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Known for their Need for Speed series, Electronic Arts releases another type of game in this genre, Sports Car GT. Sports Car GT breaks the mold in the racing arena by giving you, the armchair racer, a chance to race neck and neck with the fabled cars of the SportsCar racing association. Which was also known as IMSA - do you remember that racing series?
As we all know the norm of racing sims seem to modeled after F1, CART, NASCAR, SuperBike, and even IRL. When I first read about SCGT, I was so happy that finally a developer would create a racing sim of this kind. Oh joy, as back in the mid-90's, yours truly was in fact a pitcrew member during the running of the 24 Hours of Daytona. During my life I have worked on NASCAR Sportsman team, but the 24 Hours of Daytona experience has really stood out as my best experience to date! Now don't get me wrong, my first passion is F1, but sports car racing is another high dollar technical motorsport - depending on the class. What's so great about SportsCar racing is that you have the ability to watch all the classes race on the track at once! Be a 400HP to the ever-powerful GT1 car. You see the driver's skills unfold before you eyes, as the powerful cars tippie-toe through traffic and annihilate the slower cars on the long straights. Oh such bliss!
SCGT models almost exactly this type of racing. The overall feeling of the sim is a great one for it's first run and remember first version of games are more likely bombs. SCGT is very good, but just needs a bit a tweak here and there and it could be also labeled as perfect. I'll tell you of my lil worries in the review so read on!
SCGT gives you a vast amounts of features, which is really a great thing, as most simulations don't give you the overall package as a product. Here are the list of features:
- Three Classes of racing: GTQ, GT3, GT2, GT1
- Over 45 cars from various teams. Cars expected to be featured (in no particular order) are: Mercedes CLK GTR, McLaren F1 GTR, Panoz GTR-1, Panoz Q9, Porsche 911 GT1, Mosler Raptor, Porsche 911 GT2, Saleen Mustang, Panoz Esperante, Lister Storm GTL, BMW M3, Vector M12, Callaway Corvette.
- Top class tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring, Laguna Seca, Donington Park and Hockenheim. There are also some tracks created specially for the sim, aka fantasy tracks.
- Endurance racing. Players can opt for endurance races which can last up to 72 hours or 9999laps! Don't worry, you don't have to drive it all yourself, you can let the computer be your co-driver!
- Career mode. Start in GTQ to earn your spurs, and move through GT3, GT2 and finally to GT1, based on your earnings from good race performances.
- Advanced graphics. Expect rain with a wet reflective track, and night races. The sim is especially notable for its lighting effects. Take a look at the night race and wet race screenshots to see what I mean.
- Internet and network play via TCP/IP and IPX.
- Cockpit view.
As you see that's a big list of features!
What about the eye candy and the sounds?
SCGT uses the following APIs for those fortunate few that have a 3D Hardware Accelerator, Microsoft's Direct3D and 3dfx's GLIDE. But for those of you that have been out of the loop in the past several years, there is a software renderer. On the latter, I did not try. By looks alone, I don't see a difference between the D3D and GLIDE, so that's a testament how MS's API is coming along. From a performance, both hardware accelerated APIs are pretty much equal when running with the same card, Voodoo2-SLI. Then I decided to try SCGT with the TNT, TNT2, and the Voodoo3, though the latter are a bit faster in framerate, they were basically equal in D3D. Also when using the Voodoo3 with GLIDE, there was no difference framerate. I will note that there is no framerate counter as I was just going by eye and playability. It seemed that the framerate was at least over 25-30fps at the various tracks, which provides you with some silky-smooth driving in 1024x768. All race was done on a P3-450 with 380MB.
Graphically, the reflections, headlights, textures around the tracks and cars were beautifully detailed. Yet, the cockpit lacked the same quality of the overall appearance of the sim, but don't fret they are fan-based SCGT with various cockpits to download. Water spray is evident as you race in the wet, but the spray is not so heavy that you can not see. There are couple of elements missing here, rain/water hitting the windshield and a windshield wiper. It would've been great to see a longer rooster tail water being exhausted out the car(s). Racing at night is quite a delight to behold, as the proper lighting schemes are applied and also the backfires from a car's exhaust as they get off the accelerator. What a site to look at!
