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SPACING AND LENGTH
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INTRODUCTION
With V-Rally 3 forthcoming for PlayStation2, I decided to
acquire an earlier V-Rally game to see what the series is
like. From the moment I began playing, I was impressed, and
was hooked on the game almost as quickly :-) The game play
is incredible, and there are quite a few things to do. For a
PlayStation/PSOne game, V-Rally 2 graphically looks nothing
short of awesome - even better than the best-ever PSX/PSOne
racing game, Gran Turismo 2.
Speaking of Gran Turismo 2, that game introduced rally racing
into the series; for many gamers, this was likely the first
time they had tried rally racing. Unfortunately, GT2
primarily uses circuits for rally racing, with only two
point-to-point stage-style courses - very un-rally-like,
which primarily focuses upon point-to-point circuits. V-
Rally 2 uses circuits for Arcade Mode races and for some of
the Trophy Mode races, so for those who began their gaming
rally racing careers with Gran Turismo 2 (or Gran Turismo 3),
Arcade Mode is definitely a nice, familiar, comfortable place
to begin in V-rally 3. Also, Arcade Mode and Trophy Mode
both sport four cars on the track per race - which is two
cars better than the Gran Turismo series' Rally Events
sections, but still a bit unrealistic.
Some of the information in this guide is taken from my World
Rally Championship: Game Guide, with appropriate
modifications.
==============================================
ARCADE MODE
This is a good place to begin with V-Rally 2 to gain a good
feel for the game and its gameplay. There are three levels
of play in Arcade Mode: Level 1, Level 2, and Expert. Each
subsequent level has more races (all on circuits) than the
previous level, and also has tougher time requirements. In
Level 1, if a player flips or spins the chosen car, there is
still ample time to reach the next checkpoint without the
timer expiring.
However, in Expert, a single mistake most likely will result
in time expiring ON THAT SECTOR. Therefore, the trick to
Expert in Arcade Mode is to drive cleanly and smoothly,
avoiding anything that might spin or flip the car. To this
end, it may even be a good idea to fall back and bring up the
rear, so as not to get involved in any battles with the
competitors.
Fortunately, the goal of Arcade Mode is to COMPLETE each race
in the allotted time, not to win each race. Certainly,
winning a race gives the player a sense of euphoria, but
winning is not necessary in Arcade Mode. Completing each
race in each level of Arcade Mode results in gaining bonus
cars - one per level.
For each level, the player is given three Credits. Should
the player fail to reach a checkpoint within the time
allotted, the car will start to slow. If the car comes to a
stop, the player must spend a Credit (if any Credits are
remaining) to restart that race. Should a player fail to
reach a checkpoint but cannot pay the one Credit 'restart
fee,' then that attempt to complete the Arcade Mode level
will end in failure and the player must restart the entire
level.
Here are the Arcade Mode levels and their associated
circuits:
Level 1 Level 2 Expert
----------------- ----------------- -----------------
Spain SS6 New Zealand SS6 England SS7
England SS6 Indonesia SS6 Corsica SS6
Finland SS6 Portugal SS6 New Zealand SS7
Australia SS6 Argentina SS6 Argentina SS7
Monte Carlo SS6 Monte Carlo SS7
Italy SS6 Sweden SS6
Australia SS7
Indonesia SS7
For a list of the terrain type for each country, see the
Country Terrain Listing near the end of the guide.
==============================================
TROPHY MODE
Winning each trophy in Trophy Mode is dependent upon having
the lowest cumulative time across an entire set of races.
Also, there is no timer; each race is dependent solely upon
the action on the track. Three trophies are available:
European Trophy, World Trophy, and Expert Trophy. Unlike
Arcade Mode, after each race, the player has the option of
stopping and saving progress.
