rec.autos.simulators

by **Jone Tytlandsvi** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 17:13:44

Maybe I have missed something, but isn't Nascar about going almost straight
in 300km\h for lap after lap in heavy cars that looks like production cars
to make it interesting for people who are fanatic about their own US car
brands?
Could that be any fun?
Wouldn't a game based on Indy500 or Formula 1 be more interesting?

Excuse me for my ignorance. Here in Norway we get 3 seconds of Nascar on the
TV every second year if there has been a major accident.

Jone.

by **Richard Walke** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 18:35:45

A troll?!

I've wondered that myself. I'm in the UK, and NASCAR is basically unheard
of.

Having said that, I bought NASCAR 4 (20ukp at EB) simply because it was a
Papy race sim based on the GPL engine, and GPL is so fantastic. I had
absolutely *no* interest in NASCAR, although I am a big touring car fan.

What do you know? I actually enojoy playing NASCAR 4. I still don't fancy
watching NASCAR on the TV (just yet...) but I do like the game.

I don't see a need for NASCAR 5, though, *but* I do appreciate that they can
no doubt flog loads of copies of of it in the US.

Nope. I've got GP3 if I want to do that, and if I was actually deeply
interested in racing modern F1 cars, I'd get F1-2001. Oh, and I've got GPL,
which is the best F1 game, ever!

Indy 500? Just as irrelevant as NASCAR, over here! :-)

Now... if you'd said a decent TOURING CAR simulation, then I'd agree. I'd
*really* like a touring car sim - ideally one supporting different classes
of cars:

- Group A (Sierra Cosworths etc.)
- Super Touring
- Super Production
- 'BTC Touring' (replacement for Super Touring in the UK)
- Super Production Plus (replacement for Super Touring in Europe)
- DTM 2000/01
- DTM/ITC (pre 1997)

where you can race in single-class, or multi-class. Obviously, all the
tracks from GPL and TOCA 2 would have to be in there! :-)

Better than the UK! :-)

Ah, well, actually, I think there is some NASCAR coverage on Eurosport...

--
Richard.

"I've got to admit it's getting better."

by **Jone Tytlandsvi** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 19:27:10

What do you like about it?
Is it mostly about going almost straight at high speed?
Can N4 use your GPL tracks?

You would buy a modern F1 sim if it was made by Papy, wouldn't you?
I guess GPL get it's star status from the technical quality of the game, not
because they didn't make it a modern F1 sim.

Agree, but it similar to F1 and it would be easier to sell over there (USA).

Agree. I'm not into watching any motorsports though. I like the idea of
driving a car that at least looks like something I can possibly set my foot
in some day.
There are no good Touring car sims?

Don't laugh but I'm currently racing NFS PU. But I would like to have better
online racing and I don't like that I have to bang into walls at 300km/h to
get better times than I have now. To advance further I have to take
advantage of NFS PU's "errors" rather than learn to drive better. I could
off course get better times on clean runs, but that's not what the other
online racers do.
GPL is in the mail but I'm not sure if that's the way to go. I only have a
few hours a week to spend, and I understand it takes time to learn to handle
the cars in GPL.

Jone.

by **Mario Petrinovi** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 19:59:01

I'm from Europe to, been F1 fan all my life, but when Eurosport
begun to show NASCAR I become NASCAR fan. Why?
I wiil put it this way:
1) By far the most interesting thing in F1 is 1st turn. In NASCAR
you have 1st turn whole race.
2) In F1 you have one team that have the best engine, and the rest.
That team has 3 times better chances to win than the rest. I seen
excellent drivers driving at the back of the pack. And that just confront
my logic. It's simly upside-down. I don't see that in NASCAR.
3) In F1 it is inposible to overtake ( with that carbon brakes and
that aerodynamics ). And, I don't know about you, but for me
overtaking=racing. I'm a racing fan. In F1 is by far the least amount of
racing then in any other motosport. Even in football you have more
racing than in F1. In F1 there is only a procession of shiny cars. In
NASCAR it's mush harder to block. In F1 I seen slower guy blocking
faster for half of the race. I don't se much sense in that.
4) Make your car low and light and you will be much faster than
now. But try it with heavy, and high car is another thing.

by **J Sakari Salone** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 20:14:22

> Maybe I have missed something, but isn't Nascar about going almost straight
> in 300km\h for lap after lap in heavy cars that looks like production cars
> to make it interesting for people who are fanatic about their own US car
> brands?
> Could that be any fun?