Let me not forget the rearview mirror, there is one and it's available either normal or framed. The latter for some reason does put a framerate hit. As for graphical options, you are given a myriad of features to adjust to your liking. Resolutions can be had up to the max of 1024x768. I hope in the future for a patch to past this resolution as the latest graphics cards can surely surpass this and still run at an acceptable. I wonder how gorgeous SCGT would look like at 1600x1200?
In the sound department, the game uses Microsoft's DirectSound3D and does an average job of it. The reason why average? Because, it's hard to tell when a car is coming or you passing them. I did noticed when I use four speakers instead of two, there new sounds I haven't heard. When it's a rainy day at the track, listen to the thunder and watch the lightning crackle you drive on the track. Now that's new! Each car has its own engine sound; from the whining pitch of the Merc to the low growl of the Ford V8. -Boo, on that Ford!; )
As for sound options, you have available the sample rate of 22HZ and 11HZ, ambient sounds, CD Music and special effects. The soundtrack is very well done with its nice upbeat tempo to get your blood moving for that racing action at the track.
Hans Stuck move over Mr. Turtle is here!
After reading the manual, which is done pretty good. I proceeded to start my career. When you first start out, you will be in the GTQ Class. Which means you will be a scrub, since your car is a bit low on the technological standpoint of things. Don't get me wrong that you won't win races, you will if you practice, but you won't have to practice long as with the lower performance in this class will surely outdo the competition. - More on this later - As with each beginning of the season you have the opportunity to buy a car and start with it, though if you decide to sell your ride and purchase another car, a new season is going to have to be created. Since this is the first season, you have to buy a car, but you are only given 80,000 credits. Which is just enough for you to buy a car and purchase some hot rod tweaks for it. My first car was the Porsche 911, even though I had enough credits to get a BMW, I wouldn't had enough money to start modifying it, make sense?
After completion and winning my GTQ season and getting a nice lump sum of credits, I continued to move to the GT3 class. As I noticed during my career, you are going to have to make a decision whether or not if you want to sell your modified car in order for you to get a new racecar when you start a new season. With the move up to GT3, I decided to sell my Porsche and bought the Saleen Mustang - just by request by my racing teammate - After purchasing, I had some credits leftover and guess what? I used the money to modify the car.
Once dominating the GT3 season and again a nice lump sum of credits and moving up to the GT2 class, I decided to sell the Mustang for the Vector. Ouch that's expensive! When the GT2 season was over, I won by several points and now the championship credits are really starting to jump in size. Woohoo, it's time for the GT1 class. These powerful and zippy racecars with more aerodynamics than a WWII plane! Of course, I sold the Vector, and bought the Lister. I know I could've gotten the Merc, but I said, "nah". Spending well over 400,000 credits on this car, reminded me of my divorce settlement! This is not good, this car better win! So if you haven't noticed, as you move up each class, each car and modification escalates in price. Don't be surprised to see a turbo upgrade for over 300,000 credits!
Do you think that's it to the career? Nope, as there is one more class, World GT, for which I am into right now into the seventh race of the season. And now it's starting to be quite competitive, though only the top 3 cars usually are. The rest of the field are usually backmarkers or their agenda is to slow your progress. In the World GT Class, I have over 900 HP and the car certainly does move it's 2300lb carcass around the track. Like all high horsepower goes, where there is a gain there is a lost, and in this case miles per gallon. It seemed that I had to pit within 6-7 laps.
Speaking of petrol, when the occasion arises you are going to have to make a pitstop. All pitstops are automated, meaning once you go into the pits, you have no control of the car. Once on pitlane, you are presented with a menu overlay of giving you options in what you want to do during the pitstops. This can be from fuel level, tire change, front and rear air dam changes and driver change. Also, be sure to monitor your fuel levels and tire wear. The latter is done via depressing a key and a pulldown appears. If you tires go past 70% of wear, you are deadmeat and hangon!
A word about the driver change, when you select the AI to drive for you in those long races, don't expect it to run same laptimes as you. This is a problem as the AI driving can be as slow as four seconds. I hope in the future of a patch or a sequel, that there would be implementation of an AI engine to learn how the human driver drives and still have a thinking process to avoid accidents if that scenario if ever occurs. Also there is no way to call the AI driver back in the pits so you can drive the car.
