f13.net

Well, I waited to see it appear in our release thread and it didn't. I've only just picked it up (had to spring for the collectors edition, regular version was sold out) and have only gotten about 20 minutes in it due to other commitments. But so far I quite like what I've seen (I did play the demo). Certainly the physics model and damage modeling are superior to PGR3. Track backgrounds and visuals are not quite as good as PGR3 although the cars themselves are stunning.

One thing I've noticed that I also experienced in PGR3 but to a lessor degree - I'm way faster with a controller than I am with my wheel. Now I don't have the Msoft wheel, I have a Joytech Nitro, so I don't get all the Forcefeedback Goodness, but even if I did I think I'd be faster on the controller. Granted, wheel's have a 'warm-up' time to get used to and are certainly offer more immersion but I wonder if F2 is 'tweaked' for the controller? Various topics on the Xbox forums and other places seem to confirm other people find they are faster lap for lap with the controller.

Either way, so far I like it alot.

I have played the hell out of this the last two days.  If you are in the mood for a driving sim, you are in for a treat.

Initially, I justified the purchase of my 360 by telling myself Forza 2 will eventually be released.  Since then I've lost some interest in racing and had completely forgotten about the game.  That is until EB called and told me my preorder was in.  I have been glued to the TV since I brought it home.

The driving is absolutely fantastic, upgrading is fun and intuitive, and the painting stuff is insane.  Online play looks smooth as silk although I've just touched on that aspect of it.  The career mode is huge but doesn't look as long as say GT3.  Graphics are meh at a standstill but look really nice at 180mph.  BTW the sense of speed is great!

Seriously, this may be my GOTY.  I love me some driving goodness and Forza 2 has it in spades!

As for the controller vs. wheel debate, I have never used a wheel for a console driving game so I'd assume I too would be much faster with the controller.  The only game I've used a wheel for was GTR 2 and that was at a friend's house.

PS:  I want a F13 car but suck with the editor.  If anyone spends some time on one let me know!

Bought this.  I've never gotten into a driving game before, but I want to give this one a shot.  The demo was just a lot of fun and adding customization and a career mode in will just make it even better.

Time to make some F13 flavored rice.

One of the few games I decided to preorder, which was a good thing, because everyone was sold out on release.

Been playing the ever loving hell out of it, and while the graphics aren't amazing, they're pretty good.

The paint editor is a ton of fun, too:

(http://i16.tinypic.com/62scnlg.jpg)

Damn. I think I'm gonna get Forza 2 when I return Shadowrun. Le sigh.

Getting disc cannot be read errors and it's locking up now in mid race. 

Uhh.. so.. what's the deal here?

Return your 360?  :evil:

Heat, or box issues in my experience. I had problems last summer with NFS:MW  and it was heat related, I had to get more airflow to my xbox. All was fine until a few months ago when I had these errors in Fight Night 3. That resulted in a dead xbox and a 10 day cycle to get a new one. Likely it's just heat, see if you can move it to a more ventilated area. Or get ready for UPS pickup. Sorry :(

EDIT: Yeah the custom paint and vinyl is cool - some folks are really good at it. Samples (no importing of outside textures, all done using in game layers and vinyls):

(http://i17.tinypic.com/4r9719k.jpg)

(http://home.comcast.net/~pocketfudge/523.jpg)

Played some Dead Rising to make sure my 360 wasn't dying. 

Looked at the Forza disc and actually cleaned what I'd term "crud" off it.  Then played for like an hour or so more with no problems.  Still, I am worried.  :|

I'm getting better at the whole driving aspect of it.. but I'm still absolutely terrible.  Probably my worst genre outside of rhythm games.  I made a f13 logo car, but it's pretty shoddy quality.

This game is one of the primary reasons I was considering buying an X360 a while back.  Now I'm getting the itch again and I blame you!

(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1216/529345070_f5eb334531.jpg)


(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1055/529345080_da7626dcb3.jpg)

This game is just an absolute joy. It's my current GOTY.

The official pace car of f13 is a Mini Cooper?

Edit: huge thread with lots of more custom design images:

http://www.ndrifters.net/forum/index.php?topic=64.0

I bought this on Friday when I got Atelier Iris 3 and have not been able to play either of them.  It is good to know that I should not get a wheel.  I have resisted getting one for this many years and I was thinking now might be the time, but hooray!

BTW:  While I can say I'm not quite good/insane enough to do some of the more intricate work (though I'm pretty happy with my slightly reworked Bomberman tC (http://i12.tinypic.com/4pvstxg.jpg)), I'd be more than happy to take a crack at custom paint for people here free of charge.  :)

You painted my car!

