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#1
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
Regular viewers will be familiar with the schizoid adventures of Andrew McP in iRacing-land. You will be sick and tired or reading about his whiney, in-out, in-out (shake it all about the track) trips to the virtual world where nothing is free except the speech in the forums... well, sort of. It's free if you've paid to view them. Is that free? In the background I am downloading $90's worth of additional content. The man who prides himself on doing iRacing on a budget ($20 + $20 + $54-ish + $25 + $90 now = sh*tloads!) and avoiding the hypnotic, marketing-led stream of iTemptations, has iCracked. I could say it's because the Spec Ford Racer has inspired to to feel more at home there. That wouldn't be a total lie... it's a great car and the racing I've had so far in it has been exciting and closer than in the Skip Barber, with much bigger fields than I'm used to. And ok, it was just noticing that today's '24 heures du fun' race is the SRF at Road Atlanta which led me to look at buying Road Atlanta again... and of course if you buy 6 items you get 20% off. And I did want to buy the Mazda just in case I wanted to shift up to Class B later, and I needed Sebring for the Skip Barber series, and... Three little words... slipperly effing slope! The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and I *so* intended to just sit back and enjoy the extra dimension the SRF added to my iExperience. I'm ashamed of myself! I had buyer's remorse even before I hit the buy button. In fact part of the reason I actually did it was to punish my irrational self for constantly *thinking* about buying more content. But the worst is yet to come. In the background as I type there is a pickup truck downloading. Yes, I bought the sodding iVan! Somebody bl@@dy shoot me! I could defend myself by saying that I have the SR to race up from D where I am now on ovals. I don't race many ovals, but N2003 is still on my HD and I do enjoy the whole 'pack racing' thing sometimes. I skipped D class content because they're nearly all short circuits, and the 'all turn and no burn' format doesn't appeal. That leaves me with no choice, if I want to try life on bigger ovals, but to buy the iVan! Oh well, it's done now.... though whether I'll be too ashamed to take it out on the track is a different matter. As a pickup truck doubter there is something more than a *little* hypocritical about it. Mind you, I'll probably only get to race it once. One or two spins, or get mixed up in a crash (they're apparently compulsory in the iVan), and my SR will plummet, sending me back to the Rookie Legends to build it up again. Pathetic, isn't it? I mean, I don't even want to race 50 lap races! Knew I should've gone to bed instead of having a look to see if there was anyone racing. Anyway, now the download's finished. I'm going to go visit my credit card site and find out how many British sub-prime-pounds my $90 cost. Then I'm going to sob myself to sleep. Well, after a few laps at Road Atlanta in the SRF. :-> This is Andrew McP, your embedded reporter in iRac, signing off. May Gawd have mercy on my soul! Or preferably my tyres. I need grip more than I need eternal life. |
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#2
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
Well there must be something good about iRacing to be hated (apparently)
by more than a few but some still pay. I guess the guts must be good - and big fields are always fun particularly in a controlled environment. My take in iRacing so far (I have little enthusiasm for sim racing atm anyway) is that I don't like the idea of paying for mm perfect tracks - all "sim tracks" are mm perfect anyway - they are what they are. It seems simmers are used to subsidize the "training tool" - I don't care about the training aspect at all! Also, by the sounds of things, simmers are pretty limited and denied what many have become accustomed too - and I get the impression that much of the reason is the "training tool" mentality as well. The lack of portability of the software (run only on iRacing servers) seems to be a huge obstacle, particularly since you can't run your own leagues - I don't want to be compromised by this rubbish - cater for "simmers" or................................................ .................. "Andrew MacPherson" > wrote in message ... > > Regular viewers will be familiar with the schizoid adventures of Andrew > McP in > iRacing-land. You will be sick and tired or reading about his whiney, > in-out, > in-out (shake it all about the track) trips to the virtual world where > nothing is > free except the speech in the forums... well, sort of. It's free if you've > paid to > view them. > > Is that free? > > In the background I am downloading $90's worth of additional content. The > man who > prides himself on doing iRacing on a budget ($20 + $20 + $54-ish + $25 + > $90 now = > sh*tloads!) and avoiding the hypnotic, marketing-led stream of > iTemptations, has > iCracked. > > I could say it's because the Spec Ford Racer has inspired to to feel more > at home > there. That wouldn't be a total lie... it's a great car and the racing > I've had so > far in it has been exciting and closer than in the Skip Barber, with much > bigger > fields than I'm used to. > > And ok, it was just noticing that today's '24 heures du fun' race is the > SRF at > Road Atlanta which led me to look at buying Road Atlanta again... and of > course if > you buy 6 items you get 20% off. And I did want to buy the Mazda just in > case I > wanted to shift up to Class B later, and I needed Sebring for the Skip > Barber > series, and... > > Three little words... slipperly effing slope! The road to Hell