F1CE vs GP4, rFactor, etc.

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cbarcus

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Having played F1CE (2007) for the past couple of months, I am very impressed with the simulation-based handling (especially for a console title), force-feedback (very good with a Driving Force Pro), crashes (nice detail), AI (though they do not always avoid running into you- for instance coming out of the paddock), visuals (looks almost photographic while driving, and I think I've only seen one case, a tree, of draw-in so far), track-side trees and buildings look nice, and audio (reflection and occlusion add to the immersion). The downsides have included short replays (1 lap?), low resolution textures abundant (especially the tarmac), poor crowd rendering and animation (not that you'd notice at 150mph!), no DLC (except for the FFB update- which was great!), no online for North America (turned off in 2009? Damn...), 30 fps (I didn't find this to be a problem actually), and car sounds are not entirely authentic (this is very minor, but missed). Anyway, by far the best F1 simulation available on a console that I am aware of, and the best looking/sounding F1 racing game available on any platform.

I have not had the opportunity to play rival F1 sims such as Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix 4 (2002) or rFactor (2005) w/F1 mods, but I am very curious if someone can articulate the differences with regard to handling and force-feedback. I've heard some people claim that the PC games are superior, but I have not seen any of those claims substantiated. The PC games certainly excel with regard to some features, and rFactor's ability to be mod'ed is quite awesome (historic races? the latest cars & tracks?).

Furthermore, it seems to me that F1CE sets a very good example of what racing sims on consoles should be like. Not that features shouldn't be added, realism improved, online play enhanced, etc., but in my opinion, the core gameplay sets a standard for the industry. Hopefully Codemaster's F1 2010 builds upon the best things in Sony Liverpool's game!
 
cbarcus
Having played F1CE (2007) for the past couple of months, I am very impressed with the simulation-based handling (especially for a console title), force-feedback (very good with a Driving Force Pro), crashes (nice detail), AI (though they do not always avoid running into you- for instance coming out of the paddock), visuals (looks almost photographic while driving, and I think I've only seen one case, a tree, of draw-in so far), track-side trees and buildings look nice, and audio (reflection and occlusion add to the immersion). The downsides have included short replays (1 lap?), low resolution textures abundant (especially the tarmac), poor crowd rendering and animation (not that you'd notice at 150mph!), no DLC (except for the FFB update- which was great!), no online for North America (turned off in 2009? Damn...), 30 fps (I didn't find this to be a problem actually), and car sounds are not entirely authentic (this is very minor, but missed). Anyway, by far the best F1 simulation available on a console that I am aware of, and the best looking/sounding F1 racing game available on any platform.

I have not had the opportunity to play rival F1 sims such as Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix 4 (2002) or rFactor (2005) w/F1 mods, but I am very curious if someone can articulate the differences with regard to handling and force-feedback. I've heard some people claim that the PC games are superior, but I have not seen any of those claims substantiated. The PC games certainly excel with regard to some features, and rFactor's ability to be mod'ed is quite awesome (historic races? the latest cars & tracks?).

Furthermore, it seems to me that F1CE sets a very good example of what racing sims on consoles should be like. Not that features shouldn't be added, realism improved, online play enhanced, etc., but in my opinion, the core gameplay sets a standard for the industry. Hopefully Codemaster's F1 2010 builds upon the best things in Sony Liverpool's game!
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Excellent post and I agree with just about all of that 👍

And I can't understand the masive under-appreciation of this game, it's like it has a real stigma attached to it because it's a Sony developed official F1 game. If you just read the codemasters forum and people's opinions of F1 CE are quite shocking, barely anyone seems to like it. I get the impression the root cause of their dislike to it is in its difficulty.
 
cbarcus
Having played F1CE (2007) for the past couple of months, I am very impressed with the simulation-based handling...
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Great post:tup:, I also think this game is heavily underrated.
I have it and I have a blast with it, it's really great. As you already said, AWESOME graphics (espacially when you drive in the morning ours:drool:), great weather simulation, good sound and physics.
And I know btw., why all the F1 2010 lovers hate this game, because it's too hard and realistic for them. Just let us remember how AWESOMELY REALISTIC (yes some restrained irony here) GRID was, what a piece of shi*, when thinking about this game as a simulator. The Pagani e.g. accalerated faster than a real F1 car, yeah...right.:yuck:
 
There was someone on the F12010 forum complaining the cars in F1CE never oversteer.

