rec.autos.simulators

1) Enough whining already!  IMHO, this simulator is jaw-dropping
amazing.  Consider what else is out there, and nothing comes close.
Frankly, it's very difficult going back to race ICR or F1GP after a few
hours with NASCAR.

2) Regarding the debate on SVGA mode: this simulator is GROUND BREAKING
in even offering SVGA.  First, the installation was painless.
Absolutely no problems.  Not many SVGA games can make this claim.
Links386 *still* crashes on my three different machines, and they've
been through at least a dozen patches, etc.  I've yet to have Nascar
even burp.  Look how smooth the other cars scroll as you move around
them.  More than just "eye-candy", I find it helps my drafting,
positioning, etc.  Especially the clear view of the track ahead.  Are
you disappointed that your machine can't run SVGA at decent frame
rates?  Don't blame Papyrus or anyone else.  Life and technology march
on.  I, for one, am exceptionally grateful that a company like Papyrus
would push the envelope and offer such a revolutionary product that
*can* be satisfactorily run on current hardware (see below).  

3) And what about performance?  I have a good P90 with ATI Mach64
graphics (PCI bus).  With all details on, performance is marginal to
good, but no worse than many other simulators I've run in years past on
then cutting-edge hardware.  Turning off just the road texture helps
dramatically and makes things fluid-smooth.  This is with full digital
sound and looking at all 38 cars ahead on the track.  A few notes to
other Pentium owners: all Pentiums are NOT created equal.  I've had the
good fortune to test several motherboards, and I would strongly
recommend only those Pentiums with the Neptune chipset.  Ditto with
graphics cards, etc.  

4)  To all those complaining about just driving circles:  you've missed
the point entirely.  This is a simulator, and probably the best one now
available to the home consumer market.  I'm a fan of all types of
racing, but Indy and F1 would come before NASCAR in my book.  After
driving this simulator, I've gained a new appreciation for NASCAR and
the completely different style and technique needed to pilot these
elephants around an oval at 200mph+.  Take a good, realistic look at
the AI in this game.  Incredible.  38 - THIRTY EIGHT! - cars at once,
all driving in a realistic manner.  Drafting in long trains, damaging
other cars, cars bumping you, realistic damage.  You get the point.

Joe M.  

I just wanted to say, "Great review and recap."

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Quoting jmartz from a message in rec.autos.simulators
   > Frankly, it's very difficult going back to race ICR or F1GP after a few
   > hours with NASCAR.
Joe:
I spent two years playing F1GP almost continuously, but ICR and NC have
just about obsoleted it for me.  I'm looking forward anxiously for WC2,
but I feel like I've done just about all there is to do on the original.
But I still think ICR is a fine game.  My real world interests run more
toward open wheel cars than stockers, so that might have something to do
with it, but the REALISTIC sloppiness of the handling in NASCAR might
make the game exciting, but also more frustrating.  Of course I've only
had the game for 24 hours, so I have a long way to go before I can make
a truly considered judgement.

   > 2) Regarding the debate on SVGA mode: this simulator is GROUND BREAKING
   > in even offering SVGA.
That's true, but for those of us without Pents, the innovation is not
quite so dramatic.  I can have either the VGA with the digital sound and
ALL the graphics on or the SVGA with everything off but wall and car
textures.  Sure the cars are beautiful, but watching the track
materialize just in front of me and having NOTHING but the track is a
bit otherworldly...

       First, the installation was painless.
   > Absolutely no problems.  Not many SVGA games can make this claim.
Same with me -- congrats the to team at Papyrus!

   > Don't blame Papyrus or anyone else.  Life and technology march
   > on.
It's certainly not the fault of Papyrus, and I don't think anyone is
saying that it is.

   > I've gained a new appreciation for NASCAR and
   > the completely different style and technique needed to pilot these
   > elephants around an oval at 200mph+.
Amen to that!  I qualified well up at Dega in a little practice race,
but the second I fell out of line, the others just drove away and that
was that!  The real world drivers make it look easy, and that is the
truest measure of their talent.

| )/-\(_)|__ _________________________________    Paul Hamilton