rec.autos.simulators

However, I've NEVER seen grass drawn so nice.   That GF3+ card really shines
on the box.

PGR is also another good game for the Xbox, really gets your heart racing.
TestDrive looks to have potential and I hear F1-2002 is looking good as
well.

Best *** move I've made in a while (buying an Xbox that is).

: If you enjoy Rally racing (including Hill Climb and Ice/Snow racing) then
you
: will love this game.  The graphics are outstanding and the physics are
above
: average for a console racer.  The handling and gameplay are exceptional if
you
: happen to have the MC2 wheel from MadCatz.
:
: One of the coolest features if having your spotter calling out the
upcoming
: turns and potential hazards.  It is so accurate that if you could get the
timing
: down you could almost drive with your eyes shut.
:
: --------------------
: Sinjin
: www.SinjinSolves.com
: Your Guide to Success

--
Gunnar
    #31 SUCKS#015 Tupperware MC#002 DoD#0x1B DoDRT#003 DoD:CT#4,8 Kibo: 2
                             gitaren er en sjingke

--
Gunnar
    #31 SUCKS#015 Tupperware MC#002 DoD#0x1B DoDRT#003 DoD:CT#4,8 Kibo: 2
                                silence is FOO!

My only complaint is that they don't allow you to restart a race in a
series, which some series are really long. Combine that with AI that loves
to "take you out" and it makes completing the game VERY difficult.

Multiplayer (2-4 players) is unmatched fun also!

Incredible game for sure.

-Chad

Heckler

As for my hand size, we all know that small hands make other things look
bigger.  :o)  But I play drums, Bass and guitar with no real problems, so I
think my hands are normal.

Heckler

Heckler

I have to agree. The hill climb portions fo the game are the best. The
elevation changes, hairpins, and driving on the edge of cliffs is just
great. The sense of speed in RSC is awesome. My only real complaints are the
lack of a***pit mode and the split screen is not side by side in 2 player
mode. Overall a great arcade rally racer.

Kyle

Too many people with inadequacy problems.  ;o)  I have had a number of
friends over to play on the Xbox, and also taken it to a couple of
parties.  These are mostly the same guys, but altogether I think I have
had 8 or so *** males in addition to myself try it, and they all liked
the Xbox controllers.  I know, because I asked them.  I asked them,
because as you know the size of the controllers has been one of the
primary complaints since the Xbox first came out.  They all said they
like the bigger controller because their hands don't get cramped like
they do on smaller ones.  So yeah I guess I am making an assumption
based on that, I am assuming that it has primarily been ***agers who
are complaining that the controllers are too big.  All I know is they
feel fine to me and my friends.

It is so difficult to get an unbiased opinion on these consoles,
because everybody who has them doesn't want to admit if it has any
flaws. Especially Xbox owners. In an ironic twist, Xbox owners won't
admit that the Xbox has any flaws, because they are trying to reassure
themselves that they bought the right machine. It is exactly what
Linux users do all the time.

But I don't care. I just wanted the best console. Remember these
things:
Nintendo have made their name developing quality *** systems
Sony have made their name making quality electronics
Microsoft have made their name making shaky Operating Systems
Xbox has more Mhz on the CPU, but some instructions take 8 times
longer than others. Apparently, comparing a PS2 to an Xbox in speed,
the PS2 would be the equivalent of a 1Ghz xbox. And that is an
independent study. But I don't care. What it comes down to is this:
Xbox = Halo
PS2 = GT3, Metal Gear Solid 2
GC = The usual suspects (anything with Mario), and Super Monkey Ball

These are the killer games on those systems. So what I did is compared
these games to see which ones were phenomenal, and which were merely
good.

The results? Halo was boring, not especially graphically intense, and
crashed.
GT3 is probably the best looking game ever, and takes about a year to
complete.
MGS2 is heavily storyline driven, quite short, but extremely sweet.
The GC games that I have played are the best though, playable as hell,
looking great, sounding perfect etc.

