Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

[burnwood]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

It's too bad we can't figure out a way to incorporate Jim Bodin's active cockpit camera for the XBox version of TOCA 2. I have installed it on the PC version and it breathes even more live into the simulation. Your view turns as the driver's head would if the camera were in his eyes. You're not always locked into a straight ahead view. For example, if you're making a sharp right hairpin turn, the view pans to the right, breaking its lock on the centerline of the car, as a driver would do in real life. It's incredibly lifelike... almost spooky at first!

Couple that with the Race Pac and you'd be on your way to race sime heaven!

Sounds like the racing game GTR by Simbin. Have you played the demo of that?

[burnwood]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

It's too bad we can't figure out a way to incorporate Jim Bodin's active cockpit camera for the XBox version of TOCA 2. I have installed it on the PC version and it breathes even more live into the simulation. Your view turns as the driver's head would if the camera were in his eyes. You're not always locked into a straight ahead view. For example, if you're making a sharp right hairpin turn, the view pans to the right, breaking its lock on the centerline of the car, as a driver would do in real life. It's incredibly lifelike... almost spooky at first!

Couple that with the Race Pac and you'd be on your way to race sime heaven!

Sounds like the racing game GTR by Simbin. Have you played the demo of that?

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Sounds like the racing game GTR by Simbin. Have you played the demo of that?

Yes, I have the demo on my PC... it's awesome, but I'm going to wait on the domestic version, with the full English translation before I buy it. I still hear rumors that Simbin has an XBox version of GTR they're trying to market, but so far - no publisher. I'd love to see that come to the XBox... heck, I bet they'd even include a true cockpit view, complete with animated steering wheel!

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Sounds like the racing game GTR by Simbin. Have you played the demo of that?

Yes, I have the demo on my PC... it's awesome, but I'm going to wait on the domestic version, with the full English translation before I buy it. I still hear rumors that Simbin has an XBox version of GTR they're trying to market, but so far - no publisher. I'd love to see that come to the XBox... heck, I bet they'd even include a true cockpit view, complete with animated steering wheel!

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Where is the best place to sit while using the Race Pac? What I mean is, do you sit on the floor, or chair/couch?

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Where is the best place to sit while using the Race Pac? What I mean is, do you sit on the floor, or chair/couch?

[burnwood]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

The floor.

[burnwood]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

The floor.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Where is the best place to sit while using the Race Pac? What I mean is, do you sit on the floor, or chair/couch?

It looks like it's designed with placement on the floor in mind. The idea is to get the center of the TV screen, or monitor, level with your eyes. Depending on how you have your television or monitor mounted, this may not be possible with the Race Pac resting on the floor. It's going to work out perfectly for my XBox, but my PS2 is connected to the family room TV (where it doubles as a DVD player, and that screen's center line is a good 4' off the floor.

One would imagine that looking up at a monitor that high above the perspective of a low slung, floor mounted Race Pac would feel awkward. Eventually, I'll probably move the PS2 upstairs to share the same screen with my XBox. However, if it only uses the digital buttons on the Race Pac for acceleration and braking, I doubt my PS2 racers will see much playing time with it.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Where is the best place to sit while using the Race Pac? What I mean is, do you sit on the floor, or chair/couch?

It looks like it's designed with placement on the floor in mind. The idea is to get the center of the TV screen, or monitor, level with your eyes. Depending on how you have your television or monitor mounted, this may not be possible with the Race Pac resting on the floor. It's going to work out perfectly for my XBox, but my PS2 is connected to the family room TV (where it doubles as a DVD player, and that screen's center line is a good 4' off the floor.

One would imagine that looking up at a monitor that high above the perspective of a low slung, floor mounted Race Pac would feel awkward. Eventually, I'll probably move the PS2 upstairs to share the same screen with my XBox. However, if it only uses the digital buttons on the Race Pac for acceleration and braking, I doubt my PS2 racers will see much playing time with it.

