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EA's upcoming F1 Championship Season 2000 title (hereafter referred to as "F1CS2K") is an updated follow-on to their earlier F1 2000, which was released back in the spring of this year. F1 2000 was released near the beginning of the 2000 F1 season (hence the catchy "F1 2000" name), and to date, it is the only simulation to feature all the venues on the 2000 schedule, including the new U.S. Grand Prix circuit at Indianapolis.
Both F1 2000 and F1CS2K were developed by ISI, the same people who brought us EA's excellent Sports Car GT (SCGT) simulation. F1 2000 featured excellent physics but received little acclaim due to its steep hardware requirements - so steep, in fact, that people with anything less than 700 MHz PIII and Athlon systems have reported performance problems with F1 2000. In order to get F1 2000 to run at playable frame rates, many users with high-end systems still had to scale back the graphic options considerably, and people with midrange PII, Celeron, or K6-2 systems in the 450 MHz range suffered even worse performance. Thankfully, F1CS2K addresses this issue with an optimized graphics engine that should allow for better performance on even midrange systems.
In addition to an enhanced graphics engine, F1CS2K is also intended to serve as an end-of-season update by more accurately depicting the various venues on the F1 circuit as they appeared during the 2000 season. Significant changes in this area involve track graphics at Indianapolis, and actual circuit changes at Monza and Spa, for example. These changes alone may seem to be the sort of things that would merely constitute a "patch" to the existing F1 2000 game, but ISI has also added a new "Driving School" mode that provides additional immersion, accessibility, and gameplay.
Still, are these changes alone enough to justify the release of this game only six-to-eight months after the original release of F1 2000? Does F1CS2K represent a worthwhile purchase if you already own F1 2000, and does it stand on its own merits if you don't already own its predecessor? When the folks at ISI were kind enough to extend me the invitation to do some hardware evaluation on a late beta version of F1CS2K, I jumped at the chance in order to try to answer some of these questions for myself.
TEST CONFIGURATION:
Primary System:
- Processor: AMD Duron 600
- RAM: 96 MB PC100
- Video: Aopen PA3020 16 MB TNT2 Ultra (160 core/183 memory)
- Audio: Built-in (MSI K7T Pro2 motherboard)
- Game port: Built-in (MSI K7T Pro2 motherboard)
- Game controller: TSW2
- 3DMark2000 score (default benchmark): 2714
- CPUMark99 score: 50.2
Secondary System:
- Processor: AMD K6-2 500
- RAM: 96 MB
- Video: Guillemot Maxi Gamer Cougar TNT2 M64 (150 core/175memory)
- Audio: Generic ISA Soundblaster compatible
- Game port: PDPI L4
- Game controller: TSW2
- 3DMark2000 score (default benchmark): 1187
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:
Prior to testing F1CS2K, I had been playing F1 2000 extensively after just coming off my US Grand Prix experience. I was very fond of ISI's physics modeling in F1 2000, so I expected to find more of the same in F1CS2K. After completing the installation, I went into the setup menus and cranked the graphics details up to max in order to test the newly-optimized graphics engine. If you're familiar with the menus in F1 2000, then F1CS2K will look very familiar; if you're new to F1CS2K, what you will find is a fairly straightforward menu system that is easy to navigate, and considerably more intuitive than the menu system in GP3. After tweaking the graphics settings, I then made sure that all the driving aids were disabled in order to ensure that I could experience the physics model in its full, unimpeded glory. From there I selected a Test Session, grabbed my favorite Ferrari, picked the Indy track, and sat back while it all loaded.
The track graphics at Indy were dead-on, too, and after sitting through that race in the rain, I was delighted to find that I was now able to choose from a variety of weather conditions, including: Dry; Overcast; Wet; Random; and Season 2000. The "Wet" and "Overcast" settings brought with them different sky textures, fog effects, and grip levels; your view can be obscured by the spray from cars in front of you, and you can even see your own rooster-tails kicking up in your rear-view mirrors. There are no falling raindrop effects, though, nor are there any varying rain conditions during a race; once the track is wet, it stays wet and it doesn't seem to dry. These are two areas where GP3 tends to excel over F1CS2K, but I still feel that the lively physics model in F1CS2K more than makes up for these omissions.
