Hi Sim Drivers:
Here are a few points I would like to make on some topics I've been
seeing.
STEERING WHEELS:
I used to race WC (World Circuit), with steering help, with my CH
flightstick and my TM FCS. When I got ICR 1, I thought the graphics
were beautiful, but I couldn't keep the car on the road. The day I
purchased my T1, I did a bunch of laps at my favorite tracks, Spa and
Imola. I then tried ICR 1, it was a WHOLE NEW GAME. The steering
is much nicer, correcting in slides and other subtle movements are
easier. That day, WC became shelfware.
An on/off switch for gas and breaks is unusable. I've read in this
group that Papyrus has over-compensated the keyboard user with some
"cheats" that allows better gas and break response than is offered to
the person with a steering wheel and gas/brake pedals. Joystick users
may be able to use this unfair advantage to make the records, but it
feels more realistic, and for me it's more fun, using the wheels and
pedals.
WAITING FOR F1GP2:
I ache for F1GP2 too. As bad as anyone here. But ICR2 is worth a
look while we're waiting. There are lots of nice road circuits. I
think the "feel" of ICR2 is far superior to WC.
The ICR car follows the front tires at slow speeds, where the WC car
feels like it is pivoting about the center. The ICR car carries mass,
and energy, into a corner which allows for realistic drifting. I have
never felt that in WC.
I do prefer the F1 tracks to the Indycar tracks, but ICR2 has so
much going for it, and great tracks, instead of F1's legendary tracks.
I'm not a big fan of oval racing, but I would encourage anybody who
feels a moron can drive them to give them a shot.
ICR2, however, doesn't have Eau Rouge.
ICR YELLOW FLAG BUG
I'd like a sim to deliver all the experiences a real driver gets.
But there are some things I've never seen in a sim. The sound,
vibration, road feed back, G-force, peripheral vision, having
beautiful women throw themselves at me, searching for sponsorship,
public appearances and interviews. Well add one more to the list,
yellow flags, THEY DON'T WORK RIGHT. Big deal, yellow flags are breaks
in the action. I find it hard to believe that just turning these off
cause this much grief.
CUTTING COOKIES
I feel I'm missing much more of the racing experience by not having
wheel spin properly modeled. When we are at right angles to the track,
or backward on the track, after a spin, we should be able to put our
foot in it and, with practice, spin the car to point down the track
without the car moving much. Spins, and recovering from spins, ARE
thrilling, yellow flags are times when the action slows. I'm a big fan
of Rick, but I was disappointed when he suggested the solution to this
is turning on "Spin Recovery". I don't think that simulates what Michael
Andretti does. In the absence of this feature, why are people ***ing
about yellow flags?
ICR TRACTION
Rick, or others, have reported that there is a traction bug on some
oval tracks. When I was racing ICR2 on my 486/66 with hight rez, and
EVRYTHING turned off, I found the car almost undrivable on all of the
tracks, it was on ice. When I got my P6, the traction was much improved.
Less than ICR1, but about what I expect with restrictions on wing size.
So I think some of the traction problems might be the result of an
overtaxed PC.
A MODEST PROPOSAL
That was the title I placed on a post, cross posted to flight-sim,
everyone ignored several months ago. I think there are enough
programmers, and interested people with other talents, that we could
cobble together a sim of our own. Network play at no hourly cost,
Driving models, Yellow flags, 3D accelerators, death rays for that
moron that keeps running into you, tracks that look JUST like Daytona,
or La Mans, racing on your favorite platform (DOS4GW, WIN95, Linux,
supercomputers, Solaris on my dual P6 system), truck and tractor pulls,
I remember an arcade racing game that had THREE displays, you name it.
As a programmer, this would be a FANTASTIC educational experience.
Look at Linux.
Papyrus and MicroProse might be smarter than us, but we have them
outnumbered.
Thanks
Larry
===========================================================================
Larry "Dragon" Lindstrom. Consultant - Unix - X Window - Comms
Three worst things about President Clinton:
3) He's spineless
2) He's dishonest
1) He's the most principled and honorable candidate running for President.
(Bob Dole and friends cost us 10,000 times as much in S&L ripoffs)