rec.autos.simulators

Just got a Compaq 120 pentium w/ 32 meg of ram, and just found out about
driving sims.  
1 What should I buy, nascar, f1 etc?
2 What kind of controler to go with it (under $100.00 pls)
3 Will I have to upgrade any cards ?
Any other advice.  TIA

God Bless,
Steve

<...>

<...>

That is a good point. Fact is, though, it was pointed out to my by ABC
television last year that indycars could be easily doing laps over
*300* MPH if they were given free reign on various design features,
primarily in the area of downforce. But that is simply *way* too
dangerous, for spectators and for pilots.

Daytona would be a pretty exciting alternative to IMS for CART. So
far, the reasons I hear here don't quite cut it, since it would be
possible to limit speed to the, say, 230 range like IMS and Michigan.
Could it be that NASCAR has some sort of unwritten "rights" over
Daytona? I mean, F1 won't race anywhere Indycars do (wonder why?)-
maybe NASCAR has its own special hold over Daytona.

Michigan is great, but for whatever reason (maybe age), it just isn't
a Daytona or an IMS. I notice there is only one CART race at Michigan
this year, unlike the two last year.

: Just got a Compaq 120 pentium w/ 32 meg of ram, and just found out about
: driving sims.  
: 1 What should I buy, nascar, f1 etc?
: 2 What kind of controler to go with it (under $100.00 pls)
: 3 Will I have to upgrade any cards ?
: Any other advice.  TIA

I think to start with, go for the race sim that you follow most.  If you
are a NASCAR fan, you won't go wrong if you go for NASCAR Racing 2
(don't even think about buying the first version).  However, if you
really dig Formula 1 racing, go for Grand Prix II.

After you get into one and still enjoy the sim, go ahead a pop for the
other one.  If you are really a fanatic, you might want to go out and
find a copy of Indycar Racing II.  However, if you aren't really a race
sim junkie, wait until some of the newer sims come out.

As for a controller under $100.00....  Wait until there is a sale on
Thrustmaster's T2 or their Grand Prix wheel.  They usually go for around
$99.00 (US) at places like Best Buy or Computer City when ever they have
a sale.

As for cards...  Well that depends on which sim you pick up first.  If
you go for NASCAR 2, look for a Rendition (Verite) based card.  Besides,
both Sierra's and Intergraph's card come with IndyCar Racing II.  The
combo between NASCAR 2/Indycar 2 and the Rendition board will really
make your system rock if can handle DMA on the PCI side.

If you opt for Grand Prix II, get the fastest video card you can afford,
as this sim really sucks the juices out of your video and CPU.

Welcome to the club!!!

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

: Who really gives a shit about daytona and indy.  Just 2 more tracks.  I'd
: be disapointed if Talladega, Bristol or Atlanta were missing from Nascar.
: Indy would be about like Loudon except 4 straights.  Why does everyone
: spend so much time dwelling on the indy/daytona issue??

Here is a quote from the great 20th Century philosopher Steven Wright:

"I watched the Indy 500, and I was thinking that if they left
earlier they wouldn't have to go so fast."

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

As for which sim: Wow Paul, that's a tough question to answer.  I have
several different racing sims, and each is so different.  Really, I
think it comes down to what you like best.  As a general rule, the
Nascar sims offer close,fun racing on the ovals (I stink on the
Nascar road courses).  The open wheel cars are more responsive, and
perhaps because of this I can do better on road courses with them. I
enjoy both forms (Nascar and open wheel) of racing sims, but lean
toward the Nascar side because I happen to like Nascar a bunch. As for
what's best for you... only you can find that out!

As for controls, again, it depends.  Joysticks are pretty inexpensive,
and will certainly come in under your target price.  However, once I
switched over to a wheel/pedal combo... I never looked back.  There's
*no comparison* between the driving experience a good wheel on a good
sim offers over a joystick on the same sim.  As for wheel/pedal prices,
I think I've read on this newsgroup that some Best Buy stores are
having a sale on the Thrustmaster T2 wheel/pedal for $99.  That's the
wheel I've used for the past year or more.

Concerning your last question, I'm no expert on that sort of stuff,
but IMHO you should be fine, card wise.  

After the first two corners it is rather predictable.

No but we do have the Andrettis :-)

John

--
John "aka' Deliveryboy

http://www.mindspring.com/~deliveryboy/index.htm
http://www.mindspring.com/~deliveryboy/1666/nascar.htm
http://www.mindspring.com/~deliveryboy/Captures/index.htm

         -- "Where's my Snappy?" --

-DG-

Fords have just now been able to stand a chance against the Monte Carlos
on the superspeedways!
Jarret won it last year because of all the whinning the Ford fellas were
giving and NASCAR
gave the chevys more limitations!!

-DG-

Well, NASCAR *owns* Daytona. I guess that would qualify as "it's own
special hold." Bill France built Daytona.
As to why CART doesn't race there, I think speed is the main reason.
It's not just the size of the track either, if that we're the case
restricting turbo boost might work, but the banking is a consideration
as well. I don't know the details, but the gist is that CART's cars
wouldn't be safe running on that steep banking.
Also, Nascar is affiliated with Tony George by way of the Brickyard and
that probably is also a factor, ie. CART and NASCAR aren't on real
friendly terms.
--
Ed

"A friend of mine suggested I try America Online, I said 'But I already
have
a computer...'"

On Sun, 23 Mar 1997 20:09:18 -0500, Ed Benson

---Jim Sokoloff, Papyrus

How 'bout having the CART guys drive on the DAytona road course? This would
be very interesting...

Earl