iRacing allows hosting sessions! - Team Juicy Racing's Racing School and Race Series Forums

rslonaker · #1 11-04-2009

I haven't checked it out yet, but apparently you can now get a group of your friends together on iRacing and run your own sessions.
Do I see a Skippy Forums league in the future?

I will report more on the details when I have a chance to log in and see.

Slowhands · #2 11-04-2009

That would be very cool. If that happens, I might have to break down and put together a set-up. I could probably run it in the Fusion environment on my Mac.

dalyduo · #3 11-04-2009

Way cool. We could group ourselves as we do in the series and have iRaces on some of the same track's we'll visit. Then see how we do in the real cars on the real tracks. This has potential. :-)
Slowhands... You might want to just buy a used dedicated PC rather than go through all the cross platform stuff.

Slowhands · #4 11-04-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalyduo

Slowhands... You might want to just buy a used dedicated PC rather than go through all the cross platform stuff.

Do you know of problems with cross-platform?

dron · #5 11-04-2009

The hosted racing is pretty cool, the host pays $3 to set up a session and 40+ people can join. You can customize the different preferences such as race length, track configuration, rolling/standing starts, etc

dalyduo · #6 11-04-2009

As Shultz used to say "I know Noth-ink... Nothh-ink"

I don't think they've paid much attention to it. Could be wrong but my understanding is it's much easier to just get a dedicated PC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slowhands

Do you know of problems with cross-platform?

LimeRockRacer · #7 11-04-2009

I agree with DD. I have mostly Macs at home and plan to do a dedicated PC set up for this purpose at some point. PC's are so very inexpensive these days. I have some emulation software for simple windows programs and there are some conflicts and can't imagine I -racing would be easy to run.

Does anyone experienced have recommendations as to how much horsepower is needed for the I-racing to run well on a PC? How about the best wheel and pedal arrangements out there? Any recommendations to get the best set up is appreciated.

Tireman · #8 11-05-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by LimeRockRacer

How about the best wheel and pedal arrangements out there? Any recommendations to get the best set up is appreciated.

Chris, don't you mean "equally prepared wheel and pedal arrangements"

Testers needed, testers needed.

Viz

cdh · #9 11-05-2009

good one Viz

It would be so much fun, but the time we'll spend on this is a concern, I know how addicted I could get to this, it has happened in the past (4:30 AM, Porsche Unleashed and I am racing people online in Germany, Hawaii, Russia, etc etc..."phew, great race....OK, JUST ONE MORE, damn, sun is coming up). I'm in!

There are many great iRacing vids, this one posted this AM on FB....cool (audio is sooo well rendered). Do they have DP's as a car option? No John, you can't play...or you start from back of the grid!

Bring it on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS8JX_zIjjg

Slowhands · #10 11-05-2009

I like the way the cars change colors according to the change in lighting due to the angle of the sun.

Does the physics account for the effect of the draft?

Rosso · #11 11-06-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by LimeRockRacer

Does anyone experienced have recommendations as to how much horsepower is needed for the I-racing to run well on a PC? How about the best wheel and pedal arrangements out there? Any recommendations to get the best set up is appreciated.

I looked into it a few months ago - swapped a couple of emails with someone there - a fairly advanced video driver board was the big thing I lacked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tireman

Chris, don't you mean "equally prepared wheel and pedal arrangements"

Testers needed, testers needed.

Viz

+1 - you can spend THOUSANDS on the wheel & pedal setups. Does that make you "faster"? I don't know.

cdh · #12 11-06-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosso

I looked into it a few months ago - swapped a couple of emails with someone there - a fairly advanced video driver board was the big thing I lacked.

+1 - you can spend THOUSANDS on the wheel & pedal setups. Does that make you "faster"? I don't know.

yeah, killer graphics and sound boards and lots and lots of RAM (cheap these days)

rcote · #13 11-06-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slowhands

I like the way the cars change colors according to the change in lighting due to the angle of the sun.

Does the physics account for the effect of the draft?

You would think that it does.. My almost 3 year old F1 game on PS3 does.. So does the latest Gran Turismo. It's very easy to aero push your way wide into the wall at T2 or T4 at Daytona.

I play that one online all the time. Haven't taken a spin on Iracing yet though...

Slowhands · #14 11-06-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcote

You would think that it does.. My almost 3 year old F1 game on PS3 does.. So does the latest Gran Turismo. It's very easy to aero push your way wide into the wall at T2 or T4 at Daytona.

I play that one online all the time. Haven't taken a spin on Iracing yet though...

You should. I got on Rob's setup during the Lime Rock Finale. When I first fell down the Skippy rabbit hole a couple of years ago, I spent a few months playing GT4 on PS2, thinking it might help me in the real car, but it was way too twitchy and the inputs just didn't correlate well for me with the real world. I got tired of it pretty quickly. iRacing on the other hand felt immediately more natural and closer to the real experience. The visuals and the physics were so realistic that after about 30 minutes I started getting the spins (no Jager on board) due to the lack of physical G-force and inner ear feedback to go along with the visuals and hands. My brain just wasn't accepting that I was not in a real car. (Rob's giant hi-def display might have had something to do with it.) My interest in GT4 petered out fairly quickly, but iRacing is a definite addiction risk for me.

GregS · #15 11-06-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcote

You would think that it does.. My almost 3 year old F1 game on PS3 does.. So does the latest Gran Turismo. It's very easy to aero push your way wide into the wall at T2 or T4 at Daytona.

I play that one online all the time. Haven't taken a spin on Iracing yet though...

afaik it does not calculate the draft

actually calculating draft is requires very complex code to do correctly.

