With no F1 drive this season, I return to my seminal experience with virtual speed; illegal racing on public streets with road cars. NFS World is an MMOG that features bump and grind arcade style races against diverse competition, from enthusiastic videogamers using keyboards and gamepads to unscrupulous hackers who bend and break the game code.
It is nothing like the organized, dedicated world of online simulation racing leagues. Sometimes I feel like some unbeatable champ, winning bunches of races as my wheel and pedals controller set gives me a huge advantage. Sometimes I feel like a chump, pointlessly trying to beat the dishonest players who run trick cars.
I really miss the preparation, setting up the car, learning the track, counting the days until the big event. In NFS World, the races happen all over, all the time, instantly. And a race can be over in less than two minutes. It sure is fun to see the myriad of cars, each one customized in both performance and appearance.
Maybe someday I will be able to run rFactor 2 and return to the track. But for now, I'm back out in the streets.