Here are the Trophy Mode events and their associated
circuits:
European World Trophy Expert Trophy
----------------- ----------------- -----------------
Corsica SS7 New Zealand SS4 Corsica SS6
Finland SS7 Spain SS2 Indonesia SS4
Spain SS7 England SS2 Australia SS2
England SS1 Italy SS7 Monte Carlo SS7
Italy SS1 Indonesia SS1 New Zealand SS7
Portugal SS7 Corsica SS4 Sweden SS6
Monte Carlo SS1 Finland SS6 Argentina SS2
Sweden SS7 Australia SS6 Finland SS2
Argentina SS1 Australia SS1
Monte Carlo SS6 New Zealand SS2
New Zealand SS1 Italy SS4
Sweden SS2 Argentina SS7
Portugal SS4
Indonesia SS2
Australia SS7
Corsica SS3
For a list of the terrain type for each country, see the
Country Terrain Listing near the end of the guide.
==============================================
CHAMPIONSHIP MODE
This is where the TRUE rally action is. Depending on the
championship entered, players race against the clock on
either two or three stages per rally, with either eight or
twelve rallies per championship. Between stages, players are
able to repair the car if desired, but they are only allotted
a total of thirty minutes to make any desired repairs, so if
a car is heavily damaged, a player must carefully select
which repairs are most critical (the repair time is listed
next to each part as decisions are made; also indicated with
both bar graphs and percentages is each part's condition
percentage, both before and after repairs are made). Except
the first stage of the first rally of a championship, the
player is given the opportunity to quit and save progress
before starting each stage.
Here is the list of rallies (with number of stages per rally)
included in each championship:
European World Expert
(2 stages) (2 stages) (3 stages)
----------------- ----------------- -----------------
England Monte Carlo Monte Carlo
Spain Sweden Sweden
Finland Portugal Portugal
Corsica Argentina Argentina
Portugal Spain Spain
Italy Indonesia Indonesia
Monte Carlo Corsica Corsica
Sweden New Zealand New Zealand
Finland Finland
Italy Italy
Australia Australia
England England
Championships are won by having the most points at the end of
the championship. Points are awarded in FIA style based upon
the positions (by overall time) at the end of each rally:
Place Points
-------- ----------
First 10 points
Second 6 points
Third 4 points
Fourth 3 points
Fifth 2 points
Sixth 1 point
Others 0 points
Just for reference, the man standing in front of the car at
the start of a stage is giving a countdown to the car's
permitted departure. He is not simply standing there acting
silly :-)
==============================================
TIME TRIAL MODE
This is where a player can race alone against the clock.
Only those tracks where the player has raced previously and
those tracks created in Track Editor (and saved to the memory
card) can be used in Time Trial Mode, so - unlike many other
racing/driving games - there is no possibility to simply
learn each track in Time Trial Mode and then go outperform
the competition in races (especially in Trophy Mode).
For circuits, a new lap begins each time the car crosses the
Start/Finish Line. However, for stages, once the car crosses
the Finish Line, it will be automatically placed at the Start
Line so that the player can make another run.
Press the Start button to pause the game and elect to leave
either that track or Time Trial Mode altogether. For a list
of the terrain type for each country, see the Country Terrain
Listing near the end of the guide.
NAVIGATORSPEAK
The navigator will give instructions to inform you of the
many twists and bumps in the road ahead. Many times, these
instructions are spot-on, although at times they are given
just as you reach the specific corner or caution mentioned.
Sometimes, however, the instructions are not quite exact, so
take care to not follow the instructions to the letter
without questioning.
If the sign panels at the top-center of the screen are
activated, these will exactly mimic visually what the
navigator is saying. Further, two panels are shown in
complex instructions; the bottom panel represents the current
instruction, whereas the top panel indicates the following
instruction. The top panel will slide down to the bottom
when appropriate.
Direction: The navigator will indicate if the upcoming corner
is to the right or the left.
'Bad:' These are the tightest corners, for which severe
braking will be required. Often, 'Bad' corners are hairpin
turns.
'Fast:' These are the slightest of bends in the road, and can
generally be handled at full throttle.
'Junction:' This is a divergence point in the road. However,
this is more or less a misnomer, as only rarely can a player
choose to take either fork, so it is important to slow
greatly and look for which fork is NOT blocked by barriers.
'Medium:' Light or moderate braking will be required for
these corners.
'Crest:' This call indicates a rise in the road ahead which
will obscure the view if using one of the in-car cameras.
Direction: The navigator will indicate whether the upcoming
turn is to the left or the right.