Clearly he's never played with the car setup. The cars in 'quick race' steer like tanks because it's basically 'arcade mode'. Once you're into it a bit deeper, it's the best F1 game I've ever played.

I'm skeptical about F12010 for the simple reason they seem to be using an advanced weather simulation feature as a crutch. It doesn't rain that much during an F1 season, so I'm hoping they have the basics right first and I don't end up crawling through puddles every other race.

From the pre-alpha that people played and put on up youtube which conveniently 'didn't have the right braking code', I'm not holding out much hope.

Noone can talk about physics until the cars can stop properly. I'm hoping for a demo first, or I might have to rent it.
 
The cars in F1CE certainly oversteer, but perhaps the poster was referring to the inability to do proper burnouts? Anybody have any success at this? Brake bias towards the fronts, traction control off, spin the car in circles? Doesn't seem to work so well, and I'd hazard a guess that this is a failure of F1CE's physics, and certainly a deficiently in relation to the rFactor sim (based on a Youtube vid I spied once).

rFactor has a lot of camera movement (too much for my taste), but F1CE could certainly do with more to convey the forces the driver experiences (slight tilting of the camera while turning and lunging forward while braking).

F1 2010's weather simulation looks pretty neat, and a welcome improvement. The tire animation looks nice too (when the tires are the right size!). And the readouts on the steering wheel are legible. Codemaster's other releases have featured demos, and I don't see any reason why this game wouldn't get the same treatment.
 
cbarcus
And just to be perfectly clear about an F1 burnout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBdilN-baQA


There is a nice tarmac runoff at the opposite hairpin on the Montreal circuit for practicing in F1CE.
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Hey!! That's the Red Bull Roadshow of 2008 in the middle of Kingston, Jamaica!!! I know that because I was there, front row, on the other side of the road, you can't see me though. I believe the driver is Sebastian Buemi.
 
The criticism I have of F1CE's handling/physics is that there should be more weight & "feel" to the FFB. Other than that (& the significant lag issues on-line) I think it's a superb & very underrated game.

(What IS nice about the FFB is the rattling, bumping wheel effects which contribute a great deal to the sense of realism).
 
Alex p.
Great post:tup:, I also think this game is heavily underrated.
I have it and I have a blast with it, it's really great. As you already said, AWESOME graphics (espacially when you drive in the morning ours:drool:), great weather simulation, good sound and physics.
And I know btw., why all the F1 2010 lovers hate this game, because it's too hard and realistic for them. Just let us remember how AWESOMELY REALISTIC (yes some restrained irony here) GRID was, what a piece of shi*, when thinking about this game as a simulator. The Pagani e.g. accalerated faster than a real F1 car, yeah...right.:yuck:
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weird.. last time i checked no f1 2010 lovers hate f1 ce who go's on the forum anyway. the ones with ps3's advertise f1 ce leagues aswell. wait wait wait to hard and realistic... wait wait wait.... i ( a driver of highly average/ability) shouldnt be able to win in a torro rosso and set times faster than the real life counterpart (i dont do easy). And if you like f1 ce why would you hate (i'm assuming this and may well be wrong if so sorry) f1 2010. I mean you like f1 ce weather system but f1 2010 has advanced on it (i mean come on each 30cm bit of track knows how much rubber and water and heat and marbles with drying lines etc. it has on it). and besides you cant go much wrong with the handling and physics when you have an f1 driver testing it and checking handling and trackside bumps etc and where water tends to fall.

i mean most of the people on the forums i know who really think f1 2010 is going to be good loves ce

and i dont think hardness and realistic it most f1 2010 forumers are very critical of f1 2010 and say that looks to arcadey.

i mean in 3 years you cant make no progress? who exactly critisized the f1 ce. I mean heck. half of the ps3 guys love f1 06 the downgraded version of CE.#
 

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