Out on the track, the changes in the graphics engine were immediately noticeable - with all the graphics set to max in F1 2000, my K6-2 500 system typically cranks out frames in the low teens at best, and I have to scale the details back considerably to achieve an average of 20 fps. In terms of raw frame rate, my K6-2 system was only able to manage a few more frames per second in F1CS2K than it could in F1 2000, but even though the gain was not substantial, things felt much smoother and it seemed as though my system was not struggling as much to maintain these frame rates. I was pleased to discover that I didn't have to scale back the details as much in F1CS2K in order to achieve frame rates in the low 20s, so it seems that the graphics engine is indeed a big improvement over F1 2000.
People with lower-end systems who still have problems even with the enhanced F1CS2K graphics engine can now use an improved bumper-cam view that includes speed, gear, rpm, lap, fuel readouts, and a working rear-view mirror. The performance improvement with this view is significant, and the addition of the new data displayed in this view makes it usable for actual racing. Thankfully, frame rates seem to be unaffected by weather effects, regardless of which driving view you choose, which may be why ISI chose to use fog and reflections to generate the "weather" conditions; I suspect that falling raindrop effects might have caused a performance hit, and if that's the case, then I applaud their decision for the sake of performance.
Things seemed better on my K6-2 system, but once I installed F1CS2K on my Duron system, I could immediately see just how much better the F1CS2K graphics engine is than its F1 2000 predecessor. With most details set to high or max and mirrors enabled (a new first for me), I was pleasantly greeted with consistently smooth frame rates that averaged in the mid to high 20s. Frame rates still occasionally dip into the teens during the start of the race, but even so, the sim still remained very driveable during starts in all weather conditions, from any spot on the starting grid. If you've got a Pentium III, Athlon, or Duron system, you should be pleased with the performance you will see (and keep in mind that GP3 was designed to only allow you a maximum of 24 frames per second, regardless of how much you scale back the details).
But what about that lively physics model, though? There were early reports that F1CS2K would be "more accessible" for entry-level gamers, leaving some room for fear that F1CS2K would feature a dumbed-down version of the F1 2000 physics model. My first lap at Indy was spent admiring the scenery and taking in the sounds - which are much improved over F1 2000, I might add. My second lap, though, left me feeling that perhaps something was amiss - things seemed just a tad too tame, and the raging Ferrari felt more docile that I would have expected in the wet weather conditions. I exited the test session after a few laps and then selected dry track conditions to allow me to compare what I was feeling with F1CS2K to what I had come to enjoy in F1 2000.
After returning to the track, I found that - much to my dismay - F1CS2K did indeed feel too tame. From a standing start, spins seemed impossible, even with one tire in the grass. At speed, things were a bit better, but not up to F1 2000 standards, and I found that the physics model felt more along the lines of GP3, in fact. Which isn't bad, mind you, and I began to suspect (fear) that EA had instructed ISI to emulate Crammond's physics modeling with their latest effort. More and more laps at various tracks further confirmed that F1CS2K's physics were not performing up to the level of what I had experienced in F1 2000, which prompted me to promptly fire off an e-mail to ISI to find out if I was doing something wrong.
Much to my relief, I learned that I was indeed doing something wrong -- although I thought I had turned off all the assists, I had failed to disable one critical item. It seems that ISI has added a "Driving Assist" function, and although I had taken care of the braking, steering, and spin recovery, and other assists, I had left the "Driving Assist" item enabled. What I discovered - the hard way - was that the "Driving Assist" does effectively "dumb down" the driving model, making F1CS2K feel more along the lines of GP3, NFS:PU, or F1WGP, and less like the lively, active physics model in F1 2000. Once I disabled the Driving Assist, F1CS2K came alive, and I quickly found myself falling right into the driving groove using my old car setups from F1 2000 (which are thankfully compatible with F1CS2K). With driving assist enabled, F1CS2K is a docile-yet-convincing Formula 1 simulation, suitable for children, novices, or keyboard racers; without the driving assist or other aids, F1CS2K becomes a highly technical, amazingly-accurate beast of a different nature.
If you've driven F1 2000, then you already know what F1CS2K drives like; ISI ranks right up there with Papyrus and MGI when it comes to simulated vehicle dynamics, and F1CS2K may well be the best modern F1 simulator yet. Things like weight transfer, imperfections in the track, contact with curbs, and even contact with other cars are all very well-modeled, and the F1CS2K driving model is so good all of these sensations are effectively communicated to the sensitive, discerning sim racer even without the benefit of a Force Feedback wheel. I can't say anything about the Force Feedback effects since all my testing was done with non-Force Feedback controllers, but I would expect these effects to be at least as good as those in F1 2000.