[laforr77]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Okay guys, I just got mine last night so I've had limited play time with it. However, I will post my thoughts on it so far. First the wheel is all plastic, yet it does feel quite solid. It also has these "humps" on the back side of the wheel that makes the wheel feel very comfortable and natural in your hands. One thing I didn't like about the wheel is that it kind of clicks, just before it gets to the lock. It doesn't make a noise, but you can feel it, so it doesn't go from lock to lock totally smoothly. However, this is not as big of a deal as it sounds, just know that is there. During gameplay, I didn't notice it. The wheel is pretty tight, not loose like the MadCatz wheel, which I think is a very good thing. Auto-centering is also faster and more exact due to this tightness. From lock, it will swing back and forth maybe twice at the most before coming to a complete stop at the center.

The seat is really just a more complicated stadium chair. Padded, metal frame along the back. Comfortable, but nothing special.

The pedals are well made, just wish the were a little stiffer (more resistance). However, they do the job. I was able to effective work the throttle off the line in NFSU2, something I wasn't able to do with my MadCatz wheel.

Although set-up is fast, it may take a few minutes to find a setup that feels comfortable for you. The wheel raises up and down, the steering is adjustable tilt, and the pedals can come closer or be pushed away. It can fit a wide number of people, anyone up to 6' easily, it just might take a minute to find that perfect setup.

The buttons are okay (nothing to worry about here) there is a dpad on the left side of the wheel that is easily reached by the thumbs, there are 4 buttons on the right side (diamond pattern), there are 4 shift paddles behind the wheel, and there are 2 more buttons that are behind the wheel, built right into the rim. I kind of "found" those, since they weren't immediately obvious. Everything is well planned out and spaced well.

Overall, it is very responsive and once the sensitivity is adjusted to your liking, no doubt this wheel is one of the best for Xbox players (still haven't tried the new logitech one), but I'm not sure about PS2 since I don't have one and the lack of analog support for the PS2.

My score 9.3/10

[laforr77]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Okay guys, I just got mine last night so I've had limited play time with it. However, I will post my thoughts on it so far. First the wheel is all plastic, yet it does feel quite solid. It also has these "humps" on the back side of the wheel that makes the wheel feel very comfortable and natural in your hands. One thing I didn't like about the wheel is that it kind of clicks, just before it gets to the lock. It doesn't make a noise, but you can feel it, so it doesn't go from lock to lock totally smoothly. However, this is not as big of a deal as it sounds, just know that is there. During gameplay, I didn't notice it. The wheel is pretty tight, not loose like the MadCatz wheel, which I think is a very good thing. Auto-centering is also faster and more exact due to this tightness. From lock, it will swing back and forth maybe twice at the most before coming to a complete stop at the center.

The seat is really just a more complicated stadium chair. Padded, metal frame along the back. Comfortable, but nothing special.

The pedals are well made, just wish the were a little stiffer (more resistance). However, they do the job. I was able to effective work the throttle off the line in NFSU2, something I wasn't able to do with my MadCatz wheel.

Although set-up is fast, it may take a few minutes to find a setup that feels comfortable for you. The wheel raises up and down, the steering is adjustable tilt, and the pedals can come closer or be pushed away. It can fit a wide number of people, anyone up to 6' easily, it just might take a minute to find that perfect setup.

The buttons are okay (nothing to worry about here) there is a dpad on the left side of the wheel that is easily reached by the thumbs, there are 4 buttons on the right side (diamond pattern), there are 4 shift paddles behind the wheel, and there are 2 more buttons that are behind the wheel, built right into the rim. I kind of "found" those, since they weren't immediately obvious. Everything is well planned out and spaced well.

Overall, it is very responsive and once the sensitivity is adjusted to your liking, no doubt this wheel is one of the best for Xbox players (still haven't tried the new logitech one), but I'm not sure about PS2 since I don't have one and the lack of analog support for the PS2.

My score 9.3/10

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

laforr77,

Thanks for your mini-review of the Race Pac. Mine came yesterday, and although it's supposed to be a Christmas gift to myself, I couldn't wait, and tried it out today.

So far I've only tried it with the PS2 because of a conflict with room usage where my Xbox resides. You guys have done a good job of assessing its construction. In a way, the components look cheap, and lightweight, yet when it's setup, it feels solid. The seat was reasonably comfortable, moreso than I expected. I can't quite get the setup right for my legs. I'm 6'4" and I really can't extend the pedals as far as I'd like. I have to flex my knees a little more than I'd like.

