FFFFF OOOOO RRRR DDDD RRRR AAAAA CCCCC IIIII NN N GGGGG F O O R R D D R R A A C I N N N G FFF O O RRRRR D D RRRRR AAAAA C I N N N G GG F O O R R D D R R A A C I N N N G G F OOOOO R R DDDD R R A A CCCCC IIIII N NN GGGGG Driving Guide FINAL VERSION Completed May 3, 2001 Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM ======================================= CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Beginning the Game Career Mode Tips Wish List Contact ======================================= SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ======================================= PERMISSIONS Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use. This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, cheatingplanet.com, neoseeker.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Remember: Plagiarism is NOT tolerated!!!!! ======================================= INTRODUCTION Ford Racing is a $9.99 game new (at least, that is what I paid for it at a major retail electronics store in Tucson), which may lead a lot of potential players to bypass it when they see the price. Perhaps they want flashy graphics. Perhaps they want top-notch playability. Perhaps they want realistic collision damage, with debris flying through the air. Perhaps they simply shun PlayStation games now in favor of only PlayStation 2 games. Granted, Ford Racing cannot hold a candle to the Gran Turismo series. However, for only $9.99, this is a REALLY good game!!!!! The playing environments are quite convincing, from mountain to desert to what seems to be an intertextual moment with Gran Turismo's Grand Valley course (the full course, not Grand Valley East). There are unlockable cars and courses (with multiple course configurations) as you progress through the Career Mode. For those who are not fans of driving simulations (such as the Championship Mode of many F1-based games), Ford Racing is very easy to play, even in Career Mode. There is a good mix of "fast" and "technical" courses in most seasons of the Career Mode. And most races are short enough that you can easily handle 3-4 races (including qualifying and/or car modifications) in just 30 minutes. For parents buying a first gaming console for young children, Ford Racing is a good game to get with the console. Ford Racing plays flawlessly on PlayStation 2 (PS2), but requires a PlayStation (PSX) memory card. On the down side, the vehicle graphics are a bit blocky. With many cars, the tires are far too narrow to be believable. The music is okay, but could certainly use improvement. But perhaps the biggest pitfall of Ford Racing is that it is very addictive!!!!! The best part of Ford Racing is the price: At only $9.99 NEW, it certainly will not be a major drain on the walletS unlike the new PS2 games being released. ======================================= BEGINNING THE GAME When first playing Ford Racing, it is a good idea to immediately set up the controller(s); this is done on the "Options" screen. Note that there is a "Hidden Items" screen, which will show which cars and courses have been unlocked as you progress through the game. Once options have been set to your liking, save them, then return to the main menu and go to "Quick Race." To learn the initial courses without other cars on the track, choose "Time Trial." From here, everything should be self-explanatory. ======================================= CAREER MODE TIPS Career Mode is comprised of multiple seasons. The initial Career Mode seasons are each run with all competitors driving the same model of car. The object is to win each season's championship by collecting more points than any other driver, thus earning an advancement to the following season's more advanced races. Note that in most seasons, the final race's points are doubled. Initially, you will not have any money for parts and maintenance. As you win or place on the podium of races, you will accumulate money. It is possible to win every race of the first season without buying parts, so save the money for the next season. While more difficult, it is also possible (with some inventive defensive driving) to win the championship for the second season without buying any car parts, thus saving more money to spend on parts in later seasons. As you enter each new season, you should (hopefully) have some money remaining from the previous season. I have found it beneficial to spend that money immediately on parts for the new car used for each season. This almost certainly makes your car faster and more agile compared to the other cars, and increases the chances of winning or placing on the podium in each season's initial races. As each season progresses, the opponents' cars get better and better, so it is important to gain as many points as possible at the start of the season, so that if you lose a race or two later (especially a double-points race), you will hopefully have a bit of a cushion to work with. Between races, in the "Career Menu," there is an available selection for "Info Menu." From here, you can check the current season's "Standings." Near the end of the season, it is possible that you may be able to skip the last race or two if you so choose, yet still be able to win the championship for that season and earn an advancement to the next level the following season. However, consider that if you race in the "extra" races and place on the podium, you will gain more money to spend on your new car at the start of the following season. Choose wisely. When beginning a new season, spend time looking at the race line-up. Note the courses you will be racing on, and try to buy parts as appropriate both for the season's first race and in anticipation of later races. Also note which races have an entry fee, as you cannot simply bypass these races. In general, you will have better initial acceleration from a standing start than your competitors. This can be further modified by buying various parts and changing the settings. Initial acceleration is especially important if you skipped qualifying and start from the back of the grid, or qualified poorly, as you should be able to gain 1-3 positions just from initial acceleration. If you do not start on the front row, use your initial acceleration to blast your way up the center of the track, between your competitors, as they will tend to keep moving in a straight line until the first corner; if you attempt to keep a straight line, you will bang into the car in front of you on the grid. If you were able to qualify on Pole for a race, your initial acceleration will certainly create some separation between you and the rest of the pack. Note that initial acceleration works best in a straight line, and that not all courses have a significant patch of straight track (from the Start/Finish Line) to make initial acceleration an issue. Generally, the best method for cornering is to enter a turn from the outside, tightly hug the apex, and drift back to the outside on exit. (Therefore, for a left-handed corner, you should approach from the right side of the track, come tight to the left side at the apex, then drift back to the right on exit.) If braking is necessary, it is best to begin braking before entering the corner; if you start braking too late, you will overshoot the corner and/or slide the car off the course. However, different types of corners require different driving/braking approaches. Perhaps the best method to learn about the various corners and how different types of cars react to these corners is to complete all the license tests for any game in the Gran Turismo series, and/or complete all seventeen courses of the Training Mode in F1 Championship Season 2000. ======================================= WISH LIST Some things I would personally like to see in any future incarnations of Ford Racing: 1.) Longer initial seasons 2.) Better music (hire Jean-Michel Jarre - he's an excellent composer/musician!!!) 3.) Better graphics (i.e.: less "blocky") 4.) More courses (not just multiple variations on the same courses) 5.) Realistic collision damage (bodywork flying through the air would be a nice bonus) 6.) Car number and paint scheme options (by season, and/or by team; potentially modifiable, as in Ridge Racer V) 7.) More options for car set-up ======================================= CONTACT Please note that I am no longer supporting Ford Racing. For rants, raves, and other non-question issues, contact me at: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2 game guides, visit FeatherGuides at http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/ =======================================