rec.autos.simulators

I have to classify Net Race Live as a simulation -- not a "sim" per se, but
a SIMULATION (and there is a difference).  GPL, N3, DTR, NFSPU, and Viper
Racing are all good examples of a sim, in that they simulate a full physics
model, plus good audio and visual cues.  Net Race Live simulates some
physics, but there is no allowance for you to make ANY adjustments, either
from a "garage"-type tuning standpoint, or from an in-cockpit
"on-the-fly"-type weight jacking method.  The visuals are good (kind of
reminds me of ICR2 Rendition version) and the sound is also okay, too.  Add
all this up, and Net Race Live doesn't quite qualify as a "sim" in the way
that GPL does, but it does do a GREAT job of simulating the Indy Racing
Northern Lights EXPERIENCE -- the lap times, the vehicles' rate of
acceleration, the handling, and the time to pass another car all add up to a
very convincing experience.

As a sim racer, the driving model itself may feel a bit arcade-like, but the
fact that I know I'm hunting down Robbie Buhl in the last 12 laps of the
Walt Disney World race, for example, makes it very compelling and immersive
for me, and it starts to feel pretty darn realistic after a couple of laps.
PLUS, because of the fact that I know how the various drivers responded in
the actual race, I find it very immersive as I try to hunt down each of the
lap leaders to put myself in a position for a win.  It's much cooler than
you think when you first realize that you just pulled off a pass against
Buddy Lazier's ACTUAL "car," rather than some semi-convincing AI
representation of his possible responses.  My first thought was, "This is
going to seem canned and completely uncompelling," but after the first lap,
that thought never entered my head again.

This is the part I really like about Net Race Live, in fact -- at the
moment, all you can do for free is either qualify or you can do the last 12
laps of a race (WDW only, so far -- unless they added some stuff today).
This works like the "Beat the Heat" feature in the upcoming "NASCAR Heat"
title.  The downside is that there doesn't seem to be any AI involved -- you
basically get inserted into the race, then you have to work around the other
cars, and sometimes you have to avoid them.

Keep in mind that with Net Race Live, you're not actually racing against AI
cars at all -- you're actually racing against the recorded telemetry from
the IRL's Walt Disney World race.  The speed, positioning, and actions of
Cheever, Goodyear, Salazar, Ray, Calkins, and Buhl in the "game" are all
actually reproductions of their telemetry recorded from the actual race,
which is why they don't react to you, nor can you affect them.  It's as if
they plopped you down in a car and stuck you into the race -- you cannot
change the finishing order, unless you happen to come in ahead of any or all
of the "AI" cars -- you can wreck, but you can't cause others to wreck.   It
can be frustrating if you get slow in front of someone, for example, because
they will just ram you, with no ramifications for them (that is, you can't
cause them to spin, wreck, hesitate, wobble, etc., but you CAN do all these
things, and contact with the "AI" car IS possbile).  A "no collisions" mode
or "ghost" mode would have been nice, perhaps, to help eliminate this
problem.

I was only able to get my controller (a Thrustmaster Super Sport, at the
moment) to work in single-axis mode, and the control setup is not all that
intuitive -- I had to fiddle with the sensitivity a LOT to find a setting
that felt good.  Still, it works very nicely once you get it set up.

On th whole "arcade" vs. "sim" issue, I found that I actually preferred the
"arcade" setting over the "sim" setting, but this may be because of the AI
issue.  Still, even in "arcade" mode, the acceleration, grip, and handling
envelope all feel fairly convincing.  One thing I do miss from other "sims"
is the tire sounds -- ICR2 and ABC Indy Racing both gave good tire noises
that helped you gauge where you were in the grip envelope, and the Net Race
Live model doesn't do a very good job in that area.  Still, the handling
feels right, and the difficulty seems to be both accessible and pleasing at
the same time, if that makes sense.

I'd definitely recommend giving this a try -- it's much more immersive than
you would think, and if it were a NASCAR thing instead of an IRL thing, I
think this board would be clogged and GPL would be all but forgotten . . .
maybe. <G>

So give it a shot and let's hear what the rest of you think.

-- JB