rec.autos.simulators

>Found it!

>Did some searches with google and google groups; there's a typo in your URL,
>it should be:
>http://mgiracing.com/viperpatch121beta.zip

>Add -nocanary behind the viper racing.exe in the game's shortcut.

> The VR 1.2.1 beta patch allows much more than just allowing VR to run in
> Win2K.

> It also allows more detailed (more polygon) cars and tracks (I think the
> Win2K thing was kind of a "smokescreen" for that fact).  It also
> substantially improves the sound reproduction on many 3D sound cards.

> There's a few other things you can do to VR to improve your enjoyment
> running it:

> **Viper Executable Switches:
>     Add "-nointro" and "-nocanary" allows VR to be launched without the CD
> and bypasses the VR Intro Movie (launches you directly to the main UI
> screen).  The format is as follows:  "C:\Sierra\Viper Racing\Viper
> Racing.exe"[spc]-nocanary[spc]-nointro

> **Drive the Viper GTS-R in Quick Race Mode:
>     Download the Viper GTS-R patch and place it in the VR "Data" folder.
> Enter VR and go to the Options/Hacks tab, select the "ViperGT" from the
list
> of available cars, and you'll be driving 760 hp, Dodge Viper (winged)
GTS-R
> race car in Quick Race Mode.  (Note: You must select the Viper GT car each
> time you enter VR, it will not remember that selection on subsequent
> launches of the sim.)

> **Set AI Strength:
>     Of course, after selecting the Viper GTS-R race car above, you will be
> stomping the AI cars into the ground on all race tracks.  That will be fun
> for a while, but soon prove boring, if you love racing.  So, you can allow
> all the VR AI drivers to race you with the Viper GTS-R "race car" as well,
> by making the following changes in the VR "options.cfg" file found in the
VR
> Config folder:
>     Using "notepad" or a suitable "text" editor -  search the options.cfg
> file for a line that reads as follows:
>             "opponent_strength = x"  where x = either the value 1, 2, or 3
> (depending on how you have it selected in the UI screens for AI opponent
> strength.  If you change this number (x) to a "6" (numeric 6), then the AI
> will now be driving winged Viper GTS-R race cars along with you....and
they
> will be back to their old nasty, aggressive selves again!

> **Race Against Larger AI Fields:
>         Back to the VR "options.cfg" file again, search for the line that
> says:
>             "ai_car_count = x"  If you have selected the max number of
> opponents from the standard UI race set up screen, this "x" will have a
"7"
> in its place.  Change the 7 to a 14 and you now have 14 of those nasty
> "Ramirez and Sanchez" AI buggers to race against (also in GTS-R race
cars).
> Set the race realism to "simulation," put on full damage and run 20 lap
> "long" races against 14 VR AI drivers running Viper GTS-R race cars and
> you've just put yourself into major-league-challenge space again., in
terms
> of being able to actually win races!  You will have to carefully pick your
> passing opportunities, run near perfect racing lines and plan a race
> strategy that involves patience.....in order to beat these guys!  Good
luck.

> **Turn On The VR Spotter Voice:
>         VR always had this option, but many did not use it.  I am in the
> process of creating new spotter voices that will be easier to hear and
> understand.  In the meantime, you can turn on the "stock" VR spotter voice
> (which I believe I remember from my VR beta testing days to be none other
> than, Mr. Dave P. himself.  Dave is a little weak of voice, and lacks that
> distinctive European accent (they don't have spotters in sports car racing
> that have southern accents like N4) reminiscent of Mr. Bell or Mr. Daily.
> But, he does an adequate job of telling you when you've cleared an
> opponent's front fender(s).....so I always use him.

> **Other Cars VR Editing Tools:
>         For quite some time, VR has allowed "hacks" into the cars data
files
> that allow importing of just about any car, race car, truck or vehicle you
> can imagine....into VR in race-able form.  Many of these cars are SCGT
> conversions, some are 3D creations of note, with their own cockpits and
race
> engine sounds and are quite remarkable.  One of the best sources for VR
> "hack" cars is at:

>             http://rdvr.btwracing.com/

> This site is run by a long-term VR user named "Iceman" who is a talented
3D
> car modeler and graphics artist.  You can also find all kinds of VR hack
> tools and utilities at his website.  He's also a pretty likable guy who
will
> help you learn to do VR editing if you want to have a go at that (for
fun).

