rec.autos.simulators

Hi All,
     I thought I would post a message with some of the new features for
NASCAR 2, so, here goes...

Spotter/Crew Chief Feature
     This will give you more information about what is happening on the
track.  For example, you'll hear your spotter say things like "There's a
crash in turn one...go high", "The leader's pitting", etc.  The crew chief
will say things like "Need to pit in a few laps", etc.  You will have the
option to either turn this off or have very brief messages.

96 Season
     This is an obvious one.  The 96 season with real drivers, teams,
sponsers, and tracks.  Also, we are completely fixing some of the tracks.
Namely Talladega, Darlington, Dover, N.Wilkesboro, Martinsville.
Talladega is 100% better.  You can run 2-3 wide through the tri-oval.
Also, it actually takes some skill to drive a fast lap.  Darlington is
just like the real thing.  Narrow racing surface high around the track.  

Faster Graphics
     We are doing everything we can to improve the speed of the game.  All
the great speed imrovements done in IndyCar 2 will be in NASCAR 2,
including uniVBE support.  Also, we are going to support some of the new
3D accelerator cards.  Not sure which one's yet, but definately any with
thr Network/NASCAR Racing League
     Now you'll be able to race with up to 8 people over the network.
This is so you can get some experience before loggin into the NASCAR
Racing League.  NASCAR 2 is the client you will use to get into the NASCAR
Racing League (Hawaii).  

Real Race Weekend Structure
     This will allow you to compete in the race like the real drivers do.
Show up for Friday practice to get the qualifying setup right.  Then
attempt to qualify in the first round (real time qualifying), not good
enough for the top 25, try again during the second round.  You might even
need to take a provisional to get into the field, provided you have one of
course.

New User Interface
     Not only will this look a lot better (our art department has gone
wild) but it will be much easier to use.  The race options won't be buried
under a few layers of menus like before.  

Misc Stuff    
     Of course, all the feature added into the Hawaii version of NASCAR
will be included, as well as improvements in IndyCar 2.  In addition, more
stats and results will be kept.  

What we are not doing
     We are not touching the physics very much at all.  So, what you are
used to driving in NASCAR 1 will pretty much be what you'll drive in
NASCAR 2.  Some people are not going to like this but we felt it was the
tradeoff we had to make to get a lot of this other stuff into the game.  

That's all I can think of for the moment.  If you guys have any other
questions, please feel free to ask.

Adam
Papyrus

Any chance of securing diffirent tracks (I know licensing arrangements
currently preclude Daytona and Indy), say the BGN tracks as Tony Johns
raised earlier?

Does this mean your field limits at all tracks have increased?  And
does the above mean that, presuming you'll still be using a
DRIVERS2.TXT file, that this file will no longer limit you to 39
drivers?

Mouse support?

Yeehah!

OK with me.  I don't expect to see cars airborne anyways.  I WOULD
like to see AI improvements though.  No more lone AI cars mysteriously
getting "loose" down straightaways, and recovering from their accident
in 2 seconds.

Better passing and pitting strategies are needed.  Making the AI so
that each car does not drive indentically to all the others would go a
long way in my view.  AI cars that actually bump each other would be
great.

Lastly, has opponent strength been changed in any way so that we can
adjust the AI strength according to qual strength and race strength?
I know we already can through modifying the BLAP and RELS values, but
this doesn't produce very satisfactory results.

Also, allowing for changes in the AI in increments less than 1% would
be nice, since a 1% change often means a significant change in lap
speeds.

Other things taken off my Wish List page:

1.  More driver skill variability.  I don't want to keep seeing the
same drivers qualifying in the TOP 10 each race.  Also, drivers like
Mark Martin are better at some tracks (road courses) than most
drivers, and therefore their skill should be adjusted for these
tracks.  Allowing the user to somehow modify each driver's abilities
to match the driver's track ability would be welcome.  Rusty Wallace
is good at short tracks, Earnhardt is just plain damn good, etc...

2.  The AI should be prone to gaffes, like Kyle Petty's at the
C***te race last week.

3.  AI cars that don't reactly so damn congenially to the user's
driving.  The AI behaviour at tracks like Martinsville is comedic.

4. Damaged/lapped AI cars that know what line to take to get out of
your way.

5. Damaged wheels no longer causing AI cars to DNF.

6. AI cars will no longer repeatedly bump into the retaining walls
down the straights of Bristol (and some other tracks).

