rec.autos.simulators

For those of you interested in the NRL on TEN, they currently have an
offer (good until Dec. 31) that looks pretty good:

Plan 1 = $5/month for 5 hours, and $1/hr after that

Plan 2 = $15/month unlimited time.

This doesn't include internet access, you still have to pay $.95 if
you access through their nodes.  The way I understand it, these rates
will be good for one year after you sign up, then they increase to the
standard rates of $10/mon and $2/hr, or $30 unlimited.  Also, this
doesn't include internet access, it'll cost you an additional $.95/hr
if you use TEN's dialups.

It looks like a pretty good deal, the only shitty thing being that you
have to sign up now and who knows when Nascar will be available on
TEN.  I signed up for the $5/5 hour plan and hopefully they'll let me
switch to the $15 unlimited when Nascar is up and running.  Even if
they don't though, I think I can live with $1/hr <g>

David

*************************************************************
* You're only young once, but you can stay immature forever *
*************************************************************

:>For those of you interested in the NRL on TEN, they currently have an
:>offer (good until Dec. 31) that looks pretty good:
:>
:>Plan 1 = $5/month for 5 hours, and $1/hr after that
:>
:>Plan 2 = $15/month unlimited time.
:>
:>This doesn't include internet access, you still have to pay $.95 if
:>you access through their nodes.  The way I understand it, these rates
:>will be good for one year after you sign up, then they increase to the
:>standard rates of $10/mon and $2/hr, or $30 unlimited.  Also, this
:>doesn't include internet access, it'll cost you an additional $.95/hr
:>if you use TEN's dialups.
:>
:>It looks like a pretty good deal, the only shitty thing being that you
:>have to sign up now and who knows when Nascar will be available on
:>TEN.  I signed up for the $5/5 hour plan and hopefully they'll let me
:>switch to the $15 unlimited when Nascar is up and running.  Even if
:>they don't though, I think I can live with $1/hr <g>
:>

Another shitty thing is that if their system doesn't think your latency is low
enough, it won't allow you to play.  Something to consider when you're laying
down hard cash for access you might not be able to get.

I'll stick to the lan in my house and modem games, thank you very much.

/===================================================\
| John Simmons (Redneck Techno-Biker)               |

| http://www2.connectnet.com/users/jms/index.html   |
\===================================================/

Don't forget that you also have to pay additional charges to NRL
probobly 2 dollars per hour,
Because TEN is only a provider, NRL is differnet.

                            ~~_____~~                

                        [__]=[_(-)_]=[__]  
                         Gregory Alferov
                       Los Angeles, Ca. USA

                     http://www.sure.net/~tifosi/

--
Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA  
RaceTime utility program for Nascar1/Indycar2.  
http://www.metronet.com/~cstuart/

$2/hr for TEN
$1/hr for dial-up access
Estimated $2/hr for NRO
$10 TEN monthly fee to TEN

Wow.  Looks like this is going to end up being a niche product like
Air Warrior used to be in the old days.  I'm sure the ***s
currently racing on Hawaii will be there (it'll be cheaper for them
than the LD charges <g>), but I doubt the average gamer will pay $5/hr
in this age of flat rates...  I guess time will tell.

OTOH, if they at least let you run pick-up races without sticking you
with an additional charge, and only charge extra for the NRO
sanctioned races, then it wouldn't be so bad.

Or, if they just charge you an annual fee I could live with that too.
If they go with an hourly charge though, I think they're pricing
themselves out of the market.  

Actually, the more I think about it, an annual fee kinda makes sense.
I guess we'll just have to wait for the official announcement.

David

You're only young once, but you can stay immature forever.

(not NRL) will be a flat rate also (I hope).

--
Eric Aldhizer
Kael
Chicken Farm Racing

NASCAR, the ultimate contact sport

Modem play is great for many games, and I use it often, but to me, in a
racing sim, 2 player lacks because it doesn't 'inspire' the same natural
discipline in one's opponent of urging the driver to exercise
*reasonable* caution in his overtaking/racing thus avoiding intentional
or unecessary crashes armed with the knowledge that he will be sitting
out the race for the next hour or two in a true multiplayer scenario
with 6 or 8 live opponents.

