rec.autos.simulators

The more I see of DTR, the more impressed I am.

-- JB

Racing online with the help of......

Race Communications Association
Holodyne Engineering
Mystic Music
(have Your !!Name/Address!! placed here)

Any company can do 4player multiplayer racing in a stable environment.  Give
me a full field of humans, and let's compared it to everything else :)

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...

"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

DW

The Mocker

Also FWIW, I've often seen HORRIBLE online lag/warping in GPL with as few as
2 or 3 players, but in several days' worth of testing DTR with folks all
across the U.S., I've never seen a truly bad connection yet.  So when some
of you say "any company can do 4 player multiplayer in a stable
environment," it seems to me that you must not have an appreciation of how
difficult it is to eliminate lag/warp on a tiny, 1/4-mile track, where you
can see EVERY car and EVERY part of the track at ALL TIMES from ANY vantage
point -- THAT stresses the multiplayer connection a LOT.  Ratbag's
Powerslide title was ROCK-SOLID on the longer tracks, but on the lone oval
(a 1/4-mile track, I think, aptly named "Speedway"), online lag was pretty
bad with more than 2 players.  DTR seems to have pushed the envelope in this
area very successfully.

Also, given how GPL's frame rate slows down in multiplayer when something
simple happens like, say, when you're passing the pit area, for example, I
think that even GPL would be hard-pressed to duplicate a 1/4-mile track in a
multiplayer online environment with the kind of stability I've seen in DTR.

Just my $0.02 on the issue.

-- JB

Well, 8 is a bit better.  But I'd never trust anything Mr. Wilshe said
anyways, so.

DTR.

Sure, it probably would on some of the average current machines, no doubt.
But I also don't doubt that DTR's physics are as "advanced" as GPL's either.
Not sure its all together appropriate to compare the two because GPL is
optimized towards long road tracks, DTR is optimized for short ovals.  A
better comparison would be running 4 cars at Martinsville or Bristol in N3.
Or Viper Racing at the easiest track, forget the name of it...although its
bigger than 1/4 or 1/2 mile.

Nonetheless, while I'm not a dirt fan, glad to hear that another good
quality racing sim [although not up to perhaps the same level as GPL] is out
for those who enjoy dirt oval racing.

hehe.....  Its really 10, but you dont have to believe me.  And when I get
a version someday that will support 32.  I'm sure you will be the first on
my list to get it.. <nadda>

dw

I know dirt ovals aren't your cup of tea, but I strongly encourage you to
try DTR when it comes out (the demo, at least) -- there's something VERY
challenging about navigating around an oval, turning left, and having to
steer to the right all at once.  It's exhilirating in a way that I find GPL
exhilirating -- I really like the Mexico City track in GPL because it's a
VERY active track that requires a lot of rhythm, and it's very unforgiving
(one slip and your lap time is shot); I find the ovals in DTR to offer this
same type of challenge.  Plus, unlike most NASCAR, CART, or IRL ovals, you
DO have to turn right occasionally <G>.

Also, here's an interesting aside about DTR's physics -- while DTR may not
be in the GPL range, all the car setup parameters seem to be modeled very
realistically.  I recently bought a book titled "Circle Track Suspension"
published by Motorworks International to learn more about dirt track
suspensions and suspension tuning techniques, and I was amazed at the
results.  I made a few new suspension tweaks in DTR based on some of the
setup techniques recommended in the book, and my lap times improved (I
started t*** almost a second off my lap times at some tracks), as did
the controllability of the car.  Bad setups seemed to have the opposite
effect (i.e., lap times decrease when you dial in settings that are
definitely "wrong").  Based on this, I have to say that the physics in DTR
seem to be very, very good -- definitely up there in the Viper Racing
category, at least.

FWIW, the Circle Track Suspension book can be ordered for $15.95 on
Amazon.com:

http://www.racesimcentral.net/
-5443099-2741219

FYI, there's also another book I'm going to be ordering -- it's titled
"Racing the IMCA Modified" by Steve Smith.  Tthis is not the same Steve
Smith who wrote the GPL strategy guide, but this Smith's work is very good,
and since DTR is affiliated with IMCA, this seems like a must-read also.
It's listed for $19.95 on Amazon.com:

http://www.racesimcentral.net/%3D940786159/002...
9-2741219

Note that I'm not getting any kickback from Amazon.com on this, but they
sure do get a lot of MY money! <G>

;-)

-- JB

Mms, odd.  Thats one track I absolute and utterly detest. :)  I find it
completely unnatural.

Hehehe.  Point and counter point.

From all comments made, etc...thats where I was thinking DTR was in terms of
driving/physics model.

That's what we want Don.  32 Modified's human drivers around the 8-shaped
track.  Keep pushing for it :)

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...

"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."