Edit: is BMW not a licensed manufacturer? I just noticed your earlier pic doesn't have a proper BMW front end (i.e. it's missing the trademark kidney grill). Or is that supposed to be an aftermarket customization like your Haman-style wheels?

Dammit, I was successfully resisting buying this... now, not so much.

It's a Scion tC (my car irl), though I'm sure it'd be flattered to be called a BMW.  ;)

What's wrong with the Cooper?  :-D

So.. many.. anime cars. 

It's really amazing what people can do with the tools given.  (There isn't someway to free draw is there?)  Having no artistic talent somewhat hinders what I can do.

I am so getting this tomorrow or Wed. Tonight though, I finally beat Atelier Iris 3. 42 hours in thus far. Blurgh.

Wow that's amazing. They ripped off the E46 coupe profile (http://www.netcarshow.com/bmw/2004-325ci_coupe/1024x768/wallpaper_02.htm) almost exactly (mine has the original-style headlights, not the fucked up 7-series slanted-style though) except the Scion has a stubbier tail. Even the door handle is a similar shape as my car (the circle-style "indention" is different though).

Nothing, I just figured the f13 car would be 1) Japanese, since this is schild's site we're talking about, and 2) a little more "exotic" or obscure (again because of schild).

RSX for Schild?

Considering it's what I drive. I'm going to get this game. Godddddddddddddamnit.

I was thinking of something a little more obscure to us folks here in the states but popular in Japan. Like a Skyline or some such.

Maybe the car that folds out of a suitcase? LINK (http://www.microcar.org/2004/suitcasecar/index.html)

I played some of this last night, and I cannot put into words just how stellar this game is.  I have played Gran Turismo 1-3, PGR and the first Forza; this one easily beats them all.  Primarily this is due to the controls.  I finally have noticably-analog control over my steering, acceleration and braking.  I don't know if it is because the 360 controller is so awesome or if it is because the developers really spent a lot of time working on it, but it is probably some of both.  Any thought of buying a wheel has gone out the window.

I am also having a lot of fun with winning in a Civic.
(http://www.yegolev.com/f13/images/forza_civic_beatup_small.jpg)

The online options have not been touched yet, other than to upload this picture of me coming in second place with a totally busted front-end.

Can you use the d-pad to drive? How's the drift? Does it EVEN COMPARE to Ridge Racer 4/Rage Racer?

Cannot use D-PAD to drive, and while that would indeed be a valid question in any other racing-sim game that I have played (hell, any racing game, ever... I'll go that far), you will just have to believe me when I say it's not a fucking issue.  Analog works in Forza2.

I don't drift much, however I was pretty damn happy with the results from using the emergency brake in a hairpin.  It's not like I did it well, but WOOHOO, it worked better than I imagined it would.  Course I am driving a FWD, sticking to the Civic because I like it, it wins and CAR LEVELS are a sinister addition.  I also did a bit of agricultural racing and, well, I was pleased with how I was able to maneuver in dirt, all things considered, and I was indeed drifting at the time.  I will need to buy a 4WD before I can really say.

I have not played any Ridge Racer, just GT1-3, PGR, MRII, Forza1.  I should probably list GTHD for completeness, but it can't even sniff the jock strap of Forza1, nevermind Forza2.

The Top Secret S15 Silvia you win later on is insanely good at drifting just by nailing the throttle, no handbrake required.  Same goes for most other overpowered rear-drive cars - add power, lots of tire for controllability and remove as much weight as possible and you can make any RWD car a drift monster.

Comparisons to Ridge Racer, etc are right out - the closest console analogue would be the Gran Turismo series, tho yea - FM is significantly better imo.

Well, then we'll see. I'll pick it up tomorrow with Crush and the other new releases. Here's hoping it's as good at GT3 ASpec.

It's undeniably better than GT3 A-Spec, except for the "has rally cars" part, of course.

This game is sweet.  Though be careful it makes driving on the highway in real life hard.. you keep wanting to go faster!  Bonus though, when someone cuts you off in traffic you think, "Well at least they didn't bump me"

I had a hard time figuring out how to drive in the game, until I also realized the great analog control of the brake, gas, and steering.  The only other car game I had played was Xbox Colin MCree off road game.  I kept tapping the break / gas / steering fully to control the car , that was locking up my brakes, spinning my tires, fully turning the wheels.  You need to go really gentle on the controls.

As for drifting and stuff.. you can pretty much set your car how you want to drive.  I forget how I had did it but I had the same car basically drifting around all the turns, then changed the setup and now it sticks to the road. (tire pressure, tire type helped).

Online is great,  you can earn credit for your career and level up your cars.  If you can pick up some of the high class car races on the oval tracks your odds of winning are a toss up and if you can come in near the front you can collect some fast credits.