So, what did I get? A PS2. Why? PS2 can play quality games, DVDs
straight out of the box, is ultra smooth gameplay at 60fps, properly
motion blurred to make it look nicer on a TV, and that blue light is
amazing.

The GC lost out because, although it is the best console, there is no
real variation in the games, mostly they are cartoony, Mario style.
And you have to run your games past Nintendo before you can release
them. The PS2 may get a load of shite games, but, like the PC, allows
people to break the mould.

The Xbox was way behind because it was not properly motion blurred
(which makes the animation on screen very slightly jerky - just about
perceptible but very annoying), it crashed, and for the price I could
upgrade my PC to a 2Ghz monster. I don't care about the controller
size (although it did give me hand cramps playing Halo), but the
positioning. Moving your thumb all the way up from the right analog,
to the buttons took some time, and I kept pressing those four boiled
sweet buttons all at the same time. I could never get fully immersed
in any game I tried because there was this level of 'playing the
machine' rather than 'playing the game'. On the PS2 and GC, all the
control systems and stuff just disappear, and you can get fully
immersed in whatever game you are playing.

And now Sony are releasing the development kit. Based on Linux, it
comes with a USB keyboard and mouse, all the utils to make your own
games, a 40Gb Hard Drive and the Broadband internet adapter. I don't
know the UK price, but converting from euros makes it 152. Bargain.

Whichever console you get, you are going to be pleased. Just more so
with a PS2 or a GC. And then it just comes down to the games. The GC
hardware is better, but the PS2 games are better and more diverse.

That's my input into this argument. It is about as unbiased as you can
get.

Don't be an ass.  I delayed purchasing a new console for many years,
because the hardware just wasn't good enough.  The XBox was the first
console in many years that I thought was worth the purchase price.  I
did not just buy it by accident and then try to justify it, I have been
waiting for it for a long time.

You are entitled to your optinion, but I certainly disagree.  I have
played through the first 7 levels of Halo and I think it is phenomenal.
And I have never seen it crash.

Never cared for that effect or FSAA for that matter.  Just makes things
look out of focus to me.  And again, I am not saying that to justify my
purchase, these are things I thought about before making the purchase.
Just like you, I studied the available systems first and then decided
what to buy.

I'll provisionally give you that one.  There are a couple of games that
pushed the frame rate a little too hard.  For the most part however the
animation is fine, it's just some developers that went a little too far.

I don't want to go off on a tangent here, but I still don't think it is
valid to compare a console to a PC.  Sure they both play games, but that
is the only thing they have in common, at least in terms of usage.

I still like the size of the controller, but I agree the button layout
is not good.

Hasn't been my experience at all.

Very cool.

PS2 certainly has better variety of games today, but a lot of developers
are moving to XBox.  And when I look at games back-to-back that have
both an XBox version and a PS2 version, such as Max Payne, the XBox
version looks better to me.

Hardly.  You appear to be guilty of doing exactly the same thing that
you accuse XBox owners and Unix users of doing.  I'm glad you are happy
with your purchase, but you are in effect saying that everyone else is
just wrong and being defensive about it, and then you are going and
doing the same thing yourself.  Live and let live, buddy.

Xbox owners are just as likely to admit to flaws in their system as PS2 and
Gamecube owners.  I own both the PS2 and Xbox and both have their flaws.

There is no "best" console.  There are three choices and all three choices
are good choices.  There is very little in this world that can be described
as "best".  This does not include videogame consoles, motherboards, houses
and cars.

Halo may be boring, I loved it, but it's one of the better looking games
released on a console.  I don't understand the "graphically intense"
comment.