is paved > with good > intentions, and I *so* intended to just sit back and enjoy the extra > dimension the > SRF added to my iExperience. > > I'm ashamed of myself! I had buyer's remorse even before I hit the buy > button. In > fact part of the reason I actually did it was to punish my irrational self > for > constantly *thinking* about buying more content. > > But the worst is yet to come. In the background as I type there is a > pickup truck > downloading. Yes, I bought the sodding iVan! Somebody bl@@dy shoot me! > > I could defend myself by saying that I have the SR to race up from D where > I am now > on ovals. I don't race many ovals, but N2003 is still on my HD and I do > enjoy the > whole 'pack racing' thing sometimes. I skipped D class content because > they're > nearly all short circuits, and the 'all turn and no burn' format doesn't > appeal. > That leaves me with no choice, if I want to try life on bigger ovals, but > to buy > the iVan! > > Oh well, it's done now.... though whether I'll be too ashamed to take it > out on the > track is a different matter. As a pickup truck doubter there is something > more than > a *little* hypocritical about it. > > Mind you, I'll probably only get to race it once. One or two spins, or get > mixed up > in a crash (they're apparently compulsory in the iVan), and my SR will > plummet, > sending me back to the Rookie Legends to build it up again. > > Pathetic, isn't it? I mean, I don't even want to race 50 lap races! Knew I > should've gone to bed instead of having a look to see if there was anyone > racing. > > Anyway, now the download's finished. I'm going to go visit my credit card > site and > find out how many British sub-prime-pounds my $90 cost. Then I'm going to > sob > myself to sleep. > > Well, after a few laps at Road Atlanta in the SRF. :-> > > This is Andrew McP, your embedded reporter in iRac, signing off. May Gawd > have > mercy on my soul! Or preferably my tyres. I need grip more than I need > eternal life. |
#3
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
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#4
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
Well, overnight I came to two conclusions...
1) The money I spent on the Mazda was pretty much wasted. It's both too easy and too difficult to drive. By that I mean it suffers -- for me at least -- from too much downforce right up to the point where you push too hard. Then my reaction times are far too slow to cope. So while the sense of speed is nice (as in all other 'f1-style' sims), it's not -- so far at least -- the same kind of involving ride which leaps out at you from the Skip Barber and SRF. 2) I'm moving to Arkansas! :-) The trucks at a big oval like Daytona are an absolute blast.... though the bumps scare the heck out of me with an approaching pack catching up fast. There's more disconcerting jiggling than at a lap dancing convention! I haven't raced, but the long practice session (where you haven't got to worry about points or your safety rating) are perfect for me. Half the fun is picking up a passing pack in the first place. Then it's a case of hanging on for your life, knowing a whole heap of good-natured southern scorn is going to be heaped on you if you wreck the party! My heart hasn't pounded so much since I had to quit a Monza GPL race a long time ago because I couldn't stop my hands shaking! :-) I may never commit to a 50 lap race (too long for an amateur like me, with too much at stake for those who take it more seriously, and with the prospect of many long, tedious laps on my own when I lose the pack), but who needs races when the practice sessions can be such intense fun? I will no doubt calm down and get tired of turning left, but I just had an SRF race and it was such a calm, soothing race in comparison that I nearly fell asleep at the wheel! The only excitement I had was getting close to the next car early on, running one cone too deep into T1 before braking, and having a trip into lawnmower land. That hardly compares with scraping along the walls at Daytona at 170mph, in a pack. Overall the iTruck may not be my preferred drive, but when you're up to speed you don't really care what it looks like. I may regret spending more money, but I don't regret the fun I had last night racing and listening to the collection of American accents chatting on the comms. It was a real experience! Andrew McP |
#5
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
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#6
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
"Andrew MacPherson" > wrote in message ... > (Byron Forbes) wrote: > >> Well there must be something good about iRacing to be hated >> (apparently) by more than a few but some still pay. I guess the >> guts must be good > > The marketing machine at the heart of iRacing is very powerful. They have > created > the best and most satisfying (IMO) simulation experience on the planet, > and > packaged it in such a way as to inspire and frustrate you in equal > measure. It's > like having the most beautiful girl in the world as your girlfriend, but > you have > to pay her to get past first base. Damn that was funny, Im still cleaning Coffee from the keyboard... from my nose. > I suppose part of my semi-addiction is the fact that I am genuinely > grateful that > this code exists. The West brothers offered a sim Holy Grail at one stage, > but > sadly it went AWOL. GPL2 was always a dream I thought would never happen. > But it > has happened, it's just they had to sell their soul to a Hedge Fund owner > to make > it happen. A mixed blessing, perhaps, but would I prefer it if Dave > Kaemmer etc > were sat at home with their feet up, watching daytime TV instead? > > No, I wouldn't. > > iRacing, for all its