V V RRRR AAA L L Y Y 222 V V R R A A L L Y Y 2 2 V V --- RRRRR AAAAA L L Y 2 V V R R A A L L Y 2 V R R A A LLLLL LLLLL Y 22222 V-RALLY 2: GAME GUIDE by Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Initial Version Completed: September 6, 2002 FINAL VERSION Completed: September 21, 2002 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== JOIN THE FEATHERGUIDES E-MAIL LIST: To be the first to know when my new and updated guides are released, join the FeatherGuides E-mail List. Go to http://www.coollist.com/group.cgi?l=featherguides for information about the list and to subscribe for free. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Arcade Mode Trophy Mode Championship Mode Time Trial Mode Navigatorspeak General Tips Track Editor Country Terrain Listing Unlockables Online Resources Contact Information ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ============================================== PERMISSIONS Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use. However, due to the extreme length, printing this driving guide may not be such a good idea. This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, Games Domain, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, RedCoupe, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, cheatingplanet.com, RobsGaming.com, neoseeker.com, ps2fantasy.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Should anyone wish to translate this driving guide into other languages, please contact me for permission(s) and provide me with a copy when complete. Remember: Plagiarism in ANY form is NOT tolerated!!!!! ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== INTRODUCTION With V-Rally 3 forthcoming for PlayStation2, I decided to acquire an earlier V-Rally game to see what the series is like. From the moment I began playing, I was impressed, and was hooked on the game almost as quickly :-) The game play is incredible, and there are quite a few things to do. For a PlayStation/PSOne game, V-Rally 2 graphically looks nothing short of awesome - even better than the best-ever PSX/PSOne racing game, Gran Turismo 2. Speaking of Gran Turismo 2, that game introduced rally racing into the series; for many gamers, this was likely the first time they had tried rally racing. Unfortunately, GT2 primarily uses circuits for rally racing, with only two point-to-point stage-style courses - very un-rally-like, which primarily focuses upon point-to-point circuits. V- Rally 2 uses circuits for Arcade Mode races and for some of the Trophy Mode races, so for those who began their gaming rally racing careers with Gran Turismo 2 (or Gran Turismo 3), Arcade Mode is definitely a nice, familiar, comfortable place to begin in V-rally 3. Also, Arcade Mode and Trophy Mode both sport four cars on the track per race - which is two cars better than the Gran Turismo series' Rally Events sections, but still a bit unrealistic. Some of the information in this guide is taken from my World Rally Championship: Game Guide, with appropriate modifications. ============================================== ARCADE MODE This is a good place to begin with V-Rally 2 to gain a good feel for the game and its gameplay. There are three levels of play in Arcade Mode: Level 1, Level 2, and Expert. Each subsequent level has more races (all on circuits) than the previous level, and also has tougher time requirements. In Level 1, if a player flips or spins the chosen car, there is still ample time to reach the next checkpoint without the timer expiring. However, in Expert, a single mistake most likely will result in time expiring ON THAT SECTOR. Therefore, the trick to Expert in Arcade Mode is to drive cleanly and smoothly, avoiding anything that might spin or flip the car. To this end, it may even be a good idea to fall back and bring up the rear, so as not to get involved in any battles with the competitors. Fortunately, the goal of Arcade Mode is to COMPLETE each race in the allotted time, not to win each race. Certainly, winning a race gives the player a sense of euphoria, but winning is not necessary in Arcade Mode. Completing each race in each level of Arcade Mode results in gaining bonus cars - one per level. For each level, the player is given three Credits. Should the player fail to reach a checkpoint within the time allotted, the car will start to slow. If the car comes to a stop, the player must spend a Credit (if any Credits are remaining) to restart that race. Should a player fail to reach a checkpoint but cannot pay the one Credit 'restart fee,' then that attempt to complete the Arcade Mode level will end in failure and the player must restart the entire level. Here are the Arcade Mode levels and their associated circuits: Level 1 Level 2 Expert ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- Spain SS6 New Zealand SS6 England SS7 England SS6 Indonesia SS6 Corsica SS6 Finland SS6 Portugal SS6 New Zealand SS7 Australia SS6 Argentina SS6 Argentina SS7 Monte Carlo SS6 Monte Carlo SS7 Italy SS6 Sweden SS6 Australia SS7 Indonesia SS7 For a list of the terrain type for each country, see the Country Terrain Listing near the end of the guide. ============================================== TROPHY MODE Winning each trophy in Trophy Mode is dependent upon having the lowest cumulative time across an entire set of races. Also, there is no timer; each race