Bonus Tip:

Add big rims,  front and rear wings to your car to get it down graded in points, you gain a bit of weight but it opens up more points for upgrades.  Then just turn the aero settings off on the wings.  At the lower classes ( D )  you don't go fast enough for the wings to be a help so they are a penalty to the car overall due to weight.

So, the last great driving game I played was GT3, never played Forza, I'm assuming the car customization options are fantastic (under the hood, tires, etc.)?  I mean, they're really involved?

Also, this uses RL cars and RL car parts right?

Yes.  GT3 plus.  Tire pressure, tire width, brand names under each tire type of sport, racing slick, rim size, and so on.  Toe-in, camber, brake balance, differential settings, sway bar stiffness, spring damping.  The usual, plus you can apparently completely swap your engine.  Something I was surprised by, I am apparently able to put either a supercharger or a turbo on my Civic, after which I will be locked into the specific upgrades for each (intercooler for turbo, for ex).  It's not Spreadsheets on a Track exactly, but you won't be hurting for things to tweak.


Yes, sir.  There are a few things like "FORZA Spoiler" but mostly it's brand name.

If there is anything you take away from my drooling, let it be just how much better this game is than any other driving sim I have played and it's because of the driving.

Whole powertrain swaps are a little over the top in some cases - that tC in my picture is a rear-drive car now (powertrain swap with the Altezza), and an absolute monster (currently detuned to class b/699PI).  Still fiddling with the chassis tuning, but it's hilarious using it in region specific races against a whole field of Corvettes.

Just a note because I'm a car nut, but most of the powertrain swaps in the game have actually been pulled off in the real world. Even the R32 AWD -> FWD MK2 VW GTI. If they wanted to go really nutty they could have done twin engine stuff.

I can't drive a RWD car in this game to save my life.   I seriously can't keep these things from spinning out or fishtailing all of the time.

My Mini Cooper is now 400+ horsepower and sticks to the road like glue.  I was doing the 300HP and lower race and just couldn't beat a certain Boxter with my Subaru.  The middle race on this set is just brutal. It just wasn't quick enough and good enough on the turns.  So, I busted the Mini down to sub 300hp and tore the Boxter a new one.  Won the race by a good 7 seconds.   

The most fun I've had though was doing a sub 150 horsepower race with a Civic.  Very close races with very little margin for error. 

So how are the American car selections? I've found them to be extremely lacking in areas in past games.

http://forzamotorsport.net/news/announcements/carlist.htm

Honestly, outside of the Vette Z06s, Vipers and Ford GT, most of the American cars are pretty blah.  Why they included the Regal GNX and didn't include a dragstrip I have no idea.

Sexy.

I have had the same problem in other games, but have not tried RWD in this game yet.  The superb controls give me hope that I can lern2driv a RWD well.  I figure I will try it soon enough, probably after I give a midengine car some miles, but I am having loads of fun with my now-S-Class Civic.  I haven't even done a powertrain swap, still FWD, and it's king of the fucking road.

(http://www.yegolev.com/f13/images/forza_s-class_civic_s.jpg)


By the time I got there with my Civic, I blew everyone else off the track.  Now it has too much hp and I'm not quite Level 15 so I will try out one of the prettier cars I have won.

It's just like real life. Don't lift while turning. Power oversteer. Be very light on the throttle out of the corners.

F13 Civic Si:

Left Side (http://i18.tinypic.com/4tkuii9.jpg)

Front/Right (http://i19.tinypic.com/63rw7wp.jpg)

Left/Rear (http://i15.tinypic.com/4kyhoo0.jpg)

Thanks, But i Have no idea. Itunes has no idea. If you can come up with a link do us all a favor and link it. and any one who says they can type faster than They can talk please eat shit and choke, Thank you.

What

You're a kinder man than I. 

Wrong thread I think.

Uh.  That was weird, so much for us (me) having a Serious Forza 2 Thread.

Great job on the car, MisterNoisy.  I was looking at the decals and thinking "No fucking way am I making anything more than a square".

Thanks.  :) 

If anyone wants a car dressed up like that (I've made a few changes, most notably changing the grey stripe to a darker shade), gift it to 'Mister Noisy' and I'll gift it back in full F13 forum livery.  If you want something other than 'F13 NET' on the license plate, that's a pretty easy change.

I know what you mean, Yego.  However, with a little work I've managed to make a fairly decent reproduction of Murray from Monkey Island.  Helps that he's a monotone skull from a 2D game.  Still, I'm almost reluctant to post it since there's a handy comparison sitting to my left in which people can see how much I'm off.   :-D  Hopefully I can manage to fudge my way though enough MI characters to make an entire car.  Hell, the font is hard enough.

