- 2,809
- LoomRock, CA
- GTP_LeftyWright
I’m not sure about how this is going to go down but I think it would be fun to chronicle my adventure trying to go deep in the GT Academy. If there is a “BLOG” spot in the forum maybe this thread should be moved there.
I’m thinking it would be fun to try to get up to the level that I could be a force to be recond with. I used to watch a guy on TV when I was a lot younger by the name of George Plimpton, he would go into different sports and go through all the training and regiment that it would take for him to play good enough to not finish last or get destroyed by the competition or other players. I always thought that he had an adventurous spirit and this is the flavor that I will use as I ramble through the different training rituals.
I am going to take this very serous as though my very existence were counting on it. There was a time that I thought I would be a pro racer and then I had to realize that I would never do it on two wheels. I have for the last 30 yrs tried to drive race cars and came to the realization that if you aren’t lucky in life w/ the preverbal silver spoon where the sun doesn’t shine or a talent equal to that of “Magoo” then I was going to have to get lucky or figure out how to work for it.
I thought I would start by getting in to the heads of the designers of the game, if I knew what it was that they were putting in the game as far as how the cars handle and change when things are altered. If I could beat them at there own game I could get into there heads, not like psyching them out but get into there minds and fully understand their physics engine. Since the game came out I have been planted in front of the screen to blow through the game. I didn’t care what it took or where I finished. In one week I got to A spec level 24, acquired all licenses and finished all the special events.
I have been reading about the Registry and the new qualifier coming up, the desire of the powers to be is that we need to show our pride in being a member of the forum and use our “GTP_” prefix to show everyone that we are the cleanest drivers. Since I am a 3rd Div Gold in the old Registry I already have my alternate login name “GTP_LeftyWright” established. The idea came to me that I would Ace the game as far as I could get before the GT Academy qualifier comes out.
My challenge is this: I will go as far as I can go without buying a single car except the first car that we have to buy in order to go forward in the game, I can‘t modify the cars HP higher then the halfway point in the example of cars used for which ever challenge it is. If the car is still under powered I can then add better tires to a point that it allows the car to be competitive with the front runners. The cars have to be so close that if I make a bobble the chasers will pass me. . I also have the 5 pre-order GT chrome cars and the one Game Stop NASCAR car.
The first day I got the B license all gold, did what I could with the few cars I had to get through the A spec stuff and hold off w/ doing any of the special events until I could get my ranking up to where I could do more then one little bit and then have to wait for a higher level to continue my pursuit of “Golding the Game.” With the cars that I won from Golding the B license I had enough to get the ball rolling. By the end of the first day I was able to get to the 13th rank.
The second day my struggle really started. I stopped going after the licenses and concentrated on aceing the A spec levels with what cars I had to work with. I pounded everything that I could get into and if my cars wouldn’t make the cut I would move on to the next anything I could do without buying any additional cars, I could only use cars that I won or started out with. My ranking finally got high enough (17) that I could start doing the special events and pound without being interrupted by the ranking thing. My evening ended with only gold in the bank and as I post this I am going back to the “GRIND” and going for my A license “All Gold”
Progress to this point:
A Spec -------------------------------- Level 17
B license ----------------------------- 10 gold
Total Wins --------------------------- 40
Total Cars ---------------------------- 25
Total Miles Driven ----------------- 800
Current Credits --------------------- $928,822
I will just keep adding to my OP each day until I go down in flames or show what a 52 yo. sidelined racer can still do to all those youngsters out there.
Day three started out fine with me Golding my A license and blasting out another 6 Gold wins in the A Spec. I acquired 4 more gift cars and have my Space Bucks up to $1,026,922. The slalom coarse threw me for a loop but w/ that out of the way it was mostly smooth sailing. I think if I get to the full 60 golds in the licenses I will be in good shape for the qualifier. I’m finding that the whole striving for Gold thing is a good test of creative thought and problem solving, I’m starting to look at it as a good test for the skill set it will take to excel at the qualifier TT.
