rec.autos.simulators

|> Hi racefriends
|>
|> I will not bore you with all my thougts about the problems with GP2
|> but in my mind there is a enormous defect in the game nobody have
|> seemed to mention, namely the complete unrealistic drivers***view
|> from the***pit of the track when turning. For example, when you are
|> making a sharp right turn, the viewpoint in the game is straigt
|> forward (raight into the bushes - or whatever), when the driver needs
|> to turn his head to the right looking for the turns apex to know
|> exactly when to start accelerating. As it is now you drive in the
|> blind for most of the corner.
Agreed. (And wouldn't it be nice to see when the tyres/tires start to
blister as well?) When you look at the driver's head from outside the
***pit, you'll see that it's already moving in the turn in direction.

There's one British flight sim company who pioneered, I think, the
'head-swerve' in flight progs, but I can't remember the name right now.
(Rowan?) But if you're looking right, you don't see Schumi trying to ram
you from the left, do you? ;)

|>
|> I dont think It would have been that difficult to have programmed a
|> slightly "swerve" of the drivers head so we could race with some
|> accuracy as suposed to in this game, but then again you would have had
|> to think about it fist, wouldent you?
|>
|> Jo Sk?medal former road racer which turned sim racer for economic (and
|> convenient reasons)
|>
|> PS. By the way, when are we going to see a good road racing game - was
|> not Microprose working on one but put the project to a rest when they
|> couldnt come up with a realistic lean angel algorithm? DS.
|>
Cheers
JMT
--
      __          John Magne Trane  http://www.racesimcentral.net/~johnmt/  
[]_.-' (Q_,._     Confucius say:
`(*)[27]___(*)Z>  Man running after cars will soon get exhausted.

Hi racefriends

I will not bore you with all my thougts about the problems with GP2
but in my mind there is a enormous defect in the game nobody have
seemed to mention, namely the complete unrealistic drivers***view
from the***pit of the track when turning. For example, when you are
making a sharp right turn, the viewpoint in the game is straigt
forward (raight into the bushes - or whatever), when the driver needs
to turn his head to the right looking for the turns apex to know
exactly when to start accelerating. As it is now you drive in the
blind for most of the corner.

I dont think It would have been that difficult to have programmed a
slightly "swerve" of the drivers head so we could race with some
accuracy as suposed to in this game, but then again you would have had
to think about it fist, wouldent you?

Jo Sk?medal former road racer which turned sim racer for economic (and
convenient reasons)

PS. By the way, when are we going to see a good road racing game - was
not Microprose working on one but put the project to a rest when they
couldnt come up with a realistic lean angel algorithm? DS.

turning. ... <

I had the same thoughts.  To try to improve the matter a bit I designed a
***pit that allows some amount of side views, between the nose and the
front wheels ( also added ).  They can be found at my home page
http://www.racesimcentral.net/~philmak/ and at a couple of other sites.  Its
not a complete answer I know but I think it does give a more realistic feel
to the driver.

slightly "swerve" of the drivers head so we could race with some
accuracy as suposed to in this game, but then again you would have had to
think about it fist, wouldent you? <

I actually mentioned two ideas to MP before the release of GP2.  One was
that the drivers' view should change in relation to the steering wheel
position.  The other was to have his view follow the driving line.  Or a
combination of both - with the type of view you prefer selectable with hot
keys and menus.  As you say, the program is constantly changing and
recalculating views anyway so it should be a relatively minor adjustment to
set where the view is calculated from.  BTW I never got an answer from MP
to these suggestions.  In fact, unfortunately, I've never yet had an answer
from MP to any e-mail I've sent them.

Phillip McNelley

http://www.racesimcentral.net/~philmak/

<snip>
: I don't think It would have been that difficult to have programmed a
: slightly "swerve" of the drivers head so we could race with some
: accuracy as suposed to in this game, but then again you would have had
: to think about it fist, wouldn't you?

This was done ages ago (1989) in the Electronic Arts Ferrari Formula One
sim.  I personally did not like this feature.  I found if very
disconcerting.  I never really got into the sim that much.  There where
some nice things in it though (wind tunnel & dyno room).

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Hey, I remember that one! It came out on the Amiga many months before the
Atari ST version that I was waiting for. I kept going back to the local
computer shop to find out if there was even a rumour of an ST release as
the Amiga version looked superb.

Finally it was released & thankfully I was wise enough to ask to see it
demoed in the shop. What a pile of crock the ST version was :(( Cars that
were huge, pathetic sprites and it ran soooo slooowwww - took about 4
minutes real time to do a lap of Monza. Needless to say, I didn't buy it
and continued driving Revs on the old Beeb ;-)

Cheers,
Richard

[snip]
: I dont think It would have been that difficult to have programmed a
: slightly "swerve" of the drivers head so we could race with some
: accuracy as suposed to in this game, but then again you would have had
: to think about it fist, wouldent you?

Actually, this (the panning of view) has been tried in the past. I belive
it was Ferrari Challange by Accolade, which had the driver's perspective
shift into the corner while turning. At first it was a little unnerving
and took some getting used to.
    __o
  _-\<,_  Cosmo Potapoff

                                                           ...Gp2 :)

Good race at the Brickyard, (Old'Indytrack guy)

     [===]   Go Rubens Barrichello, Jacques Villeneuve,

     | ! |   And all you that thinks that Jacques Villeneuve is
      |!|    from Canada, your right!! He's from St-Jean sur le
      |o|    Richelieu, 30 minutes from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

    [--I--]      
       v  
Fran?ois Mnard "Wasupe LeGrand"
Nien Numb in the National Star Wars League(X-Wing vs Tie-Fighter league)
http://www.dakotacom.net/~strange/
http://www.starwars.com/      
Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition,N2,Gp2,Icr2.How can my life be better?
May the force be with you, always!!
Que la force soit avec toi, jamais!(for you French people)
Excuse me for my poor English(I'm French speaking)