> I have recently (two weeks ago) acquired the tools necessary to create new
> VR race car cockpits, 3D models and all.....from scratch.  My first VR
> cockpit project will be to produce the "racing cockpit" of the ALMS Viper
> GTS-R race cars.  I can handle all the graphics textures, I'm looking for
> someone with 3D modeling tools (3ds max would be good) to "partner up"
with
> me for re-doing the VR cockpit 3D model.  There's lots we can do and we
> should certainly be able to approach N4 level for VR cockpits.

> Anyone wishing to assist in this project with the 3D modeling, please send
> me an email at:  tmpa...@home.com

> At the same time, I will be re-doing all the VR engine sounds, although
the
> stock engines for VR are pretty good if you know how to tweak your SBLive
> sound card's "environmental sound effects" well enough.

> I believe Dave P. has recently released a rather esoteric "track editing"
> tool for VR that requires you to think, sleep and eat....in hex.  Of
course,
> someone will figure out a nice little utility to make this bugger work
> intuitively, and hopefully some of the talented GPL community track
editors
> can have a field day making new race tracks for Viper Racing (I think that
> was Dave's plan in the first place).  I am looking into purchasing
MultiGen
> with its Road Builder add-on......just to make tracks for VR!

> Isn't it amazing what some people are doing to bide their time until WSC
> comes out?  Well, heck.  As soon as I'm done with creating new high-res
> tracks for all my favorite GPL tracks (amazing what can be done to GPL
> tracks when you run a 1.x GHz AMD platform with a GF3).....which is about
30
> years worth of work I believe.....I can start in with doing the same for
> VR...which is indeed, a worthy opponent to GPL's car physics model, in my
> opinion.  Not as good, but certainly engaging as a car racing sim....it
> would be my vote for the #2 spot behind GPL for older racing sims (N4 is
the
> best, IMHO).

> Appeal To Dave P. ***********
>     Can you give us VR "race.bin" that will allow running a higher
> resolution than 1024?  Or is it not that simple?  If we need to edit the
> textures, we'll do that too.  I'm running VR currently on an AMD 1.4 GHz
> (oc'd to 1.6) with 512 mb of PC2100 RAM, and an ASUS (or Hercules) GF3
> card......4xFsaa......with forced-4-anistropic filtering (which finally
> fixed that screwing mip-mapping you guys hated so much of the track
> lines)......at VR benchmarks (that push the "game engine max FPS) at 50 to
> 51 FPS.  So, there's plenty of headroom in these level "race boxes" for
> higher screen resolutions, you know?

>     Also, if you could provide us with a way to tune up the controls and
> steering for the "airplane"....that would be nice.  It would be useful for
> navigating VR track worlds when we start editing track textures.  Please?
I
> know you guys had more accurate ways of flying around the VR
> tracks......Dave B. said so, and he never lies!).

>     Dave, maybe we can make Viper Racing into the racing sim you guys were
> never allowed to make......by Sierra, just because they couldn't admit to
> screwing up the licensing for all the other sports cars you guys had
created
> for Viper (although, that was not the name it was going to be released
> as....with 8 sports cars like the Lambo, Pantera and others).  To bad, it
> would have kicked SCGT's butt all the way to Bangkok and back!  Could you
> maybe hack into Garcia's computer some night after work and dig out all
> those physics codes for the other "VR" sports cars, and accidentally post
> them on the Internet for a few hours?  That would be helpful.

>     Has anyone started a "VREA".....kind of like GPLEA?  No?  We need one.
> Then maybe we could produce an SCGT-like sim with tons of road racing
tracks
> (real reproductions of the real road

> Hi Tom,

> Thanks for all the info about Viper Racing. Seems almost like you
> still drive it every day. :)

> Anyway, a bit further you go on with:

> ...
> >Isn't it amazing what some people are doing to bide their time until WSC
> >comes out?
> ...
> >    Dave, maybe we can make Viper Racing into the racing sim you guys
were
> >never allowed to make......by Sierra

> If Dave won't release the source code (not much chance with Sierra
> behind it), you might take a look at my pet project, Racer, at
> http://www.marketgraph.nl/gallery/racer/

> It's intentions are something like GPL or WSC, and with a very open
> structure. Piece of cake to build new cars (but mind the physics!) and
> not too difficult to create new tracks, although ofcourse a master's
> hand makes for a master track.
> So physics are #1, graphics and multiplayer #2. Might fit your style.

> Forgive me for pushing my own sim :), but perhaps it has a brighter
> future in the long run.
> There's a forum at:

> http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~hg/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=38

> if you want to read about it first.

> Cheers,

> Ruud van Gaal
> Free car sim  : http://www.marketgraph.nl/gallery/racer/
> Pencil art    : http://www.marketgraph.nl/gallery/

> Thanks for the compliments on providing the info....was just trying to
help
> out since I'd just gone through all that stuff to put VR back on my "play"
> race box about two months ago.  I drive it almost every day....when I need
a
> break and just want to go fast and play with some of those Ramirez AI.
> (...lol...)