The little things that I have to fine tune to hit the gold is truly satisfying in that I have a chance to prove that there is still something there that used to be sharp, aggressive, and calculating. In my racing endeavors I have always prided myself in having the ability to go faster, I can honestly say that I have never hit my wall. In every form of racing that I have ever tried or competed in for several years, I never went backwards. Sure there were dry spells but always some success in progressing up the ladder until the most evil of all demons shows it’s ugly head and forces me back up in the grand stands, yes it’s “Money”
I’m very fortunate in that this doesn’t really coast me anything and finances won’t get into my thoughts and ruin everything. So off to Golding my International C and burning through more A spec and Special events again without purchasing a single car.
Progress as of day 3:
A Spec -------------------------------- Level 17
A license ----------------------------- 20 gold
Total Wins --------------------------- 46
Total Cars ---------------------------- 29
Total Miles Driven ----------------- 1,044
Current Credits --------------------- $1,026,922
Day four was some challenge with the International C. For a little while there I thought I was in trouble trying to Gold this baby, my old arch nemesis the Indy “Double Hairpin” was so frustrating. I finally got a handle on that challenge and roostied away using some creative turn braking tricks and after that everything was a breeze until I got to the last one and had to catch that @#!$ at the very end, no prob I kicked his azz.
After I got done with my Int. C it was all fun from that point on mowing down the AI in the A spec stuff. Nothing in any of the A spec stuff that has given me any worries yet except for my limited aspects of using only cars that I win to get through the game with. I want to find out where the limit of the game is as far as the prizes filling in the roster of cars that can be used in the game for all the different challenges.
I have to this point managed to get to the Expert level with all Gold for the events that I have competed in and have been able with my prize cars been able to almost complete the beginner level except for the “World Classic Car Series”. The Amateur Series is still lacking the correct cars, some just don’t equal up good enough so that I am not just blowing them away without a fight by the cars just being to powerful, I want my wins to be close and not just blowouts. Some of the events I just don’t have the car for yet. The case is also true in the Pro class also, it’s either the cars are too powerful and can’t be slowed down or I just haven’t won the correct car yet with 4 left to be filled in.
As I have posted earlier I started my physical fitness program today by going on a 10 mile hike with Little Leftys boy scout troupe. Man were my dogs barking after we got done with that adventure, I figured that if I could walk that far it shouldn’t be any big deal with my other plans. The push ups and sit ups start Monday and I’m not looking forward to that stuff because it just gets the whole regiment going again. At one time I was up to 75 push ups (real military style) and I think my record for sit ups was 75 in one minute
. The running is just going to kill me so I’m luck my old high school just upgraded their mile track with an all rubber running surface.
Progress as of day 4:
A Spec -------------------------------- Level 18
Int C license ------------------------- 30 gold
Total Wins --------------------------- 59
Total Cars ---------------------------- 36
Total Miles Driven ----------------- 1,334
Current Credits --------------------- $1,284,602
Well now it’s off to Gold the Int. B and get me some more of those award cars.
Day 5 started out with the triple whammy, first there was the pure misery of the Stopping Challenge, It must have taken me 50 or more tries to figure out how the challenge had to be beat, lets say that if you don’t get a great start you can forget it. The Madrid “First Corner” challenge was a style test for me and made a great replay that I thought I would post so you could “Check It Out.“ Then there was the Slalom Challenge. WOW I didn’t know if I would ever calm down enough to get through it but I managed to use my “Count to 9” trick to sashay to a victorious Gold after about an hour of pulling my hair out.
The rest of the Int. B went fairly smooth until I got the last one, you have to chase the leader down and beat him to the finish in 2 laps. I have a whole new appreciation for the dedication it takes to accomplish an all gold license, at times it’s just plain tough and can challenge your “Stick toitivness” in not just walking away from the “how in the hell am I going to pull that off” feeling. When I find my self in such doubt I rededicate my self to the challenge at hand and bring out the fangs. I just know that the people who have golded all 6 licenses will have a better chance getting into the top 128 in their region.
After a very difficult day and evening yesterday I can say “I came, I saw, I conquered” with my new Int. B Gold license….. Weeeeee.
Progress as of day 5:
A Spec -------------------------------- Level 18
Int B license ------------------------- 40 gold
Total Wins --------------------------- 62
Total Cars ---------------------------- 41
Total Miles Driven ----------------- 1,509
Current Credits --------------------- $1,171,902
So now it’s off to another round of hair pulling for perfection and the acquisition of the all Gold Int. A.
