Emailing Me

New! Join the GPL Mailing List and the VROC Mailing List! I post the latest updates to these lists.

Overwhelm!

I went public with this Grand Prix Legends site on the Web on 10/1/98, the same day GPL hit the shelves in the US. The total views of this site and my other Web sites, VROC and Eagle Woman, is now well over a hundred thousand.

Many readers send emails with questions, appreciation comments, advice on GPL, setups, replays, add-ons for GPL, and stories about their own racing experiences, either real or virtual.

I truly appreciate these letters, and read every one. I've replied to literally thousands in recent months. However, due to the enormous volume of email I receive, it's simply not possible for me to reply to every one.

If you have a question about racing simulations, please send your question to one of the resources listed in the Help section below.

If you have a suggestion or would like to offer add-ons for GPL, please post a message at the VROC Paddock, the message board at The APEX, or on rec.autos.simulators.

If you have a site you'd like racing sim fans to know about, you can post a link to it at the VROC Paddock.

If you'd like to send thanks, advice, add-ons, stories, or whatever, please know that even if I can't reply, I'll read your email with great appreciation.

Getting Help

Due to the volume of email I receive, I cannot respond to every question. If you have a question about GPL, please do the following:

• Read my FAQs! In the FAQs, I've answered virtually every question I can think of, and just about every question I've been asked.
• Read the readme.txt file that came with GPL. You'll find it in your GPL folder (by default, C:\Sierra\gpl). This file contains answers to many of the questions I've been asked by readers.
• Read the manual and book, "Four Wheel Drift", which came with GPL.
• Read Steve Smith's Advanced Setup Guide.
• If you are trying to decide what hardware upgrades to make for GPL, read my Hardware FAQ.
• If you are having trouble keeping up with GPL's AI drivers, read the Driving and AI sections of my general FAQ.
• If you are having problems with racing other people online, read my Online FAQ.

If you still need help, try the following resources:

• If you have a question about car setup, email Steve Smith.
• If you're looking for people to race with online, go to the Virtual Racers' Online Connection.
• If you need setups or driving help, go to my Help page.
• If you need help with a video card, go to the appropriate site listed on my Links page.
• Read the GPL Mailing List and the VROC Mailing List. Join one or both lists and post your question.
• Post your question on the forum at The APEX.
• Post your question on the rec.autos.simulators newsgroup.
• Post your question on the Motorsports forum at Sierra Sports.

There are many extremely knowledgeable sim racers on the forum at the APEX and on rec.autos.simulators who would be glad to answer your questions about GPL. It's rare that a satisfactory answer to a sim racing question cannot be found on these resources.

Bugs and Design Issues

If you find a bug in GPL, or have an installation problem, such as an issue with your sound card, please email the Sierra Sports support folks at hardware@sierra.com. Unlike email sent to the address listed in the manual, which only returns an automated response, email sent to this address will get read by a human.

Sierra Sports support is also the place to contact if you have a concern about an aspect of GPL's design. Issues which have been raised to me by readers include the fact that there is no way for you to control the speed of the AI drivers, the fact that it is not possible to choose race length independently from damage model and damage recovery options.

Online issues readers have noted frequently include the fact that there is no way in GPL to limit the number of players allowed to join a race, and the fact that GPL's server lacks a command line interface.

Sierra Sports needs to know if you have concerns about these issues.

The Last Resort

If you can't find an answer to your question in any of these places, then you may email one of the following:

• John Wallace - Questions about GPL, about VROC, or general sim questions.
• Michael Carver - Questions about GPL, about VROC, or general sim questions.
• Randy Magruder - Questions about VROC, including problems in hosting or joining races.
• Alison Hine - Broken links or other bugs in the Eagle Woman's GPL or VROC web pages, or VROC emergencies.

If we can answer your question, and feel others would benefit from the answer too, we'll either put your question and our answer in the appropriate FAQ, or post them on rec.autos.simulators.

Thanks for your feedback and your consideration!

- Alison