iRacing=Not Grassroots Friendly

Keith wrote: It's not well known - may not have been released in North America - but Rally Championship 2000 is real enough to scare me.

I remember that one. I think it was released in the States as Mobil 1 Rally or some such. Think the manual and disc are in the garage.

Richard Burns Rally from 2-3 yrs ago is in the same vein, and can be found pretty cheaply with some digging.

DirtyBird222 wrote: Maybe you guys are missing the point of what I was trying to say. For what you get and the money you pay....Just like I said to one of the dudes at the PRI show with a top dollar racing sim rig, I just purchased a brand new car for less than that....and with a few modifications and a SCCA license I could run in Showroom stock.

And I think you're missing the point of the defenders.

You're looking at what you paid for iRacing as paying for a game. In that sense, yes, you're absolutely right, and you could get the experience you're looking for for much cheaper. Considering how vociferously you're making this point, it's what I suggest you do.

However, if you're looking at it from the point of off-season training, it's a steal. I'd much rather drop $1k into iRacing than blow up another motor 3 hours from home in the car I drove to the track because I don't have a freakin' car trailer yet. An HPDE at Infineon will run me at least $200, or I can just buy the track in iRacing for under $30 and drive it as much as I want.

And I can't believe you'd accuse the editors of defending something just because it's advertised in the magazine. This isn't Car and Driver.

ReverendDexter wrote: And I can't believe you'd accuse the editors of defending something just because it's advertised in the magazine. This isn't Car and Driver.

I can't believe you didn't see the smiley faces after that statement.....twas a bit of humor.

Since it posted my post twice might as well Dex.....

wait wait wait.......I"M JOKING

ReverendDexter wrote: However, if you're looking at it from the point of off-season training, it's a steal. I'd much rather drop $1k into iRacing than blow up another motor 3 hours from home in the car I drove to the track because I don't have a freakin' car trailer yet. An HPDE at Infineon will run me at least $200, or I can just buy the track in iRacing for under $30 and drive it as much as I want.

EXACTLY... why bother having sex with actual women when you can get basically the same feeling at home by yourself using a little imagination and some catalogs or the internet for pennies on the dollar!

I just bought a car for that price in the first post.

There's a one time investment. I could easily spend less than that a year running a few autocrosses and track days in my new toy.

If I were the guys who invented iRacing I'd feel vindicated. You guys are comparing a sim to the real thing! To even say they're close, to me as a developer, would be mission accomplished!

Now, do you want virtual ice cream or a visit to Ben and Jerry's? Depends on how hard it is to get to B&J's don't it?

It's a great game if you have the budget, I'm not trying to bash the quality of the racing or the physics, just the price in hand. I honestly don't see how it could substitute for track time, maybe memorizing the track, but unless you have one of the cars they offer how can you really log hours on that track accurately? They don't even offer night time racing or weather conditions....

Like someone said in another post in another thread...Grassroots doesn't have to be cheap to be grassroots, it's doing something that is just as good if not better for less money right? I understand where you guys are coming in terms of it's cheaper than actually racing.....but you are comparing it to the real thing, I'm comparing it to other games, which are cheaper and have more to offer, which in my opinion makes them way better.

And thank you Walter for agreeing with me on that statement. I guess PALMala Handerson and Hands Solo never get old to some people

walterj wrote: EXACTLY... why bother having sex with actual women when you can get basically the same feeling at home by yourself using a little imagination and some catalogs or the internet for pennies on the dollar!

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Waste of money. It is not a sim until you can test & tune your $200X Challenge Car!

Xceler8x wrote: Depends on how hard it is to get to B&J's don't it?

Now a BJ simulator, that's something that I can get behind.

DirtyBird222 wrote: but you are comparing it to the real thing, I'm comparing it to other games, which are cheaper and have more to offer, which in my opinion makes them way better.

I think you're missing the point that others are making: the other games aren't better. Being able to paint your car doesn't make it a more accurate simulator.

iRacing isn't for the casual gamer, it's very much a training tool with a steep learning curve. And though it does cost some coin, the variety gets better as you climb up the ladder and compete against other drivers online in the more advanced series. Frankly, I'd be happy running just the Solstice on more tracks, it's hard to jump back and forth between the Skip Barber car and the Solstice.

I spent an hour driving Sebring before I went there last December to an HSR race, and although I did a fun lap there once with a Volvo club, this time I actually knew where the track went. Knowing the circuit made spectating much more enjoyable, and you can be sure I'm gonna drive the heck out of any track on iRacing before I head out there in Project MINI for a race. Can't wait for Road Atlanta to join the roster!