rec.autos.simulators

More CPR patch beta opinions...

XRaceTr

More CPR patch beta opinions...

by XRaceTr » Sat, 10 Jan 1998 04:00:00

This is a long post, so for those of you with short attention
spans, here's a summary of my opinions:

 CPR before the patch: B-
  CPR after the patch: B+

 Based on what this
  patch fixed, the
  estimated number
  of patches before
  I'm completely happy: 3 (including this one)

 Why?
   Mainly because of St. Louis and Cleveland scenery
   (and accuracy in Cleveland's case) as well as the
   ugly brown tracks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, the details (best viewed with monospaced font):

     Equipment:
     ~~~~~~~~~~
      Computer: Micron Millenia XKU
     Processor: PII-266
           RAM: 96 Megs (SDRAM)
    Video Card: Diamond Viper 330 AGP
    Controller: Gravis joystick (an older cheap model)

Misc. Settings:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Graphics: ALL graphics ON except steering wheel
       Quality: 640x480, Best, Hardware acceleration w/smoothing
      Clipping: 31 (maximum)
         Sound: 8-bit Mono

 Race settings:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
         Track: Fontana
   Skill level: Professional
   Race Length: 5% (12 laps)
        # Cars: 20
       Weather: 75 Degrees, clear
          Misc: Temp. effects, pit stops, tire wear, fuel cons. all on

(All of the above settings were common to both the original
version of CPR and the patched version...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frame rates:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          Pre-patch:     Post-patch:
                          ==========     ===========
            Test session:  28-30 fps      38-42 fps

            Race:
                   Start:  15-18 fps      18-20 fps
              In Traffic:  20 fps         25-26 fps
             Clear track:  25-26 fps      25-26 fps
                S/F Line:  18 fps         23-25 fps

AI/Setup Notes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

              Setup used: <Default>      <Default>  (NOT "Fontana Sample")
       Starting position:   20/20          20/20

            My top speed:  214 MPH        238 MPH

 My position after 1 lap:   5/20           16/20

Lap # when I encountered
            back markers:   4/12           Never

Lap # when I took
                the lead:   6/12           6/12

Number of cars I lapped
           by the finish:  15 (!)          None

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My random thoughts:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Frame rates: Improved! Yes! I didn't have time to test them
  at home fully, but I did a very quick test session and on
  my P-133 (with Viper 330 PCI), using my pre-patch settings
  where I was getting 15-17 fps, I saw 22-25 fps! Quite a
  gain there! (did not test in a race)

- Null zone slider: since I was using a joystick, I can't
  really comment on this improvement... I never had problems
  with the steering on my computer at home anyway (where I
  have a T2)

- Object brightness: the cars can be made much more visable.
  This is a nice improvement - no more slamming into the back
  of the otehr cars. I found a setting of 75-80% to be about
  right. Any brighter and the cars get washed out and their
  tires turn gray...

- I thought there was going to be gamma correction for the
  tracks, too? Apparently not - the tracks are still too dark
  and way way too brown. The Cleveland surface looks about
  right, but the other tracks don't even come close...

- AI: *Much better* than the original, but superspeedway AI
  still needs work. I didn't have time to test it on the
  other ovals, however. And forget about road courses for
  me - the computer ***es at *me* for my "intelligence"
  there...

- Rain tire cheat: I didn't use it in the pre-patch version,
  so I didn't test the fix now.

- Better default setups: Definitely. Not the best, but half
  the fun is finding the best setup for yourself so they
  shouldn't be the best. I think the new default setup is
  a good place for novices and experts alike to start (At
  least for Fontana). Good job!

- Traction on grass: Cool - put it in first and floor it and
  just watch yourself go nowhere... Er, I mean, I don't ever
  end up in the grass, so I don't know..... ;-)

- Being able to control the car in the pits: GREAT!! Now,
  just give me some way of finding my pit!! Also, how about
  a way to tell my pit crew what I want BEFORE I enter the
  pits??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lingering complaints (most of these concern the advertised
"racing reality" and were probably not intended to be part
of this patch anyway... I just hope there is another patch
to follow this one...):

- Still no yellow flags!!

