From: pete@minster.york.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games
Subject: REPOPST: Microprose F1GP Review
Date: 11 Dec 92 17:00:59 GMT
Reply-To: pete@minster.york.ac.uk (Pete Fenelon)
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of York, England

I've had several requests to re-post this article -- a review of Microprose
Formula 1 Grand Prix.

------
Microprose Formula 1 Grand Prix -- PC version
A Review By Pete Fenelon

I've never been frightened by a computer game before, until F1GP let me
experience the joys of trying to qualify a Benetton in the wet at Spa...
approaching Eau Rouge at an ungodly speed and suddenly realising that 
at least three other cars wanted to use the same bit of road, at approximately 
the same time, and one of them was more than slightly sideways... 
Big adrenaline rush. Extremely exciting stuff...

Quite simply, F1GP brings the levels of realism that Microprose flight
simulators have always offered to the racing games world. Previous PC racing
games have included quite a few _good_ pieces of software -- Mario
Andretti's Racing Challenge was fun, particularly the NASCAR option, and
Indy 500 is fascinating from the point of view of setting-up the car's
aerodynamics and suspension, but F1GP, as far as I'm concerned, is streets
ahead of the rest for look, feel, depth and sheer playability.

F1GP is a faithful recreation of the 1991 World Championship. All 16
circuits have been beautifully rebuilt -- looking at the usual range of
camera shots, replays and so on bears an uncanny resemblance to TV
coverage and enthusiasts will be able to recognise everything -- IMHO
the best-portrayed circuits are the revised Silverstone (this is the
first racing game I've seen which includes the new layout, and bloody
hard it is too!), Adelaide, Spa and Imola, but they're all extremely
accurate. Monaco is particularly fun to drive -- it's amazing how many
of the corners are blind due to buildings obstructing the view, and
just how much the Loew's Hairpin slopes! And, as I said earlier,
negotiating Eau Rouge at Spa in the middle of the pack when the rain is
beating down is possibly the nearest thing to a heart-stopping
experience you can have in front of a computer...

Interestingly, though, Microprose have not used the real names of teams or
drivers -- so although Number 1 is a dayglo red and white car driven by a
yellow-helmeted Brazilian, rather than being Ayrton Senna in a McLaren it's
Carlos Sanchez in a McPherson. But it's the work of 5 minutes to fix
everything so that the appropriate names are there. Just adds to the
fun and realism of it all if you're a dedicated fan.

The car and driver colours are instantly recognisable too -- with two
very minor exceptions (Modena Lamborghinis appear in what look like
blue/white/grey 1991 Coloni colours and the Coloni appears in its
yellow 1990 livery) although race numbers and lettering don't appear on
them. Even the drivers' helmets are right, so it's possible to tell if
it's Mansell or Patrese you're about to tangle with... all _VERY_
impressive.

Everything is in 256 colour graphics, with some lovely digitised backgrounds
to the menu screens and suchlike, and the opening animation is quite
stunning. This is a quality piece of software.

Anyway, what of the gameplay?

After you've chosen your car and driver there are four main options -- a
``quick race'' (pick your own place on the grid!), a non-championship race
(with free practice and qualifying sessions), a championship season (all 16
races...) and the opportunity to go testing at any of the circuits.

Non-championship race is probably the option most people will use initially.
You get a short untimed session, useful for familiarising yourself with the
circuit, but then the excitement mounts as the timed session starts. For
this you get four sets of qualifying tyres -- slight artistic licence here,
but never mind. This section starts with your car in the pit land and the
ever-present monitor with the current lap times in front of the driver's
eyes. As soon as you think it's time to go for it... out onto the circuit
and give it hell.

There's also an opportunity for a pre-race untimed practice session, best
used if you've been messing around with car setup. Options here aren't quite
as extensive as in Indy 500 -- you can change brake balance, front and rear
wings, gear ratios and tyre compounds, but some of the more recondite
suspension adjustments aren't available. I think a satisfactory balance has
been struck between realism and playability here, but it would be nice to
give experienced players a bit more control over car set-up... or does this
simplicity have something to do with a simpler car model than Indy 500?
Whatever the reason, it is possible to tweak the car so it works well on
different circuits -- what works well at Monaco will almost certainly be
wrong for Hockenheim, and my settings probably won't be the same as
yours...

Assuming you get a decent grid position, the best part of the game is the
start of the race. The usual red/green lights are used and getting a good
start is pretty tricky, although once you've mastered it it is quite
possible to make up a lot of places. In one particularly memorable Monaco
race I started 26th and was 7th by Casino Square! 

Car control is very responsive even on my relatively humble 386SX/25. 
The player has the option of selecting several ``driving aids'' -- these
include automatic braking (completely negates the point of the game and is
strictly for klutzes), automatic gearing (handy if you're playing on a
keyboard rather than joystick), a device to point the car in the right
direction after a spin (pointless), unlimited damage to the car (useful for
beginners), and two useful indicators -- one showing the ideal racing line
as a dotted white line on the circuit and another showing the ideal gear to
be in at a particular point. Players using the keyboard will probably find
automatic gearing a necessity...

The usual plethora of camera views are included, as mentioned earlier. It is
possible to ride with any driver in the race -- just like the car camera
shots we're used to -- or to view a particular car from a ``camera'' in
front of or behind it. It's also possible to follow a particular car from a
series of trackside cameras. Of course, wandering around like this when
you're trying to race is not always ideal, so there is a pause mode!

Races can be set to be any length from 1 lap to full Grand Prix
distance. I find that a 1/10 distance race -- the Quick Race option provides
this -- is a nice balance for routine play and familiarisation with the
game, but I can see myself wanting to do full-length (or at least
considerably longer) races as my experience with the game grows. 

The manual is excellent, covering the principles of the game, the circuits,
the 1991 teams (oddly enough, since they're not on disk!) and something of
the technical background to modern F1. It's a typical Microprose job, which
means that it's worth reading even if you think you know the subject well --
there is a lot of information scattered around.

The disks are not copy protected, but a password from the manual is required
at start-up. This is a sensible way of doing things, in my opinion.

In short, this is an outstanding piece of software which no racing
enthusiast with a PC should be without. Minimal requirements are quite high
-- a 386 with VGA, 1Mb and quite a bit of hard disk is required (a full
installation with all the opening graphics and various other bits of
animation takes up the best part of 7Mb; it is possible to cut this right
down to about 3 if you just want the bare bones.) Sound cards and joysticks
add to the fun, if available. 

I would write more, but I want to improve on my 12th place in the last
Australian Grand Prix... Congratulations to Geoff Crammond for creating one
of the all-time classic computer games.

Pete
--
*Peter Fenelon -- Research Associate -- Software Safety Assessment Procedures*
Dept. of Computer Science, University of York, York, Y01 5DD (+44/0)904 433388
EMAIL: pete@minster.york.ac.uk `There's no room for enigmas in built up areas'