> Ruud:  I promise to take a look at Racer.  I downloaded it about a week
ago
> (when you released the last version update).  But, that kind of thing is
my
> spare time work.....and I'm pushing to finish the GPL Watkins track....and
> I've promised the guys over at the VR sites a new cockpit for the
> GTS-R....that's my next graphics project.  I do promise you, I will look
at
> Racer and I'm encouraged by the compliments you have been getting for it.
> When I can get to that, if I can help out (even on an interim basis) with
> some graphic textures or whatever, I'd be glad to do it.  Keep up the good
> work, I am following what you are doing and admire your tenacity.

> Steve:  I'm aware that "Heat" is the next gen sim from VR.  I have been
> watching what you guys are doing with it.....with some help from the good
> guys at MGI (unofficially) and some good leadership from John Bodin (a
good
> guy).  In fact, two weeks ago I asked Dave Henrie for the URL where I can
> get all the "patches" I need to bring Heat up to current status.  I just
> haven't had time to do it yet, for the same reasons I haven't gotten to
> Racer yet.

> Maybe I can figure out how to work 8 days a week?

> Tom

> PS:  I call this "work" with tongue in cheek.  Its not really work as in
> "hard" or "not fun" .....etc.

> "Tom Pabst" <tmpa...@home.com> wrote in message
> news:HSDx7.6830$gT6.4818206@news1.rdc1.sfba.home.com...
> > Ruud....

> > The VR 1.2.1 beta patch allows much more than just allowing VR to run in
> > Win2K.

> > It also allows more detailed (more polygon) cars and tracks (I think the
> > Win2K thing was kind of a "smokescreen" for that fact).  It also
> > substantially improves the sound reproduction on many 3D sound cards.

> > There's a few other things you can do to VR to improve your enjoyment
> > running it:

> > **Viper Executable Switches:
> >     Add "-nointro" and "-nocanary" allows VR to be launched without the
CD
> > and bypasses the VR Intro Movie (launches you directly to the main UI
> > screen).  The format is as follows:  "C:\Sierra\Viper Racing\Viper
> > Racing.exe"[spc]-nocanary[spc]-nointro

> > **Drive the Viper GTS-R in Quick Race Mode:
> >     Download the Viper GTS-R patch and place it in the VR "Data" folder.
> > Enter VR and go to the Options/Hacks tab, select the "ViperGT" from the
> list
> > of available cars, and you'll be driving 760 hp, Dodge Viper (winged)
> GTS-R
> > race car in Quick Race Mode.  (Note: You must select the Viper GT car
each
> > time you enter VR, it will not remember that selection on subsequent
> > launches of the sim.)

> > **Set AI Strength:
> >     Of course, after selecting the Viper GTS-R race car above, you will
be
> > stomping the AI cars into the ground on all race tracks.  That will be
fun
> > for a while, but soon prove boring, if you love racing.  So, you can
allow
> > all the VR AI drivers to race you with the Viper GTS-R "race car" as
well,
> > by making the following changes in the VR "options.cfg" file found in
the
> VR
> > Config folder:
> >     Using "notepad" or a suitable "text" editor -  search the
options.cfg
> > file for a line that reads as follows:
> >             "opponent_strength = x"  where x = either the value 1, 2, or
3
> > (depending on how you have it selected in the UI screens for AI opponent
> > strength.  If you change this number (x) to a "6" (numeric 6), then the
AI
> > will now be driving winged Viper GTS-R race cars along with you....and
> they
> > will be back to their old nasty, aggressive selves again!

> > **Race Against Larger AI Fields:
> >         Back to the VR "options.cfg" file again, search for the line
that
> > says:
> >             "ai_car_count = x"  If you have selected the max number of
> > opponents from the standard UI race set up screen, this "x" will have a
> "7"
> > in its place.  Change the 7 to a 14 and you now have 14 of those nasty
> > "Ramirez and Sanchez" AI buggers to race against (also in GTS-R race
> cars).
> > Set the race realism to "simulation," put on full damage and run 20 lap
> > "long" races against 14 VR AI drivers running Viper GTS-R race cars and
> > you've just put yourself into major-league-challenge space again., in
> terms
> > of being able to actually win races!  You will have to carefully pick
your
> > passing opportunities, run near perfect racing lines and plan a race
> > strategy that involves patience.....in order to beat these guys!  Good
> luck.

