rec.autos.simulators

Games Controlling Badly

BD

Games Controlling Badly

by BD » Tue, 05 Nov 2002 10:30:17

Lately I've noticed how a good racing game can play badly if the
control scheme is not coded well. Several games I "might" have liked
if I could have controlled the vehicle properly were:

STCC 2
Lemans 24 Hours
Total Immersion Racing

Rally Trophy was another racing game, a good one in fact, that
suffered from some weakness in this area.

Seems to me the companies that produce these games would realize the
importance of this aspect of the game. To me, if the game doesn't
control well, it fails even if all other game elements of the game are
good.

I've also noticed that some game producers seem to be consistently
strong in this area. Papyrus games, EA's F1 series and NASCAR Thunder,
Gran Prix 3 & 4, Codemasters games, Ratbag games all seem to get this
element of their games right.

Two questions:

1. Why is this so hard for some game producers to get right?
2. Why do they release these games before this is right, knowing the
impact on the finished product?

And a third question:

3. What racing game have you bought that was particularly weak (or
unplayable) in this area?

BD

Doug Hoo

Games Controlling Badly

by Doug Hoo » Tue, 05 Nov 2002 10:34:39

Mobil 1 Rally Championship would have seen considerably more time on my hard
drive if I hadn't had so many controller problems.


Neil Cannin

Games Controlling Badly

by Neil Cannin » Tue, 05 Nov 2002 10:51:36

add this question to your list.

why make a racing/driving game/sim with no***pit view?

i drive to work 5 days a week for going on 30 years and have yet to see
someone driveing their car on the roof,flying on a hang glider 10 feet above
the car,while sitting on the bumper,ect,ect.

help me understand?

Neil

Dave Henri

Games Controlling Badly

by Dave Henri » Tue, 05 Nov 2002 13:10:50

"BD" ?
   Here is the reverse....AMA Superbike spent a ton on Controller options.
They had more programable controller settings than most flight sims.  Yet
the core of the game was so flawed the excellant tracks and controller
schemes couldn't make up for it.
dave henrie

Paul Jage

Games Controlling Badly

by Paul Jage » Tue, 05 Nov 2002 14:40:10

Neil makes a point that I have thought valid for a long time. A driving game
without a***pit view is a real no-no for me. But I presume it is coded
that way to save on over burdening the CPU/graphics card.

Hate to say it but I might have even considered buying a PS2 just to play
Gran Turismo, but its pseudo-cockpit just didn't 'float my boat'.

PJ


> add this question to your list.

> why make a racing/driving game/sim with no***pit view?

> i drive to work 5 days a week for going on 30 years and have yet to see
> someone driveing their car on the roof,flying on a hang glider 10 feet
above
> the car,while sitting on the bumper,ect,ect.

> help me understand?

> Neil


> > Lately I've noticed how a good racing game can play badly if the
> > control scheme is not coded well. Several games I "might" have liked
> > if I could have controlled the vehicle properly were:

> > STCC 2
> > Lemans 24 Hours
> > Total Immersion Racing

> > Rally Trophy was another racing game, a good one in fact, that
> > suffered from some weakness in this area.

> > Seems to me the companies that produce these games would realize the
> > importance of this aspect of the game. To me, if the game doesn't
> > control well, it fails even if all other game elements of the game are
> > good.

> > I've also noticed that some game producers seem to be consistently
> > strong in this area. Papyrus games, EA's F1 series and NASCAR Thunder,
> > Gran Prix 3 & 4, Codemasters games, Ratbag games all seem to get this
> > element of their games right.

> > Two questions:

> > 1. Why is this so hard for some game producers to get right?
> > 2. Why do they release these games before this is right, knowing the
> > impact on the finished product?

> > And a third question:

> > 3. What racing game have you bought that was particularly weak (or
> > unplayable) in this area?

> > BD

Gerry Aitke

Games Controlling Badly

by Gerry Aitke » Tue, 05 Nov 2002 17:49:57


> "BD" ?

> > And a third question:

> > 3. What racing game have you bought that was particularly weak (or
> > unplayable) in this area?

> > BD
>    Here is the reverse....AMA Superbike spent a ton on Controller options.
> They had more programable controller settings than most flight sims.  Yet
> the core of the game was so flawed the excellant tracks and controller
> schemes couldn't make up for it.
> dave henrie

The controller setup options in GP2/3/4 are pathetically over
complicated and unnecessary too. Still, one of life's little pleasures
is taking a Crammond game back to the shop for a refund. :)

Gerry

Some Call Me Ti

Games Controlling Badly

by Some Call Me Ti » Wed, 06 Nov 2002 03:48:50

Too Right, I loved GP1 and 2 at the time put the less said about 3 and 4 the
better. The contols settup and FF is pathetic.

I've just tried the new NFS hot pusuit demo and couldn't get my Ferrari FF
wheel to work properly with that either.

It took me quite while to get the setting riht for F1-2002 but now it's
pretty good indeed.

And of course GPL is still the best although getting the FF right in that is
a science in itself.

Some Call Me Tim

Gerry Aitke

Games Controlling Badly

by Gerry Aitke » Wed, 06 Nov 2002 04:09:52


Agreed, which is bad news for newbies. Maybe someone will bring out a
utility to simplify things a little. Wouldn't take much to come up with
a windoze app. which has three or four sliders, with meaningful labels,
that writes the changes to the core.ini file.

Cheers

Gerry

straito

Games Controlling Badly

by straito » Thu, 07 Nov 2002 11:11:33

"> And a third question:

MotocrossMadness series.Why do they insist giving us digital on or off
brakes and throttle, with no options.It just turned me off completely

Eldre

Games Controlling Badly

by Eldre » Sun, 10 Nov 2002 10:21:14



>3. What racing game have you bought that was particularly weak (or
>unplayable) in this area?

Mercedes-Benz Truck Racing.  I never DID get it to work correctly with my TSW.
IOW, I can't PLAY it...  :-(

Eldred
--
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
GPLRank:+6.19
N2002 Rank:+18.91

Never argue with an idiot.  He brings you down to his level, then beats you
with experience...
Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.


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