7. AI cars that SUFFER FROM COLD TIRES!!!  Can't emphasize this one
enough.  Slower lap speeds at the beginning and after tire changes.

8. F11 key that displays what other drivers did during their last pit
stop and when that was.

9. Variable pit positions and pit road speed.

10. AI cars that will attempt to pass damaged cars on the track rather
than simply stop behind it.

11. Improved replay management.  Options to record the entire race to
disk without have to manually go into the replay and do it.  Cut and
paste (please).  More data displayed on the screen (like speed,
position and lap #).  Being able to scroll back and forth between
drivers, as opposed to just forward (small point, but really helpful).

Enough for ya? ;>

Bill.

When do you anticipate the tentatively scheduled not-to-be-held
accountable-like-SH/MP-GP2-release date?

Kyle

PLLLEEAAASSSEEEEEE tell us you are using the HAWAII physics, not the buggy
physics of NASCAR 1 that had such discrepancy between pedals and buttons.

Please, at least use the updated Hawaii physics.  

Tim V

[much interesting news munched]

Leaves room for a Nascar 3 then, doesn it?!!!!!

It's times like this, when you're getting pukka-gen information, that
I thank whomever that I have an Internet account! Yeehaa!

Stuart

PS - after 1.5 years with Nascar and ICR2, I'm quite used to the menu
structure actually!!!!! Sorry, had to quibble SOMETHING at least.

PPS - Will the track structure change dramatically? It's nice to be
able to take a Nascar around Toronto occasionally!

--
Stuart Booth
Somewhere in Godalming, England, UK

In another message, Adam Levesque indicated that the reason that the pits
at Talladega and C***te couldn't be fixed is due to the amount of time
it would take to rewrite the tools for designing tracks. I take this to
mean that there won't be any major changes to the track structure.

Dave "davids" Sparks
Sequoia Motorsports

________

Eldred Pickett

I am NOT paranoid.  And why are you always watching me?!?

: What we are not doing
:      We are not touching the physics very much at all.  So, what you are
: used to driving in NASCAR 1 will pretty much be what you'll drive in
: NASCAR 2.  Some people are not going to like this but we felt it was the
: tradeoff we had to make to get a lot of this other stuff into the game.  

: That's all I can think of for the moment.  If you guys have any other
: questions, please feel free to ask.

I want to race, not see cars flipping through the air.  So if this is
what is meant by changes to the physics model, fine with me.  However, I
REALLY want to see the AI guys suffer tire wear.  Especially at the
tracks that "eat tars".  It is too frustrating to get a good setup,
drive the perfect race only to have the AI guys go just as fast on the
last 10 laps as they did on the first.  

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

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

 >
 >That's all I can think of for the moment.  If you guys have any other
 >questions, please feel free to ask.
 >
 >Adam
 >Papyrus
 >

A few corrections to the AI mannerisms would be nice.  Most were mentioned in
replies to your message.  I do have an additonlal one however.  

When going down the straightaways neck and neck with an AI car, the AI car
refuses to give up the preferred line to take an outside line around the turn.
It commences to drive into the side of my car at the turn entry point.  It
appears that you need to be leading the AI car by at least 1/4 of a car length
entering the turn, before he gives up the line.  This really needs to be
changed.

--- Frank ---

Joe

I have two questions.  One, will Talladega's dimenisions be a lot closer to
the real race track?  (For example, will the tri-oval be longer and a smoother
curve, like it is in real life?  Or will the track's dimenisions be the same
as on Nascar Racing 1?  Also, will the pits be straight?)

And question number two:  What size computer will be needed to run Nascar
Racing 2?  (I.E. What size Pentium co-processor and how many RAM?  Or will the
requirements be the same as the orginal simulator?)

Believe it or not, the only thing I care about is a REALISTIC Talladega
Superspeedway and the ability to run 40 cars with all options on (except for
asphalt and grass), which I can do with my Pentium 83.  :)

BTW- I LOVE Nascar Racing 1!!!!      

--------------------------------------------------------------
Scall5

Dave "davids" Sparks
Sequoia Motorsports

David Martin
dgm26sam

Didn't have the time??   What is the big rush with Nascar 2?  I want to
see it as bad as everyone else, however I'd like to see some major
improvements (I know they are doing quite a bit) but why rush it?  I'd
rather have it as close to perfect as possible than have a IC2 repeat.

--
Andy
http://www.westol.com/~ridger
Nascar/Kali/Win95