Here's where it gets weird... as reported by others here, you can't get the analog brake and accelerator to work... with one exception so far - Dirt to Daytona works with analog brake and accelerator! It's soooooo much better with that feature operable. I can't figure out what D2D does differently from WoO Sprint Cars, or Grand Prix Challenge, neither of which work in analog mode (the pedals work, they're just digital, ie. "on" or "off"). Both of those games are actually more difficult as a result.

I can't find my Gran Turismo 3 disk, although I found the case (my kids don't know how to put disks back in their cases!@Q$!#^$#!!). I wonder if it will read the pedals as analog? I wish I could explain why analog thottle and brake work in D2D, and not the others. I wish all developers could implement this capability into PS2 driving games, it sure makes a difference!

I'll be trying out the Race Pac with the Xbox later this afternoon, I'll be back with a report later on. At this point, I couldn't recommend it for use with the PS2, although it is the cat's meow with Dirt to Daytona.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

laforr77,

Thanks for your mini-review of the Race Pac. Mine came yesterday, and although it's supposed to be a Christmas gift to myself, I couldn't wait, and tried it out today.

So far I've only tried it with the PS2 because of a conflict with room usage where my Xbox resides. You guys have done a good job of assessing its construction. In a way, the components look cheap, and lightweight, yet when it's setup, it feels solid. The seat was reasonably comfortable, moreso than I expected. I can't quite get the setup right for my legs. I'm 6'4" and I really can't extend the pedals as far as I'd like. I have to flex my knees a little more than I'd like.

Here's where it gets weird... as reported by others here, you can't get the analog brake and accelerator to work... with one exception so far - Dirt to Daytona works with analog brake and accelerator! It's soooooo much better with that feature operable. I can't figure out what D2D does differently from WoO Sprint Cars, or Grand Prix Challenge, neither of which work in analog mode (the pedals work, they're just digital, ie. "on" or "off"). Both of those games are actually more difficult as a result.

I can't find my Gran Turismo 3 disk, although I found the case (my kids don't know how to put disks back in their cases!@Q$!#^$#!!). I wonder if it will read the pedals as analog? I wish I could explain why analog thottle and brake work in D2D, and not the others. I wish all developers could implement this capability into PS2 driving games, it sure makes a difference!

I'll be trying out the Race Pac with the Xbox later this afternoon, I'll be back with a report later on. At this point, I couldn't recommend it for use with the PS2, although it is the cat's meow with Dirt to Daytona.

[laforr77]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

laforr77,

Thanks for your mini-review of the Race Pac. Mine came yesterday, and although it's supposed to be a Christmas gift to myself, I couldn't wait, and tried it out today.

So far I've only tried it with the PS2 because of a conflict with room usage where my Xbox resides. You guys have done a good job of assessing its construction. In a way, the components look cheap, and lightweight, yet when it's setup, it feels solid. The seat was reasonably comfortable, moreso than I expected. I can't quite get the setup right for my legs. I'm 6'4" and I really can't extend the pedals as far as I'd like. I have to flex my knees a little more than I'd like.

Here's where it gets weird... as reported by others here, you can't get the analog brake and accelerator to work... with one exception so far - Dirt to Daytona works with analog brake and accelerator! It's soooooo much better with that feature operable. I can't figure out what D2D does differently from WoO Sprint Cars, or Grand Prix Challenge, neither of which work in analog mode (the pedals work, they're just digital, ie. "on" or "off"). Both of those games are actually more difficult as a result.

I can't find my Gran Turismo 3 disk, although I found the case (my kids don't know how to put disks back in their cases!@Q$!#^$#!!). I wonder if it will read the pedals as analog? I wish I could explain why analog thottle and brake work in D2D, and not the others. I wish all developers could implement this capability into PS2 driving games, it sure makes a difference!

I'll be trying out the Race Pac with the Xbox later this afternoon, I'll be back with a report later on. At this point, I couldn't recommend it for use with the PS2, although it is the cat's meow with Dirt to Daytona.

Although I wouldn't be able to know for sure, because I don't have a PS2, but I would guess that not all games support analog face buttons. Like if you tried driving with the regular Dual Shock controller, and using X and Square (or whatever buttons they are) and see if you can get analog funtionality? With such a short distance to move, I would think most games wouldn't bother to support it, as no one would drive that way.