title says it...
Thanks for the post- I'd given up on WSC and this brought me back for a look
at Racing Legends. Maybe I'm a sucker, but my hopes are up again.
My hopes went up for a few seconds when I saw the track graphic, then were
shot to pieces again when I read further down how the Wests are now
expecting " a new PC" that will be able to run the game in full graphics
mode.
1 new computer for testing... oh dear.
It just brings home the scale of this project compared to what is required
in the corporate world. I'm used to projects with racks of test PCs running
a matrix of CPU, video card, and controller combinations. I suppose their
strategy is to rely on beta testes to fulfil this role.
There are several problems with this strategy, including:
Lack of controlled environment: Instead of running identical scripts and
having humans go through all game scenarios on a check sheets, they will
have to rely on subjective feedback from people reporting whatever bugs they
happen to find.
Risk associated with non-concurrent game development and testing. Without
full in house alpha testing on multiple platforms, bugs may be found that
require fundamental re-programming, which may then generate fresh bugs etc.
Lack of complexity expectations. Only those having participated in large
scale projects can understand the complexity of troubeshooting a sim. Even
on the multi-million dollar development efforts such as F12002, you end up
with anomalies getting though, like when a car jumps the pit wall but can't
pit because it didn't go through the trigger on the road at the start of the
pits. Large scale projects have dedicated teams of 5-10 people that develop
massive decision trees based on all possible variables, then work their way
through them, determining and resolving logical or other potential bugs.
Different trees are developed for each game layer, such as operating system
interface (DLLs), hardware sociability, network/online communications,
graphics sub-system, multi-threading, physics modelling, memory leaks,
Operating System matrices etc.
One particular concern of mine is online security. Worst case is if online
play will be peer to peer server based. If you are hosting, then you are
effectively running an Internet Server on your computer, with open ports to
the Internet. Will someone be able take over your computer using a buffer
overflow in the software? Even a client for online play can pose a security
threat.
Maybe I've spent too much time on large projects where I get paid to worry
about this stuff all day and a KISS philosphy may work.
Good luck to them anyway - they deserve respect for their efforts.
So basically they have not idea and don't even have a decent machine to test
on. I'd have to guess that this new sim is nothing more than in the early
design stages at best.
> > > > title says it...
> > > Thanks for the post- I'd given up on WSC and this brought me back for
a
> > look
> > > at Racing Legends. Maybe I'm a sucker, but my hopes are up again.
> > My hopes went up for a few seconds when I saw the track graphic, then
were
> > shot to pieces again when I read further down how the Wests are now
> > expecting " a new PC" that will be able to run the game in full graphics
> > mode.
> <snip>
> I must have forgotten to save the link - can you share just what it is you
> can see
> Tony
Tim
--
Gunnar
#31 SUCKS#015 Tupperware MC#002 DoD#0x1B DoDRT#003 DoD:CT#4,8 Kibo: 2
to err is human -- to forgive is bovine.
pez
> So basically they have not idea and don't even have a decent machine to
test
> on. I'd have to guess that this new sim is nothing more than in the early
> design stages at best.
> > > > title says it...
> > > Thanks for the post- I'd given up on WSC and this brought me back for
a
> > look
> > > at Racing Legends. Maybe I'm a sucker, but my hopes are up again.
> > My hopes went up for a few seconds when I saw the track graphic, then
were
> > shot to pieces again when I read further down how the Wests are now
> > expecting " a new PC" that will be able to run the game in full graphics
> > mode.
> > 1 new computer for testing... oh dear.
> > It just brings home the scale of this project compared to what is
required
> > in the corporate world. I'm used to projects with racks of test PCs
> running
> > a matrix of CPU, video card, and controller combinations. I suppose
their
> > strategy is to rely on beta testes to fulfil this role.
> > There are several problems with this strategy, including:
> > Lack of controlled environment: Instead of running identical scripts and
> > having humans go through all game scenarios on a check sheets, they will
> > have to rely on subjective feedback from people reporting whatever bugs
> they
> > happen to find.
> > Risk associated with non-concurrent game development and testing.
Without
> > full in house alpha testing on multiple platforms, bugs may be found
that
> > require fundamental re-programming, which may then generate fresh bugs
> etc.
> > Lack of complexity expectations. Only those having participated in large
> > scale projects can understand the complexity of troubeshooting a sim.
Even
> > on the multi-million dollar development efforts such as F12002, you end
up
> > with anomalies getting though, like when a car jumps the pit wall but
> can't
> > pit because it didn't go through the trigger on the road at the start of
> the
> > pits. Large scale projects have dedicated teams of 5-10 people that
> develop
> > massive decision trees based on all possible variables, then work their
> way
> > through them, determining and resolving logical or other potential bugs.
> > Different trees are developed for each game layer, such as operating
> system
> > interface (DLLs), hardware sociability, network/online communications,
> > graphics sub-system, multi-threading, physics modelling, memory leaks,
> > Operating System matrices etc.
> > One particular concern of mine is online security. Worst case is if
online
> > play will be peer to peer server based. If you are hosting, then you are
> > effectively running an Internet Server on your computer, with open
ports
> to
> > the Internet. Will someone be able take over your computer using a
buffer
> > overflow in the software? Even a client for online play can pose a
> security
> > threat.
> > Maybe I've spent too much time on large projects where I get paid to
worry
> > about this stuff all day and a KISS philosphy may work.