As for the AI, they are could be thought as a bit slow as during the career, I have noticed later in the season that the developers threw in a couple of ringers to get the best of you. But this ringers are about three cars and really one or two to really worry about. Now this is in the area of speed throughout the track. The rest of the field is just, well, there. The AI do fight back to you as you want to take their position away, but ala NASCAR style via rubbing, blocking or trying to run you off the road. One problem is that all brake at the same points, I was hoping for more variances in the braking or getting back on the gas zones. The AI do race each other, but times, I feel they are bit robotic or scripted. The AI needs to be a bit more dynamic in their thinking process. Now the AI in SCGT is still better than some sims out there, but they are just a tad on the aggressive side when attempting to pass. When you do pass them, they just fall back. Overall, the AI need to be sped up a bit as the human driver can be quite dominating, but there is a cause and effect here. - the explanation is coming, hold onto your seats.
The Slingshot, it's here and it is very well done in the game. Imagine you are at Sebring on the backstretch running well over 230-240mph and drafting behind an AI!
Physics wise, SCGT is very good if you think all cars drive as if they are on rails. The only problem I have is the track adhesion on the track. It seems that the tires tremendously grip a bit too much at the default tire setting. I was hoping for more tire scrub. Now this is with lower performance cars, but when you get GT1/World GT Classes, the scrub is starting to slightly be evident, but not enough to make the sim a bear to drive. Think about it 900+HP in a 2300LB car, I know downforce can play a key also, but the cars should be a bit looser.
Now if this track adhesion was fixed, the human car wouldn't be as dominate, thus providing closer racing.
Overall, the physics can meet the demand for every skill level racer out there. You can sure do a lot of four-wheel drifts, have control of a loose rearend by adding some opposite lock. The physics in it's current form is very, very fun to drive!
SCGT supports TCP/IP and IPX. The latter is very well done, but the TCP/IP as more to be desired. As there is major lag and packets being dropped. I hope this gets corrected as I feel this would be a blast to race the Net.
BOTTOMLINE
SCGT as an overall package is so close in being a sim that every simracer wants. With it's TV-like graphics and realistic sounds, you can be sure that you feel that you are right there in the action of things. It's nice to see a different mold of out the stable of the racing genre. I am pleased with the game's performance and playability. I just hope there's a sequel for a great first version of SCGT. I highly recommend Sports Car GT to any simracing aficionado, you will not be disappointed.
Keep in mind that is there is a patch for SCGT which fixes some of the annoyances explained in the review.
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| Author: |
13-08-2002 |
| :) |
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| Author: |
14-08-2002 |
| Thanks, I just got this game, and had a blast doing multiplayer for eight hours straight. Your article helped me learn about new features I didn't even know were there. This is another great sim for LAN parties, since it will run with good framerate and good graphics on even a low-end machine. |
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| Author: |
26-08-2002 |
| love this site! |
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| Author: |
05-12-2002 |
| upgrades & patches makes this game unreal.The game is able to be fully edited,heeps of sight to get patches cars tracks loading scenes dashes u name it u can get it . |
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| Author: |
21-08-2003 |
| Being an old MechWarrior :) I can appreciate A GREAT SIM type program, (game) seriously. While owning nascar4, it didnt apeal to me because any racer be hind you meant you off track! If the only gripe of scgtracing is too much tracktion, @ stage 3 tire improvement, then go 1 or 2. Yes I think stage 3 like magnets to track. Realism and easy to use kids to adults, who are not techies A-. Best racing I have encountered! Ever so glad I discovered scgtracing (freeware) 2.5 years ago purchasing Logitec forcefeedback wheel, Wouldnt go to a gunfight with a knife! Enjoy. |
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| Author: |
25-02-2004 |
| I love this game, I have been a racer all my life (street,drag,rc oval) I think this is one of best games made for just plain fun. |
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| Author: |
13-06-2004 |
| Just a note on the AI. Once the AI driver takes over, there *IS* a way for you to take back the driving. To re-gain control and request the AI to come into the pits, press SHIFT I and that will invoke a pit for the AI, once in the pits, change back to human. Makes it a lot of fun that way. **BTW, Excellent web site, keep up the great work!! |
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| Author: |
26-06-2004 |
| an evergreen and perhaps the best sim i DO love it |
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