I’m thinking it would be fun to try to get up to the level that I could be a force to be recond with. I used to watch a guy on TV when I was a lot younger by the name of George Plimpton, he would go into different sports and go through all the training and regiment that it would take for him to play good enough to not finish last or get destroyed by the competition or other players. I always thought that he had an adventurous spirit and this is the flavor that I will use as I ramble through the different training rituals.
I am going to take this very serous as though my very existence were counting on it. There was a time that I thought I would be a pro racer and then I had to realize that I would never do it on two wheels. I have for the last 30 yrs tried to drive race cars and came to the realization that if you aren’t lucky in life w/ the preverbal silver spoon where the sun doesn’t shine or a talent equal to that of “Magoo” then I was going to have to get lucky or figure out how to work for it.
I thought I would start by getting in to the heads of the designers of the game, if I knew what it was that they were putting in the game as far as how the cars handle and change when things are altered. If I could beat them at there own game I could get into there heads, not like psyching them out but get into there minds and fully understand their physics engine. Since the game came out I have been planted in front of the screen to blow through the game. I didn’t care what it took or where I finished. In one week I got to A spec level 24, acquired all licenses and finished all the special events.
I have been reading about the Registry and the new qualifier coming up, the desire of the powers to be is that we need to show our pride in being a member of the forum and use our “GTP_” prefix to show everyone that we are the cleanest drivers. Since I am a 3rd Div Gold in the old Registry I already have my alternate login name “GTP_LeftyWright” established. The idea came to me that I would Ace the game as far as I could get before the GT Academy qualifier comes out.
My challenge is this: I will go as far as I can go without buying a single car except the first car that we have to buy in order to go forward in the game, I can‘t modify the cars HP higher then the halfway point in the example of cars used for which ever challenge it is. If the car is still under powered I can then add better tires to a point that it allows the car to be competitive with the front runners. The cars have to be so close that if I make a bobble the chasers will pass me. . I also have the 5 pre-order GT chrome cars and the one Game Stop NASCAR car.
The first day I got the B license all gold, did what I could with the few cars I had to get through the A spec stuff and hold off w/ doing any of the special events until I could get my ranking up to where I could do more then one little bit and then have to wait for a higher level to continue my pursuit of “Golding the Game.” With the cars that I won from Golding the B license I had enough to get the ball rolling. By the end of the first day I was able to get to the 13th rank.
The second day my struggle really started. I stopped going after the licenses and concentrated on aceing the A spec levels with what cars I had to work with. I pounded everything that I could get into and if my cars wouldn’t make the cut I would move on to the next anything I could do without buying any additional cars, I could only use cars that I won or started out with. My ranking finally got high enough (17) that I could start doing the special events and pound without being interrupted by the ranking thing. My evening ended with only gold in the bank and as I post this I am going back to the “GRIND” and going for my A license “All Gold”
Progress to this point:
A Spec -------------------------------- Level 17
B license ----------------------------- 10 gold
Total Wins --------------------------- 40
Total Cars ---------------------------- 25
Total Miles Driven ----------------- 800
Current Credits --------------------- $928,822
I will just keep adding to my OP each day until I go down in flames or show what a 52 yo. sidelined racer can still do to all those youngsters out there.
Day three started out fine with me Golding my A license and blasting out another 6 Gold wins in the A Spec. I acquired 4 more gift cars and have my Space Bucks up to $1,026,922. The slalom coarse threw me for a loop but w/ that out of the way it was mostly smooth sailing. I think if I get to the full 60 golds in the licenses I will be in good shape for the qualifier. I’m finding that the whole striving for Gold thing is a good test of creative thought and problem solving, I’m starting to look at it as a good test for the skill set it will take to excel at the qualifier TT.
