Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
Hi there!
Just thought I'd share this with you all.
Came across something a little peculiar last night, I was trying to find a lineup to beat for 200 points at Like The Wind in Extreme Hall. I'm on gameday 1694 and using a Cadillac Cien in stock form. It'll beat most of the slower cars and since the Group Cs all tend to pit ending lap 4, it'll beat them too. So I was trying to enter and exit the race to find a lineup that suits me, without any of the LMPs, but preferrably with several Group Cs.
After 5 enter/exits, I enter the race again and before the lineup appears, the game freezes, usual way, red/blue logo screen and the clockhand stops spinning.
I reset the console and tried again, sure enough, same thing happened. Hmmmm.
Wondered if it was car related, so I got in the Ford GT LM Race Car.
Same thing happens.
Began to think the dreaded disk read error may be getting to things, so I cleaned the laser lens with one of those CDs, and made sure there were no significant scratches on the GT4 disk.
Tried again, and sure enough, it still freezes.
Called GameStop to see if they have a used copy of GT4, yes, for $14.99, so off I go, but on inspection it's scratched badly, and since a brand new copy is only $5 more, I part with $19.99 (+tax!) for a brand new "Greatest Hits" version of GT4. Get home, load it up with my memory card save and try the Cadillac Cien at Like The Wind.
It freezes in exactly the same place! So it's not the disk!
Made a copy of the gamesave on my MAXDrive, and copied it to my second memory card. Still freezes in exactly the same place with either game disk!
Decided it may be gameday related, so I hopped in a car I hadn't yet used and did a single race, upping the gameday to 1695. Back in the Cadillac and the game saves. Reset the console and sure enough, the game still freezes when I try to enter Like The Wind for the 6th time.
This appears to show that there is some corruption in the gamesave itself which causes the freezing error, since 2 x GT4 disks and 2 x Memory Cards behave the same way.
What is also curious is that if I enter/exit a Sunday Cup race before I attempt any enter/exits of Like The Wind, then it seems I can then go on and enter/exit Like The Wind to my heart's content!
*edit* Actually it has just frozen again, about 10 enter/exits after entering the Sunday Cup race!
This is bizarre, with a capital BIZ. 
Anyway, just thought I'd share that with you, I've read lots on these forums about people's games freezing and them spending ages cleaning PS2 parts and game disks, while this seems to prove that the issue isn't hardware related at all! 💡
What do you think? Can you reproduce this error? Let me know!
*edit 2*
As it turns out, the Caddy is capable of beating the 4th or 5th lineup in Like The Wind, after enter/exiting the Sunday Cup race first!
Freezing issue is still a problem, but not a problem w.r.t. the Caddilac anymore!
This is from my post in Stock Car Race Challenge/Comparison thread, where it's been submitted, if anyone cares to repeat it!
Extreme Hall: Like The Wind Race - Test Course
Car: Cadillac Cien '02 (Minimum Downforce) / MR / ?HP (760HP on garage screen) / 1450kg / ?kg/HP (1.9kg/HP using garage value) / 200 A-spec points!
vs. Nissan R390 GT1, BMW V12 LMR, BMW McLaren F1 GTR, PlayStation Pescarolo C60/Judd, Pescarolo Courage C60/Peugeot.
Cadillac had fully customisable transmission and adjustable downforce in stock form! Downforce was minimised for less drag, and an autoset of 18 on the transmission allows for cruising at ~233mph on straights, and upto 250mph while drafting. Took off slowly from the line since I was on stock SM tyres versus everyone elses RM tyres, but once up to speed, the McLaren is reeled in first, giving a speed boost from the draft which allows me to catch the green Pescarolo, and again the slingshot puts me on the tail of the white Pescarolo. The BMW & Nissan who were once 7s in front have had their lead cut to under 5s by the end of lap 1, and after passing the 2nd Pescarolo, it's just a matter of time before I've crept up on them, passing them both in the second turn on lap 3. After that it's an easy cruise to the finish line, and 200 points!
