rec.autos.simulators

Let us know ..

Thanks,
Doug

Based on pre-release promises, the SODA 3DFX patch should be out about
now (i.e., one month after release). How's it coming along? Is there a
planned availability date yet? I presume the plan is still for a free,
downloadable 3DFX patch?

Joe

Andy
Please use address below for all email replies

I like you will not be buying the game until the patch is out and
working as reported here in RAS ...

"We're still in the decision-making process on the 3dfx patch for soda,
so I don't have anything firm to reveal about it yet, like an ETA."

Doesn't sound promising

Nope. Funny how much firmer the promise was *before* the game shipped.

Joe

It's funny how Papy's comment has now turned 150 deg. to almost
becoming a statement that there will be no patch! Latest I heard is
that there WILL be a patch for SODA, but it takes longer than
originally _estimated_, not promised, estimated. There is good reason
for the longer time to prepare the SODA 3dFX patch, and I think when
you hear the announcement you'll be very satisfied. Be patient - in
this case the old adage "all good things come to those who wait" is
quite apt.

Cheers!
John

On Mon, 03 Nov 1997 15:23:16 -0500, Charles Parrott

steve
-
Steven Travers
Producer, SODA Off-Road Racing
Papyrus Design Group

--

Neil Yeatman          
Ajax, Ontario, CANADA

--                        

As for frame-rate, turn off _all_ textures except the track texture,
then turn off texturing in the mirror. That gets me a very acceptable
frame-rate, even with a full field of other trucks, visually as smooth
as running it on my Rendition card. It doesn't look as gorgeous as say
ICR2-3D or TOCA, but then the 3D accelerated version of SODA isn't any
supermodel either.

You can't use a product without 3dFX? How do you manage to play any
other racing games? The point is that 3dFX is nice, but to not buy
something simply because it doesn't have 3dFX is crazy. If by not
having 3dFX support it is totally unplayable I would agree, but SODA,
N2, Total Annihilation, Ignition, Quake, any number of games are
perfectly playable without a 3dFX card. Adding 3dFX makes them nicer,
but why deprive yourself of a great game?

Cheers!
John

John are you on Papyrus's payroll? :-)
Anything that relates to Papyrus you gloss over and say be patient, don't
worry, everything is great.
Anything related to Microsoft and Terminal Reality you harshly criticize.
I'm just curious why there is this double standard?

Thanks
John

If I took this message and replaced "Papyrus" with "Microsoft" I could
send it straight back to you couldn't I?

If the only thing wrong with CPR was that it didn't have 3dFX support
I'd be singing it's praises. The fact that the majority of titles I
speak well of are by Papyrus is, I can assure you, entirely down to
the quality of the software, and apparently an indication of either
vastly differeing targets, testing, or quality of coding between
Microsoft and their cometitors.

I sure don't criticise anything done by Microsoft, and in fact Excel
97 is one of the best pieces of software I own - my job would be much
harder without it. I look at things as objectively as I can, and with
an eye toward a good simulation, the purpose of this group. Even if
you don't agree with my comments, at least accept them at face value
without trying t cheapen them by alluding to some bias.

Cheers!
John

Joe

All I'm saying is that I'm the consumer, and if companies can't
provide a product I want, I won't buy it. It isn't just a 3D issue.
SODA doesn't perform up to my expectations. Simple as that.
I'm an off-road fanatic, so don't think it was easy for me to take the
hardline on it. I'll gladly buy it when (if) it does.
I expect a similar situation when Red Baron 2 comes out.

Maybe I just have high expectations. God knows I've been burned on
enough inferior product purchases.

--                        

SODA's frame-rate sucks badly? Worse than GP2 on the hardware of the
time?! I don't think so. Configure SODA as I described and your frame
rate will be fine. At least then you can "not buy it" for a good
reason - because it's not your cup of tea, poor graphics or whatever.
The point I was making was that simply refusing to buy something
because of no 3dFX support would deprived someone of games like Quake
and Total Annihilation, both of which are totally fine without 3dFX.

That wasn't the issue - the guy I was responding to said he wouldn't
buy anything that didn't have 3dFX support, which appeared to me an
incredibly blinkered attitude, and one likely to deprive the poor soul
of many fantastic titles. Strangely enough, he said this was the same
strategy as you, which it obviously isn't.

Perhaps you can explain to me why I'm playing it in software with a
perfectly acceptable frame-rate, equivalent in driving terms to that
which I get using Rendition support? I'm using a P166MMX (188Mhz), so
it can't be that demanding. Turn off the textures (leave the track
texture as it is necessary for the impression of speed) and try it
again - the frame-rate is fine. I really don't want to have to measure
it (since Papyrus games are a pain to do this on), but I will if you
like.

Cheers!
John

PS - Although I feel that an experienced sim-fan is quite capable of
judging if a frame-rate is acceptable by eye alone, I've seen too many
complaints about "subjective opinions", so I went and measured SODA's

(software only version of SODA), all textures off except track set to
auto, mirrors on (non-texture) and car detail set to high. Max fps set
to 30, min fps adjusted until track texture flickered while
hotlapping. Using Paradise Leap track (the demo one), the track
texture finally dropped when min fps was set to 26, and then only at
two points on the track for about a second and then returned. This was
in my favoured "cockpit" view. Switching (as the readme recommends) to
the default bumper view, I get a solid 30fps all the way around, with
the road texture never dropping.

John is secretly on TRI's payroll, and is using reverse psycology
on you...It's apparently working!!  ;)

Marc