> > **Turn On The VR Spotter Voice:
> >         VR always had this option, but many did not use it.  I am in the
> > process of creating new spotter voices that will be easier to hear and
> > understand.  In the meantime, you can turn on the "stock" VR spotter
voice
> > (which I believe I remember from my VR beta testing days to be none
other
> > than, Mr. Dave P. himself.  Dave is a little weak of voice, and lacks
that
> > distinctive European accent (they don't have spotters in sports car
racing
> > that have southern accents like N4) reminiscent of Mr. Bell or Mr.
Daily.
> > But, he does an adequate job of telling you when you've cleared an
> > opponent's front fender(s).....so I always use him.

> > **Other Cars VR Editing Tools:
> >         For quite some time, VR has allowed "hacks" into the cars data
> files
> > that allow importing of just about any car, race car, truck or vehicle
you
> > can imagine....into VR in race-able form.  Many of these cars are SCGT
> > conversions, some are 3D creations of note, with their own cockpits and
> race
> > engine sounds and are quite remarkable.  One of the best sources for VR
> > "hack" cars is at:

> >             http://rdvr.btwracing.com/

> > This site is run by a long-term VR user named "Iceman" who is a talented
> 3D
> > car modeler and graphics artist.  You can also find all kinds of VR hack
> > tools and utilities at his website.  He's also a pretty likable guy who
> will
> > help you learn to do VR editing if you want to have a go at that (for
> fun).

> > I have recently (two weeks ago) acquired the tools necessary to create
new
> > VR race car cockpits, 3D models and all.....from scratch.  My first VR
> > cockpit project will be to produce the "racing cockpit" of the ALMS
Viper
> > GTS-R race cars.  I can handle all the graphics textures, I'm looking
for
> > someone with 3D modeling tools (3ds max would be good) to "partner up"
> with
> > me for re-doing the VR cockpit 3D model.  There's lots we can do and we
> > should certainly be able to approach N4 level for VR cockpits.

> > Anyone wishing to assist in this project with the 3D modeling, please
send
> > me an email at:  tmpa...@home.com

> > At the same time, I will be re-doing all the VR engine sounds, although
> the
> > stock engines for VR are pretty good if you know how to tweak your
SBLive
> > sound card's "environmental sound effects" well enough.

> > I believe Dave P. has recently released a rather esoteric "track
editing"
> > tool for VR that requires you to think, sleep and eat....in hex.  Of
> course,
> > someone will figure out a nice little utility to make this bugger work
> > intuitively, and hopefully some of the talented GPL community track
> editors
> > can have a field day making new race tracks for Viper Racing (I think
that
> > was Dave's plan in the first place).  I am looking into purchasing
> MultiGen
> > with its Road Builder add-on......just to make tracks for VR!

> > Isn't it amazing what some people are doing to bide their time until WSC
> > comes out?  Well, heck.  As soon as I'm done with creating new high-res
> > tracks for all my favorite GPL tracks (amazing what can be done to GPL
> > tracks when you run a 1.x GHz AMD platform with a GF3).....which is
about
> 30
> > years worth of work I believe.....I can start in with doing the same for
> > VR...which is indeed, a worthy opponent to GPL's car physics model, in
my
> > opinion.  Not as good, but certainly engaging as a car racing sim....it
> > would be my vote for the #2 spot behind GPL for older racing sims (N4 is
> the
> > best, IMHO).

> > Appeal To Dave P. ***********
> >     Can you give us VR "race.bin" that will allow running a higher
> > resolution than 1024?  Or is it not that simple?  If we need to edit the
> > textures, we'll do that too.  I'm running VR currently on an AMD 1.4 GHz
> > (oc'd to 1.6) with 512 mb of PC2100 RAM, and an ASUS (or Hercules) GF3
> > card......4xFsaa......with forced-4-anistropic filtering (which finally
> > fixed that screwing mip-mapping you guys hated so much of the track
> > lines)......at VR benchmarks (that push the "game engine max FPS) at 50
to
> > 51 FPS.  So, there's plenty of headroom in these level "race boxes" for
> > higher screen resolutions, you know?

> >     Also, if you could provide us with a way to tune up the controls and
> > steering for the "airplane"....that would be nice.  It would be useful
for
> > navigating VR track worlds when we start editing track textures.
Please?
> I
> > know you guys had more accurate ways of flying around the VR
> > tracks......Dave B. said so, and he never lies!).

> >     Dave, maybe we can make Viper Racing into the racing sim you guys
were
> > never allowed to make......by Sierra, just because they couldn't admit
to
> > screwing up the licensing for all the other sports cars you guys had
> created
> > for Viper (although, that was not the name it was going to be released