When I first heard about F1CS2K's "Driving School" mode, I immediately thought of NFSPU's "Factory Driver" mode and NASCAR Heat's "Beat the Heat" scenarios. I truly enjoyed these aspects of these two particular sims, so I was looking forward to seeing ISI's handiwork from an F1 perspective. The end result is both highly challenging and highly satisfying -- you start out at Indianapolis go through several scenarios designed to teach the basics of racing, including the standing start, rapid acceleration and sudden stops, and quick reaction tests.
Each scenario is timed, and you are given the objective up-front, then treated to a "ride" along with the virtual "instructor" who shows you how it's done, and then you get a chance to attempt the objective yourself. You must achieve a certain minimum performance level in order to obtain either a bronze, silver, or gold award in order to advance to the next "lesson." After the three basic lessons at Indy, you then advance to Monza, where you must attack each corner in succession, with each one serving as a separate "lesson," with the "final exam" consisting of a successful full lap of the circuit within a given time limit After that, you then move on to Suzuka for a similar series of tests. All in all, the Driving School mode will prove to be both enjoyable and challenging for novices and experts alike. And, like any good driving school, most people who take the time to see it through to the end will emerge as a better driver, and this will have an impact on your actual lap times.
One nice touch included with the Driving School mode is the record keeping aspect -- F1CS2K not only records your results for each lesson, but it also tracks how many attempts it takes you to achieve each goal. You can also go back and repeat previous lessons at any time, allowing you to improve on your previous score, which provides for additional replay value.
As impressive as all this is, I have to say that the most significant and surprising improvement in F1CS2K is the AI. As a fairly new F1 fan, I am not all that familiar with all the venues on the schedule, so I decided to start a Championship Season to see what that aspect was all about while also learning more about the F1 circuit in general. ISI has now included two separate adjustments that allow you to adjust the AI drivers strength, as well as their aggression.
Since I'm unfamiliar with most of the tracks on the circuit, I started off my first Championship Season with the AI drivers strength set to 80%, and the AI drivers aggression set to 10%, with a 50% race length. At these levels, I found myself starting from the pole consistently, except at San Marino, where I accidentally advanced to the warm-up without qualifying, which forced me to start from the last place position. I received a black flag penalty near the end of my first race, and I accidentally requested a pit stop by mistake; I dropped back to 5th when my pit crew decided to make me wait for tires and fuel, and I ended up finishing in 4th place. In my second race, where I had to start from last place, I worked my way through traffic and managed to emerge victorious in a Buddy Lazier-like charge to the front.
As I moved through traffic, the AI drivers were downright amazing -- gone are the first lap pileups, and the AI will now race you for position, yet still avoid you as though their jobs depended on bringing the car home intact. They accomplish this within the boundaries of the in-game physics; you won't see any impossible lateral movement from the AI that can occur in other driving sims, for example. "Gentlemanly" was a term that came to mind, and yet I could still tell Jacques Villeneuve from Ricardo Zonta based on their driving style alone; Villeneuve, in fact, pulled some downright scary moves at times, often trying to out-brake me while going in hot for a turn. Each time, though, we both emerged unscathed, and on those occasions when I have found myself tangling with another vehicle, I have always been able to attribute it to my error, and not the AI. This is good stuff, folks -- I found myself having as much fun with the AI in F1CS2K as I have ever had racing online against human opponents.
There's no need to fear tepid, timid AI, either -- as I've said, it was fairly easy for me to dominate with the AI drivers strength set to 80%, but when I cranked the strength and aggression up to 100%, the AI left me in the dirt, and I found myself struggling to do just keep up. Even with the aggression set to 100%, I still saw no indication of first-lap pileups or any other AI blunders that became the trademark of the AI cars in F1 2000. ISI may have set a new high water mark for open wheel AI performance with their work in F1CS2k.
EA and ISI obviously chose not to rest on their laurels with F1CS2K, and aside from the obvious improvements, there are numerous little touches that show the amount of care that went into getting this one right. You want realism? You got it -- the Championship Season mode only lets you run the 2000 F1 championship using actual 2000 season weather settings. Not enough? Try this -- the starting grid at Indy has been moved back one spot, to reflect the last-minute change that was implemented at the request of Michael Schumacher prior to the U.S. Grand Prix to allow the polesitter a better chance to gain traction prior to hitting the yard of bricks at the start/finish line. Details such as this abound, and F1CS2K sparkles with a finished shine that was missing from F1 2000.
F1CS2K has something to offer for everyone while far exceeding its F1 2000 roots, and at the heart of it all is an incredibly accurate simulation engine wrapped lovingly in rich details and multiple layers of playability. What more can you ask for in an F1 sim?
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