rec.autos.simulators

Ok, here's one for the assembled multitudes.

I happen to be one of those that loves GPL, but just can't come to terms
with SCGT, and believe me, I've tried. Apart from the obvious problems that
ISI has with the efficiency of its code the physics model is way out there.
I know, a lot of you disagree with me on this, including dyed in the wool
GPL freaks, but the biggest problem I have is that the cars overrotate
*without sliding.* It feels like the car bodies are sprung on an axle
seperate from the chassis. If my street car ever felt like that I'd have it
up on blocks with the wheels off in seconds looking for the broken shock
mounts. If I want to drive SCGT I have to devote a half hour or so of just
relearning the "local physics" and then reverse the process to drive any
other sim again. On the whole the game isn't good enough in my eyes to make
the whole thing worth it.

I was about to delete it from my hard drive when I found PP's McLaren M8D.
Wow! Then previews of JH's 917 started showing up, (JH, when we gonna see
the completed product?), Lotus Cortinas, Porsche 550 Spyders, 68 Trans Am
cars, etc.  Too cool.

So, GPL is way ahead on tracks. I think SCGT is up to what, three extras
now? But they have us GPLers hands down on cars by a country mile or ten.
Hundreds of the ***s, and more coming out on a nearly daily basis.

Are we GPLers just so enamored of our formula cars that we don't take the
trouble to come up with an OSCA or D Type Jag, or is there some fundamental
reason that car shapes are imposible to do in GPL? I note the Pits touring
car projects. I note the GTP carsets for ICRII, (although I also note that
no dash seems to have been produced for them). SOME body shaping is clearly
possible in other Papy sims.

Wither goes my Maserati 250F, my Ferrari 750 Monza, my Alfa GTZ? Can any of
you graphics gurus out there give me clue on this one?

Kevin F. Gavitt

  Here is where I'm a bit off.  I have been racing via the TPTCC with
N2/N99 on most of the "new"
gpl tracks for two years.  Check out www.tptcc.com for one take on the
use of those
tracks.  SCGT has only a few "new" tracks...but that will soon change.
The biggest
note should be the conversion of Silverstone.  It was a track
origianally included in
TOCA 2.  Now that they have figured out the hows and whys of the file
formats, I'm pretty
comfortable guessing that the rest of the Toca tracks will soon be
available.  Bathurst
is being created out the SCGT Nurburging.  Getting the track shape up
and running seems
to be a fairly smooth process.  Getting the details of the scenery and
such takes much longer.
  I "think" you will see a continued release of tracks for SCGT that are
"new" to that sim,
while at gpl land, most of the "new" tracks have been driven and driven
and driven by CART/ICR2/
TPTCCers for years.  
  Once again the esteemed Mr Noonan makes a huge difference here, not so
much with his
convertor, but with his stand alone tracks.  A welcome addition.
dave henrie

  I missed an important issue when replying above, earlier in the
thread.  SCGT has a very open
architechure that 'allows' the easy creation of new cars.  The File
structure of GPL
does not appear to be so easily manipulated.  So perhaps it is just the
'ease' of which the
SCGT cars can be morphed and adjusted that has brought so many of them
out.  GPL's internal
structure does not lend itself so easily to creating new shapes and
such.
dave henrie