is dependent solely upon the action on the track. Three trophies are available: European Trophy, World Trophy, and Expert Trophy. Unlike Arcade Mode, after each race, the player has the option of stopping and saving progress. Here are the Trophy Mode events and their associated circuits: European World Trophy Expert Trophy ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- Corsica SS7 New Zealand SS4 Corsica SS6 Finland SS7 Spain SS2 Indonesia SS4 Spain SS7 England SS2 Australia SS2 England SS1 Italy SS7 Monte Carlo SS7 Italy SS1 Indonesia SS1 New Zealand SS7 Portugal SS7 Corsica SS4 Sweden SS6 Monte Carlo SS1 Finland SS6 Argentina SS2 Sweden SS7 Australia SS6 Finland SS2 Argentina SS1 Australia SS1 Monte Carlo SS6 New Zealand SS2 New Zealand SS1 Italy SS4 Sweden SS2 Argentina SS7 Portugal SS4 Indonesia SS2 Australia SS7 Corsica SS3 For a list of the terrain type for each country, see the Country Terrain Listing near the end of the guide. ============================================== CHAMPIONSHIP MODE This is where the TRUE rally action is. Depending on the championship entered, players race against the clock on either two or three stages per rally, with either eight or twelve rallies per championship. Between stages, players are able to repair the car if desired, but they are only allotted a total of thirty minutes to make any desired repairs, so if a car is heavily damaged, a player must carefully select which repairs are most critical (the repair time is listed next to each part as decisions are made; also indicated with both bar graphs and percentages is each part's condition percentage, both before and after repairs are made). Except the first stage of the first rally of a championship, the player is given the opportunity to quit and save progress before starting each stage. Here is the list of rallies (with number of stages per rally) included in each championship: European World Expert (2 stages) (2 stages) (3 stages) ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- England Monte Carlo Monte Carlo Spain Sweden Sweden Finland Portugal Portugal Corsica Argentina Argentina Portugal Spain Spain Italy Indonesia Indonesia Monte Carlo Corsica Corsica Sweden New Zealand New Zealand Finland Finland Italy Italy Australia Australia England England Championships are won by having the most points at the end of the championship. Points are awarded in FIA style based upon the positions (by overall time) at the end of each rally: Place Points -------- ---------- First 10 points Second 6 points Third 4 points Fourth 3 points Fifth 2 points Sixth 1 point Others 0 points Just for reference, the man standing in front of the car at the start of a stage is giving a countdown to the car's permitted departure. He is not simply standing there acting silly :-) ============================================== TIME TRIAL MODE This is where a player can race alone against the clock. Only those tracks where the player has raced previously and those tracks created in Track Editor (and saved to the memory card) can be used in Time Trial Mode, so - unlike many other racing/driving games - there is no possibility to simply learn each track in Time Trial Mode and then go outperform the competition in races (especially in Trophy Mode). For circuits, a new lap begins each time the car crosses the Start/Finish Line. However, for stages, once the car crosses the Finish Line, it will be automatically placed at the Start Line so that the player can make another run. Press the Start button to pause the game and elect to leave either that track or Time Trial Mode altogether. For a list of the terrain type for each country, see the Country Terrain Listing near the end of the guide. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== NAVIGATORSPEAK The navigator will give instructions to inform you of the many twists and bumps in the road ahead. Many times, these instructions are spot-on, although at times they are given just as you reach the specific corner or caution mentioned. Sometimes, however, the instructions are not quite exact, so take care to not follow the instructions to the letter without questioning. If the sign panels at the top-center of the screen are activated, these will exactly mimic visually what the navigator is saying. Further, two panels are shown in complex instructions; the bottom panel represents the current instruction, whereas the top panel indicates the following instruction. The top panel will slide down to the bottom when appropriate. Direction: The navigator will indicate if the upcoming corner is to the right or the left. 'Bad:' These are the tightest corners, for which severe braking will be required. Often, 'Bad' corners are hairpin turns. 'Fast:' These are the slightest of bends in the road, and can generally be handled at full throttle. 'Junction:' This is a divergence point in the road. However, this is more or less a misnomer, as only rarely can a player choose to take either fork, so it is important to slow greatly and look for which fork is NOT blocked by barriers. 'Medium:' Light or moderate braking will be required for these corners. 'Crest:' This call indicates a rise in the road ahead which will obscure the view if using one of the in-car cameras. Direction: The navigator will indicate whether the upcoming turn is to the left or the right. 