(Trying to give a perspective of someone also living in a country where
NASCAR remains in almost total obscurity)

Well, they aren't going straight exactly. I think many Europeans have some
odd ideas about oval racing. In all but a couple of NASCAR circuits the cars
have to go around the turns at the limit of tyre grip, so I don't see
the big difference to a road course, other than there are only 2-4 turns.
The driver who can take the turns best will be fastest.

I think it's true that NASCAR cars are technologically minimally interesting
compared to the equipment of most other forms of motor-racing. However, when
you put 43 professional racing drivers to race those cars in NASCAR's
magnificient facilities, I think the resulting races are entertaining
enough. From my perspective the best thing about NASCAR is how completely
different it is from F1, CART, rally and sports-car racing. I prefer to be
happy about the diversity of motor racing available, rather then engage in
debating which form is "best".

Well, racing simulations have been made about most major forms of motor
racing. The reason why NASCAR games are so much spoken-of here is probably
that the best racing simulation maker has been making them for many
years.

I think Papyrus's NASCAR simulations have been good enough to make many
Europeans familiariarize themselves with the sport, and the large American
section is more naturally interested in NASCAR.

--

by **Andre Warrin** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 20:25:00

On Wed, 14 Nov 2001 11:27:10 +0100, "Jone Tytlandsvik"

>GPL is in the mail but I'm not sure if that's the way to go. I only have a
>few hours a week to spend, and I understand it takes time to learn to handle
>the cars in GPL.

>Jone.

Don't worry, once you tasted GPL, you will shift your priorities.
GPL first, work and relationships second.
Better cancel that order while you still can :)

Andre

by **Mario Petrinovi** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 22:48:49

That reminds me of my friend, when I show him N4. He didn't
know very much about racing, and especially not about NASCAR
(I'm from Europe ). I gave him Atlanta (thought it will be the easiest ).
He normaly wasn't very good so he had to use brakes. He was very
surprised realizing that. He thought before that banking alone would
be enough. After I showed him some low banking track (Phoenix ).
"Oh, it's even harder " he said. He was smiling all the way. Later I
showed him GPL. He wasn't so impressed. He wanted more N4.
Man, he was thrilled.
That story tells that Europeans simply don't know very much
about NASCAR, othervise NASCAR would have as much fans as
in US.

by **Mike Grand** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 23:10:36

Nascar type races are either something you enjoy or something you don't.
There is passing involved which sets it apart from F1, CART and IRL type
races. Granted most races are on ovals but there is still s great amount of
skill and knowledge involved to be able to race side by side, lap after lap
and coming out on top at the end of the day. As for N4, I've been racing
Nascar sims for 8 years now and still enjoy the competition. If I raced
offline I would get bored, but racing online in leagues makes all the
difference. Again, you would have to enjoy that type of racing.

--
Mike Grandy
www.precision-racing.com

by **MadDAW** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 23:38:51

Its all in what you like/expect out of a race. Personaly I can't stand
watching a F1 or CART type race because its basicly a parade or follow the
leader. Now NASCAR is all about side by side racing all the way to the end.
Granted sometimes it dosen't work out that way, but then again there is
times when you need timing and scoring to tell you the winer because it was
so close the human eye couldn't tell as they fly by at 100 plus mile per
hour. Now I must say I personly like the challange of driving road courses
in sims, now try driving around a corner with cars inches away from you and
not causing a big pile up. I just think they are just to boring to watch
IMO. I think one of the biggest differances between F1 and NASCAR is the
full course yellow. You don't see those in F1 like you do in NASCAR so you
set your race stratagy before the race and stick to it. Now with NASCAR
racing you can lay out your plans before the race but then in the blink of
an eye it all can change. This really makes it interesting IMO because they
can make or break a race at the mid way point of the race and not even know
it. In F1 you can pretty much bet on the best car that day winning, but in
NASCAR there is always that chance for someone else to sneak up there and
grab it. Again its all comes down to personal taste, but by no means is it
just driving fast in a straight line. Hell drag race is even more than that,
but thats a whole 'nother thread :)

Of course now if you really want to see some great oval racing check out
UDTRA Late Models or World of Outlaw sprint cars on a high banked dirt half
mile. Now there is some crazy sum ***es!

MadDAWG

by **Richard Walke** » Thu, 15 Nov 2001 23:44:55

> > What do you know? I actually enojoy playing NASCAR 4. I still don't
> > fancy watching NASCAR on the TV (just yet...) but I do like the game.

> What do you like about it?

It's the closest thing to a touring car sim I can get at the moment. I want
to race with closed-wheel cars.

I like having a simple race with the AI. Nothing fancy - I only play the
game occasionally. I know one or two tracks, and play on 85% strength
(where I can win, so I think I need tp up it).

No. As with just about any racing, it's about going round the corners
quickly!

