GESC Racing: The perpetual all things virtual cars thread. (includes GT6,Forza 5,etc)

Welcome everyone!

Recently we've been chatting in the Forza Motorsports 4 thread about a bunch of different games, especially now that some of that group is looking at going elsewhere to get their speed fixes. As we were talking it became apparent that despite the different games, it's generally the same group of people playing them. If you go into the GT5 thread you see the same names as the Forza threads, as the iRacing thread. So perhaps it might be best to create a thread where we can chat about whatever game we might be playing in and still be that great community of racers we've always been.

So here it is. Now there are a couple of things I'd like to see in this thread, hopefully to keep it from devolving into a battlefront of sorts. So firstly let's try keep comparisons to a minimum. It's gonna happen, and it did in the other threads but I would like to see people steer away from invalidating other's accomplishments in other games because you don't feel it's on par with your game of choice. To put it more simply, don't troll people based on the racer they're posting about. I know it doesn't need to be said for most of you, we're all respectable adults here (except that PK guy, you should watch out for him ).

Secondly and lastly this is a great place to recruit for any specific tournaments or series you might be in or want to run in any racing game. It is probably not the best place to run them though. So for each specific tournament you're running please create a thread for it's day to day administration. Stories and pictures from the tournaments are welcome here, but the other stuff would be best elsewhere to keep the signal to noise down in here.

So let's start ...

Forza Motorsport Series :

Racers (including version & gamertags)


Homepage : http://forzamotorsport.net/en-us/
Current thread : viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1145929 (Forza Motorsport 4)
Forza Horizon thread : viewtopic.php?p=23307661#p23307661

There is a new game in the series that launched with the XBOX One. I don't have this one so I can't weigh in on it with an opinion (yet, maybe we'll see what the future holds). Those that have it rave about it, I think it's safe to link our front page review on it.

ars technica review: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/11/f ... real-thin/

Anyway it's a franchise exclusive to the XBOX (Forza 1 on the Original Xbox, FM2,3 & 4 on the 360, and finally 5 on the One). With a great selection of cars, fresh DLC month to month and passion brought in part by narration from the hosts of Top Gear UK. Forza Motorsport 5 continues this tradition of excellence on and off the track with as faithful as possible simulations and graphics. To say the game looks stunning is an understatement.

Forza Motorsport 4 has been my primary racing fix since it's launch. Well after some account issues (credit glitch with the Storefront) which caused the deletion of my first two weeks of progress. It was fixed soon enough and we were off to the races in season 1 of Forzars. Filling out newly widened lobbies (up to 16 players) each Friday in a multi-class series. Since then I've logged tens of thousands of miles in total, mostly chasing ghosts in rivals. We still run shenanigans (non-serious racing) most Friday nights while we wait to figure out where everyone will land after the dust of the new games & console launches settles.

((edit: Removed links to videos as I have pulled them from Youtube because they contained music.))

iRacing :

Racers including contact info. Since iRacing uses real names and I understand people wouldn't want that posted in public here I'd like to list each forum name with a link to their profile so PM's could be sent to request that info. I'm not 100% familiar with how the service handles friend requests and such, so if there is a better way please let me know.
Often referred to as a service, which I never really got the idea behind, rather than a game. This simulator is often talked about as the pinnacle of current PC racers. It's good, very good. It does however have some drawbacks like a monthly subscription (not unjustified in my opinion) and it tends to look a bit dated compared to some other games.

I've had a good deal of time with this game as well, probably just under 20k miles driven. My early runs netted me several poles in the rookie series and a win within my first 3 races. Which moved me up a license level before I had finished my first week. It took me much longer (with a many month break in there) to reach the next level which I got in my last stint with the game. All in all if you have the horsepower to run it, a good wheel and the time learn it's a great PC racer.

Homepage : http://www.iracing.com/
Current thread : viewtopic.php?f=22&t=38229

For those interested biscuit posted about a promo available to get 50% memberships until Monday December 2nd 2013 (just in case I don't remove this in time). viewtopic.php?p=25773963#p25773963

As well some excellent videos posted by biscuit (here: viewtopic.php?p=25747293#p25747293) of some his racing series in there. Definitely worth the watch, I'd say). (shameless friend plug)

Sample link biscuit posted for those too lazy to click a couple of times : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xLW4arD ... ture=share (Richmond International Raceway)

Gran Turismo Series :

Racers including versions and PSN tags.