I'm thinking of making a Pipboy car next.  Well, attempting to anyways. 

Awesome work.  I'll be gifting you a car or two this weekend if that's ok :) 

Played some today instead of working (ssshhh!) and won some races with a new MR2.  I was worried at first because, well, you have to actually drive well when you have a mid-engine RWD, and I had jacked it up to an S class.  It was really awesome, though, how I was able to learn how to drive the car and I credit the fantastic controls.  These 360 triggers are unmatched.  The sticks don't suck, either.

I didn't even paint this one, so no pictures today.  Next up is a large Vauxhall.

Also: Laguna Seca!  Still a bitch.

By all means - it only takes a minute or two to load existing decal groups onto a new car, and then a bit of tweaking to get it to look 'right'.  Lately, I've been spending more time in the paint editor than the rest of the game, and will hopefully have some more interesting/complex stuff soon (this weekend?).  It's like a very demented puzzle game, but with a better payoff.

Hey MisterNoisy, do you have your XBL username posted anywhere? Tried to send you a PM, but it was blocked :(

It's 'Mister Noisy' - apparently someone jacked the version without the space in the middle before I got a chance to.

I wish to humbly apologise for my attempted thread crap on a thread about a game that I enjoy. I suck at it but I enjoy it, I have no idea what thread I was trying to answer but it sure was not this one. I am sorry and I beg your collective pardon.

Please add for to the spell checker. Yes, I can misspell 3 letter words. It is a gift. Thank you.

I knew which thread you were answering, or I did, I have forgotten now.  No big deal, I figured you were drunk.

I seem to enjoy the game but likewise suck,  Typically I run clean up on all the laps picking up the parts that fall off everyone else's car.  I have about 50 online races, 3 firsts, 3 seconds, about 10 thirds....

If anyone needs someone to beat send me an invite 'BSTAZ'  I would like to race with other inept drivers.

Hey you guys talking about how amazing the controls are in this game.... Did you play Forza 1? Forza 1 had amazing control as well, and I like the original xbox (fatty) controller triggers better than the smaller X360 controller triggers. I can't imagine that Forza 2 handles any better than Forza 1. Maybe you all are GT junkies and finally made the switch.

So how's the control compare to Forza 1?

I far prefer the smoothness of the new triggers.

I haven't played a driving game this much since the original Mario Kart.  So.. that's where I'm coming from.  I remember playing one of the first GT's and just being horrid at it.

That being said, anything other than a FWD is still killing me. Mid engine is just brutal.  I get destroyed.  :| 

Still, it's hard to pull myself away from the game once I start playing.

(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1196/536182349_8180ff121f.jpg)

The Murray image turned out really well - I'd only suggest replacing the green with one that's a slightly lighter/more yellowish shade.  If you ever move or use the image on a lighter background, you can generate a cartoon-character-style outline pretty easily by just copying the image, blowing it up a little bigger, coloring it black and pasting underneath the existing one.

Hmm.. If you want to transition away from FWD, my guess would be this -

Get a Subaru STI of some type. Either the 22b or a plain sti. Don't do any power mods, just do suspension/brakes/trans/lsd. Keep the weight. Mess with the gearing so that you use all 6 gears. Meaning you actually have the power to get 6th almost to redline, about 2k under redline in 6th - keep the 2k 'extra' for drafting and overtaking on super high speed sections.

4wd cars should be pretty easy to drive. It's not too much different from fwd, the only problem is that it's real forgiving.

The next step would be something like an AE86 corolla. Put slicks on it, no power mods again. Be sure to have up the tire temp display (if they have that in forza 2, still haven't bought a 360) and keep an eye on it.

I do all my practice stuff on Laguna Seca, or I did in Forza 1. I'd rack off 50-60 laps per night when I was really playing. Anyways, pick a track that you like. Do all your practicing there.

Once you're OK with the low weight low power Corolla, step it up to a base vette of some type. Again, put slicks on it. Biggest thing is to get down how to smoothly apply power coming out of a corner. Do all your braking before the corner. As you turn in, release brakes and add throttle smoothly, and do it in relation to how hard you're turning in. Try to be smooth everywhere.

I love the RWD cars in this game. I drive a RWD and love them and in F2 you can totally do real world throtte control of the backend. i started in asia so even early in game have a supra twin, an old school 240SX, a Silva and a Skyline. Along with access to chevy and porsches. my only FWD is an olson corolla so Ill haveto buy one to complete all the FWD events.

EDIT. Heh Rasix - Im in progress on PIPboy decals. Not sure what car i eventually want them on tho.

