rec.autos.simulators

by **magnulu** » Thu, 17 Jul 2003 17:33:13

I tried this game out on PS2. It's fun, especially with a steering wheel.
Very similar to NASCAR HEAT on the "normal" physics (not full) settings, but
you get choices of what damage model and AI you want, etc. The best part is
the career mode and the different kinds of cars, such as dirt racing and
modifieds. I'm not a *** NASCAR fan (I don't even usually watch many
of the races), but I've always found NASCAR HEAT to be fun enough, whereas I
found Papyrus sims to be off-putting.

Too bad Infogrames isn't interested in a PC version. It seems like a
mistake to me. While the graphics on the PS2 are much improved over a
first-generation game (unlike Gran Turismo 3) they still aren't as high
resolution as a PC. It would also be nice to have more options like the
first NASCAR HEAT, such as full physics.

by **Steve Smit** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 01:18:08

Dirt-to-Daytona was done by the same crew which developed NASCAR Heat (the
console version) at MGI (Monster Games, Inc., populated by several ex-Papy
guys; they also did the highly-regarded Viper Racing), and indeed was called
NASCAR Heat 2 up to just before it was released (I don't know why they
changed it). I liked it a lot...for a console game.

by **William Bradsha** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 05:57:59

> I tried this game out on PS2. It's fun, especially with a steering wheel.

Yep, I enjoyed it myself. In fact I've gotten more fun out of D2D than
from NT2003, even NR2002. I had a real sense of accomplishment upgrading
my car and finally breaking into the next level. I doubt any group of
dev's have the balls to design a game like it, going from dirt up to Cup
cars. In essence, we practically got 4 games (low budget by themselves,
though) for the price of one.

Indeed, too bad there won't be a PC release. OTOH, NT2004 (PC) is
supposed to include what the last version left out: the gameplay.
That'll most likely***off 95% of RAS participants. I just hope in the
next version, they're able to simulate a stock car (I'm unable to
complete one lap around Bristol without going on a helicopter ride
whereas in NR2002 I can do plenty of laps without incident. Perhaps it's
just me or my wheel?)

I do have a nagging feeling that Tiburon is really going to***up
it's next release, as it did with the last release. I hope they're
eventually able to meet the standards that Papy laid out, but I refuse
to place any bets.

-Will

by **magnulu** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 06:18:30

I also like "Dirt Track Racing 2" on PC. The physics are a little harder
than D2D. It's good to have the PS2 around though for when I don't want to
set up my PC wheel.

Maybe just the wheel or your setups? I bought NASCAR Thunder on the PC
and it seems to drive OK to me.
The look is very different from NASCAR HEAT. The tracks don't look quite
the same. Fun game, but not as fun as NASCAR HEAT... Also has some idiotic
things:

1) Too much obvious LOD (level of detail) popup. LOD should be
controllable for those of us with something more than a TNT2 and a 500 MHz
PC.

2) No career mode. They should have ported the career mode code from the
XBox, it couldn't have been that hard. This is common in console-to-PC
ports now days-***over the PC gamer for no good reason.

by **Scott B. Huste** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 07:24:14

NASCAR Thunder leaves out a whole hell of a lot more than just gameplay.
=)

--
Scott B. Husted
"PA-Scott"
ICQ# 4395450
http://www.Husted.cc

by **Haqsa** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 11:05:18

Not 100% certain about this but I believe the console version of Thunder was
done by Tiburon and the PC version by ISI. They appear to use the same
tracks and models but I think the code is totally different. So I would
expect the physics to be better on the PC version.

by **magnulu** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 20:12:21

The PS2 and PC versions have about the same physics. Of course, with the
PC version there's a way to enable super-detailed physics, just like EA's F1
games.

by **Steve Smit** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 21:09:36

Bear in mind that the new NASCAR Thunder shares nothing with the old NT

for such travesties as The Simpson's Road Rage and the worst of the Test
Drive series), whereas the new NT is being done by ISI, so presumably, the
new NT will incorporate everything ISI has learned from the well-received F1
Challenge, plus some new stuff I'm not allowed to talk about. But I can
tell you this: if you like what they've done to the F1 series, you'll love
what they're doing to NASCAR Thunder.

> > I tried this game out on PS2. It's fun, especially with a steering
wheel.

> Yep, I enjoyed it myself. In fact I've gotten more fun out of D2D than
> from NT2003, even NR2002. I had a real sense of accomplishment upgrading
> my car and finally breaking into the next level. I doubt any group of
> dev's have the balls to design a game like it, going from dirt up to Cup
> cars. In essence, we practically got 4 games (low budget by themselves,
> though) for the price of one.

> Indeed, too bad there won't be a PC release. OTOH, NT2004 (PC) is
> supposed to include what the last version left out: the gameplay.
> That'll most likely***off 95% of RAS participants. I just hope in the
> next version, they're able to simulate a stock car (I'm unable to
> complete one lap around Bristol without going on a helicopter ride
> whereas in NR2002 I can do plenty of laps without incident. Perhaps it's
> just me or my wheel?)

