Hi David,
This posting is too clear_away some of the fog too...This is not a
flame, as I appreciate and respect your view. =)
The problem with this statement (regarding frame rate) is that system
performance goes hand_in_hand with the game's "overhead." IMHO the
game's requirements are far too great for the majority of those who
will either purchase it or simply download the trial version. The
basic beef I have with CPR is that there isn't enough items to switch
to an acceptable setting for decent gameplay.
As an example, in other sims you can turn-off textures to objects, but
have the objects remain. This helps with using points on the track as
a reference for turn-ins, brake-points, etc. If you're forced to turn
down the level of detail, and also loose all (or most) of your visual
aids, then you can't do what a few others can - like turning a fast
lap. This comes from my own real racing experience, and not something
pulled from the sim archives.
Your system is only slightly above what I would call "minimum-req's"
for running the game successfully. I look at it from a realist POV,
rather than a marketing standpoint. I have a P166, and even though it
can't match the performance of any of the newer systems out there, it
benchmarks higher than any other 166 (standard chipset) I've seen. I
think that my system is "above average" for what others have currently.
Too many in this newsgroup seem to have a bad case of tunnel-vision in
regards to what they feel is "an average system" - not to say that I'm
any less guilty, but since my business_world revolves around systems
(and my personal_world revolves around sims), my take on the whole
deal may be less clouded than most.
BTW, I too have the full version. Sits all by its lonesome on a 4.3gb
Deskstar drive. =)
Perhaps not 100% perfect for the "real_world", but certainly perfect
for "my_world." =) I too find the handling and physics very nicely
put together.
Your points are well taken, and others should try them before passing
judgement on what I think is a nice sim. Looks as though MS/TRI are
in it for the long_haul, and this is a good thing for us simmers! =)
However, there's too many ON/OFF options combining both textures and
objects, and not enough ON/OFF for this texture (but leave the bridge
where it is) type of thing.
The fact is, although your system is not "unusual" it certainly isn't
the "norm" for most (as my statements above outline).
True - higher, but not enough unless you have at least an MMX/P-166.
This statement alone could start a fire in the rain! The overhead of
CART, coupled with the (assumed) overhead of the two-browser windows
running (not to mention if Win95 burps), will surely lead to a less
than satisfying experience on the Zone. Plenty of this may have to do
with the speed of your modem, and this in itself wouldn't be so bad if
all you had to do was buy a faster one.
The problem is the modem you connect to when playing this sim...You
know, the one that's lying in some building a half_klick away? I don't
know about you, but the fastest connection (on paper) I can get is 28.8
(set to 56k), unless I dial out of the county. Analysis: better think
about an ISDN if you can't (reasonably) connect to a 56k server. Just
too many things happening at once in the same place - a bottle neck
that is (for the most part) out of the user's hands.
Agreed! CPR, GP2, and soon GPL...Mucho good things to keep us warm and
cozy for years...<sound of rustling paper>..Now where did I put that ad
I saw about the ASUS-AGP+PII-266?...I see it's time to do some creative
financing...
...again. ;)
Cheers!
Marc J. Nelson
Sim Racing Online / Sim Racing News / The Sim Project
http://members.aol.com/simracing
