[QUOTE="sambob530"]

Oh yeah, if I remember correctly, in GT4, you could fast forward B-Spec races. If they bring that back, I'm in for B-Spec.

mjk1

Next month you will be able to play B-Spec from your PC so is its going to get a whole lot easier. No need to worry about your PS3 overheating.

It's not that, it's the fact that even the early on ones take ages. I got bored of it, so I'm only doing A-Spec for the time being.

Next Gran Turismo 5 Update Coming February 18th

Mark your calendars! Kazunori Yamauchi has just announced via Twitter the next update will be made available for Gran Turismo 5 this coming Friday, February 18th. Via Google Translator:

"In the next update. What day 18 February. RT @ driftlover35r: @ Kaz_Yamauchi PP scheme is implemented or when? Have the sameadvantage in torque power difference, I get the penalty."

As you can see, Kazunori also appears to confirm the return of the "Performance Points" system used to benchmark cars in GT5Prologue may be returning to GT5.

In addition to new features and bug fixes, this will have an affect on the start of the third round of GT Academy USA, originally slated to begin February 14th but postponed until after this update has been issued. Thanks to everyone who sent this in so quickly – stay tuned for more!

Source: GTPlanet, Next Gran Turismo 5 Update Coming February 18th

This Gran Turismo 5 Bug Can Kill Your Game

Over the past few weeks, many Gran Turismo 5 players around the web have reported a very serious bug in the game's save file: once it reaches 4165KB in size, it can no longer be used. When the game attempts to load the file, the following (somewhat misleading) PS3 error message will be displayed:

"Insufficient free space on hard disk drive (HDD). At least 32MB required. Please exit the game and free up some space. 0×00000015 [217]"

As of writing, it is unknown if there is any way to get around this error message, reduce the file's size, or recover your data. Until Polyphony Digital resolves this issue in a future update, follow these guidelines to minimize its impact upon your own game progress.

Check Your Game's Save File's Size

To see if your game save may be at risk, check its file size in your PlayStation 3's XMB. Under the "Game" menu, select the "Saved Data Utility" and look for Gran Turismo 5 in the list of files that appear. You should see the file size listed immediately underneath the logo. If it's anywhere near 4165KB, you will be affected by the bug very soon and should pay special attention to the following advice in this post.

While you're in that menu, take this opportunity to back up your game save file. Just plug a USB "thumb drive", external USB hard drive, or other memory card into your PlayStation 3, hit the "Triangle" button on the controller, select "Copy", and choose the device you want it backed up to. This won't prevent the bug from affecting you, but it may help you recover your data later.

Slow Down the Growth of Your Save File

As mentioned above, this bug cannot be avoided by anyone – your GT5 game save file will only get larger as you continue to play. Simply loading up the game will cause it to increase by at least a few KB or so, and other more significant actions, such as buying new cars or parts, will make it grow even faster. However, the most serious threat to your game's save file is browsing through "museum cards".

Viewing museum cards can increase your file size by as much as several hundred KB or more. They are automatically gifted to you on a daily basis by the game, but this is not what causes your save file to grow by such a large amount – you must actually browse through them to significantly increase the size of the file. Presumably, the actual content of the cards is being stored or cached within the save file when you read them, resulting in accelerated growth.

If your file is closing in on the 4165KB threshold, I strongly advise you to avoid loading the museum cards. Indeed, it would be wise for everyone to avoid the museum feature until we have confirmation this bug has been resolved.

It should also be noted this issue applies only to the game save file - not the "game data" installed to the hard disk. As such, though downloading a program from Gran Turismo TV or saving a race replay may increase your game save file by a tiny amount, their actual content is stored elsewhere and is not a concern.

Will This Be Fixed?

It is not known if Polyphony Digital is yet aware of this issue, or if it will be corrected in the next GT5 update coming February 18th. Many other PlayStation 3 titles have save files which far exceed 4167KB in size, so it is not clear why this particular game is affected – hopefully it will be an easy fix for Kazunori Yamauchi's team. Even if players avoid the museum card feature, it will only be a short matter of time before this issue becomes an even larger problem for more people in the coming weeks and months.

To help raise awareness of this bug, I encourage you to pass a link to this page around and contact PlayStation Support. For reference, here's a few links to discussions by players who have already been affected by this issue, both here in the GTPlanet Forums and abroad. Let's hope this gets resolved soon.

• Error Message 0×00000015[217] ("Not enough disk space…") – GTRP.de
• Fatal Bug! – GTPlanet Forums
• Insufficient free space error – GTPlanet Forums
• Not enough memory? – Official PlayStation Community Forums
• Insufficient disk space? What the… – GameFAQs Forums

Source: GTPlanet, This Gran Turismo 5 Bug Can Kill Your Game

Damn they better fix that game breaking bug soon....

And I really hope that they add mid-race saves for endurance races. It's not anything too mind blowing, the one racing game I have for Dreamcast you could save mid race, the prompt would show up when you would pit.

