rec.autos.simulators

It might be my imagination, but I find N4 _easier_ to drive than N3.

Maybe it's because the setup changes do what you expect them to do.

Maybe it's because the cars actually feel like real cars, including all the
little nuances.

Maybe it's in my head.

I don't know, but to me N4 provides so much better feel that it's actually
_easier_ for me to drive and set up, even though it is really quite a bit
more complex...

-Larry

It's not your imagination... more complex physics model doesn't nescessarily
mean more difficult to drive. There is a theory (which I subscribe to) that
you only have a certain amount of attention to spend regardless of what the
situation demands. With N3 I too found myself relying on sight more than
feel to know where I was heading and if one spends all his/her attention on
picking out ones lines there's none left to watch for traffic. Driving N4 I
can "feel" where the car is going to exit the turn, leaving more "resources"
free for situational awareness, making it more comfortable to drive in
traffic.

Also, I don't know whether this is a consequence of the faster simulation
rate of the new (GPL) engine or a concious effort by Papyrus, but I have the
impression that bit of rubbing or leaning between cars is as inconsequential
as it should be (judging from what limited TV coverage we get over here).
Just the right balance between "take whatever liberties you want" and
"***y impossible to race close". If one accidentally touches and
immediatly backs off it's almost always possible to continue unharmed (good
chance of being hung out to dry on the outside line though :-))

Jan.
=---

Jan,

I think that's a pretty good summation :)

-Larry

Agreed Larry. I find the cars much easier to drive, but I also find the AI
MUCH harder to pass and very, very aggressive. Just my 2c's worth.
--
                                   See ya in the pits,
                                           Deano

I have a terrible memory. In fact my memory's so bad I can't remember how
long it's been since I've forgotten anything.

Jezus! It's a *** for me! I haven't done N3 in a long, long time. I guess I'm
too used to NHeat. I think I finally started to get a handle on C***te
yesterday. It's gonna take a while for me to get used to the new physics. I love
it though, and I'm glad they didn't compromise (as far as I can tell anyway ;).

--
-------------------------------------
Morgan Vincent Wooten
GPLRank: +10.02
http://www.racesimcentral.net/~morganv00/
-------------------------------------

I find it much easier now that I have my wheel setup properly. I had it set
to non- linear to begin with, then switched it all the way to linear and bam
it's perfect, no more sloopy feeling, it's completely different now!!

Which is a good thing :)

One thing that always bugged me about the AI in N3 is that it 'gave up' all
the time.  Nascar Heat was the first Nascar Sim where when you passed a car,
it would fight it's ass off to get back around you.  Pass, and then push up
a little?  In NH, the AI car would take advantage of that _immediately_.

In N3 it was _really_ bad at Taladega.  You draft a car several laps, and
it's hard to pass it.  You finally get that run you needed, pass the car,
and the damned AI car falls back 15-20 cars and all of a sudden you have NO
draft and you eventually slide backwards TO the car that just screwed you in
first place.

I will NOT miss this behaviour :)

N4 has the first AI in a Nx sim that I enjoy racing because they race BACK
:)

-Larry