I accidentally started with a rear wheel drive car and am going to stick with it for a while so that when I move to front wheel drive everything should seem easier.

I went nutz and bought a wheel. I am better but I still suck. I suck less with FWD but hey thats easy mode dude. This is definitely a game with replay value. Very well crafted game. Me likely. Look for guido123 and bump my ass cause I like that. Good hunting.

500+ hp Delivery 'truck':

(http://i18.tinypic.com/4uo0w75.jpg)

You should go into business painting cars and then selling them on Live.  Actually is that even possible, when you trade a car does the paint job come too?

You can lock a paint job so when you sell it in the auction house in Forza no one else can edit it.

So I just picked this up and noticed no manual in my case.

Did everyone's come with no manual or should I get it swapped?

Mine came with a manual.

Weak. I don't have time for this.

I've never opened my manual.  You shouldn't need it.

I have a manual, I assume, but I have not read it.

Nija, last racing game I played was Forza 1 and, without checking, Forza 2 is better.  Forza 2 did have analog triggers, sure, but not like this.  I'm not as hardcore as you are but I see a definite improvement in control.  There is no excuse for this to not be your racing game.

Recent adventures into RWD-land resulted in this:
(http://yegolev.com/f13/images/forza_1969-z_crash_s.jpg)

I may have the worst case of altitis in F13.net

I've already deleted and restarted in Forza 2.

Thrice.

Why would you do that?

It would seem because he's retarded. Or wanted to try each country's cars. The second one isn't so likely though.

It's a sickness.

Plus, I couldn't pick a car I wanted. 

You can buy cars.  Just a FYI!

(http://imatt.us/mt/archives/orly.JPG)

I know I know.

I told you, it's a sickness.  You should see me try and play MMO's.

Sounds awful.  You can change regions, too.  Or or or or... win some races and you can drive foreign cars.

But if you delete everything and begin again you only start with about $10,000.  That's five of the easy low level races.  Just soup up an all wheel/front wheel drive car and run the races which only have two laps.  It's not like an MMO where you have limited slots available, I just don't get it man.  And it's not like your driver has stats either, all you do is race and collect cars...

You also know if you only get silver/bronze in a race you can just do it again until you get gold and win the car right?

It's not polite to make fun of the mentally ill/retarded.

Can't you see that MrHat has issues he is trying (unsuccessfully) to deal with?

It's tough-love.  I'd actually like to see him flip around the three sides in StarCraft if I was being mean.

That Fairlady Z is one of my favourite cars - at least early on. It's slippery but a ton of fun to drive :)

EDIT: Oh and if you have any interest in cars or racing this is almost a killer app for the 360. The physics and tuning are great, races are fun and diverse and the livery editor is almost a separate game in terms of enjoyment and complexity.

Yeg - Did you keep driving after that wall kiss? Just askin' cause you left your muffler behind if so :P

That was the last lap.  Note that I was within sniffing-distance of the line.  Got too eager.

Edit: Muffler-shmuffler, losing the spoiler was more of a blow.

Also edit: It is worth noting for those that don't have this game that the screens are not nearly as pretty as the game itself.  My Z looks like it is made out of clay in that pic.

I wasn't going to pick this up because I couldn't drive the demo at all.  After following this thread though I'm kind of on the fence.  I went back and took my time driving and can at least not come in dead last anymore so with more practice and tuning I"m sure I can do better.  DiRT is supposed to be out Tuesday though so I'm kind of torn.

V

Is there a way to mirror the paint job on one side of the car so that it looks the same on the other?  I assumed there was and I just couldn't find it but then last night I won some S level car with writing all over it and when I rotated it the entire other side of the car was backwards, like trying to read in a mirror.  Even the forza people couldn't seem to do what I want.  All I want to do is copy what I have on the left and make it look the same on the right...

On another note some people are getting carried away with the paintjobs. (http://forums.forzamotorsport.net/forums/thread/214564.aspx)

(http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/4066/forza2qn9.jpg)

Edit: Wow, this thread has a lot of pretty impressive stuff. (http://forums.forzamotorsport.net/forums/1/189552/ShowThread.aspx)

I think what you want to do is copy-paste the layer or layer groups instead of tell it to make the left look like the right, because it will reverse it for you.  Worked great when I mirrored the flame decal I put on my Civic, I was impressed.  If you copy the layer (not sure if you can copy a layer group but I bet you can) then you can switch sides and paste it over and it should be unmolested.

I admit that I am getting interested in painting something.