Once there are more than 2 contestants, the subtle, or at times not so
subtle "I've crashed and I'm bored, restart or I'm loggin off" coercive
technique doesn't hold the same punch that it previously did. Drive like
it's Demo Derby now and you are a spectator for the next hour or two.
No-on else cares. It all holds for much more realistic or SIMlike
racing.

Secondly, on a LAN the discipline is tighter as the players are
generally "all personal invitation only" so that certain conventions are
observed by mutual agreement and the players are saved from the
proverbial paying 'village idiot' showing up and causing racing mayhem.

Not to mention the lack of latency, plentiful bandwidth and other
advantages.

I'll be interested to see how NASCAR 2 runs setting someone up in local
server mode in KALI with 3 or 4 players. Has anyone tried this yet?  

                       *              -Assembly of Forces in Space-

                        *       Strategy than to keep the forces concentrated."
                       *                      Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831)

: Don't forget that you also have to pay additional charges to NRL
: probobly 2 dollars per hour,
: Because TEN is only a provider, NRL is differnet.

$2/hr more!?!?!

I will be on my way to the store to get my money back for N2 if this
is true! The on-line racing was 90% of my motivation to get this this thing.

Sierra better not do this to us!

Except that in open wheel racing, the whole field could be taken out at
the first corner by one idiot :((

Cheers,
Richard

HOLY COW People, listen to yourselves.  Read down thru this posting.

Only $4/Hour, ONLY $6/Hour.  WOW, what idea do you people have of the
American dollar.  I guess they come easier to some than others.  This is
crazy.  I too pay long distance to race on hawaii but when I decided last
month that i spent too much the month before I simply didn't get on, like
many other people I've chatted with on the service.  Here, you pay if your
on or not and WHO IS ON HAWAII FOR 5 HOURS A MONTH.  THATS 1 HOUR A WEEK
PEOPLE.  Hell I sometimes can't even get thru lap one at Dega in an hour
with all the "GOOD" guys wrecking up front and making a mess for the rest
of us.  

Lets see, Call the service, log on the system, go to the MOTD, go to the
Race sched, find a race, wait for it to fill up, start the game, practice 5
minutes, qualify 3 minutes, warmup, wait for the race to begin, and 1 time
in 2 actually go a lap, (Be honest, most people wreck about an AVG 1 time
in 2 unless You've invested millions in long distance and have more
practice than God above.).  
How many races can you get in in an hour????  Thats your week!!  Noone will
run 5 hours a week.

Bottom line, with TEN, NRO, Your ISP, Hourly charges, Local Access,  Why
the hell did they bother with TEN.  Why not just set up a big bullitten
board and be done with it.  It worked for Hawaii.  (Cause they didn't
collect the money, thats why, the phone company did).  

$30/month for a unlimited membership + the other fees, WOW.  I must be
getting old.

I agree with most assessments I have read.  $30+ just to race online is too
much.  If I could get $30 for ISP service and on-line racing - that would
be decent.  I would also expect for a fixed rate that I would get some
number of hours free - just like the ISPs do.  Let's see, $30 a month with
30 free hours of access time at a minimum.  With an ISP, I can get 10 hours
a week for $20.  Sierra and the *** service would collect $10 extra per
month from a large number of people - $120 a year.  I suspect every race
sim fan would sign up.  Why not - just a little more than an ISP and I also
get to race online.   However, consider racing 30 hours a month with TEN.
That will be $60 a month for TEN, plus the $20 for the ISP most are already
paying - $80 a month.  This comes out to over $1000 a year.  I guess its
true that the stock car racing - begun by a bunch of down to earth people -
has become a rich mans sport.  Keep it!

/THansen

The 'good' drivers at a dega pickup race?  

You really should check out joining a league. League races aren't
like that.  
I have a very enjoyable experience with hawaii.  I haven't raced
a pickup in 2 months.  I happily practice during the week, and
then race for an hour on my series race.  Spend less than 30 bucks
a month.

--- Frank ---