Test Drive Unlimited 2 players?

[PHArchivist]

I'm almost embarrased to say that I play this piece of crap...

XBOX 360, by the way; MadCat racing wheel.

Is it a piece of crap, or am I just naive' and inexperienced with the game (and/or just spoiled by Forza MotorSport)?

It is frustratiing the hell out of me because my main interest in playing the game was the mapping of Oahu. But it is taking me FOREVER to "level up" enough to get off Ibiza.

Here are the specific problems I'm having:
--Mainly, I can't seem to make any money. Whenever I enter any "Instant Challenges", the other car seems ridiculously outclassed, and there is no way in hell to catch it. So I end up LOSING whatever piddly amounts of money I've earned from just driving around.
--Also, I can't seem to find any open competitions to race in (other than the "Instant Challenges"
--And when I DO try to earn piddly amounts of money (by passing cars closely, etcetera), I have to press "A" to bank the money. Well, this occassionally inadvertently enters me into an "Instant Challenge" (which I DON'T want because I CAN'T win - see above). Yes, there is a "Cancel" option, but with the MadCat racing wheel, NONE of the buttons respond to the "Cancel" command. So I'm stuck in the challenge. And I lose $1,000. Enfuriating.
--I tried to earn money and Discovery points using the Photographer role. But again - either the MadCat wheel isn't fully compatible with the camera functions, or I am not understanding it. So that's a bust.
--I can't effectively earn points in the "Collection" mode, since I can't seem to make any real money
--About the only way I've managed to "level up" is by discovering greater percentages of the available roads on the island.

I am still learning about the game. And I may revert back to the standard XBOX controller to troubleshoot the control-versus-command-response issues I'm having.

But it has been a frustrating gaming experience...

 

[clancampbell]

I played it for a while on 360 and found basically the same levels of frustration you did....i couldn't suss out how to do the photographer thing...i thought i was doing it right, but it seems i wasn't.......

Every instant challenge that came along...i lost....i couldn't understand it.....so...i gave up and rejected every challenge......

I just enjoyed the exploration, but after a while even that paled....

Levelling up is a real pain...i forked out a load of dosh for the casino island add on hoping that would at least help me...it didn't.....

What can i say...i sold it a few weeks ago....

The best way of levelling up is driving everywhere and finding the car wrecks....that nets you a lot! also the delivery missions...even if you only make 10 bucks...you get tons of discovery points....

Rich

 

[PHArchivist]

You know, its very gratifying/satisfying hearing that I'm not the only one! Sounds like we had similar experiences.

I wish I could figure out how to cancel out of the Instant Challenges, but I do think its a compatibility issue with the wheel.

Crazy thing for me is that I don't really care about competing with the game, or really maximizing on my performance. I just want to see the updated map and graphics for Oahu.

I have TDU1, and the claim is that for TDU2 the mapping is better. Or so I've read...

Come to think of it, I should dump TDU1 today when I pick up MW3.

 

[clancampbell]

Yeah i played the first one to death...got all the add ons and cars...loved the bikes!

It's weird driving round Oahu again....i kept going to places going "hey!!! I remember this!!!" It soon wears on you a bit though....i will say, that graphically it was significantly improved from the previous verion....quite a joy in some locales!

Rich

 

[PHArchivist]

I
The best way of levelling up is driving everywhere and finding the car wrecks....that nets you a lot! also the delivery missions...even if you only make 10 bucks...you get tons of discovery points....

Rich

Thanks again, Rich.

Yeah - the delivery missions do seem viable. Though (in theme with my frustrations) I have only encountered them while in the midst of an Instant Challenge!

I did happen across a wreck completely by accident, and yeah - it generated a percentage point. But, man! Not only was I off-road, but I was OFF road (not even on a dirt road!). Seriously - there is NO WAY I could have found it other than sheer luck.

I did read somewhere that there is a metal detector that can be added to your car (to help find wrecks) but I don't know how you get that.

Any clues to where the wrecks are? I don't mind taking "helpful hints" since I'm not focused on "beating the game fairly".

 

[PHArchivist]

Yeah i played the first one to death...got all the add ons and cars...loved the bikes!

It's weird driving round Oahu again....i kept going to places going "hey!!! I remember this!!!" It soon wears on you a bit though....i will say, that graphically it was significantly improved from the previous verion....quite a joy in some locales!

Rich

See, this is what I'm looking forward to!

I'm going to be in Oahu in a couple of weeks, plus, I've been there before, a few times. So, unlike Ibiza where I have to rely on the map, I do know my way around on Oahu, and I'm curious to see if the mappijg in TDU2 is more accurate than TDU1, and how well it compares to the real island.

Have you been to Hawaii...?

 

[clancampbell]

Sorry for the delay....life, ya know?

Yeah, i've been to hawaii...you unlock it at level 10.

As for the wrecks....i found that you encounter LOADS of them just as you drive around the islands...offroad as well as on....i only ever found 2 full cars and they weren't great...one was Citroen 2CV.....it barely hits 60, downhill.......i know that's not the point, but well.....

As for a metal detector for your car....never heard of it. That's not to say it doesn't exist, i just played the game pretty single mindedly after a while....i got a few licenses, won a few races.....but when the races started really stressing me out, i gave up...(yeah i know...Buk,Buk...Buuuuk!)

I really got it to see stuff....to be immersed in scenery and beautiful cars (which are a pain in the bum to drive INSIDE....)...and on that level it succeeds.....but when i start playing as intended...it all turns to s**t.....

And besides....after you've driven the Buggatti Veyron Supersport....what else is there?

My Xbox live id is MaceTheCat add me if you like!

Rich

 

[PHArchivist]

Rich, sounds like your overall approach to this game is right in line with mine.