'Long:' The upcoming corner is long.
'Opens:' The upcoming corner has an increasing radius. Use
caution in accelerating, as accelerating too soon could
result in hitting obstacles or flying off cliffs.
'Tightens:' The upcoming corner has a decreasing radius.
Slowing will almost certainly be required before exiting the
corner.
'Very Long:' The upcoming corner is extensive and will seem
to go on forever.
==============================================
GENERAL TIPS
Buy or rent or borrow any game in the Gran Turismo series,
but especially Gran Turismo 2 or 3. In one of these games,
work through the License Tests, as this will teach how to
approach the various elements of racing, from judging braking
distances to controlling a car on a surface with little grip.
Gran Turismo 2 introduced rally racing to the series, so GT2
and GT3 both include a Rally License; the time and effort
spent in acquiring the Rally License in GT2 or GT3 will help
with World Rally Challenge. Overall, Gran Turismo 2 is
probably a better choice of the three games in the Gran
Turismo series, as GT2 includes the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and
Pikes Peak Downhill courses, the only point-to-point rally
venues in the series thus far (all other rally events are
held at actual circuits); unfortunately, both Pikes Peak
stages were removed for Gran Turismo 3 :-(
In rally racing, the principles of standard pavement-based
racing apply. However, there is generally less tire grip in
rally racing, which makes anticipation a key element in
correctly holding a tight racing line at the apex of a
corner, in judging braking distances on a steep downhill
grade, etc.
At all levels of Trophy Mode and at Level 2 and Expert in
Arcade Mode, it is probably best to restart if the car spins
and cannot be quickly corrected, or if the car flips. In
Arcade Mode, the player is allowed three restarts per level.
In Trophy Mode, the best thing to do is to exit Trophy Mode
and save progress after each race, so that if a disaster
occurs later (such as in race #4), there is no need to start
over again.
In Arcade Mode and Trophy Mode, there are four cars on the
track. Unfortunately, most of the tracks are incredibly
narrow, and honestly cannot safely support four cars at once.
Therefore, players must prepare to be bumped around and
potentially spun out by the CPU-controlled cars. On the
other hand, such 'dirty tactics' can be beneficial for the
player, shoving a competitor aside at a turn to gain a
position. On the other hand, in the upper two levels of
Arcade Mode, there is definitely something to be said about
simply dropping back and just slightly tailing the field, so
that the player can use the other cars for better visual
markers of what is ahead (especially in the races held in
Sweden, where all the snow starts to look the same and
discerning the actual road from the rest of the ground
becomes rather difficult).
Spectators will sometimes be standing in the middle of the
road, or will run across it. Players must always be mindful
of spectators, as hitting a spectator will damage the car.
Do not depend solely upon the navigator's instructions and
the sign icons at the top-center of the screen (if activated)
to drive cleanly through each stage. Try to look as far
ahead as possible and use the lay of the land to determine
what the road ahead will entail. Except perhaps for player-
made tracks (using the Track Editor), most roads follow the
contours of mountains, using a series of switchbacks for
climbing and descending steep mountainsides. On rare
occasions, visibility is clear so far ahead that it is
possible to see turns several hundred meters - or more -
beyond what the navigator is currently saying. For those
roads atop short ridges or on fairly flat land, it is often
possible to see the various turns far ahead. Try to use
really tall objects such as trees - and especially telephone
poles, as they are almost ALWAYS located directly next to the
road - to determine the location and severity of upcoming
turns.
TRACK EDITOR
One of the most unique features of V-Rally 2 is the Track
Editor, which allows players to create their own circuits or
stages to be saved to the memory card. Once saved to the
memory card, a track can be loaded in Time Trial mode for use
there (first select the country where the user-defined track
is located, then select from there). Friends can also
'trade' tracks by copying the appropriate file from one
memory card to another.
The creativity level achievable with the Track Editor is
absolutely amazing. Any country's terrain and scenery can be
used, the elevation can be changed at will, and the direction
of the circuit or stage can also be customized. There are
rotation features available to view the 'wireframe' of the
created track from virtually any angle imaginable; this
feature can be useful when working with elevation changes.