GT3 is not the best looking game ever.  It suffers from a trememdous amount
of graphical flaws, such as flicker and aliasing.  Yes it may take about a
year to complete, but you'll have done everything and seen everything within
in a month.   You simply race different cars on the same tracks in the same
series over and over again.  The cars get faster, nothing else changes.  By
the way, when I say "race" different cars I use that term loosely.  You
don't race anything in GT3.  You get run over, banged into, pushed out the
way, but you don't actually race.

And extremely text oriented.  How much do you want to read during a game?
Want a better game, try Ico.  Quite short, extremely short and none of that
poor "read, read, explore, fight boss, read, explore, read, read, fight
boss, read" gameplay that MGS is known for.

The PS2 does not do motion blur all that well.  The dreamcast was the king
of the hill in that category, but why is motion blur a "decision" maker on a
console?  It's rarely used in any games, and then only briefly.  The blue
light is nice, now that's a sellng point.  60fps... that's a software issue
not a console issue.  Yes the PS2 plays DVD's out of the box, but you need
to buy a memory card to save your games.  How much is that memory card? $35.
Want to save games on the Xbox, that's free.  Want to watch DVD's?  That's
$30.   Looks like a wash to me.

Want to release a game for the PS2 or Xbox?  Guess what, you need to run
your games by Sony and Microsoft.  The nintendo games are carbon copy "Mario
style".  Well there hasn't been a Mario game released for the GC and from
what I've seen the selection of games is quite diverse.  They do appeal to a
younger audience though.  I don't own a GC but I don't see anything wrong
with it.  I don't see why a developer can't break the "mould" with it.  Much
like has been accomplished already with Pikmin.

Again with the motion blur.   What excatly does that mean?   Yes you could
upgrade your PC to 2ghz for the price of an Xbox.  But you can you also buy
a hard drive, a GF3, and a network card for the same price?  The Xbox is not
a PC.  Don't know why you're comparing it to your pc.  It's a computer just
like the Gamecube and PS2.  I'm still confused about the motion blur....

Ummm, you know you can download Linux for free right?  I assume you already
have a keboard and mouse.  How many games are you writing at the moment?
Why would this change but spending yet more money for this kit to use with
the PS2?

Now that's an intelligent statement.  You're going to be "more" pleased with
a PS2 or GC.  Who wouldn't want to be more pleased?

"> If you enjoy Rally racing (including Hill Climb and Ice/Snow racing) then
you

It is a very good game, probably the second best racing game for the x-box
(F1 2001 by EA is still tops in my opinion). If you like racing games and
have an x-box this is a must buy.
However, this is not a game to go out and buy an x-box for though. The
physics are for the most part good for a console game, but no were near the
quality of GPL or even F1 2001 for that matter (something about sliding
sideways doing a 150 Mph on tarmac in a rally car and not rolling it makes
me question the seriousness of the physics model). It is just a very fun,
great looking racing game for the casual gamer.
Bottom line, great game, poor sim.

1) Practice in time attack on the track you're about to race in career mode
(CM).
2) Then practice a race.
3) Then go into CM and race this one track, come in first.
4) Move to the next track in CM, then quit.
5) Goto Step 1.

If you complete each race with a 1st or 2nd place, you'll easily get the 12k
points to open hill climb.

: during the time I rented it I was not able to get to all of the levels.
Are
: there any cheat codes to unlock some of the higher levels yet ?
:


: >


: > > It's sweat.   The hill climb sections are the icing on this cake.
: > Replays
: > > are incredible on Hill climb, the sense of elevation change is unseen
in
: > any
: > > game I've ever played.  The damage model is a bit sucky on her though,
: oh
: > > well, more of a game then a sim.
: >
: > I have to agree. The hill climb portions fo the game are the best. The
: > elevation changes, hairpins, and driving on the edge of cliffs is just
: > great. The sense of speed in RSC is awesome. My only real complaints are
: the
: > lack of a***pit mode and the split screen is not side by side in 2
: player
: > mode. Overall a great arcade rally racer.
: >
: > Kyle
: >
: >
: >
: >
: >
: >
:
: