Grand Prix 2 (game)
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| Grand Prix 2 | |
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| Developer(s) | Microprose |
| Publisher(s) | Microprose |
| Designer(s) | Geoff Crammond |
| Release date(s) | 30 August 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Sim racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | PC (DOS) |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| System requirements | 486, 8 MB RAM |
| Input | Keyboard, mouse, joystick, steering wheel |
Grand Prix 2 (nicknamed by the gaming community as "GP2") is a racing simulator released by MicroProse in 1996, with a FIA license that featured the Formula 1 1994 season, with all the circuits and cars. It was one of the first computer games with 3d texture mapping and SVGA graphics, as well as an early but realistic physics engine. A large community of GP2 enthusiasts formed quickly and exists still today. Grandprix 2 is recognised as the definitive racing sim of its era and many feel the height of the GPX series and a 'united' front of sim racers.
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[edit] Revolutionary Gameplay
There are many features that make former GP2 players go misty eyed and amongst them were features such as:
- Advanced SVGA graphics engine - The visuals were stunning at the time and even the highest end 486 systems struggled to render the game at full-speed in the 640 x 480 SVGA mode.
- Unparalleled AI and physics - It was so far ahead of its time that GP2 wasn't so much the definitive sim as it was the only sim available. Similarly aged offerings such as Power F1 1995 were simply left in the dirt despite being fairly impressive games in their own right.
- Extremely accurate circuits - In many places the laptimes of the best drivers were within two or three seconds of the real Formula one circuits.
- Engine, gearbox and electronic failures and detailed car setups for unparalleled accuracy and attention to detail.
Of course GP2 wasn't without its flaws including but not limited to the non-inclusion of wet weather, the 'black flag' system for handling penalties that gave cars a speed penalty for course cutting, cars being unable to flip and many difficulties in modding the game but these are often overlooked due to the overall quality of the product.
[edit] Cracking the Code
Because of its revolutionary true-to-reality style, programmers began to crack the code. The first known Track Editor was build by Andy Barganski, and a collection of new circuits built using this editor were published (commercially) by Instant Access Int Ltd. René Smit and Frank Ahnert created Gp2lap, that read the track files from the hard-disk instead of the CD, so track editing would be possible. Paul Hoad programmed the Gp2 TrackEditor, the CarEditor and the JAM Editor (texture importer/exporter) with the help of many beta testers, like Peter L Kessler, Addie Walti, SNQQPY.DOG, Marc Aarts and Nic " Swervin' Irvin' " Prins. As soon as tracks and cars became editable, the gp2 modding community began to grow. New track commands allowed better-looking, more challenging circuits and with less bugs. Many racing leagues were created with customized cars and helmets (the car liveries pack is called a "carset") and modified engine power.
Another breakthrough came with possibly the most used editor in the history of the game. Steven Young's GP2edit added an unrivaled easy-access carset maker. The simple UI and the range of the program meant that anyone could use it without prior knowledge or having to use multiple programs. As more versions were released, the programs power increased. Menu helmets, ingame helmets, sounds, pit-crew colours, track textures & adverts, team & driver performance, camera angles, tyres and even the number position on the car could be edited. Yet still, each time it still remained simple and easy to use.
Steven went on to create GP3edit for GP2's successor Grand Prix 3.
[edit] The Zenith of the GP2 community
While Juha Viitala, Daniel Ketteringham, Pieter van Dieren and PK Arnall created each year the latest Formula 1 carset, they also made old seasons, from the golden era (50s and 60s) to the wing era (70s), the turbo ages (80s) and the technological era (90s). CART, F3000 were also featured, but were less popular than F1 and fictional carsets. Adalberto Zapparoli, Andreas Bosch, Dereck Hicks, David Richards, Warren Jenks, Gabriele Moschetto focused on tracks, specially those of the F1 season, but also other FIA circuits in Europe and America, and also form Australia and other countries visited by CART, MotoGP and popular motorsport categories (Rio de Janeiro, Kyalami, Motegi...) On the other hand, people like Adie Walti, Martijn Keizer, John Edwards, Matti Laitinen, Jason Sinnbeck, Thomas Stephanskirchner and Phil Paterson focused on creating fictional tracks. Flexibility in track design produced interesting results: driving challenges, overtaking paradises or irrational madness.
In addition, Internet-based competitions such as LFRS, and Jon Edgar's GP2 Championship evolved, whereby competitors drove their individual races within GP2 then submitting them to a website which compiled overall results from their race times, providing a form of human competition to the game.
[edit] Decay and Today
After the release of Grand Prix 3 most of the drivers and editors changed from game. Late 2000 the Grand Prix 2000 patch was on sale; inmediately gp2 modding activity decreased. Grand Prix 4 (2002) almost killed the gp2 community, as 2002 and 2003 updating rates show. But still some people keep making carsets and tracks. The EVDJSR team (David Stunnenberg and Erick Von Draxeler) and the NPSW team (Sylvester Wever and Nick Pathuis) made and make carsets; Andreas Schulz, Antonio Pessoa, Otario Silveira, Roberto Remedio, Alex Cherkashin and Carlos Pereira built tracks. Some old experienced track designers helped breed a new wave of track designers, like CAP, Dereck Hicks and David Richards. In early 2006 TeamGp2 was formed by Nick Pathuis (also known as Npgp2) and Erick von Draxeler and David Stunnenberg (better known as EVDJS). MWi makes a Champcar set as we speak, and TK and AD are also still active. There are also some developments that could lead to online mods for GP2!
More recently, in March 2006, two relative newcomers to the mod scene Alexander Diehl and Marc Trevelyan (also known as Moonraker) created the MARD Team (MARD™). Although they have been playing GP2 since its release, they only recently decided to contribute to the ailing "GP2 MOD scene" and assist TeamGp2 in keeping the scene alive. Their creation is the Grand Prix Racing League (GPRL), a fictional series set in real life with real tracks.
[edit] External links
| Geoff Crammond's "Grand Prix" Series |
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F1GP | Grand Prix 2 | Grand Prix 3 | Grand Prix 4 |
