain STOOPID STOOPID STOOPID.

d) the ridiculous fact that if EA had addressed these little niggles then F1 2001 would quite possibly be the finest F1 game ever made. I know I could just turn off the flags and the variable weather, but it's not the same, is it?

I'm referring to the PS2 version here - does the PC version have the same 'faults'?

Right, I'm done.

[Mr V]

i agree with these points..i'm on ps2 aswell!!

i have actually turned off variable weather and flags as, although i want it as realistic as possible.i also want to enjoy the game aswell!!

[SILVERS95]

i was lucky as i got the game for free of my mate who didnt want it...but these bits are annoying i must agrree.....

[Mr V]

you've got a good mate there silvers!!

[Damon]

Its good fun with the weather and the flags turned off as an arcade F1 racer which looks fantastic. GP3 will always be the best F1 game for gameplay, until GP4 that is!

[Es Nes]

would you like to buy me a computer capable of playing computer games? ... and upgrade it regulary?

[Damon]

Get a PS2, it'll be way cheaper than a PC and doesn't need constantly upgrading, plus it's got some awsome games and even better ones on the horizon

[Es Nes]

i already have a ps2, but the ps2 doesnt let me add cars or tracks to games like pc games can ...

[Es Nes]

this is why i want a good gaming a computer ... lol. i hope my df wheel would work with it ... lol

[GasMan]

Hmm, so that's why I always got a stop/go whenever the race had been under yellows. You get penalised for overtaking any car, including the car that caused the yellow. I always thought it was because I was too slow getting down to the required speed. Despite those troubles though I think the game (PS2 version I'm talking about here) in general is a class piece fo software. Supreme presentation. Blistering speed ingame. One of the best F1 set of cameras I've seen in a while with camera above the airbox being positioned so precisely it is exactly like seeing video footage from the race. Lots of things to unlock and perfect not to mention an up to date roster for the end of the season.

...and still I haven't really touched sim handling and the tuning options in there.

It is definitely better than any that has come before... F1 97 may be on equal terms with regard to handling and physics model though. Just a shame one setup in F1 97 meant pole times at every track with very little change to them.

Now if they'd maybe just convert that old classic Grand Prix 2 over [to the PS2] with updated carset, graphics and tracks, we'd be sorted for life.

[Mr V]

agreed there about the camera position on the airbox gasman. i like to drive as montoya, and the reflections off his chrome top are amazing!!

[Mr V]

i was gonna say the reflection off his helmet, but didn't know if i'd be starting anything!!..proberbly have now.

[GasMan]

Hehe.

Agree with you though, those reflections are stunning. One thing I really like about the game though is the Track Experience section of the single player experience. In all honesty I have not touched many GPs in single player mode with the exception of a couple of sixteen lappers (which the AI did not pit in I might add). I spent most of my time in the game trying to get all golds and above 100% stats in that Challenge area of the game. I'll tell you what though, after spending hours perfecting each track without going out of bounds it has made my actual racing experience within the game that much tighter and exhilarating because subconciously now I will try to avoid going off track and hitting other cars. Makes for some close racing. Right enough, it can be annoying in track experience when you just can't get that last tenth to get a 100% stat or when you keep running off the road at the same point while pushing too hard. Great feeling when you get there though.

Wish I had a wheel to try it that way.

[Dr. Austin]

Originally posted by GasMan


Wish I had a wheel to try it that way. [/B]

Generation Tech has the Thustmaster charger wheel for $30. It features paddles behind the wheel for porportional gas and brake. sounds clumsy, but it is so much faster than petals and you get used to it real fast. If anyone needs the number, I will try to dig it up.

As far as the F-2000 PC problems, i've got F-1 2000 championship season and I think they must have fixed all of that. Plus, on the nose cam you now have all your telemetry, whereas before you had to chang views just to read your fuel guage. I haven't been penalized yet, but maybe the PC version doesn't do that. The 2000 CS game also runs much better on the playstation, but I lost interest in that real quickly when I first played SCGT!!!

I found the playstation games waaaay too easy, even on the hardest settings, but the PC version can be adjusted by percentage and I am now playing it at 96%. It is pretty tough at that level and I don't ever see myself turning it up to the maximum 150%. Even Schumacher wouldn't have a chance at that level!!!

I just bought F-1 2001, and it looks just stunning, but it crashes my machine everytime i try to go into the race mode. My computer guru is looking into it, but the game only supports windows millenium and it might just be hopeless. I am sure not going to buy another harddrive just to run a silly game when i already have the 2000CS version which plays fine. I also have a Voodoo 5500 video card, and we suspect the game doesn't support it. Anyone else have these problems?

PS...Hit the F12 button during replay and it saves whatever is on the screen. It will show up in explorer or ACDEE SEE, but not in a folder. I turn off the damage and slam into the back of other cars that are braking for a slow turn. I've actually launched myself into the wood a couple of times. Makes a great replay.

[SILVERS95]

Originally posted by mr v
you've got a good mate there silvers!!

yer i have....i fell on my feet there , as my mate is a complete computer spaz..and didnt have the right hardware on his pc to run the game...he wasted £40 , and ended up giving me the game.....i was well happy !

[Mr V]

i had a mate do that with his re-writer!! (idiot!?) ended up going out a buying a new pc!! ha ha ha, and i got his re-writer for nixes!!

as for the doc, i agree about the steering wheel with paddles, much smoother and more comfortable. playing f1 2001 with a normal ps2 controller doesn't have the right "feel" about it!!

[Es Nes]

why is hockenhiem such a boring track? loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo *snore* oooooooooooooonnnnn stright ... chicane ... repeat until you get to the stadium section ...

[GasMan]

I get so relaxed on the straights that I very rarely manage to act for the chicanes. That's probably the main reason why I've only got a silver on that track for the experience section of challenge mode. Couple tracks left and we're all gold.

[Es Nes]

lol, yeah, its hard to stay focused there. specially when they set the cars gear box so that you're on the rev limiter at the end of the first straight ...

did you see my post at the gtf?

[GasMan]

Assuming it was Driving Games forum I've not been in there in a day or two... heading over to have a looksee now though.

Killer track experience test has got to have been France. I just could not hook up a lap fast through the chicanes. When I did, it was on a lap that I overshot the hairpin or duffed up the final sector.Managed to get the Gold in the end though. Big feeling of satisfaction there.

[Es Nes]

many cours is easy execpt for the final chicane and corner. the chicane because its blind. and then with the last corner, use the curb and its hard to get a good driver, too soon and dq, dont use the curb not enough corner speed or off into the sand. lol

[GasMan]

That is actually one of the best set of corners when you get it spoton. It just feels so right when you get a smooth turn in and the right balance on the gas and brakes. I'd love to get the wheel just to try a few PS2 games out but there's no way to set it up at a desk or anything like that where I usually play unfortunately.

[Es Nes]

not even with a leg holder ... lol ... that sounds weird ... anyways, my wheel came with a thing so that you could hold it with your legs. just depends if you want to squeze your legs while you work the peadles ... lol

[GasMan]

I think that option would render the sensitivity and use of the wheel invalid... Movement of your feet would be restricted I'd guess and the wheel might wobble around a lot. Now, if there was a monitor converter thing like the VGA adapter for the Dreamcast, I may have been able to have it setup at my computer desk. Come to mention it, wasn't there rumour of something like that somewhere recently?

[Es Nes]

hmm ... ive not heard it if there was one ...

what about a dinner table or something like? ive a nice strudy wood little living room dinner tray/tble whatever. the wheels not come off unless ive been driving to agressivily