Frequently Asked Questions

[Tedehur]

Before you start a new thread to ask, even before you use the search function, you can find here answers to some usual questions.

On Line Racing
How do I race on-line ?


Registration
How do I register to the WRS ?
Is there a deadline to register ?


GT Mode
Where can I find some settings for my car ?
Why does the game display different power figures for the same car ?
What is the tranny trick ?


Replays
How can I upload a replay if I'm requested to do so ?
Can I provide a video of my lap if I have no replay device ?
Can I convert a PAL replay to NTSC or vice versa ?


Miscellaneous
Where can I find the previous races ?
My PS2 doesn't read discs anymore, how can I clean the lens ?
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I have a question that I don't find in this FAQ

 

[Tedehur]

Can I convert a PAL replay to NTSC or vice versa ?​

Unfortunately not.

A replay is a small file (usually 20 to 30 kb for .max saves) which only contains information about the combo :

• the car name
• the car parts and settings
• the track name

and all actions on the pad or wheel controls with their exact timing :

• gas pedal
• brake pedal
• hand brake
• gears
• NOS

No other information is stored in the replay and mainly :

• no car speed
• no car position

Thus, when you load a replay in the replay manager or the data logger, the game has to process all this information to actually build a viewable replay.

The replay is not like a video file !

You could convert a PAL replay (.xps) to NTSC format (.sps), or the other way around. (I had done it a few times in GT3), and the game would then accept to read the file.
But the interpretation of all stored data (gas, brake...) would be done at the wrong framerate (understand 'frequency') and you would actually see the correct car on the correct track, but all actions would be performed at the wrong moment.

For instance the car would brake a few meters too soon, turn before the corner, thus hit the wall, accelerate again while blocked by the wall...
That would be funny, of course, but of no use to see the actual replay you were expecting to see.

The only way for PAL players to watch an NTSC replay (or vice versa) is to convert a replay into a video file with some camera or screen capture device

Hope all this explanation makes sense.

 

[Tedehur]

Is there a deadline to register ?​

The WRS is an open series : there is a new race every week and each race has a deadline, but the series itself has no time limit.
You can run all weeks if you like, or you can just sit out for weeks or months.

You can register at any time, and if you're new to the WRS you need to register before you can race.
But once you've registered, you don't need to register again, even if you don't race for several months.

 

[Tedehur]

How do I race on-line ?​

Actually, we don't race on-line at all.
OLR events abusively use the term On Line Racing but the racers are on-line, not the races themselves.

Each of us runs the race on his own console, at his own place, and we all send our best lap time to the race steward (me, at this moment) who posts the results.

You don't even need an Internet connection at home. Some of us race at home and post on the forum from the office/school.

 

[Tedehur]

How can I upload a replay if I'm requested to do so ?​

You need a device called Max Drive, which can be purchased here if you live in Europe or there if you live in Asia/Oceania, or on several other sites on the web.

It consists of a USB memory stick and software that enables you to copy replays or gamesaves from your PS2 memory card to the USB memory stick or vice versa.
You can then copy/move the replay file from the memory stick to your PC and attach it to your post.

Take a look at the WRS rules for further information.

 

[Tedehur]

Where can I find the previous races ?​

All past races are moved to the Weekly Race Series Archive. No thread is ever deleted and you can find there all races since the very first one "Supraman" which was run in February 2003.

If you go to the Archive and don't see the older threads, all you need to do is change the option in your profile : click on My GTPlanet, then Edit Options look for the Thread Display Options box, then check if you've defined a Default Thread Age Cut Off. Put it on Show all threads and here you are, you've unlocked all secret levels

 

[Tedehur]

Can I provide a video of my lap if I have no replay device ?​

You can, but that won't prevent your lap from being disqualified if a replay has been requested.

All fastest times shown in gold in the results are requested to provide a replay for verification. The purpose is to ensure that all fast times comply with the rules and that nobody gets credit for an undeserved win.
The verification is performed by another racer, who checks :

• the combo (car, track, number of laps) ;
• the settings (power, tyres, mileage...) ;
• the cleanness (no contact with AI or walls, no more than 2 wheels off track at a time...)

GT4 provides some tools to do that verification :

1. the Replay Manager to view the replay ;
2. the Photomode to freeze the replay when a third wheel off track is suspected ;
3. the Data Logger to view the replay as a spectrum and look for possible speed drops or spikes that can reveal contacts.

The best quality video can only provide an equivalent to the Replay Manager.
There's no way to freeze the picture and examine it under 64 different angles, or zoom into in like in Photomode, or to check the speed curve as in the Data Logger.

For all these reasons, videos are welcome and appreciated by everybody in the WRS, but they can't replace a replay for the verification purposes and they don't prevent a gold time to be disqualified for failure to provide a replay.