Games PC GRAND PRIX 4 User Manual

Hi,

reading this, it probably means that you’ve bought Grand Prix 4. Thanks!

Grand Prix 4 is the latest evolution of

My name is Geoff Crammond and if you’re

the Grand Prix series, which I started writing over 10 years ago. Machines and techniques have changed a lot since then. For example, the sheer scale of the project has increased enormously. Over 60 man-years of effort alone have gone into the game since Grand Prix 3 was released in 2000!

ith Grand Prix 4, you’ll see a huge leap forward in the look of the game, with the inclusion of a new graphics engine specially designed to use all the power of modern graphics hardware support. And for the first time we use actual GPS survey data to make the racetracks as accurate as possible – the same road layout, width, height, gradient and camber, as well as the all-important kerb shapes and profiles, should now be there just like real life.

But some things stay the same

– as always our endeavour is to produce something that is as authentic as possible, while still being as playable as possible. We hope that as you take the chequered flag after winning an exhilarating and exhausting race, you’ll agree that - like it says on the box - nothing gets closer!

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SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM :

Operating System: Windows®95/98/Me/XP Processor: Intel Pentium Memory: 64 MB RAM/ Video: 16MB Hard disk space: 500 MB free CD-ROM drive: 4X Speed Video: DirectX 8.0 compatible Video Card Sound: DirectX 8.0 compatible Sound Card DirectX: DirectX 8.0

RECOMMENDED :

Operating System: Windows®95/98/Me/XP Processor: Intel Pentium Memory: 128 MB RAM or more/ Video : 32MB Hard disk space: 720 MB free CD-ROM drive: 4X Speed Video: DirectX 8.0 compatible 3D Card Sound: 100% DirectX 8.0 Hardware Accelerated Sound Card with EAX Support DirectX: DirectX 8.0

II 400 MHz or equivalent

III 750MHz or equivalent

INSTALLATION

• Insert the Grand Prix 4 CD into your CD-ROM drive. If autorun is enabled, Grand Prix 4 will take you to the Installation screen.

• Simply click on the ‘Install’ button and follow all on-screen directions.

• If autorun has not been enabled, you’ll have to double-click on the ‘My Computer’ icon on the Windows then click on ‘Setup.exe’. The simulation will now install.

• Follow all on-screen instructions.

• Once Grand Prix 4 is installed it will appear in the Program Group on the START Menu.

• Select Start > Programs > Infogrames > Grand Prix 4. The game will now load.

THIS MANUAL

This manual is structured in such a way as to introduce the game to rookie players and to encourage them to delve deeper to get the most out of the real simulation. If you’re a Grand Prix 3 veteran you’ll be familiar with the basic controls and could probably get racing quite quickly, but be aware that there are differences between Grand Prix 3 and Grand Prix 4 so you’ll find it very worthwhile reading the manual to understand all the simulation controls.

THE README FILE

Note that this manual will guide you through most of the Grand Prix 4 simulation but due to printing constraints may not contain the most up to date information. For all last minute information you are advised to consult the Readme file found on the CD (selected by clicking on View Readme in the Program group).

Desktop, then on the CD-ROM icon, and

CONTENTS

System Requirements

Installation

Controls

Getting Started

Cockpit Controls

Camera Views

TV Director

GPeadia

Circuits on the Formula One Circus

The multiplayer section

Car handling

Glossary

Credits

Customer Services

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CONTROLS

Throughout this manual, you’ll see references to the Accelerator, the Brake, Changing Gear and Steering. How these controls operate depends on your preference of Keyboard, Joystick, Wheel, or Joypad. The default Keyboard and Joystick driving controls are:

KEYBOARD DRIVING CONTROLS

Accelerate Brake Steer Left Steer Right Change Up a gear Change Down a gear

(If you are using separate buttons for changing up or down a gear there is no need to accelerate when changing up.)

JOYSTICK DRIVING CONTROLS

Accelerate Brake Steer Left Steer Right Change Up a gear Change Down a gear

(If you are using separate buttons for changing up or down a gear do not accelerate.)

Note: All the above driving controls can be reassigned (see page X).