'Long:' The upcoming corner is long. 'Opens:' The upcoming corner has an increasing radius. Use caution in accelerating, as accelerating too soon could result in hitting obstacles or flying off cliffs. 'Tightens:' The upcoming corner has a decreasing radius. Slowing will almost certainly be required before exiting the corner. 'Very Long:' The upcoming corner is extensive and will seem to go on forever. ============================================== GENERAL TIPS Buy or rent or borrow any game in the Gran Turismo series, but especially Gran Turismo 2 or 3. In one of these games, work through the License Tests, as this will teach how to approach the various elements of racing, from judging braking distances to controlling a car on a surface with little grip. Gran Turismo 2 introduced rally racing to the series, so GT2 and GT3 both include a Rally License; the time and effort spent in acquiring the Rally License in GT2 or GT3 will help with World Rally Challenge. Overall, Gran Turismo 2 is probably a better choice of the three games in the Gran Turismo series, as GT2 includes the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and Pikes Peak Downhill courses, the only point-to-point rally venues in the series thus far (all other rally events are held at actual circuits); unfortunately, both Pikes Peak stages were removed for Gran Turismo 3 :-( In rally racing, the principles of standard pavement-based racing apply. However, there is generally less tire grip in rally racing, which makes anticipation a key element in correctly holding a tight racing line at the apex of a corner, in judging braking distances on a steep downhill grade, etc. At all levels of Trophy Mode and at Level 2 and Expert in Arcade Mode, it is probably best to restart if the car spins and cannot be quickly corrected, or if the car flips. In Arcade Mode, the player is allowed three restarts per level. In Trophy Mode, the best thing to do is to exit Trophy Mode and save progress after each race, so that if a disaster occurs later (such as in race #4), there is no need to start over again. In Arcade Mode and Trophy Mode, there are four cars on the track. Unfortunately, most of the tracks are incredibly narrow, and honestly cannot safely support four cars at once. Therefore, players must prepare to be bumped around and potentially spun out by the CPU-controlled cars. On the other hand, such 'dirty tactics' can be beneficial for the player, shoving a competitor aside at a turn to gain a position. On the other hand, in the upper two levels of Arcade Mode, there is definitely something to be said about simply dropping back and just slightly tailing the field, so that the player can use the other cars for better visual markers of what is ahead (especially in the races held in Sweden, where all the snow starts to look the same and discerning the actual road from the rest of the ground becomes rather difficult). Spectators will sometimes be standing in the middle of the road, or will run across it. Players must always be mindful of spectators, as hitting a spectator will damage the car. Do not depend solely upon the navigator's instructions and the sign icons at the top-center of the screen (if activated) to drive cleanly through each stage. Try to look as far ahead as possible and use the lay of the land to determine what the road ahead will entail. Except perhaps for player- made tracks (using the Track Editor), most roads follow the contours of mountains, using a series of switchbacks for climbing and descending steep mountainsides. On rare occasions, visibility is clear so far ahead that it is possible to see turns several hundred meters - or more - beyond what the navigator is currently saying. For those roads atop short ridges or on fairly flat land, it is often possible to see the various turns far ahead. Try to use really tall objects such as trees - and especially telephone poles, as they are almost ALWAYS located directly next to the road - to determine the location and severity of upcoming turns. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== TRACK EDITOR One of the most unique features of V-Rally 2 is the Track Editor, which allows players to create their own circuits or stages to be saved to the memory card. Once saved to the memory card, a track can be loaded in Time Trial mode for use there (first select the country where the user-defined track is located, then select from there). Friends can also 'trade' tracks by copying the appropriate file from one memory card to another. The creativity level achievable with the Track Editor is absolutely amazing. Any country's terrain and scenery can be used, the elevation can be changed at will, and the direction of the circuit or stage can also be customized. There are rotation features available to view the 'wireframe' of the created track from virtually any angle imaginable; this feature can be useful when working with elevation changes. Unfortunately, the Start Area (consisting of three 'blocks') cannot itself have an elevation change or a bend/turn; however, any other part of the created track can be manipulated at will. Take care when making severe elevation changes, or else the CPU will not be able to render the scenery away from the track itself fast enough, resulting in 'gaps' or 'holes' in the countryside. Track creation can yield incredibly simple