RSRS part deuxPS4

[IfAndOr]

Welcome (again) to the Renault Sport Race Series (RSRS)
Mondays at 8pm (UK)
Starting 3rd June (probably!)

Featuring the Renault Sport R.S. 01 and Renault Sport Mégane SMS-R TCC
(Please note. The R.S. 01 is not the GT3 version)​

Due to falling driver numbers (PC2 is quite an old game after all) this might be the last series I'm going to run. So I thought as a send off I'd rerun the 1st series I organised - with a few tweaks.

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Each meeting will consist of 3 races - 2 sprint races in the Mégane and 1 longer "endurance" race in the R.S. 01. Each car will run on 2 variations of the same circuit. The Mégane on a shorter layout and the R.S.01 on a longer version.

The schedule.
1st race. Mégane, 10 min qualification, an approx 15 minute race.
2nd race. Mégane, reverse grid, an approx 15 minute race.
Points from the 2 Mégane races are combined to give an overall result.

3rd race. R.S.01, 10 minutes qualification, a 20 - 25 minute race, rolling start with formation lap, compulsory pit stop

Track list.
Barcelona - National / GP (10)
Red Bull Ring - National / GP (15)
Dubai - National / International (9)
Hockenheim - Short / GP (12)
Watkins Glen - International Short / GP (11)
Mugello - Short / GP (13)
Nurbergring - Sprint Short / GP (10)
Brands Hatch - Indy / GP (14)
Sakitto - Sprint / GP (10)
* Oulton Park - Fosters / GP (12)
* Silverstone - National / GP (13)​

The first mentioned layout is for the Mégane races. The figure in brackets is the number of laps for those races.
The second mentioned layout is for the R.S.01 race. That will be timed.
* Tracks to be added if everyone wants to continue for a couple more races.


Details

The Mégane races will use a standing start. The 2nd race will have a reverse grid set from the finishing positions of race 1. The circuits are generally fairly short so we'll probably start racing after completing 1 formation lap.
There will be no pit stop required during either of the shorter sprint races.

The R.S.01 race will begin with a manual formation lap leading to a rolling start. The pace is controlled by the driver in pole position but please try to keep it to no more than 60mph/100kh. Please stay in grid position forming up in single file as you approach the start line. Keep those tyres warm but try not to crash on the out lap
Pit Stops - The longer race will feature one compulsory pit stop. Failure to complete the pit stop will incur a time penalty from the game.
The pit stop window will be between 5 minutes after the race starts and 5 minutes before the end.
*To keep the stops fairly equal for all, I'd preferably like everyone to use the default pit stop setup.
Pit stops will be set to automatic. Don't speed into the pits though!


Authentic driver aids will be forced on to help those who might benefit from them. You can turn them off if you have them mapped. This only affects the RS, the Mégane is aid free.

Damage - Visual only.
Mechanical damage - On
Weather - There might be!
Tyre wear - Normal.
Fuel usage - On.
Penalties - On.
Track limits - Off. Try not to abuse.

Please bear with me between races. There's a lot of setting changes that need to be made (and checked). It's bound to go wrong at some point.

 

[IfAndOr]

Championship Tables​

 

[Hun200kmh]

In! 👍

 

[Mr_D]

Sounds really fun and I'd love to join. However I decided to finally take the plunge and switch to racing on the PC. Wish you guys the best and thanks for the fun races

 

[Zolon32]

However I decided to finally take the plunge and switch to racing on the PC.

We'll miss you Mr D, you made a good impression with your fleeting involvement. Couple of questions...

What game(s) will you be playing?

Will you me, or us, know how things go. I'm intrigued about PC racing, particularly in respect of the prevalence or otherwise of hacked content. My only experience of online PC gaming is through a WW11 fighter plane game many years ago. It was unplayable due to some people having machines that performed more like Tornadoes. My lad also does CoD online, and frequently runs into people who have hacked advantages that render the game pointless.


Oh, yeah, by the way, I'm right up for this

 

[Oldbass47]

In

 

[IfAndOr]

Hmm, depending on how many there are this evening, I might run another test session. It'll give me a chance to check and change all of the settings between races. I must go and write down a checklist. 🙂

 

[Mr_D]

We'll miss you Mr D, you made a good impression with your fleeting involvement. Couple of questions...

What game(s) will you be playing?

Will you me, or us, know how things go. I'm intrigued about PC racing, particularly in respect of the prevalence or otherwise of hacked content. My only experience of online PC gaming is through a WW11 fighter plane game many years ago. It was unplayable due to some people having machines that performed more like Tornadoes. My lad also does CoD online, and frequently runs into people who have hacked advantages that render the game pointless.


Oh, yeah, by the way, I'm right up for this

Thanks, Zolon. Right now I'm mainly focused on Automobilista 2. Basically a successor to PC2 as it uses the same engine, even the menu's are basically the same but with a slight retouch. FFB, AI, graphics and fps is a lot better than PC2 on console though. Then theres the option for triples, vr and headtracking, custom shaders and mods, and of course much more options in hardware so pretty happy with it all. Had a rough couple of months and felt sorry for myself lol.

Sorry for the offtopic, have fun in this series, gentlemen!

 

[IfAndOr]

Ah, I see the post I replied to has now been exterminated. 🙃

 

[IfAndOr]

I've sort of pencilled in the 27th May as a start date for this series. However this turns out to be a bank holiday (UK), so depending on availability of participants, this might need amending.

 

[richroo]

beep beep ' Monday right ?

 

[Oldbass47]

Just to let you know Paul I will be away on holiday on Monday 3rd June till Friday.

 

[IfAndOr]

beep beep ' Monday right ?

That's correct, it's a go for Monday. Although I've been saying that for a number of weeks. 😀

Poking Mr @Zolon32 while I'm at it.

And @slthree, we're over here.

Just to let you know Paul I will be away on holiday on Monday 3rd June till Friday.

Happy holidays to you Old, somewhere nice I hope.
We'll make a start next (been holding it off for ages), but not to worry there's quite a few rounds to follow. And since it's the first week it might all go wrong anyway. 😉

 

[half_sourly]

Results from Round 1:

Renault Sport Mégane SMS-R TCC

Qualifying

Race 1

Race 2

Standings

Renault Sport R.S. 01
Qualifying

Race 1

Standings

 

[IfAndOr]

Thanks @half_sourly
Just one thing though, if you remember Beachboy had that jumpstart penalty due to us forming up in reverse grid in race 2. On track he finished ahead of me. So should really be in 4th position and me reaggee dropped down one slot each. Is that doable?

I know it's only a couple of points but you never know it might be crucial. 😀

 

[half_sourly]

Thanks @half_sourly
Just one thing though, if you remember Beachboy had that jumpstart penalty due to us forming up in reverse grid in race 2. On track he finished ahead of me. So should really be in 4th position and me reaggee dropped down one slot each. Is that doable?

I know it's only a couple of points but you never know it might be crucial. 😀

I forgot about that - will sort it.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Quick recap.

This was a lucky evening for me, all things considered. Without practise, my first race was a mess and ended up taking myself and xeronima out of it (sorry xero), ending last where I belonged.

Then I was pleasantly surprised by the news that the second race would be a reverse grid one, so for that one I started second, only behind @beachboy6658 that had missed the first race entirely. Taking advantage of a very deep braking from him in lap one I got to first and then got a decent lead on the following pack. Come the last laps I noticed @richroo and @half_sourly gaining on me but all I had to do at that point was to not mess up and get to the checkered flag still first. Which I did.

Then it was time to change cars to the (much more) agreable to drive Renault Sport RS01. Qualifying was very poor, plagued by mistakes but I found a decent pace in the race, settling in second place for most of it. In first, @half_sourly was clearly on another level entirely and best I could do was barely keeping up. Then ... I guess he badly wanted that extra couple of tenths (or more) so instead of doing what I did in the 2nd race, just nursing the car to the flag, he went for it and spun out of the last corner in the last lap! So I won ... it was inherited, not gained, but sometimes that's the way things go and I also have my share of such unfortunate endings in my experience.

All in all a fun evening, always in good spirits, pity we don't have fuller grids but I guess PCars2's age is showing. Funny that
I still think it to be the absolute best, most complete racing game in the Playstation environment, I really can't get modern Gran Turismo games.

But many people are turning to the PC environment, where Assetto Corsa is fixed and modded into greatness (you can even play my beloved Bannochbrae in the PC version of AC) and where Automobilista2 is an intriguing prospect that everyone talks about (not to mention a much bigger Project Cars 2 (mods again) and the more serious hacore simulators like iracing.

I'm still not there (much to @Madbigdog's annoyance) and I keep finding new ways of becoming interested in Project cars 2, a game I pick up and play with an ease that I find nowhere else.

So, thank you @IfAndOr for also keeping these mondays going, you are also probably coming to an end in the PCars2 era but until you reach it ... we'll race it! 👍

 

[Madbigdog]

I'm still not there (much to @Madbigdog's annoyance) (…).

Yet… But I have the feeling that D-day is ever closer…

If any of you PC2 regulars (or lurkers) around here have any interest in an experimental Assetto Corsa series, just to introduce those of you who are curious about the possibilities of trying racing on a PC, while, most importantly, doing so on a game with much more consistent driving physics than PC2, I’ll be more than welcome to try and put it together! So let me know

I think this would be the last piece of the puzzle for some of you to finally start seeing (and hopefully committing to) the merits of going the PC route!

Now… Back to PC2 and the amazing RSR Series (sorry for this thread hijacking here, Paul!)…

 

[IfAndOr]

sorry for this thread hijacking here, Paul!

Not a problem. It's completely relevant to what, where, who, if and when we're doing next anyway.

Although I can definitely see the appeal of, and even have the option of a decent free PC if I wanted, I like the console convenience so I'll probably stick with that. At least for now. I'm also playing much more ACC these days because it's great on PS5.
Rich has pretty much made the switch to PC.
Mario is wavering but probably going that way to.
Reaggee, staying on console I'd imagine? Although still PS4.
Half is on PS5, but I know he prefers GT7.
Beachboy, console again? PS4.
Zolon, PS5 and VR = GT7
Oldbass now on PS5.
Xero also on PS5

Tricky to know what to do next. If anything!

 

[Hun200kmh]

I'm not wavering, I'm being bullied by @Madbigdog

Truth be told, me and raeggee we go a long way (back in time), I can't even remember how long ago it was that we did a LAN race at Monaco using Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix. We obviously crashed into each other, absolutely raeggee's fault! My guess is that this was more than 30 years ago ...

But still here we are and still we share most of what we like in racing games, that now being classics and long races (he likes the old F1 cars more than I do, I'm more a sports cars guy). So, so my guess is that as long as he is playing PCars2 we will always find races and series we enjoy. And of course this group was (and still is) a great part of our online racing experience, but I understand everyone will eventually go their own way, as Zolon did.

Speaking of the near future, one thing I might pick up now more often is AC and ACC (own both in disc version) because I recently acquired a 2nd hand T300 with TLCM pedals (ACC doesn't support my beloved, but older T500, and even AC is troublesome with it).

 

[IfAndOr]

I recently acquired a 2nd hand T300 with TLCM pedals

Oh, nice. I now have a load cell brake. Takes a little getting used to after years of travel based ones, but worth the effort.

my beloved, but older T500

A Drivehub racing adapter would have helped with that. It'd make games think it was a T300.

one thing I might pick up now more often is AC and ACC

AC might be cross generational, not sure, but ACC isn't unfortunately. You'd need a PS5, which the game is greatly improved on. Otherwise I could run something in that. If I could figure out how to that is.

I might install AC again, I haven't tried it for ages. I've also actually been considering installing PC1 again to remember what that was like.

I'm not wavering, I'm being bullied by @Madbigdog

Kids eh! They are always after something. 😉

 

[Madbigdog]

Not a problem. It's completely relevant to what, where, who, if and when we're doing next anyway.

Yes, I think this has been coming for a while now, PC2 is quite dated and its becoming more and more noticeable (for me anyways).

I think most people stuck to Playstation simply because it is something they are familiar with and thus, the "psychological cost" of switching platform is less significant then than jumping off the console boat for a PC. Much to my disapointment, I feel like most of the people who are at a generational cross roads, where staying on the PS4 is becoming more and more limiting and next steps must be considered, will follow this route and move on to the PS5, which is a shame, as PC has much more to offer and is a much more stable platform than any console.

In any case, since I'm very stubborn and I won't stop trying to convince people from migrating to the PC way, so here's some thoughts for you to digest:

I went the PC route for various reasons, I wanted VR, the possibility to use different hardware (there's a whole world out there that only works in PC and not in Playstation because of console licensing), using multiple screens, the games are better made as most developers make games for PC and then "port" them for consoles (AC is a great example), etc., There are loads more reasons and most are tied to how much more unrestricted and tailor-made the gaming experience can be on a PC, however there are two main reasons which people more sensible than myself should consider are:

1. You can play on a PC but you can't work on a Playstation. As a general rule of thumb, a PC that is good for playing gaming is even better for work purposes. So any PC you might buy with a primary function of playing games will also be something you can use for other purposes, and it doesn't need to be worth a couple thousand to be worth it, any medium range laptop with a decent graphics card can handle your emails and documents during the day and your racing at night.

2. You decide how much you want to pay. Coming off the 1st one, PCs are highly customisable and don't have as much restrictions in what hardware is concerned. So if you want to get a medium range laptop, which you can buy for about the price of a new Playstation, you can use it until the computer burns, and any piece of hardware you use to play (wheels, pedals, etc) will be compatible until they too burn. With Playstation, this doesn't work quite the same. Also, if you get one of those big desktop PCs, you pretty much might never buy a new computer, you just upgrade it every once in a while when you feel like it has become insuficient for your needs, and unless you want the best components at all times, these upgrades over time shouldn't be more expensive than one-shot buying the new Playstation when it gets released.

The bottomline is, a PC (and its supporting hardware) will most likely last longer and remain more useful for longer than a Playstation, be it for entertainment or working purposes.

All of these factors combined with the fact that at least some of the people here are arriving to that inevitable generational cross-roads, is precisely the reason why I wouldn't mind trying to get a PC Assetto Corsa series going. It's a cheap game, frequently on sale where it gets dirt cheap, the physics are still very much up to par with some of the best current sims, the modding community took the game above and beyond its original form and solved much of the game's original drawbacks, and it doesn't require a powerful PC to run, just half decent CPU and GPU and it's on!

Although I can definitely see the appeal of, and even have the option of a decent free PC if I wanted, I like the console convenience so I'll probably stick with that.

@IfAndOr get that Free PC! I'm still maturing this PC AC series idea, but I'm pretty sure I can gather a small party of anywhere between 6 and 10 people to join! If this ever happens, I'm sure we will have some fun experimenting with different stuff, much like we have been doing with PC2, but with all the added benefits of a solid platform and better game, and I'm sure you'll see how convenient PC gaming can be!