rec.autos.simulators

I ask this because anyone with any serious driving experience (real
world), or competition experience would know that it *IS* hard work to
drive fast and on the edge/limit. There are plenty of arcade *games* out
there that provide some fun (for some), but are not based on reality at
all. Instead of relying on skills as a driver, you simply learn the
"game". What sim racers are looking for is something that *IS* hard to
drive, and takes real world abilities/skills to be competitive. We want
a challenge.

I cannot bring myself to *play* N2 (or N99) after GPL because I feel
like I am playing a game ('cause I am!). I do NOT want to be able to go
out and kick AI ***right out of the pits, nor do I want to be able to
take the car out the first time and be able to easily drive it. I know I
could not easily control (at the limit) a 400hp/1200lb car the first
time out in real life, so why should the *sim* be different?

It is no fun to go out and win unless you have accomplished something.
Winning per se does not define an accomplishment (small field, bad
drivers, etc). IMO, by saying you would rather drive N2/99 anyday over
GPL, you are admitting you are not really interested in driving/racing
at all (or learning!!), but rather just winning. For that, you can just
go play one-of-the-many arcade games out there. Leave the *sims* to
people that appreciate racing/driving and want to learn and become
better competitors/drivers.

--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.racesimcentral.net/
---Share what you know. Learn what you don't.---

Driving "GAME" not "SIM"!  It may very well be the best driving GAME.  I
enjoy NFS as a game.

% >   All Games Network just announced the upcomming Need For Speed High
% Stakes
% > as the best driving game at the E3 show.  The end is at hand...
% > dave henrie

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

--
=========================================
Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing?
=========================================
Member of R.O.R. 1999
http://www.racesimcentral.net/~marknjess/ror.html
=========================================
Racing online with the help of......

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http://www.racesimcentral.net/

Holodyne Engineering

Mystic Music

First, I think that you can get different types of game by buying
different products.  What I think companies should do is pick a
segment of the market and then put ALL their efforts into being the
best in that segment.  Too broad an approach means master of none.

What we have in GPL is brilliant - and I think that if too much effort
had been put into providing dumbed down or more arcade options then it
might not have had the attention put into it to meet these levels.

Before GPL I had not been much of a racing sim fan.  Sure, I enjoyed
them and had bought GP1 a long time ago and spent a long time playing
it, but I was not exactly an expert.

I had decided to buy an racing sim and spent a few days trawling the
on-line game magazines to find what was recommended.  It didn't take
long to home in to GPL:-)

Sure it was difficult to drive at first - it took a bit of dedicated
time to get used to it.  I only have a joystick so I had to learn also
to get accuracy of control that a wheel would have given me straight
out.  But the learning process was fun - not a chore - and the reality
of the physics gives the motivation to try and try again [This is I
think key - other games are about learning how to play the game
properly - with this sim you can learn by trying to be better in the
same way as in real life (I think)]

What for me is so crucial is that I spent 35 to add to my existing
hardware configuration to get close to a real life experience I will
never get - and if I wanted to get close would cost me 250 for an
hour or so's teaching and one lap in an small single seater.  Sure
on-line racing isn't perfect - but its pretty good.  I just visited
the Brazilian GP (as the guest of my brother) and the desire to get
behind the wheel of the real cars was great.  As soon as I got home I
had a great desire to try the Interlagos circuit.  I borrowed GP2 and
fired it up for Interlagos but couldn't really get the that reality
feel.  Back to GPL and I got satisfaction (but would love for someone
to create the Interlagos circuit<vbg>)

Alan

http://www.chandler.u-net.com

Its still a game.  And perhaps rather than focusing on either the broader
"arcade" market or the smaller "hey, I'd like to feel like I'm driving my
real car" or the smaller "hey, I'm so diehard and I think I have da skillz
to do the trackz and kick Jeff Gordonz azz, man.", a "game" should try and
please each category by allowing for various different "racing engine"
models to be used.