rec.autos.simulators

I thought I'd post a few quick thoughts on the preview of NASCAR 3...
Overall, especially after watching the video, I am pretty impressed.  As
far as the screenshots go, I realize the graphics for the game are still
far from complere (textures, etc) but currently they seemed to clean and
sterile.  Not really sure how to explain myself here, but I hope you
know what I mean.  I guess some skidmarks on the track and on the wall
would help a bit (the wall is absolutely clean).  Also, in some of the
shots, the bodies of the cars seem to be touching the ground.  Also, I
think it would be cool to see colors on the wheels.  Some of the drivers
have blue or orange rims I've noticed from watching some NASCAR races on
TV (I'm not a huge Nascar buff as you may have noticed, but the game is
cool).
    Took me awhile to find a place with the video, but I have it now.
It definitely has some nice clips, and the physics engine looks amazing,
but why in the heck is there so much space with no actual clips?  Half
the .mov is taken up with a blank screen at the beginning, and the papy
logos at the end.  Waste of space if you ask me.  Also, the actual
images only take a small area in the center of the image... would have
been very nice if they had either removed the black space and made the
download smaller, or completely filled it with more movie :-)  But the
physics look great (should we expect any less?).   Also, I was hoping to
see a full 40 car field in the clip, but I think the most I saw at once
was around 8 cars...  Sure hope they can get this thing running fast on
a 400+ Voodoo 2 with a full field of cars, since I hopefully will be
getting a 450+ and a TNT + Voodoo 2 or 3 in August.

Cant wait to see more of N3 :-)

Brian Short

    The first thing that struck me was that they showed no accidents: they
cut the video at the exact moment of impact...
    Cars finally have CURVATURE to 'em!  YEA! Now, can they have damage
(tire circles on the fender, etc.)? Will the track have dynamic skidmarks
(one of the nice touches in NasRev)? Will we have an animated flagger? Will
there be "bad sportsmanship" black flags?  I'd think it wouldn't be too
taxing in resources to have purses at each race, too.
    One thing I'd worry about is that with all the eye-candy we're wanting
added in, the requirements will place this game in WAY too few hands to be
successful enough for an N4.  I wonder how many people will buy that P2-450
just to run N3?  There are a LOT of people dedicated and running N2/N50 on
their "old" P5-200MMX that probably can't AFFORD to upgrade.  I just
"upgraded" to a Celeron 300A/450 and I KNOW I can't talk my Other Half into
another upgrade ('course it won't be ready till next fall... hmm.... maybe
she'll forget by then... yeah, right).

"Gunner"
ORSA Bronze #78 Navy Dodge truck

Don Hancock wrote

But at least we know for sure they didn't showed it on purpose (damage).
Marketing reasons maybe, or possibily that it is not modeled yet, or that
the damage model is not enough sophisticated presently to show it yet.  Be
sure that the guys at Sierra and Papyrus know that a killer crash movie and
flip at Talladega IS what will sell the game.

Of course there will be, as it uses the same game engine as GPL.

Another yes ;-)  If they are flagger or lights, I have no idea (On the
pictures you can see flagmens I think), but with the game engine it is
possible now to create animation sequences on 2d models on the track.  You
have this in GPL.  You can see the flags go with the wind, and flagmens with
their appropriate flag color. Just change graphically the flagmen to a
series of lights and it is very possible.  Add some actions with the game
engine as to when to show the flags, how, etc..  and I see no problems.

For those who may not know, the Watkins Glen track now has a real chicane on
the backstrech without any wall inside.  Some will tell that you will be
able to cut the chicane yes, but remember there will be consequences.

With the new game engine there is something called "gates" that appeared in
GPL.  They are two sets of XY positions where the car absolutly needs to
pass between them or you will get a penalty for.  The best example is at
Mexico where somebody could cut the turn2 chicane.  It is not possible and
you will get a Black Flag for "Cut course".  A similar system will (and Im
100% sure) be in Nascar Racing 3.

The only concern is about somebody who "loose" the car going into the turn
or gets involved in a wreck.  I hope they can add something to the code that
eliminates the black flag if the driver cuts the course let's say below
30mph.

-= Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard/Nas-Frank>
-= NROS Nascar sanctioned Guide http://www.nros.com/
-= SimRacing Online http://www.simracing.com/
-= Official mentally retarded guy of r.a.s.
-= 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."