The S-class car was probably one of the 'Top Secret' drift cars (the D1 Silvia?) For some reason they have one side reversed completely - text and all - it's just what they do, as the RL Top Secret D1 Silvia (http://projectd1.huu.cc/d1_cg/04wallpaper/pc_top_05.jpg) looks like that too.

Text is a bit tougher than other stuff because it doesn't mirror properly.  Save all of the text and other images that you don't want reversed as a decal group. 

L-Stick Click and press 'A' to add or remove a layer from a selection, move onto another layer you want added to the group and repeat, or use the 'highlight all' option if need be first and then remove what you don't want to add to the group.  Then press 'A' with one of the selected layers highlighted and select 'New Decal Group', name and save.

If you still have layers remaining that you *do* want to mirror (stripes, etc), cut the ones you just highlighted (since you just saved them as a group) and then use the 'Copy All from left/right' option on the other side.  Then re-paste the decal group down on both sides - some repositioning will definitely be necessary, esp. on the side you copied onto.  Technically, you could just paste the group onto the other side after mirroring (since it'll be on the clipboard), but I like saving groups in case I want to replicate a design anyway.  Another handy thing (esp for logos, etc) is to paste down a few 'reference' lines or boxes in a contrasting color for lining your text and logos up on the other side before copying to the other side, then deleting them when you've got the logos back down on both sides.

Additional tip if you're anal-retentive like I am:  the 'copy all from left/right' function sometimes places the decals slightly forward and up relative to the side you copied from (it varies from car to car), so check the 'seams' where the side meets the bumpers and roof decals for fit.  On a lot of designs, this won't matter, but I wrap stuff around the car sometimes, so repositioning may be necessary - just highlight all on that side and move it around a bit until it lines up.

Also:  Just wanted to restate my offer of free F13-themed paint jobs to the people here.  ;)

Okay I'll give both your suggestions a whirl, thanks.

A little late I know but it looks like EB has the  manual (http://www.ebgames.com/gs/instructions/Xbox%20360/200187%20-%20Forza%20Motorsports%202.pdf) on their site.

Same here.  I suck at driving games and have no patience for it.  The paint program sounds fantastic, though.

Knowing me, and how much I've been thinking about the game for the past couple of days, I'll probably break down and grab a copy this weekend.

After playing the demo quite a bit I'm much better so I'm going to pick this one up this afternoon. I can't paint worth a damn but I'll try but I find some of the things people are doing just amazing. 

I'll pick up DiRT eventually.

V

I like racing games but don't normally buy them because I'm not terribly good and I'm not willing to buy the wheel and pedals that would help me (let alone building some contraption to actually use both from my couch) but Forza is different.  Right away you get the most critical information you need, when to brake.  The normal difficulty gives you dynamic arrows on the road warning you to slow down (yellow) or start braking (red).  Playing Gran Turismo I would have to play a track for ages before I learned enough about it to know where the lines were and when to brake, I hated it, then the track would change and I'd be lost again.

It's nice because you can get fairly far in an all wheel drive car, then once you know the courses you can start using a front wheel drive which is still fairly easy to control, finally you can take on the rear wheel drive which are quite difficult with the control pad, the slightest movement can send you spinning.  Ironically the rear wheel drive cars actually get easier as you progress because the super pro race cars are low and wide so they have much better handling, the problem is you start off driving old Porsches and Camaros which have a lot of power but no control.

And then last night I discovered the glory that is the STM system.  If you go into options, difficulty and turn this on you lose 5% of credits earned but I swear it turns any RWD into nearly FWD handling.  I had been knocking my brains out trying to win a very junior race with a classic Porsche and in desperation started fiddling, after turning STM on it was a cakewalk.  Later on when I want more of a challenge I can just turn it off.

One of the biggest things that makes the R-class cars handle so much nicer than the lower-class ones is downforce from aero addons.  Try adding the adjustable front/rear wings to a regular car and crank up the downforce on whichever end feels loose and you can stabilize almost anything at the cost of some top end speed.  Strip out as much weight as possible to add to the effect.

Only downside is that some cars look patently ridiculous with the adjustable wings.

Nice tip, thanks.  This game has a lot more to do than I thought which is a good thing.  A good purchase even if I'm not super skilled.

V

Okay, bought the game earlier today.  Go to play it for the first time tonight, and my 360 won't recognize the disc.  It reads, and doesn't launch the game, I just get the "open tray" message on the button as if there were no disc present.  I eject and try again more than a few times; nothing.

At this point I'm worried and try loading another one of my games, and it loads without a hitch.  I figure maybe I've got a badly pressed disc and toss it into my computer to see if I can read it there.  Indeed, my computer DVD drive can see the game just fine.

What the fuck is going on here?

Well, that's weird.