Unfortunately, the Start Area (consisting of three 'blocks')
cannot itself have an elevation change or a bend/turn;
however, any other part of the created track can be
manipulated at will. Take care when making severe elevation
changes, or else the CPU will not be able to render the
scenery away from the track itself fast enough, resulting in
'gaps' or 'holes' in the countryside.
Track creation can yield incredibly simple results (such as a
long, flat, runway-like track) or unbelievably complex and
even dangerous tracks. For example, a long, steep uphill
climb can be created with a long, steep descent to send the
car airborne when testing the track; however, it is quite
possible that such a massive jump will cause the car to flip
and roll upon landing.
To create a circuit instead of a stage, the beginning and
ending areas of the track must be at the same elevation and
must be close to each other. By pressing the Loop icon (the
top-left selection item in the Track Editor's main window),
the track will be joined to create a circuit.
A setting (selected by country) can be assigned independent
of any work done to the creation of the circuit or stage.
Changing the country is done by pressing the Country button
(the top-right selection item in the Track Editor's main
window). When a player wishes to use that track in Time
Trial Mode, the track is made available by country.
==============================================
COUNTRY TERRAIN LISTING
For player reference (especially when considering track
designs for the Track Editor), here is a list of the
countries (arranged in alphabetical order) and their terrain
types.
Country Terrain Type
----------- ------------
Argentina Gravel
Australia Soil (Dirt)
Corsica Tarmac
England Gravel
Finland Gravel
Indonesia Soil (Dirt)
Italy Tarmac
Monte Carlo Tarmac
New Zealand Soil (Dirt)
Portugal Soil (Dirt)
Spain Tarmac
Sweden Snow
UNLOCKABLES
V-Rally 2 allows the player to use a good number of cars from
the beginning. However, there are also numerous cars and
other game features which can be unlocked during gameplay.
Here are the unlockable parts of the game, as well as how to
acquire them.
A large expanse of blank lines follows so that those who do
not wish to see how to unlock the various elements of the
game need not see this information.
Bonus Cars Acquisition
----------------------- ----------------------------------
Alpine Renault A110 Win Expert Championship
Audi Quattro Win World Trophy
Fiat 131 Abarth Win European Trophy
Ford Escort V-Rally Complete Arcade Level 1*
Lancia Stratos Complete Arcade Level 2*
Peugeot 205 T16 Complete Arcade Expert*
Peugeot 405 T16 Earn 10,000 Performance Points
Renault 18 Gordini Win Expert Trophy
Renault 5 Turbo 2 Win World Championship
Toyota Celica GT4 Win European Championship
* Winning this level is not necessary to unlock the bonus
car indicated.
Levels by Mode Level Acquisition
-------------------- -------------------------------------
Arcade Mode Winning each level in Arcade Mode
unlocks the next higher level.
Trophy Mode Winning each trophy level (by having
the lowest total time for all
associated races) unlocks the next
higher trophy level.
Championship Mode Winning each championship unlocks the
next higher championship level.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Here are a few Internet resources for World Rally
Championship, the actual FIA rally racing series which
provides the basis for V-Rally 2.
FIA World Rally Championship - Mailing List
(http://www.dusty.com.au/)
Touted as "the world's biggest rally mailing list,"
results will be sent via e-mail for each competition.
Rally-Live.com (http://rally.racing-live.com/en/)
This site - available in English, French, and Spanish -
includes rally news and images, information on drivers and
teams, regulations, information on each racing venue, an
online store, forums and chat capabilities, wallpapers,
screensavers, and more.
RallyForum (http://www.rallyforum.com/)
This is primarily an online discussion area for everything
related to World Rally Championship.
RallyRallyRally (http://www.rallyrallyrally.com/)
This site covers World Rally Championship, British Rally,
European Rally, American Rally, and Asia/Pacific Rally
news.
World Rallying (http://www.worldrally.net/
This site is an independent source for information on
World Rally Championship, including results for every
season since 1994 and an online discussion area.
==============================================
==============================================
==============================================
CONTACT INFORMATION
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=======================================================================
Wolf Feather Jamie Stafford
=======================================================================
Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a
remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are.
- Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_
=======================================================================
What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_
=======================================================================