A Z <, >. Accelerate A key + Space Space

Forward Back Joystick Left

Joystick Right Accelerate + Press Fire Button Press Fire Button

Miscellaneous Keys

See Driver Name See Processor Occupancy Decrease Cockpit View Angle Increase Cockpit View Angle PC Spec Information Joystick On/Off Background Sound On/Off

View Keys

Your Car Cockpit View T-Cam View Trackside Camera View All On-car Camera Views Chase View Reverse Chase View Car Ahead Car Behind Return to Your Cockpit TV Director Mode

Network Keys

All Escape to Menu Screen

SHIFT + U

N O Minus – Plus + CTRL + I CTRL + J CTRL + S

Right Arrow Right arrow key a second time Left Arrow Page Up (Cycle through) Page Down Delete Up Arrow Down Arrow Home Insert

Two Player Link Keys

Send Message Host Release Control in

Menus to other player Hang Up

CTRL + M

CTRL + R

CTRL + H

OTHER KEYS

Driving Aid Keys:

Auto Brakes

Auto Gears

Auto-right the Car

F3 F4

Indestructible

Show Best Line

Suggested Gear

Traction Control

Steering Help

Launch control

Action Keys:

Intending to Pit Return to Pits

(Qualifying/Practice) Leave Race Pause

Pause (when using Joystick)

Replay

Enter/Return

SHIFT + Q

Esc P

Space

R (when the game is in the PAUSED state)

GETTING STARTED

ONE LAP OF MONZA FOR ROOKIE DRIVERS

• Install and load Grand Prix 4 as explained previously. After the opening animations, you will be given the choice of Main Menu, Quickrace, Quicklaps or Gpaedia. Use Quickrace if you want a quick blast of Grand Prix

4. But for the purposes of this tutorial guide…

• Click on Main Menu.

For the duration of this Quickstart tutorial, you will be

SCREEN 1 / MAIN MENU

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racing under your own name. You just need to select a team to race for and rename one of its drivers.

• Click on the Driver panel to go to the Driver Select screen.

• In the Teams panel, one of the drivers is already selected (the number is highlighted). Click on the driver’s name to deselect.

• Highlight your preferred driver name and click on Edit Names.

• Type in your name (or the name you want to race under) and click on OK.

You are now Driver 4, racing for the Ferrari team. Your team’s badge now appears in the background of the screen. From this screen you can also access your individual Car Setup options and save the driver names. But for this tutorial, simply click OK and you’ll return to the Main Menu screen. The name you typed in will be shown as the Driver. Monza has been chosen as the track where you’ll have your shakedown test.

• Click on the Track panel and you’ll be taken to the Track screen. A list of the 2001 Championship Season tracks appears on the left.

• Click on Italy then select OK to return to the Main Menu.

Italy now appears in the Track panel. Now choose the kind of race you want.

• Click on the Race Type panel and select Practise.

• Click OK to return to the Main Menu. The preparations are over. It’s time to drive!

• Click on the Drive button. You’ll see a Weather screen that details the Current Track and Sky conditions and the Forecast chance of rain.

• Click OK to start your first practice session.

You’re now sitting in the Ferrari cockpit in the pits at Monza. As with any test session, it’s now time to check the instruments and controls…

• Below the LCD screen on the steering wheel is a row of nine lines. Each corresponds to a Driving Aid designed to help you control the car. Keys F1 to F9 turn each of these on and off. In Rookie mode, all lights should be on with the exception of Launch Control (F9) which will only be on as default at the start of a race. If they’re not, press the relevant F key. Suggested Gear (F6) is not needed for this session. With the Driving Aids activated, you won’t have to worry about changing gear or braking: this will be done automatically and all basic steering around the circuit will also be assisted. You may crash if you stray from the racing line, but your car will not be damaged. If you spin off the track, the car will right itself once it has come to rest and face the right direction so you can get on with the session.

SCREEN 2 / DRIVER SELECT

SCREEN 3 / COKPIT VIEW - PIT AT MONZA

• Now check the Monza track plan below…

• Find the Start/Finish line and then run your eye clockwise around the course until you come back to the Finish line. Check where the pit lane joins the track so you’ll know exactly when you’ll be on the actual racing track. Memorise the track plan so you can anticipate what the corners will be like. As you improve your racing skills and become more experienced, you’ll realize just how important knowing each circuit will be to your success.

• Select the Leave the Pits option on the LCD, using

• Now slowly squeeze the accelerator… Your car will begin to

• Steer out from your pit garage and drive down the pit lane.

• Try to keep the middle of the steering wheel lined up with the

Your car is still on its jacks in the garage.

the Throttle and Brake controls, then press the Gear Change button. The car will come down off its jacks and you’ll see a new LCD screen appear on the central steering wheel panel.

move forward (if it doesn’t, check that you’ve pressed F2 and that the second symbol on the Driving Aids display is lit).

Remember that in race conditions, you’ll need to stick to the pit lane speed limit of 50mph/80kph. If you want to pause the simulation at any point, press key P (or Space if you are driving with a Joystick, Wheel or a Joypad). Press P again to reactivate. During this session, pause as many times as you feel you need to, so that you can study the track plan and anticipate what’s coming next. As you steer out of the pit lane, join the main track, keeping on the inside of the broken yellow line. Once on the circuit proper, the yellow line will be replaced by a long broken white line.

broken white line as you progress around the circuit. This white line is the Best Driving Line Driving Aid (F5): the quickest possible line into and out of bends without spinning off the track. At some point before the first bend, you should, see a white sign with a black arrow bending to the left, then countdown marker signs with 200 and 100. These signs show how many metres remain before the approaching left-hand bend.