> I do have a nagging feeling that Tiburon is really going to***up
> it's next release, as it did with the last release. I hope they're
> eventually able to meet the standards that Papy laid out, but I refuse
> to place any bets.

> -Will

by **Steve Smit** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 21:11:22

I actually liked the PS2 version of DTR2 better than the PC ver. As I said
in the Motor Trend story, it's the most realistic physics ever seen on a
console.

> > Yep, I enjoyed it myself. In fact I've gotten more fun out of D2D than
> > from NT2003, even NR2002. I had a real sense of accomplishment upgrading
> > my car and finally breaking into the next level. I doubt any group of
> > dev's have the balls to design a game like it, going from dirt up to Cup
> > cars. In essence, we practically got 4 games (low budget by themselves,
> > though) for the price of one.

> I also like "Dirt Track Racing 2" on PC. The physics are a little
harder
> than D2D. It's good to have the PS2 around though for when I don't want
to
> set up my PC wheel.

> > Indeed, too bad there won't be a PC release. OTOH, NT2004 (PC) is
> > supposed to include what the last version left out: the gameplay.
> > That'll most likely***off 95% of RAS participants. I just hope in the
> > next version, they're able to simulate a stock car (I'm unable to
> > complete one lap around Bristol without going on a helicopter ride
> > whereas in NR2002 I can do plenty of laps without incident. Perhaps it's
> > just me or my wheel?)

> Maybe just the wheel or your setups? I bought NASCAR Thunder on the PC
> and it seems to drive OK to me.
> The look is very different from NASCAR HEAT. The tracks don't look quite
> the same. Fun game, but not as fun as NASCAR HEAT... Also has some
idiotic
> things:

> 1) Too much obvious LOD (level of detail) popup. LOD should be
> controllable for those of us with something more than a TNT2 and a 500 MHz
> PC.

> 2) No career mode. They should have ported the career mode code from the
> XBox, it couldn't have been that hard. This is common in console-to-PC
> ports now days-***over the PC gamer for no good reason.

by **Steve Smit** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 21:14:34

Take that back - it was Ratbag's World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars that I liked
on the console.

> I actually liked the PS2 version of DTR2 better than the PC ver. As I
said
> in the Motor Trend story, it's the most realistic physics ever seen on a
> console.

> > > Yep, I enjoyed it myself. In fact I've gotten more fun out of D2D than
> > > from NT2003, even NR2002. I had a real sense of accomplishment
upgrading
> > > my car and finally breaking into the next level. I doubt any group of
> > > dev's have the balls to design a game like it, going from dirt up to
Cup
> > > cars. In essence, we practically got 4 games (low budget by
themselves,
> > > though) for the price of one.

> > I also like "Dirt Track Racing 2" on PC. The physics are a little
> harder
> > than D2D. It's good to have the PS2 around though for when I don't want
> to
> > set up my PC wheel.

> > > Indeed, too bad there won't be a PC release. OTOH, NT2004 (PC) is
> > > supposed to include what the last version left out: the gameplay.
> > > That'll most likely***off 95% of RAS participants. I just hope in
the
> > > next version, they're able to simulate a stock car (I'm unable to
> > > complete one lap around Bristol without going on a helicopter ride
> > > whereas in NR2002 I can do plenty of laps without incident. Perhaps
it's
> > > just me or my wheel?)

> > Maybe just the wheel or your setups? I bought NASCAR Thunder on the
PC
> > and it seems to drive OK to me.
> > The look is very different from NASCAR HEAT. The tracks don't look
quite
> > the same. Fun game, but not as fun as NASCAR HEAT... Also has some
> idiotic
> > things:

> > 1) Too much obvious LOD (level of detail) popup. LOD should be
> > controllable for those of us with something more than a TNT2 and a 500
MHz
> > PC.

> > 2) No career mode. They should have ported the career mode code from
the
> > XBox, it couldn't have been that hard. This is common in console-to-PC
> > ports now days-***over the PC gamer for no good reason.

by **Scott B. Husted** » Fri, 18 Jul 2003 22:36:54

Only one question, is Ed Martin going to tell us it's impossible to have
full field multiplayer races online? ;)

--
Scott B. Husted
ICQ# 439540
http://www.Husted.cc
"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one
behind me."
- General George S. Patton

> Bear in mind that the new NASCAR Thunder shares nothing with the old NT

(responsible
> for such travesties as The Simpson's Road Rage and the worst of the Test
> Drive series), whereas the new NT is being done by ISI, so presumably, the
> new NT will incorporate everything ISI has learned from the well-received
F1
> Challenge, plus some new stuff I'm not allowed to talk about. But I can
> tell you this: if you like what they've done to the F1 series, you'll love
> what they're doing to NASCAR Thunder.

by **Haqsa** » Sat, 19 Jul 2003 07:02:18

"I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."
- Unknown

rec.autos.simulators

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona

NASCAR HEAT 2: Dirt to Daytona