One thing I picked up on this weekend while watching the N4 lap around
C***te regarding physics - and what I believe we are all after...
It doesn't really matter if a sim models correct physics if that information
is not passed to the user (driver). Example: Rally Championship - From
outside the***pit the cars *look* like they are handling properly. The
suspension is moving with every little bump in the road. From within the
car though IMHO, the "feeling" is not there.
I can't believe I just picked up on this but here is my observation: In GPL
(and forthcoming N4) the drivers viewpoint is fixed and the cars move on
their suspension - up, down, left and right to a certain degree. Because my
"eyes" are staionary, the movement gives the sensation of "reality". If
though, as in RC the "eyes" move with the car, there is no sensation (or it
is very diminished).
After watching the gameplay footage of WSC I started having flashbacks to
RC. Great looking physics on the outside - but how will it feel from the
***pit? The key IMHO is "in the eye of the beholder". Keep my eyes
stationary while my World Sports Car moves around on its suspension, and we
will have a hit. OTOH - move my eyes with the car, and we will have just
another pretty face in the crowd of racing titles attempting to match what
has to date only been figured out by David Kaemmer and Papyrus.
Opinions?
--David Cook
> Mrar,
> Thanks for your impressions and comments. WSC just might turn out to
be
> the one sim we can build on on for years to come. And just maybe it will
be
> the answer down the road for a modern Cart sim.
> Joel Willstein
> > Because of the code not being fully optimized, I feel I can't make an
> honest
> > assessment. My remarks about WSC's future success is purely
speculative.
> > However, Chris pointed out a few other areas (throttle and brake
response)
> > they hope to have finished within a few weeks (minor stuff)...Because of
> > this, the car felt a bit sluggish, but realistic in motion...The alpha
was
> > more about showing off what they plan to have in the sim, even if each
> item
> > wasn't 100% active. The ability to grab sections of the screen for
> forward
> > and side views - for the use of multiple monitors for example - was way
> cool.
> > What impressed me the most, was that WSC's preponderate ability to
> > configure/edit anything you want - physics, graphics, models, all
except
> the
> > exe - makes for an excellent 'brown-bag' sim...One that can be WSC,
Trans
> Am,
> > CART, or whatever...
> > Chris and Tony also stressed that future support (add-ons and such) for
> WSC
> > will be for years - not months or weeks (or even at all) like in other
> > sims/games. This probably isn't something Empire has planned, but
> something
> > the West Bros. want to put back into the sim communities hands. They're
> > perfectly willing to support the sim on their own time if need be -
> something
> > they've pretty much done anyway for the two years until Empire picked
them
> > up. =)
> > Cheers!
> > Marc
> > > Marc,
> > > What was your honest impression of driving a lap at Monza ? Is
WSC
> > > really all that they say ? Are we finally looking at the next step
> after
> > > GPL?
> > > Joel Willstien
