>I have been playing NASCAR for a couple of weeks and the game
>is pretty good, but real hard! I had tons of trouble getting
>a decent setup for my car. I finally got a bunch of car
>setups from a page on the web (don't remember the page now sorry)
>and I was wondering if anyone could give me any hints for driving,
>point me to a FAQ, or tell me any more web sites so I can learn
>more about how to play this game! I can't seem to take corners
>at a reasonable speed without going into the walls. I have trouble
>holding any decent line on the track. I have found that I can get
>faster laps with manual braking on instead of auto, but this also
>makes the game more difficult! Any help would really be appreciated.
>Thanks,
>Jeff [good job Papyrus!]
Start with a decent input device. If you haven't got a really good joystick
or a wheel/pedal combo, you're lost. Get your frame rate up as high as you
can by turning off all the eye candy (texture walls, grass, objects, etc).
I turn on the skid marks (helps you to find the racing line) and set the
car textures to auto (I like to know who I'm passing). It's amazing how
much better you can drive when you can see what you're doing.
Finding the racing line, brake points and the acceleration points is most
of the battle. When I first started, I set the opponent strength down to
80% and followed the AI drivers around the track until I could follow their
line, and brake and accelerate at the same place. Look for a skid mark or
some other unique identifier to mark your spot. Watch replays of the AI
drivers and see what they do. If you select a chase view, you can see and
hear the points where the accelerate and brake.
Start with an easy track like Atlanta with a decent setup. You want to roll
gently out of the accelerator and tap the brakes lightly to get into the
corner. Get back on the gas by steady pressure on the accelerator, don't
jam on it, especially if you're holding a tight line in the corner or
you'll smack the wall for sure. It seems counter-intuitive, but driving
hard into the corner is usually not the fastest way around the track.
Keeping a nice smooth line will usually result in faster lap times and also
save the "tars" which becomes important as you increase the length of the
race.
Good racing!
Dave