results (such as a long, flat, runway-like track) or unbelievably complex and even dangerous tracks. For example, a long, steep uphill climb can be created with a long, steep descent to send the car airborne when testing the track; however, it is quite possible that such a massive jump will cause the car to flip and roll upon landing. To create a circuit instead of a stage, the beginning and ending areas of the track must be at the same elevation and must be close to each other. By pressing the Loop icon (the top-left selection item in the Track Editor's main window), the track will be joined to create a circuit. A setting (selected by country) can be assigned independent of any work done to the creation of the circuit or stage. Changing the country is done by pressing the Country button (the top-right selection item in the Track Editor's main window). When a player wishes to use that track in Time Trial Mode, the track is made available by country. ============================================== COUNTRY TERRAIN LISTING For player reference (especially when considering track designs for the Track Editor), here is a list of the countries (arranged in alphabetical order) and their terrain types. Country Terrain Type ----------- ------------ Argentina Gravel Australia Soil (Dirt) Corsica Tarmac England Gravel Finland Gravel Indonesia Soil (Dirt) Italy Tarmac Monte Carlo Tarmac New Zealand Soil (Dirt) Portugal Soil (Dirt) Spain Tarmac Sweden Snow ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== UNLOCKABLES V-Rally 2 allows the player to use a good number of cars from the beginning. However, there are also numerous cars and other game features which can be unlocked during gameplay. Here are the unlockable parts of the game, as well as how to acquire them. A large expanse of blank lines follows so that those who do not wish to see how to unlock the various elements of the game need not see this information. Bonus Cars Acquisition ----------------------- ---------------------------------- Alpine Renault A110 Win Expert Championship Audi Quattro Win World Trophy Fiat 131 Abarth Win European Trophy Ford Escort V-Rally Complete Arcade Level 1* Lancia Stratos Complete Arcade Level 2* Peugeot 205 T16 Complete Arcade Expert* Peugeot 405 T16 Earn 10,000 Performance Points Renault 18 Gordini Win Expert Trophy Renault 5 Turbo 2 Win World Championship Toyota Celica GT4 Win European Championship * Winning this level is not necessary to unlock the bonus car indicated. Levels by Mode Level Acquisition -------------------- ------------------------------------- Arcade Mode Winning each level in Arcade Mode unlocks the next higher level. Trophy Mode Winning each trophy level (by having the lowest total time for all associated races) unlocks the next higher trophy level. Championship Mode Winning each championship unlocks the next higher championship level. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ONLINE RESOURCES Here are a few Internet resources for World Rally Championship, the actual FIA rally racing series which provides the basis for V-Rally 2. FIA World Rally Championship - Mailing List (http://www.dusty.com.au/) Touted as "the world's biggest rally mailing list," results will be sent via e-mail for each competition. Rally-Live.com (http://rally.racing-live.com/en/) This site - available in English, French, and Spanish - includes rally news and images, information on drivers and teams, regulations, information on each racing venue, an online store, forums and chat capabilities, wallpapers, screensavers, and more. RallyForum (http://www.rallyforum.com/) This is primarily an online discussion area for everything related to World Rally Championship. RallyRallyRally (http://www.rallyrallyrally.com/) This site covers World Rally Championship, British Rally, European Rally, American Rally, and Asia/Pacific Rally news. World Rallying (http://www.worldrally.net/ This site is an independent source for information on World Rally Championship, including results for every season since 1994 and an online discussion area. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTACT INFORMATION For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc., or to be added to my e-mail list for updates to this driving guide, please contact me at: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM; also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small donation via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) using the above e-mail address. To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2 game guides, please visit FeatherGuides (http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/). The latest version will always be posted at FeatherGuides, while other Web sites may lag behind by several days in their regularly-scheduled posting updates. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ======================================================================= Wolf Feather Jamie Stafford ======================================================================= Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are. - Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_ ======================================================================= What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_ =======================================================================