Difference between revisions of "GPL Introduction"
Bernd Nowak (Talk | contribs) (→Welcome to the Grand Prix Legends wiki !) |
Bob Simpson (Talk | contribs) (→Welcome to the Grand Prix Legends wiki !) |
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==Welcome to the Grand Prix Legends wiki !== | ==Welcome to the Grand Prix Legends wiki !== | ||
| − | Grand Prix Legends is still very strong years after the initial release. There | + | Grand Prix Legends is still very strong years after the initial release. There are several reasons which explain why Grand Prix Legends (GPL) is still used online as well as offline. For me the key reasons are: |
*1967 F1 with cars without wings as well as tracks without chicanes | *1967 F1 with cars without wings as well as tracks without chicanes | ||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
But without the various community projects GPL wouldn't have been around so long. The most important one was the development of VROC and the later, still used WinVROC. | But without the various community projects GPL wouldn't have been around so long. The most important one was the development of VROC and the later, still used WinVROC. | ||
| − | [[image:WinVROC.png|thumb|200px|WinVROC Client| | + | [[image:WinVROC.png|thumb|200px|WinVROC Client|right]] |
| + | |||
| + | This online racing client gave users the possibility to launch a server, which registered itself on a racelist server, which then can be joined via the vroc client as well as the ability to chat before and after the race. The developer even added the possibility to exchange car setups online via this online client. | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{-}} | ||
| − | |||
Later, iGOR was developed and this online client, while basically a clone of WinVROC, added support for Mods as well as some more online functions. | Later, iGOR was developed and this online client, while basically a clone of WinVROC, added support for Mods as well as some more online functions. | ||
| − | [[image:igor.png|thumb|200px|iGOR Client| | + | [[image:igor.png|thumb|200px|iGOR Client|left]] |
| + | |||
| + | {{-}} | ||
| − | These 2 online clients are still used and they both work with modern Windows versions (32 bit as well as 64 bit). So while there's a lot of time since the release of GPL it's still in use and there | + | These 2 online clients are still used and they both work with modern Windows versions (32 bit as well as 64 bit). So while there's a lot of time since the release of GPL it's still in use and there are several online clubs and leagues around the world to drive against other humans. |
Around the same time the community started creating addons for the simulation itself. The spectrum is wide. It starts with exchanging,adding and modifying small graphics on the original tracks as well as creating complete new tracks. To allow such a broad of changes wise people of the community detected how the graphical world of GPL works. Other people of the community added the needed tools and this gave the community the chance to be a big pool where all different kind of people are welcome. | Around the same time the community started creating addons for the simulation itself. The spectrum is wide. It starts with exchanging,adding and modifying small graphics on the original tracks as well as creating complete new tracks. To allow such a broad of changes wise people of the community detected how the graphical world of GPL works. Other people of the community added the needed tools and this gave the community the chance to be a big pool where all different kind of people are welcome. | ||
| Line 31: | Line 36: | ||
The community is the main aspect why GPL is still around. | The community is the main aspect why GPL is still around. | ||
| − | There | + | There are people which focus on running fast around the tracks and do hunt for world records which can be compared at the GPL Rank site. |
| − | Others, some fast some not so fast, help in doing setups as well as | + | Others, some fast some not so fast, help in doing setups as well as explaining them and make them public available. |
Some like the challenge of hunting for historic information and offer the results to the community. | Some like the challenge of hunting for historic information and offer the results to the community. | ||
| − | Some like the challenge of creating programs to help people changing the GPL visual world. They took the chance to use new programming languages as well as known and proven | + | Some like the challenge of creating programs to help people changing the GPL visual world. They took the chance to use new programming languages as well as known and proven ones and offer a lot of editors, converters, utilities. |
To some others the social aspect of doing races against friends or strangers is the most important part and yes, it's even today possible to create friendship around the world. | To some others the social aspect of doing races against friends or strangers is the most important part and yes, it's even today possible to create friendship around the world. | ||
[[image:Gpltrk.png|thumb|200px|GPL Trk|left]] | [[image:Gpltrk.png|thumb|200px|GPL Trk|left]] | ||
| − | As you may see, GPL has been a pool for so many different people which still drive, program and work to make GPL still one of the best | + | As you may see, GPL has been a pool for so many different people which still drive, program and work to make GPL still one of the best simulations around. |
[[image:Trk23dozx.png|thumb|200px|Trk 23 Do zx|left]] | [[image:Trk23dozx.png|thumb|200px|Trk 23 Do zx|left]] | ||
| − | But it's not a world of only joy. Due to newer simulations as well as it's own longevity, the GPL community struggles. Like I said earlier, there's still strong development of new stuff but a lot of drivers have | + | But it's not a world of only joy. Due to newer simulations as well as it's own longevity, the GPL community struggles. Like I said earlier, there's still strong development of new stuff but a lot of drivers have chosen newer sims and new challenges. I must confess that even I have been gone from GPL. I tried and beta tested the newest simulation from Dave Kaemmer the man behind GPL but to be honest, while Dave's new simulation is light years better in terms of network prediction code as well as graphics and physics it lacks a lot of the great community GPL has established. A big part might be that the community is more or less sized down to only driving and racing because there's no chance that the community can actively change content of the new simulation. Another big part of it is that in no community I have found people which are so addicted to be as accurate as possible and tries to offer only complete solutions. Even Dave Kaemmer has been mislead to publish a non finished version just because he felt, that otherwise he may have never been finished it. I love how the GPL modders resisted this habit and tried to publish finished stuff and accept that you can make something better and better but maybe just focus on a new product and maybe laugh years later about the first mod. |
GPL's weakness, it's longevity, allows us to think in months and years, where commercial products are bound to other lifecycles due to payment of programmers and developers. | GPL's weakness, it's longevity, allows us to think in months and years, where commercial products are bound to other lifecycles due to payment of programmers and developers. | ||
| − | This wiki tries to give help and knowledge about the various aspects of the GPL universe. While it may seem to be an empty cover of a once big community, the community is still there. You find a good spot here at the SRMZ and friendly people which like to help you. You may also find the people there to contribute stuff to the still | + | This wiki tries to give help and knowledge about the various aspects of the GPL universe. While it may seem to be an empty cover of a once big community, the community is still there. You find a good spot here at the SRMZ and friendly people which like to help you. You may also find the people there to contribute stuff to the still existing community. |
| − | Do I have a | + | Do I have a wish list ? |
Yes I have :) | Yes I have :) | ||
| − | *Someone able to work on Nigel's | + | *Someone able to work on Nigel's rasterizers |
*Someone maybe able to give a new try to the Pribluda stuff | *Someone maybe able to give a new try to the Pribluda stuff | ||
| − | *Someone maybe able to do a whole | + | *Someone maybe able to do a whole redesign of GPL and thus making the above stuff history |
| − | *Racing Fangio and the cars of his history like the Alfas, Silberpfeile, | + | *Racing Fangio and the cars of his history like the Alfas, Silberpfeile, Maserati and a lot more |
| − | I hope that this short intro has wet your | + | I hope that this short intro has wet your appetite and you enjoyed reading it as well as see some of the pictures |
Latest revision as of 14:18, 26 May 2009
Welcome to the Grand Prix Legends wiki !