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• This is a good spot to pause the simulation and check the Monza track plan again: The first bend at Monza turns to the left and is followed by a sharp right. Next is another left-right combination making up a double chicane called the Variante Goodyear.

• Find the Prima Variante on your track plan and examine the next bend, the Curva Grande.

This is what Formula One racing is all about: being aware of the next part of the course and making sure you are properly prepared to drive through it. Only by knowing what lies ahead can you optimise the line you take through each corner.

• Reactivate the simulation by pressing P or the Space bar.

• Steer carefully around Variante Goodyear (don’t try to go too fast) - left then right, along a short straight and left and right again. Try to follow the broken line even though it sometimes appears to be aiming away from the track. If you do leave the track at any time, steer back towards it (this might be slippery on grass or gravel) to get back on the tarmac. If you have spun and are facing the wrong way (and you still have the Auto-right the Car (F3) Driving Aid on), don’t touch the controls. Wait for the car to right itself and point in the correct direction.

• See how the ideal racing line takes you out of this last corner, using the whole width of the track and taking you over to the left side of the road, ready for the approach to the long sweeping right-hander: the Curva Grande. You’ll probably find that you can drive quite fast through this bend.

• Continue along the straight and go under the bridge. Just after the bridge is a left turn.

• Press pause and have another look at the track plan. This left turn is the first part of the Variante della Roggia: another chicane. Check how this looks and imagine how you will drive through it.

• Now look ahead on the plan to the next three bends and try to imagine what they will look like from the cockpit.

• Press the pause button again to continue.

• Steer through the chicane and on through the next two right hand curves (Lesmo 1 and Lesmo 2). You’ll now face a long, downhill straight.

• Accelerate! As you’re moving, glance at the gear indicator (the red number in the centre of the wheel display) as the car changes gear automatically. Listen to the sound of the engine and watch the rpm indicator lights as the gears change up and down. Get used to glancing quickly at the displays and the mirrors as you’re travelling at speed. At the end of this straight is an unusual chicane called the Variante Ascari. Pause, check your track plan, analyse and memorise, reactivate the game and drive through the corners, following the ideal racing line. The more you can commit to memory, the easier the corners will be to drive through at speed.

• Accelerate along the straight and see if the automatic gear change will take you into top gear (6th or 7th) before the auto-brakes slow you down for the Curva Parabolica. As you come out of the bend, you’ll see the grandstands, the pits and a yellow dotted line marking the pit lane entrance. Remember that each track has its own specific pit entrance and exit layout, and it’s important to take a note of this as part of your race preparation.

• Keep following the broken white line. You’re now back on the start/finish

straight: the Rettifilio Tribune.

• Accelerate at full speed. You’ll see the starting grid - the spaces where the cars line up for start of the race - and a thick solid white line across the track that marks the end of this lap.

• As you cross the line, you’ll be starting your first flying lap: the timer on your cockpit lap time display will start. You can pause the game at any time to double-check the track plan – your lap time will not be affected.

• When you complete your first flying lap, check your time and try another lap to see if you can beat your previous time.

CONTROLLING YOUR OWN BRAKES

Although the auto-brakes you were using are effective, they’re still a Driving Aid. To get the very best lap speeds, you’ll need to apply your own brakes. When you feel confident you’ve mastered steering and the racing line, try switching off the Auto-brakes Driving Aid:

• Press F1 and check that the auto-brakes light has gone out on the bank of green icons below the LCD. Now it’s up to you to choose the best moment to brake as you continue lapping Monza! The car will feel very different this time. Remember how the brakes are operated by your choice of controller:

Keyboard : Brake = Z Joystick : Brake = Back

CONTROLLING YOUR OWN GEARS

• When you’re ready to try controlling your own gears, stop on a straight part of the circuit and press F2 to cancel the Auto-gears Driving Aid.

• Now press F6 to activate the Suggested Gear Driving Aid we left off earlier in the session. The corresponding icon will light up on the display. You’re now in control of ALL gear changes, but to guide you, when you see a number in the Suggested Gear panel, that will be the gear to be in as you go into the NEXT corner. Check the gear change method for your choice of controller:

Keyboard : Change Up a gear = Accelerate A key + Space

Change Down a gear = Space

Joystick : Change Up a gear = Accelerate + Press Fire Button

Change Down a gear = Press Fire Button

Note: If you have separate buttons for gear changes then you do not need to accelerate to change up.

• Practise gear changing up and down and watch the red gear indicator.

• Try to get into neutral (N) and then accelerate. The engine will rev and make a highpitched noise.

• Blip the accelerator and look at how the revs rise on the digital rev counter, then select first gear BUT keep the

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