Yeah, and I'm not seeing anyone else whose had this problem when I did a search of the Forza forums or Google in general.  Maybe I just got a shit disc?  I'll return it tomorrow for a new copy and see if that clears up the problem.

My disc had a bunch of crap on it that I had to wipe off. I had problems loading certain tracks and it could also cause crashes, which was weird. 

Nope, no problem like that, the disc looks pristine.

I hate self quoting, but oh well.  I was digging a little bit further online, because it seemed weird that my game didn't include any manual.  Turns out that most of the copies of Forza that Best Buy is selling don't include them because the publisher was in a rush to get out copies of the game.  Maybe I just fell afoul of shitty quality control?

No manuals? Wow, that's really shitty.

Swapped out the game.  SAME MOTHERFUCKING THING!

ETA:  Oh, and the cocksuckers at EB won't crack open their display to verify that the game works.  At this point I'm just going to assume my console is once again fucked (I've still been having minor scratching issues), and I've got the old, trusty cardboard box on the way.

That's definitely your console if it happened again.

I'm gonna be honest. It seems like certain areas of America get hit with Broken Xboxen more than other areas. I have YET to hear my EB Manager bitch about broken 360s (and he would to me, if they heard a lot about them). The only person we know who's 360 broke was the ASM (ironically), at EB.

Agnostic Spaghetti Monster?

My 360 has been rock solid so far, but I actually kind of want it to crash in the next couple of months, since I actually bought an extended warranty after having problems with my original Xbox plus all the stories of the new 360s going tits-up.

They won't crack open their display? Is it the standard one, where you just unlock 3 locks and it easily opens up? With the plastic dome over the system?

Lazy Fucks.

This sounds like a lot of fun. Might just pick this up in the next few days. I will suck royally, but some MP action should be fun!

Couldn't dedicate the time.

I wanted to play with a wheel.

Traded it in. Too many other games going out.

Shame really, it's largely a masterpiece.

Heh, that's pretty much what I'm coming too.  I don't really have the time to put into a racing game, eventhough the little I played was gorgeous.  Shame really.

Yea, I walked into Gamestop and told them Never To Let Me Preorder A Racing Game Again.



Unless it had the words Ridge and Racer in the title. I've played every single one of them for the same music and same tracks and loved it every time.

I am picking this up tonight, methinks.

Noisy, paint my damned car and send it back!  :-D

Anyone played this online yet? I just took off most of the training wheels (ABS, traction, etc) yesterday and realized I am not even close to ready. Got to race on a NASCAR-style track finally- going really fast is a blast!

No worries - I haven't been on at all the last week or so, but I'll get ya taken care of when I get home tonight.

Also, would be game for some online racing with the people here some time this weekend.  I typically play w/o headset tho.

I have played online a bit, it was fun.  Didn't mention it since it's just like single-player but other people drive the other cars.  Shrug?  Oh yes, they also want to talk to you.

Way, your car has been sent back in F13 colors (similar to the Civic):

(http://i14.tinypic.com/4px79tk.jpg)

(http://i7.tinypic.com/4ut3fwy.jpg)

(http://i18.tinypic.com/63t5lb6.jpg)

The Cayman (while a sexy beast) is not my favorite car to paint (side gills break up stripes/logos and there's a shortage of blank space).  That said, I hope you dig.  :)

If there's anything you want changed, send it back and let me know.  (also:  the pics are a tad 'overexposed' - every time i photograph something in the editor, the colors seem way too light)

It looks great! Thanks a bunch. I think you saw the upper limits of my painting abilities on the Cayman when I sent it over to you  :-D

I want a Lamborghini! I am only eligible to buy 1 model so far, and that is fairly spendy. As I mentioned, I upped the difficulty to earn money faster, but got way too frustrated with the spinouts and but the traction help back on. Anyone know what the average difficulty setting is in MP? I am wondering if everyone else is just 10x better than I am, or if they use the cheats too.

I just raced around that circle at the Nissan speedway over and over again when I needed money.  I think it is in the manufacturer races and the car has to be a Nissan, I used that "somethingorother Secret" car that I won in another race (with improved brakes, cams, tires and weight reduction), I'm pretty sure you get around $8,000 per three minute race with all the difficulty maxed, since you never have to break it's very easy.   Of course just progressing through the game gets a lot of money too.

I just rented this for a week to try it, and I have to say I'm leaning towards forking out the cash. I was a little pissed to find that the rented disc had a scratch and won't load the track for my RWD challenge after I dropped a bunch of money upgrading my Camaro, but eh, whatever.

I started out N.America, and took the Solstace for its handling. At first I thought I'd fucked up since I kept losing to faster cars, but now that I've earned some money to upgrade its acceleration, its really quite fun whipping around corners with 4.7 handling.

