rec.autos.simulators

by **Scot** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

How could they have made GPL such a computer hog? All I want to do is run
full field races, and eventually start a full season.....but my FPS are
HORRIBLE. I have a P200 with a Voodoo2 12mb card, and I average 5-6 fps at
the starting line and about 12-18 while racing. If I dare scrape the
side-rails or get a little into the grass, my FPS drops to 6-7.
Unbelievable! I have ALL GRAPHICS OPTIONS unchecked, and I'm running it in
640x480. The friggin track looks like a blocky pixel-fest now, but hey, can
I run at acceptable framerates now? NO!!!
So even with the graphics turned off and everything looking like SHIT, it
STILL is unacceptable to run full races. When I'm alone on the track, it's
not too bad running at about 18 fps. But if I even try to pass someone, or
vice-versa, it drops to around 10 or so. THIS IS WITH ALL GRAPHICS
UNCHECKED! And dont even ask about the start of the race, I might as well
count it as seconds per frame as opposed to frames per second. I mean how
can you race this game for fun, if you can't even pass people? Isn't
passing people part of racing? BTW, I have all graphics options unchecked
and the game looks like pixelly, blocky crap. Thought I might add that
again.
I just couldnt wait to play this game, and experience the thrill of racing
side-by-side with the legends of Grand Prix. But basically I ended up
buying a $40.00 hot-lap simulator, as I can get upwards to 30 fps on hot-lap
sessions. But even add any more then 5 or 6 cars to race against, and its
unplayable. Oh, I know, I can race against 4 other cars for an hour, that
will be fun!!! Too bad you have to have a P2-450 to race with all graphics
on and a full field competition. Or has anyone with a P2-450 even tried
that yet?.....it might be unplayable for them too. A great simulator, but
hard to race at 10 fps. You would think with a P200 and a Voodoo2, that I
would at least be able to run with ALL GRAPHICS OFF and a full field
right??? Amazing. And they list the minimum system requirements as a P166.
They didnt mention that with that P166, you would only be able to run
hot-lap sessions. Anyone with the highest available computer on the market
right now.....let us know if YOU can even run a full-field race with all the
graphics on. Just curious.
(and to think that games like F1RS you can get easily playable frame-rates,
with better graphics then GPL) Is GPL's AI engine and physics engine so
advanced, that it takes so much processing power to run it?
Cya guys, I'm off to play my new Hot-Lap Simulator!!

by **Eric T. Busc** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

Since it's the additional AI cars and not graphics options that cause
the slow down your system I think you've answered your own question...

- Eric

by **Scot** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

How much fun can it be when you can't race the AI cars? I exceed the
minimum requirements to run the game.....or are those requirements (P166,
etc.) just for navigating the menu system?
How much fun can it be to race at 10 fps?

>Since it's the additional AI cars and not graphics options that cause
>the slow down your system I think you've answered your own question...

>- Eric

by **Scot** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

Well, I hot-lapped all day long (at 30fps), then I *thought* I would be
ready for my first race. So I was all psyched for my first race after a few
hours of hot-lapping. That's when I found out that it can't be done. I'm
sure most of you know the precision it takes to control these cars, and you
just can't control the car at 10fps. I've gone back to hot-lapping for now.
I love the 'Ring, it's like a nice Sunday drive in the
country-side.....except at 150mph. =)
I'm also pricing around for a new BX motherboard and P2 chip. You would at
least think you could run HALF-field races with all graphics OFF on a P200
with a Voodoo2 card. Guess not. Oh well.

>On Wed, 30 Sep 1998 18:41:49 -0400,

>>How much fun can it be when you can't race the AI cars? I exceed the
>>minimum requirements to run the game.....or are those requirements (P166,
>>etc.) just for navigating the menu system?
>>How much fun can it be to race at 10 fps?

>Another way to look at it is, are you READY to actually race the field?
>For me, I have a LOT of hotlapping to do before I am even close...

>Try this. Set the field to 5 and race them. If they run off and hide
>from you, then you also need some hot laps... :)

>>>Since it's the additional AI cars and not graphics options that cause
>>>the slow down your system I think you've answered your own question...

>>>- Eric

>--
>* rrevved at some ISP which calls itself mindspring dot com

by **Scot** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

Eric already posted that an hour ago.

>Yep.

by **rob** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

As per a previous thread, you can run at 800x600 with all graphics options
and get the same fps as you get at 640x480 with nothing checked, fwiw.

rob.

<snip>

by **rob** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

Would this be a good time to resume that thread about 'previewing'
via warez?

rob.

<snip>

by **Jeff Ha** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

Buy an Abit BH6 motherboard and a Celeron 300A CPU. (this has 128k of
of onboard secondary cache). Turn the buss speed up to 100 and you
will have a high performing 450 mhz cpu at a fraction of the cost.

I'd say your voodoo2 is sitting there with nothing to do right now.
You don't have the cpu power to drive the card.