I don't think so, but I would *love* it to!

Not necessairly. It would have to be better than the existing ones. But I
probably would, yes! :-)

Maybe so.

No. The Codemaster's games are poor, and Swedish Touring Cars 1 & 2 have
some serious flaws (dodgy handling, but mainly poor AI).

I'm the same. I hardly play it at all.

I bought it about two years ago (!!!) and play it for maybe 2-3 hours a
week. I've only recently (last few weeks) actually won a race, and I only
know the Silverstone, Kyalami, Rouen and Monza tracks. I keep trying
Monaco, but crash. And I've never completed a lap at the Nurburgring!

There's no problem with my approach - it just takes longer! :-)

--
Richard.

"'Cause I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love."

by **Henrik Dissin** » Fri, 16 Nov 2001 02:30:35

>Maybe I have missed something, but isn't Nascar about going almost straight
>in 300km\h for lap after lap in heavy cars that looks like production cars
>to make it interesting for people who are fanatic about their own US car
>brands?
>Could that be any fun?
>Wouldn't a game based on Indy500 or Formula 1 be more interesting?

>Excuse me for my ignorance. Here in Norway we get 3 seconds of Nascar on the
>TV every second year if there has been a major accident.

Allow a Dane to give his view on this. Like you, I have always considered
Nascar races yet another proof that Americans are ... well, strange in many
ways ;-)

Anyway, having driven several Formula One simulators over the years -- most
recently Grand Prix 3, which I find excellent -- I wanted to try something
else, and Nascar 4 got very fine reviews everywhere. So I went out and
bought myself a copy.

Yes, some of the tracks are about "going almost straight at 300 km/h", more
or less. Is it fun? YES! It's absolutely breath-taking.

You have to try it to fully understand why, but I think you can sum up the
most important difference from e.g. Formula One by saying that you're
struggling with the other cars rather than with the track. Formula One is
the opposite, most of the time.

Try it!

Best regards,
Henrik Dissing

by **MadDAW** » Fri, 16 Nov 2001 03:06:18

Ok buddy do we have to have a Monster Truck Race to settle this? or how
about a demolition derby? wait I know a swap buggy race, yeah thats it.
Swap buggy racing till one of us drowns! lololol ... just kidding of
course.

MadDAWG

by **David Indec** » Fri, 16 Nov 2001 14:17:47

Yeah, actually. I disabled the restrictor plates at Talladega; the car hits
275 MPH on the straights. Good stuff.

David I

by **bif198** » Sun, 18 Nov 2001 05:16:22

I have to say I have read all the threads on this, and being an American who
started watching NASCAR in 1971 and has had all the Papy Nascar Sims, I am
thrilled to see all the Europeans talking about N4. I currently have not
purchased it but I am hoping the Santa will bring it for me :-) Anyway. The
thing that has drawn myself to NASCAR is the fact that the cars are just about
equal compared to the F1, Indy or CART series. With NASCAR they try to make it
that the best driver with the best car will win. With the Simulators I find
that half the fun anymore is trying to Setup the car to be the best. You
definitely will discover if you have a good setup when you race other real
drivers online.

The other thing I wanted to mention to the Europeans is that the real draw in
America to NASCAR is when you actually GO to a race. To hear 43 cars with 700hp
engines kick up for that first drop of the green flag is the most incredible
experience ever! There is nothing like that sound at all. And when you go to
the track you can actually meet the drivers very easily. I have to admit my
ignorance to how accessible the F1 drivers are to the fans. But the NASCAR
drivers know that the fans are the only reason they get to do what they love so
they are all very accessible.

So the question to begin is N4 fun. I have tried the demo and the answer is
Yes. For those who have it if you want to try something for fun. Try starting
as the last car and race your way through the entire field. Now that is Fun.

Good luck and glad to see the world enjoy NASCAR.
Go fast Turn Left!
Bif1988

> Maybe I have missed something, but isn't Nascar about going almost straight
> in 300km\h for lap after lap in heavy cars that looks like production cars
> to make it interesting for people who are fanatic about their own US car
> brands?
> Could that be any fun?
> Wouldn't a game based on Indy500 or Formula 1 be more interesting?

> Excuse me for my ignorance. Here in Norway we get 3 seconds of Nascar on the
> TV every second year if there has been a major accident.

> Jone.

by **Eldre** » Tue, 20 Nov 2001 23:57:00

>What do you like about it?
>Is it mostly about going almost straight at high speed?

Run 500 laps at Bristol with a full field, or even Martinsville. Let me know
what you think...<g>

Eldred
--
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
GPLRank - under construction...

Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you
with experience...
Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

rec.autos.simulators

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