rec.autos.simulators

Hi Stefano !

First of all : I LOVE NETKAR !!!
Honestly !
I like it more than I like LFS (atm)
I have been practicing for months already
I have all the extra tracks, all beta releases...
I'm just a great fan of your work !

But :

I'd love to see a version that doesn't need Dx9
Dx9 gives problems with all kinds of other games... (on my system, that is)
Is it possible to build a version that uses Dx8 ?
I know this is not a simple question,
and i realize I shouldn't be asking you this
but I just race Netkar every day... can't stop playing it...
but ... Grand Prix 4 (e.g) won't run anymore...

Some other Q's :

Can you please give us a progress report of some kind (even a few lines will
do) ?
I'm just wondering if there are plans for AI or other cars or other tracks ?

Thanx for having read this

TheSauce

Thanks for posting...

Regular weekly (well almost, I just missed 2 weeks now :-P ) progress
report can be found on racesimcentral (in english) or drivingitalia
(in italian).

In the last 2 weeks I've been busy with "life" so nK went into a slow
gear.. I hope to go back at full speed soon.

Going back to DX8 is not possibile, nor going back to OpenGL.. I'm
alone developing and the last thing I want to do is to try to keep 2
or 3 version for the graphics engine... don't worry, soon drivers will
get better and DX9 will work just fine.

stefano

On Wed, 12 Mar 2003 22:16:06 GMT, "Trick Dacy"

...

Given the 2 physics engines, why want to run GP4 at all? ;-)

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

Funny that, as netKar and GP4 are amongst the few of the PC sims I play
lately myself (no, I will not mention most of the driving these days is
done on the PS2 ;) ).

Anyway, I do feel I need to take the opportunity and say I feel that the
GP4 physics is probably the  most underrated of any sim recently
released. The  engine itself may stem from the GP2 version, but the
overall physics  (engine+data combination) is IMHO the best of all modern
F1 sims. Not to  mention the rather accurate tracks and competitive AI. If
only the silly processor occupancy approach was dropped... ;)

Still, for pure hotlapping, you're right, I'd rather fire up netKar
anytime :).

-Gregor

Oh you've done it now mate.....

Beers and cheers
(uncle) Goy
"goyl at nettx dot no"

"The Pits"    http://www.theuspits.com/

"A man is only as old as the woman he feels"
--Groucho Marx--

On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 17:17:14 +0100, Gregor Veble

Even funnier, I don't really drive at all anymore; just slowly into
fences, testing collision and such, lol.

Hm, yes, that last thing gives me quite a bit of the 'nothing much
could have changed for the better if that #1 priority bug wasn't
fixed' feel.
You may be right about GP4; I haven't tested. Am more inclined to try
F1-2002 though. Still gotta get rid of that noisy PII-400 first. ;-)

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

oh... finally.. I'm 200% with Gregor on this..
I've never talked about Gp4 on a english forum/ng but italian forums are
full of flames about gp4 where I was involved.
I think the racing community shot itself in the foot with the Gp4 affair...
it was (and still is) like a huge run to "kill Geoff"...
At the end of the day Gp4's studio is closed.. Geoff has no project.. we
won't have a Gp5.. and production companies think that the racing community
is overly filled with criticism and elitarism...
I'm not saying we all had to write "oh gp4 is great" when it wasnt.. but I
do believe Gp4 got much more shit than it deserved...
I still think that, even if F12002 clearly features a VERY advanced physic
engine, Gp4 give the most realistic feel for it would be to drive a F1...
and before you start.. NO I havent driven one ever... it's just my idea
about how a F1 would be...
And more than that.. Gp4 is BY A LONG WAY the best single player experience
out there...you won't be sliding around every corner but strategy, battles
and adrenaline of a F1 race is all in there and it is invaluable..

One more thing...Gp4 had a very heavy graphics engine... I won't comment
about ppl saying that Gp4 GE was the same as Gp3 because they clearly can't
see past their nose.. anyway... Gp4 GE has so many advanced features like
reflections and bump mapping and so on that can't be enjoyed unless you have
an high end video card.. what I don't understand is: it was the same for
Gp2, GPL, F12001 and now NR2003... and it is going to be the case with
RL...but why JUST Gp4 got blamed for it???

stefano

F1 2002 is great if you like to drive FIA GT cars.
GP4 is better if you like to drive F1 cars.

Really they both suck in their own ways, but I prefer the behavior of
the GP4 cars despite all of the ridiculous omissions in the game (tire
temps, proper gearboxes, etc).  If I could only get my controller to
work properly with the damn thing I'd probably put some serious time
into it...I really love the graphics (very Papy like imho, with light
desaturated colors) and the overall characteristics of the car are
nice - very stiff chassis and huge grip dropoffs at high angles of
attack.  

If Doug Arnao were to rebuild the F1 cars in F12k2 to have more
believable aero and brake characteristics and someone would be kind
enough to convert all the GP4 tracks over I'd probably change my mind
as GP4 really is a ***product on a number of levels.

Jason

On Fri, 14 Mar 2003 08:47:32 +0000 (UTC), "Stefano Casillo"

Bingo.  Exactly what I feel too.  The F12k2 physics engine is very
nice, as we've seen with GTR2002, unfortunately the car and track
parameters that the game shipped with are really out there.

BTW, netkar is a gorgeous work in progress. =)

Jason

On Fri, 14 Mar 2003 08:47:32 +0000 (UTC), "Stefano Casillo"

It's the way Geoff handles CPU load.  If the game periodically dipped
the framerate into say the 20's without slowing down the action I
think a lot of people would be willing to give it a second look.  The
time warp effect is really frustrating, and I can run it with 50%
processor occupancy at 30fps most of the time.

The graphics are amazing tho.  I love the transparent visor in the
in-car view as well as the nice heat ripple effect - I love watching
replays from the A-1 ring and shooting through a wall of haze and past
the camera, absolutely stunning.

Jason

On Wed, 12 Mar 2003 22:16:06 GMT, "Trick Dacy"

Hm, I'd check your drivers and such.  I'm running DX9 and GP4 and no
problems whatsoever.

Jason

   I haven't bought a Crammond sim since World Circuit...but..from what
I've read, you are pretty close to the group's as***ts.  However you do
seem to be glossing over the fact that GP4 is a essentially GP2 in new
clothes.  I think the reason so many people hammered GP3 and GP4 was they
expected soooo much from Crammond.  What he gave them was great...but the
features he left out were mindboggling.
   On to the real reason I replied...There already is one GP4 track
available for use with the F1 2k2 family.  Hungary.  I had thought there
was going to be a flood of GP4 tracks ported over, but so far, I haven't
seen any more released.
dave henrie

That's a shame, all of the GP4 tracks are great.

Still wish someone could convince Doug to have a go with the F1 cars
tho.

Jason

   They ARE, sortof...Simbin's current project is a historic F1.  You can
see some screen shots at the simbin site.  I don't think they will attempt
a modern mod for one good reason.  ISI is still earning it's money from F1
sims, and I don't think they would look too kindly at a private group that
received a great deal of assistance from ISI, then turning around and
competing against them.  
dave henrie

Apparently ISI isn't doing a 2003 sim. =)

Jason