rec.autos.simulators

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Before you buy.

Tom

IIRC, 2.1 -  2.2 should be more realistic tho..

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All the best,
Ed Solheim
** Proud member of the GPLEA **
(Remove SPAM-GUARD in address to reply)

It didn't remember what it translated too.  So I just suggested
raising the ceiling to a level where he could be sure it
wouldn't matter.  I didn't remember if the AI at that track
was being capped at a top speed allowable of 150 or what.
But I knew that 4.0 was high enough not to inhibit
dlong_speed_adj_coeff at a realistic level.  That way he
could be sure he wouldn't be blowing by them on the "straights".

I got into tweaking the AI because at the time I was a no-talent
at trail braking.  I'd turn down the AI so that I could keep up
in the turns and they ended up with top speeds of 150 on
the straights.  I'm talking about all tracks now.  At that time
I didn't know how to edit the race.lp files.  And I wanted them
to have slower lap times but with cars as good as mine.  In
other words I wanted them to drive like me.  So I set all the
dlong_speed_maximum way up to 4.0 where it was irrelevent.
Then set all the dlong_speed_adj_coeff to 1.0.  Set all
the various hype variables to 1.0.   Turned off all magic_grip.
That way the AI had cars like me.  Same engine, same tires.
Then I started expirementing with the bounds of variables like
alertness, smoothness, etc.  I found that the range you can
tweak those for and still keep the AI smart enough to complete
a lap  only allows for a somewhat limited range of laptimes.
( about 1:05 to 1:10 qualifying Glen ).  So I turned down the hype
on some of them just a little to get a wider field.
However, the less skilled drivers couldn't make it around the
Ring or Spa, and all were way to slow or fast for me at other
tracks.   So I eventually gave in and used some of the "cheat"
variables like dlong_speed_adj_coeff to make the AI go a little
faster or slower than the cars were capable of, and just enough
magic_grip to keep the dummies on the road.  It made them
seem more human, that's for sure.  But still the most realistic
way is to edit the race.lp.  A lot of work though, so I just did
some "problem turns" like the 4th at the Glen.  The less smooth
and alert drivers tended to slide off, that is, if they didn't
already ram into the back of me.  So I had them brake
sooner.  It worked great, they went wide open on the straight,
a Lotus could go just as fast as my Lotus, and the other cars
as fast as they could, and then they braked a little earlier
into that turn so that we could all make it aroung the track.
Problem was, Clark was no longer a genius.  The ultimate
would be a different race.lp data for each driver.  But I guess
at 148k apiece for the Ring, Papyrus would have to put all
that in slower memory, move more data around, etc.  So
they made a choice and went for the ability to have a
wide field of talent in any race, to mirror the kind of spreads
the real races had.  F1 2000 took a different approach.  If
you dial down the AI, their braking and acceleration points
change, not the speed they will travel the corners and
straights at.  However, they all change.  So you don't
get a wide field.  Also, at some tracks the hotshoes have
already blown out the AI, whereas with GPL you could make
the AI do a sub minute Glen, or even Monza, or they could
take several minutes.  Not as realistic as F1 2000, but more
flexible.  I like the F1 2000 AI myself.  Don't know how the
hotshoes who can do 1:14 Monaco feel about it.  Poor things!

Tom