F1 2012 Demo Available Now For 360, Tomorrow For PS3

[pk500]

This demo isn't thrilling me. It isn't disgusting me. It's mediocre.

The driving model is the same except it's a bit easier. Instead of needing ABS and full TC like last year, I needed only medium TC and no ABS and could get away with no TC if I was really careful. Otherwise, the cars feel the same as F1 2011.

One of the weaknesses of F1 2011 was improperly simulated braking power. F1 cars can stop at mind-meltingly short distances. Any time a driver tests an F1 car for the first time, his first comment after climbing from the cockpit is astonishment at the braking power. F1 2011 didn't simulate this that well, and it seems like F1 2012 simulates it even worse.

The demo's graphics are pretty. Crofty's commentary is mega. The sound and atmosphere are terrific. But all of that was in last year's game, too.

I'm just not sure I want to drop $60 on release day for a new track in Austin and a couple of new game modes. I'm disappointed by the promised improvements in the driving model. The driving model wasn't really improved; it was just dumbed down a bit, made more accessible.

I might wait for a price drop on this one, especially with a soccer game, NBA 2K13 and Assassin's Creed III on the horizon.

Maybe I've been spoiled by the dramatic improvements this year in the gameplay engines of Madden 13, NHL 13 and the PES 2013 demo, but this feels like a very small step forward for this series. It's F1 2011.5.

[superjames1992]

Is the AI better in this year's game? I felt like the AI was way too conservative in F1 2011. I could be dramatically slower and hold off the 10 AI cars for 20 laps if I was driving defensively well enough. I know it is hard to pass in real life in F1, as well, but it isn't that hard.

Another issue in F1 2011 is that I felt that the AI was way too slow on the opening lap. It was way too easy to start in the back and shoot up 10 places on the grid on the first lap if you were not passive. It kind of ruined qualifying for me, until I started to restrain myself on the first lap, but that's no fun.

[BIG CAROLINA]

Quote: Originally Posted by pk500

This demo isn't thrilling me. It isn't disgusting me. It's mediocre. The driving model is the same except it's a bit easier. Instead of needing ABS and full TC like last year, I needed only medium TC and no ABS and could get away with no TC if I was really careful. Otherwise, the cars feel the same as F1 2011. One of the weaknesses of F1 2011 was improperly simulated braking power. F1 cars can stop at mind-meltingly short distances. Any time a driver tests an F1 car for the first time, his first comment after climbing from the cockpit is astonishment at the braking power. F1 2011 didn't simulate this that well, and it seems like F1 2012 simulates it even worse. The demo's graphics are pretty. Crofty's commentary is mega. The sound and atmosphere are terrific. But all of that was in last year's game, too. I'm just not sure I want to drop $60 on release day for a new track in Austin and a couple of new game modes. I'm disappointed by the promised improvements in the driving model. The driving model wasn't really improved; it was just dumbed down a bit, made more accessible. I might wait for a price drop on this one, especially with a soccer game, NBA 2K13 and Assassin's Creed III on the horizon. Maybe I've been spoiled by the dramatic improvements this year in the gameplay engines of Madden 13, NHL 13 and the PES 2013 demo, but this feels like a very small step forward for this series. It's F1 2011.5.

Every driving model would be easy if you use full traction control and abs. F1 cars do not use traction control. Try driving 2011 and 2012 without t/c or abs and then let us know what you think. You still may not like it but you will see the difference.

Also, not sure if you are using auto gears or manual but again, F1 cars use manual gears which aids a ton in braking. Try it out and you will notice the difference instantly.

I will wait for the finished product before I give my opinion..... I try to stay away from demos because the demo might make you miss out on a great finished product.

[superjames1992]

Yeah, playing this game with all assists off is the only way to go (if you have a wheel, at least).

[pk500]

Quote: Originally Posted by BIG CAROLINA

Every driving model would be easy if you use full traction control and abs. F1 cars do not use traction control. Try driving 2011 and 2012 without t/c or abs and then let us know what you think. You still may not like it but you will see the difference. Also, not sure if you are using auto gears or manual but again, F1 cars use manual gears which aids a ton in braking. Try it out and you will notice the difference instantly. I will wait for the finished product before I give my opinion..... I try to stay away from demos because the demo might make you miss out on a great finished product.

I've followed F1 since the late 1980s. You're telling me nothing I haven't known for years.

You've also missed my point: Last year's driving model didn't properly simulate the amount of grip provided by an F1 car, especially in high-speed corners where aerodynamic grip is at its premium. The cars still felt like they were on ice with no assists.

This demo's driving model produces a ton of grip without assists, but only in the rear end. So the car feels strangely unbalanced, as if the front end is being washed out by dirty air from a leading car even when running on a clear track. The cars just don't track properly in the corner. There are bags of aero and mechanical grip in the rear but neither in the front.

Odd.

Regarding braking, carbon-fiber brakes provide much more stopping power than engine braking, as you well know. The ratio isn't even close. And this demo does a poor job of simulating the incredible stopping power of modern carbon-fiber brakes. I have attended F1 races in which cars traveling at 185 mph don't hit the brakes until about 80 meters before a 65-mph corner, and the cars make the turn with ease.

There's no way I'm buying a wheel for an Xbox 360. I already have a Logitech G25 for iRacing, and that's enough of an expense. Too bad it's incompatible with a 360 without a Rube Goldberg accessory.

[superjames1992]

Why don't you get the game for PC, PK, so you can have your cake (F1 2012) and eat it, too (G25 wheel)?

Playing this game with a controller without assists would be very difficult, I would think.

[pk500]

Quote: Originally Posted by superjames1992

Why don't you get the game for PC, PK, so you can have your cake (F1 2012) and eat it, too (G25 wheel)? Playing this game with a controller without assists would be very difficult, I would think.

Good idea, man. But the specs on my aging PC won't handle the minimum system requirements.

[JasonWilliams55]

Quote: Originally Posted by pk500

Good idea, man. But the specs on my aging PC won't handle the minimum system requirements.

This is the same predicament I'm in. So i will probably just stick with iRacing until I upgrade the PC.