> > Good luck to them anyway - they deserve respect for their efforts.
"Don't touch that please, your primitive intellect wouldn't understand
alloys and compositions and,......things with molecular structures,....and
the....." - Ash
> pez
> > "The work on the 3D engine is in anticipation of a new machine and
> graphics
> > card, and before everyone starts worrying about the minimum spec of the
> > machines required to run Racing Legends the old machines are being kept to
> > continue to test on. A point to make here is that to get the best out of
> > Racing Legends you will require a good graphic card and obviously the
> faster
> > the machine the better. The 3D engine is being developed with older
> machines
> > in mind so it will run but you will obviously lose some of the quality of
> > the visuals."
> > So basically they have not idea and don't even have a decent machine to
> test
> > on. I'd have to guess that this new sim is nothing more than in the early
> > design stages at best.
> > > > > title says it...
> > > > Thanks for the post- I'd given up on WSC and this brought me back for
> a
> > > look
> > > > at Racing Legends. Maybe I'm a sucker, but my hopes are up again.
> > > My hopes went up for a few seconds when I saw the track graphic, then
> were
> > > shot to pieces again when I read further down how the Wests are now
> > > expecting " a new PC" that will be able to run the game in full graphics
> > > mode.
> > > 1 new computer for testing... oh dear.
> > > It just brings home the scale of this project compared to what is
> required
> > > in the corporate world. I'm used to projects with racks of test PCs
> > running
> > > a matrix of CPU, video card, and controller combinations. I suppose
> their
> > > strategy is to rely on beta testes to fulfil this role.
> > > There are several problems with this strategy, including:
> > > Lack of controlled environment: Instead of running identical scripts and
> > > having humans go through all game scenarios on a check sheets, they will
> > > have to rely on subjective feedback from people reporting whatever bugs
> > they
> > > happen to find.
> > > Risk associated with non-concurrent game development and testing.
> Without
> > > full in house alpha testing on multiple platforms, bugs may be found
> that
> > > require fundamental re-programming, which may then generate fresh bugs
> > etc.
> > > Lack of complexity expectations. Only those having participated in large
> > > scale projects can understand the complexity of troubeshooting a sim.
> Even
> > > on the multi-million dollar development efforts such as F12002, you end
> up
> > > with anomalies getting though, like when a car jumps the pit wall but
> > can't
> > > pit because it didn't go through the trigger on the road at the start of
> > the
> > > pits. Large scale projects have dedicated teams of 5-10 people that
> > develop
> > > massive decision trees based on all possible variables, then work their
> > way
> > > through them, determining and resolving logical or other potential bugs.
> > > Different trees are developed for each game layer, such as operating
> > system
> > > interface (DLLs), hardware sociability, network/online communications,
> > > graphics sub-system, multi-threading, physics modelling, memory leaks,
> > > Operating System matrices etc.
> > > One particular concern of mine is online security. Worst case is if
> online
> > > play will be peer to peer server based. If you are hosting, then you are
> > > effectively running an Internet Server on your computer, with open
> ports
> > to
> > > the Internet. Will someone be able take over your computer using a
> buffer
> > > overflow in the software? Even a client for online play can pose a
> > security
> > > threat.
> > > Maybe I've spent too much time on large projects where I get paid to
> worry
> > > about this stuff all day and a KISS philosphy may work.
> > > Good luck to them anyway - they deserve respect for their efforts.
Andi.
> > > > > title says it...
> > > > Thanks for the post- I'd given up on WSC and this brought me back
for
> a
> > > look
> > > > at Racing Legends. Maybe I'm a sucker, but my hopes are up again.
> > > My hopes went up for a few seconds when I saw the track graphic, then
> were
> > > shot to pieces again when I read further down how the Wests are now
> > > expecting " a new PC" that will be able to run the game in full
graphics
> > > mode.
> > <snip>
> > I must have forgotten to save the link - can you share just what it is
you
> > can see
> > Tony
> Sure, here you go:
> http://www.west-racing.com/news.htm
> Tim
> Andi.
> > > > > > title says it...
> > > > > Thanks for the post- I'd given up on WSC and this brought me back
> for
> > a
> > > > look
> > > > > at Racing Legends. Maybe I'm a sucker, but my hopes are up again.
> > > > My hopes went up for a few seconds when I saw the track graphic,
then
> > were
> > > > shot to pieces again when I read further down how the Wests are now
> > > > expecting " a new PC" that will be able to run the game in full
> graphics
> > > > mode.
> > > <snip>
> > > I must have forgotten to save the link - can you share just what it is
> you
> > > can see
> > > Tony
> > Sure, here you go:
> > http://www.west-racing.com/news.htm
> > Tim
As for online racing and security, we already have that issue at least with
NR2002 and all the previous titles from Papy that suppoerted online play.
We've always had to open up a port range when behind a fire wall or just
have a plian old IP connection (cable/DSL) to the net anyway.
Is it a security risk? Yes, slightly, but it already exists and has for over
5 years now (and is present in everything I am sure from GPL, N2, MCO, F1,
and so on use it) and all seems to be working well. The good news is that
none of the sims to my knowledge use or require port 80 LOL! ;-) Now THAT
could be an issue with variants of the green and red worms of last year that
are still poking around out there...
Jason
Now that's a Freudian slip if I've ever seen one :)
Marc