I'm playing it for the same reasons (sight-seeing in a virtual world!), and the competition aspect irks me to no end. If I really want to RACE, I'll pop in Forza MotorSport (which by comparison is like comparing a Roland Emmerich film to a Martin Scorsese film!).

I'm not hooked on "Live" at the moment, but my son is on his upstairs set.

Had a bittersweet session last night. Overall successful, I suppose. I managed:
--To ramp up from 55% of Area 1 to 72% (almost to 75%!)
--Earned about $2,000 just dodging cars
--Almost (almost) entirely avoided Instant Challenges (got caught in one near the end of my session and lost $1,000)
--Found one wreck (now up to 2% in that category - woohoo!)
--Completed one of the missions (Keep it over 80MPH) and earned $3,000

Still, took nearly two hours of my time, and I did not succeed in "Leveling up".

And it was not without its frustrations:
--Overall time for only moderate returns
--Got caught in the one Instant Challenge (still on the racing wheel and couldn't cancel out) and lost, of course
--And most frustrating, I covered a good number of miles where it did NOT turn the map line blue, seemingly NOT giving me percentage credit for covering that mileage

 

[clancampbell]

Sounds like you're doing well AND enjoying it! This is good, this is what the game does best IMHO.

I agree with your sentiments about proper racing games....i'm not a racing freak, but if i WAS...Forza and Need for Speed etc. would be the place i'd go.

You might just get to a point where you cover 99% of the islands roads.....this happened to me on TDU 1, and both islands from TDU 2.....it's Soooooooooo frustrating going over the map inch by inch to try and find the 10yd stretch of road you missed at a junction while teleporting about the place.....

......really frustrating that one.....AND they don't even give you an achievement for unlocking all roads....what a bummer!



I will say, (and i'm not trying toi be sage like here or anything!) enjoy the game while you can, because if you're anything like me, it won't be too long before the game's relegated to the , "i can't be arsed" pile.....

Rich

p.s......Youtube is invaluable for locations and such! Tons of vids on how to get certain achievements....

 

[PHArchivist]

I will say, (and i'm not trying toi be sage like here or anything!) enjoy the game while you can, because if you're anything like me, it won't be too long before the game's relegated to the , "i can't be arsed" pile.....

Again, right there with you!

Once I get to Oahu and have some fun exploring it, and enjoying the upgrade over TDU1, I'll be done with it. I have no interest in maxing out, or "beating" the game.

Got there quick with TDU1. Since you get to Oahu straight away, I explored it fairly fast, to the point where I got bored, and mildly frustrated with its degree of inaccuracy, and less-than-stellar graphics.

Again - I've been to Oahu in the real world a few times past, and will be there again (and renting a car) in a couple of weeks. So my thrust is to play with the virtual sight-seeing aspect (on Oahu, specifically) for a short while before I leave for my trip.

But at the rate I'm going, I'll be lucky to level up to 10 by then!

 

[PHArchivist]

Here is a functional/operational question(s):

On the missions (the bomb icons), do they appear and disappear at random, or are they fixed at a location? You know - so that you might be able to return to that spot?

And if so, can you configure the map to isolate these?

If the answer is "Yes", then that should help me "up my ante". At least I can earn so faster dollars, and maybe buy some more stuff and earn points under the "Collect" mode.

 

[clancampbell]

Hey Death Star Dude!

The bomb missions are finite, they seem to appear randomly, but as you whittle away at them, you'll find the same 3 or 4 appearing again and again...some of them i found were bloody impossible.....you just glance at the time you have and go, "WHAT??? there is no way on EARTH that can be done."....but you try anyway.....the one i have in mind is on Hawaii....and it's a Police Dodge Viper....when you see it, you'll know it.....

So, yes they are at a fixed location...for a limited time....but, you will notice...they reappear....the quickest way of getting to these missions is just to drive like crazy all over the place....if there's a road you've been on that's blue, near to the mission icon...you can set gps to the bomb icon then fast travel as close as possible....you probably already know this and are berating me right now, but there you go.....

I don't know a HUGE amount about this game, but i did play incessantly for about a week and got to level....i don't know....20 or 30 something...i think....

One pain in the butt i found......when you travel to Oahu....you only take the car you were driving with you.....any others stay in Ibiza.....so, if you want to swap....it's 2 plane journeys and a whole host of exasperation.....there might ne a way to circumvent this, but i never found it.......or didn't care enough to look it up.....

Rich

 

[PHArchivist]

Berating, hardly...! Just the opposite!

You've greatly helped me better understand the game itself, an my own personal response to it - exactly what I was hoping for in this thread!

Good tips on the move over to Oahu (if I ever make it!)...

Had a pretty good session yesterday.

Found a mission (Transporting someone's car for service) that earned me $9,100. Upped my net worth, and allowed me to buy some stuff, increasing my Collection points.

Plus, hit the 75% mark on roads discovered in Area 1. Actually up to about 82% now.

But am STILL stuck at Global level 4! :unsure

I leave for (the real) Oahu in a week!

 

[clancampbell]

Keep your eyes really peeled for delivery missions....the ones where you get the car to it's destination with no damage and no time limit....in some of them you can make around $60,000!!!!!

All the best

Rich

 

[clancampbell]

...now to get back to Skyrim!!!!!!

Rich

 

[PHArchivist]

Well I finally made it! Got over to Oahu.

I did earn the metal detector. But the real kicker was I happened across an Italian car dealer and bought one probably my favorite car of all time (in the real world); the 1985 Ferrari 308 Quattrovalve.

And what a perfect car to take to Oahu! Man - I CAN"T TELL YOU how pissed I'd have been if I was in another car and jetted over to HI, andleft the 308 behind!

THANK YOU for the tip!