Just thought I'd share this with you all.
Came across something a little peculiar last night, I was trying to find a lineup to beat for 200 points at Like The Wind in Extreme Hall. I'm on gameday 1694 and using a Cadillac Cien in stock form. It'll beat most of the slower cars and since the Group Cs all tend to pit ending lap 4, it'll beat them too. So I was trying to enter and exit the race to find a lineup that suits me, without any of the LMPs, but preferrably with several Group Cs.
After 5 enter/exits, I enter the race again and before the lineup appears, the game freezes, usual way, red/blue logo screen and the clockhand stops spinning.
I reset the console and tried again, sure enough, same thing happened. Hmmmm.
Wondered if it was car related, so I got in the Ford GT LM Race Car.
Same thing happens.
Began to think the dreaded disk read error may be getting to things, so I cleaned the laser lens with one of those CDs, and made sure there were no significant scratches on the GT4 disk.
Tried again, and sure enough, it still freezes.
Called GameStop to see if they have a used copy of GT4, yes, for $14.99, so off I go, but on inspection it's scratched badly, and since a brand new copy is only $5 more, I part with $19.99 (+tax!) for a brand new "Greatest Hits" version of GT4. Get home, load it up with my memory card save and try the Cadillac Cien at Like The Wind.
It freezes in exactly the same place! So it's not the disk!
Made a copy of the gamesave on my MAXDrive, and copied it to my second memory card. Still freezes in exactly the same place with either game disk!
Decided it may be gameday related, so I hopped in a car I hadn't yet used and did a single race, upping the gameday to 1695. Back in the Cadillac and the game saves. Reset the console and sure enough, the game still freezes when I try to enter Like The Wind for the 6th time.
This appears to show that there is some corruption in the gamesave itself which causes the freezing error, since 2 x GT4 disks and 2 x Memory Cards behave the same way.
What is also curious is that if I enter/exit a Sunday Cup race before I attempt any enter/exits of Like The Wind, then it seems I can then go on and enter/exit Like The Wind to my heart's content!
*edit* Actually it has just frozen again, about 10 enter/exits after entering the Sunday Cup race!
This is bizarre, with a capital BIZ. Anyway, just thought I'd share that with you, I've read lots on these forums about people's games freezing and them spending ages cleaning PS2 parts and game disks, while this seems to prove that the issue isn't hardware related at all! 💡
What do you think? Can you reproduce this error? Let me know!
*edit 2*
As it turns out, the Caddy is capable of beating the 4th or 5th lineup in Like The Wind, after enter/exiting the Sunday Cup race first!
Freezing issue is still a problem, but not a problem w.r.t. the Caddilac anymore!
This is from my post in Stock Car Race Challenge/Comparison thread, where it's been submitted, if anyone cares to repeat it!
Extreme Hall: Like The Wind Race - Test Course
Car: Cadillac Cien '02 (Minimum Downforce) / MR / ?HP (760HP on garage screen) / 1450kg / ?kg/HP (1.9kg/HP using garage value) / 200 A-spec points!
vs. Nissan R390 GT1, BMW V12 LMR, BMW McLaren F1 GTR, PlayStation Pescarolo C60/Judd, Pescarolo Courage C60/Peugeot.
Cadillac had fully customisable transmission and adjustable downforce in stock form! Downforce was minimised for less drag, and an autoset of 18 on the transmission allows for cruising at ~233mph on straights, and upto 250mph while drafting. Took off slowly from the line since I was on stock SM tyres versus everyone elses RM tyres, but once up to speed, the McLaren is reeled in first, giving a speed boost from the draft which allows me to catch the green Pescarolo, and again the slingshot puts me on the tail of the white Pescarolo. The BMW & Nissan who were once 7s in front have had their lead cut to under 5s by the end of lap 1, and after passing the 2nd Pescarolo, it's just a matter of time before I've crept up on them, passing them both in the second turn on lap 3. After that it's an easy cruise to the finish line, and 200 points!
