In the JavaVROC Race Room

Once you've done the preparations, you can dive in and look for other folks to race with.
When JavaVROC asks you about permissions, grant them. If you are worried about this, read our Security Warning.

• Set up your options first. These are the text fields, checkboxes, etc located below the race list. Your sim executable path and Internet IP must be set correctly or nothing will work.
• Double-click on a race line to join a race.
• Click on Host to host a race (others will see it on their race list).
• Click on Chat to go to the VROC chat areas.

Only races in Practice or Waiting mode which have not reached their player limit will be available to join. These will display a "+" at the left end of the race line. If none of the races are available, host a race yourself!

Read Help if you have difficulty retrieving the race list or joining or hosting a race.

If difficulties persist, there are a number of resources available from the VROC Tech Support page. You can also get help in the VROC chats.

Using the JavaVROC Applet

The VROC race list is displayed using a proprietary Java applet. When you click the various buttons, Java functions are called to perform the requested actions.

Help us make the racing good:

1. Host races. If you limit the number of players, and select our Bandwidth option CheckBox, you too can host reliable races. It's easy!

2. Limit the number of players who can join, in the sim's Multiplayer screen. If you don't, lots of people will join and get booted.

• Modem: 3 players
• ISDN/serial port: 5
• ISDN Router/Internal TA: 9
• Cable/T1/ADSL: 11 to 19

Be a better racer! Read Cool Stuff.

Verifying your Internet IP Address

The internet IP address which VROC sends to other racers when you host a race is displayed at the bottom of the applet. Please verify that this address is correct. If it's not, you can over-ride the IP address by entering the correct IP address in IP Override field. Run Winipcfg to find out your correct internet IP.

For a discussion of the IP address issue in Java, click here.

Joining

Double-click on the race you want to join. JavaVROC will launch the sim and bring you to the multiplayer screen, with the race you are joining all queued up ready to go.

Note: if you are behind a gateway, see section 7.3 of Eagle Woman's GPL Online FAQ.

Hosting

Click the Host button if you want to host a race. JavaVROC will notify the VROC server of your intention, so others can see your game, and will launch the sim. The hosting options you have chosen will be reflected in the way the game runs, as VROC uses passed parameters to control game play.

In the sim, you should find yourself at the multiplayer screen. Check the box for your Internet connection. Then click the green button to proceed to the Track Selection screen.

Note: if you are behind a gateway, see section 7.3 of Eagle Woman's GPL Online FAQ. If no one joins your races, see VROC Troubleshooting.

See the Advanced Servers page for information about the advanced hosting capabilities of GPL and VROC.

Chat

There is generally a lively chat going in the Internet Relay Chat room used by WinVROC. You can easily join this room. WinVROC uses Shadowworld, and by default goes to room #gpl. Gammanet has a simple Java client at their web site which (sometimes) allows access to the Gammanet IRC network. For best results, we recommend mIRC, an excellent general-purpose IRC client. Just connect to a random Gammanet server, and enter room #gpl.

The VROC eGroup is an "off-course" meeting place for online racers. This facility incorporates a Chat, Message Board, Links, and Calendar, all of which can be updated by members. The VROC eGroup also incorporates a very active mailing list, and all postings can also be read at the Web site. Anyone can join. Please do!

Note: Make sure you disconnect from any chats before you launch your sim! It's important to devote maximum bandwidth and CPU resources to your sim.

JavaVROC Race List Details

The race list updates itself automatically every 20 seconds. If you're tired of waiting, click on the list (not on the Join buttons) and this will force an immediate refresh.

Here's what the headings mean:

1. Host - The name of the Host.
2. Track - The name of the track.
3. Type - The type of race - Novice, Intermediate, etc.
4. Class - Minimum / maximum classes allowed in the race.
5. Car - If the Host is running a spec race, the car you'll all be driving. "Any" means run what you brung.
6. Drvrs - Current / maximum number of racers. The host is 1, except for in a dedicated race, where the Host is not present. When you set the player limit in GPL, you are saying how many racers may join you. Thus, if you select 3 in GPL, the race list will show a maximum of 4.
7. Conn - The connection type of the Host (as she/he entered it in their own options - may be a lie!)
8. Ping/Loss - The latency between your computer and that of the Host, and the percentage of lost packets (out of 5 tries).
9. Max - The maximum ping allowed by the Host. (VROC won't check your ping against this, but the host's GPL will reject your entry if it finds your connection's ping exceed its maximum.)
10. Session - Starting, Waiting, Practice, or Racing.
11. Left - Minutes left in Practice, or Laps left in the Race.
12. Pwd - X here means this race has a password.
13. Ded - X here means this is a dedicated server.
14. Location - Where the Host claims to be located.
15. Comment - What the Host wants to say to you before you join.
16. Drivers - This is a list of drivers in this race. After each driver's name is an abbreviation of the driver's chassis and car class. The chassis abbreviations are: R=Repco-Brabham, B=BRM, C=Coventry, E=Eagle, F=Ferrari, M=Murasama, L=Lotus. The class abbreviations are: 1=GP, 2=Advanced Trainer, 3=Basic Trainer.

Linking to the Race Room

The VROC menu bar uses a Javascript module to open the VROC Race Room Java applet in a window of a predefined size. It doesn't work to drag this link to your desktop, or to save it as a favorite or bookmark.

If you wish to link directly to the VROC applet, drag one of the following to your desktop, or save it as a favorite or bookmark:

Normal size race room: http://vroc.net/html/vroc20/roomgpl.htm

Wide race room: http://vroc.net/html/vroc20/roomgplWide.htm

Note that these links won't open the applet window to a predefined size. You can resize the window to whatever size you like after the applet finishes loading.