LimeRockRacer · #16 11-06-2009

The PC set up and pedal and wheel chosen is key for me. I am totally board with regular video games and do not find the lack of feel and twitchy response Harsha cites as anything worth the time for me. I have heard great things about I racing and would love to experience tracks I am new to or need to get a better feel for. Seems like the graphics card and RAM are the keys to the PC.

What Pedal/ Wheel s do most of you recommend? I am willing to spend a reasonable amount to make it as realistic as possible.'

I tried a racing simulator 2 years ago in Vegas on a road circuit where the race frame had actuators at all four corners to effect the braking and turning sensations. Within minutes I was in a "real" car in my mind and even ducked down at the end of the session when I rolled it! I have never had such a great time driving outside of the real thing. At the end of my 20 minute session I had about 20 young gamers behind me watching trying to figure out how a dinosaur like me did so well. I am hoping I racing gives some of the same feel without the actuators and $20K price tag.

cdh · #17 11-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by LimeRockRacer

I tried a racing simulator 2 years ago in Vegas on a road circuit where the race frame had actuators at all four corners to effect the braking and turning sensations. Within minutes I was in a "real" car in my mind and even ducked down at the end of the session when I rolled it! I have never had such a great time driving outside of the real thing. At the end of my 20 minute session I had about 20 young gamers behind me watching trying to figure out how a dinosaur like me did so well. I am hoping I racing gives some of the same feel without the actuators and $20K price tag.

LOL dinosaur LRR - was this one of the sims you tested?

The Simcraft guys had a demo set up at the WGI media center at the 6 Hour this year and it is amazing. Build quality is so good, Recaro seat, their choice of actuators, bearings, wheel, tubing, welds, electronics, monitors, etc etc. Completely convinces your brain your are experiencing all the correct forces you'd feel driving around a track. One difference in this one Chris, it goes for $45M

. I think I'd opt for the 2 full Skip seasons I could squeeze out of those dollars.

click for more pics

Check out this PDF sales piece, Jim Lowe is in it -

And here is one you can cheat in!

this video of the Force Dynamics simulator shows how rough the settings can be....

- check out his crash at 1:08

LimeRockRacer · #18 11-07-2009

The model I used probably never made it. It was pretty good but the developers did not seem to have their business plan together too well. It was a good unit for around $20K. I had inquired but they were still in the end stages of development. I seem to remember it as a "DP 1000" or something like that. They had some youtube exposure but seems like it may have vanished from the retail market. The experience was really quite amazing. And no Crash Damage bills for pushing it to the limit!

jp56 · #19 11-07-2009

Hosting sessions are a great addition..Also, they now have an Indy car download and IMS speedway..I just did a few laps the other day..Very cool..

cdh · #20 11-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by LimeRockRacer

The model I used probably never made it. It was pretty good but the developers did not seem to have their business plan together too well. It was a good unit for around $20K. I had inquired but they were still in the end stages of development. I seem to remember it as a "DP 1000" or something like that. They had some youtube exposure but seems like it may have vanished from the retail market. The experience was really quite amazing. And no Crash Damage bills for pushing it to the limit!

this one seems to have (part of) your name on it LRR - looks like a UK model though

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp56

Hosting sessions are a great addition..Also, they now have an Indy car download and IMS speedway..I just did a few laps the other day..Very cool..

Flat into one John?

Sounds very cool - I haven't looked into iR enough, are DP's in the car lineup?

.

jp56 · #21 11-07-2009

They have a Riley DP and you can custom paint it..Mine looks just like the MSR #6...

cdh · #22 11-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp56

They have a Riley DP and you can custom paint it..Mine looks just like the MSR #6...

But of course

How do the sim physics stack up against the real thing?

jp56 · #23 11-07-2009

Physics are always a challenge with these things, but they do a pretty good job and it gets better all the time..Tire modeling needs a little work still, but its improving..Top speed is down a little from real life 198mph vs 185mph at Daytona, but the lap times are pretty similar..The tracks are very realistic. I don't think there is any sim that is this close.. My sim is basic without all the motion stuff..I find that you can be sensitive to push and over-steer visually ..I use hydraulic brakes which are modified kart brakes with a pressure sensor. I set that up so it has a simular feel to the DP brakes..Very cheap practice and zero crash damage bills

Michael Edwards · #24 11-08-2009

we use Todd Cannon Racing Simulation pedals. They are very good and pressure sensitive. Expensive, but worth it, well worth it. i did not see our pedals on his website, but I think he calls them the F1 set.

http://www.cannonsimulationtechnolog...category-1.htm

jp56 · #25 11-09-2009

My pedals are pictured here:
http://www.motorsportsimulators.com/..._included.html

I don't know if he sells them separately..

cdh · #26 11-09-2009

dang, those are beautiful, wow

dalyduo · #27 11-09-2009

The hydraulic brake mechanicals look like lifts from a race car. The whole setup is at an impressive pro level. The video on their home page gives a great representation of how good the system is. Best I've ever seen. They now have a 4 axis simulator they claim can effectively re-create understeer. No published prices but I'm sure they're impressive too. Looks like you get what you pay for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp56

My pedals are pictured here:
http://www.motorsportsimulators.com/..._included.html

I don't know if he sells them separately..

jp56 · #28 11-09-2009

Its way too pricey for the top sims they sell. I went with their basic they had at the time a couple years ago..No motion on mine.. I don't think you really need it..Visually you begin to sense oversteer and understeer, although it took awhile for a non gamer like me.You do feel the road bumps and curbs through the seat thumpers though.. ..Its good quality commercial grade stuff, but you could buy a pretty nice car for the same price as some of their top systems now.
The company is good to deal with..They replaced the whole computer after it was a year old..It had too many issues..The new one is fine..