I finally got around to doing the 4 hours at the Ring lastnight and man that took me like 6 hours or so overall to complete lol. The 24hour races will take me a few days probably if I ever do them, but I'm not leaving my ps3 on for a few days straight nor do I want to go all out and do it in a few sittings.

There's a patch coming on the 18th and PD are aware of this issue.
I really enjoyed 4 hours around the ring in an M£ (Premuim, slightly modified) for a good competitive race.
I only won by 3 seconds :D
Loved every moment of it.

Gran Turismo 5 v1.06 Available Now: Full Details

The latest version of GT5, v1.06, became available early this morning, and it's a big one. As promised, remote B-Spec racing ("GT Anywhere"), the game save file bug, and corner-cutting and collision detection algorithms have all been addressed. Notably, the update also introduces "multi-monitor" support, allowing you to play the game using three different screens! Here's all the details via the official announcement:

[Major Changes and New Features]
・Remote Racing
[Remote Races] have been added to the bottom left of the [GT Mode] – [Community] screen.
Here you can start a fully automated B-Spec race using yours and your friends' "My Drivers", and gain rewards and experience from it.
For details please see section 8-4 [Remote Races] in the [Manual] accessible from the main menu, and also the new "Remote Race" page on gran-tursimo.com, under the GT5 product information section.

・Remote Racing from a Web Browser
In [Remote Races], you can visit the official "gran-turismo.com" website using a web browser, and remotely control your PS3® at home. You can start races, monitor its progress and check results from the website. This is a new playing ****allowing you to play Gran Turismo anywhere.
Sign in from the [GT5 My Home] button on the upper right corner of the website to get started.

・Using the Course Maker in Online Races
You can now use one of the "My Courses" created in [Course Maker] for your online races (in Open Lobby, My Lounge), or select themes and generate courses on the spot. (Please note you'll only be able to use My Courses created after this update).

・Introduction of Performance Points in Online Races
We've now introduced Performance Points (PP), a numerical index of a car's performance for online races. You can set PP restrictions in the online race regulations (in Open Lobby, My Lounge) to limit participating cars.
For details, see 6 -15 [Performance Points] in the [Manual] accessible from the main menu.

・Increased Rewards and Experience Online
The amount of rewards and experience gained from online racing (in Open Lobby, My Lounge) have been increased.

・More Event Settings in Online Races
[Auto Race Start Cycle] and [Tire Wear/Fuel Consumption] have been added to the event settings for online races (in Open Lobby, My Lounge).

・More Penalties for Special Events
Penalties for improper driving such as driving off course and hitting walls have been increased for the [Special Events] under [GT Mode] – [GT Life].

・Event Rewards and Experience Adjusted
The rewards and experience gained in [License] and [Special Events] in [GT Mode] – [GT Life] have been adjusted. Experience for A-Spec and B-Spec events have been increased, while rewards have been reduced back down to levels seen before the 1.05 update.

・Car Loan in Events
In A-Spec, B-Spec and [Special Events] in [GT Mode] – [GT Life], you can now borrow cars that your Friends have set to share with friends.
For details see 6-16 [Borrowing and Lending Cars] in the [Manual] accessible from the main menu.

・More Car Settings
Gear ratio adjustment, power limiters, and weight adjustment have been added to the settings. For details see [18. Settings Guide] in the [Manual] accessible from the main menu.

・Multi-Monitor Feature
From [Options] – [Hardware] – [Multi-Monitor], you can now access the multi-monitor display settings using multiple PS3™ systems.
You can now enjoy Gran Turismo 5 in a wide display environment combining multiple PS3™ systems and TV's/monitors.
For details please see the support section on gran-turismo.com.

[Changes and Additions to Gameplay]
- It is now possible to replay and save [2P Battle] races.
- [Controller Steering Sensitivity] has been added to [Driving Options].
- [Corner Bank Angle] has been added to the section settings in [Course Maker].
- In A-Spec events including endurance races, a confirmation prompt has been added before restarting a race from the beginning.
- In replays, B Spec and while watching races, you can now change viewing targets directly from the screen without having to use a separate window list.
- Personal BGM can now be used when voice chat is disabled in a [Lounge].
- Cars in your garage that are not registered as 'Favorites' can now be used in a [Lounge].
- When tire restriction is enabled in a Lounge regulation, only cars with tires that qualify will be displayed in the garage.
- Driver and car display selections during races will be saved.
- Karts now have [Quick Menu settings.
- You can now select multiple items in some important menu screens, such as when registering your favorite cars in your [Garage].

[AI Adjustment]
- Race choreography and opponent car AI controls for licence tests and A Spec events have been adjusted.
- Opponent car AI controls during B Spec races have been improved.
- The evasive maneuver of opponent cars when a players car blocks the track has been improved.

[Correction of Issues]
- Corrected an issue where it was possible to gain points unfairly in drift trials.
- Corrected an issue where it was not possible to view the 4th sector in the live monitor.
-Corrected an issue where the sound effects would not change when replacing the exhaust system or turbo kit.
- Corrected an issue where the save data becomes unable to load when exceeding a certain file size.

