VROC: Virtual Racers' Online Connection

Welcome to VROC!

The Virtual Racers' Online Connection, or VROC (pronounced VEE-rock), is intended to help you find others who would like to race GPL over the Internet. Here you'll find people hosting GPL, and you can host your own race if you wish.

Things You Need to Know about Online Racing

Before you start racing online, we strongly recommend that you read the following:

  1. Eagle Woman's GPL Survival Guide. This will help you put together an adequate platform for racing both offline and online.
  2. Part One of VROC's Technical Notes. Read this carefully. It explains how to deal with most of the common problems encountered when racing online. This can save you a lot of time and energy when you start participating in online races!

Also recommended:

  1. Eagle Woman's GPL Online FAQ. Sections 1, 6, and 7 are particularly useful if you're new to online racing.
  2. The VROC Overview. This is a synopsis of VROC highlights and a useful reference for VROC essentials.
  3. VROC's Cool Stuff page. This page supplies a collection of essential information including comments about online leagues, hosting tips, car setups, driving, core.ini files, USB modems and other useful items.
  4. VROC's Security Warning.

We also suggest you join the VROC and GPL Mailing Lists. These very active and informative facilities provide a mailing list/forum, calendar, chat, and more. You can get VROC and GPL-related questions answered here.

VROC Client

WinVROC

WinVROC is a superb native Windows client for VROC. This downloadable Windows program provides basic functionality for hosting and joining races on VROC. It also contains a number of additional features, including:

  • An integrated chat
  • Broadly enhanced control of race options by the host
  • Inspection of the Internet routes to GPL servers
  • Expanded support for dedicated servers and hosting behind a gateway
  • Remote hosting
  • Assorted other advanced features

Download WinVROC and try it!

Once you have WinVROC up and running, proceed to Online Racing Community below to discover other ways to engage with the GPL online racing community.

If you have difficulties with WinVROC, see WinVROC Help for assistance.

Online Racing Community

At almost any time of the day or night you'll find folks chatting about VROC and GPL in the IRC chat at Shadowworld. WinVROC has a built-in chat window which connects to this chat. You can also use mIRC or any other IRC client to connect to it; simply connect to a random Shadowworld server (or irc.shadowworld.net) and join channel #gpl.

The VROC Formula 2 Club provides a place for you to join with other racers in a comfortable, inviting environment where new drivers can learn and find their feet as drivers racing against other human drivers.The focus is on drivers who are just getting started with GPL or online racing.

The VROC Mailing List also provides an "off-course" meeting place for GPL online racers. The Mailing List includes a Chat, Message Board, Links, and Calendar, all of which can be updated by members. The Mailing List provides the option of receiving postings into your email inbox and posting from your email program.

Anyone can join the VROC Mailing List. Please do!

Note: It's not necessary to join the VROC Mailing List in order to use VROC. If you do join the VROC Mailing List you need not reveal any personal information.