rec.autos.simulators

I have been playing Nascar since it first came out and one of the things
that has always bugged me is driving around the track under cautions.  
This may sound petty to many but I think there should be an autopilot
option for Nascar 2.  It gets very tiresome driving 60 around a long track
for 3-4 laps while the computer could simply do it for you.  This would
provide drivers with a chance to run to the restroom or the fridge while the
computer takes their car around during the caution.  Might sound strange
but I know I would love the option.
NOW, for the the real use for this option.  Several folks complain about
idiots wrecking them during the pace lap or during the cautions on Hawaii.
If an autopilot was available then this would never happen.  Everyone's car
would be paced by the computer until it was time to restart or take the
initial green flag.  The exact details of when the players would regain
control of their cars would have to be ironed out but a simple warning
message saying you will have control of your car in 5 seconds would suffice.
Then everyone would be lined up evenly (i.e. no jumping the start or
swerving into others) when the race started.  Surely it wouldn't be
difficult to simply switch the cars to computer control like they are with
the normal AI during cautions.  Is this feasible?  Thanks for listening.

Kelby Cody
Nass96

Absolutley! This would be a great option!

--
Lannie Schafroth

Good point Kelby,  an "Autopilot" does seem to be a good idea.  But,  this is an
OPTION,  you should be able to turn it off or on.
Yes,  it would help Hawaii difficulties,  wouldn't it?

Mark

---------------
Cheers!
Mark Fields


R & J Racing
NASS '96

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Coming soon!
??http://www.rjracing.com??

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Sorry,  I'm trying to make it smaller,  how about this?

New Signature below:

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Cheers!
Mark Fields


R & J Racing
NASS '96 Driver
Web Sites:
http://www.git.net/rjracing -  R & J Racing's World Wide Web Site
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http://www.rjracing.com - Coming Soon!!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Do you realize your signature makes your message 43 lines longer???? <sigh>

--
Kenneth


http://www.rocket.git.net
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/6224/index.html
#Speed on us.undernet.org, IRC

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       Ed,
     How about a keyboard template so we drivers won't have to take our
eyes
off the screen searching for those elusive function keys ?   And if it
could have an erasable surface,  we who change messages on the autochat
could write them in and wipe them off !    NRL would benefit since we
can't pause the game to look for tiny keys while we swerve into the grass.
...

However, having said that, I can think of a use for automated pacing on
Hawaii. With AI-races, you can hit the pause key and set up your pit stop.
With Hawaii, you do not have this luxury. So, until we can have our own
crew chief to handle that part of it, maybe having an automated caution lap
would be kind of nice. But not as a crutch for people who can't drive.

Dave "davids" Sparks
Late Nite League
http://www.sequoia-dev.com/Hawaii/latenite.html

I agree, I hate sitting there driving around 'Dega at about 70 mph...it
sucks, an autopilot would be great...especially for Hawaii where some
idiots dont know how to be patient.

Jodie Swafford
Wolfman28

Well, we have considered since the beginning doing some sort of autopilot
for pacing under yellow.  It is not off the table but it just really
doesn't sit well with me.  I really hate doing anything which takes
control out of the player's hands.  Having said that, it could always be
an option :).

Adam
Papyrus

Adam, I understand your reluctance (sp?) but you should consider putting
it in as an option. That way everyone could make their own decision. My
two ideas were to have an accelorator type button that would take you to
the last caution lap after you pit (totally in the player's control) and
settings for different caution sensitivities, just so you could get a
quick race in if you had 45 minutes or so without 15 minutes of yellow
laps. Again, give us the option. There are so many levels of purists, and
with me, that will change depending on how much time I have for a session.
It would be great to bang out 100 laps at C***te with yellows only on
multi-car mishaps and a hot-key to the last caution lap....

Lou

--
Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA

Hi Adam,

PMJI, but my take on this is in agreeance with yours.  One of the skills
often neglected is driving the race car at slow precise speeds behind a
pace car.  It may at first seem amusing that I describe that as a skill,
but I've seen so much mess under yellows in Hawaii to realise that for sure
it is one!  I believe that everything in racing requiring ability should be
left to the driver, not the computer, and instead of programming a fancy
autopilot system, I'd much rather see this development time spent on such
things as AI decision making under yellow, double-file restarts, realistic
(but minimum length of) caution periods, recovery/tow trucks and of course
development of local yellow situations on the road circuits (and black
flags for passing under yellow <g>).  

Mike Laskey.

Adam,

Alternatively,  have you considered allowing the user the choice of
which keyboard keys are assigned to each function?   On Hawaii, I find
<Ctrl><Fn> to be almost impossible to type without smacking a wall.

Brad