[Other Changes]
- A searchable item called [Race Type] has been added for room creation in the [Open Lobby].
- The lap times for the [X Challenge] in [Special Events] have been adjusted.
- Game save speed has been optimized.
- The HDD access warning message that was displayed at game startup has been disabled for faster startup.
- Car demo backdrops during an [Auto Demo] is now displayed randomly in 4 types (Morning/Day/Night/White) as is in the　[Dealership].
- The "S-AWC" integrated four wheel drive system of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X has been adjusted.
- The [Force Feedback Strength] of the Thrustmaster T500RS can now be adjusted across a wider range.

Source: GTPlanet, Gran Turismo 5 v1/06 Available Now: Full Details

Damn this is a pretty ill update. Glad to see PD is supporting GT5 quite a bit and for free too! Other game companies (Crapcom) would be charging $$$ for the updates.SchumiF1

Aw and I wanted to see Super Gran Turismo 5 Turbo HD edition, with alternate costumes for my Honda Civic Type R '99. It will be interesting to see if and when the new event's are done whether they are free or premium DLC.

"GTlife" User-Contributed Gran Turismo Fan Magazine

Over the past few weeks, users in our forums have been organizing a digital Gran Turismo magazine, made up entirely of user-generated articles and content. Now, all of their hard work has finally come together in the first issue of GTlife, and I think any GT fan will find it an enjoyable read. Topics range from car comparisons, car reviews, tuning tips, "fan fiction", community interviews, and more. It's available for free on issuu.com, or you can download the full PDF file (15.1 MB) from GTPlanet's servers.

I'd like to personally congratulate Schwadegan and all of the other contributors who made this possible – it's an awesome tribute to what this community can do! To submit an article of your own to the magazine or get involved with the project, head on over to GTlife's official forum thread.

Source: GTPlanet, "GTlife" User-Contributed Gran Turismo Fan Magazine

Gran Turismo 5 v1.07 Update Available Now

In a surprise GT5 update (v1.06 was released just one week ago), Polyphony Digital has made a few more tweaks to the game, including a fairly major revision to the car gifting/trading system. Here's the official list of what v1.07 (a 47 MB download) contains:

[Major Changes and New Features]
Friend Rankings: In Drift Trials and Time Trials, you can now display leaderboards that shows only your friends. While it was difficult before to locate your friends in the general leaderboards, this now makes it easier to compare your lap times and points with them.

[Fixed Issues]
- Performance points (PP), which is an index of a car's overall performance, is now calculated regardless of your tire selection. You can now set performance point restrictions and tire restrictions separately when you race in a lounge.
- Fixed the issue where the performance of electric cars increased/decreased after a certain amount of driving.
- Downloaded replays from Seasonal Event Rankings can now be viewed properly.

[Other Changes]
- Cars worth over 1,000,000 Cr. (including gift car coupons) are now prohibited from being traded to prevent issues during the trading process. When lending and borrowing cars between friends, please use the car loan system.

Source: GTPlanet, Gran Turismo v1.07 Update Available Now

They've always done that.
Annoying IMO, it makes the race too easy.
dabest2500

Ahh, I never knew that. Yeah it's annoying, but have you seen the news on the GS front page about LG stopping PS3 shipments in Europe? Crazy.

I love GT5, but I've come to notice there is a reason they call it the ultimate driving sim and not racing sim on the cover. The feel of the cars and driving is amazing but the AI has been and still is terrible.

Was playing online the other day and convinced the server to make it karts only at the Ring. It is loads of fun. I wish they had more karting and rally events in A Spec.

[QUOTE="dabest2500"]They've always done that.
Annoying IMO, it makes the race too easy.
sambob530

Ahh, I never knew that. Yeah it's annoying, but have you seen the news on the GS front page about LG stopping PS3 shipments in Europe? Crazy.

Find it hilarious and ironic that I play my PS3 on a LG tv :lol:SchumiF1

:O

Well I got tired of the grinding so I decided to finish off the special events I didnt get gold in originally for a challenge. Got gold on everything, I honestly though the AMG challenge was going to be more difficult than it was. For all golds on the Vettel Challenge you get the X2010 Prototype, it's all black, looks freakin sweet.

Only thing left is the grinding trophies, and hopefully PD will implement an in race save feature so I can do those 24 hours races :lol:

The first part with all the hairpins, I would roll through the corners before I would accelerate out of them at around 35mph. On the 3rd hairpin I would turn in very late, cause it seems to give you a better exit and set up for the 4th hairpin right before the bridge. The same goes for the long right hander before the tunnel, just roll through it til you feel it's safe to accelerate out of it. Approximately 55-60mph slowest through that corner. The other major tricky part is the last corner, it seems you can gain/lose a lot of time here. You can go very deep into it without braking and let the car ride up to the outside of that corner and come down smoothly and accelerate to the finish. I would brake right before the bump/rumble strip on the left side.

I forget my exact settings but TC was 1 or 2 and ABS was at 1. The most difficult part about this to me it seems is nailing all those correctly, especially the last turn. Hope that helps :D

I'm a wheel user myself.