- The tracks are still too brown and too dark...

- Cleveland track not fixed (that annoys me). GPS precision?
  I think not... it's not even close. I've read that there was
  a problem getting the AI to work with the real Cleveland
  layout... uh, how about fixing what's broke instead of making
  up a new "reality"?

- Asphalt is black. Weathered asphalt is gray. Never is asphalt
  brown (unless it's covered with dirt...)

- I've been to Cleveland and Gateway, and the scenerey at those
  two tracks is just attrocious (sp??). At both tracks, the city
  skyline is backwards. Cleveland appears to be floating on Lake
  Erie (which, despite popular belief, is NOT the case!). You
  should be able to see downtown from the front stretch, not the
  back side of the course. St. Louis appears to be down river
  and WAY WAY too close to the track. You should only be able to
  see the arch when you are going through Turn 3, and then only
  in the distance... Papyrus/Sierra did an excellent job with
  the St. Louis skyline and other horizon scenery in the BGN
  expansion pack. I suggest MS/TRI buy a copy of that sim and
  take notes.

- I'd like to see lap SPEEDS, not lap times, on ovals...

- What is up with the brown tracks anyway??

- Michigan pit bug: still there... if you lose it in T4 and
  just barely hit the concrete pit surface, you're going to
  pit whether you want to or not...

- I apprecaite the artists' beautiful work in creating the St.
  Louis and Cleveland skylines, but you can't have both reality
  and artistic license at once... I much prefer reality!

- It would be nice to independantly control MY skill level and
  the computer cars skill level. What I mean is, sometimes I
  NEED help braking and shifting, but if I set the computer
  cars to intermediate or rookie where I can choose those
  settings, I can blow them away too easily.

- The extra chicane at Cleveland has got to go...

- Would it really be that hard to fix the track color?

For what it's worth,
- Mike.

============================================
    Mike Holthouse - Indianapolis, IN
 My new philosophy is to never explain my
 philosophies. I wish I could tell you why.
============================================

Randy BO

More CPR patch beta opinions...

by Randy BO » Sat, 10 Jan 1998 04:00:00

I disagree (at least somewhat).  I'd like to see both values shown, but time
should come first.  That's how its really measured on the track.  You look at
shaving time off your laps, not increasing average speed.  They are one and the
same, but in terms of measuring, its all done on the clock.  NASCAR 2 is nice
that they let you toggle.  I'd just as soon see the time on the course and then
when I go to the session results screens see both speed/time.  That's how it
works if you watch real CART races and look on the timing and scoring web
sites.

Randy

Randy Magruder
Staff Writer
Digital Sportspage
http://www.digitalsports.com/

Daniel J. Plantho

More CPR patch beta opinions...

by Daniel J. Plantho » Sat, 10 Jan 1998 04:00:00


I, too, would like to see speeds on ovals, but what I wish for more
would be a comparison of qualifying speeds during the session!  I have
not seen this anywhere, and if you have the order shown on the
pitboard, it is only a lap counter (from what I have seen).  How about
something like in GP2 where it would show place and speed on the dash,
or on the T&S board.

Dan.

"Three options: Right, Fast, and Cheap.
Pick Two."

Like everyone else, I've changed my reply address.
To reply, remove ._nospam_ from address.

Kevi

More CPR patch beta opinions...

by Kevi » Sat, 10 Jan 1998 04:00:00


I think the track color varies based on your graphics card.  If I select
software rendering, the tracks are brown and ugly.  When I use my Pure3D
card, the tracks are a nice black/gray color.  I'm not sure why this is.

--
Kevin
(Remove the "x-" prefix from my address in order to reply via email)


rec.autos.simulators is a usenet newsgroup formed in December, 1993. As this group was always unmoderated there may be some spam or off topic articles included. Some links do point back to racesimcentral.net as we could not validate the original address. Please report any pages that you believe warrant deletion from this archive (include the link in your email). RaceSimCentral.net is in no way responsible and does not endorse any of the content herein.