sins, continues to annoy and inspire me. But there > are only > two choices... play the iGame or go back to sims where I no longer feel > deeply > attached to the on-track experience, and have no reason to turn on the > games > machine. I wasn't part of any particular sim community (and hadn't been > for a long > time), and I rarely raced (never online). So I was, I suppose, waiting to > be > inspired again... or to give up completely. > > In that respect at least, there may be something 'evangelical' about my > reluctant > conversion. Or maybe just having handed over money *makes* me drive. And > when I > drive (instead of think about driving) I enjoy myself more often than when > I just > sit around wishing for a version of iRacing which suited me better. > > Anyway, as something of a control freak, the only way I can redeem myself > from this > profligate spending will be to *definitely* not resubscribe at the end of > June when > my cheap deal runs out. Taking the summer off will hopefully restore some > kind of > sanity. :-) > > Of course the more you spend inside the service, the more tempting it is > not to > write off that 'investment' and continue to subscribe. I look forward to > finding > out whether I have any willpower left whatsoever. > > Andrew McP > > PS I forgot it's pay day today. Mmm... maybe I should buy the Radical and > Talladega > now? ;-) You and the road-cars are like me and the circle track cars, I like the SK mods best, then the trucks, then the impala's. in real life I'm ready to race the "legends" equivalent, called the mod lites. (http://www.stockcarracing.com/featur...ing/index.html) website is blocked but I think you will get an idea. They're a bitch to drive because they are too short. lol. |
#7
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
I thought they said/ sounded like, we're gonna get some Volkswagon TDI cars
soon. that would be fun! "Remco Moedt" <no@email> wrote in message ... > On Fri, 8 May 2009 08:37 +0100 (BST), > (Andrew MacPherson) wrote: > > <snip scary stuff> > > Now, stop it! You made me recover my iRacing iPassword, > and login into iRacing again. Luckily I couldn't find the prices > of the cars and tracks, so that was enough for me not to subscribe > again. But it was a close call... I hope I've enough resistance when > they release the Lotus '79 f1 car... > > Cheers! > > Remco |
#8
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
no@email (Remco Moedt) wrote:
> I hope I've enough resistance when > they release the Lotus '79 f1 car... Well, all I can say is that if I continue to have this much heart-pounding fun in the truck, I may be forced to swallow my pride and pay up for a year to get the cost-effective rate. This morning I accidentally ended up at Daytona again instead of racing in the '24 heures du fun' sessions which inspired me to spend some money in the first place. I just wish iRacing would drop the cost of the content significantly, then I could be so much more of an advocate for the service. The monthly payments aren't the problem, it's the way you need to keep handing over cash as you climb the classes towards cars you might want to drive... and you have to hand over the cash before you can find out whether you'll enjoy that series/vehicle or not. That's why I was *so* determined not to start playing the content game. Oh well, I've swapped my principles for some fun in practice sessions. I guess that's a fair swap. :-) And the trucks probably ought to satisfy my oval itch indefinitely.... so I only need another five tracks or so to 'complete' my oval collection. That's er... another $100 or so <choke>. But I doubt I'll be buying more tracks for the Mazda series, and the SRF & Skip should keep me satisfied for roads racing indefinitely. So maybe, just maybe, I'm heading for a relatively cost-effective way of having access to all types of iRacing. Famous last words. :-) Andrew McP |
#9
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
Andrew MacPherson wrote:
> Well, all I can say is that if I continue to have this much heart-pounding fun in > the truck, I may be forced to swallow my pride and pay up for a year to get the > cost-effective rate. This morning I accidentally ended up at Daytona again instead > of racing in the '24 heures du fun' sessions which inspired me to spend some money > in the first place. I am really enjoying ruuning the supersepeedways in the trucks in practice and getting in a good pack. Like you say it is probably the most intense racing experience. I haven't raced much - it isn't so intense running at pace lap speed in yellows - I enjoy the thrill of racing door to door bumper to bumper but the strategy side leaves me cold. > Oh well, I've swapped my principles for some fun in practice sessions. I guess > that's a fair swap. :-) And the trucks probably ought to satisfy my oval itch > indefinitely.... so I only need another five tracks or so to 'complete' my oval > collection. That's er... another $100 or so <choke>. Though the oval purists will hate me for saying it I would support a superspeedway series for pack racing fans. It is great practice to get drivers up to speed to run in ovals and learn the other factors like managing tyres and learning when to pit and what tyres to take once they are used to running together and holding lines etc. At the shorter tracks the trucks handle more like er... trucks! It might be worth trying one track first before shelling out on the full season's worth as your experience is based on a superspeedway. Cheers Tony |
#10
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iHave sinned! [Episode 23, in which Andrew McP iRents more cr*p]
Writing in the third-person, that is very odd. Your ego must be big.
Alan |
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