I will post some benchmarks as I have both a thriller 3d and an SLI
voodoo 2 setup. I have only run the Rendition graphics so far and I
see 36 fps during practice with absolutely everything turned on at
800x600. Haven't run a race yet

Jeff

You would at

by **Scot** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

I was actually looking at the Abit BX6. I need the 3rd ISA slot (ACM game
card, SB AWE64, and network card for cable modem). The BH6 only has 2 ISA
slots. I was thinking along the same lines with the Celeron 300a though.
=)
Now I'm looking at 2d/3d cards to go with my Voodoo2.

>>I'm also pricing around for a new BX motherboard and P2 chip.

>Buy an Abit BH6 motherboard and a Celeron 300A CPU. (this has 128k of
>of onboard secondary cache). Turn the buss speed up to 100 and you
>will have a high performing 450 mhz cpu at a fraction of the cost.

>I'd say your voodoo2 is sitting there with nothing to do right now.
>You don't have the cpu power to drive the card.

>I will post some benchmarks as I have both a thriller 3d and an SLI
>voodoo 2 setup. I have only run the Rendition graphics so far and I
>see 36 fps during practice with absolutely everything turned on at
>800x600. Haven't run a race yet

>Jeff

>You would at
>>least think you could run HALF-field races with all graphics OFF on a P200
>>with a Voodoo2 card. Guess not. Oh well.

by **Eric T. Busc** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

At the very least I'd suggest upgrading to a PCI network card, but if
you went with a PCI sound card you could ditch both the AWE64 as well as
the ACM gamecard (most will have hardware acceleration for DirectInput).
A system with no ISA devices will be a bit faster as well.

- Eric

though.

by **Scot** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

I know it would be faster.....but I just bought this AWE64 a month ago, and
I hate to see the $99 bucks go to waste.

>At the very least I'd suggest upgrading to a PCI network card, but if
>you went with a PCI sound card you could ditch both the AWE64 as well as
>the ACM gamecard (most will have hardware acceleration for DirectInput).
>A system with no ISA devices will be a bit faster as well.

>- Eric

>>I was actually looking at the Abit BX6. I need the 3rd ISA slot (ACM
>game
>>card, SB AWE64, and network card for cable modem). The BH6 only has 2
>ISA
>>slots. I was thinking along the same lines with the Celeron 300a
>though.

by **Scot** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

Damn, really? Does Papy seriously think that we can have fun racing against
5 AI opponents for an hour? I mean, do they really think that?

>What good is it to have super AI, when you can not race against any of
them.
>I have a PII 333 OC to 375, voodoo2 and It still drop way down to less than
>10 FPS with full field. What type of computer did they make this game on.
>It must be something we can't get or else they knew the FPS sucked and
>released it anyway.

>>Would this be a good time to resume that thread about 'previewing'
>>via warez?

>>rob.

>><snip>
>>>not too bad running at about 18 fps. But if I even try to pass someone,
>or
>>>vice-versa, it drops to around 10 or so

by **Brian Shor** » Thu, 01 Oct 1998 04:00:00

And the cars still do wierd things like get stuck behind stopped cars
(in a large crash, for example), and since they cant figure out how to
back up and go around, they just withdraw... also, watch a AI car go
around a really sharp hairpin (Monoco)... they cheat, watch closely and
you'll see what I mean.

Brian

> On Wed, 30 Sep 1998 17:35:07 -0400,

> >Is GPL's AI engine and physics engine so
> >advanced, that it takes so much processing power to run it?

> Yep.

> --
> * rrevved at some ISP which calls itself mindspring dot com

by **Chris Manes** » Fri, 02 Oct 1998 04:00:00

What good is it to have super AI, when you can not race against any of them.
I have a PII 333 OC to 375, voodoo2 and It still drop way down to less than
10 FPS with full field. What type of computer did they make this game on.
It must be something we can't get or else they knew the FPS sucked and
released it anyway.

>Would this be a good time to resume that thread about 'previewing'
>via warez?

>rob.

><snip>
>>not too bad running at about 18 fps. But if I even try to pass someone,
or
>>vice-versa, it drops to around 10 or so

by **peg thirte** » Fri, 02 Oct 1998 04:00:00

>Damn, really? Does Papy seriously think that we can have fun racing against
>5 AI opponents for an hour? I mean, do they really think that?

>>What good is it to have super AI, when you can not race against any of
>them.
>>I have a PII 333 OC to 375, voodoo2 and It still drop way down to less than
>>10 FPS with full field. What type of computer did they make this game on.
>>It must be something we can't get or else they knew the FPS sucked and
>>released it anyway.

>>>Would this be a good time to resume that thread about 'previewing'
>>>via warez?

>>>rob.

>>><snip>
>>>>not too bad running at about 18 fps. But if I even try to pass someone,
>>or
>>>>vice-versa, it drops to around 10 or so

rec.autos.simulators

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