The little things that I have to fine tune to hit the gold is truly satisfying in that I have a chance to prove that there is still something there that used to be sharp, aggressive, and calculating. In my racing endeavors I have always prided myself in having the ability to go faster, I can honestly say that I have never hit my wall. In every form of racing that I have ever tried or competed in for several years, I never went backwards. Sure there were dry spells but always some success in progressing up the ladder until the most evil of all demons shows it’s ugly head and forces me back up in the grand stands, yes it’s “Money”
I’m very fortunate in that this doesn’t really coast me anything and finances won’t get into my thoughts and ruin everything. So off to Golding my International C and burning through more A spec and Special events again without purchasing a single car.
Progress as of day 3:
A Spec -------------------------------- Level 17
A license ----------------------------- 20 gold
Total Wins --------------------------- 46
Total Cars ---------------------------- 29
Total Miles Driven ----------------- 1,044
Current Credits --------------------- $1,026,922
Day four was some challenge with the International C. For a little while there I thought I was in trouble trying to Gold this baby, my old arch nemesis the Indy “Double Hairpin” was so frustrating. I finally got a handle on that challenge and roostied away using some creative turn braking tricks and after that everything was a breeze until I got to the last one and had to catch that @#!$ at the very end, no prob I kicked his azz.
After I got done with my Int. C it was all fun from that point on mowing down the AI in the A spec stuff. Nothing in any of the A spec stuff that has given me any worries yet except for my limited aspects of using only cars that I win to get through the game with. I want to find out where the limit of the game is as far as the prizes filling in the roster of cars that can be used in the game for all the different challenges.
I have to this point managed to get to the Expert level with all Gold for the events that I have competed in and have been able with my prize cars been able to almost complete the beginner level except for the “World Classic Car Series”. The Amateur Series is still lacking the correct cars, some just don’t equal up good enough so that I am not just blowing them away without a fight by the cars just being to powerful, I want my wins to be close and not just blowouts. Some of the events I just don’t have the car for yet. The case is also true in the Pro class also, it’s either the cars are too powerful and can’t be slowed down or I just haven’t won the correct car yet with 4 left to be filled in.
As I have posted earlier I started my physical fitness program today by going on a 10 mile hike with Little Leftys boy scout troupe. Man were my dogs barking after we got done with that adventure, I figured that if I could walk that far it shouldn’t be any big deal with my other plans. The push ups and sit ups start Monday and I’m not looking forward to that stuff because it just gets the whole regiment going again. At one time I was up to 75 push ups (real military style) and I think my record for sit ups was 75 in one minute
. The running is just going to kill me so I’m luck my old high school just upgraded their mile track with an all rubber running surface.Progress as of day 4:
A Spec -------------------------------- Level 18
Int C license ------------------------- 30 gold
Total Wins --------------------------- 59
Total Cars ---------------------------- 36
Total Miles Driven ----------------- 1,334
Current Credits --------------------- $1,284,602
Well now it’s off to Gold the Int. B and get me some more of those award cars.
Day 5 started out with the triple whammy, first there was the pure misery of the Stopping Challenge, It must have taken me 50 or more tries to figure out how the challenge had to be beat, lets say that if you don’t get a great start you can forget it. The Madrid “First Corner” challenge was a style test for me and made a great replay that I thought I would post so you could “Check It Out.“ Then there was the Slalom Challenge. WOW I didn’t know if I would ever calm down enough to get through it but I managed to use my “Count to 9” trick to sashay to a victorious Gold after about an hour of pulling my hair out.
The rest of the Int. B went fairly smooth until I got the last one, you have to chase the leader down and beat him to the finish in 2 laps. I have a whole new appreciation for the dedication it takes to accomplish an all gold license, at times it’s just plain tough and can challenge your “Stick toitivness” in not just walking away from the “how in the hell am I going to pull that off” feeling. When I find my self in such doubt I rededicate my self to the challenge at hand and bring out the fangs. I just know that the people who have golded all 6 licenses will have a better chance getting into the top 128 in their region.
After a very difficult day and evening yesterday I can say “I came, I saw, I conquered” with my new Int. B Gold license….. Weeeeee.
Progress as of day 5:
A Spec -------------------------------- Level 18
Int B license ------------------------- 40 gold
Total Wins --------------------------- 62
Total Cars ---------------------------- 41
Total Miles Driven ----------------- 1,509
Current Credits --------------------- $1,171,902
So now it’s off to another round of hair pulling for perfection and the acquisition of the all Gold Int. A.
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