Full Course YellowSadly, we don't have a full course yellow-feature in Grand Prix 4. Even great SDI was unable to implement it, so far. So we have to perform some tricks to simulate the appearance of the SafetyCar.
How to simulate the SafetyCar:
If there is a big crash on the track or any other reason, you think a SafetyCar might appear, you can do the following to simulate the SafetyCar-appearance:
1. Write the current race positions and the cars being out so far on a piece of paper. It'll be important for the next steps.
2. Close GP4 and open the 'numcars.ini' in your Grand Prix 4/gp4tweak_data-folder. The 'numcars.ini' might have been installed, if you have downloaded the GP4-Tweaker Personal Edition. If it isn't installed so far, download current version of the GP4-Tweaker Personal Edition and install it.
3. Within the 'numcars.ini' you can decide, which drivers shall not restart the race. '1' means that the driver will start at a certain race, '0' means that the driver won't start at the race.
Example:
If you make a race at track-slot #3 (Interlagos) and want the #5 driver (R. Schumacher) to be out of the race, replace the figure '1' by '0' in the appropriate column and the right line.
Do this for all the drivers being out of your original race so far. Use your nots of step #1 for this task. Finally, save the 'numcars.ini'.
4. Now, open the 'CustomGridTool' by Shaddix. Download it, if you haven't done so far. After opening the software, a dialog will ask you to open your GP4-performance-file. Do so. In the next dialog, you can define the driver's starting positions for the restart. As for step #3, use your notes for this task. Drivers being out of the race can all be set on position #22. When you are done, save the new performance-file. Make sure not to overwrite your existing performance-file if you want to keep it. Now, you can close the 'CustomGridTool'.
5. Open GPxPatch and switch over to the 'GPxSet'-tab. Make sure that GPxPatch uses the new - by the CustomGridTool created - performace-file. Next click the 'Session settings'-button. There you have to redefine the 'Quickrace length' - at least in case you don't want to restart the complete race distance. Calculate the follwing way:
100 / TOTAL RACE LAPS * LAPS REMAINING AFTER RESTART
Example:
A race at Interlagos (71 laps in total) has to be stopped after 8 laps driven. So, 63 laps (or even less, if you want to) are still remaining.
Calculation: 100 / 71 * 63 = 89 %
6. Click 'Okay' and start GP4.
7. In GP4, switch the game mode over to 'quickrace'. Now, open the 'Options' --> 'Race/Game Options' (I hope the terms, I use, are correct). Define your own starting position for the restart.
8. Restart the race. Enjoy it!
With a little experience the whole procedure won't need more than about 5 minutes to restart a race.
Side effects:
Of course, these tricks are no perfect solution to simulate the SafetyCar:
- You may have different weather conditions for the restart. This problem can be solved partly by using GPxPatch's weather seeds.
- There is no tactical component in the SafetyCar. All cars will restart with new tyres and full fuel tanks.
- Think of restoring the old game-data after finishing your race:
~ GP4's game-options,
~ GP4's game mode
(if you want to restore it),
~ GPxPatch's performace file,
~ GPxPatch's quickrace length and
~ numcars.ini.
Personal notes:
In the past, I was a big fan of the SafetyCar and used it quite frequently. But nowadays, I have a different opinion. I think Full-Course-Yellows destroy a race - in reality as in GP4. So, today, I use this SafetyCar-simulation quite rarely, just 3 or 4 times along the whole season.
Nevertheless, simulating a SafetyCar this way can lead to very exciting race finals, even if there are just a few laps still to go.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/2014 08:06PM by klausfeldmann.