I bought a Solstice early on too. Not a bad car once you get it fitted correctly, really.

Still spending more time painting than racing:

(http://i7.tinypic.com/63casg8.jpg)

Change that rocket into a panda and "planet" into "panda" and make the car Red and you'll really be a rice burner.

OH SHIT I'M FUNNY.

Panda Express is the crapiest Chinese fast food in the entire world.  It's just nasty stuff.

Does that mean the car would taste bad? I don't get it.

I wish I had ANY artistic ability and/or patience to learn how to do that stuff. I R NUB. Plus I suck at racing.  :cry:

Just do like I do and take A class cars in to D class races. You don't win much money, but it helps build the ego.

Get a Lotus Exige - it turns anyone into a racing god.  You'll need one for one of the factory-spec races anyway, and it's an absolute beast, especially when upgraded.  I tuned mine up to Class A/840-something PI and did the A-class endurance race this weekend, and despite the fact that everyone pulled away at the start and on the first straight, once a corner came up, it was over - you can brake so much later and carry a ton of speed through turns.  The next fastest car (Corvette Z06) was giving up 7-8+ seconds a lap.  The only course it has problems with is the tri-oval, but I'm pretty sure I can conquer that by tuning gear ratios and downforce.

Okay, just got my 360 back from repair today and was able to play Forza for the first time.  Question....  Will a driving wheel help me not completely suck?

Start with an all wheel drive car or turn on the stability system in options and once you learn the courses it will be fine.  Also invest in new tires, brakes and weight reduction to improve handling once you have some money.

You make it sound like I possess some core level of competency which can be enhanced with a few tweaks here and there.  I can assure you that this is not the case.

I too couldn't drive to save my life. I stopped for about a week then went back into the game. 

What worked for me was to do the New York track over and over and over (and over). I think I did if for a couple hours one night.   It help me learn how to modulate the gas and brakes and brake before the corner. Since you can't overshoot the turn (if you do so you hit the wall and trash the car)  you have to be spot on.  After a bunch of tries you start to get a feel for how much you have to slow down when you are turning.  The other item it helped teach was how to brake correctly.  I was always pushing the brake level to the bottom and didn't realize I was actually locking up the tires even with ABS on,  once you learn to feather the brake correctly the rest came much easier.

Don't bother with the wheel, the sticks are actually pretty great at not being Almost Digital like with previous racing games.  You just need to practice the finesse turning while at the same time finessing the accelerator and brakes.  Drive like a regular car, meaning you don't slam the brake pedal to the floor when slowing nor should you jam on the gas when leaving a turn... although how you do it varies by the car.  For example it is more acceptable to floor it leaving a turn when driving a FWD car.  Doing the same in a RWD will cause you to fail.

You get good at Forza 2 the same way you get to Carnegie Hall.

Ticketmaster?

Okay, finally got rid of the starter Pontiac Solstice when I won the Camaro and things are going much better now.  I've slapped some upgrades on it to improve the handling, and love how they've pretty accurately reflected the fact that you're driving a friggin' boat.  The amount of homework that went into this game is impressive; every car has it's own feel, and you can actually notice something as small as increasing the pressure in your back tires by a piddly 2 PSI.

Actually having a really good time unlocking stuff, which is surprising considering I usually hate racing games.

I am a total newb at racing games. I ran out and bought the wheel and pedals. It feels more natural, it is more instinkave. But the game is balanced so that you are not at a disavantage using the controller. This game is tough unless you know these tracks inside and out. Cars as well. The wheel will not change these facts. You will not gain an advantage by using the wheel.

I've gotten much, much better.  RWD vehicles are still kind of a pain in the ass for me, though, since I tend to fishtail a lot....

Exhibit A)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/spaeschke/InitialCrash.jpg)

and immediately following that I went into the deathspin)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/spaeschke/FollowUp.jpg)

Amazingly I still won the race, but just barely.

So...

Anyone up for a F13 race night?

Always willing... able?  Send a message/invite if I appear to be on.  Might get lucky.

It is MADDEN DAY! If I am on, I will be winning the Super Bowl with my beloved Hawks. We should schedule an F13 race some weekend day, however- that would be fun. I would probably be dead last and decide to drive the wrong way on the track to grief the rest of ya.

Picked this up when we bought our Xbox this week. The levelling and earning credits for races is a great move. The whole "Oops, you lose try again" gameplay of certain racing games turned me off but this is fun even while I'm getting my ass kicked.

My first real attempt to paint a car:

(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa181/Yegolev/2007_charger_s.jpg)

I have since replaced the rims and painted them black as well.