Homepage : http://www.gran-turismo.com/us/
Lookout thread : viewtopic.php?p=1068158#p1068158

I went through the first 20 pages of the GESC looking for another thread, but can't find it nor can search (that was the first GT related thread to come up in search). So I'm probably missing a more pertinent one here so if someone could link it or PM me with it that would be great.

This is the series, probably like most of us, that really started my love for virtual racers. I can still feel the anticipation when I re-watch the intro sequence to Gran Turismo 1. I followed that series faithfully until GT4. By that time I had gotten a taste of online racing via Papyrus' Nascar games (2002 & 2003) then EA's Nascar 2004.

This is also where I developed my love for tweaking cars. My methods of tuning and perfecting a machine for a course was developed in my teens to this game. Despite there being no reason, aside from bragging rights between some of my friends. We'd hold ad-hoc hot lap competitions in high school which would end with us sitting around a TV in a cold basement. Memory cards in hand to show off our final products live.

Unfortunately I missed out on the latest installment of the series, not because I have any specific aversion to it. I just didn't have a PS3, couldn't afford a proper wheel for it (until I got my Fanatec). So it just kinda passed me by. With GT6 coming out December 6th for the PS3 and I have the wheel for it, I doubt I'll be missing much of this upcoming installment.

Assetto Corsa :

Racers including contact info. Please inform me on what would be best to put in here, for the time being I will have it setup as I do the iRacing list.


Currently in early access testing I've seen this talked about around on the forums in the Forza thread. I haven't had the opportunity (and doubt I will for a while to take it out for a spin). Some of the reviews posted so far about it suggest it provides a kick ass driving experience on par or better than the best of them.

Homepage : http://www.assettocorsa.net/en/

Need For Speed Series :

Racers, including platform version and relevant contact info.


You really can't talk virtual racing without bringing up Need For Speed. Love it or hate it this series has been around forever in various permutations. From the "classic" Hot Pursuits to attempts at a serious racer in Porsche Unleashed and Shift, even to an MMO with Need For Speed World. Pound for pound this series has delivered over the years some astonishingly fun driving.

I haven't had too much sit down time with the later games in the series, so I can't weigh in too much on them. However all my memories from any of the Need For Speed games are mostly positive. They may not be technically astonishing, but they're great games none the less.

Their latest release, Need For Speed Rivals, I haven't given a go yet. Though from what I've seen, http://youtu.be/eDA37BmvNwM (skip in a couple minutes if you want to see the point of that video as opposed to just ranting about the unskipable crap), you should probably only consider this title for the console.

F1 Series :

Homepage: http://www.formula1-game.com/us/whats-new
Thread: I looked and couldn't find one, if you have one please link, thanks.

In the days of old. I loved Formula 1. I would stay up all night, or get up extra early to watches the races live in my mid teens. The races were visceral, loud and down right good. Sure it was (and is) sometimes a snor fest, but deep down somewhere in there you know good racing is being done. I too loved the formula one games I could get my hands on. The tracks were all familiar, I knew the drivers. It was great and the games were a cinch.

When I picked up F1 2012 I figured like the games of old the cars would be dumbed down a little, and the hundreds of thousands of miles I have driven in various simulators since my early days. This should be wonderful right? No game before (GT Legends came a very close second in this) has kicked my ass so very efficiently. Within minutes in the car on track it was very, very obvious my skills were far below that required to drive this thing to it's full.

What an experience though. It's terrible and violent. Loud and in your face. The straights quickly warp into a blurr and the corners are all too fast approaching. You clammer for more while it's realism knocks you down. Nothing quite fills you up like a few laps in this. I haven't much seat time in this unfortunately. For two reasons, I'm just no good at it and it's a massive pain in the ass to hook my PC up to my driving gear. When I do though I get lost in the violence of it. So much so that I've often lost an entire day without realizing it.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head. If I am missing anything important please point it out to me and I will edit this post as often as I can with new links, information and stuff. Like I mentioned at the top all things virtual racing is cool here. Just because it's not listed doesn't mean we can't talk about it I'm sure I'll grow this list a bunch more over the course of the week-end. Even just now I I thought up some that I am missing and going to work on adding like, GRID, F12012/2013, MarioKart, Dirt, etc.

So what say you GESC Racers, like the bigger home?

Edit (1/28/14): Added some names I missed and was able to find, removed needless spoilers. If you are missing from a list please PM me your details, or if you intend to add them in a post please bold them so I can find them easier. Any other suggestions to add or remove to the OP please PM me those as well.