rec.autos.simulators

--
ed_

I sometimes look for passworded races, sometimes for non-passworded ones. I
usually look for RC's first but if none are offered or they're all empty I
look at the available ovals, or I check which race has the most users. If
none of the tracks I'd like to drive has any users connected, but still
enough P-time left, I'll join that, hoping others will come before Q.
Considering this, I think I actually couldn't use a preconfigured (or
permanently customised) filter, except perhaps 'exclude
Daytona|Taladega|Martinsville' (the latter because M'ville seems to be a
gathering point of crashers united at Sierra). But even that, in times of
dire need, would get modified.

How's that in your case, do you look for one specific set of filter criteria
most of the time?

Achim

It would be nice if they at least separated the races by track type
and put them in tabs like they do the rest of the interface.

In the menu at the bottom of the screen, they could put a new menu
item called "Filters", and this "Filters opption would present a page
with the following checkboxes (selecting each item includes races
that meet the indicated criteria:

"All" - Shows all races, and unchecks all other options on the page.

"Joinable" - races we simply can't join (those that are in their race
session, or that we don't qualify for accosrding to skill/LPI
restrictions of the server.

"Passworded" - races that are protected with a password.

"Fixed" - races that use a fixed setup

But you're right, it would be nice to have those filters :-)

Achim

...

You could have boxes above the typical "on/off" features that when
checked/un-checked are either included on the list or excluded from the
list.
This would include things such as Password-protected server, Yellows, AI's,
***mode,  Fixed setups.. etc.  In addition to the reguleare options we
have today, I would also like to see 4 new boxes added, one for each track
type..  RC, SS, SW and ST.

Then for setting with multiple choices, you could either have boxes that
changed when you clicked on them (rotated) or you could be allowed to enter
a single letter to select the setting to exclude..  They would be used for
things such as Server-type (Dedicated, Open, or "Regulare"), Damage-type
(None, Moderate or Full), Simulation-mode (Arcade or Simulation) etc.

Last, you'd have the "big text-boxes" where you could type in the criterias
yourself...  These would be used for all the other settings not covered so
far..  Here you could type in things such as a servername or part of a
servername and the list would only list servers that contained the entered
characters..  Or you could type in the name of a track to have only races
from one track listed. One should also be able to use "arguments" (I cannot
recall the correct word to describe this at the moment) with these
settings...Symbols such as < > = + - etc.  That way you could easily search
for races that say were of 100 laps or more (enter ">100" in the laps box),
or races that required a certain skill-level (">3" in that box) Or had a
particulate pit-ratio ("2x" in that box). You could also make it only listy
servers within a certain ping limit...  "<250" Or had progressed passed a
certain session (> Setup) or remove certain tracks from the list "- Daytona"
forexample.

The possibilities would be endless!

It would also have been nice if one could either save the search-criterias
or if the program would remeber them the next time you logged on.. (this
would require an "apply filter" button though)

Many pleople would say that they'ed never used that or wouldn't need such an
advanced filter.... but thats no problem - as they wouldnt have to use it
unless that wanted to use it.

That's what I want.

Oh... yeah...  I'd support a save-game feature too....  I dont race offline
anyway.... besides, I believe the days of offline leagues to gone along time
ago.

--
ed_

RASCAR - http://www.racesimcentral.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------
$10 says Petter Solberg wins the 2003 WRC.

Eldred
--
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
GPLRank:-0.381
MonsterRank: +339.873
N2002 Rank:+17.59

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

Many times I'd find a race that satisfied the first two, but not the third.
The rare times I'd find one that matched the first three, the damn thing was
passworded.  VERY frustrating.  If I could filter all the passworded races, and
look for certain skill levels, it would be much easier.

Eldred
--
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
GPLRank:-0.381
MonsterRank: +339.873
N2002 Rank:+17.59

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

you're right, the possibilities are endless, and it would be nice to have
something like this, although IMO something in the way John suggested would
be sufficient.

For me personally, seeking an appropriate race in the way I described a few
messages further up takes a few seconds, though, so for me personally such a
filter wouldn't be worth the time it takes to program it, and I rather have
Papy spend that time on the on-track experience.

Achim

So, does anyone know if the race/driver information is available from
Sierra.com for some creative type to write a more useful front end? (I
doubt it, but you never know).

I guess they figure that 95% of the folks will just jump in whatever
open SS race that is almost full and with little/no practice left is
available.  You can filter this to the top rather conveniently by just
sorting on number of drivers.

Actually, if you filtered out all the servers that are empty, it would
reduce the size of the list by about 75%.  Then if you got rid of the
PW protected races that would take out another 2/3 of the list.  If
you then get rid of the arcade and SS races, that's another 1/2 to 2/3
of the remaining list.  Leaving you with exactly 3 servers to choose
from:

1) some dude who just got the game and thinks it would be cool to
drive a 50% race at Darlington with yellows ON.

2) same dude's cousin who prefers Martinsville instead...

3) somebody's league practice night where every other driver is about
1 second a lap faster than you, and there is that guy who keeps
sending chat messages about how much you suck.

So, are you really sure you want this?

;)

Gerald

ps: strangely enough, I still do...

Come on, nobody's really THAT much of an ass, are they?

Eldred
--
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
GPLRank:-0.381
MonsterRank: +339.873
N2002 Rank:+17.59

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

You bet your behind I want it!

The fact that it's missing is actually beginning to really***me off
now....
Why the "#%"#%" didnt they *at least* include options to remove password
protected races and empty servers??

Last night I had to wander thru 238458923745 empty servers and 4743571893457
password protected races..
Only to find 200000000 full Daytona races!  GGRRRR!!!

PAPY WAKE UP!

--
ed_

Larry