Grand Prix Legends is still very strong years after the initial release. There are several reasons which explain why Grand Prix Legends (GPL) is still used online as well as offline. For me the key reasons are:
- 1967 F1 with cars without wings as well as tracks without chicanes
- You can race offline as well as online
- AI can be used offline as well as online
- Different physics for every car brand
- Community development
- A good simulation engine
There's a lot to say about the original simulation and you find some 'facts' here History of GPL.
But without the various community projects GPL wouldn't have been around so long. The most important one was the development of VROC and the later, still used WinVROC.
This online racing client gave users the possibility to launch a server, which registered itself on a racelist server, which then can be joined via the vroc client as well as the ability to chat before and after the race. The developer even added the possibility to exchange car setups online via this online client.
Later, iGOR was developed and this online client, while basically a clone of WinVROC, added support for Mods as well as some more online functions.
These 2 online clients are still used and they both work with modern Windows versions (32 bit as well as 64 bit). So while there's a lot of time since the release of GPL it's still in use and there are several online clubs and leagues around the world to drive against other humans.
Around the same time the community started creating addons for the simulation itself. The spectrum is wide. It starts with exchanging,adding and modifying small graphics on the original tracks as well as creating complete new tracks. To allow such a broad of changes wise people of the community detected how the graphical world of GPL works. Other people of the community added the needed tools and this gave the community the chance to be a big pool where all different kind of people are welcome.
Later in the community development, true mods has been developed and released free of charge. These mods have brought new cars, physics and added features to GPL. They allow you to race the 1965 F1, the 1966 F1, the 1969 F1 as well as the Thundercars. A lot more mods are currently in development. Some like the 1967 Sportscars have progressed well and the mod teams are working hard, remember they all do it on there free time, to even bring you more joy.
The community is the main aspect why GPL is still around.
There are people which focus on running fast around the tracks and do hunt for world records which can be compared at the GPL Rank site. Others, some fast some not so fast, help in doing setups as well as explaining them and make them public available. Some like the challenge of hunting for historic information and offer the results to the community. Some like the challenge of creating programs to help people changing the GPL visual world. They took the chance to use new programming languages as well as known and proven ones and offer a lot of editors, converters, utilities. To some others the social aspect of doing races against friends or strangers is the most important part and yes, it's even today possible to create friendship around the world.
As you may see, GPL has been a pool for so many different people which still drive, program and work to make GPL still one of the best simulations around.
But it's not a world of only joy. Due to newer simulations as well as it's own longevity, the GPL community struggles. Like I said earlier, there's still strong development of new stuff but a lot of drivers have chosen newer sims and new challenges. I must confess that even I have been gone from GPL. I tried and beta tested the newest simulation from Dave Kaemmer the man behind GPL but to be honest, while Dave's new simulation is light years better in terms of network prediction code as well as graphics and physics it lacks a lot of the great community GPL has established. A big part might be that the community is more or less sized down to only driving and racing because there's no chance that the community can actively change content of the new simulation. Another big part of it is that in no community I have found people which are so addicted to be as accurate as possible and tries to offer only complete solutions. Even Dave Kaemmer has been mislead to publish a non finished version just because he felt, that otherwise he may have never been finished it. I love how the GPL modders resisted this habit and tried to publish finished stuff and accept that you can make something better and better but maybe just focus on a new product and maybe laugh years later about the first mod.
GPL's weakness, it's longevity, allows us to think in months and years, where commercial products are bound to other lifecycles due to payment of programmers and developers.
This wiki tries to give help and knowledge about the various aspects of the GPL universe. While it may seem to be an empty cover of a once big community, the community is still there. You find a good spot here at the SRMZ and friendly people which like to help you. You may also find the people there to contribute stuff to the still existing community.
Do I have a wish list ?
Yes I have :)
- Someone able to work on Nigel's rasterizers
- Someone maybe able to give a new try to the Pribluda stuff
- Someone maybe able to do a whole redesign of GPL and thus making the above stuff history
- Racing Fangio and the cars of his history like the Alfas, Silberpfeile, Maserati and a lot more
I hope that this short intro has wet your appetite and you enjoyed reading it as well as see some of the pictures
